GO Launcher 5 arrives, brings about a makeover

After much teasing and countdowns, GO Launcher has finally unveiled the latest version of this popular homescreen replacement. With GO Launcher EX 5, the app switches over to the flatter aesthetic of KitKat and the buttery smoothness of its own 3D graphics core.

More than anything else, GO Launcher 5 is a visual refresh, bringing its own widgets, icons, and design to match the flat, minimalist, and colorful tastes of Android 4.4. This is, of course most evident in the icons that GO Launcher uses for its settings, but it can also be felt all throughout the home screen and the app grid. Even the widgets that officially ship with GO Launcher have been updated to that same visual identity. Of course, there are other behavioral new features as well, like the side navigation panel in the Apps grid, which gives users access to Widgets, GO Launcher's own App Manager, and a new Hide App section.

When it teased its upcoming version upgrade, GO Launcher mentioned bringing in some smarts. This, however, apparently didn't mean the same level of intelligence as other "smart" learning homescreens. It mostly came in the form of Smart Cards, basically just tips that popped from below here and there to offer timely and relevant tips.

In almost everything else, GO Launcher remains the same, only better. You get the same penchant for sometimes over the top transition animations. You also have access to GO Launcher's own market ecosystem, which covers everything from widgets, themes, and even apps. All in all, you still get everything you may have enjoyed in GO Launcher, the freedom to configure and customize your homescreen just the way you like it. Only now everything is prettier to look at, at least by default.

There are actually many more new features, but most of them are hidden behind the paid Prime version. This includes things like ad removal, new transition animations, more gestures, a side dock, and even a very useful security lock to keep some apps private. The Prime version will cost you $5.99, either from Google Play Store directly or via in-app purchases. If, however, you do not need any of those features, then the free GO Launcher EX 5 might be enough for you.

Download: GO Launcher EX (Free), (Prime)

iOS 8 Concept Shows Just How Useful Widgets and Live Tiles Would Be

Designer Jay Machalani just posted a concept that explores how iOS could be vastly improved if app icons weren't just static blobs. Instead, they could be dynamic UI objects that behaved more like widgets in Android or Live Tiles in Windows Phone.

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BBM for Android 2.2 focuses on roping in new users

Things have been rather silent on the BBM front lately, but that's supposed to change today with the rolllout of the next version of its Android app. In version 2.2, BlackBerry is making it easier for more people to join in on the BBM fun.

They say that one of the best ways to get people to, sometimes mindlessly, sign up for a service is to make it feel or look like they don't need to sign up at all. This is one of the key points behind single sign-on features like Google or Facebook on some sites and apps. But since BlackBerry obviously can't resort to that, it is doing the next best thing: reducing the requirements. Now anyone who wants to become a certified BBM user only need to provide a name, an email address, and a password. Of course, later on you might be required to open up an email to verify the account, but as far as getting started is concerned, that's all there is to it. BlackBerry is also making it a lot easier to add friends by throwing away the need for a PIN. Simply click on the link in the email request and you're BBM buddies instantly. Cue privacy and security worries.

The 2.2 update will also be bringing in some interface changes. This includes the very simple but meaningful relabeling of the "Updates" tab to "Feeds", to make it jive more with common parlance that refers to social networking posts from friends. There is also a new batch of emoticons, 16 in total, including those iconic see, hear, nor speak no evil monkeys.

BBM version 2.2 for Android is now rolling out. Since the update makes use of Google Play Store's staged rollout, arrival time will, of course, vary between markets and regions.

Download: BBM on Google Play Store

SOURCE: BlackBerry

Story Timeline

• BBM updated to allow you to 'Find Friends' on the service or invite others


• BBM rolls out 'Voice' and 'Channels', allows for better Dropbox integration


• BlackBerry releases BBM for Android for Gingerbread devices


• Blackberry updating BBM to allow for larger file sharing, bigger emoticons


• BBM 2.1 update adds stickers, group photo sharing, more

Amber Gold HTC One (M8) gets a one-day 50 percent price drop

HTC is having a one-day sale on the Amber Gold One (M8). The discounted handset is available direct from HTC and those considering a purchase will be able to pick from three carrier branded models. Those three carriers include AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

This deal is available for today (May 30, 2014) only and means a 50 percent drop in price. The handset is selling for $99. And to clarify -- that is $99 on a two-year agreement. Also included is the Google Drive storage offer which gives 65GB of Drive storage free for two-years.

