TWRP Recovery Now Available For The LG G Watch (dory): Phenomenal Flashing Power, Itty Bitty Screen Space

Big things are happening for the smallest of Android devices. Over the last month, we've seen several attempts to extend the capabilities of Android Wear, some have worked out, while others haven't fared so well. Most of the activity has come in the form of 3rd-party apps, so there hasn't been much action for dedicated modders. That is, until today. Team Win just posted its first official custom recovery for the LG G Watch (dory).

TWRP Recovery Now Available For The LG G Watch (dory): Phenomenal Flashing Power, Itty Bitty Screen Space was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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[New App] Atlas Web Browser Beta Mixes Speed, Advanced Features, And Material Design

It takes a lot for an Android web browser to get our attention. We've got Chrome in all its Googleyness, and we've got Dolphin of you need something more extensible. But the new Atlas browser beta may just warrant your attention. In addition to speedy rendering and surprising responsiveness, Atlas has some advanced features hidden behind a solid user interface. Oh, and did we mention it uses some Material Design cues in its visuals?

[New App] Atlas Web Browser Beta Mixes Speed, Advanced Features, And Material Design was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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RUMOR: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 To Be Released In September

You don’t say? Well this rumor is kind of a given really. Seeing as the Galaxy Note has been announced at IFA – which takes place the first week of September – for the past three years and it’s set to be announced there this year as well. So it would make sense for it to be released in September right? Well unless they mean the US, which we don’t expect to see it here until October. Similar to last year’s launch. This rumor comes out of ET News which is a Korean news outlet – and of course Samsung is from Korea. They are sometimes hit or miss with rumors and leaks. But this time I think they’re right, although I’m sure anyone could have published this rumor, and people think it’s true.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is rumored to be announced at IFA in Berlin in about 6 weeks. It’s supposedly being launched beside the Gear VR, which is their virtual headset. Think Google Glass, but from Samsung and for Samsung devices. Last year the Galaxy Note 3 launched along side the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, and the year before the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Camera launched together. There’s no confirmation on an Unpacked event for Samsung, but those event invites should be heading out the door pretty soon.

According to ET News, Samsung is looking to rush the Galaxy Note 4 out the door to try and combat the iPhone 6 which is due to launch that same month. Why are they worried about the iPhone 6? Well it looks like all the making fun of the small display is coming to bite Samsung in the butt, as Apple is rumored to be putting out a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch variant of the iPhone 6 in September. Which may sway a few Galaxy Note users over to Apple, or vice versa.

How many of you are excited to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in about two months time? Let us know in the comments below.

The post RUMOR: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 To Be Released In September appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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New app lets you control Tesla Model S functions using an Android Wear smartwatch [VIDEO]

We’re not sure how many of our readers have a brand new Tesla Model S sitting comfortably in their garage (if you do, we hate you), but we’re sure just about everyone will own this modern marvel of engineering (or a similar model) at some point in the near future. For those already saving up, you can now look forward to your Tesla being compatible with the latest Android Wear smartwatches thanks to a brand new app.

Tesla Command for Android Wear is the latest app from Harth Labs Inc., makers of popular apps like the “Naughty by Nature” ebook, and games like “Say What?” on Google Play. Shown off in a video by Android developer Matthew Patience, the app simply taps into the Tesla Model S to enable control of basic car functions via voice commands. While there are only 5 commands currently available — lock/unlock doors, honk horn, and open/close sunroof — the developer does promise more features will be added in the future.

Now, we don’t know about you guys, but we’ve been dreaming about controlling our car by voice since since Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman flick hit theaters. Now if only the developer can find a way to activate the Model S’ shields, we’d be all set for some late night crime fighting.

Download on Google Play: Tesla Command for Android Wear

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Firefox Android Beta Allows for Better Customization and Add-On Capabilities

Mozilla has released the latest iteration of Firefox Android Beta which allows for greater flexibility in customizing the browser for users in general and enables developers to do more with the functional aspects of the browser.

