You can now save images to folders within Google image search on mobile
What do you normally do when you find the perfect image? Probably save it, take a screenshot, bookmark the webpage? Well now there is an easier way. Google has just made things a lot easier by allowing the ability to star and bookmark images right from Google’s image search on mobile.
Simply search for the image you want and tap the star to bookmark it. You can store all your saved images in custom folders making them very easy to find again.
Currently, this feature is available in the US on all major mobile browsers on Android and iOS. Just make sure you are signed into your Google Account in order to star images.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: You can now save images to folders within Google image search on mobile
Now you can bookmark Google image searches for later reference
Normally, image searches on Google are ephemeral things and gone the moment you close the browser tab. However, a new feature on the search giant’s mobile version makes saving the images you find as easy as bookmarking a webpage. In fact, it’s the identical process: simply search for whatever phrase you want, pick the images you like and tap the star icon to save them. You can also organize these saved images into folders, thereby eliminating the need to run the search again later. The new feature is already available to mobile users in the US running both Android and iOS.
Source: Inside Search (Google)
Project Fi subscribers are receiving LEGO phone docks from Google
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For those who you who use Project Fi, you might be interested to know that Google is sending you something to celebrate the Holiday season. According to reports, some Project Fi subscribers have started receiving LEGO phone docks (in pieces, of course) from Google to assemble in whatever way suits them best. As shown in the photos below, the pieces can be arranged in a dock that allows your device to stand upright, or a flat-bed charging dock for your device to sit on – but really seeing as its LEGO, you can do whatever the hell you want.
Some users are also reporting that their kits have come with additional cables – yes, even USB Type-C – depending on what device you use with Project Fi, which is always nice. It’s probably not a huge deal for most people, but it’s always the little things that you end up remembering – and who doesn’t like gifts?
What do you think about Google’s gift to its Project Fi subscribers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Droid-life
The post Project Fi subscribers are receiving LEGO phone docks from Google appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google hires the lead for Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving tech
Apple and Tesla aren’t the only two tech companies grabbing each other’s staff to fulfill their automotive dreams — Google has quietly hired Robert Rose, the lead for Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot program. It’s not clear what he’s working on besides software at Google Robotics, but it won’t be surprising if he’s working on self-driving cars. He’s unlikely to be working for Boston Dynamics, whose staff are relatively independent from the Google mothership. One thing’s for sure: Tesla will notice his absence. Rose was the lead engineer for some of SpaceX’s earlier rocketry and reported directly to Elon Musk while at Tesla, so this clearly wasn’t a trivial move.
[Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Via: 9to5Google
Source: LinkedIn
LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch: One of the best Android Wear watches you may never get to own (Review)
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch was an Android Wear watch that sold on the market for less than one week and was pulled off the shelves due to a manufacturing issue with the watch. LG representatives have been rather ambiguous as to what the exact problem is, but nonetheless, I am one of the fortunate/unfortunate few to get my hands on one. And I can tell you AT&T has come calling for me to return this 2nd Edition Urbane Watch, and has even given me a $100 credit against my bill to ease my suffering. Regardless, I still have been using the first Android Wear LTE connected device for the past few weeks, and I really don’t want to give it up.
Design
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch is a big watch, but not so big that it feels uncomfortable – at least for a person with average sized wrists. I had a few of my female friends try the 1.38″ wide and 14.2mm thick watch and it looked rather ridiculous. There is a clear inability or lack of effort in designing these watches to be smaller for women’s wrists, but packing in all of the technology into such a small space must be rather difficult(an assumption based on many manufacturers are not making smaller Android Wear devices and women make up a significant portion of the wearable market). Sure Moto has a women’s version of the 360 2, but it is still big at 42mm.
Despite is rather large size, it isn’t much bigger than the Huawei Watch or the Moto 360. More importantly it actually fits much better and is actually comfortable with the rubberized watch band provided with the watch. The watch band is not replaceable, so if LG never releases this watch again, I will be out of luck if the current watch band breaks. The band actually houses the antennae which receives and sends LTE signals, so a typical replacement band simply will not work. I happened to buy the black version and it feels no different than wearing a CASIO G-Shock watch. It looks uncomfortable but once it is on, it is very comfortable to wear.
LG Urbane 2nd Edition in the back and the Huawei Watch in black in the front.
