Galaxy S5 Mini repairability: just as bad as the flagship

iFixit has done yet another one of its popular teardowns, this time on the Galaxy S5 Mini, Samsung's miniature counterpart to its flagship. While it only shares the Galaxy S5 name, sporting significantly lower specs, apparently this mini smartphone scores the exact same mark when it comes to iFixit's repairability index, meaning you might have tougher luck getting this thing repaired, at least on your own.

At first glance, the Galaxy S5 mini might look easy enough to take apart. After all, the back cover easily comes off and the battery is removable and not tied down, unlike the OnePlus One's strange arrangement. And in truth, most of the parts are simply held together by screws, plastic enclosures and secret doors, but the real problem is that the smartphone is constructed in a way that makes things harder than they are supposed to be.

After the cover and the battery, the display is the next thing you'll have to remove before you can get to any other internal component. If you will be simply replacing the display, then it makes this easier and faster. Otherwise, it actually increases the risks, since the display is glued rather strongly and requires a bit of coaxing and heat, hopefully without damaging the display in the process. The Galaxy S5 Mini also has two midframes inside, so that replacing any component requires an extra step of prying and un-screwing. There are also secret doors with hidden connectors that, if you don't know about, run the risk of pulling out prematurely.

The Galaxy S5 Mini thus scores 5 out of 10, leaning a bit towards the "more difficult to repair" end of the spectrum. This is the exact same score that the Galaxy S5 got. While iFixit's teardowns and guides are meant more to educate users how to repair things on their own, which they might not prefer to do, it does paint a rather disappointing picture of a device, or in this case, two devices, that won't exactly be too easy or too safe to repair, even perhaps for a professional.

SOURCE: iFixit

I/O 2014 app source code shows developers how it’s done

Last month, Google released its fancy new I/O 2014 app in preparation for its annual conference. Now it's announcing that the source code for the app is now available from Google's GitHub repository. While end-users might have no use for this, unless they happen to be knowledgeable about and/or like reading Java code, Google is inviting developers to take a look inside and learn about current best practices of creating an Android app and using Google's API.

Aside from giving users a window into the world of Google I/O, the I/O 2014 app also showcases many of the staples of Android app development, whether it be components and featuers like Fragments, receivers, and notifications or design considerations like toolbars and themes. It also shows newer and better ways to use Google's own services, like using Google Cloud Messaging (GSM) to keep devices up to date with the latest content and using Google Drive API to store users' preferences and sync it with all connected devices. It even shows how to make an Android Wear companion app.

But aside from just hard, cold code, the app also gives developers a preview into Material Design. The app uses the design principles of tactile surfaces, animated feedback, colors, imagery, and the metaphor of paper, to give developers an idea how to theme their apps in preparation for Android L. The app also uses API found in the Android L Preview and has a separate APK for those already running it on their Nexus 5 or 7, or on the Android emulator. The video below, summarizes some of those key design points.

The source code for the I/O 2014 app is being released under an open source license. This means that more than just a reference, developers will be able to use code snippets to kickstart their own apps. Those interested in learning more about the different API and features in this app should keep tabs on the Android Developers Blog, source link below, as Google will be sharing more details about the app in the coming weeks.

SOURCE: Google (1), (2)

Story Timeline

• Google I/O 2014 app goes live


• Android L and Material Design: tactile, bold, dynamic


• All sessions from Google I/O 2014 now available online

Milk Music premium service now available for Galaxy owners

Streaming music services are the In thing now when it comes to listening to songs on your mobile device. Samsung launched Milk Music earlier this year, exclusive for Galaxy owners in the US. And following in the footsteps of most other music apps like Spotify, Rhapsody, Beats, etc, they are now offering a premium service for those who want to have additional features aside from those in the free service.

When Milk Music was launched last March, their distance advantage over other music services is that they are ad-free. While that is still true up to this day, even with the launch of the premium option, there is a disclaimer on the app page that it’s for a limited time only. What the premium service offers in addition to the free features is that users will now have unlimited song skips (for when a Pitbull song inexplicably comes up in your rock station). They will also now have the option to turn off the DJ commentary if they start becoming too talkative and annoying). It also has a Sleep Timer if you want the app to pause after a certain time has elapsed. It also gives you a chance to listen to some of the stations even while you’re offline.

Compared to other music streaming apps though, Milk Music is still very limited. It’s only available for those who have Samsung Galaxy phones or tablets and is limited to the US only (although a lot of those service started out like that as well). What makes it a little different is that it has a customizable dial, that will give you a feeling of nostalgia for when you used something like that to switch radio stations.

If you are a Galaxy owner and would like to try this exclusive music app, you can download Milk Music from the Google Play Store. The premium service will charge you $3.99 per month.

Story Timeline

• Samsung's Milk Music: a free streaming music service for Galaxy devices


• Samsung Milk Music will soon milk users for ad-free subsistence

Samsung patents rounder smartwatch, wrist strap charging

Clearly Samsung isn't done yet with smartwatches, though now it's more a question of whether it will go with more Android Wear or stick to Tizen. Whichever OS it chooses, it might already have a design in mind, as seen in new patents filed last March, showing smartwatches with less angular faces and a charging connector built into the wrist strap.

Look to our smartwatch and Android Wear tag portals for more wearable bits and bites!

