Pullshot helps organize screenshots on your phone

Screenshots on your mobile device are easy to do, but can sometimes be difficult to handle. It’s okay if you just occasionally take a screenshot here and there, but if it’s part of your job or you’re just a compulsive screenshot taker, then it becomes harder to find and organise them into folders. The Pullshot app aims to make your life a little easier by helping organise them and even syncing them with other third-party apps.

The basic premise of the app is that it organizes your screenshots into both pre-set and manually-named folders. It automatically recognises the screenshots that you make on your gadget and then displays it from your gallery or photo album. You can now tap and make multiple selections to put them in their respective folders and even delete those that are already unnecessary. You can also choose which you’d want to send directly to other apps like Dropbox, Evernote, Gmail and Google Drive among others. You can even share them on any of your picture-sharing or social networking apps.

It’s just as simple and straightforward as that, no other frills or bells and whistles. Even the UI is simple and minimalistic enough. The annoying thing about it though is that the ads keep popping up, and it’s not just small banner ads, but big full screen ones that disrupt your organising process.

There will reportedly be a Pro upgrade soon that will get rid of that annoying pesky problem. And if the upgrade isn’t that expensive, we suggest you go for it, as the ads get pretty intrusive. For now, you can download the free version over at the Google Play Store.

VIA: The Next Web

CyanogenMod 11 M8 is out, Settings app may crash

Right on schedule, CyanogenMod is delivering its monthly serving of M releases, now at number 8. This release brings a couple of interesting features to supported devices, at least those that do have M8 builds in the making, including the security fixes of Android 4.4.4, a revamped Settings app and a new Protected Apps feature.

CyanogenMod didn't publish a list of changes this time, but much of what is arriving in CM 11 M8 has been more or else divulged two weeks ago. As noted, CM 11 nightlies, and hence M releases starting with this one, is already based on Android 4.4.4, in code and in name. But perhaps most notable are the changes that CM applied to Android's settings app. Aside from doing some house cleaning and rearranging of the Settings app, the developers are augmenting the ROM's hidden apps function with a new Protected Apps feature. In a nutshell, this doesn't just hide your apps, it hides them behind a pattern unlock code as well.

Due these rather big changes, there might be some hiccups when upgrading to M8, particularly with the Settings app. For those on nightlies, CyanogenMod recommends upgrading from the nightly of June 30th instead of the latest for a smoother upgrade. In case you have upgraded from a July build and are experiencing crashes in the Settings app, the only way to fix this would be to wipe the data for the app, which you can access through the Recents app menu and long pressing the Settings item.

CyanogenMod also reiterates its policy and process when it comes to M releases. Not all supported devices are guaranteed to get M releases but that doesn't mean that CM is dropping support for them, as they will continue to get nightly builds. It just means that the build quality and stability did not pass their, or to be exact the device's maintainers, QA criteria and would rather hold off on releasing a known broken build. At the moment, not all builds are completed yet for those that will be getting CM 11 M8 builds, so better check CyanogenMod's download page later to see if your device is included in the list.

SOURCE: CyanogenMod

Story Timeline

• CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 now available


• CyanogenMod adds Protected apps, teases CMHome


• CyanogenMod team talks Android L and the wait for final code


• CyanogenMod navigation bar getting left/right arrow keys

LG G3 design story: simplicity that fits in your hand

LG's latest flagship is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, both in design and in hardware. If you've ever wondered about the kind of thinking that went into the making of the LG G3, the company is only too eager to share its inspiration in its latest video snippet that briefly narrate's the smartphone's Design Story.

Today's increasing screen resolutions would normally dictate larger handsets. However, LG knew that its flagship would never sail if it launched in an uncomfortably gigantic size, even if it had a QHD screen. So instead of "bigger is better", the manufacturer tried to drive the design towards "does it fit". The LG G3 is arguably large, but with a 5.5-inch display, it remains quite manageable. This in part due to shrinking bezels as well as relocating buttons to the rear of the device. LG is also trying to sell its "floating arc" shape that increases the comfort of holding the smartphone in one hand, but it is hardly the only nor the first one that employs such a line of thinking. Somewhat ironically, that is also the rationale for Samsung's curved smartphone, though taken a bit to the extreme.

When LG unveiled the G3, it projected the slogan "simple is the new smart" on stage. And it isn't just the simplicity in the hardware design but in LG's own custom Android skin. LG claims to have removed most of the cruft and clutter that weighs down most of its user interface and has instead adopted a lighter, flatter, and more toned down look. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it does have the effect of looking cleaner, simpler and less daunting to use. Coincidentally, this is also the direction that Google is taking Android with the revelation of Material Design in Android L. Either LG was (secretly, perhaps?) communicating with Google in anticipation of Android L, or the manufacturer really just had the luck that their design thinking jived.

