Your free Android apps talk to thousands of ad sites
If you’ve used ad-sponsored Android apps, you’ve probably wondered where those ads are coming from, and whether or not there’s anything to be worried about. According to French researchers, you have a reason to be cautious. They’ve found a way to automatically scan Android apps for connections to advertising and user tracking sites, and some of those programs are more than a little dodgy. A selection of 2,000 free Google Play apps connected to a whopping 250,000 sites spread over 2,000 domains. Most of them talk to only a handful of sites (Google’s ad services dominate the top 10), but 10 percent connect to 500 or more — one egregious offender links to over 2,000 sites. Only 30 percent of the apps talked to user tracking sites, but some of those were communicating with 800 or more addresses.
The actual danger to your phone isn’t likely to be high. Only a small slice of those apps appeared to connect to suspicious sites, and many of the rest come from developers that Google holds in high esteem. Also, the researchers were using a phone running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so their experience might be different than what you’d get running the latest version of Lollipop. Still, the issue is that you rarely know which ad and tracker sites are involved, and there’s no easy way to block the connections you don’t want. While this study doesn’t mean that you should ditch ad-backed apps entirely, it does serve as a friendly reminder that you should be careful before grabbing them.
[Image credit: Family O’Abe, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: ArXiv.org
HTC’s plastic M9+ variant will be a compelling flagship
HTC’s all about its One M9 in the West, but we know many of our readers would rather have the slightly bigger and more powerful M9+. While chances of the latter device escaping Asia are slim, a mysterious plastic variant dubbed “M9e” brings us new hope, courtesy of China’s TENAA certification database. With the exception of the missing Duo Camera, this model shares the same face plus specs with the M9+: 5.2-inch Quad HD display, 2.2GHz octa-core processor (likely MediaTek’s), 3GB of RAM, 20-megapixel main camera (with dual-tone flash), UltraPixel front imager, microSD card expansion and fingerprint reader. What’s uncertain is whether the IR blaster is still present at the top, but regardless, it’s safe to assume that HTC will be offering this plastic device with a more affordable price — probably one that’s not far off from the even bigger E9+.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: TENAA
Solar-powered grill cooks your food no matter the weather
However much you may like grilling food on a warm day, you probably don’t like dealing with gas tanks or other typical grill hassles… and most solar cookers won’t help much if it’s overcast outside. The upcoming GoSun Grill might be a smarter way to handle those backyard shindigs, however. It can bake, boil and roast meals for eight people using a sunlight-powered thermal battery that will keep cooking no matter how gloomy it gets outside. Yes, you can have some grilled chicken at the beach even if it starts raining. The reflector-based system also doesn’t require you to flip your food, and it shouldn’t dry out your moister meats and veggies.
Like the idea? GoSun is crowdfunding the grill, and you’ll need to pledge between $349 to $599 to get a unit of your own depending on how quickly you act and whether you want extras like a stand. The project has already blown past its funding target as we write this, so you’ll likely get the grill in July — just in time for those summer get-togethers.
Filed under: Household
Source: Kickstarter
7 best Android apps for screen recording and other ways too!
One of our more frequent requests from readers is to tell them how to record your screen on Android. The functionality has been around for quite some time but usually requires some tinkering and adjustment to get it. In Android Lollipop, they have a screen recording method building into the OS and that’s how most people do it these days. Let’s take a look at a few Android apps and some other methods to get you screen recording.
Android apps that work on Lollipop and later
AZ Screen Recorder (no root required)
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
First up is AZ Screen Recorder and this is one of the many screen recording apps that were designed to work specifically on Lollipop. Some of the features include the Magic Button feature to control recordings without showing anything on the screen, the ability to capture your front camera as well as screen recording, and some cursory stuff like countdown timers and video trimming. It’s free to use with some in-app purchases if you’re interested.
ilos screen recorder (no root required)
[Price: Free]
ilos screen recorder is a totally free option when it comes to screen recording on Lollipop. It’s a very simple app that doesn’t have a lot of bells or whistles but it does record audio and it should work on all devices running Android 5.0 and higher. They also tout no advertising, no watermarks, and no time limits. The company also has an interesting web recorder on their official website that will record stuff from your computer if you need that functionality.
