Themes can be designed with no prior software development experience using Samsung’s Theme Editor
Theming your phone is nothing new, but companies like HTC and Samsung are making it easier than ever with their new Theming apps. After spending time with both the One M9 and the Galaxy S6, it’s clear that HTC has an early lead since it’s so easy to create your own themes on the phone itself.
Samsung, on the other hand, is pushing for developers to create themes. However, it appears that you really don’t need any prior development experience to create themes for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
Unfortunately themes can’t be created on the phone, but Samsung has a desktop Theme Editor that is a simple drag and drop approach so you can see exactly how the theme will look on the device. Creators will be able to change the images, sounds, and fonts of 14 pre-installed applications.
If you want to be a theme developer you need to follow these steps…
- Sign up for a Samsung account, if you do not already have one.
- Complete required information and submit the Request page.
- Decide whether to participate in the partnership through communication with a person in charge from Samsung.
- Develop a theme using Theme Editor and register it in the Theme Store.
Themes will be in the APK file format, and developers will be able to easily upload them to the Theme Store via the Theme Editor.
For starters, only the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be able to utilize themes, but Samsung will bring the feature to other Galaxy phones in the future.
Samsung’s path to theming will probably not generate as many themes since the average person will probably not go through this process. On the other hand, Samsung will sell a lot more devices than HTC will so they are likely to attract some really nice designers.
source: Samsung
Come comment on this article: Themes can be designed with no prior software development experience using Samsung’s Theme Editor
3000mAh portable charger, $8.99
For the price of a couple cups of designer coffee, you could be carrying around a reasonable amount of extra battery life with this portable power bank from Vority. Regularly priced at $14.99, using coupon code ZW2JCX3E brings your price to under nine bucks!
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
The post 3000mAh portable charger, $8.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Internet forums are good for you
Internet forums have a positive impact on life satisfaction and lead to increased involvement in communities outside the confines of the online world, according to a study published in Computers In Human Behavior. Redditors might be doing it right. The study approached users on a range of interest, lifestyle and hobby forums. The study split users into two groups: stigmatized subjects (like mental health discussion), and non-stigma related forums (sports, cooking and the rest). They were then polled about their reasons for joining the forum, how they felt about it, their life satisfaction and offline engagement with “issues raised in the forum”. Author lead Dr. Louise Pendry of the University of Exeter said that: “As well as finding answers, our study showed users often discover that forums are a source of great support, especially those seeking information about more stigmatizing conditions.”
“Moreover, we found that users of both forum types who engaged more with other forum users showed a greater willingness to get involved in offline activities related to the forum, such as volunteering, donating or campaigning.” Unlike social networks, that have arguably substituted in for forums for a lot of people, The study highlights that forums still often maintain a degree of anonymity, which adds the effect when discussing issues with a stigma — something that real names and face pics typically demolish.
[Image credit: Antonio Zugaldia]
Filed under: Internet
Via: Fast Company
Source: PhysOrg
Microsoft’s Health app won’t need a tracker to get your fitness data
When Microsoft said its Health platform was open to everyone, it wasn’t kidding around. The company has revealed that its mobile Health app will soon get step counts and calorie burns from the sensors built into your phone — you won’t need a Band (or any wearable tracker, for that matter) to put fitness data in Microsoft’s cloud. The update is due for Android, iOS and Windows Phone in the “coming weeks.” Don’t worry if you do like the Band, though, as it has a few upgrades in store as well.
To start, the company is expanding the Band’s cycling support to two common bike apps, MapMyRide and Strava, on April 23rd. There will be some improvements when you’re not on wheels, too. A web update rolling out on April 27th will provide more insights about your Band data, including your maximum oxygen volume, how well your body recovers during sleep and the times of the week when you’re at peak performance. You’ll have plenty of reasons to wear Microsoft’s device, then — it just won’t be as vital as it once was.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Internet, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft Devices Blog
Apple Watch Pre-Orders in Italy and Other Second Wave Countries Could Begin May 8
Apple will begin accepting pre-orders for the Apple Watch in Italy on May 8, according to Italian website iSpazio. The report, citing an internal source, claims that Apple Stores in the country have already received Apple Watch advertising materials and display tables for the wrist-worn device that will be setup on May 7 to prepare for the launch.
While not mentioned directly in the report, iSpazio administrator Fabiano Confuorto told MacRumors that Apple Watch pre-orders in Spain and “a lot of other” second wave launch countries will also begin on May 8, which coincides with the end date of 4/24-5/8 shipping estimates on some early Apple Watch pre-orders. Confuorto did not specify which countries beyond Italy and Spain. The sales process will reportedly be identical to the United States and other first wave countries, with orders taken exclusively online at launch.
Second wave launch countries for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. Shipping times for the pre-orders could be 4-6 weeks or later in those countries based on current estimates on the Apple Online Store in the United States.
