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Thursday, April 28, 2016

#TBT: 8Pen Keyboard Wants to Reinvent the Way You Type

We all know what a keyboard looks like and how it operates. It’s been the same experience for decades, but a few years ago, the makers of the 8Pen keyboard app looked to drastically change everything you knew about typing on your smartphone. The app launched with a very futuristic look, which had many in the Android community excited, but as people began to download and attempt to use it, we all quickly learned how impossible that was going to be.

To this day, I still have no idea how 8Pen works. Using swipes and gestures, you essentially draw what you are attempting to write. I tried for days to figure out how to master it, but unfortunately, I went back to Swype after many failed attempts.

According to the 8Pen website, the developers have gone back to the drawing board, and for those interested in an update on 8Pen, you can follow them on Twitter. Sadly, the last time the company tweeted was in October of 2013.

So, yeah, 8Pen is dead.

Former Motorola Boss, Rick Osterloh, Heads to Google to Oversee Nexus Program, Other Hardwawre

According to a report out of Recode, it didn’t take long for former Motorola boss, Rick Osterloh, to find a sweet new gig. Osterloh, after fleeing Motorola just last month, has landed at Google as a new senior vice president who will head up a new hardware division that aims to unify the company’s many projects, including Chromecast, OnHub, ATAP, Glass, Chromebooks, and yes, Nexus devices.

Google has apparently confirmed the addition of Osterloh.

According to Recode, Osterloh will work on Nexus hardware development alongside Android SVP Hirsohi Lockheimer, who may focus a bit more going forward on software and platform development. He’ll also take over the lead on Chromecast hardware duties, Chromebook and Pixel devices, OnHub routers, ATAP (the whacky stuff that Google makes), and Google Glass (or just “Glass”). But wait, isn’t Nest boss Tony Fadell overseeing Glass? He was, but with Osterloh at the helm, Fadell will reportedly stay attached only as an “advisor.”

While I don’t know Rick personally, I do get the feeling that he is well-liked in the industry after having dealt with him and Motorola over the years. Not that Google hasn’t been equally as enjoyable to work with, but with Osterloh on board, I’d imagine things can only get better for both media relations and on a product front that eventually end with devices in your hands.

Dance, Rick, dance.

Via: Recode

NFL Sunday Ticket Subscribers No Longer Need “Max” Upgrade for Out of Market Streaming

Previously, subscribers of DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket needed a “MAX” upgrade to stream every out of market game. As of today, that is changing. Announced by AT&T this morning, “Customers will no longer need to upgrade to NFL Sunday Ticket MAX when they subscribe to Sunday Ticket in its 22nd season.”

With this announcement, anyone who subscribes to DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package will be able to stream every live out-of-market regular season game every Sunday afternoon. AT&T details that streaming of Sunday Ticket went up 35% last year, and this move should help increase those numbers even more so.

With these changes, it should be known that MAX is not going anywhere. Sunday Ticket MAX includes the regular package features, plus premium services, like the Red Zone channel and the Fantasy Zone channel. These services are available on TV and for mobile device streaming.

The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 8.

Via: AT&T

Google’s OnHub Router Now Supports IFTTT

The OnHub router now supports IFTTT, making your smart WiFi router even more useful during day-to-day life. IFTTT is based on recipes, which are commands to be followed by the service whenever a particular action occurs. As a basic example, when you connect your mobile device to OnHub, a Philips Hue light turns on. Pretty neat, right?

For a few more examples, OnHub details that users could be notified any time a loved one connects or disconnects to the WiFi at home, prioritize certain devices as soon as they connect, or control different devices (speakers, phones, tablets, etc.) and connect them to other products and services that support IFTTT. It seems that the possibilities are quite endless, meaning recipe creation should be quite fun.

To see the basic recipes that have already been created which you can use, look here.

In celebration of this launch, Google and IFTTT are hosting a little challenge. The details are below. To sum it up, tweet your OnHub recipe, and if it’s good enough, you could win a few awesome prizes.

