Sprint landing page for Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge with crystal clear press renders
We all know that in two days Samsung will be giving us our first official look at the next Galaxy, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. Earlier in the week AT&T and T-Mobile tossed out a profile image of the Galaxy S6 Edge with an ominous glow of the carriers colors. Sprint […]
The post Sprint landing page for Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge with crystal clear press renders appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your headlines this week:
- The Google Play Store is now delivering sponsored app search results in Google Play.
- AVG’s latest report shows the apps with the worst storage, worst battery drain, and most data use.
- Google launches Android for Work to make the workplace better.
- The developer of Falcon Pro 3 explains how he developed the app in just three weeks.
- Google Play Music now allows you to upload up to 50,000 songs.
If you want even more headlines, app releases, and app updates, then check out our newsletter. It’s curated weekly by yours truly and there’s no spam. Just the latest and greatest in Android apps and games news straight to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
Flynx
[Price: Free]
Flynx is a special kind of browser that opens up in floating bubbles instead of full screen like a normal browser. It was updated to version 1.0 which means it has finally left beta. The update also brought a number of new features. It’s totally free so why not check it out?
Almightree: The Last Dreamer
[Price: $1.99]
Almightree is a 3D puzzle platformer where you play as an adventurer to who must bring balance to a crumbling world. It brings with it decent graphics, a fun story, and surprisingly good game music. It’s $1.99 but there are also no in app purchases.
SoundHUD
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
SoundHUD is a new app that helps you control your volume and does so without root. Using this, you can put your Lollipop device into actual silent mode if you want and there are a range of other features such as the ability to only adjust media volume on tablets. It’s free to use with in app purchases.
Heavenstrike Rivals
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Heavenstrike Rivals is a new tactical RPG out of Square Enix. It has some pretty decent graphics and similar battle mechanics to old classics like Final Fantasy Tactics. Not exactly the same, but similar. It’s free with in app purchases and it’s worth a shot if you’re a strategy RPG fan.
YouTube Kids
[Price: Free]
YouTube Kids was released this last by Google to generally positive reviews. It is a YouTube app that is geared specifically at kids and contains playlists with entertaining and educational content for kids. It’s an app that all parents should at least try out and it is totally free.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps and games news, let us know in the comments!
Follow Android Central for all the best from MWC 2015
For the full MWC 2015 experience, you’ll want to follow the folks from Android Central on all of the social media channels.
When it comes to trade shows, there’s the show, and then there’s the show. The former will be found on the front page of this site called Android Central and at our MWC 2015 page, but the latter will only be found by following us on Google+, Twitter and Instagram. That’s where the after-hours fun, off-the-wall random findings from the show, quick analysis and all-around cool Android stuff lives.
While we all fly over to Spain and spend a week knee-deep in all things Android mobile, you can follow along with all of our accounts. We look forward to interacting with everyone as we go through the week!
How to identify what song is play with Siri and Shazam
Siri now works hand in hand with Shazam, the popular music tagging service. That means, instead of rushing and stumbling to find the Shazam app when a great song comes on and you’re desperate to identify it, you can simply have Siri do it for you!
How to tag and identify songs with Siri and Shazam
- Make sure the song you want to identify is playing in the background.
- Press and hold the Home button to activate Siri.
- Say something like “What song is this?” or “What song is playing?”, any variation should work.
- Siri will then listen and present a result.
- If you’d like to purchase the song in iTunes, tap on the Buy button and you’ll be taken right to it.
- If you want the Shazam app itself to save your newly identified song to your history, make sure you tap on Shazam in the lower right corner. If you just close out of Siri, the tag won’t be saved to your Shazam app.
- Once you’re done, tap the Home button to return to your Home screen.
If you use Rdio’s premium service, you should remember to always perform step 6 so your tags not only save in Shazam for reference later, but saves to your Rdio playlist of Shazam tags — if you’ve chosen to enable that feature. If you don’t use Rdio or Shazam you can of course ignore step 6 altogether and just close out of Siri when you’re done!
Former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson talks about designing the first Apple Stores
Former Apple retail head Ron Johnson has shared some of the lessons that he’s learned during his time in retail, including things he learned at Apple. Johnson shared a story about a discussion he had with Steve Jobs before the opening of the first Apple Stores.
Before the opening of the first Apple Retail Stores, Johnson expressed dissatisfaction with how the stores were designed, saying that they should focus on activities that people use their devices for, not the products themselves, according to Inc. Magazine:
“We’ve organized it like a retail store around products, but if Apple’s going to organize around activities like music and movies, well, the store should be organized around music and movies and things you do,’” Johnson confessed. Jobs turned to him and said, “Do you know how big a change that is? I don’t have time to redesign the store.” Ten minutes later, Jobs walked into the meeting and said, “Well, Ron thinks our store is all wrong. And he’s right, so I’m going to leave now. And Ron, you work with the team and design the store.”