One Shot Screen Recorder (no root required)
[Price: Free / $0.99]
One Shot Screen Recorder tries to keep the process of screen recording simple. It puts the whole process into four easy steps for your convenience and that’s really all you need. The process aims to keep it easy to use over other options and it does fairly well at it. The free version is a trial that puts a watermark on your videos with the premium version removing the watermark, adds the ability to impose your own logo, hide the notification icon, remove ads, and more.
Telecine (no root required)
[Price: Free]
Telecine is the highest rated app on the list with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Google Play. It puts an overlay on your device so you know you’re recording and boasts that it doesn’t clog up your notification with various things you’d typically see with screen recording apps. It’s also totally free and has no watermarks. It’s also open source so developers can submit fixes and patches all on their own or build their own app based on this one.
Unlimited Screen Recorder Free (no root required)
[Price: Free]
Unlimited Screen Recorder is our last Lollipop-centric screen recording app. It’s another totally free option that has no watermarks, unlimited video recording, and more features. It features a simple, one-touch interface and records both video and audio. There are also some advanced settings for experienced users.
Android apps that work before Lollipop
Mobizen (no root required)
[Price: Free]
Mobizen is an option that lets you do all kinds of stuff including sending SMS from your desktop, transfer files to PC, and stream video directly to your computer screen. You can also record the screen and this is one of the very few ways you can record using an Android app before Lollipop without root. Unfortunately, the screen recording isn’t great and there will likely be jumps, skips, and frame rate drops. It’s not perfect but it is there and it’s free.
SCR Screen Recorder (root required)
[Price: Free / $4.99]
SCR Screen Recorder is pretty much the best way to record footage of your Android device before Android Lollipop. Unfortunately, root is required for this one since this functionality isn’t available to non-root devices. It records audio, allows you to put your front facing camera footage on the screen recording, and much more. The app is still in active development so new features are being tested all the time and it’s about the best way to do this before Android 5.0.
Other methods
There are other ways to record your screen on Android and that is by using hardware. There are two main ways to do so using hardware:
- If you’re on a device with Android Lollipop (or higher), you can use ADB to record your screen. We have a great tutorial you can read to learn how and you can find it by clicking here.
- Professionals use a capture card to hook their Android device right into their computer and record it from there. Capture cards can get rather expensive but you’ll get probably the best frame rates and quality. Plus it records directly to your computer hard drive which allows for much larger recordings. Do note that you’ll have work around some potential HDCP problems so get the ole search engine up and running.
Wrap up
If we missed any great screen recording apps or methods, let us know in the comments!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Chevy’s 2016 Volt costs just $25,000 if you live in California
Chevy’s Volt hybrid was once considered pricey even after government tax credits, but the 2016 model may well be within your reach… if you live in the right state, at least. The automaker has revealed that its latest eco-friendly sedan will cost $33,995 at full price (down $1,200 from last year), but it’ll drop to to a more palpable $26,495 if you qualify for a full federal tax credit. And if you live in California, it’ll sit just under the magic $25,000 mark — not bad for a full-size car that can stay on electric power during a typical commute. You can certainly find cheaper hybrids if you look around, but this is a testament to how quickly Chevy’s once-exotic technology has become accessible.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Chevrolet
Xiaomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus specs and release date leaked
Xiaomi is set to announce their Mi5 and Mi5 Plus devices soon, but the hardware of those devices has leaked ahead of schedule. Both devices look like they’ll be very capable flagship phones for 2015, asserting Xiaomi’s dominance as one of the biggest smartphone OEMs in China.
The Mi5 will be the successor to the Mi4, and it’ll sport a 5.2-inch screen, either 3 or 4 GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 810 CPU, and rumors point towards the device incorporating some kind of fingerprint scanner. While the Snapdragon 810 is technically Qualcomm’s most powerful processor, let’s hope the device doesn’t suffer from any overheating issues.
