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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Google Play Services 7.3 Allows for Multiple Wear Device Connections, More

Google announced an update to Google Play Services (v7.3) today that introduces new Android Wear and Google Fit APIs to help you all build better experiences into your apps that use either service. 

With Wear, Google is giving us the ability to connect multiple wear devices to a single mobile device. Better put, that means you can connect two watches to a single phone or tablet. But along with that new connectivity, new APIs are needed to better manage those connections, decide how to deal with messages, and figure out where data should be going to and not going to. If you check out the blog post linked below, Google walks through all of the new APIs that were created to handle all of that.

As for Google Fit, Google wants it to be easier for apps to grab up-to-date information from Fit (like steps or calories burned) and display it. Think watch faces being able to grab your current step count each time you look at it.

The rest of the update really is developer-specific stuff, so rather than attempt to sound like I know how to build apps, I’ll have to push you to today’s post on the announcement and the video below. Have fun, devs.

Via:  Android Developers

Google Play Services 7.3 Allows for Multiple Wear Device Connections, More is a post from: Droid Life



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Tuesday Poll: Is the LG G4 Your Next Phone?

Have you seen enough of the LG G4 after today’s festivities to know whether or not you are going to buy one? I would imagine that many of you have, thanks to this full list of specs, a comparison to the Galaxy S6 and One M9, our hands-on gallery, and Tim’s first impressions. We’ve tried to give you everything we can, outside of price, because LG and its carrier partners have yet to reveal that important bit of information. Still, we know it will probably drop in at $199 on contract and anywhere from $600 to $700 without one. There are few secrets left.

Tell us, did LG impress you with all of its Quantum IPS display and f/1.8 camera talk? Did they convince you that you need a leather back and removable battery? Or are you disappointed that the phone looks a lot like the G3, is using a Snapdragon 808, doesn’t have the premium materials of the Galaxy S6 or One M9, and skipped on the fingerprint sensor?

Let us know!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Tuesday Poll: Is the LG G4 Your Next Phone? is a post from: Droid Life



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LG G4: Hands-on Video and Impressions

Before I got my hands on the G4 from LG, I did not know quite what to expect. Sure, any company can tease that they have made a great successor to last year’s flagship, but with LG diving headfirst into leather backsides, while also upgrading their display and camera technology, I slightly assumed they could easily miss a few points of interest for users, such as in-hand feel and battery life.

After the device was unveiled in its entirety, all of the media in the venue filed over to the demo area. I finally got my hands on with the G4, and right when I picked it up I said, “Oh, this feels nice.” 

In-hand, the G4 feels rather light, but not cheap. Unlike the metallic heaviness of the One M9, or the cold glassy feel of the Galaxy S6, the G4 fits somewhere right in the middle, still utilizing a heavy amount of plastic in its design. At first glance, the phone reminds me a lot of the OnePlus One and last year’s G3. There are minimal bezels, plus a nicely sized chin with the LG logo at the bottom of the frontside.

Also, there are a few different colors for the leather backsides, and there are multiple colors of the plastic or “carbon” backs. The leather, while not being Horween or anything of insane quality, does feel like leather. Not that I ever doubted that it was, but since LG has to mass produce these backsides, and still try to make a profit, I’m sure a few high-end corners had to be trimmed. Depending on the leather color you get, a different texture is featured. For Black, Light Blue and Shale (that’s what I’m calling it), you get a tumbled leather on the back. For Maroon and Tan, there is a smooth back. Personally, I enjoy the smooth backside.

LG G4 - 21LG G4 - 24

Continuing on, LG worked a slight curve into the design, which really helps when the device is being held in your hand. It fits wonderfully, and with no real weight to it, it’s a comfortable phone all around. During the hands-on time, I got to play with the camera, view the display during different operations, and basically give it a nice little tour.

