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
You can now check your Project Fi invite’s status
Still waiting for your invite to join Project Fi? Google has launched a way to check the status of your invite. Most people are seeing 3-4 weeks as the estimated wait for an invite while a few are noticing a longer wait of 4-8 weeks. Google did note that everyone would have an invite by mid-summer. So things actually seem to be on schedule. Even after getting an invite, people will have to decide whether or not spending hundreds of dollars on the Nexus 6 is worth it. Then, and only then, they can try Google’s new wireless service throughout the United States.
You can check your invite’s status by heading over to Project Fi’s signup page.
Come comment on this article: You can now check your Project Fi invite’s status
Yahoo is stepping up its search game to knock Google
Looks like Yahoo is using its resources to once again revamp its search engine, this time in the mobile arena by providing a more visually appealing experience. Important stuff up top, links at the bottom. That saves users the burden of pinching and zooming, scrolling and sliding when trying to find that specific news article or restaurant.
To get started on your smartphone, just open search.yahoo.com in your favorite mobile browser and start searching! You can also set Yahoo to be your default search on your mobile browser:
- Set Yahoo as your default search engine on Safari (iOS) by going to your phone Settings > Safari > Search Engine and select Yahoo.
- Set Yahoo as your default search engine on Chrome (Android) by opening Chrome > Settings > Search Engine and select Yahoo.
- You can set Yahoo as your default on other mobile browsers manually through the app settings.
Come comment on this article: Yahoo is stepping up its search game to knock Google
Sony E5663 looks like a high-end, compact phone with impressive cameras
New details have leaked about an upcoming Sony smartphone with the model number E5663. The device looks like it’ll use a 1080p, 4.6-inch screen, which is pretty rare to see these days. Most phones have much bigger screens with as many pixels as possible, but apparently Sony did well enough with the Xperia Z3 Compact that they’re going to keep looking into these smaller devices with good hardware.
Other specs include an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage. The front facing camera appears to be a crazy 13 megapixel shooter, and the rear camera is listed at 21 megapixels. If these specs hold up, this device definitely won’t be a slouch compared to some of its bigger competitors.
There’s nothing official from Sony about what this device is, when it’s expected to launch, and how available it’s going to be, but hopefully they’ll clear some things up with an announcement soon. Sony devices with model numbers that end in 63 tend to stay in India, so this particular version will probably end up being sold exclusively in India, but don’t count out other variants just yet.
source: Xperia Blog
Come comment on this article: Sony E5663 looks like a high-end, compact phone with impressive cameras
Google will improve the quality of mobile ads by blocking accidental clicks
According to a new report, over 50% of advertisement clicks on all devices are accidental. In order to reduce this number, Google has announced that it will improve the click quality of mobile ads by automatically blocking accidental clicks on several occasions.
The search engine giant also stated that it will enforce a delay between the time a user clicks an ad and when it actually opens to detect if the click was intentional or accidental. Developers will no longer have the ability to force advertisements upon users.
These new changes will allow users to fully enjoy the applications they are using without being catapulted to another page or to the Play Store. Advertisers will see improved conversion rates and reduced overall costs as a result of these changes.
What do you think of thee changes? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google will improve the quality of mobile ads by blocking accidental clicks
Axon Phone International Giveaway
Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone or tablet each and every Sunday!
We have no winner to announce this week as there are still 2 days left in our Opera Max giveaway where we are giving away 3 phones (LG G4/S6/S6 edge).
This week we are giving away the freshly announced Axon phone!
Just a few days ago we learned about the upcoming July 14 release of a mysterious new smartphone called the Axon phone.
More than an awesome new phone, it’s the nerve center of all things you.
Where the latest in style and the features you asked for come together to connect you with your life more intuitively than ever. From its Android operating system to its 4K video capabilities to its Hi-Fi audio performance, it’s the first phone made entirely with you in mind. It’s all you.
Beauty. And a total beast. Inspired by your suggestions, Axon’s super-simplified Android interface pairs full-bleed images with large, elegant type for a high-end look and feel. It also comes with a lightning-fast processor, 4GB memory and a large battery for all-around high performance under the hood.
