Amazon Appstore offers 30 free self-improvement apps

There’s always room for change and improvement in our lives, and never has this been more encouraged than in the age of smartphones and apps. Things you’ve never thought of learning or doing before can now be discovered and understood at the click (or swipe) of your finger. The Amazon Appstore believes you can add a few more new things to your life as it’s offering 30 free Android apps in its “Summer Self-Improvement Bundle.”

If your quest for self-improvement this year is all about developing a beach body to be proud of, you can start with Daily Workouts. Now if you want to be able to prepare meals worthy of five-star restaurants, your best bet should be the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner Pro. The DrawingPad app aims to bring out the inner artist in you as you digitally create that masterpiece right on your Android phone. If you don’t have a piano at home but would want to flex those music muscles, why not play one on your smartphone since you can have the Little Piano app?

Productivity apps are key to a more improved and more organised you, so you have apps like List Master Pro, Bills Reminder, Home Budget Manager and CalenGoo among others. You’re never too old to learn something new and so educational apps like Essential Anatomy 3, Language Coach and Oxford Advanced Learning Dictionary are good deals to get for free. But of course, you need a little entertainment after all that learning, so you also have free games available, like Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Carcassonne.

All these 30 apps, worth around $100, are available for download for free in the next two days at the Amazon Appstore for any Android device. The Appstore has also now expanded to 41 more countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. However, local restrictions still apply of course, so don’t expect all apps to be available in all these countries. The new countries included are: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

VIA: Engadget

SOURCE: Amazon

Android platform dominates market; Samsung slips in 2Q 2014

They’re still the top smartphone in the market in terms of device shipment, but OEM Samsung has suffered a minor slip in numbers, according to data released by the IDC for the second quarter of 2014. Meanwhile,when it comes to platform, Android has dominated the market with an 85% share in the second quarter, leaving Apple, Blackberry and Microsoft Windows Phone in the dust.

Figures from the IDC shows that Samsung is still number one when it comes to shipment volume and market share in the second quarter of 2014, but compared to the same period last year, the numbers are a bit lower. Shipment volume this year is at 74.3 million while last year, they were at 77.3M. In terms of market share, in 2013, Samsung was at 32.3%, but this time around, it’s just at 25.2%.

The good news for them is that archival Apple’s market share also slipped, although their shipment volume improved this year compared to last year. The biggest mover in terms of both shipment and market share is Chinese brand Huawei, who had a 95.1% increase this year and whose market share improved from 4.3% to 6.9% this year. Lenovo and LG round up the top 5 smartphone vendors from IDC, with both slightly improving their numbers.

Meanwhile, figures from the WSS (Smartphones) service show that Android had a record global market share of 85% as 295 million units were shipped in the second quarter of this year alone. Their closest rivals lost numbers in terms of share, as Google’s OS continues to dominate the smartphone market. This trend is not expected to change anytime soon, as Android’s platform is unmatched in terms of ease of use and low-cost services. Unless one of their competitors does something revolutionary soon, Android is expected to continually dominate, just like what happened in the PC market a few years back when Windows was a force to reckon with.

VIA: SlashGear, Strategy Analytics

KDDI Japan intros new HTC J Butterfly with Duo Camera

HTC has just announced the new J Butterfly HTL23 with KDDI in Japan. It comes with high end specs like the One M8 but in a more plastic-like phone body. Coming in Rouge, Canvas and Indigo color, the new J Butterfly has a 13 megapixel + 2 megapixel dual camera module, offering HTC's Duo Camera features like UFocus and Duo Effects.

The latest HTC J Butterfly has a super powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad core processor (MSM8974AC), 5-inch Full HD S-LCD3 display, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and microSDXC card slot. For selfie photography lover, the 5 megapixel front facing camera is definitely good to have. You can also find the same dual-tone flash LED, which will give you a more accurate artificial flash light. The built in WiFi supports a/b/g/n/ac wireless network, while the 4G LTE has a 150Mbps maximum speed.

Like what Japanese smartphones usually have, the J Butterfly is protected with IPX5/IPX7 waterproof and IP5X dust proof. Check out this post for a detailed IP rating explaination.

