RadioShack in talks to sell half their stores to Sprint
RadioShack is on the final downhill slope to closing up shop permanently. In a report from Bloomberg, RadioShack is on the path to bankruptcy and is looking to close all of its retail stores across the nation. However, there are talks supposedly in the works between the near century old electronic retailer and Sprint who […]
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Leaked details emerge for upcoming Lenovo Vibe Z3 Pro
I have high hopes for Lenovo over the next few years, especially since they now own Motorola. That deal is already making waves for Moto as it has made its way back into China. Now we just need the same thing to happen in reverse and for Lenovo phones to make their way stateside. A […]
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iOS 8.2 May Be Released in March, Ahead of April Apple Watch Launch
Apple’s next major iOS update, iOS 8.2, includes the WatchKit API and support for the Apple Watch, so it’s been widely assumed that the software will launch alongside the device. According to sources that spoke to BGR, iOS 8.2 may not be released at the same time as the Apple Watch after all, coming instead in March.
An unspecified March release date means the software could come just a week or so ahead of the Apple Watch, or over a month, depending on the specific launch date of the Apple Watch. Tim Cook recently confirmed the Apple Watch will be released in April, but he did not narrow down the month-long timeframe. It is not clear why Apple might choose to launch the update ahead of the Apple Watch, as it is heavily focused on the device aside from some bug fixes and other minor improvements to the iOS 8 software.
As we reported last week, Apple has been asking some high-profile developers to have their Apple Watch apps ready by mid-February, a request that could be related to a potential March software launch and accompanying event.
BGR has been fairly accurate with its iOS release date predictions. The site correctly determined several iOS 7 beta release dates, most notably targeting March of 2014 for the launch of iOS 7.1, which turned out to be accurate. The site has, however, been wrong on some occassions, like when it inaccurately predicted the launch of iOS 7 beta 6 and beta 7.
Apple has seeded five iOS 8.2 betas to developers thus far, and the most recent beta was released just yesterday. We’ve already been seeing hints of what the Apple Watch will be capable of thanks to developer efforts thus far, and Apple Watch sightings have been picking up as employees in Cupertino test the device ahead of its launch.
Future of LG G4 and stylus less clear after latest leak
As we look down the road in 2015 for a successor to LG’s LG G3 smartphone, one of the rumors that surfaced was that LG may equip their flagship device with a stylus to be able to compete a little more directly against the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. That rumor was fueled by information about a trademark filing for the “G Pen” name. A new trademark filing for “G4 Stylus” could be a sign that LG is actually planning to equip a mid-range device with a stylus instead of their flagship device.
LG did not get much press here in the U.S. for their stylus equipped smartphone as it launched in foreign markets. Nevertheless, the company is present in the stylus-equipped smartphone space with the LG G3 Stylus which was a 5.5-inch device carrying a 1.3GHz processor, only 960 x 540 resolution on the screen, and 1GB of RAM. Despite sharing the G3 moniker it its name, the G3 Stylus was definitely not a high-end device with those specs.
Along with the new trademark application, a leaked document appears to show an entry for a stylus equipped pen that is somehow related to the LG G4 even if only in name. In the screen capture, a listing appears for an LG device with model number H810 and project number P1 which is believed to be the AT&T variant of the G4. The same listing shows a project with codename “P1s” which could signify the addition of a stylus to project P1. However, the resolution for the P1s is only 1280 x 720 and the model number is listed in a different series, H63x. Except for the P1 part being the same, this seems to be more consistent with the LG G3 and LG G3 Stylus model where the stylus equipped smartphone was a mid-range unit.
The question now is whether the previous trademark entry for the G Pen was in reference to new equipment for an LG flagship device or is LG just trying to protect their investment in a line of stylus-equipped smartphones that fall in the middle tier in terms of specs.
source: MyLG
Come comment on this article: Future of LG G4 and stylus less clear after latest leak
Android Lollipop rolling out to the HTC One M8 in Canada today
HTC may be a little behind with its 90 day Android Lollipop roll-out goal, but the company is still pushing out updates for its flagship smartphone. Android Lollipop will be heading out to Canadian HTC One M8 owners within the next 24 hours.
Answering questions via Twitter yesterday, HTC’s own Mo Versi confirmed that the company has received technical approval from Rogers and TELUS regarding updates for the M8 and that an over-the-air rollout would begin the following day (which is today).
@Enea77 @HTCCanada Alessandro, we’ve received technical approval from Rogers this afternoon on M8! OTA will also start tomorrow! Thanks.
