Google launches Project Fi app on the Play Store
In preparation for its launch next month, Google has now released the Project Fi application in the Play Store. Unfortunately, when you download the app, you’re redirected to a screen requesting your login credentials — something only a very limited amount people have access to (beta testers).
Seeing as we’re looking at an app we can’t use just yet, Google thought it would be a good idea to include some screenshots in the Play Store listing to tease us with a taste of what’s to come, and yes, that’s made us want it even more.
Check the pictures out below:
Source: Play Store
Come comment on this article: Google launches Project Fi app on the Play Store
Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
Samsung is now pushing out the much-anticipated Android 5.0.2 update to all models of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 located in the United States. In terms of added functionality, this upgrade transports the latest build of Lollipop to the handset, in addition to a multitude of bug fixes and stability improvements.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the mosttimely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you can search for the update manually.
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
Apple and IBM customize iPads to help the elderly in Japan
The partnership between tech giants Apple and IBM, which began last year, isn’t just about working together on enterprise products. In Japan, the two companies just announced an initiative that will deliver up to 5 million iPads to Japanese senior citizens, at no cost. Apple, IBM and the Japan Post Group, a local corporation that’s also involved with the project, say the goal is to “improve the quality of life” for millions of elderly people in the Land of the Rising Sun. How so? Well, the iPads are said to feature custom-built apps by IBM, all designed with senior citizens in mind — some can be used to set reminders and alerts about medications, or to request help with things like grocery shopping.
Not surprisingly, Apple’s also touting out-of-the-box iPad services such as FaceTime and Messages, which those who benefit from the program could use to stay in touch with loved ones. There are no details on the model of the iPads being provided, but chances are these senior citizens won’t care too much about such details.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, Apple
Source: Apple
Waze will tweet if there’s unusual traffic in your area
Unless you live in California, it’s not that often that you make an effort to specifically check the traffic conditions for your morning commute. That’s probably because you’ll be spending a big chunk of your time with your face buried in Twitter instead. That’s why Waze thought it’d be a good idea to launch a traffic alerts program on the social network, called Unusual Traffic. The system compares current journey times with historical data and, when there’s a noticeable difference, will send a tweet letting you know.
The company has set up more than 50 different accounts, each one focusing on a specific metro area, including Atlanta, London and Buenos Aires. If there’s more information available like a faster alternative route or the cause of the blockage, then that information will also be included. That way, all you’ll have to do is favorite that specific account to make sure you never get stuck in traffic again, except all of the times that you do, obviously.
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Internet, Software
Source: Waze
Living with Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge in an S6 world
I was torn this past winter. I knew the Galaxy S6 was imminent and that there’d likely be a model with a curved screen, but I was dying to see what it was like to live with its bigger precursor, the Galaxy Note Edge. Would I feel a twinge of regret when the shiny new Samsung handset arrived, even if the older phone still had some advantages? There was only one way to find out. I spent a few weeks with the Note Edge to see not just whether I would enjoy that uniquely shaped screen on its own terms, but whether it would still hold its own against the faster, curvier Galaxy S6 Edge.
Things didn’t look good for the Note Edge at first — the S6 Edge has a nicer design, hands down. While I prefer the texture of the Note’s leather-like plastic back over the S6’s glass, that’s offset by an asymmetrical shape that’s awkward to hold no matter which hand you use. When you combine that with the larger size, it’s hard to get a firm grip on the Note without grabbing the screen. There were more than a few times when I worried the device would fly out of my hands, like when I was taking a bumpy bus ride or walking on a less-than-dry sidewalk. The S6 Edge may have two curves instead of one, but its smaller dimensions make it decidedly easier to keep in my palm.
As you probably know, though, the Note Edge has an ace in the hole: expansion. I didn’t have a burning need for either microSD storage or a removable battery, since I stream a lot of music and have an external battery in case I need a top-up. Still, it was hard to deny the appeal of adding more storage down the road, or swapping batteries during a long workday. And of course, I can’t talk about a Note without mentioning the pen. I only used it once in a blue moon, but it was nice to have for sketching an idea or copying an image.