The HTC J Butterfly HTL23 will be available by end of August in Japan. Will HTC introduce this model to other markets? When the first HTC J Butterfly was announced 2 years old, it was later launched as Droid DNA for Verizon Wireless. It is possible that the updated Butterfly will be re-introduced again in US.

Hangouts for Enterprise now allows use without G+ account

Google’s Hangouts has been coming out with a lot of new features in the last few months to make it the default mobile and desktop communications app. Now, it’s the turn of Hangouts for Enterprise to enhance how it can be used to maximize “face to face” digital conversations within your business. The most important update now is that you can now use Hangouts without having to sign up for a Google+ account.

As long as the user has a Google Apps customer account, you can now use the video meetings of Hangouts without needing a G+ account. The feature allows up to 15 people to join a face-to-face hangout, as long as they are on a computer or a Chromebox. But they assure that this capability will also arrive soon for mobile phones and tablets as well. They are also allowing people on other video conference systems, like Blue Jeans (for H.323 or SIP-based videoconferencing systems) or InterCall (for those with mobile phones but through an InterCall audio-conference bridge).

Hangouts for Enterprise is now also included in the Google Terms of Service for other Business products like Gmail and Drive. This means that users can also avail of the round-the-clock customer support and a 99.9% guaranteed uptime. Later on, they will also be adding enterprise integration for Hangouts with the Google Apps Vault. Your company’s IT administrator will also now be able to easily manage these video meetings from the Google Apps Admin Console. You can start, mute or end a meeting all from the comfort of your own computer.

While Hangouts for Enterprise has been a great tool (as they claim) for companies like Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Eventbrite and Kaplan, it still has not caught on as they would like to in the corporate world. But as digital business meetings continue to evolve and Google Business apps try to improve integration and go mobile, Google might still be able to penetrate this market.

SOURCE: Google Enterprise

Yahoo! Finance app redesigned for Android

If you’re in the finance industry or are interested or involved in the stock market, chances are you’d always want the latest updates even before you reach the office or a desktop. While there are many finance apps out there, it never hurts to try one that comes from known names in the industry. Yahoo! Finance has a shiny brand new app, completely redesigned for Android devices and will definitely come in handy for stocks whizzes out there.

As there are sometimes too many stocks to follow, you can save the ones you’re interested about on your watch list. The app will then give you relevant information and news regarding those on your list. And of course, the information and updates you’ll be receiving are in real time, as this is a crucial aspect in this industry. You can even go beyond just the stock information and the app will give you information about currencies, industries and commodities.

The app also includes interactive charts and graphs that can help you analyse better the trends and information. If you view your phone sideways or in landscape mode, then you’ll be able to fully appreciate the full screen charts. You can also set up the app to send you push notifications on things like breaking news for the stocks that you want to follow.

To help you find finance-related news stories better, they’ve also added a news tab that will constantly be updated with stories that you need to know, based also on the information and preferences that you input in the app. You can download the new Yahoo! Finance app for free through the Google Play Store.

SOURCE: Yahoo

Story Timeline

• Yahoo Screen app arrives for Android users


• Yahoo News Digest app arrives for Android


• Yahoo Aviate gets a new look and a global launch

Galaxy S5 Mini repairability: just as bad as the flagship

iFixit has done yet another one of its popular teardowns, this time on the Galaxy S5 Mini, Samsung's miniature counterpart to its flagship. While it only shares the Galaxy S5 name, sporting significantly lower specs, apparently this mini smartphone scores the exact same mark when it comes to iFixit's repairability index, meaning you might have tougher luck getting this thing repaired, at least on your own.

At first glance, the Galaxy S5 mini might look easy enough to take apart. After all, the back cover easily comes off and the battery is removable and not tied down, unlike the OnePlus One's strange arrangement. And in truth, most of the parts are simply held together by screws, plastic enclosures and secret doors, but the real problem is that the smartphone is constructed in a way that makes things harder than they are supposed to be.

After the cover and the battery, the display is the next thing you'll have to remove before you can get to any other internal component. If you will be simply replacing the display, then it makes this easier and faster. Otherwise, it actually increases the risks, since the display is glued rather strongly and requires a bit of coaxing and heat, hopefully without damaging the display in the process. The Galaxy S5 Mini also has two midframes inside, so that replacing any component requires an extra step of prying and un-screwing. There are also secret doors with hidden connectors that, if you don't know about, run the risk of pulling out prematurely.

