The Gionee Elife S5.5 gets Android 4.4.2, makes the jump from Android 4.2
The defining characteristic of the Gionee Elife S5.5 is that it is thin. Really thin. At 5.5mm, it remains the thinnest smartphone available on the market right now, and you get the sense that other manufacturers will struggle to get any thinner than the wafer-thin Elife S5.5. While not the absolute bleeding edge in mobile technology, it holds its own in the mid-range, and now has another feather in its cap as the Gionee Elife S5.5 gets Android 4.4.2. The Elife S5.5 makes the jump from Android 4.2, skipping 4.3, resulting in a rather hefty update of 865MB.
The changes include homescreen changes, thanks to all the additions in Android KitKat, as well as UI changes which have allegedly improved the responsiveness of the devices. The full list of changes includes (as per GSM Arena):
- Android upgrade to KitKat
- New Desktop layout
- Removed the world cricket championship
- Added Du speed booster for faster operations
- Updated Amigo Paper with a brand new UI interface design
- Updated Game Zone with a new UI interface design
- Updated GioneeXender for optimized performance and further improved the linking success rate
If you have a Gionee Elife S5.5, we’d love to find out what the phone is like to own; let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: GSM Arena via Phones Review
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Floatify – Stacked expandable notification center for your Android device
Despite Android having arguably the best way to handle the notifications out of the mobile platforms, there is always room for improvement when it comes to how notifications are displayed and interacted with.
An app that has caught our attention to offer an alternative to the way in which notifications are managed is Floatify, which will provide you with a floating window with stacked notifications.
Check it out in action in the video below:
Floatify is customisable and even supports icon packs, with the developer claiming low battery consumption. It’s a free app and definitely worth a try to see if you prefer this alternative way to handle notifications.
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TimePIN: Keep your device secure
TimePIN is a security app for android devices, with the concept being that every minute, you have a new passcode. The application uses your system clock to change your passcode.
There are four options in this app. Offset PIN, Double PIN, Mirror PIN and Reverse PIN. Each one modifies the time to create a more secure PIN.
OFFSET PIN
An offset is a number added or subtracted to the TimePIN to generate a new PIN. If the resulting PIN is over 10000, then 10000 is subtracted from it. If the resulting PIN is negative, then 10000 is added to it. If the time is 11:33, the TimePIN is 1122. With an offset of -123 being applied to the PIN of 1133, the resulting PIN will 1010.
Double PIN
The TimePIN is repeated, doubling the length of the PIN. If the time is 8:30, the PIN would be 0830. With the double modifier the final PIN would be 08300830.
Mirror PIN
The TimePIN is repeated, with the second iteration being added in reverse. If the time is 12:34, the PIN would be 1234. With the mirror modifier the final PIN would be 12344321.
Reverse PIN
The TimePIN is reversed. If the time was 9:30, the PIN would [be] 0930, with the reverse modifier applied it would be 0390.
Now that you know what TimePIN does, how does it preform? After you enable it, there is an option called “Demo PIN”. When you select this in the menu, there a toast message pops up showing what your PIN would be at that particular time.
There is also a default PIN. This is to be used when you first start your device, or when you wish to change the settings of TimePIN. It is also used as a fail safe. If you find that you can not unlock your device, you can restart your phone and use the default PIN to get in. This is a neat little security that I will definitely be keeping on my device. This way, even that creep watching you put in your PIN over your shoulder won’t know your PIN because it will change the very next minute. Literally!
While this app is no longer on the Play Store, you can download the apk file from the XDA support thread. There are certain features that require an IAP of $1.99 to unlock, but they are no longer available because the app is no longer on the Play Store. Even without these added features, TimePIN still works as one of the best security apps I have seen in a long time, and doesn’t even require root access.
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Get ready for Android Wear’s first round of apps
If you’ve pre-ordered an Android Wear watch and want to have everything ready for the very moment you slap that device on your wrist, Google is more than happy to help; the company has posted everything you’ll need on day one. To start, you can both grab the official Android Wear app (needed to link up) and look out for the automatic Google Play Services 5.0 upgrade that adds the underlying Wear framework. After that, you’ll want to check out Google Play’s new dedicated app section that highlights early titles with Wear support, including third-party tools like Allthecooks, Evernote and IFTTT. These apps aren’t going to make your wristwear arrive any sooner, but getting yourself ready could make the wait a little more bearable.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Via: Android Developers (Google+), Phandroid
Source: Google Play (1), (2), Android Developers Blog
Radical.FM debuts on Android; Another ad free streaming radio service to try Out
Yesterday you might have seen the news that Google bought up Songza. Good for Songza and good for Google Music All Access. While Songza is still up and running as normal, there will be a time when it will be absorbed by Google and the current apps will cease to exist. There are more streaming services out there than one can possibly count and now there is one more that is looking to give you your streaming music fix, Radical.FM.
“Tremendous effort has gone into making these powerful new apps faster and more intuitive,” said CEO Tom McAlevey. “But unlike Beats, which offers nothing Spotify hasn’t offered for years, or Amazon Prime Music, which is missing half the music iTunes has offered for a decade, Radical.FM offers a truly unique concept built on one of the world’s most comprehensive music libraries.”
The app seems pretty simple to use. You set up your account for free and cruise through the set up process and add the genres and styles you want to hear. You can adjust and fine tune what is delivered on a separate settings screen or search for specific songs and artists. The service has been out on iOS for quite sometime and one can tell that is where it got its roots when you look at the screenshots below.
