AT&T Samsung Galaxies Alpha and S5 Active get Lollipop
Samsung has been trying its best to get updates out to all of its devices this update cycle, and the next on the sweet software upgrade list is the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy S5 Active. If you recall, the Galaxy Alpha was the metal-based answer from Samsung to its metal-composed rivals released last year, and the Galaxy S5 Active is the rougher, tougher version of Samsung’s 2014 flagship. Both devices will be receiving Lollipop over the next few days, along with all of the aesthetic and efficiency features that come with Android 5.0.
For all of the specific details about the builds, follow the link below named after your device.
Alpha: Upgrade Details
Active: Upgrade Details
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Meerkat has arrived to Android, in beta test
Meerkat, the tiny startup video streaming application, such as Twitter’s Periscope, has finally arrived on Android as a beta program. Meerkat is asking for beta testers to help them develop the app for Android.
For anyone unfamiliar with the application, let’s take a second to explain what it is. It’s roughly equal to the experience of Snapchat, except instead of only having 15 second videos, you can stream live content to the world. Various celebrities, bloggers, and even the general public have become part of, what until now, has been an iPhone only application. Software like this has been wanted on Android for awhile now, and here it is.
It’s unclear how many people will be able to participate in the beta program. However it’s becoming crystal clear that the video message application that made a ruckus on iOS is headed for a head-on competition with Twitter’s Periscope streaming video application. Although Periscope is still limited to iOS, it won’t be long before the video message war is on, AGAIN. Anyone’s guess who the winner is going to be, but it will be fun to watch.
If anyone is interested please go to the Google form. You will need an email address, Twitter handle, and a full name in order to sign-up.
Source: The Next Web
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Jawbone unveils mid-range Up2, AmEx-powered Up4 health bands
We’re still waiting for Jawbone’s long-delayed Up3 to start shipping next week, but that’s not stopping it from debuting two new health bands today. The $99 Up2 (pictured above) sits between its $50 entry-level Up Move and the $179 Up3, and it includes pretty much all of the features from last year’s Up24, just in a more stylish frame. The $199 Up4, on the other hand, is basically the same device as the Up3 with one big difference: NFC payments, courtesy of a partnership with American Express. It makes Jawbone the first company to include mobile payment capabilities inside of a pure fitness wearable. The Apple Watch also supports NFC payments with Apple Pay, but as a smartwatch, it’s an entirely different category from the Up4. Jawbone’s Up2 is available today at the company’s store, Amazon, and Best Buy in black, with more colors to follow, while the Up4 is coming sometime this summer.
Just like the Up24, the Up2 can synchronize with your phone wirelessly over Bluetooth, and it includes all of the typical activity and sleep tracking Jawbone’s known for. It shares many of the Up3’s design elements, including a fully adjustable strap. The Up2 is also 45 percent smaller than the Up24, as well as $30 cheaper. While the $50 Up Move offers activity and sleep tracking, the Up2 offers a few features it doesn’t, including vibrating notifications, and Jawbone’s helpful smart alarm clock, which wakes you up at the ideal time in your sleep cycle.
As for the Up4, it came about as part of a long series of negotiations between AmEx and Jawbone, according to American Express vice president of mobile payments Tony Prentice. It has all of the advanced health tracking features of the Up3, including heart-rate monitoring and far deeper sleep analytics, but it adds an NFC chip to the device’s strap. When you want to pay for something with your AmEx card, you just need to hold your wrist up to an NFC terminal and follow its instructions to complete your transaction. It’s basically like having Apple Pay or Google Wallet on your wrist, except it’s accepted at any NFC terminal that takes American Express.
“Adding payments unlocks a lot of experiences that’s worthy of a whole new [version] number,” Jawbone senior product manager Jason Donahue told us. “We’re changing the way people have to think about their fitness and their lifestyle … No longer do we have to go out for a run with a giant phone in our pocket.”