The case is made from stainless steel and it really does look like a watch. With a best in class, 348ppi, the P-OLED display looks better than even the Huawei Watch’s display which also has similar display technology, just lesser pixel density.
The most unique feature this Android Wear watch arrived on the shelves with, is the ability to connect to cellular networks to send text messages and make phone calls. There have been other wearables that have been able to make calls or access the internet independently of a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone, but no other Android Wear watch has yet to release an LTE version.
Speaker slot.
It also comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4GB of memory and 768MB of RAM. This is more than enough power to keep the 2nd generation Urbane running smoothly and offers enough space for me to store a couple hundred songs from Google Play Music. A couple hundred songs is more than enough music to make it through any of my exercise activities.
Overall this is one of the best designed Android Wear watches to date.
Daily Usage
Apparently, “under extreme conditions” the LG Urbane 2nd Edition display has issues. I don’t necessarily know what that means, as “extreme” can mean a wide variety of things to different people. I happen to think 40 degree weather is extremely cold(I live in San Diego), and someone from Wisconsin will call me a wuss as -80 is extremely cold to them.
I don’t plan on using my Urbane in “extreme” conditions as I have a relatively not “extreme” lifestyle. I go to work in a chemistry lab which is environmentally controlled, I walk and hike outdoors with my dog, and I exercise in a gym. My display has not shown one issue with its display quality(knock on wood), and there have been several instances where people have noticed my watch and made compliments. A couple of people asked me if I got a new watch, on different days, because I switched the watch face and they thought it was a brand new analog watch. The pixel density is high enough to actually make it look like a real watch face. My original Moto 360 and Asus Zenwatch 2 were more obvious to onlookers as a smartwatch, but I got many compliments on how good the LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch looked.
From the day I purchased this watch to today, I have been enamored at how much I enjoy using Android Wear. There still isn’t a ton of functionality with Android Wear, but it’s a watch. People really need to put the notion of a smartphone replacement behind them. You aren’t going to be watching movies or playing full fledged games from a smartwatch. But you can listen to wireless music, make phone calls, check the weather, get your heart rate, send texts, get notifications, track activity levels, heart rate, and check the time.
It’s been a few years since I wore a watch on a regular basis – the smartphone replaced my need to wear a watch. But since I have been wearing a smartwatch on a daily basis again, it really has become apparent to me that checking the time on my wrist really is a lot more convenient than pulling out my large Nexus 6P. It really can be rude to pull out your phone just to check the time when you’re around company, as many people assume you’re checking more than the time, and in many cases you are. Checking the time around company isn’t necessarily any less rude, but it is much easier to check the time on your wrist than your giant smartphone.
Another nice feature I have grown to enjoy is accessing “OK Google” from the Urbane. I have been sending texts while I drive, setting timers and alarms, checking my calendar and getting navigation all from my wrist. Like checking the time, accessing these voice controlled commands is much easier from my wrist than from my pocket.
Over the past few months I have also been trying really hard to get back into improving my health. I have been using the pedometer feature on my smartphone, but there are many times when I leave it behind or set it down on the counter. And that means I am not keeping accurate track of my daily activities. With the Urbane, or any other Android Wear watch for that matter, it counts my steps. It knows if I am running or walking and it logs it within the Google Fit app. And when I see a lack of activity, I make sure to get moving again.
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch comes with a large 570mAh battery. The battery is almost twice as large as the 300mAh battery found in the Huawei Watch, and it performs the best of the watches I have been using – the Asus Zenwatch 2, Samsung Gear S2, Huawei Watch, and first generation Moto 360. With such a large battery I don’t even think twice about checking the power reserves until the following afternoon or evening after pulling it off the charger. I even have the display set to “always on” where it shows a watch face with the time all of the time. The battery life is actually one of my favorite features about the Urbane and LG knew smart watches have to last longer. 24-hours just isn’t good enough and the Urbane 2nd Edition easily makes it through two full days of usage.
Having the ability to make phone calls without my smartphone is a huge blessing. I am very busy, and sometimes when I am on a hike or working out, I really don’t want to bring my phone with me. The Nexus 6P, as much as I love it, is big and I don’t like bringing it with me when I am active. I had my mother call me on my watch on a night she needed to tell me something urgent, and I was so happy I didn’t miss the call( I was out walking my dog without my phone). It came through loud and clear. I also made a call into work when I was on a hike while being four miles away from my truck and my smartphone. It’s a feature I hope Android Wear builds into more smartwatches in 2016 and beyond.
