LG’s G Pro 2 starts rolling out across Asia
If you love your screens large but hate the bezel, LG’s G Pro 2 smartphone has arrived to Asia, replete with a 5.9-inch, IPS 1080p display and meager 3.3mm side frames. It also sports cutting-edge niceties like 4K video recording and the drum-to-unlock Knock Code, along with a 13-megapixel camera, Snapdragon 800 chip and 3GB of RAM. It’ll hit Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam in the coming days, with North America and Europe to follow at an unspecified date. There’s still no word on pricing, but given those specs, it’s not the budget phone you’ve been looking for.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Source: LG
UK carrier Three reportedly scraps unlimited tethering for new customers
With one hand, Three gave its subscribers a free upgrade to LTE. (Cheers, me-dears.) But with the other hand, it has apparently taken away one of the key benefits of its popular “One Plan” tariff: namely, unlimited tethering. According to Wired UK, new customers will only be able to choose from plans that offer a maximum of 2GB of tethered data — something we’re currently trying to confirm with Three’s PR reps (not least because the company’s site has suddenly gone down for “maintenance”). On the plus side, the network will reportedly still offer all-you-can-eat data for non-tethering purposes, if you can find a way to consume all of that allowance without the help of your laptop, and there are rumors it has also decided to make 0800 calls free from your mobile — presumably in order to give news articles like this one a vaguely happy ending.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Wired UK
Play Store Updates to 4.6.16! Instagram Finally Appeals to Android! – App Updates
Hello precious friends. Normally Device Updates happens on Monday, but for some reason there weren’t any that we found. I guess the OEMs and carriers decided to take the week off. Have no fear, I have App Updates for you. Lots of important apps updated last week, like the Play Store. we know how much you guys love it when the Play Store updates. I might try to squeeze this segment in with all the other videos to be honest. Anyways, enjoy the video.
App Updates
Play Store updates to 4.6.16
Instagram appeals to Android with new UI
Google Wallet update
Google Maps update
Microsoft is announcing an ‘intersection of cloud and mobile computing’ later this month
How does Satya Nadella run a Microsoft press event? We’re about to find out: the company’s new CEO will is coming to San Francisco later this month to talk about “news focused on the intersection of cloud and mobile computing.” The topic certainly plays to his strengths. Before taking the helm as the company’s new chief executive, Nadella played a major role in launching Office 365, Microsoft’s subscription and cloud-based Office platform. While that application is already accessible from mobile devices, native Android and iOS Office apps have reportedly been on Microsoft’s roadmap for some time too, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they surfaced at this event. Microsoft won’t speak further on the specifics of the event, but we won’t have to wait long — Nadella takes the stage on March 27th.
Filed under: Microsoft
Google Play Movies and Music All Access hit more countries around the world
Sounds like Google’s been busy cutting international licensing deals, because the company’s just expanded its Play Movies and Music services to a huge bunch of countries. Between the two, the latter touts the longer list, as the Play Movies & TV Android app has been updated to work in 37 new locations across the globe. These include the Netherlands, Venezuela and Rwanda, as you can see in the roster (that Android Police spotted on Google Play’s support page) posted after the break. While residents in all these countries can watch movies they’ve bought or rented from Google, TV shows are still only limited to people living in the US, the UK, Australia and Japan.
On the other hand, folks from Sweden, Norway, Greece and Slovakia can now buy albums and tracks via Play Music. It comes with Google’s All Access music streaming in tow, as the service continues its European journey after making a detour to Mexico. Slovakians only need to pay €4.49 ($7) a month after their 30-day trial expires, but Greeks have to pay €7.99 ($11) for a subscription. Swedes and Norwegians get the worst deal, though, as they have to pony up 79 Kroner ($15) a month. But hey, at least they’re better off than our good friends in Canada, who are still waiting for All Access to arrive.
Google Play Movies is now available in these countries:
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Finland
- Gabon
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Ivory Coast
- Luxembourg
- Mali
- Mauritius
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Portugal
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sweden
- Togo
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
Filed under: Misc
Via: Android Police (1), (2)
WitRigs Aluminum Bumper for Galaxy S4 Review
Bumper cases have grown in popularity over the last few years, but some users have expressed concerns that they don’t offer enough drop protection. To combat this problem, we’ve also seen a rise in metal bumpers, like the aluminum bumpers from WitRigs. For users that want the simplicity of a bumper with maximum protection, WitRigs may have struck the perfect balance. I had the chance to review the gold and black aluminum bumpers. Let’s take a look, shall we?