Camera
Axon has all of the camera options you asked for, and some you never imagined. Take high-quality photos with its dual-lens camera, which gives you quick auto focus to capture the action as it happens. Shoot 4K HD videos. Or use the smile-activated front-facing camera to step up your selfie game.
- Dual-lens camera – Axon’s two separate camera lenses let you put twice the brilliance into every photo. Not only does it give you incredibly fast auto-focus, but you can also refocus pics after you take them. Then, blur backgrounds for a beautiful bokeh effect.
- 4K Resolution Video – When awesomeness happens, capture every detail in amazing 4K ultra Hi-Def for the most realistic video quality available.
Sound
You wanted it. You got it. Fall headphones over heels with the first true high-fidelity phone available in the U.S. that lets you hear music and record sound the way they were meant to be heard.
- Hi-Fi audio playback – Axon’s amazing high-fidelity sound playback gives your music fuller, louder and purer sound quality than ever before.
- Hi-Fi recording – Twin microphones, along with some of the best in noise suppression technology, help eliminate background and wind noise when recording concert videos and voice calls
Join Now!
Axon phone international giveaway
Terms & Conditions
- The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
- If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- You must be age of majority in your Country of residence.
- We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
- Only 1 entry per person, do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
Full terms & conditions and FAQ | Past giveaway winners [Gallery]
Good luck, everyone!
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Ryan Seacrest’s iPad keyboard is surprisingly good, but expensive
It’s hard to expect much from Typo, a company that was co-founded by Ryan Seacrest and whose legal tango with BlackBerry has forced it to stop selling phone keyboards. But with its new iPad keyboard, Typo has at least proven it’s worth keeping an eye on. For $189, you get a Bluetooth keyboard that actually feels like a decent laptop keyboard, as well as a cover to protect your iPad. There’s no shortage of iPad keyboards on the market, but Typo’s offering might be compelling to anyone who wants a premium laptop-like experience with their iPad. The only problem? It’s far too expensive for what you get.
Typo’s keyboard is made up of two main components: a case that fits around your iPad Air or iPad Air 2 (there’s also one for the iPad Mini), and a keyboard unit. A magnetic latch hooks the two pieces together, and the kickstand on the iPad case stabilizes everything. They keyboard portion sports a comfortable soft plastic wrist rest and a matte bottom finish, while the iPad cover is made of tougher plastic, offering a decent amount of protection. Once everything’s put together, the Typo cover ends up making your iPad look like an ultra-thin laptop — at the expense of a bit more thickness and weight.
I didn’t have any trouble pairing the Typo keyboard with my iPad Air over Bluetooth, and, most importantly, reconnecting to the Typo after turning it off took just a few seconds. That’s been a source of frustration for me with other Bluetooth keyboards. The keyboard itself is reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface Type Cover (which is a bit curious after Typo’s legal brawl with BlackBerry). The keys have a surprising amount of depth to them when pressed down, especially since the Typo is so thin. For the most part, it felt similar to typing on a mid-range chiclet laptop keyboard. Typo is rechargeable via USB, and it lasted me several days with intermittent usage.
When it came to typing, I saw around 80 to 90 percent of my typical touch-typing speed. That’s pretty similar to what I’ve seen from most other tablet keyboards, though it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as Microsoft’s larger Surface Pro 3 keyboard. Typo also takes some getting used to: It’s not truly full-sized, and plenty of lesser-used keys (like the colon/semi-colon key) have been shifted around to make up for the lack of space. The main thing that slowed me down with the Typo was figuring out where many of those keys were moved to.
Like many laptop keyboards today, Typo also includes several device-specific buttons along its top row, which also houses the traditional function keys. The very first of these keys on Typo replicates the iPad’s home button, and there are also keys for launching spotlight search, contacts, calendar and media controls. I also grew to enjoy having Siri instantly accessible on the F5 key, which was ever so slightly faster than holding down the home button.
