Moto X and G will get the Android “L” update, according to customer support at least
Since Google announced Android “L” at Google I/O everyone has been wondering which phones will get it and which won’t. Some OEMs have released official statements regarding this, while vast majority of them has not. Motorola belongs in the latter category.
About a week ago Motorola Germany released a statement via Facebook that Moto X and G devices will get Android “L” update this fall. However, Motorola released an official statement shortly after letting us know that the mentioned Facebook page is not Motorola’s official page, which left Moto fans somewhat disappointed.
Though we were quite certain Motorola will update both at least Moto X to Android “L” even before this, now we have some sort of information that it will update both of those devices. A user allegedly talked to Motorola customer support (there are screenshots below containing that conversation) and got a confirmation that both Moto X and Moto G devices will get the Android “L” update while there are no information to be found regarding Moto E at this point.
Customer support is of course not the most reliable source of information, but it’s at least something. Do you think these devices will get the update?
Source: AndroidOrigin
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Future contraceptives will let women remote-control their fertility
Contraceptive implants are nothing new, but the current generation of progestogen–releasing devices need to be replaced every three years and have to be removed if you want to try for a baby. That may change soon, however, now that the Gates Foundation is backing a Massachusetts biotech company to build the next generation of implantable devices. MicroCHIPS Inc. is building a wirelessly controlled implant that slowly pumps out drugs and could, theoretically, only need replacing once every 16 years.
MicroCHIPS has been testing the “intelligent drug delivery system” with osteoporosis patients who would otherwise require a daily barrage of injections. Bill-and-Melinda Gates and MIT’s Robert Langer, however, believe that the technology could solve the family planning crisis that exists in the world’s poorest countries. Reservoirs of levonogestrel, a contraceptive hormone would be kept inside the 1.5cm device, and could be activated and deactivated at the whims of the user with some sort of wireless device. Currently in the experimentation stage, the team hope to solve the issue of security — to prevent anyone but the user controlling the system — before submitting it for FDA approval at some point in the near future.
Filed under: Wearables
Via: CNET, MIT Technology Review
Source: microCHIPS
UK set to defy EU by requiring collection of phone and browsing records
The UK government is set to pass emergency NSA-style measures requiring telecom companies to retain records of all web activity and phone calls in Britain for up to two years. That’s happening over fears of radicalization of UK Muslims, heading in waves to the Middle East to fight in Syria and Iraq. Such tracking, which started back in 2006 under the “Data Retention Directive,” was declared illegal in April by the European Court of Justice. That prompted emergency discussions between the UK government and opposition. But if passed, the new law would just let the UK retain its existing powers under the Data Retention Directive, rather than giving it any new ones. Morever, the opposition said it would never let the measures become permanent, and has the leverage to secure such a guarantee — in order to happen, the new law will require the sign-off of all parties.
Filed under: Internet
Source: The Guardian
iPhone 6 May See Only Modest Battery Capacity Boost as Apple Pursues Ultra-Slim Designs
A recent survey suggests consumers are looking forward to improved battery life as well as a bigger screen in the iPhone 6. But according to Chinese media reports (via GforGames), Apple’s next-generation iPhone may disappoint with a lower-than-expected battery capacity that will provide only a slight boost from the battery used in the iPhone 5s.
Chinese media sources claim the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 will ship with a battery between 1,800 and 1,900 mAh, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will include a 2,500 mAh battery. Though larger than the 1,560 mAh battery in the iPhone 5s, these modest capacity increases place Apple behind competitors with similar sized handsets, and leave some wondering if Apple is keeping the battery too small in order to design an ultra-slim device. The larger screens on the iPhone 6 will naturally create more volume for larger batteries while maintaining a slim profile, but the displays themselves are likely to require increased battery to support the higher resolutions.
Of course, these rumored battery capacities for the iPhone provide only part of the equation, with Apple’s tight software-hardware integration also contributing to overall battery life. It is also possible that real-world battery life may be better than these speculated hardware specs imply due to underlying performance improvements added to iOS 8.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 during a September media event. The company may debut both a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch version that could feature a faster A8 processor, an upgraded Touch ID scanner and an improved camera with some form of image stabilization.
Amazon Fire TV Review
Up for review today is Amazon’s Fire TV and have I enjoyed reviewing this item. Amazon has dipped into the tablet and e-reader market, successfully, now they are trying to get more and more inside our living rooms. Who can blame them? I believe out of all the companies, I trust Amazon the most.
The Fire TV is a feature-rich Amazon experience that provides those with a Prime Membership the opportunity to stream Prime Content and HBO GO (recently updated) content along with all your standard entertainment apps from Netflix to Watch ESPN. Now the Fire TV is $99.00 but easily blows away other media hubs in that area, such as the Apple TV ($99.00) or the Roku 3 ($84.99). You will find out exactly why the Amazon Fire TV is such a user friendly and all around enjoyable experience for anyone using it!
