Microsoft OneDrive for Android now lets you mix business with pleasure
OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service formerly known as SkyDrive, just got updated across several platforms. Most significant, perhaps, is its Android app refresh that adds OneDrive for Business integration, so you can easily access both personal and work files without having to switch accounts. You can now also set up a PIN code on the Android app and access OpenDrive files from within other apps. The iOS app, on the other hand, has a new native search box and an AllPhotos view, where you can see all your images arranged chronologically in one window. Finally, the app for Windows Phone 8.1 now has access to the recycle bin, which is extremely useful for people with jittery, delete-happy fingers. If you’re on iOS and Windows Phone but would rather get those sweet, new Android features, though, don’t worry — Microsoft’s bringing them to your platforms in the coming months.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Google Play, iTunes, Windows Phone Market
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Android Lemon Meringue Pie gets spotted in Chromium issue tracker as build LRW50D
The Chromium issue tracker is often a good place to spot a new Nexus device or build of Android, and today appears to be our lucky day. Sported by a device known as the “New Nexus7″ – make of that what you will – a certain build of Android has been spotted with build number LRW50D. We know it is Google convention to always start the build number with the letter of its code name, at this point suspected to be Android Lemon Meringue Pie. What follows is usually a series of unique identifiers that let us know exactly when the build was created. In this case, it appears the build is from the 19th of August, 2014 and is the fourth version of the build that day. Naturally, the date isn’t an exact science due to some code inheriting dates, but it’s definitely in the right ballpark.
The “New Nexus7″ part of this story is probably of no consequence – this is most likely just the 2013 Nexus 7 – however it’s clear that it was running some form of Android L when this issue was made. Myce.com, who found this issue, also notes that numerous references to “lmp-dev” were made in the code; we know that “lmp” is also referenced within the Android SDK itself, which originally gave birth to the Lemon Meringue Pie rumours.
Source: myce.com
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The post Android Lemon Meringue Pie gets spotted in Chromium issue tracker as build LRW50D appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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Google News and Weather joins the modern age with Now-like cards
The stock Android faithful have been peering at the same UI inside its News and Weather app for quite some time, but today there’s a welcome update. Folks carrying the unskinned version of Google’s OS are now privy to Now’s card-based organization for recent headlines with the weather forecast for the current location situated up top. You can toggle that meteorology widget off and on, or set it to stay with a locale of your choosing or track conditions in multiple places. Swipe through sections with ease, and as you might expect, those handy home screen widgets got a refresh of their own to match. The update seems to be rolling out to compatible devices now, so if you can’t snag it yet, sit tight ’cause it’s on the way.
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play
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Canadian cable giants launch a Netflix rival
The service will initially work on mobile devices, the web, Xbox 360 consoles and cable set-top boxes when its public beta test launches in the first week of November. Naturally (if unfortunately), Rogers and Shaw customers will have first crack. The pricing is definitely competitive at $9 Canadian per month, although you may not want to chuck any existing subscriptions just yet. While Shomi will have 340 TV series and a strong dose of Canadian content (30 percent), it has just 1,200 “cult-classic and fan-favourite” movies — if you want to watch a recent blockbuster, you’re probably better off sticking with Netflix for now.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Shomi, Canada Newswire
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BitTorrent Sync lets you share folders on your PC using web links
Yes, cloud services like Dropbox make it easy to share folders through public directories and links, but you still have to put those folders in the cloud in the first place. Wouldn’t you rather share them straight from your PC? BitTorrent hopes to make things that direct with its big Sync 1.4 update. Now, you can share folders with others just by giving them web links; you don’t have to wait for the files to reach a remote server, or rely on Sync’s slightly more obtuse Key system. You don’t have to sign up for an account, either, and you can still limit access to prevent others from messing with precious documents. About the only headache is that your recipient needs Sync, although BitTorrent promises that it will walk first-timers through the process.
The 1.4 release is also an excuse for BitTorrent to give Sync a much-needed interface makeover. While a lot of the basic concepts remain intact, the new front end is both prettier and easier to understand on Macs and Windows PCs — arguably very important when people are more likely to be trying Sync for the first time. You can grab the desktop upgrade (which includes Linux) right now, and matching updates for both Android and iOS should be ready later today.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile
Source: BitTorrent Blog
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Everyone’s making a sapphire phone, here’s Huawei’s
Rumors of the next-gen iPhone donning a scratch-proof sapphire screen have been going around since the Apple sapphire plant announcement, and it appears that Huawei wants in on the hype, as it prepares for the launch of a sapphire edition Ascend P7. While no price has been announced just yet (it’ll naturally be more expensive, of course), a Huawei rep told us that said phone will be available in its Chinese online store in limited quantity, with the first batch due in September, followed by another lot in November. If all goes well, Huawei will become the first Chinese brand to sell a smartphone with a sapphire screen, but it’ll have to act fast as local rivals Xiaomi and Vivo are also rumored to be mulling sapphire devices.