I was able to type this entire article on the Typo keyboard in multiple orientations — on a desk, on a park bench and while sitting on my couch — without much fuss. Given its kickstand, Typo is best used on solid surfaces, but I was also surprised by how functional it was on my lap (as long as you keep your legs straight). Typo’s biggest issue is that the magnetic connection between the keyboard and case is incredibly weak. Simply holding up the iPad on its own is enough to disconnect the keyboard. My iPad screen also fell hard on my legs several times when I tried to readjust Typo (the metal kickstand was especially painful).
As useful as it is for typing, the Typo cover ends up being pretty cumbersome if you just want to read or play games on your iPad. It adds a noticeable amount of weight to the svelte iPad Air and Air 2, and the protruding kickstand hinge made the tablet harder to hold. I ended up just yanking the Typo cover off when I wanted to browse Twitter, read digital comics and do other typical iPad-y things. The company was clearly more focused on delivering a decent typing experience than anything else.
For the most part, Typo is going up against Logitech’s iPad keyboards, which offer similarly great typing and Bluetooth connectivity for almost half the price (Logitech’s latest Ultrathin keyboard is currently retailing for $100 or less). And if you don’t need a wireless keyboard, you can save a bit more and get Logitech’s wired keyboard for $60. While Typo’s offering feels a tad more premium than the competition, it’s definitely not enough of a difference to justify that high price.
The biggest issue for Typo? It’s betting pretty much everything on its iPad keyboards. And while that’s a potentially lucrative market, especially since iOS 9 will make iPads more PC-like, Typo’s keyboards are simply too expensive to compete with widely available competitors like Logitech. There are many people who might want an iPad keyboard, but I’d imagine there are fewer who would pay around half the price of their iPad for the privilege of physical keys.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket breaks up shortly after launch
Today is not a good day for private spaceflight. SpaceX and NASA have confirmed that a Falcon 9 rocket broke up shortly after launching on a resupply mission for the International Space Station. It’s not clear what caused the failure at this stage, but the vehicle started smoking right before it fell apart. The destruction won’t create immediate problems for the Space Station. However, it comes at a very bad time for SpaceX. The company has lost yet another chance to land its reusable rocket on a sea barge, and it only just got clearance to launch valuable missions for both NASA and the US Air Force — Elon Musk and crew may have to work overtime assuring officials that this kind of disaster won’t happen again.
[Image credit: SpaceX, Flickr]
Filed under: Transportation, Science
14 best chess games for Android
Chess is one of the original logic games. A true, peaceful battle of wits and strategy that has one player beating another. There are thousands of activities that have been likened to playing chess but nothing really matches up to the real thing. Here are the best chess games for Android.
Chess – Analyze This
[Price: Free / $4.99]
Chess – Analyze This is mostly a chess game but it also contains features to help players improve their game. This includes support for PGN (not to be confused with PNG) files, FEN files, and the ability to comment and annotate on game replays. There is a pro version for $4.99 but you’ll be able to use a vast majority of the application on the free version if you don’t mind a little bit of advertising. There is no online mode so this is for local multiplayer or single player aficionados only.
Chess Free
[Price: Free / $0.99]
Chess Free, as the name implies, is a totally free game with no in-app purchases. The interface is a tad simplistic, but it’s a solid overall game. It features 12 play levels along with various modes, light analysis tools, ELO ratings, local multiplayer, and a host of chess boards and pieces to play with a bit of flair if you want. There is a paid version for $0.99US with the only defining difference being that the paid version has no advertising.
Chess Fusion
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chess Fusion is a more simplistic chess game for the more mainstream chess fan. It doesn’t have any analysis features but it does have pretty decent looking graphics, online play with no registration required, and an AI opponent with adjustable levels. Some of the more recent features include a view-replay feature, a ranked online server, and new designs for 2D chess boards. It’s a good option and free to download.
Chess – Play and Learn
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chess – Play and Learn is a chess game that is geared toward those who are newer at the game but is still playable for well-learned chess players too. It features an online multiplayer mode, a single player mode, and perhaps its most unique feature are all of the chess oriented puzzles. There are over 50,000 of them designed to help you learn chess and think outside of the box. It’s definitely something a little different and if you’re totally new, it also has thousands of videos and interactive lessons for you to learn with.