The Mi5 Plus will be a supersized version of the Mi5, offering a 6-inch 2k screen, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, and a 16 megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization. It’s also likely going to be using the same processor as the smaller Mi5.
Release information isn’t concrete yet, but Xiaomi is likely to release the phones in July, which they typically do with the Mi line.
Would you be interested in either of these powerhouse devices?
source: GizmoChina
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus specs and release date leaked
Android Authority this week: May 3, 2015
Android fans, this week brought us the much anticipated LG G4. Featuring a striking leather outfit, a vibrant display, and a top-notch camera, LG’s device shapes up to be one of the top smartphones of the year and go head to head with Samsung’s Galaxy S6. In other news, Microsoft announced that Android apps will be able to run on Windows devices with just a few modifications; an intriguing rumor surfaced about a possible Xperia P successor; the divorce between Cyanogen and OnePlus was all but made official; Google made it possible to control tons of apps with voice commands; and we’ve got a glimpse of the upcoming Oppo R7.
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Inside AA HQ
The month that just ended brought as a ton of stuff to talk about in our world of Android. We’ve got new devices like the Huawei P8, LG G4, Xperia Z4, and Xiaomi Mi 4i. And we got some cool developments straight out of Google HQ, like Project Fi and Google Now’s brand new abilities.
The month of May shapes up to be just exciting. On the new device front, we have Oppo’s R7 and the release of the Zenfone 2 in North America. But what we’re really excited about is, of course, Google I/O, scheduled for May 28-29. Will we see a preview of the next version of Android? Will we see new devices? What surprises does Google have in store? Frankly, we can’t wait to find out!
This week we’re giving away another Galaxy S6 Edge, the hottest Android device of the moment. And it’s really easy to get your sweepstakes tickets: just go here and follow the instructions!
Android Authority Podcast
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- Opinion: Nirave looks at Nokia’s chances to re-become a phone superpower
- Tech talk: Gary interviews ARM’s Cortex A-72 technical lead
- Feature: The EU is charging Google over anti-trust accusations. But do they have a point?
- Opinion: Matthew explains why he prefers the Galaxy S6 over the LG G4/
- Opinion: While Andrew actually likes the LG G4 better
- Versus: Edge or no Edge? That is the question
- Feature focus: Josh takes the LG G4 for a camera spin
Top news of the week
And here are the top news in the Android world this week:
Cyanogen is done with OnePlus
LG G4 is here
- LG G4 officially announced: what you need to know
- LG G4 first look and hands-on preview
- LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge quick look
- LG G4 vs iPhone 6 – quick comparison
- Spec-sheet skirmish: LG G4 vs the competition
- LG G4 – Top Features
A wild Xperia P2 rumor appears
Google app updates
- You can also set alarms, reminders, and send notes to your phone from Google Search
- Quick reply functionality comes to the Google Messenger app in new update
- Google releases new Password Alert Chrome extension to help keep your account safe
- Google rolls out custom voice actions to make talking to your apps much easier
Oppo R7 peak
Windows 7 wants some Android love
Sound off
We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:
Happy Sunday!
Sony makes it easier to put new operating systems on its phones
Sony’s Android smartphones haven’t been tinkerer-friendly to date — since you couldn’t boot from a recovery partition, you couldn’t install CyanogenMod and other unofficial operating systems without jumping through hoops. It should be much easier to mess with your software from now on, though. Sony is quietly releasing bootloaders that let you boot from that recovery space, which opens the door to installing both custom Android ROMs as well as very different platforms, like Firefox OS or Ubuntu Touch. The catch? Right now, the only devices that support these bootloaders are lower-end models you probably don’t use, like the Xperia E3, M2, T2 Ultra and T3. You won’t be modifying the heck out of your Xperia Z3 just yet, then, but that’s no longer a far-fetched idea.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: FXP
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