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Using a virtual keyboard may not feel as natural as a physical one, but it's only the worst way to input text with a touchscreen except for all of the other ones. Swype has had the most success in revolutionizing how we enter text, as all of the major Android keyboards have since introduced gesture-based typing in subsequent upgrades, but it's far from perfect. That brings us to FlickKey Keyboard. It's a sliding keyboard that, by grouping letters into square groups of nine, aims to reduce how far across the screen our fingers need to slide.
If you haven't heard, Google makes a ton of Android apps. It can be a real hassle to keep up with them all, as the company is occasionally prone to updating a handful of them at once. So today we're lumping together new versions of My Tracks, Google Fiber, Google TV Search, Google Shopping Express, and Voice Search for Google TV all in one post. Links and changelogs for all five apps are available below.
Google's Chromecast is cheap and awesome, but it only performs a very specific set of functions, and even venturing out as far as tab casting gives murky results. Dell's Wyse Cloud Connect, formerly known as Project Ophelia, is a little dongle that can toss up a full Android desktop on any HDMI or MHL-enabled display, and it's now available for purchase. It comes with complete access to the Play Store, so you can use it to keep up with episodes of The Daily Show, listen to Lady Gaga, defend towers, or, you know, be productive.
Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game that originally appeared for the PC in the 90s, but late last year EA released a refreshed version just for mobile. The game hit Android in October, but it was only available in a handful of countries. People living elsewhere have had to be patient, but now that wait has come to an end. Dungeon Keeper for Android is now available worldwide.
AT&T and T-Mobile have been at each other's throats for a while now, and while it should come as no surprise that there would be tension between two competitors trying to dominate the same field, things lately have become increasingly petty. Early this month, AT&T made an overt attempt to entice T-Mobile customers by offering up to $450 for them to switch carriers. T-Mobile CEO John Legere declared that AT&T was bribing customers and announced that his carrier would pay customers' early termination fees if they make the switch (from any competitor). Now AT&T will provide any new or existing customer that opens a line with a $100 credit on their bill.
With the number of options that are out there, our smartphones have gradually become more useful for in-car navigation than dedicated GPS units. Unfortunately, holding a phone in your hand isn't the safest (or most legal) driving habit, and mounting your device to the dashboard doesn't work as gracefully as many accessories out there claim. Yet Scosche might be on to something with its latest products, the magicMOUNT magnetic mounts.
Do we need another streaming music service? There's Pandora for people who always want to listen to something new, Spotify for people who want access to a large number of music as soon as it comes out, and All Access for Android users who want to combine streaming new music with the albums they've already backed up to Google Music. Then there's Rhapsody and Rdio for, I guess, the same people who like Spotify. Or is it Pandora users they're going after?
The Notion Ink Adam II has been a long time coming, with the Indian manufacturer having announced two years ago that it was using Texas Instruments components inside the upcoming device. It finally became available for purchase just last month - in India. While the tablet is still not shipping to most of the planet, today is the day that the Adam II becomes available in Europe. The WiFi model goes for 219 euros, while the 3G model goes for 30 euros more.
Now you can play with Lego blocks on any device that supports Google's web browser of choice just by visiting the Build with Chrome website. Why? Because building things with blocks is fun. It's a task so intuitive that even babies can grasp it without being directed, and regardless of how old you are, the fun just doesn't go away. The tools may change, but the core concept doesn't need much in the way of innovation. So even though Google's latest Chrome experiment isn't particularly revolutionary, in this case, that's a good thing.
Finding competent Android smartphones at an affordable price just isn't as difficult as it used to be. There's the Nexus 5 for people who want a phone for $349.99 that remains competitive with largely anything out there. There's the HTC Desire 601 for $279.99 for anyone who wants Sense but doesn't want to fork over the money for one of the manufacturer's flagship devices. And for people who really don't want to spend over $200, there's the Moto G. But if you want a significantly larger handset for a similar low price, Boost Mobile is ready to fill that niche with the Boost MAX, a 5.7-inch device available for 9.99 without a contract.
When it comes to microSD cards, some Android users won't give theirs up unless they're pried from their cold, dead hands. Amazon hears you, so the company is offering up to 50% off Transcend flash memory cards as part of today's Gold Box Deal of the Day. This reduces 32GB cards down to just $16.99, with larger 64GB cards making the drop to $37.99. A small 16GB card, on the other hand, will only cost you $9.99. These prices are slightly cheaper than the last time this sale came around.
An Android 4.4 update has been hitting Galaxy Note 3s all over the world, and while some people who have yet to receive it may feel a bit envious, there are benefits to waiting. Some users have reported being unable to use third-party flip covers that trigger a special lockscreen when closed. Following the upgrade to KitKat, only Samsung's official products, which contain a special identification chip, would work. Now Ars Technica has received a statement from Samsung acknowledging the issue as a "bug" and announcing a future OTA update that will return functionality to third-party accessories.
Update: The coupon code has already expired. Sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
Few activities can bring friends and family together as quickly as an afternoon gathered around a good board game, but unfortunately, it's still socially awkward to be that person walking around with a box tucked under his or her arm all the time. Luckily, this is 2014, and all you need is a smartphone or tablet to be equally prepared. Another board game, THE aMAZEing Labyrinth, has made its way onto Google Play, giving you just what you need to entertain others any time, any place.
Sprint Spark support is gradually rolling out to some of the carrier's devices, but there is something to be said for learning how to walk before learning how to run. Large swaths of the US still do not have access to Sprint's LTE network at any speed. Consider the state of Ohio, which until now has only had one city (Salem) on the complete list of supported areas, and that location only joined just last month. Now Sprint has added four more, in addition to 36 other markets, bringing the total to 340 areas nationwide.
Sprint's mobile data is typically not the first, or the second, or even the third to come to mind when looking for a zippy connection in the US, but the company is looking to change this impression with its new tri-band LTE network, more memorably known as Sprint Spark. Unfortunately, only a limited number of the carrier's phones are able to take advantage of this new capability, with some of them requiring an OTA before they're ready. Today Sprint has announced that the LG G2's update is on its way.
Update: The Oppo N1 isn't alone. CyanogenMod 11 nightlies are available for the Find 5 as well.
The latest update to the immensely useful Pushbullet app introduces the ability to fully sync your Android device's notification drawer with Chrome on your computer. Previously, users could only watch phone or tablet notifications pop up on their desktop, with a recent version adding the ability to dismiss them from either device. Now Chrome's notification center will fully sync up with your phone's drawer, allowing you to manage alerts even after they've faded from the screen.
Thingiverse is an awful name, but the community behind it shows far more creativity. Just a quick visit to the website reveals pages upon pages of nifty things people have spawned using 3D printers, complete with guidelines for replicating the objects yourself. Now MakerBot has condensed this community down into something that can fit in your pocket. With the new Thingiverse Android app, previously released for iOS back in October, users can browse, like, and comment on the expansive selection of plastic objects from anywhere they wish.
The warriors of LEGO's Ninjago franchise aren't your old-school ninjas of feudal Japan. These heroes are bold enough to draw their blades in a more modern time, one filled with futuristic corridors, glowing elevator shafts, and dangerous lasers. Yet unlike Tecmo's Ryu Hayabusa, these ninjas don't square off against armed gunmen. They're out to rid Ninjago City of the possessed-scientist Cyrus Borg and his army of minions. Of course, the only way to do this in Ninjago Rebooted is by racing to the top of Borg Tower.