Performance was a tougher call. The Note Edge may no longer be the most powerful phone in Samsung’s roster, but it was still exceptional. The interface was typically glass-smooth, with only the very occasional stutter. And this is the first Samsung camera that I’ve truly been happy with. Unlike the Galaxy S5, the Note Edge snaps low-light photos I’d be glad to show to friends; I could count on good photos in most conditions. Don’t pick up an S6 Edge in hopes of getting a major camera upgrade, then. About my only performance-related gripe with the Note is a battery that doesn’t last much longer than a day, which is disappointingly mediocre given the 450mAh capacity improvement over the smaller phone.
Unfortunately, the Note Edge falls down in terms of software — you know, the one area where it most needs to excel. There’s technically more functionality than you get on the S6 Edge, such as alerts, news tickers and shortcuts, but it isn’t much of a time-saver in practice. For example, the playback controls are frequently less convenient, not more. I had to swipe the strip two or three times to take a look at music in Sonos or Spotify, while either is just a single flick from the status bar. And sometimes, those edge screen features actually worked against me — notifications partly obscured running apps, and it was too easy to snap photos by accident with the awkwardly placed shutter button.
It’s this clunkiness that ultimately left me disillusioned with the Note Edge, as much as I wanted to like it. Simply put, it felt like the experiment that it is, an exploration of what works (or in this case, doesn’t work) with curved screens. The S6 Edge wins out not just because it’s easier to hold and has newer components, but because it’s more honest about why you’d want curves in the first place: It’s about cool looks first, and any extra functionality is merely icing on the cake. While the Note Edge is still very capable, I’d rather get the plainer Galaxy Note 4 or “settle” for the smaller S6 Edge.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Samsung outs Level On wireless headphones for untethered listening
I took Samsung’s Level line of “premium” audio gear for a spin last summer, and now the company is adding another wireless model to the set. The Level On Wireless is exactly what the name suggests: a wireless version of the on-ear headphones in the collection. A group of six built-in microphones offer active noise cancellation to keep those loud talkers from killing your vibe. There’s also a touch pad on the the outside of one ear cup, handling controls for S Voice, play/pause and skipping tracks so you won’t have to pick up your phone. You can also share whatever you’re listening to with other Level devices thanks to a Sound Sharing tool. After spending a few weeks with the initial lineup, the wired Level On cans were my favorite of the bunch, so this new option is a welcome addition.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Samsung
Source: Samsung
ARM widens the appeal of its IoT OS with mbed client that runs on Linux
The race for the hearts and minds of IoT developers is in full swing and ARM has been positioning itself as the defacto standard for IoT devices. Based on its hardware alone that isn’t an unreasonable proposition, but to sweeten the deal ARM has been working hard on its software offering.
Back in October of last year ARM announced its new operating system that will run on IoT devices, and enable them to connect to the rest of the world. Called ‘mbed OS’, it is a free operating system for ARM’s Cortex-M range of microcontrollers. These processors are less complex versions of the Cortex-A processors that you find in smartphones or tablets. They are ultra-low power, running at around 100MHz (or less), and are perfect for collecting sensor data.
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Until now mbed OS has been exclusive to the Cortex-M, which meant that if you want to build an IoT device with mbed OS you had to be using a microcontroller based board. But now ARM has announced a companion to mbed OS called mbed Client, a set of core libraries which will allow mbed OS programs to be ported to Cortex-A based computers and boards running Linux.
As long as the code is calling the mbed APIs, it will work on any ARM platform from a Cortex-M microcontroller board right up to a 48 core ThunderX based server.
In other words, you can develop an IoT or other network aware program using mbed OS on a Cortex-M microcontroller, and then simply (with just a quick recompile) port it to boards like the Raspberry Pi or the ODROID C1.
mbed OS provides a large number of features aimed at accelerating IoT prototyping and development. It has built-in support for important IoT connectivity standards like CoAP and LWM2M, and provides stacks for Bluetooth, 6LoWPAN, and of course IPv4 & IPv6. It also provides some important security features including TLS, which is enabled by default for all application level communications.