The Galaxy S5 Mini thus scores 5 out of 10, leaning a bit towards the "more difficult to repair" end of the spectrum. This is the exact same score that the Galaxy S5 got. While iFixit's teardowns and guides are meant more to educate users how to repair things on their own, which they might not prefer to do, it does paint a rather disappointing picture of a device, or in this case, two devices, that won't exactly be too easy or too safe to repair, even perhaps for a professional.

SOURCE: iFixit

I/O 2014 app source code shows developers how it’s done

Last month, Google released its fancy new I/O 2014 app in preparation for its annual conference. Now it's announcing that the source code for the app is now available from Google's GitHub repository. While end-users might have no use for this, unless they happen to be knowledgeable about and/or like reading Java code, Google is inviting developers to take a look inside and learn about current best practices of creating an Android app and using Google's API.

Aside from giving users a window into the world of Google I/O, the I/O 2014 app also showcases many of the staples of Android app development, whether it be components and featuers like Fragments, receivers, and notifications or design considerations like toolbars and themes. It also shows newer and better ways to use Google's own services, like using Google Cloud Messaging (GSM) to keep devices up to date with the latest content and using Google Drive API to store users' preferences and sync it with all connected devices. It even shows how to make an Android Wear companion app.

But aside from just hard, cold code, the app also gives developers a preview into Material Design. The app uses the design principles of tactile surfaces, animated feedback, colors, imagery, and the metaphor of paper, to give developers an idea how to theme their apps in preparation for Android L. The app also uses API found in the Android L Preview and has a separate APK for those already running it on their Nexus 5 or 7, or on the Android emulator. The video below, summarizes some of those key design points.

The source code for the I/O 2014 app is being released under an open source license. This means that more than just a reference, developers will be able to use code snippets to kickstart their own apps. Those interested in learning more about the different API and features in this app should keep tabs on the Android Developers Blog, source link below, as Google will be sharing more details about the app in the coming weeks.

SOURCE: Google (1), (2)

Story Timeline

• Google I/O 2014 app goes live


• Android L and Material Design: tactile, bold, dynamic


• All sessions from Google I/O 2014 now available online

Milk Music premium service now available for Galaxy owners

Streaming music services are the In thing now when it comes to listening to songs on your mobile device. Samsung launched Milk Music earlier this year, exclusive for Galaxy owners in the US. And following in the footsteps of most other music apps like Spotify, Rhapsody, Beats, etc, they are now offering a premium service for those who want to have additional features aside from those in the free service.

When Milk Music was launched last March, their distance advantage over other music services is that they are ad-free. While that is still true up to this day, even with the launch of the premium option, there is a disclaimer on the app page that it’s for a limited time only. What the premium service offers in addition to the free features is that users will now have unlimited song skips (for when a Pitbull song inexplicably comes up in your rock station). They will also now have the option to turn off the DJ commentary if they start becoming too talkative and annoying). It also has a Sleep Timer if you want the app to pause after a certain time has elapsed. It also gives you a chance to listen to some of the stations even while you’re offline.

Compared to other music streaming apps though, Milk Music is still very limited. It’s only available for those who have Samsung Galaxy phones or tablets and is limited to the US only (although a lot of those service started out like that as well). What makes it a little different is that it has a customizable dial, that will give you a feeling of nostalgia for when you used something like that to switch radio stations.

If you are a Galaxy owner and would like to try this exclusive music app, you can download Milk Music from the Google Play Store. The premium service will charge you $3.99 per month.

Story Timeline

• Samsung's Milk Music: a free streaming music service for Galaxy devices


• Samsung Milk Music will soon milk users for ad-free subsistence

Samsung patents rounder smartwatch, wrist strap charging

Clearly Samsung isn't done yet with smartwatches, though now it's more a question of whether it will go with more Android Wear or stick to Tizen. Whichever OS it chooses, it might already have a design in mind, as seen in new patents filed last March, showing smartwatches with less angular faces and a charging connector built into the wrist strap.

Look to our smartwatch and Android Wear tag portals for more wearable bits and bites!