Summary
For $299(AT&T), I bought the first and last(so far) Android Wear watch with LTE. Due to a manufacturing defect, AT&T and LG have given me a $100 dollar credit on my next bill so it really turns out this watch cost me $200. I have seen the LG Urbane 2nd generation smartwatch listed on ebay from $500-1000 and I can understand why people should want this watch. There’s probably not more than 1k of them in the wild, and they really are limited. I won’t sell mine, and I probably won’t return it to AT&T and hope that it works for at least a year. And as of right now, there is no plan that anyone is aware of for LG to re-release the Urbane 2nd Edition Watch.
With the ability to use Android Wear, make phone calls, send texts, stream music, check the time and more, this LG Urbane 2nd Edition is a watch I wish everyone could experience. I truly hope LG manages to fix the problem with the Urbane 2nd Edition because it really is one of the better smartwatches. It is fast, has incredible battery life, and had a great starting price at $299.
If you are/were interested in purchasing the LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch, send LG a note and let them know you would love to see it re-released.
From left to right: 1. Asus Zenwatch 2 2. Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 3. LG Urbane 2nd Edition 4. Huawei Watch 5. Moto 360
Specs
| OS | Android Wear |
|---|---|
| Case | Stainless Steel 316L, Brushed Metal Finish 45.5 mm Diameter; 14.2 mm Thickness |
| Chipset | 1.2 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 |
| Display | 1.38″ Full Circle P-OLED (480×480, 348 ppi) |
| Memory | 768 MB / 4 GB eMMC |
| Battery | 570 mAh |
| Connectivity | LTE / 3G, Bluetooth® Version 4.1; Wi-Fi® Connectivity and Offline Music Play |
| Sensor | 9-Axis (Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor) |
| Protection | IP67 Certified; Waterproof for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes |
The post LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch: One of the best Android Wear watches you may never get to own (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The Nexus 6P takes Android smartphones to new heights (Review)
The Nexus 6P is a product of the perfect marriage between a relatively unknown Chinese company, Huawei, and a well known company, Google. Before this year, very few people in the U.S. knew of Huawei as a consumer product company, but they have been a leader in the communications industry since the 80’s. In 2014, Huawei generated a record profit of $5.5 by becoming one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers among many other consumer products.
Google and Huawei partnered to bring us the most “premium” Nexus in the 6P. The Nexus 6P has been my daily driver, on the AT&T network for the last two months, and has genuinely made me a fan of stock Android and Huawei. The Nexus 6P is a device designed and built to impress: it is a representation of how much pride, research, and countless hours went into making one of the best smartphones ever. Let’s take a look.
Design
Without question the Huawei made Nexus 6P is a device that stands apart from the crowd. It’s really difficult to stand above a crowded market of great looking devices, but the 6P manages with its clean lines, all metal build, premium colors, chamfered edges and perfect size.
The Nexus 6P is a sturdy all metal phone, and comes in three colors: Aluminum, Frost(white) and Graphite. There is a circular fingerprint reader on the back, a power button with a volume rocker on the right side of the phone, a 3.5mm audio jack up top, with dual speakers on the front.
On the back of the device is a glass strip near the top which houses the flash and camera. Some may think it looks out of place, but on my Graphite colored 6P I don’t even notice it. After two months of daily usage without a case, my 6P is scratch free and looks the same as the day I got it. The chamfered edges hold up well and do not chip or scratch like some devices with similar edges have been known to do.
The all metal build is a nice change from the Samsung Galaxy Note5 which has a glass back. That glass back looks nice, but is a fingerprint magnet and also feels extremely fragile. The Nexus 6P is extremely well balanced, which is very important for a device with a 5.7″ display and using it one-handed.
Software
I’m sure many of you Android fans have heard Apple loyalists say the iPhone “just works.” It is one of the most annoying statements that Apple fanboys can possibly say, because there’s an implication that all other software does not work. And as much as I hate to admit it, there is a little bit of truth to “it just works”, even though iOS has its fair share of issues. With all of the freedom Google allows manufacturers, many companies like Samsung and LG have completely changed what Google intended with Android. By doing so, Android sometimes gets a bad reputation as buggy and slow.