The mbed client is a slightly cut-down version of the full mbed OS. “Cut-down” because many of the functions provided by mbed OS, like networking stacks, are already provided by Linux. However all the important application facing components like CoAP, LWM2M, and TLS are includes in the client. This means that the same C++ code can be run on an mbed enabled microcontroller board and on a Raspberry Pi 2, without any need to change the code. As long as the code is calling the mbed APIs, it will work on any ARM platform from a Cortex-M microcontroller board right up to a 48 core ThunderX based server. Now that is true flexibility!
Like mbed OS, the mbed Client software will be released as open source. ARM is on track to release the public beta of mbed OS in August, which is when the mbed Client should also make its first appearance to the public.
Now, here is a challenge for all you Android hackers out there, what we need now is a port of the mbed Client to Android (and/or Android Wear) using the NDK. Any takers?
HTC One M8 reportedly won’t see Android 5.1 until August
Over the last year or two, Motorola and HTC have established a rep for being the quickest OEMs when it comes to updating flagship devices to newer versions of Android, but that’s apparently not the case with Android 5.1 — at least as far as HTC is concerned. While Samsung has already reportedly jumped ahead to Android 5.1.1 with the T-Mobile Galaxy S6 Edge, HTC has taken to Twitter to reveal that we probably won’t be seeing Android 5.1 with Sense 7 on the One M8 until at least August.
@squishybytes Android 5.1 and Sense 7 will be released on the HTC One M8 in August 2015. Nothing has been confirmed with the HTC One M7 
— HTC UK (@HTC_UK) April 29, 2015
The official HTC tweet actually comes from the UK branch, but it’s safe to assume a similar timeline will apply globally, with US carriers models being some of the last to receive the update.
HTC also mentions the update for the One M7, only saying that “nothing has been confirmed” for the device so far. Considering the M7 is getting up there in age, don’t be too surprised if the One M7 doesn’t make the leap forward to Android 5.1.
Considering the 5.1 update brings a number of fixes to the table that should improve the Lollipop experience, it’s a shame that we have to wait this long. Then again, it’s possible that HTC is just playing it safe with the timeline and could end up releasing it sooner.
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LG G4 Color Comparison
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LG just took the wraps off of its latest flagship, the G4, combining design elements from previous generations with some from its Flex series, making for an impressive overall package. One of the key aspects of the LG G4, as has been teased by the company for a while, is the availability of genuine leather back covers for the device. As we found out though, polycarbonate options are also up for grabs, if you’re looking to not be too flashy.
So how do these various versions compare? We find out, at this quick LG G4 color comparison!
Up first are the polycarbonate versions, with all featuring a subtle diamond grid pattern on the back. The gray, or titanium version, offers a metallic finish that will remind you of the texture of the LG G3 backing. The gold and white versions come with a ceramic finish, with the white coming with a soft touch feel, with the gold falling somewhere between the gray and white in terms of the feel in the hand. The grip on the ceramic versions are better, but the titanium backing isn’t particularly slippery though.
Moving on to the much talked about leather back covers, LG told us that the use of leather has been years in the making and that the process of manufacturing one cover takes up to three months. These covers are available in a variety of color options, including burgundy, brown, tan, blue and black, and are made of genuine leather, tanned using plant-based agents.
The leather does feel nice in the hand, with the brown and burgundy options offering a smooth feel, with the others providing more grip with a rough texture, akin to crocodile skin. An added benefit is the fact that the leather should help keep the phone pleasant to touch, regardless of how hot or cold it gets outside. The leather backing does allow for a more premium look and feel. The stitching down the middle may not be to everyone’s liking, but will make the device standout.
So there you have it – a quick look at the LG G4 color comparison! The titanium version is the most sober and executive looking of the lot, and the black and yellow leather options are attractive as well, with the former being my choice of the lot. Which are your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below!
Ending soon: 4 year premium VPN subscription, 84% off
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