Except for the watch face, the overall design of these smartwatches seem to make a return to the Galaxy Gear aesthetic, particularly the strap. This is even more apparent with the presence of a camera on the strap, something that Samsung "fixed" in the Gear 2, where the camera was relocated to the frame of the watch itself, leaving the strap free to be swapped with other colors and styles. That said, the presence of a camera clues us in that this might actually not be intended for Android Wear, as Google's wearable platform currently doesn't make provisions for cameras. If so, then Samsung might be going with Tizen again on this one, which will surely sour relationships between the two companies even more.

The rounder faces of these smartwatches are notable in themselves. At the moment, only the Moto 360 has, or will have, that kind of display and its usability has yet to be tested in the real world. It seems, however, that Samsung is also a believer in this circular form. That said, it seems to also have a fallback, a watch face variant that is more quadrilateral but still sports rounded corners and curved edges. How the smartwatch will charge is also an interesting point, which again could hint that this is a Tizen design. Current Android Wear devices have the charging pins located at the back. Though Samsung's Gear 2 family follows the same convention, it is more free to change things on its own when it comes to Tizen. In this case, the pins are located on one end of the strap, which makes one wonder about the form of the actual charger itself. Hopefully it means more cumbersome cradles.

Of course, these are merely patents, which is no guarantee of an actual device, interesting as they are. Samsung is practically just calling dibs on these designs. Given its push for wearable technologies, however, it could very well make it into an actual product line. The company has also recently trademarked the name "Gear S" in the US, which could be what the rumored SIM-toting Gear Solo would be called. At the moment, there is no rumor yet if Samsung has any upcoming smartwatch in the works, but we could likely hear whispers about it this coming IFA Congress in September.

VIA: SlashGear, SamMobile

SOURCE: Mobilegeeks.de

Story Timeline

• Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo hands-on


• Samsung Gear Solo rumored to have a SIM card slot


• Samsung Galaxy Gear gets a one way ticket to Tizen

CASE Remote: Android device as wireless DSLR controller

Even with the advent of mobile photography due to the massive improvement of smartphone cameras, there is still nothing better for old school photographers than to have a DSLR in their hands. But sometimes, lugging around and controlling that massive camera can be a pain in the neck, especially when you’re trying to get a rather difficult shot. CASE Remote wants to help solve that problem by turning your Android device into a wireless remote controller for your DSLR.

The small 2x2 device may look like the power adaptor of a Macbook but serves as the connection between your DSLR and your Android smartphone or tablet. You mount it on top of the camera using a hot shoe or 1/4 screw hole. Then you download the CASE app on your device, and you’re all set to remotely control your camera. You will get a live view of what can be found on the DSLR’s viewfinder and you can also control several settings, including focus, magnification, aperture and other parameters. You can also set it up so that the GPS will be embedded in the photo.

Once you’ve captured the image, you can now directly share it with your friends (or touch it up with your photo editor of choice) on your different apps and social networks. CASE Remote is very convenient to have if you want to take weird or difficult angled shots, macro photography, wildlife photography (you don’t really want to be up close and personal with some animals right?) and even for the time lapse effect. Their site indicates that they support Canon and Nikon DSLRs but they say that is still not the complete list, so we can expect more updates soon.

The creators of CASE Remote have already reached their target goal on IndieGoGo with over 400 backers but they opened up Round Two to try and get more people on board. They have finished mass production and plan to ship it out to their backers by next month. Then by September, they will be selling it online, so even if you didn’t back them up, you can still purchase this wireless DSLR remote for your photography pleasure.

SOURCE: IndieGoGo

Nokia Z Launcher sees first update, welcomes new testers

Nokia, yes the real Nokia or what's left of it, has just announced the first ever major update to the pre-beta version of its search-centric self-learning Z Launcher homescreen replacement. In this round, the developers have implemented a few of the most requested features and ironed out some kinks to performance and the launcher's learning abilities.

Z Launcher tries to make it easy to find your apps, contacts, and even web searches, using drawing gestures to spell out words. However, it wasn't so straightforward to actually manage them. This update changes that, somewhat. First up is the new ability to configure your Favorites, the four apps that appear at the bottom, via drag and drop, said to be the #2 most requested feature from users. However, the implementation isn't exactly as obvious as you might think. You will have to tap and hold on the icon of the app, not the name, to start the process. Also note that there is only a maximum of 4 apps allowed on the Favorites. Even if it looks like the existing icons are moving around to make room for the new one, it will really just be replaced.

