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LG isn't the only consumer electronics company looking to sell you very expensive sound equipment with Google Cast built-in. Sony has just announced a line of sound bars and A/V receivers that will support Google Cast. As with LG, these will not be cheap devices.
It has been a while since Android Wear got any substantial updates, but today Google is announcing a big one. A new version of Wear will be rolling out over the coming weeks that includes a number of previously rumored features (like WiFi support) and some all new stuff (like always-on apps).
The CM team was originally shooting for last week to get the first CyanogenMod 12.1 nightlies out the door, but they're just rolling out now. This process will take a little time as the new version hits the myriad of devices supported by CM these days. When it does show up, just remember that we're talking about nightly builds, so don't expect a bug-free experience.
Owners of the PS3 or Xbox 360 might remember a certain daredevil named Joe Danger from a few years back. In the indie title of the same name, Mr. Danger rode his motorcycle across various courses, avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. Now you can play the game on Android, and it's the same version that was available on the consoles a few years back.
Remember 5.1? Psh, old news. The new hotness is Android 5.1.1, which Google has yet to officially acknowledge. However, it's almost a certainty now that two builds of the software have popped up on Google's Android audio latency info page.
The venerable hack-and-slash is a game genre that transfers well to mobile devices, and there are plenty of examples on Android. However, many of them are loaded down with in-app purchases. I'm looking at you, Dungeon Hunter 5. Implosion, from the developer of the popular music rhythm game Cytus, is a cool-looking hack-and-slash that only charges you once. It's expensive, but you can try before you buy.
A number of users, like our own fearless leader Artem, have noticed battery life on the newly released Cyanogen OS 12 isn't as good as it ought to be. In some instances, the device never goes into deep sleep because of what appears to be a Google Play Services wakelock. It turns out this is caused by a quirk of the stock Android update service that wasn't accounted for in some Lollipop ROMs.
Field Trip is that other project from Google's Niantic Labs. Sure, Ingress gets all the attention, but Field Trip is pretty cool too. This app presents cards with information on nearby places of interest as you go about your day, and now it's even more convenient for Android Wear users—place cards will simply show up on your wrist. Neat.
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We've heard Cyanogen Inc. CEO Kirt McMaster express his desire to break away from Google on more than one occasion, and it looks like Microsoft will be helping him do just that. Cyanogen OS will soon come bundled with a suite of Microsoft apps and services including Bing search, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Office.
Are your screenshots looking a little boring? Why not pretty them up with some device frames, shading, and backgrounds? What, you don't have time for that? Well, you can try Screener, which is in beta testing in the Play Store. Just a few taps and you have a nifty framed screenshot.
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Google has announced a new version of Chrome for Android is hitting the stable release channel, and this one is a rather big deal for a few reasons. There are some interesting features, but it's also the last release for Ice Cream Sandwich. At least there's some good stuff.
You would expect an app like TWC TV to stream TV on your Android device, since that's what it's supposed to do. However, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (and a few other new phones, apparently) found the app just crashed over and over. Well, that should be fixed now.
Samsung has been experimenting with curved AMOLEDs for a long time, but only recently has it tried convincing consumers to actually buy them. It tried the Galaxy Round, and that was a failure. Then the Note Edge came out, and it was a little better. Now Korean news is reporting that the Galaxy S6 Edge with its dual-edge display is a certifiable hit, making up half of all Galaxy S6 sales.
There's no more waiting for Android 5.1 if you've got a Nexus 4 or either version of the 2013 Nexus 7. Google has posted the full factory images on the dev site, meaning you can flash the new version to get up to date no matter what you've done to your device's software.
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After a five year investigation of the search giant, European regulators are expected to launch an official antitrust case against Google tomorrow. The Wall Street Journal reports EU Commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager will make the announcement tomorrow (Wednesday the 15th). Google will then be served with a "statement of objection" and charge sheet. At that point, the lawyers will begin legal wrangling that is sure to last years.
It's been, what, five weeks since Google announced Android 5.1? In all that time the update has still not arrived on many of Mountain View's Nexus devices. But at least one more is joining the 5.1 club today, and it's a little unexpected—the LTE Nexus 7 2013. No, the WiFi version still hasn't popped up.
Leave no phone behind... that's certainly not any carrier's motto. T-Mobile at least does a better job than some others when it comes to long-term support. The LG G2 is getting a 617MB update to Lollipop today, just a week after the G3.
AT&T's Galaxy Note 4 got Lollipop late last month, but now it's already getting another OTA with some bug fixes and feature tweaks. You spoil us, AT&T.
You may remember a few months ago when Google announced its Cast platform was becoming an audio streaming standard. If so, you might also notice the lack of products that support it so far. LG is throwing its hat into the ring with the newly announced Music Flow speakers. There are seven different products in this lineup ranging from $179 to $999.
Yerdle Launches On Android So You Can Give Away Your Old Stuff And Get Other Stuff For (Almost) Free
Do you have a bunch of stuff that you don't need? You could try to sell it, but it might not be worth the piddly sum you'd get. Yerdle aims to help you get something out of such items by letting you give them away. In return, you can get other things from Yerdle users for free (sort of).