Install Google Play Services on Amazon’s new Fire Tablets without Root access
So for those of you out there who weren’t aware, when you purchase an Amazon Fire tablet, you can’t install just any app that you see fit. In fact, you can’t install ANY apps from the Google Play Store. Not that it’s always a bad thing, but you are kind of “stuck” using Amazon’s App Store.
Now the Amazon App Store frequently sees better deals than those that can be found in the Google Play Store, but there are still some benefits to being able to install anything you want. Well, it just so happens that a dedicated user over at the XDA Forums has found a way to install the Google Play Store and Google Play Services on the latest Amazon Fire tablets. Even better, you don’t even need to try to root your new tablet to get the best features from Google.
In order to get the Google Play Store and Google Play Services installed, you’ll need to make sure that your computer has all the drivers downloaded already. Usually, this is performed whenever you plug a new device into your computer, so it should happen automatically. Once you’ve acquainted your Fire Tablet with your computer of choice, you’ll need to download some files that can be found in the XDA thread.
Now that you’ve got those files downloaded form the XDA thread, you’ll need to enable ADB Debugging. This option can be found in the Developer Options within Settings on your Fire Tablet. Once you’re all set and ready to go, follow the video, and you’re on your way to having the Google Play Store and all its wonders, on your brand new Amazon Fire Tablet.
Let us know if you ran into any issues, and what you think about Amazon’s latest rendition of Fire Tablets.
Source: XDA Developers via: Cult of Android
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Dell’s buying EMC for $67 billion in the biggest tech deal ever
Dell has agreed to buy EMC Corporation for a deal worth $67 billion. While EMC isn’t a household name, some of its products and subsidiaries are. In addition to selling cloud services, storage and analytic solutions to enterprise companies, EMC owns the security firm RSA and the virtualization solution VMware. The deal is huge — it’s being billed as the largest tech acquisition in history. EMC is probably worth twice as much as Dell itself right now, and has some 70,000 employees worldwide.
How can Dell afford the takeover? The deal is being financed by MSD Capital (Michael Dell’s investment firm) in partnership with Silver Lake, which also helped fund Mr. Dell’s takeover of the company he founded in 2013. If the deal passes the relevant regulatory hurdles, it’ll make the resultant company a giant in the enterprise computing field.
There’s one caveat to the $67 billion figure, and that’s VMware. Rather than being folded into Dell, it’ll remain an independent publicly traded entity. Dell’s agreed to pay $24.05 per share to EMC shareholders, plus tracking stock in VMware. That means the overall figure is an estimate, and could change slightly by the time the deal goes through.
Source: Dell
Engadget UK giveaway: win an iPhone 6s courtesy of Mobilefun.co.uk
To upgrade or not to upgrade: that is the question. If you’re currently asking yourself this very brainteaser, then we’d guess Apple’s shiny new iThings may well’ve taken your fancy. But why sign up to a more expensive contract or take the hit of an upfront payment when we’ve got a brand new iPhone 6s burning a whole in our pocket? This week, we’re giving away a 16GB, Space Grey model supplied by our friends at Mobilefun.co.uk, the online retailer with all manner of accessories, including plenty of covers and cases, to kit your new iPhone out with. As always, you can enter the competition up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below, but only after you’ve given the rules a quick scan. Deal?
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the UK, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) iPhone 6s.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Apple, Mobilefun.co.uk and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 16th at 11:59PM BST. Good luck!
[Photo credit: Will Lipman]
Source: Mobilefun.co.uk
Canon quietly launches the M10 mirrorless camera
Just a few weeks after Canon launched its first decent mirrorless camera, the EOS M3, it has revealed a tiny, cheaper sibling, the EOS M10. The camera arrived in Canon’s store with no press release or price, but judging by the specs, it’s essentially a stripped-down version of the M3. It sports a lightweight, more basic body, and is equipped with an 18-megapixel instead of a 24.2-megapixel sensor. It’s pretty darn similar otherwise, however: it has the same 49-point AF, 25,600 max (expanded) ISO, 3-inch, 1.04 million dot touchscreen and 1080/30p video.