Except for the watch face, the overall design of these smartwatches seem to make a return to the Galaxy Gear aesthetic, particularly the strap. This is even more apparent with the presence of a camera on the strap, something that Samsung "fixed" in the Gear 2, where the camera was relocated to the frame of the watch itself, leaving the strap free to be swapped with other colors and styles. That said, the presence of a camera clues us in that this might actually not be intended for Android Wear, as Google's wearable platform currently doesn't make provisions for cameras. If so, then Samsung might be going with Tizen again on this one, which will surely sour relationships between the two companies even more.

The rounder faces of these smartwatches are notable in themselves. At the moment, only the Moto 360 has, or will have, that kind of display and its usability has yet to be tested in the real world. It seems, however, that Samsung is also a believer in this circular form. That said, it seems to also have a fallback, a watch face variant that is more quadrilateral but still sports rounded corners and curved edges. How the smartwatch will charge is also an interesting point, which again could hint that this is a Tizen design. Current Android Wear devices have the charging pins located at the back. Though Samsung's Gear 2 family follows the same convention, it is more free to change things on its own when it comes to Tizen. In this case, the pins are located on one end of the strap, which makes one wonder about the form of the actual charger itself. Hopefully it means more cumbersome cradles.

Of course, these are merely patents, which is no guarantee of an actual device, interesting as they are. Samsung is practically just calling dibs on these designs. Given its push for wearable technologies, however, it could very well make it into an actual product line. The company has also recently trademarked the name "Gear S" in the US, which could be what the rumored SIM-toting Gear Solo would be called. At the moment, there is no rumor yet if Samsung has any upcoming smartwatch in the works, but we could likely hear whispers about it this coming IFA Congress in September.

VIA: SlashGear, SamMobile

SOURCE: Mobilegeeks.de

Story Timeline

• Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo hands-on


• Samsung Gear Solo rumored to have a SIM card slot


• Samsung Galaxy Gear gets a one way ticket to Tizen

CASE Remote: Android device as wireless DSLR controller

Even with the advent of mobile photography due to the massive improvement of smartphone cameras, there is still nothing better for old school photographers than to have a DSLR in their hands. But sometimes, lugging around and controlling that massive camera can be a pain in the neck, especially when you’re trying to get a rather difficult shot. CASE Remote wants to help solve that problem by turning your Android device into a wireless remote controller for your DSLR.

The small 2x2 device may look like the power adaptor of a Macbook but serves as the connection between your DSLR and your Android smartphone or tablet. You mount it on top of the camera using a hot shoe or 1/4 screw hole. Then you download the CASE app on your device, and you’re all set to remotely control your camera. You will get a live view of what can be found on the DSLR’s viewfinder and you can also control several settings, including focus, magnification, aperture and other parameters. You can also set it up so that the GPS will be embedded in the photo.

Once you’ve captured the image, you can now directly share it with your friends (or touch it up with your photo editor of choice) on your different apps and social networks. CASE Remote is very convenient to have if you want to take weird or difficult angled shots, macro photography, wildlife photography (you don’t really want to be up close and personal with some animals right?) and even for the time lapse effect. Their site indicates that they support Canon and Nikon DSLRs but they say that is still not the complete list, so we can expect more updates soon.

The creators of CASE Remote have already reached their target goal on IndieGoGo with over 400 backers but they opened up Round Two to try and get more people on board. They have finished mass production and plan to ship it out to their backers by next month. Then by September, they will be selling it online, so even if you didn’t back them up, you can still purchase this wireless DSLR remote for your photography pleasure.

SOURCE: IndieGoGo

Nokia Z Launcher sees first update, welcomes new testers

Nokia, yes the real Nokia or what's left of it, has just announced the first ever major update to the pre-beta version of its search-centric self-learning Z Launcher homescreen replacement. In this round, the developers have implemented a few of the most requested features and ironed out some kinks to performance and the launcher's learning abilities.

Z Launcher tries to make it easy to find your apps, contacts, and even web searches, using drawing gestures to spell out words. However, it wasn't so straightforward to actually manage them. This update changes that, somewhat. First up is the new ability to configure your Favorites, the four apps that appear at the bottom, via drag and drop, said to be the #2 most requested feature from users. However, the implementation isn't exactly as obvious as you might think. You will have to tap and hold on the icon of the app, not the name, to start the process. Also note that there is only a maximum of 4 apps allowed on the Favorites. Even if it looks like the existing icons are moving around to make room for the new one, it will really just be replaced.

The other feature is the ability to hide apps from the suggestions listed on the homescreen. You can do this by tapping and holding on the name, not the icon this time, and then tapping on the hide option at the right edge. This same gesture will give users an Uninstall option when done from the full Applications list. To unhide an app, that is to allow it be listed again, go to the Applications list, look for the app, tap and hold (on the name), and select Unhide.

Z Launcher has also gained some optimizations in how it tries to learn from the habits and patterns of users. For example, now it takes into account WiFi SSIDs so that it will learn about and suggest different apps depending on the network you're connected to. It also tries to get deeper insight into how you use your phone and your apps to be able to make better suggestions. Some people might be uncomfortable with this aspect of the launcher but, since this is part of the bread and butter of Z Launcher, they might as well look for something else.

Z Launcher is still in limited pre-beta status, but Nokia is opening the testing stage to more willing users, of course still a bit limited. Those who want to apply for the trial should take note of two requirements. The first is that you need to have a Google Account. The second is that Z Launcher currently doesn't support root, so if you have a rooted device, better wait for the day that it will.

SOURCE: Z Launcher (1), (2)

The Best Free Android Apps in Amazon's New Two-Day Giveaway

The Amazon Appstore already gives away one free app each day, but today it's decided give away 30 apps, worth a combined total of $100, for free to anyone with an Android phone. Here are the pick of the bunch that you should download first.

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