Johnson said that the experience taught him not to fear starting over, because being first is not as important as making the best product or experience that you can. John served as head of Apple retail from 2000 to 2011. He was first replaced by John Browett, and the post is currently held by Angela Ahrendts.
Source: Inc. Magazine
Sony updates the Folding@Home App to support non-Sony phones and Android Lollipop
Many of us have allowed our home PC’s to be used for the Folding@Home project that utilises the PC’s idle time to investigate the mechanisms of protein folding, aiding medical research into Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases among others. Owners of Sony smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat have previously been able to run the relevant Android app on their devices, and now Sony has updated the app to be compatible with Android 5.0 Lollipop as well. Perhaps even more importantly, even non-Sony smartphones can run the app thanks to this latest update.
A few details on how the application works, it uses your smartphone’s processing power and WiFi connection when it is idle i.e when you go to bed at night and put the phone or tablet on charge. Default settings for ‘idle time’ are between midnight and 6am although you can change it to suit your needs. This results in the smartphone crunching data during its idle time to aid medical research in its bid to find cure cures for various ailments. If you’d like to take part in the Folding@Home project, just click the download link below to be taken to the Google Play Store.
Google Play Store Download Link
Come comment on this article: Sony updates the Folding@Home App to support non-Sony phones and Android Lollipop
Tim Cook in London to Talk Apple Watch and Visit Covent Garden Retail Store
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday made an unannounced visit to the iconic Apple Store in Covent Garden, a popular shopping and tourist location in London, according to The Telegraph. The chief executive also sat down for an interview with the British publication to discuss the Apple Watch, providing a few more interesting details about the device ahead of Apple’s highly-anticipated “Spring Forward” media event on March 9.
Cook claimed that the Apple Watch will have several features that go beyond timekeeping and health and fitness, such as the ability to replace large car key fobs that come with most current vehicles. “This will be just like the iPhone: people wanted it and bought for a particular reason, perhaps for browsing, but then found out that they loved it for all sorts of other reasons,” he said.
The chief executive told Apple retail employees at the Covent Garden store that the Apple Watch will be unlike any other product the company has ever sold before. “We’ve never sold anything as a company that people could try on before”, said Cook. He added that “tweaking the experience in the store” will likely be a requirement when the wrist-worn device launches in April.
During his visit to the Covent Garden store, one retail employee asked Cook what his biggest accomplishment was in the past year. “I’m proud we stayed true to our North Star”, replied Cook. “We are pro-privacy, pro-environment and pro-human rights.” He added that the Covent Garden location is one of his favorite Apple Stores and praised the retail staff for being such a contributing factor to Apple’s success.
Cook has been traveling on an international tour this week, making stops in Belgium, Germany and Israel over the past several days. The chief executive kicked off the week in Belgium to meet with the European Commission, visited the newsroom of popular German publication BILD on Tuesday and traveled to Israel on Wednesday to sit down with President Reuven Rivlin, committing to continued growth in the country.
Swiss Watchmakers Showcase Varied Approaches to Smartwatch Technology [iOS Blog]
Following Apple’s unveiling of a March 9 media event that will most likely focus on the pricing and launch date for the Apple Watch, Swiss watchmakers Swatch, Frédérique Constant and Alpina have recently released more details regarding products that will be residing in the same smart wearable space as the Apple Watch (via Watch Insider).
Swatch yesterday announced the Swatch Touch Zero One, a new smartwatch with a dedicated touch screen and a focus on durability and outdoor activity. The sports-heavy focus comes thanks to the company’s partnership with the Beach Major Company, which specializes in organizing and putting on Beach Volleyball competitions.
Besides volleyball specific functions like counting “power hits” and “power claps”, the Touch Zero One will apparently compete most directly with the Apple Watch Sport, thanks to its enhanced durability, lightweight frame, and sweat-proof band.
“Beach Volleyball is a wonderful sport, a thrill for the players and very exciting for the fans,” said Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek. “We’ve had great fun in the past and now we want to push it further with the new Major Series in collaboration with the FIVB. With the players we share a passion for this great, young sport and look forward to the upcoming tournaments.”
Lacking from the Touch Zero One, however, is any mention of non-fitness related content such as phone, text, and e-mail notifications, even though the company confirmed the device will sync with a smartphone app. Swatch says the Swatch Touch Zero One will be “available this beach volleyball summer season” and cost those interested around $159.
Watch Insider also reported on the partnership between Swiss luxury watchmakers Alpina and Frédérique Constant, who have taken a different approach to the smartwatch business and introduced “smart” components into otherwise traditional timepieces instead of crafting an entirely new smartwatch line.