Depending on the price, the model might interest photographers looking for a very small APS-C camera who don’t want to spend $680 on the EOS M3 body. However, the lack of an EVF option and plain-Jane looks may be a deal-breaker for many, unless the M10 is considerably cheaper. There’s no word on availability, but it’ll come to the US in black, white and gray colors.
While Canon was at it, it also released a nice-looking 20.2-megapixel compact camera without really telling anyone. The PowerShot G5 X may tempt some folks away from Sony’s RX100 Mark IV or similar models, thanks to a 1-inch sensor, 24-100mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent), f/1.8 aperture, 2.36 million dot EVF, DIGIC 6 image processor and hot shoe mount for Speedlite flashes and other accessories. We do know pricing and availability for that model: it runs $799 and it’s now available in the US in Canon’s online store.
Via: Canon Rumors
New video from LG shows off the V10’s UX4.0+ interface
LG unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the V10, a few days ago on October 1, boasting two displays on the front of the device as well as a durable metal casing. Having already released a promo video for the V10, LG has now posted a video showing off its UX 4.0+ custom interface, as can be seen after the break.
The video shows how the second, smaller, display can be useful, as well as the dual-selfie cameras on the front of the handset, one of which has a wide-angle lens. The secondary display can also be used to access selected apps and contacts quickly, coming in useful when trying to share photos and other content to social media sites, among other things. Finally, the video also shows off the camera app’s ability to adjust the lighting for background and foreground objects using the rear camera.
Are you planning on getting the LG V10? Let us know your thoughts on LG’s latest flagship in the comments below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: LG (YouTube)
Come comment on this article: New video from LG shows off the V10’s UX4.0+ interface
The Doogee HomTom HT6 comes with a massive 6,250mAh battery [Sponsored Post]
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Almost all of us are reminded on a daily basis how short our device’s battery life can be, however there are manufacturers out there that try to get around this limitation by stuffing a massive battery inside their device. One of these devices is the Doogee HomTom HT6 which is about to be released – the average smartphone these days hovers around 3,000mAh battery, but the HomTom HT6 eclipses that with its 6,250mAh battery.
The rest of the device isn’t going to set the world on fire – the device runs on a MediaTek processor clocked at 1GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 5.5-inch 720p display and runs on Android 5.1. Having said that, there are some nifty software features built in like the 3-finger screenshot and smart wake-up gestures that start apps just by drawing on the display while the device is dormant. Apart from its battery size, the HomTom HT6 is definitely a mid-ranger, and it’s priced as such at $139.99 USD. Luckily, if you’re planning on getting a HomTom HT6, you can get one now from GearBest.com for even less – $125.99 USD if you use the coupon code “HT6GB” and free shipping too; links are below:
Oh, and if the HomTom HT6 isn’t your style, GearBest is also having a giveaway for some other smartphones and devices on their Facebook page – check it out.
What do you think about the Doogee HomTom HT6?
The post The Doogee HomTom HT6 comes with a massive 6,250mAh battery [Sponsored Post] appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
‘Steve Jobs’ Film Debuts Impressively in Limited Release
Only a limited number of fans have been able to see Steve Jobs over the weekend, thanks to its initial limited release in only Los Angeles and New York on October 9. Despite that small run, the Danny Boyle-directed film has debuted with impressive numbers, making $521,000 in its first weekend with a per-theater average of $130,250 (via Variety).
Although those numbers landed the movie well below any top-earning spot for the weekend box office at large (it placed sixteenth overall), that per-theater average places Steve Jobs as the fifteenth highest PTA figure in film history. As the rollout for the film expands — 25 new markets and 60 theaters on October 16, and then 2,000 theaters on October 23 — Universal has doubled down on its release strategy, believing the slow trickle to wide release will help generate positive word of mouth.
“By holding back and platforming it in this way, we let the public know what this movie is all about and we generate a hotter ‘want to see’ among audiences,” said Nick Carpou, head of Universal’s domestic distribution operation.
