Latest Articles
Amazon is now distributing an OTA update for the Fire OS that powers the Kindle Fire HD and HDX tablets. Version 3.1 brings deeper Goodreads integration, so users can more easily share favorite quotes with others, view what their friends are reading, and leave reviews. Readers can also import their Amazon library directly into the social network. This may not be the most exciting new feature, but it makes perfect sense for a tablet that is descendent from a line of e-readers.
HTC Desire Comes To Virgin Mobile, Get This Affordable HTC One Look-Alike Now For $279 Off-Contract
HTC Desire Comes To Virgin Mobile, Get This Affordable HTC One Look-Alike Now For $279 Off-Contract
Competition is really heating up in the low cost, off-contract smartphone market these days. Motorola's Moto G, revealed just last week, is the meteor that could potentially change the landscape here in the US when it strikes early next year, offering specs that far exceed anything we've been conditioned to expect for $179. But that's the future. As for now, Americans looking for an affordable but capable off-contract handset can now pick up the HTC Desire (or, more specifically, the HTC Desire 601) from Virgin Mobile for 9.
HTC hasn't been sitting on its hands lately. The company announced when KitKat was unveiled that all HTC One variants in the US would receive the latest version within 90 days. In the case of the Google Play Edition, the update would come in just 15. Here we are at day 15, and HTC has publically stated that KitKat's arrival time is entirely in Google's hands now. According to a tweet sent out earlier today, everything is done on their end.
The Galaxy Note 8.0 is a pretty capable tablet, though it does have several drawbacks. While the painfully low 1280 by 800 display can't be helped, its default software configuration is far less immutable. If TouchWiz just grinds your gears, you will be happy to know that CyanogenMod nightlies are now available for both the 3G (GT-N5100) and WiFi-only (GT-N5110) versions of the tablet. Sure, anyone who installs them now may be sacrificing stability and other functionality, but that's the price some are willing to pay for stock Android and quicker access to updates.
The Galaxy Gear is twice the price of the Pebble and pricier than both iterations of Sony's SmartWatch, but it isn't necessarily a more complete product. A particular sore spot is how the watch handles notifications, limiting not only which apps can send them, but not actually displaying the contents for most apps. The latest update to the Galaxy Gear Manager app alleviates this somewhat. Now users can pick which apps send messages to the Gear and even read the contents on the watch itself. SamMobile has shared images of the new feature in action.
Sprint wants everyone to know about its tri-band LTE network that could potentially reach speeds of 50 - 60 Mbps, so it gave it a catchy name - Sprint Spark. Once the rollout is complete, this could be the largest LTE network in the US in terms of spectrum usage. But that's the future. Right now, the network is available in only a handful of cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Tampa), and even fewer phones are currently set to tap into it (okay, just one). Fortunately, a couple of handsets will soon receive the OTA they need to make the leap.
Google Now's website has received a slick new redesign, and it's quite a looker. The landing page is now rich with animations and background video, providing an experience so immersive that if you haven't already tried Google Now, or even if you've just been taking a break, you might want to go fire it back up. The page offers a great primer for anyone who isn't already aware of what Google's portable personal assistant is capable of.
We were ridiculously excited by the prospect of a physical Google Wallet card when we reported on it just over a year ago, but six months went by without a peep until eventually the project was canned. Thankfully, awesome ideas don't disappear just because one company decides it's not ready to make them happen. Coin, a startup out of San Francisco, has announced a card of its own that promises to deliver much of what we were excited to see Google pull off themselves.
The Adobe Reader Android app has received another update, but you're going to have to hand over some money to take advantage of all of its new features. Adobe has rolled out new "Adobe PDF Pack" and "ExportPDF," which users can purchase from within the app. The former let users convert documents into PDFs, while the latter does just the opposite.
PhoneSuit's Flex Pocket Charger is smaller than most options out there, but in this case, that's a good thing. This external battery pack plugs into your phone's micro USB port and rests there while it recharges. This makes it more mobile than the significantly larger 15,000mAh battery backs that you would typically leave stationary while your device charges, though that also means it will likely only recharge your handset once. Now it's available from Tanga for $29.99, a 50% discount from its usual price.