Samsung and LG heavily customize Android by adding in features like S-Voice(Samsung’s own OK Google), Samsung Pay, split-screen, a customized skin, and much more. Some of the features are great, and some are downright terrible. But the main issue with customization comes when Google releases an update to Android. Samsung and LG have to modify every update Google releases, which creates fragmentation. By having fragmentation, some users of Samsung’s Note Edge and Note 4, waited six months longer than those on stock Android, to receive Android 5.1 which was a huge improvement over 5.0. Android 5.0 was riddled with bugs like poor battery life and memory leaks, and those users were left hanging with $800 devices that “just didn’t work.”
The solution for some is to “root” which allows those users to install their own versions of software and fix those bugs, but voids the manufacturer warranty at the same time. And the vast majority of users will not root their devices as they simply do not know how.
In addition to fragmentation, Samsung and LG also partner with companies like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to add in their own software. My last count of AT&T fpre-installed apps on my last Samsung Galaxy Note5 was an astounding 25, all of which could be deactivated but not deleted. Those apps took up an incredible 1.5GB of space, and when I paid for 32GB of internal memory, I should hope that I would have the freedom to delete AT&T’s junk ware.
AT&T bloatware on the Note5
Stock Android
I know many of you already have been fans of stock Android, but for those of you who weren’t, now is the time to consider it. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the best version of Android to date. Google has built in new features such as Doze, which is designed to improve battery life when your phone is not in use. It also brings built-in fingerprint reading for unlocking and waking your smartphone, while also being verification for Android Pay.
With Android 6.0 there is far greater control in what you share with new permission controls. There’s deeper integration with Google Now ,and Android is there to help you search phrases and words with much greater ease.
Better yet, there is no carrier bloatware. While one, two, or even five apps aren’t bad to come pre-installed from AT&T, I cannot condone AT&T’s behavior with its incredible amount of bloatware they install on its devices. Not only do they waste space, but they frequently ask for updates, and I simply do not want them. Seriously, how many people actually use the Yellow Pages app that AT&T installs on every device?
With stock Android, you have the basic apps that Google provides you with and nothing more. Google gives you the freedom to install whatever apps your heart desires.
And most importantly, when Google does release an update, Nexus devices are the first to receive them and that will keep them up to date. I never truly appreciated how important updates were until I was stuck on Android 5.0, and dealing with all of its awful bugs on my Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. I truly felt ripped off by Samsung for charging me over $900 dollars and then making me wait six months to get simple bug fixes.
Pure Android 6.0 just works and it works well. After two solid months, I have yet to experience a slow down, random closing app or any other common software issues.
Battery Life
The Nexus 6P comes with one of the largest batteries available in a mainstream U.S. smartphone at 3450mAh. Phones of a very similar size, the Samsung Galaxy Note5, Moto X Pure and LG V10 all come with a 3000mAh battery, over 10% smaller. After two months, those devices have still yet to update to Android 6.0 which has the Doze feature that dramatically improves battery life.
Doze is defined below:
“If a user leaves a device unplugged and stationary for a period of time, with the screen off, the device enters Doze mode. In Doze mode, the system attempts to conserve battery by restricting apps’ access to network and CPU-intensive services. It also prevents apps from accessing the network and defers their jobs, syncs, and standard alarms.
Periodically, the system exits Doze for a brief time to let apps complete their deferred activities. During this maintenance window, the system runs all pending syncs, jobs, and alarms, and lets apps access the network.”
In day to day terms, this means, the Nexus 6P has damn good battery life. You can imagine most of us phone enthusiasts push our smartphones pretty hard, and I am no exception. I frequently take pictures, take notes, text friends and family, message Androidguys colleagues, email, play games and listen to music.
I will admit before Android 6.0 and the Nexus 6P, I plugged my phone in to charge whenever and wherever I could. There is no shortage of micro USB cables, and I hate having anxiety over low battery life. For a phone enthusiast, there are very few things worse than running out of power. Doze, app-standby and a 3450mAh, make this one of the best performing devices when it comes to battery life.