The other feature is the ability to hide apps from the suggestions listed on the homescreen. You can do this by tapping and holding on the name, not the icon this time, and then tapping on the hide option at the right edge. This same gesture will give users an Uninstall option when done from the full Applications list. To unhide an app, that is to allow it be listed again, go to the Applications list, look for the app, tap and hold (on the name), and select Unhide.

Z Launcher has also gained some optimizations in how it tries to learn from the habits and patterns of users. For example, now it takes into account WiFi SSIDs so that it will learn about and suggest different apps depending on the network you're connected to. It also tries to get deeper insight into how you use your phone and your apps to be able to make better suggestions. Some people might be uncomfortable with this aspect of the launcher but, since this is part of the bread and butter of Z Launcher, they might as well look for something else.

Z Launcher is still in limited pre-beta status, but Nokia is opening the testing stage to more willing users, of course still a bit limited. Those who want to apply for the trial should take note of two requirements. The first is that you need to have a Google Account. The second is that Z Launcher currently doesn't support root, so if you have a rooted device, better wait for the day that it will.

SOURCE: Z Launcher (1), (2)

The Best Free Android Apps in Amazon's New Two-Day Giveaway

The Amazon Appstore already gives away one free app each day, but today it's decided give away 30 apps, worth a combined total of $100, for free to anyone with an Android phone. Here are the pick of the bunch that you should download first.

Read more...

Verizon releases Kyocera Brigadier with Sapphire Shield

With rumours swirling about that the new iPhone will be using sapphire crystal glass for its display screen among others, it seems that another OEM has gotten ahead of them. Verizon has officially announced that the Kyocera Brigadier, which has the sought after Sapphire Shield, is now available exclusively with the carrier.

While the Japanese brand may not be at the forefront of mobile devices, Kyocera released a teaser video a few days ago showing just how tough the sapphire display really is. The Brigadier specs are not on par with most new Android phones now, but it is pretty decent. It has a 4.5-inch screen with a 720p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and runs on a 1.4GHz quad core SOC.

But remember that Kyocera manufactures smartphones that are for rough terrain and this one is no different as it has a lot of great ruggedisation features. It has IP68 dust and water resistance and can be submerged up to 30 minutes in six feet of water without suffering any damage. It is US MIL-STD-810G-rated which means it has protection against several environmental conditions like strong vibration and temperature extremes. But of course everyone is looking forward to the Sapphire Shield, which is "virtually scratchproof" and can even survive if you drop it screen-first onto rocks below.

Verizon is offering the Brigadier at $99 under a 2-year agreement and at $19.99/month if you want to split it into 20 payments. The price is not bad, despite the aforementioned simple specs, since you could expect to keep the phone for years due to its "rugged good looks".

SOURCE: Verizon

LG G Vista arrives with Verizon Wireless

After few leaked photos and details, Verizon Wireless has officially launched the LG G Vista, which comes with a 5.7-inch qHD display (960 x 540) and Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The phablet is slightly larger than the 5.5-inch LG G3, but share the similar back buttons design.

Available at $99.99 with 2 year service contract, the G Vista is powered by a 1.2GHz quad core processor. If you would like to get it without contract, the full retail price will be $399.99. Other specs include a 1.5GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi a/b/g/n and a 3200 mAh Li-Ion battery. Although there isn’t any specific processor info on the Verizon page, the LG G Vista’s processor should be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 according to previous leaks.

Like LG G3, the G Vista has rear key control for power and volume adjustment. There is no Laser Auto Focus and dual LED flash on G Vista. Instead, it comes with a 8 megapixel camera, single LED flash and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera.

Along with the new minimalistic GUI with Android KitKat, LG’s unique tools like QuickMemo, QSlide 2.0, Knock Code and Mini View are available on G Vista too. Improving on KnockON, Knock Code allows you to set a pattern of taps to wake up and unlock your phone from standby mode.