Universal hopes these limited release numbers translate into bigger returns when Steve Jobs debuts in wide release next weekend, aiming for a similar trajectory as The Social Network‘s $97 million overall domestic haul. Current analysts predict at least a $20 million opening wide release weekend for the new film, pointing to the ubiquity of Apple products, largely positive early reviews, and the audience’s hunt for “prestige movies” at this time of year as the main factors for its potential success.
EA begins ending support for several Android games
Hold on to that Mass Effect: Infiltrator saved game, as Electronic Arts (EA) has ended support for several of their mobile games, pulling them off the Google Play and APple App Store marketplaces as of September 1st, 2015.
Although most of the games are iOS exclusives, certain Android versions of EA games have also been taken down. Some of the titles affected include mobile spin-offs of popular EA franchises, including Burnout, Dead Space and Mass Effect.
EA says that these games will no longer be updated, however their focus will remain on existing popular mobile games and on developing new titles for both Android and iOS platforms, including the upcoming release of Real Racing 3.
The following list of games on Android are affected:
- Bejeweled 2
- Burnout CRASH!
- Dead Space
- Flight Control Rocket
- Mass Effect: Infiltrator
EA has also stated that users who have already downloaded one of the above-mentioned titles should be able to continue playing on their devices as normal.
Source: EA, DroidGamers
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[Reminder] OnePlus’ Open Sale is ongoing in Europe, pick up the OnePlus 2 without an invite
If you live in Europe and haven’t received an invite to order your OnePlus 2 yet, then the ongoing Open Sale may be of interest to you. OnePlus is currently holding an Open Sale in Europe where you can buy the OnePlus 2 without an invite. But you have to hurry, because you only have around 30 minutes or so to place your order before the window closes at 1PM CEST (12PM UK), and reverts back to the frustrating invite system.
Europe, it’s your turn. Open sales for the #OnePlus2 are live for one hour only! Click here: http://t.co/NrdFn2Tcel pic.twitter.com/jAbaciDlsU
— OnePlus (@oneplus) October 12, 2015
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Currently, only the 64GB/4GB variant of the OnePlus 2 is available to order for €399 (£289, along with Kevlar, Black Apricot, Bamboo and Rosewood StyleSwap Covers. The OnePlus website has, of course, suffered some issues, so let us know if you manage to buy one in the comments below.
Source: OnePlus
Come comment on this article: [Reminder] OnePlus’ Open Sale is ongoing in Europe, pick up the OnePlus 2 without an invite
Acer makes its new all-in-one portable by adding a battery
With the PC market dwindling and Microsoft itself now providing some of the best Windows 10 models (like the powerful Surface Book convertible), third-party OEMs have to do something to stand out. That’s perhaps why Acer has decided to put an internal battery in its 17.3-inch Aspire Z3-700 all-in-one (AIO) to take it to a new place — the road. The form factor and relatively small 2-kilogram (4.4 pound) weight suggest that it’s more a big tablet than an AIO, but Acer says the dual kickstand and 1080p, 10-pound multi-touch screen also make it a fine desktop PC. Slideshow-328073
It’s not a bad idea for graphics designers or others who might prefer a desktop form factor but need a big, reasonably portable tablet from time to time. As such, it has a battery that can run it up to five hours and support for a dedicated stylus. It’s also equipped with the latest Intel sixth-generation Core Skylake or Celeron CPU, an SSD or HDD and up to 8GB of RAM. It’ll arrive by the end of the year in Europe starting at €599 ($680).
The other product revealed by Acer today was a new Aspire R14 convertible notebook. It’s pretty similar to the last, Lenovo Yoga-like R14 model (not the one with the easel-like hinge), except that it now has a fancy new “diamond-cut” edge design and a smaller, 360-degree dual-torque hinge. That’ll give you laptop, tent, display or tablet modes, depending on how you orient the 1.9-kilogram (4.1 pound) device. It also comes with sixth-gen Skylake CPUs, SSD or HDD disks and up to 8GB of RAM, though Acer didn’t mention the 14-inch screen’s resolution. That model will arrive in the US by the end of the month starting at $699. Slideshow-328074
Source: Acer
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