Latest Articles
Big companies like to put their names on places where a lot of people go. It's a sign that they're big. It's a form of advertising that people can't turn off. Every time you go to an event, you type in the company's name followed by the words "Center" or "Arena," and there you are.
Pioneer announced Android Auto head units at last year's CES, and it's following up with updated model names for 2016. You could think of this line as the 200 series, as each unit has jumped from 100 to 200.
I like Android. There, I said it. Sometimes I feel so attached that I wish I could use the platform on my laptop as well. I've done most of my blogging for the past few years from a Chromebook, so I'm used to accepting constraints.
The BlackBerry Priv is the sole option for Android users looking for a high-end phone with a physical keyboard. But, here in the States, the phone is currently only available on AT&T. Want the Priv? You need that carrier. Network not good in your area? Tough.
The great uncable-ing is upon us. Say goodbye to cable networks and expensive plans. Say hello to Internet streaming and an overabundance of inexpensive plans that eventually add up to something kinda expensive. NBC's Seeso is the latest video streaming service you can download from Google Play.
Last month Chromecast Audio gained the ability to sync audio playback across multiple devices and multiple rooms. This made the little circular music puck a cheaper alternative to Sonos, a way to fill your home with sound using speakers you already have for an additional $35 per Chromecast.
If you own a Xiaomi device, and you probably don't if you live outside of Asia, then you're familiar with MIUI. This build of Android ships on all of the company's devices. 7.0 arrived a couple months ago, and now folks are receiving the first update of 2016, version 7.1.
With winter approaching and the possibility of getting snowed in, there's a certain comfort that comes from knowing your phone can stay active throughout a week-long power outage. Being able to place calls and derp around online (assuming the towers are still active) is like a super power.But you aren't born with that innate gift. First you have to buy an external battery pack to replenish your phone's reserves when that icon in the corner goes empty, and preferably a big one.Right now the ZeroLemon ToughJuice pack with a whopping 30000mAh capacity is available from NewEgg for only .99. To put that in perspective, Amazon is selling the battery for .99, and it's calling that a discount from $129.99. StackSocial wants .99 for the same battery, less than Amazon but still twice as much as NewEgg.The ToughJuice power bank doesn't come with quick charging, but it does have four USB ports. You get 2.4A for demanding gadgets and 1A for others. The entire product is wrapped in a durable exterior made of a soft shell and hard plastic, so it should be able to hold up to a fair amount of abuse.The offer will end on January 9th. That gives you some time to think, so long as the site doesn't run out of stock.Source: NewEgg
When it comes to fitness bands, Fitbit is the name to beat. But with new smartwatches from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Pebble all touting some degree of activity tracking, the company knows the competition comes in more forms than the bracelets Misfit and Jawbone strap onto the wrists of athletic people.
Carrier billing is an alternative way to buy content from Google Play. Rather than adding a credit card and making a payment right away, you can opt to have the purchase show up on your phone bill. The catch? Your carrier has to support the feature.
Companies want us to perceive their products in a certain way. We hardly agree with them, but sometimes we oblige their marketing taglines. Creative has come to CES with a particularly bold one. The company believes its new iRoar speaker is the most intelligent speaker on the planet.
At last year's Mobile World Congress, HTC and Under Armour announced the Grip, a fitness tracker that would never appear on store shelves. HTC scrapped the product to work on something better—its words, not ours. At this year's CES, HTC and Under Armour are back to show us what better means.
There's a version of the latest Moto X that we here in the States can only get in the form of the DROID MAXX 2. The Moto X Play, as it's called, offers a weaker processor but increased battery life compared to the Moto X Pure Edition. Owners in Brazil and India have reached out to us with word that Android 6.0 is now rolling out to their devices.
The Misfit Shine was a circular activity tracker born on Indiegogo. The product shipped in 2014, giving wearers the option to carry it around their necks or on their wrists. Then, toward the end of 2015, Fossil decided Misfit's stuff looked cool and bought the company for $260 million.
Read update
- To drive in the big, material design-friendly changes visible on LastPass 4.0 for desktops, a reader has shared this screenshot.
LastPass has received its first major point release since LogMeIn opened its wallet, and it comes over two years since the last one. In November of 2013, LastPass jumped to version 3.0 with a redesign that made it Holo-friendly. Having gone Material back in April for 3.4, the 4.0 update introduces more than a design refresh (though a bit of that is here too).
VentureBeat has published a report that commits to some major changes on the part of the Galaxy S7. This year's flagship from Samsung, if the claims prove to be true, will reintroduce a couple of hardware features left behind with the S5.
Android Auto is probably the most expensive form of Android you're considering paying for, and the options aren't nearly as diverse as they are with phones. You either have to buy the latest model from a car maker that offers support, or you upgrade your stereo. On the positive side, more manufacturers are jumping on board. Fiat Chrysler will show off Android Auto support at this year's CES.
Tinkering takes many forms on Android, and you don't need to root your device or flash a custom ROM to get your hands dirty. Installing one of developer joaomgcd's Tasker plugins will provide plenty of ways to customize your software experience in very particular ways. Want a notification with a gazillion buttons that save you from having to open up different apps? You now have that option with the latest version of AutoNotification.
Last week Motorola released the code necessary for developers to dive into the underpinnings of the Android 6.0 update for the Moto X Pure Edition. Now the company is pushing out those files for last year's flagship, the 2014 Moto X. These follow the Android 5.1 code that hit GitHub in July.
Read update
- CyanogenMod 13 nightlies are now also available for the Galaxy S4 (jfltexx), Australian Galaxy S5 (kltekdi), and the Galaxy S5 Duos (klteduos).
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is scheduled to get Marshmallow eventually, but some models only received Android 5.1.1 in October, meaning most customers are in for quite the wait. Even when the changes do arrive, they may ultimately taste quite a bit like TouchWiz, and that's not a flavor everyone likes having on their tongue.