I know without question that the Nexus 6P has the best battery of any phone I have used before, because I do not have a compatible charger at my work. My typical work day starts between 5-6am, and runs until 5-6pm. Once I get home, I immediately take my super cute dog to the park for an hour, and when I get home I exercise for 45-60 minutes before dinner. At no point in my day am I connected to a charger, because Huawei and Google decided to go with USB type-C, the latest standard in USB cables. The main benefits of USB type-C are a completely reversible plug, and faster data rates. And I’m too cheap to buy more USB type-C cables for my office, so there literally is one place to charge my phone which is at home. At the end of my day, I am typically left with 40-50% power and that’s with heavy usage. I never charge my phone during the daytime.
Micro USB on the left and the new USB type C standard on the right
As much as I hate having a new USB standard, the trade-off is well worth it and I hope USB type-C does take over as the new standard. It is so much easier to not have to worry about making sure I plug the charging cable in the correct direction, and it still provides fast-charging capabilities.
With a 3450mAh battery, Android 6.0 and USB type-C, the Nexus 6P is the next generation in battery life performance.
Display
I have been a huge fan of AMOLED displays ever since I started using Samsung phones. Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode(AMOLED) differs from Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) by how they light up the screen. (I’m not a display expert so I apologize for my ignorance but if you want to learn more click here for a comparison). Many LG and Sony smartphones use LCD displays, which in my eyes, show back-light bleed and don’t show true blacks because of the nature of the back-light.
AMOLED displays on the other hand offer super high-contrast ratios, as every pixel is controllable, and has saturated and rich colors. Some may prefer LCD due to better color representation, but I simply love AMOLED displays and that is the technology that the Nexus 6P uses for its display.
Both AMOLED displays on the Nexus 6P(left) and Note5 perform admirably in full day light.
With a QHD resolution, 1440 x 2560 pixels, the Nexus 6P has a very clear and easy to read display. The only phones I have come across with a similar performing display are the Galaxy Note 4 and 5, Blackberry PRIV, and Galaxy S6 and variants.
The Nexus 6P has one of the best performing displays on the market.
Performance
Powering the Nexus 6P is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1, 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit with 3GB of RAM. The first generation Snapdragon 810 was riddled with issues like over heating and throttling causing Samsung to go with their own Exynos octa-core processor for the first time in the U.S. Many feared the Nexus 6P would suffer from performance issues with the Snapdragon 810, but Qualcomm solved the issues in the v2.1 processor and my day to day experiences would prove that to be true.
Benchmark tests are designed to test hardware and the latest Samsung processors usually win those tests by a long shot. The Nexus 6P won’t win first place in benchmark tests, but it will win in day to day usage as it does not stutter or have memory issues. On a perceived performance level, I have yet to use a faster phone. 3GB of RAM is more than enough memory when paired with stock Android 6.0 and the Snapdragon 810.
The Nexus 6P may not win benchmark tests, but it will win in real life usage.
Gaming, multi-tasking, photo editing, emailing, video watching was all smooth sailing with the Nexus 6P.
Camera
The Nexus 6P comes with a 12.3MP rear camera, f/2.o aperture, with IR laser-assisted auto-focus and an 8MP front facing camera. The pictures I took look great to me, but I will let you decide in the gallery I have listed below. As for the speed of the camera, it loads super quickly with a double-click of the power button and snaps pictures just as quickly.
The Nexus Camera’s lens with f/2.0 aperture lets more light in and captures sharp images in stunning detail.
For a camera in a smartphone, I am more than happy with it and desire nothing more. The Samsung Galaxy Note5 is still has the best camera, but the Nexus 6P is a close second. Decide for yourself if you like the camera in the pictures I have in the gallery.
Fingerprint Reader
The new fingerprint reader is going to be something everyone uses going forward. Google developed “Nexus Imprint” as a way to unlock your phone, turn on your screen on and breeze through checkout lines using Android Pay. The Nexus 6P asks you to set up a fingerprint, you can do more than one, when you set-up the device. All you have to do is place the same finger on the fingerprint reader five or six times so it can accurately read your fingerprint without worrying about placement.
The fingerprint reader is so easy to use, I don’t see anyone leaving their phones unlocked anymore. I was one of those users who hated to type in pass codes, and also hated Samsung’s fingerprint reader because of the failure rate. I always thought Apple did the fingerprint reading the best on its iPhone, but I can now proudly say that Google OWNS every other fingerprint reader on the market.
Nexus 6P fingerprint reader.