Firefox now allows users to tweak their home screen pages to reflect any website, feeds or service that are accessed frequently. Sources include Instagram, Vimeo, and Wikipedia and content is shown in a thumbnail format. This should make it pretty convenient to display content on specific sites and allows for greater convenience in accessing these pages without having to look through a list of text known as bookmarks. In addition, users can customize their default home screen pages to display whichever page is more relevant to them at any point of time. For example, users can opt to display bookmarks rather than history depending on their personal preference.

Another improvement lies in better or more powerful add-on functionality via a newer set of APIs, which enables developers to create their own home screen pages thereby allowing better interaction between user and Firefox. This helps to make Firefox more user friendly and adds more value to Firefox as a mobile browser. This could help in drawing more users to utilize Firefox as a browser. Interestingly enough, due to how ‘cutting edge’ Firefox Beta is, Android L is not supported.

The final point of interest lies in the restartless language switching. As of now, Firefox has up to 54 languages allowing us to switch between them effortlessly thereby saving time and effort required. In short, Firefox Android Beta seems to be following in the footsteps of its older brother in giving both users and developers a greater say in customization and implementation of features. Check out the link here to test out Firefox beta.

The post Firefox Android Beta Allows for Better Customization and Add-On Capabilities appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Verizon Will Begin To Use Network Optimization (Throttling) For Heavy Unlimited LTE Users Starting In October

It's impossible for new customers to buy unlimited mobile data from Verizon. But this wasn't always the case: back in the glory days of, uh, 2010 and earlier, Verizon Wireless was still offering true unlimited data for as little as $30 a month. It's been increasingly hard for users who want to keep their unlimited data to do so: since late 2012, they haven't been able to buy a new subsidized phone without switching over to a plan with a data cap, and the "grandfathered" unlimited data customers who download the most are already subject to "network optimization" when using Verizon's 3G network.

Verizon Will Begin To Use Network Optimization (Throttling) For Heavy Unlimited LTE Users Starting In October was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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8 best office Android apps

Office Android apps have really been coming into their own over the last year. We’ve seen more integration with cloud storage, more features, more stability, and better performance. The landscape is growing and more people are using their mobile devices and tablets to do actual work. If you’re going to do work, you should do it with the best apps available right? Here are the best office Android apps.

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Chrome Remote Desktop

[Price: Free]

It's desktop on mobile!

PROS

• Allows you to use your desktop/laptop office software instead of using software on your mobile device. This can result in more features and more storage since it'll be saving to your laptop.


• It's cross platform!


• It's easy to use on supported devices and it's free.

CONS

• May be buggy, glitchy, or laggy depending on your device and your network speed.


• Not ideal for offline use.

8.0

Say what? Yes, this is actually a pretty decent option for an office suite. Why, you might ask? The reason is because if you have a nice office suite on your computer, you can use Chrome Remote Desktop to access it and simply write from there. You have the storage of your computer and all the hardcore features that only a desktop office suite can offer. If you’re at home and you want to keep using your desktop version of Microsoft Word, you still can!

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Docs To Go

[Price: Free with in app purchases]

It's documents...to go!

PROS

• Huge list of features including phone/tablet support, MS Office files support, and more.


• Cloud storage support.


• Can also view PDFs so you can kill two birds with one stone if you're also looking for a PDF reader.


• Word, spreadsheet, and presentation support.

CONS

• This comes preloaded on a lot of devices and people hate bloatware.


• Advertisements may bother some people.


• Various bugs are reported on various devices.

7.0

Docs To Go was among the first to embrace the freemium purchase model and that means you can get this application for free and if you want more features, you can pay for them. It’s been around for a long time and it’s trusted by millions.

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Google Drive (and company)

[Price: Free]

Google's official office suite on Android.

PROS

• It's rock solid stable. There are still bugs but Google has done well to fix them or keep them only to certain devices.


• Easy to use interface.


• Support for MS Office files.


• You can use it to store other stuff too like photos, various other files, and stuff other than documents.


• It's Google-supported.

CONS

• You'll need a total of four applications to make this suite work. That's about two to three more than everyone else.


• Syncing between the web and mobile interfaces can take longer than expected for some.


• You have to use Google Drive storage. No Dropbox, OneDrive, etc support.

