Moto CEO for 2015: no tablets, no smaller flagships, Moto Maker expansion, and more
Motorola CEO Rick Osterloh took to Twitter to answer questions from Moto fans and revealed a few hints about the Lenovo-owned company’s plans for this year.
Starting with Lenovo, the executive said Motorola employees already feel at home in the Lenovo fold, and that the Chinese company gave them a “very warm welcome.” Motorola has been officially integrated into Lenovo on October 30, following a $2.9 billion purchase from Google; since then, representatives of both companies said that Motorola enjoys extended autonomy and that it would remain Lenovo’s main brand in the Western markets.
While Motorola has established a strong foothold in several big markets from around the world (Brazil, India, and China included), the company will continue to expand in 2015, with Central and Easter Europe singled out by Osterloh as targets. Moreover, Brazil is said to be a priority for the expansion of the Moto Maker program.
Asked if Motorola plans to release new tablets in the close future, Osterloh said there are no such plans and pointed towards tablet offerings from Lenovo, including the Yoga line. Motorola’s last tablet was released in 2011. That contradicts the statements of Lenovo boss Yang Yuanqing, who said in October that Motorola-branded tablets are in the pipeline.
There are no plans either for a Motorola flagship that is smaller than five inches. Motorola will probably keep the display of the Moto X (2015) to at least 5.2-inch, though an even larger screen is also a strong possibility.
Osterloh said Motorola will stick to its roughly annual release cycle for the next Moto X, meaning a release in early fall is likely.
“Contextual awareness, Moto Maker options and “premium value”” are Motorola’s main points of focus for its upcoming devices. Osterloh hinted that Moto Maker might be enhanced with more materials, joining the wood and leather “natural” options currently available.
Overall, the company hopes to “expand consumer choices (price points and options), expand our country reach and introduce cool new innovations.”
Osterloh also revealed that Lollipop for the Moto X (2013) is in early testing, that Motorola would love Android Wear to work with iOS (no plans though), and that an LTE variant of the Moto G (2014) is coming “pretty soon.”
More on Rick Osterloh’s Twitter feed.
10 awesome nature wallpapers to plant on your homescreen.
Many of you I am sure have awesome setups on your desktops that would make anyone green with envy. Many of you also probably have simple setups without too much going on. Whichever category you fall in, here are 10 great HD wallpapers that show us how beautiful the world we live truly is.
These digital works of art come courtesy of my personal collection, a collection that I have grown for many years with only the best being added, and now I want to share it with you guys! I plan on posting my entire collection in various future posts. For now, here are 10 great nature wallpapers to make your homescreen look lush with greenery. They come in various resolutions, and from all over the internet. If you see a wallpaper that is yours and you would like recognition, please drop a comment below with proof, and I would love to give you credit!
The post 10 awesome nature wallpapers to plant on your homescreen. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC One M9 going on pre-order in the US at 12:01 AM tonight
HTC will be putting the One M9 up for sale early, with pre-orders set to begin at midnight in the US.
HTC previously announced April 10 as the availability date for its new flagship, but the company will be opening pre-orders for the unlocked model from March 27 at 12:01 AM. This goes for its online store; other retailers and carriers will offer the One M9 from April 10.
The unlocked One M9 will cost $649, and HTC also offers a 12-month interest free financing option. From April 10, the One M9 will be available from all four major US carriers, as well as retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target.
According to an HTC rep, those who “order soon” may receive their devices before general availability begins on April 10.
All HTC One M9 purchases include the company’s newly announced Uh-Oh extended warranty program, which gives you a free replacement in case of screen damage, water damage, or carrier switching in the first 12 months from purchase. Even if you don’t need a replacement, you still stand to win from Uh-Oh, as HTC will give you a $100 gift card to use towards the purchase of a new One device.
Despite the lack of major changes compared to the previous generation, the One M9 left a positive impression on our Joshua Vergara, who scored it a solid 8.5 out 10. The only real disappointment is the camera, which is simply subpar. Check out the full One M9 review here.
brightcove.createExperiences();
Get the One M9 from HTC’s US store here. Are you pre-ordering the One M9 tonight?
Bellevue, WA —March 26, 2015 — HTC America Inc., a leader in mobile innovation, will begin selling its highly anticipated new flagship device, the HTC One® M9 that comes with the industry-leading UH OH™ Protection, online in the U.S. at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, March 27 and in-store on April 10 at major carriers and retailers.
Widely considered smartphone of the year for the past two years, the third generation of the HTC One ups the ante in the smartphone category with the most personal, intuitive and powerful smartphone from HTC yet while continuing the design heritage for which the HTC One is known.