— Mo (@moversi) February 2, 2015
Furthermore, HTC Canada’s Twitter account also confirmed that a similar update would be making its way to the HTC One M7 “soon”, although a more specific time frame wasn’t given. Hopefully, we should see news about the update appear in the near future.
@ohhwhen Thanks for asking. The HTC One (M7) update is also on it’s way soon, please stay tuned for updates on our social channels.
— HTC Canada (@HTCCanada) February 3, 2015
Keep your eyes peeled for that OTA update notification later today.
The OnePlus One giveaway! (Update: last chance)
Update: Last chance! The giveway ends in 14 hours at the time of this writing.
OnePlus has created a beast of a phone, and so far, the company has only been selling the device to a few select people. If you don’t have an invite to purchase the OnePlus One, don’t worry! Our friends at StackCommerce are giving one away! Before we move on, we’d like to congratulate Android Authority reader Kimberly from Louisiana, who won the Choose Your Own Android Giveaway. Kimberly, we hope you enjoy your new Android device!
So, how do you go about winning one of the best phones of 2014? Simply head to the giveaway page, enter your email address, and you’re automatically entered to win. Folks, it couldn’t be more simple than that. The contest ends in only 7 days, so be sure to get your entries in before it’s too late.
Editor’s Note: This deal is through StackCommerce, in partnership with AA Deals Store and other StackSocial partners — and not an exclusive Android Authority contest.
Head to the giveaway page to enter now!
Teardown: take a look inside the Xiaomi Mi Note
Members over on the MIUI forum have taken apart the Xiaomi Mi Note, so that we may have a gander at how Xiaomi goes about cramming its high-end hardware into a package costing around only $370.
After pulling off the rear glass cover with some basic suction pads and unscrewing the metal protective cover, the Mi Note’s motherboard and other internal components can all be found within easy reach. The inside of the case is split into three parts, one housing the motherboard, the speakers at the bottom, and a space for the 2,900mAh 4.4V battery, which is provided by LG.
Turning to the motherboard, it’s here that you will find the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB Samsung LPDDR3 RAM module, two power management chips for the smartphone, and the flash memory provided by Toshiba. Placed snugly near the 3mm audio jack you can also spot a high-end 32-bit ES9018K2M digital to analog converter, which features 127dB dynamic range and -120dB THD + noise characteristics, and TI OPA1612 and ADI ADA4896 op-amp chips for the audio signal path. Interestingly, there is a metal cover soldered to the back of the motherboard to offer additional protection.
Nestled next to the main board are the front and rear cameras. The rear camera is a 13 megapixel Sony IMX214 sensor with optical image stabilization, while the front facing camera is a 4MP Ultrapixel camera developed by HTC, which contains pixels sized at 2-micron each, and is designed for superior low light capture. Lifting out the battery reveals a connection from the motherboard down to the microphone, USB port and vibration unit at the bottom of the smartphone.
Overall, the tinkerers found the Xiaomi Mi Note rather easy to take apart, investigate and reassemble. For a low-cost device, Xiaomi has clearly taken the time to design and layout a well put together smartphone.
Meet the Devs – Deb
Welcome back to our Meet the Devs segment! In this piece we take a little time to get to know the people who really make Android what it is today and that is the app developers. In this week’s developer interview, we are talking to Deb Sarkar.
Name: Deb Sarkar
Developer Name: Deb
Country: India
Website: Official Facebook page
Social Media Profile/Page: Google+
How many people on your team? 1
Apps
Game of Bugs: DeBug
Photo Effect Eraser
About your company?
I don’t have any company.
What level of experience do you have with coding and development?
I am coding for last 9 years. And I started android development for last one year.
What languages do you know? How and where did you learn them?
I mainly work with C/C++, sometimes Java, C#. I leaned C/C++ in my engineering time and java , C# in my professional time. I started programming with Visual Basic and Pascal when I was in 8th – from there I grew my interest. I learn a language when I need that. Like android(Java) I learned when I wanted to make my own apps & games for Android.
What level of experience do you have with design?
I am quite capable of designing any complex – simple application, since I worked as a designer for few years.
What apps have you made?
Initially I made Photo Effect Eraser, then I put my effort making Fun Photo Draw. Now I have just uploaded Debug, a casual game.
How do you monetize your apps?
I use Admob in free versions of my games.
Do you consider yourself successful?
No, not right now form sales making point of view, but I am successful to achieve what I wanted to make. It may be that needs more updates & redesign etc, but I am trying hard. So far I found users want some innovating apps – cool graphics. Since I cannot to hire graphics coders I am trying hard make money with existing apps. If users supports them I can bring cool apps & products for sure.