Very iOS like isn’t it? While it could use a major UI overhaul for Android, it does stream music to your device and is commercial free for free. Random.FM claims access to over 25 million searchable tracks too. So how does a free app, without ads, without commercials be available legally? Well, Radical.FM compensates artists, composers, and labels for all the music streamed and runs solely on a “Pay What You Can” model. In a nutshell, you drop a few bucks here and there so they can pay the guys for the tunes you are listening too. If you don’t pay anything, you can still listen.
“It’s a radical revenue model, and people wonder how we can pay music streaming’s high royalties on a free app without commercials,” continues McAlevey. “When I drove my dune-buggy across Africa, I was confronted by Arabic police, spear-wielding natives, and AK-47-toting militia. More often than not, they helped rather than hindered me, reminding me that if treated with respect, people tend to do the right thing. As users discover Radical’s outstanding service, many of them will be proud to support it.”
It has some potential if they can get someone with some Android skills at the helm for a redesign. Feel free to give it a download and try via the nifty box below. Oh, and it is US only for now. Sorry everyone else in the world.
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Volunteer to test a tablet-friendly version of Office for Android
Well looks like a version of Microsoft’s Office specifically tailored for Android tablets is on the way. While we still wait for a touch-friendly version of the productivity suite for Windows, word on the street is users will soon be able to beta test a build for Google’s tablet OS. According to the Verge’s sources both companies and individuals should be able to sign up for access to pre-release versions of Office soon. Obviously we’re still waiting for a lot of details, but it’s expected that a finger-friendly interface (similar to that found on the iPad) is going to hit Android later this year. But Windows will have to wait until early 2015. While it’s slightly surprising to see Microsoft’s bread and butter productivity hit a competitors OS first, it highlights Satya Nadella’s decision to build Redmond’s future on the cloud and cross-platform accessibility. Rather than focusing solely on Windows.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: Microsoft
Samsung’s premium Galaxy F leaks yet again, gives us the best look at the phone thus far
Here we go again. We’ve seen this device leak many times before. Galaxy F is allegedly going to be Samsung’s premium offering, metal chassis and all. Let’s get down to it.
Last time this device leaked we’ve seen a part of the phone itself in a render, courtesy of @evleaks. This time we’re getting the same render (though the phone is in a different color), from the same source, but we get to see the whole device, nothing is cut off. It actually feels like we’re assembling a puzzle or something. The leaker also hints that the phone will be released this year. If the last leak is to be believed, the phone will be released September 12, which is 2 days after IFA.
Would you buy the phone if it turns out to be Galaxy S5 (or a beefed up Galaxy S5) with a metallic chassis?
Source: @evleaks
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Samsung announces pricing for a bunch of recently announced budget Galaxy smartphones
Samsung introduced 4 new Galaxy budget devices yesterday. These devices are running KitKat OS with a TouchWiz Essence UI on top, which is a lightweight version of TouchWiz. They’ll probably target emerging markets.
Samsung didn’t announce pricing for these devices yesterday, but Samsung Netherlands has revealed how much will they cost in the region:
- Galaxy Ace 4: €219
- Galaxy Core 2: €179
- Galaxy Young 2: €99
- Galaxy Star 2: still unknown, probably something similar to Galaxy Young 2
These prices seem rather hefty. There are better alternatives for less money in our opinion (shout-out to Moto G), at least for some of these devices. What do you think?
Source: Samsung Netherlands
Via: SamMobile
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Android is about to overtake iOS in global web traffic Figures
Despite the fact that Android holds a commanding 80% of the global smartphone market over iOS, iOS has steadfastly maintained their own lead in global web traffic. When you actually consider what that means (besides availability of mobile data in some regions), you really start to appreciate how people use their iOS devices i.e. a lot. That lead, however, has been slowly eroding and Net Applications’ latest findings on the topic seems to show that Android is about to overtake iOS in global web traffic.
As the graph above shows, Android has increased its global web traffic percentage to 43.75%, less the 2 percentage points less than iOS’ share of the cake with 45.61%. This has been a startling turnaround for Android as only a year ago, it accounted for only 24.66% of global web traffic, compared to 57.56% for iOS at that time. It only seems like a matter of time before Android does eventually surpass iOS in this category, yet another feather in the cap of the world’s most popular (or at the very least, populous) mobile operating system.
What do you think about Android’s web traffic statistics? Surprised to see iOS still hanging on? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: Net Applications via Phone Arena
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Mad Catz’s Android console nabs OUYA games and 4K UHD support
Things have been relatively quiet with OUYA, but yesterday’s announcement of a subscription service apparently isn’t all that’s coming out of Julie Uhrman’s Android gaming company this week: you can finally access OUYA games through Mad Catz’s Android console, the M.O.J.O. Sure, the appearance is a bit tardy but it means you’re aren’t stuck playing games with the OUYA’s contentious controller any longer. Additionally, the latest M.O.J.O. update adds more than just another place to play Towerfall. The console now has bragging rights over the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One too, because, unlike those more expensive systems, it supports 4K UHD output for games and video right now. When the latest from Sony and Microsoft will gain that functionality still isn’t clear. But hey, at least you can play Halo and LittleBigPlanet 3 on those this fall, right?
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Mad Catz (1)
AIVAnet 