While it doesn’t make much sense for a company to announce an entirely new version of its flagship product when the latest device hasn’t even hit shelves yet, the Up4 is still an interesting device. At this point, Prentice notes that it’s only compatible with American Express consumer credit cards, not corporate or prepaid cards. If you have an Up4, you’ll also see a link within the Up app to sign up for an AmEx card, if you don’t already have one. You won’t be able to track your purchases from the Up app though — both companies want to maintain strict data privacy policies.
Of the two new health bands, the Up2 seems far more promising. It’s somewhat affordable at $100, and it’s pretty comfortable, based on my brief hands-on time with it. The Up4 is an interesting concept, but it seems like a tough sell to convince people to spend more money just to get mobile payments. And if you don’t have an AmEx card, you’re just out of luck.
Filed under: Wearables
Android Lollipop now rolling out to Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on Verizon
Verizon has been busy recently with rollouts of the Android Lollipop operating system to many devices in their portfolio. The latest device to join the list is the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The update for the Galaxy Note 3 brings all of the expected Lollipop improvements like Material Design for apps and some under the hood optimizations to help with battery life. Verizon indicates they have incorporated Samsung’s tweaks to the Touchwiz interface as well.
The update should be rolling out to users via an over-the-air process and users will be notified when the update is ready to be installed. Users can also check for the update and initiate the download by going into their settings and checking for an update.
Verizon notes that with the update to the operating system, users should expect to see battery life decline for 2-3 days before returning to normal. Likewise, the new system takes a couple days to optimize application memory which can cause some sluggishness.
source: Verizon
Come comment on this article: Android Lollipop now rolling out to Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on Verizon
Watch out for fake devices when buying from a third party!
This should be common sense now, but just be warned. There are some pretty convincing fake devices floating around that you can get burned on.
When you are buying a device off of something like Craigslist, make sure to do your homework before you get out there and get scammed. There are some pretty simple ways to protect yourself from fake devices.
When buying a used used device or even a new device from a third party vendor, look up the phone that you are planning on purchasing. The will be plenty of images floating around that show you what the real device looks like.
Keep this photo fresh in mind, or even carry on with you when doing a face to face deal. It never hurts to play it safe. There will be differences between the devices. Pay special attention to the box (if included) to make sure that it has all of the proper markings as well as the pre-installed apps and the settings, particularly the about section.
Those three points will help make it pretty clear wither or not you are purchasing the genuine product.
There is nothing worse than spending the full $600+ for a fake device that will be slow and almost unusable. Worse than that, there could be malware on the device that can potentially steal your information!
It is important to protect yourself and take the proper precautions when buying phones, or anything really, from a third party seller. It doesn’t matter how official the seller looks, there is always the possibility that they aren’t selling the real thing.
This can happen to anyone. Here is a video published by a techie like myself who got scammed on Craigslist.
While you need to be careful when not buying from a reputable seller, there is no reason for you to shy away from buying a device from a third party seller.
There are different ways that you can protect yourself. One such way is to use a site that I personally use quite often, Swappa.
I was able to interview Ben, the founder and coder of Swappa, back in November of last year. All the information there is still relevant today and could help you make a good purchase.
The post Watch out for fake devices when buying from a third party! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Lollipop rolling out to AT&T Galaxy S5 Active and Galaxy Alpha
If you own Samsung’s tough and rugged Galaxy S5 Active or it’s sleek, metallic younger brother, the Galaxy Alpha, the sweetness of Android Lollipop is coming to you now. Over-the-air downloads are now rolling out to these devices with a build number of LRX21T.G870AUCU1BOC5 for the S5 Active, and a build number of LRX22G.G850AUCU1BOC5 for the Galaxy Alpha.
These updates are quite large, with a 1.4GB update for the S6 Active and a 1GB for the Alpha. These updates will only download through WiFi, and are also available to download through Samsung’s Kies desktop software. These updates show only Android changes and no Samsung add-ons, so owners of these devices will only see features and abilities introduced in Android 5.0. This update will rollout over the next few days, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it immediately.
