Bertel King, Jr.
Contributing since April, 2013
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3518articles
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About Bertel King, Jr.
Bertel is a Linux user who likes budget smartphones more than flagships, uses a custom ROM, and gets his apps from F-Droid. When he isn't writing short stories for Android Police, you might find him penning the fictional kind. Otherwise, look for him reading pixels that were converted to ink and paper.
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The white Nexus 7 has been available since December, and it's a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, only a 32GB version is currently offered. Sure, that's the bare minimum amount of space I'd want in a tablet these days, but that also means a price point of $269.99. A 16GB option would allow people to pick up a Nexus 7 in white without having to withdraw as much money from the bank. Well, such a version did appear, albeit briefly, at Best Buy just this morning before being taken down.
Google's had fun creating new Auto-Awesome animations that match the theme of every holiday season these days, but this latest one is rather amusing. For Valentines Day, Google has rolled out animated hearts that will automatically appear on any photos of people kissing. This can add a little extra spark to that loving picture of you and that special someone. As usual, the animation may not appear immediately, but Google+ will shoot you a notification when it's ready.
Fitbit's Android app is useless without a matching fitness device to pair it with, but buying one without having a phone that supports it means having to rely on your computer for synching. That's less than desirable, so it's a good thing that the company is steadily working to expand the number of Android phones its products will support. Following the latest update to the Fitbit app, Moto G owners can now sync their handset up to a Fitbit accessory. They are joined by anyone who owns an Xperia Z, Z1, Z1S, ZL, ZR, Z Ultra, or Tablet Z.
Google keeps a running list of previously downloaded apps available in the Play Store, but if you want to genuinely backup and own the apps you buy, you need to extract the APKs to a safe location. Not a problem. Rooted users just need to navigate to the correct location and save those files. Even if you're not rooted, finding an app that will get those APKs for you isn't all that difficult. But after that's done, eventually you're stuck with a bunch of awkwardly named files that aren't that easy to keep up with. In this case, LocalAPK is just the piece of software that could make life easier for Windows users. Its sole purpose is organizing and managing APKs.
Square Enix's Deus Ex: The Fall was a major entry in the Deus Ex franchise tailored for touchscreen devices. It may not have the complexity of its console brethren, but it made a very valiant effort. Now the company has announced Hitman Go, but this time, the mobile version of the game is going to be quite a bit different from the AAA one being developed for televisions. You see, Hitman Go is going to be a turn-based strategy game. No, I'm not judging. I'm just surprised.
PayPal Version 5.4 Brings Enhanced Security, Wallet Support For Additional Credit Cards, And More
PayPal Version 5.4 Brings Enhanced Security, Wallet Support For Additional Credit Cards, And More
Much of the commerce that takes place on the web goes through PayPal, so if you're accessing the service from a mobile device, you should take extra precautions to secure your account. With the latest version, you can now link your phone to your account so that the service can better verify that you are indeed the person trying to access it. The app has a new SMS permission that is necessary to link up your number.
Let's forget about KitKat for a moment. A large number of Android devices out there still need an update to the latest version of Jelly Bean, and while many of them will never receive such an OTA, four of Sony's handsets are receiving one this week. The company is rolling out an update to the Xperia T, TX, SP, and V.
Update #1: The 16GB Galaxy TabPRO 8.4 is scheduled to go live today also, but it doesn't seem to have trickled out to most retailers just yet. Best Buy currently has the smallest tablet in the PRO series available for $399.99 online, but only in white.
Wallaby has come to Google Glass, and while it won't save wearers any money in the short-term, it wants to help them rack up those rewards. What kind of rewards? Credit card rewards. Wallaby tells you what credit card will earn you back the most miles, points, or shopping discounts whenever you spend money. It's been available for Android for quite a while, but now the service has made its way over to Glass, where, since it's practically glued to your face, you're less likely to forget about it.
Sticking the HTC One in a case can remove much of the appeal of owning the phone in the first place, as the handset is such a treat to the hands and the eyes. But if you stick it in one of HTC's official accessories, such as the Double Dip hard shell case, and squint, then maybe it retains some of its elegance. Okay, no it doesn't, but now you can get a customized version of HTC's case that can at least speak to your sense of style.
