Moto E (2015) is now available on Boost Mobile and Sprint Prepaid for $99
Motorola’s newly-announced budget handset, the Moto E (2015), is now available on both Sprint Prepaid and Boost Mobile for only $99. This is the 4G LTE-capable device we’re talking about here, so it will work on both Sprint and Boost’s 4G networks. If either of those carriers aren’t your style, the new device will also be available on Virgin Mobile beginning Monday, March 9th for the same price.
The second generation Moto E is quite a nice step up from last year’s model. It features a 4.5-inch LCD display, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor backed by 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and MicroSD expansion up to 32GB. The rear-facing camera comes in at 5MP, and Motorola has also added a front-facing camera to the handset this time around. The battery has gotten quite a big bump up to 2390mAh, up from only 1980mAh from the first Moto E.
All in all, this seems to be a great device so far. Expandable storage, two cameras and 4G LTE connectivity are arguably the most important features on this device, and at $99, the Moto E (2015) is a great option for anyone looking to save a few bucks.
Corgi for Feedly brings news right to your lock screen
If you’re a fan of RSS readers, odds are you’ve used Feedly. But what if you could get your news an easier way without the need to jump into the app? That’s where Corgi for Feedly comes in. It brings your RSS feeds straight to your Android device’s lock screen, allowing you to quickly swipe through each article without the need to unlock your device.
Once installed, you can either swipe up to read more about the current article presented to you, or you can swipe left to view other articles of interest. If you’d like to unlock your device, swipe right, and you can enter in your passcode or pattern from there. If you aren’t too fond of reading the entire article on your lock screen, you can also jump right into your browser directly from the post you’re currently reading. Additionally, Corgi for Feedly makes it easy to share to other services, like Pocket, Evernote, Facebook, Twitter and many more. And if you haven’t noticed by the screenshots above, the app is designed very well, featuring Google’s Material Design guidelines. Here are all of the features Corgi for Feedly currently offers:
- All news subscriptions are synced with Feedly – if you are already a Feedly user, all of your existing subscriptions will be automatically available on your lock screen.
- Choose your own news resources – .Read the stories that you wan’t, by subscribing to the resources that matter to you. We offer International Search Support.
- Material Design ready – the lock screen has been created following Google’s Material Design language
- Read Later – In a rush and don’t have time to read the article? Save it and read it later. Works with Pocket and Evernote.
- Share with Friends – If you like a story, you can easily share it with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and many others.
The developers also note that in a future update, you’ll be able to pick and choose which feeds are presented on your lock screen. So if you’re like me, and have way too many feeds to keep track of, the new update will help out with that potential problem.
If you’re interested in trying out Corgi for Feedly, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store link below.
Get your HTC One M9 fix with two new videos
With all the excitement the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge seems to have brought, some people may have forgotten that HTC has unleashed its third generation HTC One on the world. While some feel the M9 is less than worthy of a generational upgrade (those same folks said the same thing about the S3 going to the S4), the phone took what users didn’t like about the M8 and refined it to make it better.
That said, we’re still waiting on the release of the phone, but in the mean time, we have Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr. narrating a video about the new M9 and another video that’s “out of this world.” We have them for you after the break. Enjoy!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Get your HTC One M9 fix with two new videos
‘Reserve Strap’ Plans to Charge the Apple Watch on the Wrist [iOS Blog]
Following an afternoon of discussion on the recharge rate and battery life of the Apple Watch, third-party developers Lane Musgrave and John Arrow today revealed the “Reserve Strap“, which will allow users to charge their Apple Watch while wearing it on their wrist.
The device consists of a silicone band with embedded lithium polymer cells and an inductive charging cradle that will hold the Apple Watch, resulting in a 125 percent battery life increase over the basic life of the Apple Watch, according to the company.
