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Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G LTE now available for pre-order in the US

Huawei has released another handset for those in the US market. The device is one we first saw back in January, during CES, the Ascend Mate2 4G LTE. Pre-orders will be available through the GetHuawei.com website and those interested should be prepared to shell out $299.

The device is selling unlocked and contract-free, which is really just another way of saying you'll need to buy the handset and then grab an activated SIM card. The handset supports GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and LTE on bands 2,4,5 and 17. Or put a bit simpler, you should be looking towards AT&T and/or T-Mobile as opposed to Sprint and/or Verizon Wireless.

Specs include a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The Ascend Mate2 is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8928 processor and has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a memory card slot that supports cards up to 32GB in size. There is also a 3900 mAh battery, 5MP front-facing camera and 13MP rear-facing camera.

Huawei has the Ascend Mate2 running Android 4.3 with the EMUI 2.0 Lite interface on top. There is also the option to grab the handset in white or black. Bottom line here, Huawei has launched the GetHuawei.com website and made the Ascend Mate2 4G LTE available for those in the US market.

To make this more of a tempting offer, Huawei is offering a few freebies for those who pre-order before June 22.

"For the launch of the Ascend Mate2, consumers who pre-order a device between now and June 22 will receive a SIM card with a free month of service and an additional bonus – a phone case to protect their Ascend Mate2. In addition to the SIM card and phone case, consumers purchasing an Ascend Mate2 will also receive lifetime 20GB of online storage free from Bitcasa."

SOURCE: PR Newswire

Google Voice app update adds international call warning

Google has updated the Voice app for Android. But before anyone gets super excited about new features or new functionality -- this is a small update. The Google Voice app is being bumped from 0.4.2.82 to version 0.4.3.8.

Even the version number suggests a minor change. It seems the main change this time around deals with Google Voice call settings -- specifically dealing with international calling. Upon updating Voice users will see a message about making international calls with Google Voice.

"When you make international calls using Google Voice, we will announce that the call is placed via Google and the rate of the call. If you do not hear this announcement, your call is not being routed via Google Voice and standard operator rates may apply."

That message is displayed as a pop-up when you launch the newly updated app. Also included on the pop-up is an option to simply acknowledge and say "ok" or head to the "Call Settings" to make any necessary adjustments. Perhaps more important to remember is the standard warning that has been sitting in the Play Store description for Voice for as long as we can remember.

Google reminds users they "must open Google Voice at least once after upgrading to route calls." Bottom line here, regardless of how small this update may be, or whether you intend to make any international calls -- if it updates on your device you should make sure to launch the app just to ensure things are working the way you would expect.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

Angry Birds Epic now available in the Play Store

Rovio began teasing Angry Birds Epic earlier in the year. It was back in March when we learned Epic would be turn-based RPG style game. Rovio released a trailer video in March, and even released the game in select markets. And in a bit of good news for those who had been waiting -- Angry Birds Epic is now available on a global basis.

The game is available from the Google Play Store -- and as was expected, it has arrived as free to play. Of course, as we often see with free games -- there are some in-app purchases available. Having said that, Rovio touts Angry Birds Epic as being a game with epic battles, epic worlds, epic characters, and more.

Basically, lots and lots of epic. You'll still find the characters (birds, pigs and more) that have become familiar from the other Angry Birds releases. But on the flip side, those playing Epic will not be slinging any of those characters. As one would expect with a RPG style game -- there is a bit more of a storyline this time around. Anyway, those playing will be collecting and upgrading weapons and using magic.

The Play Store listing for the game shows it being compatible with devices running Android 2.3.3 or later. Angry Birds Epic can be found using this Google Play Store link.

ZTE reveals the Grand S Pro; high performance, low cost

ZTE is announcing a new device today, the Grand S Pro. Set for release on US Cellular, the Grand S Pro delivers top-end performance at a rock-bottom price. For $99 with a two year contract, US Cellular customers can get LTE service and quad-core Snapdragon performance.

Lixin Cheng, Chairman and CEO of ZTE USA, says “The Grand S Pro proves that it is possible to deliver a high-performing device, without the high price tag.” Is he right? Here all the full specs to help you decide:

Battery: Lithium Ion 2300mAh battery with up to 10 hours of talk time (approx.)

Camera: Rear-facing 13 MP with auto focus and 2 MP front-facing

Dimensions: 5.6”x2.8”x0.4”

Display: 5.0” 720x1280 HD capacitive touch screen with Dragontail glass

Memory: 2GB RAM / 8GB ROM; Supports MicroSD cards up to 32GB

Network: CDMA 1xDoRa Cell, 4G LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B17

OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Processor: 2.3GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8974AB (800)

Video: 1080p HD

Weight: 5.48oz

Wi-Fi: 2.4G/5G dual-band 802.111 a/b/g/n/ac

Spec heavy and lightly priced, the ZTE Grand S Pro is one to keep an eye on next time you’re looking for a solid performer. If you’re not interested in a contracted price ZTE tells us the Grand S Pro will be a mere $249.99 off contract. That’s pretty special, considering the spec sheet.