The scarcity of the special edition P7 casts doubt on the feasibility of making large sapphire screens more mainstream: It’s very costly, plus the hard material becomes more brittle when scaled up, as our own Brad Molen established from multiple interviews. Having said that, the sapphire-encased Kyocera Brigadier is already available stateside for a mere $400 off-contract, so it’s just a matter of time before everyone else gets their hands on the same screen supplier.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Huawei boss says Tizen has ‘no chance’ of success
Fans of mobile operating systems not called “Android” or ‘iOS” might be sad to hear what Huawei’s head honcho just told the Wall Street Journal. In an interview, Richard Yu spoke about the company’s plans regarding Tizen, Windows Phone and a long-rumored homegrown OS, and basically said they were all doomed.
According to the executive, unnamed mobile networks had asked Huawei to make Tizen smartphones, but Yu feels that the platform has “no chance to be successful.” It’s a bit of a u-turn, since the company has previously had a research unit looking into the Samsung-made software, but Yu said that he shut it down.
On the subject of Windows Phone, Yu conceded that Huawei had spent two years losing money on its W series handsets, saying “it has been difficult to persuade customers to buy a Windows phone.” That’s why, at least for now, a follow-up to the promising, yet flawed W1 and W2 is off the table.
That leaves the company with Android as the only thing its handsets can run, and when asked about this potential over-reliance on Google, Yu admitted that he’s concerned, but has “no choice.” On the upside, he did emphasize that he has a “good collaboration” with the search engine, before swiftly moving on to other matters, like writing off any plans for a homegrown operating system of its own. In his own words, Yu feels that “it’s easy to design a new OS, but the problem is building the ecosystem around it.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft, Google
Source: Wall Street Journal
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Google’s modular phone gets cheaper thanks to a new processor
One of the biggest challenges behind Google’s modular Project Ara phone platform has been getting processors to play nicely with the technology. How do you let someone swap out the very heart of their device as easily as they would a memory card? By creating a CPU for that very purpose, that’s how. Rockchip has started work on a system-on-chip with modular tech built-in; your phone won’t need any bridge chips or other special tricks to let you switch processors on a whim. You won’t see the hardware in action until a Rockchip-based Ara prototype arrives in early 2015. However, the plans show that Google’s vision of a completely upgradable handset is both feasible and potentially inexpensive. Don’t be surprised if some of the earliest Ara phones (or rather, their parts) easily fit within your budget.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Google ATAP (Google+)
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HTC’s first tablet in years pops up in a trade group filing
HTC hinted that it would get back into tablets this year, and there have been detailed rumors covering the effort. However, tangible evidence of that hardware has been hard to come by — until now, that is. The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified the “Flounder,” a tablet that would run Google’s upcoming Android L. While the listing doesn’t say much by itself, the model numbers match those in an @upleaks post mentioning that there would be a WiFi-only model as well as LTE variants for both the world at large and American CDMA carriers (think Sprint or Verizon). These tidbits don’t confirm many of the other rumored aspects of the slate, such as the 8.9-inch display, Tegra K1 processor or Nexus badging. However, they at least suggest that HTC is close to releasing its first tablet since 2011′s Flyer — if you’ve spent years hoping for a follow-up device, you may well get your wish.
flounder(T1#F, WiFi-only); 0P82100 flounder_lte_us(T1#WL, CDMA2000/LTE); 0P82200 flounder_lte_world(T1#UL, WCDMA/LTE); 0P82300
– @upleaks (@upleaks) August 23, 2014
Via: Talk Android, Phone Arena
Source: Wi-Fi Alliance (PDF), @upleaks (Twitter)
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Motorola’s Moto X sequel spotted
Want a good, clear look at one of the devices Motorola is expected to unveil at its September 4th event? You’ve got it. As a parting shot, retiring leaker Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) has posted press images for Motorola’s next big flagship smartphone, frequently known as the X+1. It largely confirms what previously appeared in some dimly-lit photos, including dual camera flashes, a wooden back option and Moto E-style front-facing speakers. There are a couple of new tidbits, though. The Verizon logo leaves no doubts about one of the supporting US carriers, and we’re curious about those dots on the top and bottom bezels — are they Fire phone-like face tracking cameras, plain old screws or something else? You’ll get the full scoop in a couple of weeks, but this serves as a nice (if very unofficial) teaser.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Verizon, Lenovo
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
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AIVAnet 