As I previously mentioned, LG has loaned us a unit to take back home and review, so as my time with it grows, I will likely have much more to say about it. However, I don’t want to leave anyone hanging. The G4 is really nice. The 5.5″ QHD display is gorgeous and the camera is remarkably good, making the G4 a serious little package when compared to the Galaxy S6 and One M9.

Below, I have a hands-on video that I recorded myself when I got back into the hotel room. Since I am the only one filming, and don’t have access to a tripod, there is a tad bit of shakiness, so please excuse that until I can get back home to all of my equipment.

In the meantime, I am more than happy to answer any questions or show off select features if anyone asks for it.

LG G4: Hands-on Video and Impressions is a post from: Droid Life



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Verizon’s Galaxy S4 Gets Lollipop This Week!

The Verizon Galaxy S4 is the next phone to get this year’s big update to Lollipop. According to Verizon, the update will begin rolling out in phases this week as build VRUG0C1 and Android 5.0.1 (LRX22C). 

Like all other Lollipop updates, this one will feature Google’s Material Design language sprinkled throughout the OS, more powerful notification controls, including interactive notifications on the lock screen, a brighter look and feel to Samsung’s TouchWiz, floating action buttons everywhere, and a new look to the recent apps screen.

In order to check for the update, head into Settings>About phone>Software updates>Check for updates.

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Via:  Verizon

Verizon’s Galaxy S4 Gets Lollipop This Week! is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Gives 70 New Partners Access to Google Now

Back in January, Google announced that it was allowing 3rd party apps to work with Google Now for the first time; 40 of them to be exact. This was huge news because it meant that your favorite non-Google apps could start to give you relevant, perfectly timed information in your Google Now stream just as you need it, in the way that Google attempts to do with transit info, the weather, and your travel plans. Today, they expanded the program by allowing another 70 new partners to get in on the fun. 

Some of the new partners include ABC News, Allrecipes, Jawbone, Runkeeper, Adidas, OpenTable, Zipcar, Spotify, TuneIn, and Feedly.

To see the full list of apps, head over to this Google page. To see some of the example cards of each, go here.

In order to let the new apps play nice with your phone, you will need the newest version of the Google app (4.5), which is rolling out slowly.

Play Link

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Via:  Inside Search

Google Gives 70 New Partners Access to Google Now is a post from: Droid Life



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LG G4: Hands-on Photo Gallery

Here is a hands-on photo gallery for the LG G4 to keep you busy, while we patiently wait for our hands-on video to upload and go live on YouTube.

From the time I have spent with the device, I am pretty darned impressed with the 5.5″ QHD display, 16MP rear-facing camera with OIS and Laser Auto Focus, as well as the snappiness overall in the device from the Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM. 

Thankfully, we have a unit to take back to the Pacific Northwest with us, so you can expect plenty of G4 coverage to follow along shortly.

If there is anything in particular you have questions about, shoot them below, or wait for our video to go live and then ask them.

Until then, feast your eyes on the G4 from LG.

Gallery

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LG G4: Hands-on Photo Gallery is a post from: Droid Life



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Specs: LG G4 vs. Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge vs. HTC One M9

Curious how the new LG G4 stacks up to Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge or the HTC One M9? We walked through each phone’s specs and put them together in a simple comparison sheet for you below, so that you can at least get a feel for each on paper. Each phone will undoubtedly be different when in hand, mostly because of the size, finishes, and software experiences, but this still gives you a way to compare the hardware that manufacturers settled on. 

For example, LG went with the Snapdragon 808 instead of Qualcomm’s supposedly higher-end Snapdragon 810 that is in the HTC One M9. LG did go crazy with the G4’s camera, though, even topping Samsung in aperture. LG also went with a removable battery and microSD slot, something I know a handful of you wish had been included in the Galaxy S6s.

Overall, this is a pretty close battle, even if LG skipped on the fingerprint sensor, heartrate monitor, and all-metal body.

lg g4 vs galaxy s6 edge one m9

Specs: LG G4 vs. Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge vs. HTC One M9 is a post from: Droid Life



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