American football fans, sit this one out. Sega's latest game is geared towards the other kind of football, the one that, you know, people actually play with their feet. This popular series turns soccer fans into managers of their own professional club. From the confines of their Android device, players can manage most aspects of running a team for $9.99. Yeah, that's a bit pricey for a mobile title, but calling the shots doesn't come cheap, even virtually.
As an Android user, you would be forgiven for having never used a navigation app other than Google Maps. It's not perfect, but it's available for free and remains one of the best GPS solutions around, especially if you live in the US. Yet before Google Maps grew into a household names, MapQuest was synonymous with looking up directions online. Now a redesigned version of its mobile app has found its way into the Play Store. Meet MapQuest version 2.0.
The King of Fighters series isn't exactly new to Android, but it's had a rocky ride thus far. A port of the classic 2D fighter appeared back in March of 2012, was laden with issues, and disappeared only to re-appear months later. The King of Fighters 2012 then arrived in August of this year, this time published by SNK Playmore directly. It provided a much smoother experience, even if it remained compatible with a quirky mix of devices. Now The King of Fighters '97 has fought its way into the Play Store, marking the Android debut of this sixteen-year-old title.
A new update to Google+ is currently rolling out, and when it hits your device, not only will it bring along the usual bug fixes and performance increases, it will contain a number of new features. The Photos app now supports Android Beam, so two Android owners can share images with one another over NFC. There is also the new option to set images within Photos as a Daydream that plays whenever a device is docked. Lastly, users can pull up photo details from the drop-down menu, an ability that's more useful than it is exciting. A Google+ developer has shared screenshots of all three new features in action.
Game publishers can't debut a new mainstream console title these days without pushing out a free smartphone companion app to go with it, so here comes the latest offering. Actually, this one's a bit late, considering that NBA 2K14 launched for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back on October 1st. Nevertheless, 2K Games has released MyNBA2K14 to enhance the experience of anyone who purchased the title for either platform.
If building blocks are still the first things to come to mind when you hear the word "LEGO", it might just be a sign of your age. LEGO video games have been hitting the market for over a decade now, and they've been good enough to appeal to kids and adults alike. Of course, if the brand has spawned games, it's also inspired television shows and movies. The latest LEGO app to enter the Play Store provides direct access to the official LEGO YouTube Channel and select downloadable movies, so you, or your kid, can stream and download LEGO content all day long.
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and what better way is there to work off those calories than a mad dash for that last high-end tablet reduced down by a fraction of its normal cost? The chaos of Black Friday strikes every year, and it only takes a look at the upcoming deals to understand why. Best Buy has released a preview of what discounts to expect in just a few weeks, and there are perhaps enough offerings on hand to make an Android fan line up outside the store right away.
Looking to save a few bucks by using VoIP apps instead of voice minutes? I hear you. It's not exactly difficult to find a plan offering unlimited talk, but with a new Sprint MVNO popping up every couple of weeks and such affordable deals as T-Mobile's 5GB prepaid plan still lingering around, it's worth taking a look at cheaper options. Viber's latest update has rolled out, doing its part to make transitioning to VoIP all the more attractive.
Sometimes a smartphone comes with a crappy camera. Other times, it just comes with crappy software. The good thing is that there are no shortage of compelling camera apps to choose to from, and today, there's one more. SmugMug's Camera Awesome has made its way over to Android after amassing over 20 million downloads on the Apple App Store and averaging a near perfect 4.5 star rating.
Anyone looking to snag a portable Bluetooth speaker might want to head over to Tech.Woot, as the site is currently selling a refurbished Braven 570 portable Bluetooth speaker for $29.99. Sure, it's a used product, but considering that this device would normally set you back just shy of 0 (even on Amazon), today's deal lets you get the same speaker for one-third of the price.