Check out this page on Verizon Wireless for more info

Better Open With gives more knobs when opening files

It's great that Android doesn't tie you down to a specific app for different types of files, but sometimes the default "Complete Action With" behavior is annoying, if not limited. For those who want a bit more control over this part of the Android OS, Better Open With gives you better options, including the option not to do anything at all.

The Android platform is already powerful and flexible enough that it will present you with a list of compatible apps when opening a certain file type and even lets you set the default app for that action. However, there might be cases when you want to use a different app from time to time but having to choose an app every time can also be equally cumbersome. There are also times when you click on a link or file and don't realize that the Complete Action With window popped up. It is exactly for those situations that Better Open With was made.

When you select Better Open With as the default app for opening files, you do still get the Complete Action With window, except now you have a few more features available. For one, there is a configurable timeout that will automatically select your preferred app when you don't do anything after, say, 5 seconds. You can also set your favorite app for each file type right from Better Open With, so you won't have to wait for the system to ask you about it when the time comes. This gives you more flexibility when opening files but at the same time lets you be lazy and it will still take action even if you don't.

Better Open With also has other customizations options, like choosing between light and dark color schemes to match your theme or choosing between a list or a grid view when displaying available apps. The app is completely free, comes with no adds, but is still in beta. The developer already has a todo list of upcoming features, including basic ones like sorting apps, hiding apps, or even just more supported filetypes.

Download: Better Open With on Google Play Store

VIA: XDA

Marvel Contest of Champions game promises many things

The annual San Diego Comic Con just passed us by, so naturally some are up to their ears in news, gossip, and teasers on what's what or what will be what in the comics industry. Not to be outdone in the mobile industry as well, Marvel let it be known that it will have a mobile game coming this Fall. But will Contest of Champions be able to match up to the promises that it makes.

Contest of Champions is a one on one arcade-style fighting game. There will be attacks in three intensities of light, medium, and heavy. There will be also be combos and special powers. But we've seen that type of mobile game before. Marvel, however, promises that there will be no virtual buttons or joysticks to mash. Controls will be "intuitive", but that term has been misused and abused more times than we care to count. It can also mean anything. Hopefully it won't just be a twitch-based swiping disappointment that was Injustice.

Contest of Champions has multiplayer as well as RPG elements. Considering how much we're inundated with multiplayer games ranging from competing indirectly via leaderboards to dishing it out in arenas, we can perhaps be forgiven for being more interested in the RPG part of the equation. There will be a story mode, not just one that feels artificially slapped on, but one that is deep, engaging, and memorable. Or so Marvel says. In charge of this aspect of the game is Marvel's own Sam Humphries, responsible for such story arcs and titles such as Avengers A.I., Ultimates, Uncanny X-Force, and John Carter, just to name a few.

Contest of Champions will be based on a classic Marvel universe event of the same name. There have actually been two Contest of Champions, though we'll presume they were referring to the older 1982 one. After all, classic means classic, right? Either way, the basic premise of both series is the same: heroes and villains get to dish it out against each other in one on one battles, fighting either for the fate of the universe or for their very lives. Or even both. What this means, though, is that the mobile game will have a rich roster of Marvel characters to pull from. We already see some staples in the screenshots and the trailer below, including Captain America, The Vision, Spiderman, Mohawk Storm, Deadpool, The Hulk, Thor, Blackbolt, Daredevil and many, many more. There's a promise of more to come from teams such as the Avengers, Thunderbolts, X-Men, Inhumans, Guardians of The Galaxy, the Brotherhood, and X-Force.

This definitely sounds like a checklist for "the best Marvel mobile game ever" and we seriously hope that Marvel and mobile game developer Kabam, of The Hobbit and Wartune fame, will be able to live up to that. This isn't (yet) a movie tie-in, unlike Marvel's existing games, so there is hope that it will be different from all the Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America titles out there. In any case, expect Contest of Champions to burst into action sometime this Fall.

SOURCE: Marvel

VIA: Droid Gamers

Story Timeline

• Iron Man 3 game Review: what you need to know


• Injustice: Gods Among Us finally hits Android but isn't the game you were expecting


• Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a cel-shaded team-based action game


• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 game has you slinging over a gorgeous New York


• Spider-Man: Unlimited mobile game unveiled ahead of E3

Nokia XL updated with 4G LTE edition in China

Six months after the Nokia XL announcement, China Mobile and Nokia are launching the Nokia XL with 4G LTE connectivity in China. Sadly, the 4G LTE edition will not work elsewhere as it supports LTE Bands 38, 39 and 40 (TD-LTE or TD-SCDMA) only.