ZTE has built a great reputation as an OEM, positioning themselves among the top manufacturers of mobile device in the world. Whether or not they can make an impact in a crowded US market remains to be seen, but devices like this should help.

Okay Google: Take me to the World Cup

In about a few hours, the whole football world is going to get crazy as the World Cup 2014 kicks-off in Brazil. With all the apps and social media sites doing their best to get “World Cup-ified”, Google is getting in on the action, giving users various ways to keep updated with the world’s biggest football event, from the comfort of their own screens.

Just type in World Cup on Google search and it will automatically give you information about the ongoing match, including line-ups, live scores, who scored the latest goals and even stats for relevant players. You don’t even have to click on any link, the information will automatically appear on the Google search card. But you don’t even need to search on Google if you’re using Google Now on your mobile phone. Just set it up in a way that you add your favourite teams when you customise your Sports in Google Now.

Screenshot 2014-06-12 14.50.26

If you’re interested in knowing what the world is thinking about during this whole month of World Cup action, you can use Google Trends. Just go to google.com/worldcup and you’ll see through cute infographics what people are searching for or their opinions on certain incidents, players and matches.

Lastly, if you’re hankering to see what Brazil actually looks like without needing to buy a plane ticket to fly there, Street View in Google Maps will give you access to all 12 stadiums where the matches will be played. Or if you’re not really interested in the football but would like to see the streets of Brazil, you can take a tour of hundreds of iconic tourist destinations around the country. And if you’re actually there in Brazil, Google Maps will be your best friend as you navigate your way around the 12 host cities.

World Cup Maps

Source: Google

Sony Xperia Z2 starts getting CyanogenMod 11 nightlies

Joining the army of CyanogenMod-supported devices, the Sony Xperia Z2 now has CM11 nightly builds generated for the device. This will allow more adventurous owners of Sony's 2014 flagship to test how CM11 fares on this smartphone, hopefully paving the way for more stable releases in the future.

The CM11 nightly is the latest in a series of good news for tweakers, tinkerers or those who just love to squeeze out everything that they can from their device. Before the Xperia Z2 was even available for the public, it was already rooted thanks to the efforts of XDA member DooMLoRD. A week later, this was followed by the availability of a CWM-based Touch Recovery for its tablet sibling, the Xperia Z2 Tablet, which would allow more things to be done with it. And now we're back again to the smartphone, with these freshly baked Xperia Z2 nightlies for those who love Sony's hardware but would prefer some other Android version running on top.

That said, what these three processes have in common is the need for an unlocked bootloader. Normally, Sony has been a good community player and has provided an official way to unlock their devices' bootloaders. Unfortunately, in almost four months since the device was announced, the Xperia Z2 has yet to appear in Sony's list of supported devices. It would be depressing to think that Sony has ceased its laudable practice with the Xperia Z1 and its kin, so we'll just presume that they're running into some technical difficulties.

That said, and given that most users cannot yet install CM11 with considerably less risk, it isn't yet time for merry-making. At this early stage, CyanogenMod 11, no matter how light it is, is unlikely to perform faster or better than Sony's Android flavor. There are also known bugs and showstoppers. Nightlies also don't mean there will be a stable CM11 release for the Xperia Z2 in the future, as that will still depend on the judgment of the device's maintainers.

VIA: Xperia Blog

Best Android apps for your World Cup experience

The World Cup is probably one of the world’s biggest sporting event and anticipation is at an all-time high as it is hours away from kicking off. Happening only once every four years, the 2014 edition promises to be the most social media crazy one so far. We want to share with you what are the most popular and useful ones based on Google Play Store downloads.

Of course the official app from FIFA would rank high above the list, boasting of exclusive coverage and content so you can keep up-to-date with the latest scores, developments and news about your favourite teams. It also has in-depth profiles of each of the 32 countries competing in the finals, as well as the players from each team. You can also build your own fantasy football team and compete with other users’ own picks. There are also contests you can join, like the chance to win the kick-off ball from each of the matches.

FIFA

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, the top is not the official one, but Jalvasco World Cup 2014, which is the first search result when you’re looking for a World Cup app. It contains not just the scores but the match details as well, like line-ups, substitutions, cards, etc. It also has previous World Cup history and even news about the next ones, to be held in Russia in 2018 and the controversial Qatar edition in 2022. The app also lets you look at the results even when you’re offline.

Jalvasco World Cup 2014

Another important app if your local TV or cable subscriber doesn’t carry the World Cup or if you’re mobile during the matches is WatchESPN. They will stream all the 4 matches of the tournament so if you have fast mobile data or WiFi, you’re set. However, it is only available in the US and for those who are subscribed to their participating providers. So you’d have to rely on their other app, ESPN Sports Center, for news and score updates if you’re not near a TV. The app will also have post-match videos that are easily shareable on your social networks and also boasts of deep Twitter integration.

WatchESPN and ESPN Sports Cente