Talk Android Weekly Recap: June 20 – June 27, 2015
This week flew by with all of the excitement! We posted our reviews of some awesome battery charger’s, OnePlus announced the OnePlus 2, T-Mobile began its Un-carrier Amped campaign, starting with some sweet changes to its JUMP! program. If you missed any of that, be sure to check out some of the top headlines for the week after the break.
- T-Mobile expands it’s upgrade program with JUMP! On Demand
- Cheero Power Plus 3 Review
- Cheero Ingress Power Cube Review
- Motorola has begun soak tests for all sorts of devices
- Galaxy S6 gets the Material Design makeover
- Amazon Echo now available to everyone
- Galaxy S7 could come later this year
That wraps up all the major headlines for the week. It’s looking like rain here on the east coast, but it’ll be good to get out of that way for the BBQ’ing for July 4 next week. Have a great weekend everybody!
Come comment on this article: Talk Android Weekly Recap: June 20 – June 27, 2015
The photos you (probably) won’t find on Instagram
Photography reached the mainstream early on; Kodak’s Brownie made daily snapshots accessible and Polaroid’s Instamatic provided instant gratification. Now we can capture and share moments on a whim with smartphones packing high-resolution optics. Over the years, though, we’ve been treated to some incredible imaging hacks that’ve allowed our eyes to travel into the exotic — far beyond what you had for dinner last night. Technological leaps in the field have been spurred by bets, accidents and imagination, providing both scientific insight and artistic experimentation. Our eyes have been opened wider than ever before and we’ve collected just a few moments in imaging’s history to help grasp the bigger picture.
[Image: Google Research]
‘Zoom for Instagram’ lets you zoom into your favorite Instagram photos
Third-party developer Taptigo has brought Zoom for Instagram to the Google Play Store. The new application has one simple goal: to let users zoom into their Instagram photos, and Zoom for Instagram does this really well.
To get started, make sure Zoom for Instagram is downloaded on your device. Next, open up the official Instagram app, select one of your favorite images, tap the menu in the top right corner, and select “Copy Share URL.” After that, the image should open in Zoom and you can begin zooming in and out of your photos.
It’s actually a handy feature, but you can easily do this but just heading into your device settings and enabling magnification gestures. Either way, hopefully it’s a feature we’ll eventually see Instagram support. But in the meantime, there’s Zoom for Instagram!
The only real disappointing thing about the third-party app is that it watermarks all of your photos, and to disable that, you’re going to have to pick up the paid version of Zoom, which might be a huge turnoff some some. If you’re interested, just scan the QR code or hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: ‘Zoom for Instagram’ lets you zoom into your favorite Instagram photos
Android 5.1 soak test officially begins on Verizon’s Moto X (2014) and Moto G (2013)
Motorola’s David Schuster took to Google+ again to announce that Android 5.1 soak tests are officially rolling out for the Moto X (2014) and Moto G (2013) with LTE in the US. We earlier saw unofficial leaks of a Moto X (2014) running Android 5.1 on Verizon’s network.
While this is certainly good news, Schuster also explained that they were running into issues with Android 5.1 on the Moto E. Those have since been resolved, and testing has resumed in Brazil and India, so if all goes well, it shouldn’t be too long before an official update is seen.
So far, the only device that has seen a final release build without many issues is the Moto X (2014) Pure Edition.
There seems to be some unofficial reports that are saying that the Moto X (2014) on AT&T has begun its soak test as well. However, Schuster hasn’t mentioned anything yet. But with his track record thus far, it shouldn’t be long before we see something more official.
source: David Schuster (1), (2), (3)
Come comment on this article: Android 5.1 soak test officially begins on Verizon’s Moto X (2014) and Moto G (2013)
Pip-Boy wearable will house many popular smartphones, including the Galaxy S4 and S5
Last week before all of the E3 2015 excitement began, developer Bethesda Softworks announced the anticipated Fallout 4, along with a Collector’s Edition said to include a wearable Pip-Boy housing. Now, the company is saying that the Pip-Boy will come with foam inserts to fit all kinds of smartphones, including some of Samsung’s most popular devices, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5.
Bethesda says:
The Pip-Boy included will have foam inserts that fit iPhone 6, iPhone 5/5s, iPhone 4/4S, Samsung Galaxy 5, and Samsung Galaxy 4. In addition, using the customizable foam insert you should be able to fit most other popular smartphone devices. As we wanted to stay faithful to the dimensions of the in-game model, any smartphones larger than the models listed will not fit inside the wearable device. For these larger devices, our Pip-Boy companion app will still be available.
While Bethesda officially mentioned the Samsung Galaxy S5, it should also work with the Galaxy S6 since its about the same size as the former. Note users are obviously out of the luck, though. Thankfully, there’s at least the Pip-Boy companion app to get in on the real-life Fallout action.
Keep in mind that to get a Pip-Boy wearable, you’re going to need to act fast. Bethesda already sold out of its Collector’s Editions where its included, and now sometime this week they’ll be adding limited quantities again at BestBuy, GameStop, and Amazon. So keep your eyes peeled on those websites if you want a chance to get your own Pip-Boy wearable!
source: Bethesda Softworks
Come comment on this article: Pip-Boy wearable will house many popular smartphones, including the Galaxy S4 and S5
Sony E5663 leak: 4.6-inch 1080p display & 13MP front cam
Sony could soon be offering a smaller smartphone that will arguably become the best compact flagship smartphone on the market. The E5663 model number has leaked previously and after a trip to benchmarking applications, GFXBench and GeekBench, the specs for what could be Sony’s next Compact flagship have leaked.
