Pebble Steel coming to Best Buy June 15 at reduced price

Pebble Steel, the latest model of the popular smartwatch Pebble, will be available at their very first retail partner, Best Buy this coming June 15. Even better, the newest version with its stainless steel and glass body, will be sold at a reduced price of $229 while the original Pebble will be available in a new color for $149.

From the time it launched in January of this year at the Consumer Electronic Show, the Pebble Steel has become one of the most popular smartwatches around. Just like its original incarnation, it is also water-resistant, simple, easy to use, employs rich notifications and the battery lasts for almost a week. For now, it only has two types of finishes: Brushed Stainless and Black Matte with both having a black leather strap. For those who want their watch face and bands to match, you can purchase the respective watchbands as a separate accessory.

Best Buy spokesperson Carly Charlson said that one of the reasons why they’re partnering with Pebble once again, being the first to sell it in their stores, is that this is a product which people have to experience it firsthand before deciding whether or not to buy it. Pebble has also started a hashtag #TinyMomentsofAwesome so people can share their personal stories on how the smartwatch has enhanced their digital mobile experience.

Pebble has also added a new color, Arctic White, to its original variants of Cherry Red and Jet Black. The Pebble smartwatches will be available at Best Buy retail stores, Best Buy Mobile and their online store as well. The devices can also be bought through the Pebble website, getpebble.com, also at reduced prices.

SOURCE Pebble

Story Timeline

• Pebble: 400,000 in sales since January 2013


• Pebble availability expands to Target with Arctic White model


• Pebble: five apps worth checking out

Copy Bubble app adds on-screen bubble to manage your copied items

It wasn't all that long back when we saw a new app bring bubbles for links. That app was called Link Bubble. But more to the point for today -- the Play Store has gotten another bubble named app. This one is for copying from the clipboard and called Copy Bubble.

Copy Bubble is as the name would suggest. The app puts a bubble on your display, and that bubble keeps track of what you are copying. When you first install/launch the app your bubble will have a zero. That number will then grow as you begin copying text. The app also keeps track of when you copy images.

Once your number grows from 0 -- a tap of the bubble will open the interface. From that point you will be able to re-copy to paste in another application, share it out to another application, and also delete items. The app is pretty simple overall, but seems like it will be welcomed by those who are frequently copying and pasting items from app to app. If nothing else Copy Bubble gives a good place to keep items you are currently working with.

Having said that, the app is pretty new and has only received a few comments. Most of those deal with the inability to hide the bubble from view. It would be nice to see the developer to take note and maybe make some changes in future releases. But for now, the Copy Bubble app is available for free and can be found using this Google Play Store link.

VIA: The Next Web

Story Timeline

• New Android app Link Bubble saves you time, frustration when browsing

US Cellular Galaxy Note II Android 4.4.2 rollout begins

US Cellular began pushing Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat to the Galaxy S III back in late-May. And as of today, another US Cellular branded Samsung device is getting the same treatment. Simply put, the Galaxy Note II Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat update has begun.

Along with the bump to 4.4.2, the Galaxy Note II will end up sitting with baseband version R950VXUCNE2 once the update has been installed. Similar to other US Cellular updates -- those with a Galaxy Note II will be able to grab the update over-the-air, or connected to a computer using Kies.

The update is the same regardless of the option you choose, and taking the over-the-air approach is the simpler of the two. Of course, opting for over-the-air sometimes means a little bit of waiting. You can head to Settings -> About Device - Software Update to try and get the process started manually, but otherwise, you may want to simply keep an eye out for the update notification.

In terms of the update itself, one of the smaller, but more noticeable items will be the white status bar icons. In addition, US Cellular touts this update as bringing a more user-friendly interface, faster multi-tasking, wireless printing capabilities, and a new messaging experience. Of course, those who stay current with app updates may already be experiencing some of the new messaging experience because that comes from Hangouts.