The Good
- These bumpers are sturdy, as expected. They offer a premium feel (especially the gold model) that is lost with plastic and TPU bumpers.
- In a nutshell, they just look awesome. Something about metal accessories makes the S4 seem much classier and sophisticated.
- Aluminum bumpers offer the security of being screwed on, so users won’t have to worry about them falling off during use.
- Button cutouts are engineered well, and offer enough room to comfortably press the power & volume buttons
The Bad
- While the screws are a pro, they’re also a con. For users that change cases frequently, it can become tiresome to get out a tiny screwdriver (one is included with each bumper) and fumble with small screws.
- With the black bumper, the sides have a more matte texture, which makes it a bit harder to hold onto than the gold bumper.
Judgment
Overall, these bumpers are crafted with high quality aluminum. They give users adequate protection in a slim profile that just looks great on the Galaxy S4. If you can get around the screws (which shouldn’t really be an issue if you’re planning to use the bumper long-term), it’s hard to think of a reason not to get a WitRig aluminum bumper. Of course, a $7.99 price tag certainly doesn’t hurt either. You can grab an aluminum bumper from WitRig in a variety of colors.
The post WitRigs Aluminum Bumper for Galaxy S4 Review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Facebook needs testers for new Messenger features on Android
Apparently Facebook’s found the silver bullet for developing its Android apps: crowdsourcing bug testers. In an effort to make Messenger more stable for everyone, Zuckerberg and Co. are asking adventurous Google fans to help work out the application’s kinks before new features are released to the general public. The process essentially mirrors what we saw with the open beta for its main app last year. Just sign up for the related Google Group, tick the “become a tester” box in the Play store, download the app, turn on automatic updates and voila you’re getting early access to new features. Should a glitch pop up, Facebook asks that you report it with the in-app dialog box. Simple enough, right? Naturally, as is often the case with beta tests, those new bells and whistles might make the app a touch less stable than you’re used to.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook Code
Walmart’s used games for gift cards trade-in program opens March 26th (video)
After many rumors and even a brief trial program, Walmart is finally following Best Buy, Amazon and, of course, GameStop in taking trade-ins of used games. It will start accepting your old games on March 26th, in exchange for store credit usable at Walmart and Sam’s Club, whether in-store or online. Once it has the games they’ll be refurbished and then this summer, go on sale for “a great low price.” It’s all very familiar if you’ve ever traded a game in before, but Walmart says it will “pay more for used games, sell new and used games for less, and give our customers the flexibility to spend their money how they want.” Your move, GameStop.
Source: Walmart, Walmart Blog
Apple’s Manufacturing Partner Starts Preparing for iPhone 6 Production
Apple supplier Pegatron is expected to start production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunshan, China plant, reports the Commercial Times [Google Translate].
The new factory, along with a hiring push, is part of an effort by Pegatron to meet orders to manufacture the new phone. In early January, it was reported that Pegatron was expected to win a new contract to manufacture half of the iPhone 6′s supplies. Previously, Pegatron was responsible for assembling the iPad mini and iPhone 5c, while Apple’s main supplier, Foxconn, assembled many of the iPhone 5s units.
While the newspaper reported production would start ramping up in the second quarter, it did not report when the phone could come out, how many units Pegatron would manufacture, or how many workers the company was hiring. However, they do note that fellow Apple supplier Hon Hai would be the other primary manufacturer of the phone.
In 2013 Apple shifted iPhone 5c production to Pegatron in order to improve supply chain risk management, allowing Apple to expand its supply lines and minimize risk of potential supply chain disasters.
The iPhone 6 has been rumored to launch with two different versions of the phone, one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display.
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Mt. Gox gets its login page back, but only lets users check their Bitcoin balance
Wondering where your Bitcoins are? Looks like Mt. Gox is giving you an official way to check. The fallen Bitcoin exchange has updated its homepage with a sparse login screen, inviting users to sign in and check their wallet’s balance — with a caveat. “This balance confirmation service is provided on this site only for the convenience of all users,” the site warns. “Confirming the balance on this site does not constitute a filing of rehabilitation claims under the civil rehabilitation procedure… …and should also not be considered an acknowledgement by MtGox Co., Ltd. of the amount of any rehabilitation claims of users.”
That legalese is referring to Japan’s Civil Rehabilitation Law and Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy proceedings, which are counting the company’s assets to suss out a liquidation value. Mt. Gox users with Bitcoin stuck in limbo may eventually get a percentage of their wallet’s worth based on the official totals. It’s not a particularly heartening disclaimer, but at least it gives users a way to verify their online wallets without putting their accounts at risk.
Source: Mt. Gox
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