GM working on over-the-air updates for future vehicles
Over the past few weeks, General Motors has focused on bringing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles. While this functionality is great for drivers, the company’s current infotainment ecosystem still relies on being updated at dealerships — which can be a hassle to some people. But, it looks like that won’t be the case for much longer. On Wednesday, GM’s global product development chief, Mark Reuss, said the automaker is already working on a new technology that will allow future vehicles to receive cloud-based software updates.
Tesla is known for offering a similar service, making it easy for Model S owners to receive new features and security updates wirelessly. As for when we can expect this to be available on GM vehicles, Reuss didn’t share a timetable — at least we know it’s coming, eventually.
Filed under: Transportation, Software
Source: Reuters
Apple Updating iTunes U With New Tools for Students and Teachers [iOS Blog]
Apple will today launch a significant upgrade to its iTunes U, reports Re/code. The aim of the update is to improve the tools available for teachers to interact with students, incorporate educational apps in course materials, and manage homework assignments.
Following the update, students who use iPads in the classroom will be able to submit homework assignments directly from their tablets, complete with time stamps to make sure work is turned in on time. The change makes it easier for students to submit homework, but it also simplifies the grading process for teachers, with alerts whenever an assignment is received and tools for sending reminders to students who are failing to turn in their work.
Teachers will also be able to use popular third-party educational apps in their iTunes U course materials, and there are new discussion features that allow students and teachers to more easily interact and share ideas.
As Re/code points out, iTunes U has become an increasingly important tool for teachers who incorporate the iPad into their classrooms. Teachers can use the tool to create entire courses using digital textbooks, videos, and apps, with today’s update enhancing the tool’s capabilities even further.
Make your S6 or S6 edge look like stock Android
Many people do not like Samsung TouchWiz because it is slow and doesn’t fit everyone’s taste. This year however Samsung has made a 180 with TouchWiz on their Galaxy S6/S6 edge by toning the features down and adding a theme store. With the theme store you can download new themes made specifically for the S6/S6 edge to give your phone a totally different look. Currently they don’t have a huge selection of great themes, but they are adding new ones all the time.
One of those new themes is one we have all been waiting for. A stock Android Material Design theme. The creator is Samer Zayer a well known Android icon designer. Like with any theme from the Samsung theme store it brings new icons, wallpapers, menus, even the calculator app is re-done. No rooting or anything special just head to the theme store and download for free today.
Installing this or any other theme is very easy. Just hold down on your wallpaper until you see new icons appear at the bottom. Hit the “Themes” icon and then select the store button. You will find this theme in the “new” section. Press download and be amazed as your entire phone changes it looks.
I just want to point out that Samsung may be rolling out new themes at different times depending on your region. I am in Canada and can not see this theme just yet.
Come comment on this article: Make your S6 or S6 edge look like stock Android
Hangouts hits the billion Android installs milestone
Today Google’s messaging service Hangouts has finally reached its one billion installs mark, not long after Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp recently hit the goal themselves. Google’s Gmail for Android app was the first app to hit the billions installs landmark early last year.
Keep in mind that a billion installs by no means indicates how many people are actually using the service. The milestone means that the app has been installed across one billion Android devices, smartphones and tablets alike. However, active users are probably more down into the hundreds of millions, and only because of Hangouts’ SMS capabilities.
Google is hard at work improving the app with version 4.0, which will hopefully progressively draw more active users in. It’d be interesting to see it become as popular as, say, standard text messaging,
As for the next app to hit the one billion milestone, G00gle Street View could be up next, but Chrome and a myriad of other Google apps are tailing behind it.
source: Android Rank
via: Android Police
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Luxe valet service adds new Drive Home option
If you ever drive in the big city one of the challenges you may have faced is finding parking without incurring a parking ticket or a long walk. To combat those problems, Luxe opened to offer a valet service for users who need to park somewhere that does not normally have valet service. The company has announced they are expanding the services they offer beyond just parking your car while you are out and about – they will now drive you home in your own car. The most obvious application for this service will be for users who may not be in a condition to drive thanks to the help of a few drinks.
Using the Luxe valet parking app, users can now tap on the Drive Home button to get picked up and driven home in their car. This does mean you have to be an existing Luxe customer and they have to already have your vehicle in one of their lots. It also means customers will need to be ready to pony up $25 plus $3 per mile. Since Luxe limits the service to locations within a 50-mile radius, the fee should max out $175, which could be a hefty price tag to close out a night of fun. Considering who the typical customers may be for a private valet parking service, that price tag may not be much of a bother though.
As part of the launch of the new Drive Home service, Luxe is partnering with Mother’s Against Drunk Driving to make a $1 donation for every Drive Home trip completed.
source: Luxe
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Microsoft Office apps launch for Android Phones
Microsoft has gradually been building Office’s support for Android. It began with launching Microsoft Office for Android tablets, a preview for Android phones, and now Microsoft has officially announced the availability of the final version Microsoft Office for Android phones.
Starting today, the Microsoft Office suit, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, will be available in the Google Play Store. Microsoft Office offers support for a variety of common tasks, including the ability to edit and review tasks on-the-go, present your PowerPoint slides directly from your Android phone, and also the ability to access all of your files stored on any of your third-party cloud storage.
Microsoft has also partnered with over 30 global, local and regional OEM’s to preload these apps on their Android phones. For users in China, Microsoft Office is now available in the following app stores: Tencent, Baidu, Xiaomi, CMCC, and through the Samsung Galaxy Store worldwide.
