Talk Android Weekly Recap: July 12 – July 18, 2015
We’re wrapping up yet another week at Talk Android! Summer tends to be really dry for big stories, but we saw some great one this week. Between the ongoing saga between T-Mobile and the FCC, more details on the OnePlus 2, Google Fiber joining the initiative to offer free Internet access, there’s a lot to catch up on.
Here’s some of the best highlights from July 12 to July 18:
- T-Mobile agrees to pay $17.5 million fine
- Google Fiber joins initiative to offer free Internet access
- Moov Now fitness tracker revealed, $40 off for a limited time
- FCC delays decision on rules for 600MHz wireless spectrum auction
- AT&T rolls out Lollipop for the HTC One M9
- Angry Birds is finally getting a sequel
- Samsung and Apple in talks to join e-SIM launch
- The OnePlus 2 will the be the 2016 flagship killer, OnePlus says
- Oppo reveals the Mirror 5
Have a great weekend, all!
Come comment on this article: Talk Android Weekly Recap: July 12 – July 18, 2015
Cortana for Android leaks early, APK available to download
Google Now competitor Cortana by Microsoft was said to be coming to Android and as a companion app to Windows 10, and now the app for Android has leaked early and can be installed on most Android devices by sideloading the APK.
Cortana is Microsofts virtual assistant that can answer contexual questions and perform actions such as finding local restaurants or texting your partner to say you’re home.
You can grab the APK now using this link and sideload it onto your Android device right now.
Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
The post Cortana for Android leaks early, APK available to download appeared first on AndroidGuys.
A quick spin through turntable history
Compact discs were once the wave of the future, but their sales have flagged whereas vinyl records have seen a resurgence, leaving pressing plants overbooked and struggling to keep up with demand. Sure, most people are getting their daily dose of beats from streaming-music services these days, but if you’re looking for a rich analog sound with plenty of space for artwork and liner notes, vinyl’s where it’s at. Since the medium’s attracted a new generation of listeners, we’ve decided to look back at some of the interesting players over the years. Some of which are as unique and varied as the music stamped into the vinyl.
[Image: Roy Harpaz industrial design]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
EE is giving away 100GB 4G data for 2 months
The UK’s biggest network, EE, is back with another limited promotion, offering a total of 200GB 4G data free for Pay As You Go (PAYG) users. Like its previous promotions, you’ll need to order a limited edition EE SIM – although some users are reporting it works with existing prepaid SIM cards – and then top up in order to get the extra data for free.
Top smartphones of 2015:
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To get the promotion, first head over to EE’s Summer SIM landing page and once it arrives, top up £10, which will get you 50 minutes and 50 texts along with 1GB data for 30 days. Then, text SUMMER100 to 150 and this will give you 100GB data per month free for two months. It’s worth noting that – at least with previous versions of the promotion – you could use the SIM card for tethering, which makes it perfect if you haven’t got home internet.
What does 100GB data give you? According to EE, that’s enough to stream up to 900 hours of video but from my personal experience, 100GB data is enough to cover just about any usage you have. I personally have 20GB data per month on my postpaid plan with EE and – apart from this month thanks to a dodgy Wi-Fi connection – I’ve only ever used under 8GB in a whole month.
As we covered in our EE review, the network is the UK‘s largest carrier by subscribers and has one of the strongest (and fastest) networks in the UK. It offers speeds of up to 300Mbps (aka LTE Cat 6) on paper with real-world speeds of up to 150Mbps and its network offers LTE to nearly 80 percent of the UK population.
Related: UK Network Reviews (2015)
The promotion is limited to just one per person but based on some quick testing, it seems that this is based on your email address. The promotion runs until August 31st and for more information or to order your SIM, hit the button below.
Are you going to get the SIM? Let us know what you think of EE’s promotion in the comments below!
ICYMI: Hitchhiking robot, ‘Doom’ within ‘Doom’ and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A kid exhibit in New York uses Kinects for an immersive environment experience. A robot is hitchhiking across the U.S. and wants strangers to take it to places like the Grand Canyon for the photo-ops. And game coders hacked up Doom to play another version of Doom inside it.
We’re also rounding up the week’s biggest news in a headline blast, but our favorite story from the week is still the proposed changes to Reddit’s community policy.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Recommended Reading: Does Comic-Con have a piracy problem?
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.
Comic-Con Makes Everyone a Pirate: The ‘Problem’ of Leaked Trailers
by Susana Polo
Polygon
As you can probably imagine, studio execs weren’t too happy that early footage from Deadpool and Suicide Squad leaked online last week. Well, that’s what they said, at least. Cellphone video was taken at private events and posted for the world to see. This isn’t the first time this has happened to Warner Bros. and yet the company still brings “exclusive” trailers to the supposedly behind-closed-doors events. Does Comic-Con have a piracy problem or are studios counting on leaks to help build hype for highly anticipated films?
