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Locked bootloaders can be a real drag, but there's usually some way around it. In the case of the Verizon and AT&T Galaxy S4, Dan Rosenberg released the Loki tool to bypass the locked bootloader and execute custom kernels. This developer-focused tool has been a hit with its intended audience, and now it has added support for LG devices.
It's pretty common for Android apps to playfully emulate hot new features from the iOS platform, but rarely have the done so as completely as Control Panel. This app apes the iOS 7 Control Panel feature, a swipe up settings toggle and shortcut screen. It even lacks substantial configuration options, thus completing the iOS illusion.
If there is anything missing from your workouts, it's Android. As long as you have $1,700 laying around, that won't be a problem for long. The Peloton exercise bike has been funded on Kickstarter, and that means it's going to be a reality. Well, technically it just means the company is going to try super-hard to make it a reality.
There are a lot of cool things about the new Google Maps update, but a few features from the old app didn't make the jump. Google made a big deal about offline maps when it was added a few years ago. So it's a little surprising to see this feature missing in Maps v7... or is it? Mountain View has included a bit of an Easter Egg here.
Phones are always getting thinner. For whatever reason, that's a metric that matters to the general public more than battery life. As the phones slim down, so do the screens. LG is stepping up its display game by producing the thinnest 1080p LCD in the world. This 5.2-inch panel is only 2.2mm thick and has a 2.3mm bezel. This is about as svelte as you can make a bezel without getting into those wacky bending screens that pop up at tradeshows, but never in actual devices. Though, the bezel on an actual device would be a bit wider due to the housing and screen mounts.
Google Maps Navigation Expands Into New Countries Including Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Peru, Thailand, Ethiopia, And A Ton More
Google Maps Navigation Expands Into New Countries
To go along with the release of the long-awaited Google Maps update yesterday, Mountain View has just updated the list of countries with full Google Navigation support. There are 18 confirmed new countries, and two that went from limited to full coverage.
While most Android users are waiting on updaters that might patch some of the recently reported security holes, CyanogenMod is already getting a bug fix update out the door. CyanogenMod 10.1.1 is now hitting the stable channel for all supported devices.
Users are reporting the appearance of a strange new feature in Facebook's Android app – a bottom navigation bar. This appears to be part of Facebook's beta testing program, but not all participants are seeing the new UI element. We've confirmed with multiple people, so this seems like the real deal. Is this what Facebook's app will look like in the future?
The transition from Google Talk to Hangouts added a lot of new features, but making phone calls from Gmail didn't come along for the ride. There was still a roundabout way of adding phone numbers to a Hangout, but it was too awkward to be useful. Finally, Google has announced that phone calls are again possible from Gmail, but that's not all. Phone calls are now built into Hangouts in Gmail, Google+, and the Chrome Extension. There are even some neat new features.
Opera has been a stalwart of the desktop browser wars for many years now. It was besting Microsoft back when it was a viable business model to sell desktop browser licenses for cash money. The company has had some issues more recently, but mobile apps could be the bright spot, especially on days like today. Opera for Android has been updated to v15 with a ton of new features. It also brings a new version of the Chromium-based Ice platform.
Reddit isn't going to check itself, so you're going to want a good app to get it done. BaconReader gained an immediate following when it was released a few years back, and that continued after it was acquired by OneLouder Apps. This popular client has just been updated to version 3.0, and there are improvements aplenty.
Heading out the door? Don't forget to grab your travel charger. Without that your device will surely die on that long flight/drive/trip to the mall. Aww, out of juice because you forgot to plug it in? That won't happen with the New Trent TravelPak Plus. This battery pack is always charged because you can actually use it as a wall adapter. Lucky for you it's on sale at Amazon right now.
The Play Store is again overflowing with a bounty, and we're here to point you in the direction of the deals. Below is a collection of sales on the finest apps and games your Android dollar can buy. So proceed, won't you?
In case that Google Play Edition HTC One doesn't strike your fancy, or the price tag is too outlandish, there's always the subsidized carrier version. Amazon has chopped a bit more off the cost of the HTC One on both AT&T and Sprint. Both devices are now $49.99 with a new line on a 2-year contract.
There are people out there who are fans of stock Android, but not of the Nexus hardware. For those folks, this is a big day. Today, July 9th, is the ship date for the Google Play Edition HTC One and Galaxy S4. If you got an order in early, your inbox could be graced by that shipping notice at any moment. Oh, the anticipation!
If you're nice and cozy at home, you have to ask yourself how much value you place on not leaving the house to go to the store. If you said $5 or more, eBay would like a word. The auction site's eBay Now app has just launched on Android so you can have someone else do the legwork. Just find the product you want in a local store, and tell the app you want it. Pay for the item (plus a $5 delivery fee) and it shows up in an hour. It's the ultimate in modern laziness technology.
If you use the stock browser on the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4, you may notice the strange button in the corner. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Lumen Toolbar. It shipped on the S4, but Sprint is just now detailing it as part of the carrier's Pinsight Media+ mobile advertising program. You know those obnoxious toolbars that programs are always trying to cram on your PC? This is the same thing, but your carrier is doing it to you.
If you're anything like the Android Police team, you have a ridiculous number of apps on your device. That's great when you need one of them, but finding it can be a pain. Scrolling through page after page of apps is a poor use of your time. As such, there are various ways to filter and search for apps on Android. However, maybe good old T9 is still good for some stuff. T9 App Dialer is not a new app, but it's perhaps the fastest way to find that one app. Let's take a look at how it does.
Vincent Belorgey makes music, but he's better known as Kavinsky when he's working the turntables. Fans of this particular brand of French house music (and those that just like cool art) can get their fill with the new Kavinsky game for Android. This is a stylistic interactive experience based on Kavinsky's new album Outrun.
Motorola is likely going to take the wraps of a new generation of DROIDs for Verizon Wireless soon, which would explain the recent leaks. The newest photo reportedly depicts the DROID Ultra (XT1080). There are a few interesting things going on here.