What can you do with OnHub and IFTTT? Over the next four weeks, IFTTT is hosting a challenge. Tweet your OnHub Recipe suggestions to @IFTTT on Twitter and you could win a whole bundle of free gadgets, including a new OnHub, WeMo switches, Nest cams, and more.

Via: OnHub

Fenix Returns to Google Play After Twitter Helps “Fix the Issue”

This morning, Fenix, the popular Twitter app on Android that hit Twitter’s ridiculous token/user limit, returned to Google Play. That seemed odd to us since the removal was likely a part of a realization that the developer shouldn’t be selling an app to users who weren’t ever going to be able to login. So we reached out to the developer and he responded with a somewhat cryptic Tweet that is certainly interesting, especially to other 3rd party developers worried about Twitter’s limit.

In response to use asking if the return was due to the fact that Twitter gave him more tokens or “just because,” Matteo Villa said that he had “been in contact with the Twitter team and they’ve helped to fix the issue.” When probed further, Villa said that he was not able to provide any additional details.

Of course, our brains are now zooming. Does that mean that Twitter did indeed lift the token limit on Fenix? Did it give Fenix an additional 100K? Are they about to do something similar for all 3rd party developers? Does this mean Falcon Pro and others who reached the limit years ago can rise from the ashes?

We’ll see what we can find out.

@droid_life I've been in contact with the Twitter team and they've helped to fix the issue

— Matteo Villa (@mttvll) April 28, 2016

Angry Birds Action! Hits Google Play, Right in Time For the Blockbuster Movie

When it comes to Hollywood and the scores of crap they regularly push, an Angry Birds movie might possibly be the single most original thought to ever leave Tinseltown. End sarcasm. Hitting theaters in May, Rovio has been hyping Angry Birds Action! inside of Google Play for the past couple of weeks. And while having a new Angry Birds game is already awesome enough, much more importantly, players can unlock Piggy Island to watch an “exclusive” clip from the upcoming movie.

As for gameplay, Angry Birds Action! is not a throwback to when the franchise was any good. Instead, it’s a game based off of the movie characters, including Red, Chuck, and Bomb. Instead of a platformer slingshot type of game, you are met by a pinball layout, with the player shooting characters at various objects to break them. It’s the same overall feel as the OG Angry Birds games, but definitely different in terms of looks.

Players can also scan round badges they find to access new content, such as mini games, power ups for the game, and more. According to the app listing, these “BirdCodes” can be found all over, like at movie theaters, on Angry Birds toys, and other locations. Each code grants a different piece of content for the game.

As previously mentioned, this entire game is essentially a commercial for the Angry Birds movie. Not only does the game build hype for the movie, but if you go watch the movie in theaters, then open the game when the end credits roll, you can unlock a whole new area to explore in the game, as well as an exclusive movie clip. While the grown-ups here may find this lame, your kids will love it.

As a well known boy once said, “A crummy commercial? Son of a b*tch!”

Play Link

Google Photos Update Introduces Redesigned Search, Customizable Movies

Starting today, an update will rollout to Google Photos on Android (v1.19) that will bring forth a “redesigned” search experience, customizable movies, the ability to edit device folders that you have created, and manage the photos on your SD cards. That sounds like a solid update to me!

In the new search, Google is ditching the floating action button and instead introducing a dedicated search bar at the top. This removes a step, since you had to press the FAB previously, before getting to the search screen, which then required another tap in the search box to begin a search. Now, all you need to do is tap in the top search box and search, right from the main screen.

With customizable movies, the new Google Photos is letting users tweak the automatically created movies that the service provides, by giving you control over music and the photos/videos selected.

And finally, Google Photos will let you rename or delete device folders that you have created and also manage the photos on SD cards, which means adding new folders or copying and moving photos.

Play Link | Download Link (.apk)

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

#TBT: 8Pen Keyboard Wants to Reinvent the Way You Type

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Former Motorola Boss, Rick Osterloh, Heads to Google to Oversee Nexus Program, Other Hardwawre

Via: Recode

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