For Aviate users, 2014 has made for an uncertain year thus far. Yahoo announced its acquisition of the home screen replacement at this year's CES, and we haven't heard a peep since. Well, today the launcher has just received its first major update of the year, and this one includes a new space that activates whenever you plug in a pair of earphones.
Two days ago I took a look at CloudMagic's Android email client, and I have to admit, it's a well-designed piece of software. Its blazing fast searching is its claim to fame, but even without this functionality, it's an attractive, holo-friendly app with support for multiple accounts and a unified inbox. But - and for many, this is a big but - the app indexes your mail on CloudMagic's servers. Deal breaker? In that case, here's another email client that might just fit your needs, assuming you have an Exchange account, another service pushed by Microsoft, or a Google Apps account. Nine isn't quite as versatile, but its attractive interface alone makes it worth a look.
Compared to 7 or 8 inches, 10 may seem like a lot to work with. But you know what? Boom, here's 12. These extra 2 inches come to us courtesy of Samsung. The company unveiled the new Galaxy Pro series at this year's CES, and the devices have gradually percolated to consumers throughout the world since. Today Samsung has shared pricing and availability information for Canada. The Galaxy PRO devices will roll out to various retailers starting now until the end of March.
This year we've seen slimmed down versions of the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, and while corners were cut to cram these flagships into smaller form factors, there's a real need for competent phones with tinier displays. So what's a competitor to do? Why, release a slimmed down version of its flagship as well. LG has now teased a smaller version of the G2, creatively referred to as the MINI, along with an announcement date. Look for more details to show up on February 24th at this year's Mobile World Congress.
English rock band Radiohead could just release another album, but there are certain experiences that music alone cannot provide. So the band has worked with design agency Universal Everything to create an experimental piece of software that occupies the space somewhere between being an app and a game. Its name is PolyFauna, and, really, make of it what you will.
Handy Photo Version 2.0 Brings Redesigned UI, New Features, A Reset Button, On-Screen Instructions, And More
Handy Photo Version 2.0 Brings Redesigned UI, New Features, A Reset Button, On-Screen Instructions, And More
Handy Photo is a mobile photo editor that can seemingly work magic with such features as un-cropping, the ability to remove objects from a photo, and the option to apply any number of its impressive filters. We put version 1.0 of the app through its paces last year and saw a lot of promise. Now Handy Photo is making the jump to the big 2.0, and it's bringing with it a new UI.
[New App] Mobilligy Hopes Consolidating All Bills Into A Single App Will Make Paying Them Less Sucky
Paying bills sucks. Everything about the entire experience, from reading the email/letter, writing the umpteenth check/visiting the umpteenth website, and kissing that hard-earned money goodbye, is considerably unpleasant. Then there's the consistently broken promise of doing better next month only to find that after forgoing all of that fast food, you actually managed to spend more money than the month before. Again, it sucks. The new Mobilligy won't make it not suck, but there's a chance it will at least make it suck less.
The Qualcomm Toq occupies this awkward space in the smartwatch race. Like the Pebble, it uses a display similar to e-ink that sacrifices fancy animations and responsiveness for battery life, only it manages to one-up its competitor by supporting more colors than black and white. Unfortunately, at $349, it's even more expensive than the already ludicrously overpriced Galaxy Gear. Yet for people who purchased one anyway, version 1.3 introduces new features and major bug fixes that should make using the watch a more pleasant experience.
Smartphones are convenient, but keeping them charged is not. Charging cables get tangled easily and, despite being lightweight and portable, aren't all that useful on the go. External battery packs can provide a ton of juice when away from a power outlet, but if you forget to keep them charged, you might as well leave them at home. The JUMP Kickstarter project alleviates this issue by combining the two. Now your smartphone cable can double as your external backup battery.
Many Android users have dreamed of owning a Nokia-manufactured phone running their favorite mobile OS, and that day may arrive sooner than they expect. According to a story recently published by the Wall Street Journal, Nokia plans to release a phone running Android later this month, possibly unveiling it at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The story doesn't contain any photos of the upcoming handset, but here is an image that @evleaks shared just over a month ago.