Design
The Fire TV is nothing fancy, shiny, purple or any of that nonsense, it is meant to blend in and go unnoticed as you stream content at your leisure. The Fire TV is about 5 inches long and almost 1 inch tall weighing about 10 ounces. The top of the device has a glossy black Amazon logo and on the front of the Fire it has a single LED to show it is on. On the back of the Fire TV we are greeted with a plethora of options with HDMI, Optical Audio, Ethernet, USB ports and power. It also has built in wireless as well and packs a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Krait 300 CPU with an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It has 8GB of built-in storage which about 6GB is for users, however this is irrelevant because we don’t care about storage, just streaming. The Fire TV is never lacking in the power department, you tell it to do it and it is done! 
Along with Fire comes the almighty remote which is small and has the same matte black finish as the box. It has your standard navigation features, but one of the nicest features is Voice Search. This simple feature allows you to search for related content that you requested. It works very well.
Functionality
Because Amazon preloaded my account on the Fire TV, everything is already setup once I plugged it in and put in my Wi-Fi password. When you first turn it on, it launches a video demonstrating many features of the Fire TV and no you can’t skip it. Once, through I was greeted by all my TV shows and movies I have purchased and all my photos that I have uploaded to Amazon. You really couldn’t ask for an easier setup.
Once at the home screen you can choose what kind of content to look at or if you want to download games and other apps such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. Now, if you plan on using a Fire TV without a Prime membership, you are under utilizing the entire purpose of the Fire TV. Sure you can still have Netflix or Hulu to stream content, but Amazon has so much content exclusive to Prime members that you would be selling yourself short. You might as well get a Chromecast. However, Amazon offers a 30 day free trial, which can be found here, where you can try out the service and see for yourself! 
When it comes to the remote it is your basic wireless remote that uses Bluetooth technology to talk to the Fire. It has your basic buttons for play/pause, fast-forward, rewind, menu, back, and home. At the top of the remote you have the “Universal Search” button which is voice controlled. For example, if I hold the button and say “Robert Downey Jr”, it will show all content related to him, however this is currently limited to Amazon or Hulu. This isn’t a major disappointment, but it would be nice to search all my apps and show related content as well. Overall the voice search is fast and recognizes my voice with no issue.
Value
Overall, the Amazon Fire TV is a great product, but for all you cord-cutters out there, I know there are other devices that are just as capable, however Amazon’s Prime content is rapidly expanding! If you use Amazon and want the best way to utilize Amazon’s services, there is no better way than a Fire TV. Along with the capable game playing, great performance, simplistic user experience, the Fire TV is a great option. Check out the Amazon Fire TV and many other reviews on Amazon’s site, here!
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A proper Nokia Lumia device running Android is coming our way, report says
We’ve all heard this rumor before, we’ve heard it numerous times in fact. All that hope and then we get Nokia X which is an abomination of sorts, not an Android device, hence the use of “proper” in the title. Abomination might be a strong word, but Nokia X is neither a Windows Phone nor an Andriod device. It looks like a WP and it is run by extremely limited Android platform which lacks some basic Google apps and it’s an entry level phone. Anyhow, we’re not here to talk about Nokia X.
When Microsoft bought Nokia it was hard to believe they’d ever release an Android powered handset. You might recall that Nokia X was also launched before that deal closed, although Microsoft did introduce Nokia X2 afterwards, so that did leave us some hope I guess.
Well, a known leaker @evleaks shared something rather interesting with us today. @evelaks is usually right so we decided to give this leak some attention. He teased us with the following sentence:
“Big news: Android-powered Lumia incoming, from Nokia by Microsoft”
Unfortunately we don’t get any more details when it comes to this leak, but this is still something. You might notice he mentions “Lumia” in that sentence, which leads us to believe this won’t be another Nokia X-like device but a proper Android offering by Microsoft-owned Nokia brand.
I don’t know about you, but we’re very, very excited about all this. As I said, this leaker has an amazing track record, so he definitely did get our hopes up. How about you, do you think this will ever happen and would you buy an Android-powered flagship Lumia device, presuming they don’t mess with Android on a core level?
Source: @evleaks
The post A proper Nokia Lumia device running Android is coming our way, report says appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG releases the G Pad 10.1 worldwide
LG have today announced the worldwide availability of the G Pad 10.1, which will be made available initially in the United States, closely followed by Asia, Latin America, and Europe later this month.
Following on from their LG G3 handset, the G Pad 10.1 takes popular features such as Knock Code, Touch & Shoot, and QPair and brings them to a bigger tablet screen.
The LG G Pad 10.1 features a 10.1-inch screen (obviously) which is running at a rather disappointing 1280 x 800 resolution, and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU. That’s coupled with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot.
Whilst pricing hasn’t yet been announced for the LG G Pad 10.1, the company have said it will be announced for individual markets ahead of the launch dates in the respective countries.
Does the LG G Pad 10.1 appeal to you?
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Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5 Review: who says pouches can’t be stylish and Functional?