One downside, after two months of usage I have seen an increase in the failure rate with the fingerprint reader. I attribute the failure rate in the fingerprint reader accumulating smudges and oil from my hands. When I clean the back of my phone with a damp cloth, performance improves, but this is something I hope Google and Huawei address in the future.
Audio
The Nexus 6P comes with dual front-facing speakers which get loud. They are definitely clear at the highest volume, but do lack depth and bass if I were to judge it against the HTC One. If I were to judge it against the Nexus 6 or Note 5, I would choose the 6P in a blind test as the best performer every time. Speakers should not be on the back or bottom of a phone as it does not make sense to point sound away from your ears.
I wish all phone manufacturers would stop putting speakers on the bottom or rear of the phone and make it a general rule that they should be placed in the front. Having two speakers is always better than one as well. It may not be important to most, but dual-front facing speakers are a must have for me and the Nexus 6P delivers.
The best Android phone of 2015
I know choosing the best Android of 2015 is highly subjective and there are worthy contenders like the LG V10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note5. But I choose the Nexus 6P as the best phone of 2015 – it is cheaper than the Note 5 and V10, and is equal to or wins in almost every head to head category. Most importantly it wins in the software department with no carrier bloat and gets the first updates from Google.
Thanks to Huawei and Google, I have become a true fan of stock Android and simply do not desire to change to another smartphone which is a first for me. The Nexus 6P truly is premium and is a product that both should be tremendously proud of. Both companies should take a bow and we all should stand and applaud this device. With superior software, gorgeous and durable build, a super high resolution display, fantastic camera, a new fingerprint reader, dual-front facing speakers and incredible battery life, the Nexus 6P leaves no detail behind.
The Nexus 6P has set the bar for all other Android devices. I highly recommend the Nexus 6P.
Buy the Nexus 6P at the Google Play Store.
The post The Nexus 6P takes Android smartphones to new heights (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Star Wars’ Aurebesh joins Google Translate
Google’s playful side is well known to the world: everything from the endless supply of Doodles to the very name of its new parent company, Alphabet, seemingly exist to shake up society from too much seriousness. The latest – and for some what may be the greatest – is none other than adding the language of Star War’s universe to Google Translate. Yes, that’s right, Aurebesh is now an officially recognized option:
According to Slash Gear‘s Chris Burns, “this set of letters works much like a standard 1:1 code, where each letter of our Alphabet has its own unique character in the Aurebesh. There are also characters for basic punctuation and the numbers 1 through 9 and zero, too.”
To use the new language option, simply navigate to Google Translate and select it from the drop down menu(s). Note that it does not seem to be available on the Google Translate app for Android.
The update is part of the larger plan Google has unveiled with the Star Wars universe: earlier this week the search giant announced a tie-in where users can select which side of The Force they feel an affinity towards and watch as Google-related apps and sites are altered accordingly. In addition, further cross-promotions with Cardboard and even an easter egg were also presented.
It is suggested that the Translate language will be removed once the promotion-at-large ends on February 8th, so now is the best time to start sending and amusing your friends with an “unknown” language, then asking them to literally put it in Google Translate and find out what it means, much to their surprise.
Android Authority this week – November 29, 2015
Android fans, this week Xiaomi launched a metal-made smartphone for just $140; Huawei introduced its newest phablet flagship, the Mate8; we saw some great Black Friday deals; LG launched a new mid-ranger and revealed some of its plans for the future; the Fossil Q Android Wear smartwatch arrived to the market; and HTC launched its consumer preview program.
Inside AA HQ
Except for the Black Friday craziness, this week has been pretty quiet around AA HQ (and the entire tech scene), with our US team getting some well-deserved time off for Thanksgiving.
According to statistics, most people actually spend the most money on Cyber Monday (i.e. tomorrow). You can bet we’ll have roundups of all the best tech deals, so if you missed Black Friday, keep it tuned tomorrow for a shot at some great deals. Looking for gift ideas? Our Best Gifts under $100 guide has gone live this week.
This week we’re putting up for grabs three Blu Life One X smartphones in our international giveaway! Head over here for your shot at the prize.
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- For developers: Do you want to make some money off your app developing skills? Here are some pitfalls to avoid
- Gift guide: Holidays are coming! Here are the best tech gifts under $100
- Review: The most stylish Pebble watch yet – Josh reviews the Pebble Time Round
- Comparison: Note 5 or iPhone 6S Plus? Big phone showdown!
