Michael Crider
Contributing since December, 2013
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3608articles
Page 166
About Michael Crider
Michael is a born Texan and a former graphic designer. He's been covering technology in general and Android in particular since 2011. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order. He wrote a novel called Good Intentions: A Supervillain Story, and it's available on Amazon.
Latest Articles
There are a lot of Reddit clients for Android, and surprisingly, a lot of really solid options. One of them is Reddit Now, and it's been getting steadily better ever since the initial release. Version 3 is probably the biggest update yet, with a significant improvement to the user interface. You can now move through the major subreddit categories, or your own bookmarked subreddits, by swiping through tabs a la the Play Store. The home page also shifts into a "magazine" view if your screen size and resolution are high enough. Oh! And you can submit posts. Which is probably a big deal for a Reddit app.
If you think that Samsung's new Galaxy TabPRO and NotePRO tablets are hilariously overpriced, you're in good company. As of today, that company includes at least a few people at Amazon and Best Buy. The new 8.4-inch, 10-inch, and 12.2-inch tablets have been given price cuts from $30-50 dollars. They're still really expensive, just slightly less so.
The Xposed Framework has become a go-to modification tool over the last year or so, bypassing the need for custom ROMs for some devices and introducing all kinds of interesting tricks and hacks for rooted users. The latest version of the framework adds some interesting features. Owners of LG, Sony, and Meizu hardware will be happy to know that version 2.5 better supports stock and custom ROMs for their phones and tablets.
Alas, poor Rando, we knew it well. Actually, not that well - that was kind of the point. This photo sharing app from the developer of Whale Trail eschewed the usual reputation and tagging systems of most photo sharing services in favor of a one-at-a-time approach. But after a Russian programmer created a script to game the system and upload thousands of identical photos, thus funneling all of Rando's unique content to himself, the developers shut down the app and the service. You can read more about it in this extensive TechCrunch interview.
"Smart contact lens." Get used to that term, even if it makes you cringe - a new patent from Google indicates that at least someone at Mountain View thinks it's a potentially viable idea. Patent Bolt reports on a Google application to the USPTO for "multi-sensor contact lenses," intended primarily as a method for blinking input or input augmentation for wearable devices, or just electronics in general. (Note: this shouldn't be confused with Google's other contact lenses, announced in January as a medical diagnostic device for diabetics.)
Say what you will about smartwatches - and we do, at every occasion - but you'll never see a Rolex or Omega watch that improves with just an app update. The latest version of the companion app for Qualcomm's unique Toq does just that, with an emphasis on the watch's built-in activity tracking. Specifically, the 1.4 update allows you to set daily activity goals (a la Nike's Fuelband and other fitness trackers) and access a detailed history of your activity and workouts.
Going to the ball game is wickedly expensive, which is probably why aftermarket ticket services are flourishing. But they're not exactly intuitive: you have to deal with shipping or meeting the seller in person, which is often a huge barrier if you're strapped for time. Enter Gametime, an app previously limited to iOS, which tries to combine great deals on last-minute ticket sales with a friendly, mobile-focused interface.
Update: The OTA is now live (thanks, Michael Tomy)!
[New App] Drizly Delivers Liquor Quicker To City Slickers (In Boston And New York, Anyway)
Drizly is a new app for delivering alcohol.
We've all been there: you're hours deep in a friendly get together, poker game, or Android Police podcast. Suddenly disaster strikes - your spirits run out, both literally and figuratively. If you've got the brand new Drizly app for Android, you can resupply your booze in under an hour without ever having to leave the house. Unfortunately, this incredible service is only available in very specific parts of Boston, Manhattan, and Brooklyn for the time being.
If Facebook's 19 billion dollar deal to buy WhatsApp didn't convince you that messaging apps are big business, then... well, this probably won't convince you either, but you'll be even more wrong. Tango Messenger, a solid entry in the crowded text chat market, has been given a huge investment by a group of companies including China's Alibaba.com. Alibaba invested a whopping $215 million, with an extra $65 million coming from previous Tango investors. The total capital raised to date for Tango is $367 million.
Astronomers can identify distant galaxies beyond the reach of our telescopes by the light they emit, focusing around other galaxies and stars closer to us. The developers of popular iOS game God of Light use some of the same (if somewhat exaggerated) gravitational properties of photons to craft an addictive and endearing puzzler. Observe:
It Looks Like Google Is Shutting Down EnergySense Already, Nest Acquisition Is Probably To Blame
Google is shutting down EnergySense.
It's been just over three months since we gave you an exclusive look at EnergySense, Google's attempt to jump start their home management offerings. Now it looks like they're ending support for the project, closing down the web and Android apps that are currently in the test phase. This is the email sent to the EnergySense testers from Google.
Sony has been doing an admirable job keeping its Android hardware on the latest releases, and today they're bringing KitKat to three of the newest phones in their lineup. The flagship Xperia Z1, the slightly smaller Xperia Z1 Compact, and the super-sized Xperia Z Ultra all get an Android 4.4 upgrade starting now, according to this Sony Mobile blog post.
Carrier billing for the Play Store is slowly, slowly making its way across Europe, which probably isn't much comfort for those who want it and still can't access it. If you happen to be in Germany and use the third-largest carrier in the country, you no longer have to wait. German carrier E-Plus was added to the list of carrier billing supporters yesterday.
Sometimes Android fans outside of the US feel a bit left out by Google. Not without good reason (and not without telling us and everyone else about it) - Google tends to focus on America for major products and features and expand them to the rest of the world at their leisure. Well Android users down under can now use the voice activation in Google Search and Google Now, or at least use it with a little more ease. Australian-accented English is now officially supported for the "OK Google" command.
Google threw the tech world a curveball today with its new Android Wear platform, a wearable version of Android that's starting with "smart" watches. Digging through some of the developer documentation reveals even more information on the upcoming platform than what's in the consumer-facing videos. After reading through the developer site, a rough image of Android Wear begins to take shape.
OK, Indian readers, we know you've been waiting a long time for this. Earlier today Indian online retailer Flipkart posted an ad for the Moto X, announcing that it would be available starting tomorrow, March 19th. The price starts at 23,999 rupees for the 16GB in five colors, according to this Flipkart tweet. That's at least in the same ballpark as the US version - it's just north of $390 USD.
Update: at least one German gadget site has more evidence of an eminent Chromecast release, including retailers Amazon and Media Mart.
Between Titanfall, Dark Souls II, and a new Metal Gear game, employers across the globe can probably plot a decline in efficiency around recent high-profile video game releases. But only one of them has the obligatory mobile tie-in app, and that's Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (a.k.a. MGSV: Appetizer). Konami's companion app is now available in the Play Store as a free download.
[New App] Feature-Packed uPod Podcast Manager Rises From The Ashes Of GoodNews Reader
The uPod Podcast Manager features quite a bit.
Those of you who've ben lamenting the GoodNews reader, especially its tight integration with podcasts, now have a new alternative to consider. The developer of the aforesaid app has finally published a replacement that doesn't depend on Google Reader, and the wait has not been for naught: uPod crams in just about every feature a podcast fan could want. A free trial version of uPod and a $4.49 license are now available in the Play Store.