Other than added with 4G LTE supports, the Nokia XL is also updated with more RAM memory and a better processor. It now comes with 1GB RAM (768MB previously), and powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor instead of a 1Ghz dual core processor on the original Nokia XL. Interestingly while the Nokia XL 4G LTE edition measures in the same size, it is only weighted at 158 grams. The original Nokia XL is much heavier at 190 grams.

Other specifications remain the same, there is a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi b/g/n, 4GB internal storage and a microSD card slot.

Microsoft has recently announced that Nokia X series’ future products will be powered by Windows instead of a custom Android OS. The Nokia X2 introduced last month and Nokia XL 4G LTE edition are likely the last Android smartphones from Nokia.

VIA: GSMAreana

Story Timeline

• Nokia X2 improves on previous X models


• Select Nokia X designs to become Windows phones


• Nokia X update gives endangered phone one last hurrah

Root your LG G3 easily with PurpleDrake

If you have been using IOroot and TowelRoot to root your LG G3, check out the new PurpleDrake rooting tool on XDA forum. Created by IOMonster, jcase and autoprime, PurpleDrake supports most of the LG G3 variants on T-Mobile (D851), AT&T (D850), international model (D855) and more!

Available for Linux, OSX and Windows, the rooting process with the PurpleDrake is pretty straight forward. You would need to first enable the USB debugging option on your phone, download and run the appropriate tool for your OS. Note that if you got the LG G3 from Verizon Wireless (VS985), IOroot is the only tool you can rely on now.

Not all LG G3 variants are tested yet, you can refer to this spread sheets on Google Drive for a detailed compatibility list.

Unfortunately, the rooting process will trigger LG’s built in root flag, which will affect your phone warranty when you need to send it to service center. This can be solved by restoring the root flag to its original status. Check out this post for the full instructions.

DOWNLOAD: PurpleDrake-lite (for all) / PurpleDrake-full (for T-Mobile G3)

Backup your smartphone photos with SyncMe Wireless

While the smartphone cameras are still not as good as a professional digital camera, it is the most convenient tool for us to take a quick snapshot anytime. If you have already synced your camera photos with cloud storage services, here’s what you should do to add another layer of local backup with SyncMe Wireless app.

What you need:

- SyncMe Wireless on Google Play Store (free with IAP)

- A shared folder from your desktop or NAS

We will be skipping the steps to create a shared folder. Depending on whether you are using a desktop or NAS, SyncMe Wireless works with Windows shared folders, Samba on Linux and CIFS (SMB) protocol. Once you have prepared the shared folder for the photo backup, you can start to add scheduled backup job with the app in your Android smartphone.

Adding a computer

When you launch the SyncMe Wireless app for the first time, you need to first add a computer (or NAS) with the backup destination. You have to also make sure your phone is connected to the same network as the computer. Now choose “Add computer” and select “Computer Name”.

The app will scan the network and give you a list of the connected computers on the network. Next choose the computer you want to send the backup to. If a user account is needed, key in the user name and password after the computer is selected. You are ready to create a backup job!

Adding a Sync Folder

What we are going to do next is to add a scheduled backup job, running at 9pm every day. First, click on the computer name and select “Add sync folder”.

There are a few settings you would need to set:

- Device folder: choose the folder in your phone where the camera saves all the photos

- Computer folder: choose the backup destination on the computer or NAS

- Schedule: to schedule a 9pm daily backup job, you just need to set the “Run at” to 21:00

- Copy to: choose “Copy to computer only”, this will backup your photos to the computer

- Overwrite same name files: disable this option to skip the photos that have already been backed up previously. This will make the backup job much faster.

- Track deletions: default option is “No”, photos that you deleted on your smartphone won’t be removed from the backup

That’s it! You have now completed the setup and your photos will be backed up daily to your computer automatically! You can also run the backup job immediately with the “Run” option. Of course, this is just one of the example to use the SyncMe Wireless. The job scheduling options are good enough for all your other files to backup or sync with your home computer. Let us know if you have any questions!