- Review: The Priv is definitely unique, but just how good is it?
- Comparison: Battle of the Minis: Gary compares the OnePlus X, Xperia Z5 Compact and Moto G
- Review: A full-blown computer the size of a highlighter? Edgar looks at the Asus Chromebit
Top news of the week
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and new Mi Pad
- Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 announced – here are the details
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 launched: full metal body, fingerprint sensor, starting from $140
- Analyst expects Xiaomi Mi 5 in January, Lei Jun already using the phone
Huawei Mate 8 launched
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Amazon announces its Cyber Monday promo: 8 more days of deals
- Black Friday 2015 – best deals
- (Updated: Moto G 2014 for $99) Amazon deals: Nexus 6 for just $200, Nexus 5X $80 off, and more!
- Google Store deals: Nexus 9 $200 off, 2 Chromecasts for $50, Huawei Watch $80 off and more
Fossil Q
LG Ray
HTC Consumer Preview
LG’s future
- LG restructures to focus on key business areas and growth
- Report: LG Electronics working on its second mobile processor
- LG announces substantial investment in next gen OLED production
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Instagram finally testing multiple account support!
Do you have multiple Instagram accounts? Those of you who do can attest to the annoyance that it can be to switch between accounts. So far the only way to do this has been to sign in and out of separate accounts manually. Now we know this is something Instagram is definitely working on, and some of you are already lucky enough to have access to this feature.
The ability to log into multiple accounts and switch around is currently in beta, so you will either have to download the APK file or sign up for the Instagram Beta Program. The trick here is that it’s not just a matter of having the right app version (which would be 7.12.0). It seems the feature is going through a cloud-based rollout, so you have to get lucky too.
It will be easy to find out if you can use multiple Instagram accounts with the Android app. All you have to do to check is go into the settings and scroll all the way down. The option would read “Add Account”, and it would be located right under the button used to clear the search history.
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From the “Add Account” section you can go ahead and choose whether you want to sign in or create a whole new account. After you have logged into more than one account, a selector will show up where the nickname usually goes. Tap on it and you will be presented with the option to switch. A green notification will reassure you that the switch has gone through, if you opt to enter the other account.
I, for one, am glad to see that Instagram is working on this. Plenty of people need to use multiple accounts, whether it’s for work/media reasons or you just want to have a secret life. Is the multiple account option showing up for any of you? Please hit the comments and let us know!
Is this the next Google Glass? A wearable headband patent appears!
While many members of the tech community no doubt loved the idea of Google Glass, the wearable’s viability was arguably damaged by (1) the cost, (2) the availability, (3) the legality, and (4) the social norms. As such, the device was discontinued way back in January of this year. Mountain View then took to damage control in the aftermath.
While there was news the project will resurface as a tool of the trade – such as for use in medical environments – Google itself formally restarted the efforts as Project Aura several months ago. Today we have a possible look at what kind of new product might be pending in the pipeline:
On November 24th, the US Patent and Trademark Office awarded Google a patent (No. 9,195,067 B1) for “Wearable Device with Input and Output Structures.” As can be seen from the pictures, the device has a headband-type design to it that wraps around part of the rear of the user’s head:
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The next picture shows the inner components:
Additional images in the filing also illustrate how the HUD can be moved and adjusted to fit the wear’s field of vision.
For all these pictures and more, we recommend you consult the full filing here:
Time to celebrate?
It should be pointed out that intellectual property protection was submitted for consideration on September 28, 2012; this was shortly after Google Glass was first announced and well before it was released in 2013. As such, it’s difficult to say just how tangible this potential product actually is.
Now that the patent has been granted, Mountain View could go forward and make it into a proper purchasing proposition, but given the decision earlier this year it might also be such that the “next” Glass would have a different type of HUD unit or different design entirely.
Still, Google can now make the product described in the filing, and that alone speaks of many possibilities. Last week word broke about Project Aura possibly producing an version of of a “sport” device designed for audio-related purposes, along with two other devices that make use of screens.
Again though, given the actual age of this patent, only time will tell what comes to pass. This could ultimately turn into a real product, or it may just be one for the history books. Either way, it’s clear Google isn’t limiting itself to just one standard shape.
AIVAnet 