How difficult is it to make money as a developer?
It’s very hard to make money with apps. Since indie developers (like mine , I am the only one person) cannot do marketing / advertising so it’s difficult to reach more customers.
Why did you choose Android? Do you develop for other platforms? What are the differences between them?
I have been coding for last 9+ years in my profession and I grew my interest in coding from my 8th standard with visual basic. Every time I see some game I how it can be coded/ designed. I developed few games with Silverlight few years back for my own. Then when I bought an Android phone – I knew that I have to make apps and games for this beautiful system. Language does not matter for me(or any coder) – so I started. But in the middle of my first app development I found one wallpaper which was blur and one circle was cut from the blurred photo to make logo visible. Then I though I will make app to make photos like that. So I made Photo Effect Eraser- where you can do the same job.
What are your thoughts on iOS and Windows 8?
I do love iOS and Windows 8. May be one day I will also make apps / games for them too. But now I am dedicated to Android only.
What are your favorite apps?
I love TSF Shell, Titanium Backup, Google Maps the most.
What does the future of development look like?
I will make more apps for sure along with that I obviously want to make games for Windows if I get enough fund/money.
What tips do you have for aspiring developers?
Don’t copy paste any idea you see. If you are developer you should respect others and respect what you do.
Developer interview wrap up
We want to thank Deb for chatting with us in this week’s developer interview! If you’re a developer and this looks like something you’d like to do, check out our Meet the Devs form! We look forward to hearing from you!
Deal: get a $100 gift card when buying an AT&T LG G3 on Amazon
Looking for a great Android phone on AT&T? It doesn’t get much better than the LG G3 available with a free $100 gift card on Amazon right now.
If you opt for a 2-year agreement or a Next installment plan, you can have the AT&T LG G3 (white or black) for free, but the gift card offer still applies. In this case, AT&T and Amazon are effectively paying you $100 to pick up the LG G3, monthly commitments not considered. The deal is good for new contracts, upgrades, and new lines.
If you prefer to pay upfront, you can get AT&T LG G3 for $478, but considering the gift card, the effective price of the device goes down to a very appealing $378.
Get the AT&T LG G3 on Amazon with a free $100 gift card
In both cases, the device will be locked on AT&T’s network. Once you buy the LG G3, Amazon will automatically apply the $100 gift card to your account. The promo is valid until February 14, at midnight.
The LG G3 is one of the finest Android flagships of last year, and it’s still holding strong, thanks to a very compact design, large Quad HD display, and fast focusing camera. Read more about the LG G3 in our review.
Report: Apple and Qualcomm orders to boost Samsung semiconductor earnings this year
Although Samsung may not be having the easiest time in the mobile market, 2015 is expected to be an excellent year for the company’s foundry (chip manufacturing) business. Industry sources are confident that Samsung’s 14nm FinFET technology will see exceptional demand this year.
Qualcomm, Apple and Nvidia are said to be looking to collaborate with big foundry players to quickly shrink down the size of their application processors, in the pursuit of additional energy efficiency for mobile products. We heard talk of similar deals with Apple and Qualcomm throughout 2014. While Samsung is not the only chip manufacturer in the mobile industry with smaller processes on the way, its 14nm FinFET manufacturing process is considerably further ahead than that of the competition.
“Samsung’s system semiconductor business is going to mass produce and supply chips to Apple, Qualcomm, and Nvidia starting in the second quarter of this year. As a result, the Korean tech giant is projected to exhibit stellar performance.” – Park Yu-ak, Meritz Securities
While TSMC is looking to make the move from 20nm to 16nm early this year, Samsung and Global Foundries already have a 14nm process in place, giving the company a notable lead. Furthermore, application processor manufacturers are expected to try and lower their costs this year, as prices for mobile processors have been falling lately. Without additional investment on the part of its rivals, Samsung is likely to retain this advantage.
Strategy Analytics estimates that Qualcomm shipped 40 percent of the global AP market last year, accounting for 50 percent of sales, with Apple accounting a further 16 percent of the market. If these two companies place large orders for 14nm chips from Samsung semiconductor, the business could end up producing processors in huge volumes this year.
Last year, Samsung’s semiconductor business generated KRW 10.66 trillion ($9.72 billion) in revenue and KRW 2.7 trillion ($2.46 billion) in profit, mostly from strong demand for memory modules and 20nm application processors. This profit has helped to somewhat offset its stalling mobile business, and a boost in AP revenue this year could go a long way to shoring up Samsung’s bank balance.
AIVAnet 