The G3, however, isn't exactly perfect. It tries to bill the brushed metal back design as something premium, but the company ironically chose to go with a non-premium plastic material instead. Looks can definitely be deceiving, and in this case, it's probably all that matters, at least from a distance. The LG G3 is now up for pre-order on both T-Mobile and AT&T, with actual availability happening later this week. In the meantime, you can head on over to our in-depth review of the device to see just what makes LG's latest also its greatest.

Story Timeline

• LG G3 review: the phone every Android OEM should make


• LG G3 showcases company's new visual design lanugage


• LG G3 global rollout starts June 27 in Asia, EMEA in July


• T-Mobile now accepting pre-orders for LG G3


• AT&T accepting pre-orders for LG G3 and G Watch by July 8

Google Now Gets Voice Control for Music Playback

Some Android users are starting to see a cool new Google Now capability pop up: If you've got the update, you can use "OK Google" to fast forward to the next track or pause playback. Small update, but very handy.

Read more...

One Way Android Fragmentation Isn't As Bad As You Think

Making apps for Android can seem kind of messy because of the big scary F-word: Fragmentation. It's part of why Tim Cook might call Android a "toxic hellstew" on stage. But the dirty little secret? It's really not that bad, at least when it comes to screen size.

Read more...

AppSpot is an app launcher in disguise

To say that Android has many homescreen replacements and app launchers is an understatement, but AppSpot could still manage to stand apart from the crowd. While it may behave like any other Android app, its sole purpose in life is to find and launch other apps. Yes, AppSpot is an app launcher that is an app.

Aside from the fact that it has an app icon that shows up in any app launcher and the fact that it has a homescreen widget, AppSpot's functionality matches that of most Android launchers in the market. It shows your apps, either in grid or list view modes, lets you set different sorting orders and lets you uninstall them. But even here, AppSpot does a few things differently. You can view "launchable" apps, that is, apps that would normally appear in other app launchers, as well as all other apps installed, even system ones. Each app has its own menu, where you can choose to launch, uninstall, or even view the details for each one. There is also a shortcut on the toolbar that takes you to Android's native app manager. You can also perform a batch sharing or uninstall by tapping and holding on each app you want to include in the queue.

Except for the ability to group apps, which some launchers don't have as well, AppSpot almost normal. Well, not quite. There are a few things that AppSpot does offer that could make it an interesting option. Primary among this would be the search option, found by tapping on the search icon on its toolbar. As you'd expect, this lets you type out the name of the app you want, or even use Google voice search. But that search mode reveals yet another rather unique feature. An icon with a clock and a rotation arrow will launch the most recent that you used, saving you some time and mental energy trying to think what that app was. A bit related to search is the fact that AppSpot finds a spot on the notification tray. This gives you quick access to the search and recent app function of AppSpot no matter what app you are using, as long as you can access the notification panel.

Admittedly, AppSpot is really a strange beast. It's homescreen widget version is one that will probably have a hard time finding a home. Some of its features, however, might be a good match for homescreen alternatives that don't exactly have featured or well-designed app launchers (I'm looking at you Jolla Launcher Alpha). AppSpot is also free to claim on Google Play Store, so it wouldn't hurt to try out for yourself, especially since it doesn't replace your favored homescreen.

Sony announces Xperia C3, a “selfie smartphone”

Sony confirmed the rumours that they were contributing to the rise of the selfie generation (or the fall of civilisation, as some would call it) when they announced their upcoming Xperia C3, or what they call as “the best selfie smartphone”. Sony is marketing their newest gadget as a mid-priced smartphone that can be considered as a second phone or even the main phone for those looking for one with selfie-friendly features.

Since Oxford has already added the word “selfie” to its dictionary, we must accept that people taking pictures of this kind are here to stay. Sony is aiming to enhance this experience with features that are meant to make it easier and more fun to take selfies. The “PROselfie cam” boasts of a 5MP front facing camera (which is way higher than most front cameras) which also has a wide angle and a soft LED flash so your photos will look more flattering whatever time of day you take it.

If you get bored with just taking simple selfies, it also has an Augmented Reality mode and several Deco frames to choose from. It also gives you the ability to retouch at most two persons in your photos in real time, with a choice of up to 10 beauty styles (goodluck trying to explain to your friend why you chose to retouch him/her. The smartphone also comes pre-loaded with other selfie camera apps, where you can play around with graphics and animations with different themes. Other apps like Timeshift-burst, Movie Creator and Sweep Paronama will make the selfie-taking experience apparently even more complicated but supposedly fun.

And if you think that the phone is just all about the PROselfie cam, Sony has also added a bit of pizzaz when it comes to the rest of the features. It has a 5.5-inch HD display, a Snapdragon Quad core 1.2GHz processor, 4G/LTE connection and has dual SIM technology. And of course, since you need a lightweight phone to take selfies easily, at 7.6 mm and 150g, the Xperia C3 definitely is one.