8.0

Google Drive has kind of morphed from a cloud storage app with office features to an office suite with cloud features. The change isn’t bad but you will need to download the other Google office apps, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides in order to actually create, edit, and otherwise tinker with various documents. It’s free and it’s popular plus you get 15GB of free cloud storage!

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Kingsoft Office FREE + PDF

[Price: Free]

Free back before free was cool.

PROS

• Large number of compatibile file types and support for 44 languages.


• DLNA, Evernote, and cloud storage support.


• MS Office compatible.


• Totally free with no in app purchases.

CONS

• There have been some issues reported with various languages.


• Has had bugs reported of the app deleting documents that are being edited when the app crashes.

8.0

The venerable Kingsoft Office makes its return to the list as the original free office app. It’s still free which is great and it’s still a good app which is also great. This is the default option for a lot of people who want the office experience but don’t want to fork out any money. It’s solid, updated frequently, and well developed. A good option overall.

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Microsoft Office Mobile

[Price: Free]

The office app that the other office apps want to be like.

PROS

CONS

• Microsoft has been slow on updating the app and fixing bugs.


• This isn't a big con, but you can only use OneDrive and you'll need a Microsoft account. Before you complain, keep in mind that Google Docs requires a Gmail account and you can only save to Google Drive.

8.0

Earlier this year, Microsoft Office went totally free on Android. Then they increased their OneDrive storage to 15GB free for all users. That means in terms of functionality and free storage, Microsoft Office on Android pretty much stands up to par against everyone. If you love MS Office, it’s on Android but you may have to wait a bit longer for tablet support. It’s in beta testing now and will reportedly be out later this year.

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OfficeSuite 7 + PDF

[Price: Free / $14.99]

A feature packed and solid option.

PROS

• Has a lot of more unique features, like the ability to convert PDF to Word.


• Large file compatibility including MS Office.


• Cloud storage integration.


• Some of the paid features include saving files to PDF format and locking files with a password.


• PDF camera scanner is a nice touch.

CONS

• If this is preloaded on your phone, you can't move it to an external SD card. Also, preloaded means bloatware.


• Some of the features don't work for some people, such as the PDF-to-Word feature.


• There are a lot of people who can't justify spending $15 on this app and opt to stay with the free version. Just something to take into consideration.

7.0

OfficeSuite 7 is the first office app on this list that will cost you quite a bit of money to get. In its defense it does have a number of unique features and it’s a fairly solid application. That said, many people are going to dislike that $15 price tag. Thankfully, there is a free version that you can try out to see if you like it.

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Polaris Office

[Price: Free with in app purchases]

Comes preinstalled on most smartphones

PROS

• Comes with free cloud storage and support for other cloud storage.


• Desktop client means you have cross platform support. You also get more free storage if you do this.


• Camera mode lets you scan documents.


• MS Office file support.


• Chromecast support to put your documents on TV.

CONS

• Bloatware which means it's bloatware.


• Storage is messy. Documents get duplicated fairly often or deleted entirely.


• Still buggy and crashy sometimes for some people.

7.0

Polaris Office was one of the first office suites to be preloaded onto phones and that’s a tradition that continues to this day. It’s a solid option with the basic features if you stick with the free version. There are some unique features and it’s a solid option overall.

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Smart Office 2

[Price: $9.99]

Not amazing but not bad. It's good.

PROS

• MS Office and PDF support.


• 3D document viewing for all 9 people who would like that. Still cool though!


• Cloud storage support.


• Wireless printing support.

CONS

• It's been a long time since the developer has updated this app.


• That means the bugs and issues that people are having haven't been fixed yet.


• Really light feature set for a $10 app.

7.0

Smart Office 2 is another somewhat expensive option but it’s still fairly solid. It’s a little bare in terms of features but there are some fun features for those who may need them. It’s not amazing but it’s not bad. It’s good.

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Wrap up

If you’re wondering what happened to Quickoffice, it’s been announced that Google is retiring the app and putting all of their focus into Google Drive. If it’s not gone already it will be shortly. If there are any really good office apps that we missed, let us know in the comments below!

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