Android Wear is finally shipping to early adopters which can mean only one thing: a slew of third-party apps and hacks. Now, the first are here.
Wiping an Android Doesn't Remove All Your Personal Data
If you're passing on an old Android handset to someone else, you may want to go further than using the default data wipe tools—because, according to a new report, they don't effectively remove all of your personal data.
G Watch, Gear Live iFixit teardown offers peace of mind
ARM Holding has already given a preview of the innards of the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, but now it's the turn of the folks over at iFixit to give these devices some teardown love. And based on their meticulous process and screening, buyers looking forward to the first Android Wear smartwatches need not worry about these devices' repairability. At least not too much.
First up is the Gear Live, whose contents are shown above. Having had a longer time to percolate in the smartwatch market, Samsung has ensured that its swappable straps won't take much effort to remove. And as mentioned in ARM's review, the back cover is easily pried off after the four Torx T5 screws have been removed. On the back plate of the smartwatch we see the battery, also easily removable and, surprisingly, a Bluetooth/WiFi antenna, the latter of which is something Samsung neglects to mention in any official document. Very fishy, indeed. On the other half of the device can be found the display and the motherboard and very few surprises. Except for one. After the motherboard was easily removed, iFixit was welcomed by a display that is fused into the metal chassis. Despite the Gear Live's relatively easy teardown process, this single critical flaw was enough to give it high but less than perfect score of 8 out of 10.
Pictured above is the G Watch. As we've called it before, it is plain and simple, and that carries over to its repairability index. Like Samsung's smartwatch, the G Watch's straps are also swappable, but this time it requires a bit of effort to take them out, almost quite on par with normal non-smart watches. And like the Gear Live, the back cover is also held in place by Torx T5 screws and easily comes off with very little coaxing. The back half houses the battery but this time it is paired with the vibrator. A bit of double-sided tape securely fastens the battery but offers little resistance when pried. The front half of the G Watch houses not just the motherboard and display but also the rubber gasket that gives the smartwatch its IP67 rating. As for the display, it is only glued to the bezel so detaching it is relatively easier after applying some heat. Without any unwanted surprises hiding inside, the LG G Watch gets a high score of 9 out of 10.
The LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live both score IP67 marks and so are quite hardy against some mild splashing and dust particles. But even should they be damaged, in other ways as well, both appear to be easy to take apart and repair, with the exception of the Gear Live's display. That smartwatch's secret WiFi antenna does call into question the device's hidden capabilities. Now we just need to wait for the Moto 360 to make an official appearance and consequently get an iFixit treatment, though the rather unconventional display shape and rumored wireless charging might make Motorola's device a bit harder to repair.
LG KizON gives kids their own wearable smartband
After child-friendly tablets, it was only a matter of time before manufacturers started zeroing on kids again, this time with wearable technology instead. Though not exactly the first, LG is now jumping into the fray with KizON, a smart band that seems to be built more for a parent's peace of mind than a kid's convenience and enjoyment.
Let's get one thing straight: the LG KizON is not a smartwatch. It is practically a GPS locator with very basic telephony functions, which is basically making a call to a single pre-configured number and receiving one from the same. Its face, though uncomfortably large, doesn't have space to tell the time. It comes in pretty color options of blue, pink and green, with character accessories available, and is water and stain resistant. But those features are all just to coax the child into wearing this bulky device, because all of its functionality rests on the smartphone or tablet of the parent.
The KizON offers the basic feature set you'd expect in a child locator disguised as a fancy wristband. The GPS allows parents or guardians to locate the device, presumably attached to the wearer, though LG doesn't say if the accompanying app, which runs on Android 4.1 and later, has provisions for zone-based location alarms. It does have an alarm, but only a time-based one, notifying parents of a child's location at certain time intervals. The device has a simple One Step Direct Call button that the kid can push to connect to a pre-configured number, again set via the Android app. Parents can, of course, also call their kid, and should child fail to answer the phone in 10 seconds, KizON automatically connects the call so that the parent can listen to the surrounding sounds via the device's microphone.
LG KizON will be launching in South Korea on July 10 before it goes out to North America and Europe in the third quarter. No price tag has been announced as LG is leaving that up to local markets. The KizON is a very basic and large wearable device and is clearly not a smartwatch, or any kind of watch for that matter. If you are interested in giving your child a more interesting, more powerful, but still child-friendly device, you might want to check out FiLIP's offering instead.
SOURCE: LG
Google Play Edition roster gets whittled down to three
Perhaps these are signs and portents of something new on its way, or perhaps something worse. Google has reduced its list of Google Play Edition devices from six down to three, leaving only the most recent device available for purchase, in the United States only of course.