“The craftsmanship of our new HTC One M9 resembles that of a fine watch. We’ve retained our iconic design but made it even better while not compromising on what is important to our customers,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America.
The HTC One M9 boasts the iconic all-metal unibody design with a new scratch resistant, dual finish that is as distinctive as it is durable. The HTC One M9 is launching in the U.S. in two stunning color options – gunmetal gray and jewelry-like, dual-tone silver with subtle gold mirror polished sides. Its beauty is only matched by its performance. The HTC One M9 is running on the latest Android™ 5.0.2 Lollipop release with the most advanced Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 octa-core processor.
“According to Kantar*, HTC One owners listen to music more than the average smartphone user and so we didn’t compromise on what is important for our consumers,” said Mackenzie. “We kept the microSD slot and increased capacity to 2TB because you want your content with you, we made our HTC BoomSound™ experience even better by adding Dolby Audio™ to give you a surround sound experience, and while others are reducing battery size, we increased it so you can enjoy your music and movies even longer.”
The HTC One M9 delivers an unparalleled personalized smartphone experience with the new HTC Sense® 7. HTC Themes offers a unique customizable home screen either by selecting from the theme collection or by creating a custom theme from a favorite photo. Sense Home is a new, intelligent widget that automatically curates apps based on your usage and location. It is contextually aware of location, time of day and what apps are preferred at home, work or on the go and will intelligently recommend apps and nearby restaurants with ratings from friends and followers.
The HTC One M9 cameras are designed to capture every moment with amazing quality. A 20 megapixel rear-facing camera delivers crisp, detailed shots and has a sapphire lens cover to protect it from scratches. The front-facing UltraPixel™ camera captures more light than most 13 megapixel cameras ensuring sharper, more natural and balanced self-portraits in any lighting conditions. A host of new editing effects have been added to HTC EYE™ Experience software include Double Exposure, Shapes, Prismatic, Elements and Bokeh.
The HTC One M9 comes with HTC BoomSound, the iconic dual front-facing speakers, now featuring 5.1 channel Dolby Audio Surround*. HTC BoomSound with Dolby Audio has two modes, theatre mode and music mode. Theatre mode uses HRTF and Crosstalk Cancellation technology to create an extraordinary, cinema-style surround sound effect while watching movies. Whether listening via HTC BoomSound speakers or headphones, users will be blown away by 24-bit high-definition sound. As a hub for home entertainment, HTC Connect® makes it easy to create a multimedia experience beyond your phone. A three-finger swipe on the screen connects the phone to compatible TVs or external speakers. The integration of HTC Connect with Qualcomm® AllPlay™ smart media platform and Blackfire Research™ wireless media technology enables high-quality content to be streamed from the HTC One M9 to multiple home entertainment devices around the house.
“We are not only delivering the best-looking, best-performing smartphone on the market, we are ensuring it stays that way with UH OH™ Protection,” said Mackenzie. “We are the only smartphone company that has your back if something unfortunate happens or if you need to change carriers.”
Purchase of an HTC One M9 includes UH OH Protection. A first-of-its-kind, UH OH Protection provides a one-time free replacement within the first 12 months of purchase for cracked screens, water damage or a different carrier variant for customers wanting or needing to switch networks. If the UH OH Protection isn’t used within 12 months, HTC will give $100 in credit towards a future purchase of an HTC One.*
The HTC One M9 with UH OH Protection will be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. It will also be available from Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target. Exact specs, colors, availability and pricing of the individual carrier versions will be shared by the carriers and retailers. An unlocked version will be available on http://www.htc.com for $649, starting tonight (March 27th) at 12:01 AM ET, with a 12-month interest-free financing option. HTC.com offers carrier versions and the financing option as well.
The HTC One M9 will be available with a range of unique accessories including a second-generation HTC Dot ViewTM case, which adds new color options with a transparent back. It also has cool new interactive features such as a customizable scrolling message, games and animated, holiday or make-your-own themes. Adventure seekers can pair the HTC One M9 with the IP68 water-resistant HTC Active Pro case.
Twitter Launches Live-Streaming iOS App ‘Periscope’ [iOS Blog]
After acquiring live-streaming video service Periscope back in January, Twitter today officially launched the Periscope app, which aims to compete with newly popular apps like Meerkat in allowing users to instantly live-stream right from an iPhone (via The Verge).
In development for over a year, once a user syncs their Twitter account with Periscope, they can view a list of curated live feeds on the app’s homepage and even replay streams that have since ended. Streams can be replayed up to 24 hours after ending, and broadcasters can opt-out of allowing users to view their stream after it’s over.