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Accessory of the Day: EasyAcc 13.3 Ultrabook Case
From EasyAcc comes their sleek laptop/ultrabook case designed for 12-13 inch devices. Features for this case include:
- Exterior: Synthetic PU leather, with good wear resistant and touch comfortable; Interior: Soft plush cloth, cleans your Ultrabook every time you slide it in or out.
- Dimensions: 325 mm x 240 mm x 19 mm, Fit for Apple Macbook Air 13.3 and most 13.3-inch ultrabook Laptop.
- Strong Velcro closure makes sure the lid closed well to protect your ultrabook while in a backpack, handbag or briefcase with shake
- Special envelop design, looks noble and charming. The EasyAcc special 13.3 inch sleeve can make your ultrabook different in the rest
- Wear resistant premuim leather case can protect your device against dirt, dust, small knock and scratches for a ultra long time
EasyAcc’s sleeve case is compatible with but not restricted to:
Macbook Air
Macbook Pro Retina
Acer Aspire S3 13.3
Acer Aspire S5 13.3
Acer Aspire S7 13.3
Asus Zenbook Prime UX 13.3
HP spectre xt 13.3
Toshiba Z830, Z930
Dell XPS XPS13
Samsung series 9 NP900
Samsung series 5 NP530
You can check out this this laptop sleeve at its Amazon page here as it’s currently going for $14.99
The post Accessory of the Day: EasyAcc 13.3 Ultrabook Case appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides updates brings suggestion decisions and more
The Android apps for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are each seeing updates today that improves productivity. Now, users can choose to accept, reject, and comment on suggestions from others. The suggestion is then confirmed and implemented to the file. The mobile apps are also receiving more capabilities. Moving, resizing, and deleting charts can be done with the Sheets app and objects can be reordered with Slides. Slides also has received a speed boost when working with PowerPoint presentations.
Accept, reject, and comment on suggestions
Source: Google Docs (Google+)
Come comment on this article: New Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides updates brings suggestion decisions and more
This camera is powered by its own photos
No, you haven’t stumbled across an internet video from 1997 — that’s the output of one of the cleverest cameras you’ll see in a while. Columbia University researchers have developed a self-powered camera whose pixels both record light and turn it into electricity. The trick is the use of photodiodes (which are common in both cameras and solar panels) that are permanently set to collect energy, not simply conduct it.
As you can see from the blurry, goofy animation above, the existing technology won’t compete with the camera in your phone, let alone a pro DSLR. Columbia’s prototype captures just 1,200 black-and-white pixels, and it needs a lot of light just to keep running. Even so, it’s promising. If scientists can refine the technology to work at multi-megapixel levels, you could see cameras that last a long time on battery, and might not need a battery at all.
Via: EurekAlert
Source: Columbia University
LG G4 teaser highlights the flagship’s ‘Quantum’ QHD display
LG is gearing up for its April 28th launch event for the LG G4, steadily teasing us with clips, images, and other small tidbits of information about their latest and greatest handset. In its latest teaser video, LG starts by asking the question “Do you think all QHD displays are the same?”, and from there briefly highlights some of the changes found in their new “Quantum QHD” display.
This will be the second member of the LG G flagship series to utilize a QHD resolution, but that doesn’t necessarily mean LG is standing still when it comes to display tech innovation. While LG is pretty vague on details, as you’d expect from a teaser, they do reveal the new display is 25% brighter and has a 20 percent wider color range when compared to its previous QHD display and notes that the “difference is obvious”.
The video tells us nothing else, but we already have a nearly full picture of what to expect from the LG G4 thanks to a combination of official announcements regarding the UI and camera, as well as leaks that have even highlighted what the phone will look like. For an even better look at the rumors surrounding LG’s upcoming flagship, be sure to check out our LG G4 rumor roundup.
Regardless of what LG brings to the table later this month, Android Authority will be on scene to bring you all the details as they hit.
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