The existence of Google Play Edition devices is a rather strange one, though not unwelcome. Google already has a Nexus line of smartphones and tablets that represent the Android maker's ideal vision for Android devices, as well as the Android software itself. While these are usually top of the line devices of their generation, they also lack features that Google does not care about, like microSD card slots, hardware buttons or other extra hardware features. For those who prefer some manufacturer's hardware design but would still like to avail of Google's "Nexus promise", the GPE, as they are called, offers them an alternative.
The GPE lineup is usually made up of top OEM's crème de la crème, though naturally some of those have aged by now. Perhaps to keep the selection from growing stale, Google has removed some of the rather older ones from the list. This includes the 2013 HTC One (M7), the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, and the LG G Pad 8.3. This leaves the Motorola Moto G, the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and the HTC One M8 as the only GPE choices available. Curiously, the Galaxy S4 isn't exactly the latest of the bunch, and there is no word if there will be a Galaxy S5 GPE soon, only that a developer edition will be available from Verizon.
The biggest question perhaps is why Google chose to cull the roster now and rather silently at that. Although not necessarily related, it might once again bring up theories about Google's yet to be seen Android Silver program. Google assured Nexus fans that even should Silver take flight, the Nexus program will remain intact. However, it never mentioned anything about GPE devices, and the lack of new entries after the HTC One M8 doesn't inspire much confidence.
SOURCE: Google
VIA: Android Central
Canon brings mobile printing to Android and HP Slate devices
The days of printing from the desktop or laptop are getting more obsolete, as more and more people are using mobile phones and tablets to access and edit their documents and pictures. Canon Print Service is a mobile printing solution that will let users print directly and wirelessly from their Android gadgets, as well as several HP Slate devices, to selected printer models.
Android announced late last year a printing framework that enables users to easily print documents and photographs from their gadgets, but the Canon Print Service is a device printing support specifically for Canon products. It lets Android gadgets running on KitKat (4.4.2 at least) print wirelessly onto their supported Canon printers. There is no need to upgrade their printer or even their software drivers, as long as the unit is included in the list of compatible printers.
You can also customize your printing options, just like you would from your desktop. You can choose the paper size, the page orientation of your document, as well as how many copies you’d like to print. Maybe they’ll also include soon an option to choose whether you want it fast draft or full color, as this is an important option when you’re trying to control your printer’s ink usage.
You can download the Canon print plugin for your Android Kitkat device over at the Google Play Store. However, even after you install it, you need to activate the printing service as it will not automatically do so. You can either do it manually through your settings or just tap the icon in the notification area after it has been installed and then follow the instructions. Then you can start printing away to your heart’s content, or until you run out of ink at least.
SOURCE: Canon
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact finally arrives unlocked in the US
We won't say better late than never, because in this case it's about high time! Sony has finally released the Xperia Z1 Compact in the US, making the mini flagship available unlocked but only through its online store. Perhaps a bit too late as there already rumors about an Xperia Z3 Compact, completely skipping over a still non-existent Xperia Z2 Compact.
Sony is a well-known Android OEM even in the US, but it doesn't seem to be too eager to cater to the country's market. It's devices don't always launch on time together with other key smartphone markets. And even so, this case of the Xperia Z1 Compact is almost too extreme. The smartphone was unveiled early January at CES 2014 and has been available in markets around the world. In the meantime, the Xperia Z2 has been revealed, though it too has yet to hit the US market. Six months later, the Xperia Z1 Compact finally lands, but truth be told, it is still a tempting option, if you don't factor in the timetable.
Although it bares the name of a previous generation flagship, the Xperia Z1 Compact is, as the community so enthusiastically put it, still king of the mini flagships. It towers over larger and newer devices like the HTC One mini 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, as you can see in our side by side by side comparison of the three. A high-end processor, 2 GB of RAM, a handy and manageable size, and official support for unlocking the bootloader, what is there not to like? Well, the one thing that probably mars this almost perfect mini smartphone is the not so mini price tag, as Sony is selling it with a $549.99 price tag on its web store, available in black, white, and, surprisingly, pink.
Those considering whether to get this smartphone, however, will most likely be caught in limbo due to recent rumors. Sony has promised to refresh its flagship twice a year, and the Xperia Z2's time will soon be up. But together with a the Xperia Z3, there are also leaks of a Xperia Z3 Compact, which seems to be ready to be unveiled at the same time. With the unexplained absence of a Xperia Z2 Compact and the shadow of an Xperia Z3 Compact, buyers are likely to be left undeciced. But if you do want something now and can live with your decision even after those two minis are revealed, then the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is definitely something worth considering.
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