Hexy Launcher is a unique home screen replacement app from SwiftKey’s Greenhouse

A few weeks ago the folks from SwiftKey launched an experimental software hub called Greenhouse, where the company could introduce new, innovative applications that may or may not make it to the mainstream. The first application out of the software incubator was the Clarity Keyboard, which was to be expected coming from a keyboard company. However, SwiftKey’s newest endeavor surprisingly doesn’t have anything to do with a keyboard at all.

Hexy Launcher is the newest application from the Greenhouse, and it aims to make your device’s home screen much easier to navigate. The launcher lays out all of your installed applications in a canvas of hexagonal tiles, which actually learns from which applications you open throughout the day. The layout organizes itself automatically, in hopes to feed you the application it thinks you’ll open next, based on your daily habits.

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You can easily filter your apps by using the designated search bar at the top of the screen. The launcher also features a widget page, which is accessible by clicking the floating action button on the bottom right of the screen.

As is the case with other apps from the Greenhouse, SwiftKey urges you to send in feedback once you try it out, no matter if you have any gripes or not. Remember that this is an experimental application, so you may notice some odd behavior or a few minor bugs here and there. If you’re interested in giving it a try, you can download Hexy Launcher for free from the Google Play Store.

Moto G (1st gen) finally gets Android Lollipop update

While owners of the second gen Moto G saw an update to Lollipop a while back, now it’s finally the original Moto G’s turn!

Starting today, Android 5.0.2 is rolling out bringing all the improvements you’d expect such the new lock screen, enhancement notifications, Lollipop’s built-in flashlight, a battery life indicator, and much more. Since Motorola’s skin is pretty much near-stock anyhow, Material Design improvements also make their way over to the Moto G in a big way.

As you’d expect, this update will likely be rolled out in stages, so don’t be too surprised if you don’t have an update waiting for you just yet. When it doubt, you can always attempt to check manually under settings, but if that doesn’t work the good news is that the wait shouldn’t be horribly long — and after, you’ve already waited this long.  It’s also worth noting that the Lollipop update for the Moto G (1st gen) had already rolled out a little while back for some markets, so some users may already have this.

Any Moto G (1st gen) owners receive the update yet, if so, what do you think of the upgrade so far?

Blu Studio C is a entry-level smartphone with Lollipop onboard for just $99

When it comes to smartphones, BLU is hardly a household name, but it is starting to slowly grow a reputation for providing low-cost yet reasonably well-performing devices for those looking for a cheap backup phone, their first smartphone, or a phone to give a child. The Blu Studio C is their latest low-cost offering, touting Android Lollipop and a 5-inch 720p display for just $99.99.

The Studio C is powered by quad-core MediaTek MTK6582 processor with just 1GB RAM. Other specs include an 8MP rear cam, 2MP front cam, 8GB storage, and microSD for expansion. There’s certainly not a lot of extras here, with no NFC, no LTE, or any other bells and whistles. That said, it’s a sub-$100 phone that works on both AT&T and T-Mobile (HSDPA and 3G), so you can only expect so much. One thing worth noting is the battery, at 3000 mAh, it will likely hold up for well over a day — especially considering the low screen size and resolution found here.

So how about it, anyone planning on picking this one up?

Buy now on Amazon!

Google brings 60fps live streams to YouTube

Google launched support for 60 frames per second playback on YouTube just a few months ago, and now the company is bringing it to live streaming. Available starting today on HTML5-compatible browsers, YouTube will now begin to transcode your stream into 720p60 and 1080p60, which Google says makes for “silky smooth playback for gaming and other fast-action videos”. Streams will also be made available in 30fps for devices where high frame rate viewing is not yet available.

In addition to this new feature, Google is also bringing HTML5 playback to live streams in supported browsers. This means that live streams will now use an HTML5 player, allowing users to skip backwards in a stream while it’s live, and even watch at 1.5x or 2x speed in order to catch up to the live action.

Back in August, Google almost bought Twitch, the most well known name in the video game live streaming industry. YouTube has yet to gain its footing in the industry, but that may change sometime soon. According to a report from a few months back, Google may be readying a new live streaming service to be unveiled at E3 this year in hopes to take on Twitch. Coupled with support for 60fps live streaming, Google may actually have a chance to deem itself worthy in the streaming community. As a reminder, Android Authority will be live at E3 this year, bringing you all of the best Android-related game coverage available at the conference.