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A number of fitness-oriented apps popped up over the past few years and attracted users with ways to track their workouts. Whether it's counting calories or mapping out runs, people have embraced the concept by the millions.
Two bills recently passed in the states of New York and California that aim to weaken smartphone security in order to combat crime. The laws would prevent the sale of smartphones with full-disk encryption that could not be unlocked by the manufacturer (at the request of law enforcement). In response, Rep. Ted Lieu of California, a Democrat, and Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, a Republican, have proposed a bill, the Ensuring National Constitutional Rights for Your Private Telecommunications (ENCRYPT) Act of 2016, that would block state-level attempts to ban encryption on smartphones sold in the US.
Instagram is a social network built around sharing photos. In 2015, the service introduced the ability to share video clips. Now it's about to implement another way of determining how popular those videos are becoming.
People in eight countries across the Middle East can now subscribe to magazines in the Play Store. Google has updated its list of supported countries with eight additional names:
Googler Luke Wroblewski continues to share stimulating changelogs for the preview version of Google+ on the web, and we're happy to point you toward what is new.
There's a widely known issue with social networks—they're impossible to keep up with. Something is always happening, and unless you follow only a handful of people, there's no way you can read all the content that streams by.
Running remote desktop software from an Android device has a different purpose than doing the same from a traditional PC. When you're connecting from a laptop, you're probably accessing an application at home or work that only exists on that one machine. But on Android, you have the option to greatly expand what your phone or tablet can do.
When you come across a QR code, the experience isn't exactly seamless. You tap your barcode scanner, aim at the funny looking blocks, then watch a link open up in your browser. Then you're either looking at a website or downloading an app.
Depending on which apps you install, your notification shade can feel like a warzone. Check this email. Read this text. Water your crops in this game. Your tank is full, so switch to another game and race.
For consumers, there's no update quite like the one that delivers a new version of Android to their device. But for developers, that's just the beginning. App makers and custom ROM producers can't get their hands dirty until the source code behind that over-the-air update hits the web as well.
There are smartphones that you can get for cheap, and then there are cheap smartphones. The K7 handset that LG announced at this year's CES is decidedly the latter. It's now available from T-Mobile, and it will only cost you $139.99. In leasing terms, that's $5.84 on your bill for twenty-four months.The K7 is not going to melt your eyeballs. Yes, the phone has a 5-inch display, but with a low 854x480 screen resolution, you're likely to spot a pixel or two. But you also get a 1.1GHz Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GM of RAM, and a 5MP camera.This is more RAM and screen size than you find on the Moto E, which is the kind of entry-level phone that LG is competing with. Though, the Moto E has dropped in price, and these days you can snag one for around 0 with LTE. And yes, the K7 has LTE as well.Sadly, the K7 launches with Android 5.1. Considering how long Marshmallow has been around, this is a bit disappointing. It's even more so when you consider that budget devices don't always have the best luck with updates. So keep that in mind as you consider handing over your money to T-Mobile.Source: T-Mobile
When you sign up for a YouTube Red subscription, you don't just get to watch Google's streaming video service without putting up with ads. You also get access to original programming. These are shows and movies produced exclusively for YouTube, and they're known as YouTube Red Originals.
The G4 is LG's latest flagship phone, but the G3 is still a slick piece of hardware. At this point we're approaching the end of its software support cycle, but the hardware is more than adequate to keep most folks satisfied for another year or two. And if you consider the existence of CyanogenMod nightlies, there's a solid chance owners will get to run a few more major versions of Android on this thing.
Surveillance is a tricky subject. Are you comfortable with a world where you increasingly pass by cameras wherever you go? Maybe not. But at the same time, having a security camera can be a way to keep your home safe. While some of us wrestle with that philosophical dilemma, I will point others toward the Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit. To capitalize on President's Day, SmartThings is offering its set of integrated surveillance equipment for off, bringing the price down to $199.99. The savings will take effect after you add the item to your cart.The kit contains a SmartThings Hub and two sensors to monitor whether someone opened doors, windows, or the garage. You also get a motion sensor that detects movement inside your home and an outlet that can control lights or other electronics. This probably won't provide you with everything you need, but it's enough to get started.The discount is visible on Amazon too, if you rather Prime the goods out to your house. SmartThings says the offer will last until February 20th.Source: SmartThings blog, SmartThings shop, Amazon
Google+ is going through changes. A drastic redesign hit the browser version of the social network a while back, and the developers continue to push out tweaks.
These days mobile navigation apps don't just tell you how to drive to a location, they map out subway lines, bus routes, and other ways of getting around town. Today HERE announced the feature for many new cities, bringing the total number of supported places to over 1,000.
The Team Win Recovery Project can be considered the most popular, best supported custom recovery available for Android devices. This is the kind of software you need to flash custom ROMs or make a complete backup of your device. Recently Team Win introduced support for two more devices. Yes, those two, but also the HTC One A9 and the Galaxy Trend.
Good things come to those who are patient. Sprint is now pushing out Android 6.0 to the HTC One M9.
The Jaybird X2 Bluetooth earphones are a great piece of kit. I don't know this firsthand. Artem loves them, I know that. And when they drop below $130 dollars, well, Jeff considers that dang near impulse buy territory. The two of us have different gauges for how cheap a pair of earphones needs to be to qualify as an impulse buy, but in case you agree with Jeff, the Jaybird X2 has again dipped in price on Amazon.The numbers vary by color and style. Some will cost you between $135 and $160. That's below the product's $180 launch price, but if you really want to save money, go for those ones sitting at around $128.Here are two options you can find at that price range:
Google is changing Hangouts to place peer-to-peer calls when possible. A notification containing the news is now appearing for users when they initiate a call with one of their contacts.