Aside from the drop in price, and the Amber Gold color -- this is the same HTC One (M8) that you are likely already familiar with. Basically, that is to say the handset sports a 5-inch Full HD 1080p display and is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with the Duo Camera setup. The One (M8) is running Kit Kat with HTC's Sense 6 user interface.

The HTC Advantage plan is also being offered here. The Advantage plan covers the first 6-months of device ownership. There are a handful of perks associated with the Advantage plan, however one that seems to stand out is the free (one-time) replacement for a cracked screen.

Those considering the HTC One (M8) and looking for more information should make sure to check our earlier coverage which included some hands-on time as well as some tips and tricks.

SOURCE: HTC

Story Timeline

• HTC One (M8) with Verizon getting minor software update


• HTC One (M8) update hits Canada first


• HTC One M8 variants can also get the Harman Kardon effect


• HTC One M8 gets a 24 carat gold coating via Goldgenie


• HTC One M8 gets official Paranoid Android 4 test builds


• HTC One M8 seen in red and blue


• AT&T discounts the Fitbit for those purchasing an HTC One (M8)

Check Out Android Wear In Action on a Prototype LG Smartwatch

When Google announced its Android Wear smartwatch program, we got some slick little teasers detailing how it might look. We've seen bits of the interface and close-ups of hardware mock-ups. But never all the pieces at once, until now.

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LG G Watch, Android Wear detailed in new video

The LG G Watch, which can be claimed as the first Android Wear device, was recently run through its paces in London. Via a German website, we get our first look at the G Watch. Up close, personal, and working, the G Watch is detailed below, so check it out!

We’ll first say that neither the hardware or software can be counted on as final, so take that into consideration before judging to harshly. What we do find is a watch with a very square design, that has some sharp lines and distinct styling. The band merges seamlessly into the body, and those components making up the body fit together quite nicely. From a hardware perspective, it’s polarizing, but nice.

Software is the real attraction for an Android Wear device, and the G Watch gives us a look at it. As expected, Google Now makes a prominent appearance, essentially providing a home base for the platform. Aside from voice control, it looks to have a very crude card-based interface. Scrolling looks to be a bit jerky, but again — this is a beta product, so we won’t be too unkind.

It’s a sharp handset, with little breaking up design but the pin charger under the body. We’re curious what you think, though: are you excited for this one, or waiting to see what Motorola has up their sleeve (pun intended)? Le us know in the comments section below!

Source: AppDated

Story Timeline

• LG G Watch with Android Wear gets an official unveil


• Motorola introduces the Moto 360, their 'Android Wear' smartwatch


• Android Wear: how notifications will work


• Android Wear: what we've learned so far


• How to respond to a message with Android Wear


• LG G Watch ad tries to whet your Android Wear appetite

HTC One E8, or One (M8) Ace, now on sale in China

The HTC One (M8) Ace we’ve been seeing around has been officially unveiled, and is known as the One E8 in China. using plastic rather than the metal unibody construction, HTC aims to offer a more budget-friendly flagship to the Chinese market. In doing so, they may have undercut the competition, giving the emerging Chinese market one important feature others aren’t.

The spec sheet for the HTC One E8 reads like any other modern flagship, housing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 and Android 4.4. Sense 6.0 makes an apprearance, naturally, and a 5MP camera sits up front. Those Boomsound front facing speakers we love so much also pop up, and the device is LTE compatible.

What the device lacks versus its metal big brother is the Dual Camera. It also forgoes the Ultrapixel offering, instead opting for a 13MP shooter in the back. The flash sits where the secondary camera on the One (M8) is, leading us to believe the overall dimensions are just about the same.

The website doesn’t list the screen size, but it’s likely the same 5-inch display we find on the One (M8). Pricing is also a mystery at this point, but the plastic shell should jettison more than weight — the price should be a touch lower than the One (M8), which would undercut the competition severely. Right now, it’s not known if this device will make its way outside of China, so we’ll patiently wait on word of the US variant.

Source: HTC China

Story Timeline

• HTC One (M8) "Ace" could have plastic body, lower price


• HTC One M8 seen in red and blue


• HTC One M8 "Ace" M8St seen with plastic at TENAA