Chess-presso
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chess-presso is another chess game but this one orients itself toward an online experience. It allows you to play Postal Chess online against your friends or other online players. It features a live chat, a Holo-inspired interface, an ELO based rating system, ranks, and it doesn’t use a lot of data. The boards are a little low-def but that helps keep the data usage low. It’s one of the better online chess experiences.
Chess Puzzles
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chess Puzzles is a sort of training tool and puzzle game where you must solve puzzles using chess moves. The idea is pretty simple and includes things like choosing the most efficient next move for your pieces. It supports PGN files, several chess engines including Stockfish, and it’s even been recently updated with a Material Design inspired interface. All puzzles are available offline so no internet is required and there’s actually very little real chess games. It’s kind of the time waster version of chess so you can play a little bit without being sucked into a game.
Chess Tactics Pro
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chess Tactics Pro is a lot like Chess Puzzles in that it focuses more on puzzles rather than actual games. This one boasts a chess engine that tries to show you puzzles based on your ELO rating and you can also engage with offline puzzles, and daily puzzles. There is also a progressive system that gives you harder stuff to do when you improve. It also boasts a no-nonsense interface so you can play chess and not get lost.
Chess With Friends
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
If you’ve ever played other Zynga games “with friends” then you kind of know what you’re in for. It is a chess game that is played entirely online against random people or your friends. There is a practice mode with skill levels so you can learn the game a little better and you can view your stats like wins, losses, and even look at replays. You can play multiple games of chess at once against multiple people. It works by sending moves one at a time like the old school send-moves-in-the-mail method. It’s slow paced but fun nevertheless.
DroidFish Chess
[Price: Free]
DroidFish Chess is an Android port for the Stockfish chess engine with a GUI over top. It has a metric ton of features including analysis mode, adjustable player strength, themes, blindfold mode, clocks, local multiplayer mode, and a whole lot more. The graphics are nothing to write home about but let’s face it, that’s not why people play chess. It’s also open source and totally free with no in-app purchases.
Learn Chess
[Price: Free]
Learn Chess isn’t an actual chess game on the face of it, but more of a guide book of sorts. This is for absolute beginners and will introduce the concepts of chess to you with a little bit of reading, some inspirational quotes from chess masters, a few chess instruction videos, and around 50 puzzles. It’s nothing fancy or spectacular but it is totally free with no in-app purchases and it’s a great way to get into chess if you’ve never played before.
lichess
[Price: Free]
lichess is another chess game that focuses predominately on online play. It boasts 50,000 online users and it’s growing. You’ll be able to play multiple boards simultaneously, utilize live chatting, offline multiplayer, and it’s available in 80 languages. It supports various types of chess including King of the Hill and Antichess which is actually really interesting and a lot of fun to play. lichess is also free with no in-app purchases.
Chess by Mastersoft
[Price: Free]
Chess by Mastersoft is actually a newer chess game on Android. It boasts being 100% free with no in-app purchases and I know how much you guys and gals love that. The engine for the game reportedly finished in fourth place in the World Microcomputer Chess Championships so it’s definitely no slouch in that department. The game itself includes a training coach mode, local multiplayer mode, 100 graded levels, and ELO ratings.
Play Magnus Chess
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
This interesting chess game. Instead of a standard chess engine, this one uses one called the Magnus Carlsen “tuned” chess engine. For those who may not know, Magnus Carlsen is a world-renowned chess player and has been for pretty much this entire century so far. It’s a bit of fan service as it also has personal details and the developers promise that one lucky player will get to play against Magnus himself in a secret event once a year although we don’t have proof that this event actually happens.
Stockfish Chess
[Price: Free]
Stockfish Chess is actually just the Stockfish engine that you’ve seen referenced several times already. This popular chess engine is an Android port of the Stockfish 4 engine. This is solely an engine which means you can’t actually play with just this. You’ll need a GUI app such as this one in order to actually use it. The features will depend heavily on which GUI you choose (there are several) but the Stockfish engine is trusted and powerful.