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Is Transparency The Music Industry’s Next Battle? Even with talks of increased royalty payments, it doesn’t necessarily mean musicians are getting significantly more money for their work. |
Achilles’ Wrists: Meet the Doctor Who Is Saving eSports Careers An orthopedic surgeon that specializes in hand and upper extremity injuries in LA treats mostly MMA fighters. His second biggest client base? eSports athletes. |
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Google Calendar Concept What if content related to your schedule was immediately available inside your go-to calendar app? Brian Nelson created a Google Calendar concept that does just that and it’s stunning. |
The Death Of Adobe Flash Is Coming, And Game Developers Are Worried Are you pumped that Flash is finally on its way out? Lots of folks are, but there’s one group who isn’t: game devs. |
[Image credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images]
Google launches free Play Store content in Sudan
Google announced earlier today that it has now officially expanded access to free applications on the Play Store to users in Sudan. Prior to this release, active customers in the region only had the facility to browse the store — nothing could be downloaded.
“As part of a commitment to helping more people around the globe use technology to communicate, find and create information, we’re announcing the availability of free apps and games on Google Play in Sudan for the first time,” writes the company over on its G+ page.
It’s unclear as to whether residents in Sudan are able to purchase paid content at this time, but this is still a step in the right direction if not. The search engine giant claims that it plans to bring access to more Google services to other regions later this year.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google launches free Play Store content in Sudan
Play Music updated with fix for disappearing cached tracks issue
Since the latest update, Google Play Music no longer deletes cached music from devices, an issue that has been affecting some users for the past couple of weeks.
Users reported that tracks downloaded for offline use and stored on the microSD card disappeared without notice whenever the device rebooted or the card was removed. Given that offline music storage is one of the most common usages for microSD cards, the issue has left quite a few users miffed, to say the least.
Fortunately, Google has given the issue the priority treatment it required, and the version now available in the Play Store is free of this bug. According to the changelog, version 6.0.1950S also fixes an issue that prevented some songs and albums from showing up in the My Library section. Judging from the comments on this Reddit thread, the update also fixed a problem with the way album art was displayed in the notification dropdown.
It appears that the update is causing the app to re-download any music you have marked for offline playback, presumably to account for the possibility that some songs were removed by the bug in the previous version.
Have you noticed this issue? What other bugs in Play Music would you love to see fixed?
Yahoo and Beme take on Snapchat with video sharing apps
There’s no shortage of apps that can take short video clips you can blast to friends. But if you’re willing to branch out and try new things, Yahoo and YouTube celebrity Casey Neistat have released alternatives with different takes on video sharing. Neistat’s iPhone app called Beme, for instance, starts recording four-second videos when you cover the sensor above the device’s earpiece. In his demo below the fold, he shows how you can cover the sensor by placing the phone against your chest. The idea is that you get to experience life and see events with your own eyes instead of through a screen, even while recording what’s in front of you.
The video clip you upload will stay long enough for friends to be able to send you reaction selfies, after which, it vanishes completely. Neistat told The New York Times that his team designed the app to be as simple as possible (it doesn’t have a lot of features), because they “want you to feel like you’re taking a peek under the hood.” Yahoo’s new messaging app called Livetext, however, is a bit more conventional than Beme, though it still works quite differently than similar programs.
On Livetext, conversation begins when you send a text message to a friend. The moment that friend opens your message, you’d immediately see him/her and whatever’s in view of the camera in a silent, GIF-like video. The company has been working on a revamp of its messaging app for quite some time, but it’s unclear if this is the product of those efforts. TechCrunch has merely spotted Livetext on iTunes Hong Kong — it’s been there for a week now, released with no fanfare or even a formal announcement.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Yahoo Livetext (iTunes), Beme (iTunes)
T-Mobile now selling the LG G4 for just $480
LG’s flagship for 2015, the G4, has many things going for it, including support for those things which Samsung opted to leave out of its Galaxy S6: a user-replacable battery and microSD support for expandable storage. Still, the device has also received its fair share of criticism having continued the use of plastic and for selecting the Snapdragon 808 while it’s sibling the LG Flex 2 has an 810. Reports have indicated the device hasn’t be selling as well as expected. While it is difficult to say just what the motivating factors are behind T-Mobile’s decision to slash the price tag, the customer is ultimately the winner.
Starting now the G4 can be had for just $480, a savings of $120. While this may only result in a $5 decrease per-month for those opting to purchase on installment, customers paying in-full will definitely see the savings in a big way.
LG G4
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As if this was not good enough, the deal is still valid in combination with LG’s bonus accessory campaign wherein purchasers will receive a free battery, charger, and leather back cover provided they buy before the end of July.
Unfortunately it is unclear just how long the G4 price cut will last: it may be a permanent price cut, or it could be a limited-time offer while supplies last.
For all those interested and making use of Magenta, now is the time to act. Those who are still on the fence may feel it prudent to watch our in-depth review of the G4 and related comparison videos to determine if it’s right for you.
AIVAnet 