The leak reveals that the Sony E5663 will be equipped with a 4.6-inch 1080p Full HD display and will be powered by an octa-core 64-bit MediaTek MT6795 chipset clocked at 1.9GHz. As XperiaBlog point out, this chipset is capable of shooting Full HD video at 480 frames per second and this bodes well for the two cameras on the E5663, which could be Sony’s best mobile snappers yet.
The rear camera is a 20MP camera, which is presumably the same sensor found on past Sony handsets like the Xperia Z3 while the front facing snapper is where Sony has really bumped up the megapixel count. Past Sony handsets have had a 5MP front facing camera or less but the Sony E5663 will have a 13MP front facing snapper, making it one of just a handful of smartphones to have such a large camera on the front.
Interestingly, the model number reveals that this handset is most likely destined for the Indian market and if it is only for India, it’s a shame as this could be the handset that makes Sony exciting again. The Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4 Dual both launched in India with model numbers E2363 and E5363 respectively and the use of the number 63 at the end suggests a handset bound for the growing lucrative Indian market. A handset bearing the same model number also appeared on Indian Import Database website Zauba, which further suggests a launch in India.
The specs of the Sony E5663 suggest a handset that will follow Sony’s Compact philosophy of offering its flagship devices in a smaller size and with the past handset, the Xperia Z3 Compact, only offering a 720p display, the 1080p display on the E5663 could also mean the next true Sony flagship could have a higher than 1080p display for the first time.
Sony has already introduced the Xperia Z3+ (aka the Xperia Z4 for Japan) but a less than positive reaction to the mediocre upgrade has meant we’re expecting to see a true flagship launched later this year around IFA in September. Previous reports have suggested Sony would introduce some handsets exclusively in the Indian market and with no other mention of this handset, it’s possible it will be exclusive for India but we may also be looking at a Compact version of the true flagship. Either way, this is certainly an interesting device and we’ll be on the lookout for further information.
The best of Sony…
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#ICYMI: A flying roto-car, HoloLens in space and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Our Jetson’s dreams (kinda) came true with the invention of this flying single-seater; Astronauts at the International Space Station are about to receive Microsoft’s HoloLens for AR projects and general bragging-rights (take that kids, Poppa got one way before you) and Stanford scientists managed to make hydrogen gas in an entirely new way that’s cheaper and more efficient. Fuel for flying cars, perhaps?
From the cutting room floor: If you haven’t seen the riot video from France where taxi drivers’ protested Uber, it’s well worth your time.
Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under: Displays, Misc, Peripherals, Transportation, Wearables, Wireless, Science, Internet, Microsoft
Recommended Reading: Roku’s plan to take on Apple, Amazon and Google
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
TV Wars: Inside Roku’s Plan to Beat Apple, Amazon and Google
by Jared Newman
Fast Company
Ever wonder how a smaller company like Roku can keep pace in the streaming war against the likes of Amazon, Apple and Google? Fast Company takes a look at all the ways Roku is keeping pace, what makes its version of streaming video unique and why the company’s survival is important.
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The First Big Game that Brought Mods to Consoles With the recent news that Fallout 4 will allow gamers to bring mods from PCs to consoles, now’s a good time to look back at another title that tried to do the same: Unreal Tournament 3. |
Inside Obama’s Stealth Startup President Barack Obama quietly recruited top talent from the tech industry to move to Washington DC with the goal of fixing how the US government works. This piece offers a look at those folks and how the effort is as much about hacking bureaucracy as it is about hacking technology. |
[Image credit: James Looker/T3 Magazine via Getty Images]
IFTTT breathes new lease of life into Android Channel
IFTTT for Android just got a whole lot more powerful as the tool that puts the internet to work for you has been refreshed and updated to include a load of additional functionality.
IFTTT has introduced the Android Battery Channel to give controls over extending your battery life by turning certain functions on or off based on a number of triggers. These include recipes such as turning off WiFi when your battery is low, or mute your phone when it is plugged in, or even recording to Google Drive the length of time your battery lasts for.
In addition to the Android Battery Channel is the Android Device Channel to provide recipes for Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and Navigation, as well as various music controls.
Head on over to IFTTT to check them out now.
The post IFTTT breathes new lease of life into Android Channel appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft plugs OneDrive storage into your Chromecast
In case you needed another way to beam photos and videos to your Chromecast, the Android OneDrive app has you covered. The latest update for Microsoft’s cloud-storage service will take all those gorgeously arranged images from your device running Google’s mobile OS and put ’em on your TV via Mountain VIew’s HDMI wunderstick. Pretty handy, right? Your Galaxy S6 (or any other Android device with the app installed) should see the update shortly if it already hasn’t downloaded. As for iOS users, they’ll likely have to wait a bit longer — the last update only mentions bug fixes and stability improvements.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile, Microsoft, Google
Source: Google Play
AIVAnet 