VIA: Android Police

SOURCE: US Cellular

Story Timeline

• US Cellular Galaxy S5 pre-orders arriving with Google Play Store perk


• AT&T and US Cellular Galaxy S5 pre-orders begin today


• Samsung Galaxy S5 from Verizon and US Cellular to sport anti-theft features


• US Cellular 4G LTE expansion plans detailed


• US Cellular Galaxy S III getting Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat

Firefox OS apps can run on Android, behave like native apps

If, for some inexplicable reason, you've been pining for some of those apps exclusive to Firefox OS, then pine no more as they are no longer exclusive. At least some of them no longer are. With the arrival of the stable Firefox for Android version 29, Android users will now be able to run Firefox OS apps almost seamlessly on Android and behave like any other Android app.

This is all through the magic of the Open Web Apps, which is practically Mozilla's fancy term for web apps that were written with Firefox OS in mind. It isn't surprising that Firefox OS apps are written in the languages that build up the Web itself, Mozilla's primary platform. These basically mean HTML5 and Javascript and libraries that can speak to hardware using those, like WebGL. But Open Web Apps aren't confined to a browser window, at least not on Firefox OS and not on Android.

OWA apps,if we can call them that, that can run on Android behave like proper Android apps, at least in as far as app management is concerned. They appear as regular apps in your app launcher. They can be seen from the recent apps list. And they can be uninstalled using the normal app removal methods, either via your app launcher or via the Settings app. In short, for all intents and purpose, a Firefox OS app shouldn't be any different from Android apps written in the native Java (or in some cases, C/C++) language. Whether or not they actually look and feel like Android apps or run as fast as one is a totally different question. Perhaps it could be easy to pull off for something like a game, as seen in the video below, since they don't follow standard Android UI conventions.

Of course, this expansion into Android's turf plays out well for Mozilla. Since the Web is their bread and butter, they would naturally want developers to write web apps instead of native ones, whether for the desktop or for mobile. The ability to run on Android gives such developers the assurance that they will not be limiting their audience by opting to do it Mozilla's way. Of course, it will all boil down to how many of those developers will be willing to switch over to languages and tools that are practically used only on an OS that very few use or even know about.

SOURCE: Mozilla

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with curved display, Gear Glass expected at IFA

Come IFA in Fall, Samsung will have two interesting, if not somewhat unconventional, devices in store for the audience. During the annual event, the manufacturer is expected to unveil not only its own Google Glass competitor but also a curved version of the Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung has long been rumored to be preparing a smart spectacle and recent patent filings have hinted as much. It won't be surprising either. Samsung has already tried to beat Google at the smartwatch market by coming out first with the Galaxy Gear and then the Gear 2 and Gear Fit, even before the Android maker itself was ready to show Android Wear to the world. And while Google still hasn't brought Google Glass to market, Samsung still has a window of opportunity to put its product out there first and make it more familiar to consumers before Google can. The question, of course, is whether Samsung will be able to match the polish that Google is putting on Glass, both in hardware and most importantly in software. Judging by the "Gear Glass" moniker, we can expect this wearable to run at least on Tizen, a mobile platform that has yet to prove itself in the real world.

Samsung's other product will be no less sensational. According to a source, the company will be outing a curved Galaxy Note 4. Given the rather unsuccessful foray into the curved device category exemplified by the Galaxy Round, it is quite puzzling to hear Samsung taking such a path with its next premiere S-Pen phablet. The good news is that it will supposedly be something like an exclusive edition alongside a normal flat Galaxy Note 4 meant for the masses. Depending on how Samsung ends up curving this smartphone, it could very well flop even harder than the Galaxy Round. The Note series of devices is popular for their stylus, and it will be hard to imagine anyone writing or doodling comfortably on an uneven surface.