Overall, this is great news for smartphone users who aim to be more productive. Microsoft Office is currently compatible with devices running on ARM & Intel’s x86 architecture based processors, have minimum of 1GB RAM and have been updated to Android Kitkat4.4.x or above.
The post Microsoft Office apps launch for Android Phones appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC Aero rumored for fall release
HTC could really use a hit device right about now. While the One M9 is a solid phone, it didn’t really push the envelope that much, and sales have reacted accordingly. So much so that HTC’s CEO, Cher Wang, had to apologize for the poor performance at a recent shareholders meeting. With the apology came a promise of a new ‘Hero’ device later in the year.
Well, we’ve begun to get the first tidbits of information about that device, in the form of a name. Evan Blass (formerly of evleaks) tweeted that the saving grace will go by the name, HTC Aero. It is unknown if this is just a code name or not. The anticipation is certainly up, as upleaks responded to the tweet with “It’s really awesome :)”.
We may see a departure from past releases. Typically HTC refreshes the Desire line (midrangers) in the fall, and in the past have expressed that they will only produce one top-end flagship a year. But seeing that they need to redeem themselves, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suspect that this philosophy change. And the new name may indicate a new design approach.
We can only hope that ‘Aero’ will be packing an updated (non-overheating) Snapdragon 820 SoC and a rear camera that can compete with other flagships. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a larger screen, would it?
The post HTC Aero rumored for fall release appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile’s new Jump! On Demand program will let you upgrade your phone 3x per year
T-Mobile’s Jump! early upgrade program has been around for awhile now, allowing users to upgrade their devices early as long as they pay a premium every month. As part of its recently-announced “Un-carrier Amped” initiative, T-Mobile has just introduced an upgrade to the Jump! program, which might prove useful for many consumers out there. It’s called “Jump! On Demand”, and the premise is actually quite simple.
Once you sign up for the new program, T-Mobile will give you a brand new smartphone at no extra cost, as long as you agree to lease the device monthly like you would on any other payment plan. If you want a new phone at any time, T-Mobile will let you upgrade up to three times per year. You’ll need to trade in your current phone, which must be in good condition, but that’s really one of the only caveats here.
Now instead of having to pay the $10 premium each month for the ability to upgrade early, if you sign up for the plan, you’ll just need to pay the monthly cost for your device (and the cost of your plan, of course). So to clarify, you’ll owe no upgrade fee, no taxes on the new phone, and no additional monthly fee. This is certainly a great plan for someone who always wants the latest and greatest, but if you’re someone who likes to hold on to your old smartphones, this isn’t the deal for you.
Jump! On Demand will launch Sunday, June 28th, and will unfortunately be available for only a few smartphones at the start:
- Apple iPhone 6 (16GB)
- Apple iPhone 6 Plus (16GB)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 (32GB)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (32GB)
- LG G4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
It should be noted that if you receive a smartphone through Jump! On Demand and choose not to upgrade early anymore, at the end of your 18-month lease, you can go about it three different ways. Either you can turn in the smartphone (in good condition) and pay nothing more, upgrade to your next phone and start a new plan, or pay off the remaining balance on your device and keep it. If you want to keep the smartphone, the “final payment” equals the total retail cost of the phone, minus what you’ve paid on it so far.
There’s a lot to digest here, so if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. And be sure to stay tuned for more Un-carrier Amped announcements in the coming weeks.
Deal: Grab a pair of Avantree Bluetooth Earbuds for just $30, Blur Privacy Protection for 74% off
Going for a run? Commuting to work? Don’t let troublesome headphone cables slow you down. If you’d like to listen to your music worry-free while you’re on the go, you may want to try the Avantree Bluetooth Stereo Earbuds – currently 40% off in the AA Deals Store.
Since these are Bluetooth-enabled, you no longer have to worry about accidentally pulling your earbuds out of your ears while you’re being active. But just because they’re Bluetooth headphones, doesn’t mean you’re skimping out on quality, either. They feature incredible sound quality direct from in-ear drivers and have an auto-switching function that makes transitioning between music and calls a breeze. Featuring up to six hours of playback on a single charge, we think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better pair of Bluetooth earbuds for the price. And right now, the AA Deals Store is offering these earbuds for just $29.99!
But that’s not the only promotion the AA Deals Store is offering, though. If you’re worried about falling victim to data breaches or identity theft, we’d recommend trying out a lifetime subscription to Blur Premium Privacy Protection. This service allows you to easily mask your personal information online by creating temporary addresses, credit card numbers and phone numbers, so you don’t have to give any sensitive information out to online merchants. Not only will it keep your data safe, this service will also save you from receiving an abundance of spam mail. This service also doubles as a password manager, which can be used on both desktops and mobile devices. You can pick up a lifetime subscription to Blur Premium Privacy Protection for only $49.99, which is a massive 74% off the suggested retail price!
If you’re interested in finding out more information on any of these deals, be sure to follow the links below.
The Huawei P8Max will retail for $610
A leaked promotional image popped up online earlier today revealing the price of Huawei’s upcoming flagship phablet of 2015, the P8Max. The handset is expected to be announced tomorrow, June 26, and will set anyone back who wants one 3,788 Chinese Yuan ($610).
Just in case you’ve missed any of the recent leaks regarding the P8Max, it’s rumored to pack a whopping 6.8-inch Full HD display, a 2.2GHz 64-bit octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of internal memory, a 13MP rear-facing shooter and a 4,360mAh battery.
The leaked promo shot can be seen below:
Come comment on this article: The Huawei P8Max will retail for $610
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