Wrap up
If we missed any great chess games, let us know in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest and greatest Android apps and games news, don’t forget to subscribe to our app-centric newsletter using the button below!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Galaxy Note 5 leak shows some 6-appeal, sure to attract h8rs
Samsung’s Note series may be in for the biggest shake up of its existence.
In the second half of 2014, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Alpha, the first device in the company’s stable with true metal, albeit just a frame. Shortly thereafter, the Galaxy Note 4 (and Galaxy Note Edge) launched and saw repeated use of the premium material. All these devices, however, shipped with a plastic rear that allowed for battery swapping and microSD card support.
This year however, Samsung has gone the full nine yards and produced a pair of products that have won over the media yet angered some longtime supporters. Both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge feature a unibody design with two slabs of glass sandwiching an aluminum alloy frame, but sans the expandable memory and replaceable power cell. Rumors had initially pointed to a Galaxy S6 Active that would see the return of both, yet such would not come to pass. Now, it seems, the same might hold true of the much-vaulted Galaxy Note series…
Courtesy of the folks over at nowhereelse.fr, the same site that brought us early leaks of the Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 among various other devices, we have what are -allegedly- the first pictures of the Galaxy Note 5. Suffice to say, some people aren’t going to be happy: the render above is missing any semblance of a removable back cover. In fact, it looks just like a larger Galaxy S6, or even the leaked Galaxy A8 but with a cut-out for the S-Pen.
In truth, this development isn’t exactly a surprise given Samsung’s clear focus on refining the design and recreating the very idea of what its flagship products are to consumers in 2015. The stiff competition in key markets like China and India, coupled with the fact that Apple has enjoyed fantastic sales with its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus means that the Korean giant’s A-game needs to be brought to the table this year. What’s more however, numerous OEMs around the world have taken to the phablet size and thus what was once a novel idea has gradually become a status-quo. This is all the more true for consumers who don’t actively make use of the S-Pen and who could just as well buy a Nexus 6 or even the rumored metal-clad “Note rival” LG is said to be releasing later this year.
This case render, published several days ago (originating from a source at nowhereelse.fr) would seemingly mesh well with the new, leaked press render.
Somewhat concerning however, is what this potential development might mean for Samsung’s bottom line. Chances are high that many customers will be outraged by the unibody design as the Note series has always been about business productivity, with heavy usage being off-set by a removable battery and on-the-go “plug-and play” type file access being facilitated by the presence of microSD. Whereas the Galaxy S-mainstay could more easily get away with the loss of such features, those actively seeking to buy the Note are looking for vastly different purchase points.
Granted, there are some potential caveats to be had. For one thing, there is technically nothing stopping Samsung from including microSD support on the Note 5, as it would require little more than a separate tray (like the HTC One M9) or even a double-sized single tray a la the Dual-SIM variants of the S6. Indeed an alleged conversation with a Samsung representative made reference to a specific decision to remove said feature to make its product more comparable to those of of its competitors in terms of design, storage options, and “core functionality.”
As for the battery issue however, while Forbes has imagined a scenario wherein the product could theoretically contain a removable glass rear, the chances of such an inclusion would seem to be extremely low. Also becoming increasingly unlikely: any hope of the device making use of USB Type-C, something that has been rumored for some time now along with a 4K screen and other lofty desires.
Waiting for the fall? Could the Galaxy Note 4 actually see a resurgence of sales pending the announcement of a “fractured feature” Galaxy Note 5?
The real question here is perhaps truly one of self-reflection: when Samsung takes a long, hard look in the mirror, does it see a collage of diverse users who all seek to use the Note series for work and play, or does it instead see a collection of individuals who really just want a big phone with a nice screen. In the event that the latter describes the majority of Note users, then perhaps there is nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if the former is true then there might be a great migration (or at the very least, a resurgence of Galaxy Note 4 sales).
Before closing, it’s essential to mention that this is a leak, and thus until the device is formally and officially announced, we need to keep our aggression, outrage, or even excitement in-check. With that said, what do you make of this possible development?
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