The Reserve Band will charge the Watch “similar to the new MagSafe wall charger for the Apple Watch”, thanks to a few batteries embedded within the device using magnetic inductive charging. Musgrave notes that while they “don’t have hard numbers yet”, their current testing leaves them to believe their claim to a 125 percent increase in battery is close to the mark.
The case looks slickly designed, especially considering the amount of power the two are saying hides within the silicone band, but perhaps the biggest cause for concern lies in the possibility for obstruction of the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor.
Recent news only underlines the sensor’s extreme importance in making contact with a user’s skin, but Musgrave remains optimistic that their product will meet all the standard expectations when using the Apple Watch in conjunction with their new device.
Since we haven’t been able to test anything on the actual device, it’s really hard to say whether we’ll be able to prevent interference with the sensors on the back. We won’t be able to know for sure until we’re able to test on the real thing but it’s certainly a priority for our product.
Although it’s not yet up and running, a Kickstarter is planned for the Reserve Strap. Those interested in pre-ordering the accessory now can do so for $249.99 from Reserve Strap’s official website, though no official release date has been set. Musgrave and Arrow reiterate on their website that the first shipment of bands will be “extremely limited” due to the funding of the nascent project coming entirely out of their own pockets.
Hold the phone: MWC had more than just handsets
While the term “mobile” has always meant more than just smartphones, this year’s Mobile World Congress really highlighted how diverse the category can be. After all, the star of the show was arguably the HTC Vive, and the only mobile-related thing about it is that it’s made by a company that also makes phones. Indeed, VR headsets were the surprise hits at this year’s Mobile World Congress, as were smartwatches from the likes of LG, Pebble and, yes, even Huawei. Whether it be VR headsets, wearables, tablets or even electric vehicles, it’s clear that we can expect more than just phones from Mobile World Congress from now on. Relive some of our favorite non-phone highlights from MWC in our gallery right here.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news, photos and liveblogs from MWC 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Fedora Reader is a fast and Modern RSS reader for Windows and Windows Phone
Have you heard? Universal Windows apps are the big thing for Windows and Windows Phone users. Today, we have another addition to our bucket of apps. Fedora Reader is a super quick, clean and Modern RSS feed reader from Joshua Grzybowski, the developer of Pouch, a well-received Pocket app for Windows Phone.
Fedora Reader is unlike many other RSS apps in that it looks very Windows 10 with thin fonts and new-style buttons. The app is very lightweight at less than 1 MB on the phone, launches quickly, and is easy to use.
If you do not have any RSS feeds ready, the app has a curated listed in various categories including Business, News, Entertainment, and Technology. Within each category is a predefined RSS feed that you can add. Of course, you can also add your own RSS feeds.
HTC One M9 Plus allegedly poses for happy snaps in leaked photos
The conference room from the announcement of the HTC One M9 is still warm, yet we’re already hearing rumours of another HTC flagship device. The informally named “HTC One M9 Plus” has allegedly been spotted on camera, and from the sounds of it, will be an even more beastly device than the M9. Previous rumours said […]
The post HTC One M9 Plus allegedly poses for happy snaps in leaked photos appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Makes sense: Google’s cell service will only work with Nexus 6 devices
Google has been reportedly working to bring its own flavor of cell service to consumers the not so distant future. It would use Wi-Fi for much of its connection, but deals are in place with T-Mobile and Sprint for when Wi-Fi is not available. Android 5.0 Lollipop has the technical functionality to handle this quite […]
The post Makes sense: Google’s cell service will only work with Nexus 6 devices appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Kemco’s Alphadia Genesis 2 lands in the Google Play Store
Alphadia Genesis 2 is the latest RPG from Kemco Games, who is widely known as one of the best jRPG creators on Android. The game has just been released to Google Play, and is currently being offered at a 50% discount. It features a long, detailed storyline, great graphics and a handful of unique battle mechanics.