The created platform, called Manufacture Modules Technologies (MMT), powers the new line of Swiss Horological Smartwatches and allows for a device that tracks sleep and activity in real time and syncs automatically with a smartphone app and allows users to break down the information into daily, weekly, or monthly categories.
“The Swiss Horological Smartwatch is the synthesis of high-tech innovation and traditional Swiss watch craftsmanship; it is the link (no pun intended) between modern and classic, and the bridge between Silicon Valley and Switzerland,” said co-founder and CEO of the Frédérique Constant group Peter Stas. “There is no digital screen on our Swiss Horological Smartwatch. Instead, the beautiful laser cut hands on the watch dial display information in analog form.”
A few companies who have been in the watch business for a while have reversed course – including Swatch itself – on dismissing the trend of smartwatches, announcing new products to be released around the launch window of the Apple Watch or sometime later in the year. More and more companies are announcing their own product additions to the smart wearable trend almost every week in preparation for the Apple Watch, which new rumors suggest could launch within the first week of April.
Data caps are back for Telus customers in as arbitrary fashion as you would expect
Telus Mobility announced last week that internet users would soon be charged if they exceed their monthly data allowance. Previously, Telus had data caps but never enforced them. Now, they will be enforcing them.
Starting March 30, the company will automatically bill customers for additional 50 gigabyte “data buckets” if they slip past their allowance, according to its website. The first “bucket” will cost $5, subsequent pails of data will go for $10 apiece up to a monthly maximum fee of $75, and any unused data will expire at the end of the month. – Vancouver Sun
According to Telus, internet data has gone up in the last year and they were forced to “re-examine” its policy against data caps. Telus also made the point to note how “internet capacity is not infinite.” Then there is Telus in the past describing such data caps as “customer friendly” with nothing actually “customer friendly” about it.
All of these excuses are utter garbage. Telus wanted more money from the same revenue stream. That is it. As one writer told the Vancouver Sun, some of the Telus data caps for heavy video gamers may not even last them a week if they need to download game patches that are around 10GB-15GB each. Of course, this is what Telus is hoping for as now those people will need to switch to higher plans, with higher monthly fees and still a chance for Telus to net some overage fees from some of these customers.
One would think that at a time when fixed-line bandwidth is cheaper than ever to provide, Telus capacity would continue to grow. Instead, Telus has for years been going in the opposite direction with customers seeing their data caps reduced rather than increased.
As Karl Bode has pointed out for years, the broadband and cable industry can’t seem to keep their story straight as to why they implement data caps. First, we heard that companies such as Time Warner Cable, AT&T and others needed to implement data caps or else the internet would slow down on massive proportions. Unless, of course, if the companies could raise rates, impose caps and eliminate regulation. Then, multiple people began researching the congestion issues and noticed that “well-run fixed line networks don’t have serious capacity issues, and that looming video growth was easily handled by even modest network investment.”
Years later and we had former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman and now top cable lobbyist Michael Brown admit during a speech that data caps had nothing to do with “congestion” and everything to do with “fairness.”
National Cable and Telecommunications Association president Michael Powell told a Minority Media and Telecommunications Association audience that cable’s interest in usage-based pricing was not principally about network congestion, but instead about pricing fairness…Asked by MMTC president David Honig to weigh in on data caps, Powell said that while a lot of people had tried to label the cable industry’s interest in the issue as about congestion management. “That’s wrong,” he said. “Our principal purpose is how to fairly monetize a high fixed cost.” – DSLReports
Fairness? Is that why customers who want but rarely use their cable and broadband packages are still charged massive amounts per month, even though they visit the Weather Channel several times a month? What about the elderly who likely use a fraction of their package every month, are they allowed to purchase cheap and inexpensive packages that accurately reflect their minimal at best usage?
Then there is the “fairness” of the laughably low data caps, high overages, multiple yearly rate increases for all even though many of the telecom companies see 90% profit margins. I am sure it was “fair” when Telus announced in 2013 that they would be raising rates and reducing their data caps from 150 GB a month to 100 GB, while customers on the company’s Telus High Speed Turbo 25 tier saw their data caps cut in half from 500 GB to 250 GB.
I am curious, what will the next excuse be when they are forced to find new ways to squeeze consumers for even more money from the exact same network?
Why settle for a cheaply made case? Grab this rugged Lumia 928 skin for only $12.95 today!
This Lumia 928 case is tough. Not just in a protection standpoint, either. We’re talking looks, too. It has reinforced corners with a custom shock dissipation system that absorbs nasty impacts. While the screen is left unprotected, the case’s edges elevate your display so it doesn’t rub against surfaces while faced down.
AIVAnet 