Apple Watch pre-orders became available on April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific through the Apple Online Store in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom, and sold out completely in less than six hours. The company also began taking Apple Watch try-on appointments the same day at Apple retail stores and select fashion boutiques such as Selfridges in London, Isetan in Tokyo and Galeries Lafayette in Paris.
Zeiss’s latest full-frame Sony lenses have OLED screens
Sony’s full-frame Alpha cameras have serious game, and their only weakness — a lack of lenses — is quickly becoming a non-issue. Zeiss has just added a couple more full-frame “Batis” AF lenses that have a singular feature: an OLED display. That lets the 25mm f/2 wide angle and 85mm f/1.8 portrait lenses show the lens’ focal plane and depth of field, two pieces of info your camera normally can’t. That’ll be of dubious utility for casual photographers, but could help pros who like to fine-tune shots. The price to be on the bleeding edge of lens tech? $1,199 and $1,299 for the 85mm and 25mm models, respectively, according to Adorama.
Filed under: Cameras
Via: Sony Alpha Rumors
Source: Zeiss
The LG G4 will be ever so slightly curved with a 3000mm radius curve
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The LG G Flex 2 isn’t going to be LG‘s only curved smartphone this year. News has dropped that LG’s next flagship device, the LG G4, will in fact have a r3000 graded curve from top to bottom, which if I’m not mistake equates to a 3000mm radius curvature – for reference, the Flex 2 has a curvature of 700mm along the same axis. As you can probably guess, it’s a much less noticeable curve than on the Flex 2, but it’s there nonetheless and should subtly add to the feel of the LG G4 in the palm of your hand. This would also imply that the LG G4 will have a slightly curved display as well, which should also add to the usability of the screen.
The LG G4 is expected to be officially announced on April 28th and makes several notable depatures from its predecessor. Most notably, the LG G4 will be available with leather cover backs (but also in plastic) and LG has profusely teased the device’s brand new f1.8 rear camera lens. It’s definitely one of the devices to watch this year, but we’ll have to see if it holds a torch to Samsung’s offering in the Galaxy S6.
What do you think about the LG G4 being curved? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Business Korea via Phone Arena
The post The LG G4 will be ever so slightly curved with a 3000mm radius curve appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google’s doodle for Earth Day 2015 asks ‘which animal are you?’
You probably already know that today is Earth Day, 2015 edition, don’t you? The day that we are supposed to show our support for environmental protection and hopefully become more sensitive to the earth’s problems and needs. In case you forgot, Google’s doodle for the day is naturally Earth Day themed and leads to an interactive quiz that wants to know which animal you are.
After answering a few multiple choice questions, the quiz then determines which animal you are. For some reason, I am apparently a Honey Badger whose true friends know that they can always call on me to scare away lions or fight a king cobra (snake). I truly hope that my so-called true friends would never ever expect anything of the sort from me, but who knows? Let us know which animal you are and why, either by Twitter, Google Plus or in the comments below.
Source: Google Doodles
Come comment on this article: Google’s doodle for Earth Day 2015 asks ‘which animal are you?’
Motorola begins rolling out the Android 5.1 update to the Moto X (1st Gen), Changelog below
If you own a 1st generation Moto X, you will be pleased to find out that the Android 5.1 Lollipop update has begun rolling out. In Brazil. I know, it isn’t good news if you don’t actually live in Brazil, but hey, at least it’s a start, and a sign that it’s on the way. We have the changelog after the break.
Other than the bug fixes that Android 5.1 contains, the changelog mentions features such as Smart Lock (trusted devices), changes to the UI and notifications, the new flashlight feature and the use of the new Android Runtime (ART) among others. As to why the update is rolling out to Moto X (1st Gen) handsets in Brazil first, it’s probably because it (Brazil) has a smaller user base. Meaning that if there are any problems with the update, it’s an easier task for Motorola to give support and fix the issues. I’m sure it won’t be long until the 5.1 update is released on a wider scale.Until then, we can always just drool over the changelog, I guess.
Any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in the document are not down to me, for once. The change log was translated from Brazilian Portuguese to English in the interests of being able to read it.
Source: Motorola
Via: Droid-Life
Come comment on this article: Motorola begins rolling out the Android 5.1 update to the Moto X (1st Gen), Changelog below
‘Halo’ on Xbox One gets even more ‘Halo’ next month
If you’ve stuck with Halo: The Master Chief Collection this long you deserve a reward, and folks who played during the game’s disastrous launch window last year will soon have theirs. As a 343 Industries rep writes on Halo Waypoint, the promised, free Halo 3: ODST expansion is “on track” to be part of next month’s content update. Beyond that, the patch also adds the revamped “Relic” multiplayer map into the fold. Remember — ODST isn’t a total overhaul along the lines of Halo 2, it’s just the old game running at 1080p and 60 FPS. “Relic,” however is getting the full remaster treatment and even a new name that’ll be revealed at a later date. For the rest of this month’s patch notes, be sure to hit the links below.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Via: Polygon
Source: Halo Waypoint
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