That replay feature could be Periscope’s killer feature over Meerkat, as The Verge points out, with the ability to browse old feeds and dig through current live streams resulting in “an app that can actually be browsed.” Though working in tandem with one another after being installed, the Twitter and Periscope experiences will stay separate from one another, according to Periscope co-founder Kayvon Beykpour.
You won’t be able to launch Periscope directly from the Twitter app, at least not for a while. “We don’t think we need to start there,” Beykpour says. “We think this deserves to be a separate experience indefinitely.” Still, there’s a reason Twitter scooped up Periscope: Twitter is a mostly live experience, and so is its new broadcasting app. “We always thought that what we were building, if successful, could be a real-time visual pulse of what’s happening around the world,” Beykpour says. The vision for Twitter is much the same.
Periscope also includes a few unique social aspects to live-streaming, including the ability for viewers to tap on the stream to send hearts to the broadcaster, showing up as tiny floating emoticons on the stream’s lower-right corner for everyone watching the broadcast to see.
The more hearts on a video, the higher the stream climbs on the app’s “Most Loved” list found on the front-end menu. This becomes a good measure for the crowd opinion on a current stream, according to Beykpour, who hopes the accessibility of the service propels it to be used by a vast audience and not just as “a tool for very few people.”
Although largely in favor of Periscope, The Verge mentions that the push notifications become “out of control” for the live-streaming service, comparing the experience to “getting a push notification each time every single person you follow on Twitter tweeted.”
Those interested in Periscope [Direct Link] can download the app for free from the App Store.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge pre-orders start tomorrow, on sale nationwide on April 10
Samsung sent out a presser this morning that finally reveals when you will be able to get your hands on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. As expected, both phones will be available nationwide starting April 10. This includes AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.
You will be able to pre-order either phone starting tomorrow and live demo units will be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular stores as well as Samsung Experience Shops at select Best Buy stores.
Unfortunately no pricing was specified in the presser because each carrier will have their own deals. I guess we can expect a healthy dose of pressers sent out from all the carriers today….sigh.
Full Press Release:
Samsung Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge U.S. Pre-Orders Begin March 27; Available Nationwide April 10
Reimagined from the ground up, the next big thing is almost here, delivering Samsung’s most powerful smartphone experience
RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ — March 26, 2015 — Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung), the No. 1 global smartphone manufacturer1, today announced the Galaxy S® 6 and Galaxy S® 6 edge will be available in the U.S. beginning April 10, with pre-orders starting March 27. Blending elegant, sophisticated design and high-power performance, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge deliver to consumers and businesses an unmatched mobile experience.
“We have completely reimagined the Galaxy experience from the ground up by listening to what matters most to our customers,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “The Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge are more than just beautiful – they’re better. We’ve improved the smartphone essentials – camera, battery, display – and redesigned the phone experience so our consumer and business users are empowered to do more.”
In the U.S., the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge will be available in Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum — in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB2 memory options. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless will carry both the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge, while Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS will carry the Galaxy S 6. Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy, as well as Amazon.com, Costco Wholesale, Inc., Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart will also carry the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge. Carriers and retailers will confirm specific pricing and availability.
The Samsung Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge embody the best of form and function – packing incredible performance and features consumers and business users care most about into a beautifully sleek frame.
- Premium Materials: A unibody design blends beauty and durability, featuring Corning® Gorilla Glass® 4 and an aluminum frame so it’s durable enough to withstand everyday life.
- Advanced Camera: Intuitive front- and rear-facing cameras allow consumers to snap high-quality photos, no matter the lighting situation, and quickly capture any moment, anywhere.
- Battery Management: Power management essentials create peace of mind for users so there is no need to worry about battery life. With built-in wireless charging, users can quickly and conveniently charge their phone on almost any wireless charging platform (charging pad sold separately). Fast Charging gives users up to four hours of battery life with a 10 minute charge and a 50 percent charge in about half an hour. Ultra Power Saving Mode affords users up to 24 hours of talk and text time when the battery is at 10 percent3.
- Advanced Technology: Equipped with an advanced processor and display, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge elevate productivity and deliver an exceptional entertainment experience.
- Business-Ready: With Samsung KNOX, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge are secure and protected right out of the box. With wide support for MDM partners and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch, IT administrators can simplify deployment and device management.
- Dual Edge: The Galaxy S 6 edge breaks the traditional conventions of smartphone design to deliver the world’s first dual-edge smartphone. The edge display adds features unique to the curved design, including People Edge and information tickers so users can easily and discreetly view news updates and messaging notifications.
