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The phone that's causing all those headaches for OnePlus in India appears to be just a day away from launch. The Micromax Yu will be available only from Amazon, and it will apparently be somehow divine. I mean, look at that halo. Truly this is the Zeus of phones... wait, what?
The dust has barely settled after the bombshell announcement that Cyanogen Inc. quietly signed an exclusive deal with OEM Micromax in India. That left the OnePlus One with an uncertain future in India without a software partner, and now things are getting even worse. The OnePlus One has been banned in India after legal action by Micromax.
Carriers are slowly creeping toward the day when they will no longer need old-fashioned 3G voice calls. AT&T is doing its part by updating another device with VoLTE functionality. The Galaxy S4 Mini should be getting an update right now with VoLTE baked in.
Google pushed a new version of its Text-to-Speech app a few days ago, and it actually removed a feature. Updates usually add new things, so what's the deal? You can no longer download the high-quality voice models on your device. However, Google has updated the changelog to explain that you don't need them anymore. The regular voice is even better now.
Sony hasn't always been the best at updating its phones, but the company does have a commitment to AOSP unlike most others. It contributes a lot of code to Android, and developers are encouraged to tinker with unlocked devices. In fact, Sony has just announced support for AOSP on the Xperia E3 and Xperia T3, meaning all Qualcomm-based phones from 2014 can run pure Android with very little hassle.
The Moto 360 was supposed to be the one. The watch that would rule all other watches with their pitiful square screens and plastic housings. I was excited for the Moto 360, but I couldn't help thinking the hype was out of control. We were expecting too much, and indeed, when I reviewed the Moto 360, the verdict was okay, but not amazing. At the time it was the best Android Wear watch, but that was due largely to the aesthetics. Now after three months and a handful of other watches, I have some more to say.
The Mint app has a case of hyperactive redesign. This devastating disease is characterized by rapid design changes, fluctuating icons, and death. Okay, not so much the last one. Still, the Mint app is getting more design tweaks in the most recent update, which is mostly okay.
T-Mobile's latest ploy to steal customers away from the other national carriers is a big one. Starting in January, the carrier will no longer "confiscate" your unused data at the end of each billing cycle. Instead, that data will rollover and be kept in your "Data Stash" for one year. Sure, they'll confiscate it at that point, but that's a lot of extra data. Plus, you get 10GB of bonus data to start.
LG was fast to toot its own horn after being the first OEM to (sort of) push out a Lollipop update. That original OTA only went out to Poland, but now users of the international D855 model are getting their updates all across Europe.
Amazon is fond of comparison tables that show how capable the Fire TV is, but there's always been one glaring omission—HBO Go. The premium streaming service has been listed as "coming soon" for a long time, but today Amazon gets to add another checkbox as HBO Go comes to Fire TV.
It was a little behind the 2014 Nexus devices, but the venerable Nexus 5 is getting its update to Android 5.0.1 today. Along with that, there's a full factory image so you can flash your beloved 5-inch Nexus back to stock. Joy.
Kids these days don't know how hard we had it way back when. You didn't use to get unlimited continues in games. If you died, you had to start over at the beginning of the game. Also, we walked 30 miles to school, uphill, both ways. The recent explosion of Roguelike games takes us back to those days of brutal boss battles and permadeath, and bit Dungeon II is a fine example of the genre. All you have to do is shepherd the lost soul to its grave, but beware, there are monsters about.
Taking screenshots of Android Wear has been doable since it launched with a wired or Bluetooth ADB connection, but the Lollipop update added screenshot functionality to the Android app exactly as rumored. Great, this should make us all very happy. The only problem, though, is that Google's implementation is bizarre and a little buggy. Here's how you do it.
Waking up is not usually awesome, but with the Hale Dreamer Alarm Clock you can at least feed your gadget-lust first thing in the morning. This is an all-in-one phone charging stand and alarm clock that works with a dedicated app. It's $99 full price and currently listed for .99 on Amazon (rated 4 stars), but StackSocial has it for just $55.99 with free shipping.
The premium Kindle Fire HDX tablets don't usually seem like a great value to me, but maybe they're worth picking up this holiday season with today's sizeable $125 discount. This deal is only valid today (December 15th) and it covers several flavors of the previous-generation Fire HDX.
Update: Here's the OTA zip file straight from Google's servers.
If you took the plunge on one of those new LTE Nexus 9s earlier today, you'll be happy to know there's a factory image waiting for you. That makes restoring the device to stock a snap. All you need is a computer, a USB cable, and an unlocked bootloader.
The LTE Nexus 9 is finally on sale, and the Magic Cover for the tablet is breaking cover for the first time as well. This accessory was announced alongside the tablet, but has yet to go on sale anyplace. If you head to HTC's website, you can buy one starting today, but it's only available in the coral amethyst color.
After appearing for sale on T-Mobile earlier today, the LTE version of Google's Nexus 9 tablet has gone live in the US Play Store. It's the same basic device that launched a few weeks ago, but now it has its own LTE data connection. The price? Still a whopping $599.
Got big plans this weekend? No you don't—stop lying. It's okay, though. We've got your back. There are some apps and games on sale, and they can help keep your mind off the crippling loneliness. We're always there for you.