The Samsung Galaxy S5 hasn’t quite been the revelation that Samsung were hoping for, getting lambasted by critics for a lack of innovation (perceived or otherwise). While it has likely still sold extremely well, it seems unlikely to have matched the same sales highs that the Samsung Galaxy S4 did, but with so many Galaxy S5′s out there, it means lots of them are going to need protecting. One of the classic considerations when thinking about a case for your phone is whether you really want to obscure the back (or front) of your phone; chances are, you chose your phone for its looks and most cases will obscure at least part of that look on a daily basis. A pouch, while not generally an intuitive option, does give you the flexibility to enjoy the unadulterated looks of your device while still having protection. So with that in mind, let’s check out the Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5.
What’s in the box
There’s not much to the Snugg pouch case with only the pouch and a ‘Lifetime Guarantee’ slip included in the packaging. The pouch itself is made from polyurethane leather, which is similar to the Nexus 7 Snugg case we reviewed before (read the full review here).
Notable external feature of the pouch include a hold that allows the speaker to be uncovered, and a tab at the back which is connected by elastic to within the case; more on that function later. The pouch is also quite elegant, in my opinion; the Snugg pouch can be had in the pictured Black Leather, or the equally stylish Distressed Brown or Tan Suede.
How does it perform
Unsurprisingly, given the name of the company, the Snugg pouch produces a very snug fit for the Galaxy S5, full encapsulating the phone inside case. It can be a bit tight at first, but with leather, it’s likely to loosen up a bit over time, but I can’t see it getting loose to the point where your phone just falls out. In fact, if you put your Galaxy S5 into this pouch, it’s actually nigh on impossible to get it out by prying with your fingers.
That’s when the aforementioned tab comes into play. Being connected within the case, pulling on the tab allows you to pull the phone out of the case, only by about an inch or so, but enough for you to grab a hold and pull it out. It does take a bit of getting used to, but it is quite a neat system. When not in use, the tab is held in place on the outside of the case by a magnet so that it’s not just dangling around when not in use.
There’s also a pocket at the front of the pouch that will allow you to carry business cards, cash, or perhaps a credit card with your phone, though like the pouch itself, the pocket is quite tight and you won’t be able to cram too many things in there. In terms of protection, the Snugg pouch protects your device exactly as much as you would expect a leather pouch to; it will shield your device from errant scratches and marks, however, it’s not going to stop a disastrous fall down the stairs from being just that. However, it is a stylish option that still lets you enjoy the naked look of your device, so maybe that’s a compromise you’re willing to make.
What I like about the Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5
I really like how the Snugg pouch case is put together; the leather is well fitted, the stitching is neat and tidy and everything seems to fit as intended. Sure, there’s not much that can go wrong with a pouch, but to know that the quality is there is always a load off. I’m also a big fan of the elastic tag that helps pull the device out of the pouch; it’s a simple yet effective system once you get used to it.
What I don’t like about the Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5
While I’m a big fan of the elastic tab system, I do worry that it’s not going to stand the test of time. Snugg says on their website that it is a “Strong, elasticated pull tab”, but whether it will last months or years is up for debate. That’s not to say that it feels cheap, inadequate or is in any impending threat of breaking; it’s only a concern for me since the phone is so hard to get out without the tab. All-in-all, this is a fairly minor, neurotic concern.
Final Thoughts
Pouches have gone out of fashion somewhat recently, however the Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5 certainly looks the part of a more stylish pouch for the present. It’s not particularly expensive either, coming in at $19.99 USD, with versions of the pouch available for not only the Galaxy S5, but Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 as well. If you’re after a bit of protection for your device and still want to be able to enjoy the phone that you chose based on its looks, the Snugg pouch case is a strong candidate for your hard earned cash.
If you’re interested in picking up the Snugg Pouch Case for Samsung Galaxy S5, you can visit the product page here. To check out Snugg’s other products, you can visit their main website here.
Gallery of Photos
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Vertu launches ‘Bentley’ collection of luxury smartphones
What happens when two British luxury brands make a baby? In the case of phone maker Vertu and automaker Bentley, the pair have just announced that they are working on “Vertu for Bentley” phones — with the first one due in October, followed by four more models over the course of the five-year exclusive partnership (sorry, no more love for Ferrari). There’s little info on what to expect here at the moment; all we know is that these special edition devices — presumably running on Android with nice specs à la Signature Touch — will offer exclusive Bentley content to their users, and that they “will be jointly designed by the Vertu and Bentley design teams, based on a relationship that goes far deeper than the utilisation of materials and cues on design.” Jeez, get a room, you two.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Vodafone’s WorldTraveller makes roaming cheaper in eight expensive countries
Vodafone’s decided to do away with itemised roaming charges in eight far-away countries, today announcing that customers will be able to use their existing voice, text and data allowances in the USA, India, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Ghana, Qatar and South Africa for £5 per day. This WorldTraveller add-on complements Vodafone’s existing EuroTraveller offering, which covers allowances in numerous European countries for £2 per day (£3 after August 31st). However, both bundles fall noticeably short of Three’s Feel at Home service, which offers free roaming in 16 countries, although Vodafone does cast a wider net than its rival. To opt-in, pay monthly customers can dial 5555 when they touchdown in any supported country, and they’ll only be charged for days they use the phone.
Source: Vodafone WorldTraveller
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