In the followup chapter to the original Alphadia Genesis game, the Empire has launched a campaign against the infected Atramian population who continue to remain a threat to the world. The population is infected by “black energi”, an evil source of power, and it’s your job to ensure nobody escapes. You can also customize your characters through the use of “job orbs” which include fighter, healer, knight and mage. There’s also a fifth job orb hidden somewhere in the game, but we’ll leave that up to you to find out what it is.
Since this game just launched, it does have a few release date bugs, but we’re sure they’ll be ironed out in no time. There are also a few in-app purchases, but the developer assures us that none are required to beat the game in its entirety. Alphadia Genesis 2 is normally priced at $9.99, but for right now, Kemco is offering it for only $4.99! We’re not sure how long the sale will last, but considering the length and the amount of detail in the game, this is a steal. If you’re interested in picking it up, head to the Play Store link below.
Jony Ive Discusses Design of Apple Watch in Latest Interview
Apple design chief Jonathan Ive recently discussed the meticulous process that went into creating the Apple Watch in a new profile with Financial Times. Ive describes the Apple Watch as “the most personal product” that Apple has ever made, with “thousands and thousands of hours of evaluation and testing” invested into the device.
“Even now, when the design of the Apple Watch is incredibly mature and has gone through thousands and thousands of hours of evaluation and testing, we’re still working and improving. You are trying to keep everything fluid for as long as possible because everything is so interconnected. The best products are those where you have optimized each attribute while being very conscious of other parts of the product’s performance.”
The iconic designer adds that he appreciates the convenience afforded by the Apple Watch, describing the wrist as the perfect place for the technology. The device, for example, will have a Glances feature on the watch face that delivers real-time information such as weather, stock quotes and upcoming calendar events without needing to take your iPhone out of your pocket.
“One of the things that struck me,” says Ive, “was how often I’d look at my watch and have to look again quite soon afterwards, because I hadn’t actually comprehended what the time was. If I had looked at something on my phone, because of the investment involved in taking it out of my pocket or my bag, I would certainly pay attention. I quite like this sense of almost being careless and just glancing. I think for certain things the wrist is the perfect place for this technology.”
In what could be amounted to a mistake, the profile claims that both the anodized aluminum Apple Watch Sport and stainless steel Apple Watch will start at $349. It has been widely speculated that the stainless steel Apple Watch would have a starting price of at least $499, especially given that the mid-tier model is equipped with a sapphire crystal display. The report speculates the Apple Watch Edition will start at around $4,500.
“He runs through the three ranges of Apple Watch with their different materials – the stainless-steel Apple Watch, the anodised-aluminium Apple Watch Sport (both from $349) and the Apple Watch Edition in 18ct yellow or rose gold (with an as yet unconfirmed price of around $4,500).”
Ive’s so-called “fanatical” attention to detail extends beyond the Apple Watch to the packaging of the wrist-worn device. The box for the Apple Watch Edition in particular will be crafted from premium materials, including aniline-dyed leather on the outside and an ultra-suede material on the inside. The small box is capable of charging the Apple Watch and its bottom half slides out based on friction, similar to past iPhone, iPad and iPod packaging.
“We didn’t want the packaging to be a sort of shorthand for value, where the box needs to be big and we have to include expensive materials. We’ve always liked the idea that if we are heavy in our thinking, we can be much lighter in the implementation. So there’s huge virtue, I think, in keeping the packaging small: at least, it is the right choice environmentally, it’s easier to move things around and you don’t end up with your wardrobes full of large watch boxes that you don’t use.”
Apple is expected to provide more details about the Apple Watch at its highly-anticipated “Spring Forward” media event on March 9th in San Francisco. Ahead of time, the company has been working closely with developers in a top-secret lab to create what will be some of the first apps for the wrist-worn device. Apple Watch will be available in April starting at $349 for the entry-level model.
Update: Apple has confirmed to MacRumors that FT‘s statement regarding both aluminum and stainless steel versions starting at $349 is incorrect.
AIVAnet 