Of course, neither description nor date for either device should be given complete and infallible trust, as this information comes only via a leak. To be exact, it comes from Korean media who is citing an executive of a company that is a Samsung partner, whose exact nature of partnership nor its relationship to Samsung's smartphone business is a complete mystery. That said, should the two devices indeed arrive on the stage together, we can expect that the Gear Glass will enjoy an initial period of exclusivity with the Galaxy Note 4, just like the other Gear wearables before it.

VIA: SlashGear, Korea Times

Story Timeline

• Samsung patent filing details Google Glass competitor


• Samsung "Gear Glass" wearable rumored for Fall appearance


• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 leak: QHD of unknown size, 16MP OIS

Samsung unveils accessories for new Galaxy Tab S

Any self-respecting product launch, especially one from leading global gadget manufacturers like Samsung, would not be complete without the accompanying accessories to match its premium products. And at the South Korean smartphone giant’s Premiere 2014 event in New York City today, they also unveiled a number of accessories that come with its high end Galaxy Tab S tablets.

First up is what Samsung calls the “Book Cover” for the Tab S, which serves both as a regular cover and case and doubling as a viewing stand for the tablet. The Book Cover, when configured as a viewing stand, provides users with three different viewing angles for the times when you would want to just view movies and videos without holding the tablet aloft. Another cover, which Samsung calls the “Simple Cover”, is a more pedestrian version of the cover accessory and just provides protection for the device.

The cover accessories are also available for the 8.4 variant of the Galaxy Tab S, if you were wondering. Please admire these pictures below.

An interesting add-on to the already feature-laden Galaxy Tab S is the “Bluetooth Keyboard” accessory. Samsung claims that the keyboard offers basically what a laptop keyboard does, converting your Tab + Keyboard combo into a veritable netbook, or at the very least, a more “work-friendly” version of the tablet.

Lastly, there is Samsung’s Level Series sound accessories – headphones and speakers – that users can choose from as add-on to their tablets.

The Galaxy Tab S comes in two variants, a 10.5-inch full tablet and a smaller 8.4-inch one. Both of the variants are designed with vibrant Super AMOLED displays for all the eye-candy that you want displayed on your tablet. The pair is expected to shake up the high-end tablet market, with their premium features and gorgeous-looking displays. At the very least, it gives Samsung two Super AMOLED tablets to boast on in its line-up, as most of its earlier tablet offerings have been ordinary at best.

SOURCE: Samsung

Story Timeline

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S leak: thin, sleek but heavy


• T-Mobile Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 leaked with phone function


• Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5: thin, light, and vivid

OnePlus One starts shipping today

Perhaps we were too quick to jump the gun on OnePlus' explained delay. Just a day after Cyanogen's ciwrl divulged the reason for the delay, OnePlus has now given the green light for shipping the first batch of OnePus One smartphone to the by now super eager and excited exclusive recipients.

The delay was blamed on new OpenSSL bugs that were disclosed just last week. Although some security analysts claims that these issues are considerably less severe than the notorious Heartbleed bug, OnePlus decided not to take any chances. It teamed up with Cyanogen, Inc, who was providing the custom CyanogenMod 11S running on the smartphone, to quickly patch things up. And quickly they indeed delivered.

OnePlus was happy to report that the CyanogenMod team was able to speedily fix those issues in time, causing only very minimal delay. At least relative to when they actually publicly announced the reasons for it. OnePlus has now also sent out emails telling the exclusive club of lucky recipients that their precious OnePlus One device has been packaged, shipped, and on its way.

OnePlus does end with a note that should remind fans, both present and future, of what to expect from the company. Compared to other players in the market, and even compared to its "parent" company OPPO, OnePlus is pretty much a startup who is still earning its sea legs and fine-tuning its processes. Fortunately for users, all such future updates and fixes will no longer stall any production line and will be delivered by the tried and true OTA method, as it should have been in the first place.

VIA: OnePlus

Story Timeline

• OnePlus One arrives promising to never settle for second best


• OnePlus send first round of invitations to buy One


• OnePlus One delay blamed on new OpenSSL bugs