- Samsung’s Milk Services: Both the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge will come preloaded on select carriers* with Samsung’s streaming entertainment apps, Milk Music™, powered by Slacker, and Milk Video™.
Consumers can get an exclusive first look at the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge beginning March 27 at participating
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular stores in addition to Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy. A list of participating locations is available at http://www.samsung.com/galaxys6preview.
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge pre-orders start tomorrow, on sale nationwide on April 10
Google Keep makes to-do lists easier to find with labels
If you’re the type who maintains a massive amount of to-do lists and notes, you likely need a system to organize the things that keep you, well, organized. That’s probably why Google has introduced labels for its Keep note-taking app on Android. It’s pretty self-explanatory: you can tag files with labels of your choice (such as “Travel,” “to pack,” “shopping,” “grocery,” etc.) to make them easier to find later on. They’re not exactly folders that can keep things tidy, but tags can prevent you from wasting time finding a list that’s supposed to save you time. In addition to the new labeling system, the updated app now also features recurring reminders, which you can set to nudge you every day, week, month or year.
Filed under: Misc, Mobile, Google
Source: Android (Google+), Google Play
Create apps for your quadcopter with 3D Robotics’ free ‘DroneKit’ software
3D Robotics develops the open source software that powers a lot of home brew UAVs. Today it’s introducing a new tool to the public: DroneKit, software that allows anyone to create apps for, well, drones! DroneKit works with any craft that uses 3DR’s “APM” autopilot (a small device you add to your ‘copter), and apps can be created for Android, web and standalone “companion” devices (that you then connect to your quadcopter). What can you do with these apps? So far, mostly the same things you can do with existing flight planning software (like 3DR’s own Tower app). That means controlling fly paths with waypoints, following GPS targets and access to all the telemetry of the drone. But, of course, now you can do it in new and creative ways. That’s a good start, but its 3DRs promise to support the tool and keep adding new features that will change what we can do with these increasingly popular aerial craft.
Filed under: Misc
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will debut in the US on April 10
Yes, you can lay claim to an HTC One M9 of your very own at the stroke of midnight on March 27, but what if your fondness for flagships leads you in another direction? No problem – Samsung has just announced that you’ll be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge also starting on the 27th, with a full nationwide debut to follow on April 10. Frankly, between these two bitter smartphone rivals and their near-identical announcement times this morning, it’s hard to say whose actually managing to steal the other’s thunder. It’s the thought that counts, right?
We just got both devices in for a bit of frenzied testing, and we’ll have a full review ready for you as soon as we can. In the meantime, feel free to check out our hands-on and video chronicling those first heady moments with Samsung’s latest devices, and keep the following details in mind. You’ll be able to lay claim to black, white and gold versions of the S6 and S6 edge, with either 32, 64 or 128GB of internal storage. Our advice? Go as high as you’re comfortable – there’s no expandable memory slot to fall back on. And as usual, all five major wireless carriers in the US will carry both S6 variants, but smaller players and MVNOs like Boost, Cricket and MetroPCS will sell the plain ol’ S6 exclusively. Speaking of carriers, they’re probably going to announce full pricing and availability for the devices any second now, and we’ll update this post with all the details as they drop.
Filed under: Mobile
LG’s Watch Urbane LTE will soon be available in South Korea for $590
LG is releasing the Watch Urbane LTE in South Korea within the next few days, which means we now have an idea how much one will cost. Turns out the fancy mobile internet-connected smartwatch is priced at 650,000 won or $590 in its home turf. That amount is comparable to the regular Apple Watch that will set you back at least $549, but it could still change when the device arrives stateside. As you might know, the smartwatch has its own SIM card and can make voice calls even without a phone. It can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth, though, provided it runs Android KitKat or later.
Inside, its components include a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and a 700mAh battery, powering its 1.3-inch round P-OLED display. A few Korean outlets are reporting that the device runs Android Wear, but when we tested one during Mobile World Congress, it was loaded with a proprietary platform based on webOS. Notable features include NFC payment capability, GPS location sharing, speech translator and the choice to use it like a walkie-talkie. Unfortunately, the device’s US availability is still unclear at this point. Since AT&T’s bringing the LTE-less Watch Urbane to the US, though, we’ll keep a close eye on the carrier’s new announcements, just in case.
Filed under: Wearables, Google, LG
Source: LG, The Korea Bizwire
Beatport’s new app drops the ultimate bass on Android
Beatport has docked at the Android harbour by launching a new app for those who enjoy dance music. The online music resource recently launched a new free streaming service, which these new apps will compliment. It plans to become the number one destination for not only music fans, but also DJs looking to stock up on tracks.
AIVAnet 