T-Mobile outs SIM unlock app, only for one device as of now

On the wake of US President Barack Obama signing the Unlocking Consumer Act law, T-Mobile seems to have unconsciously complied with speed by coming out with a SIM unlocker app. But hold on to your horses, it’s not going to be the one you’re thinking of, because telcos will be telcos – this one works (currently) for only one device.

The app is called “Device Unlock”, and is downloadable via the Google Play Store. So far it is confirmed that the app only works with T-Mo’s Samsung Galaxy Avant, a low end smartphone on the carrier’s catalog. Before you even ask – yes, we have reports of people using it in other T-Mobile devices such as the Galaxy S5, but the unlocking was (of course) unsuccessful.

There are two options available on the app – the “temporary unlock”, which is reportedly for 30 days. This is nice for people going out of the country and looking to use a local telco’s SIM card while they are in that country. The other option is the “permanent unlock” – and there are bound to be caveats with T-Mobile with that option, we think. There is still no word on whether T-Mobile will be adding more devices supported by the unlocking app.

With the Unlocking Consumer Act a law now, we might be seeing more and more of these kinds of apps coming out from the telcos themselves. One statute of the act is that the mobile carriers should be able to assist those who have no tech savvy in unlocking their phones – provided that ownership of the device is already achieved. An app is surely a hassle-free way to do it.

VIA: Android Central

Story Timeline

• Sony Xperia Z1 Compact finally arrives unlocked in the US


• Digital Tattoo can now officially unlock your Moto X


• The US officially legislates Unlocking Consumer Act law

Dragon Quest IV is here and unsurprisingly expensive

Another classic JRPG title is hitting Android to entertain old and new generations of gamers. However, as Dragon Quest IV is yet another Square Enix distributed game, more veteran Android gamers will know what to expect when it comes to the price tag. Given this game's pedigree and features, it might be a price well worth paying.

DQ IV is actually a game composed of many games, or rather many chapters. It details the adventures of five main characters in five different chapters: Ragnar the noble knight, Alena the tomboyish princess, Torneko the weapon merchant, mystical sisters Meena and Maya, and finally, you, the chosen one, band together with other chosen ones to, of course, save the world. There is also a bonus extra chapter that can be unlocked after finishing all five. DQ IV boasts of many unique features that you are wont to find in golden age JRPGs, like Party Talk, unique to this mobile version, which lets players talk to any of their in-game friends at any time, or AI battles, which lets players instruct party members to act automatically.

This game might not have the more modern 3D game assets of Dragon Quest VIII, which was released on Android last May, but it still bears the mobile-friendly modifications that Square Enix introduced in that game as well. In other words, you won't be playing this game in landscape orientation but in regular phone side up. Controls and menus have also been retrofitted to make it more touch-friendly, including the large eight-directional virtual circle that debuted in DQ VIII.

Now for the slightly bitter pill to swallow. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen costs $14.99. Of course, that's without any in-app purchase, as the concept of billing you beyond the purchase of the game wasn't conceived yet back then. Square Enix notes that the game is compatible with Android devices running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher, but warns those on Android 4.4 that the ART runtime might cause some headaches.

Download: Dragon Quest IV on Google Play Store

SOURCE: Square Enix

Play Music’s now limits four deauthorizations a year

Google has released new rules regarding Play Music’s device limits and deauthorisation rules and it’s causing quite a bit of confusion (and sometimes anger) among users. The folks over at SlashGear talked to a representative from Google Play to clarify some issues regarding the rules about how many devices can use one Play Music account, a problem that might seem rare, but is actually a real one for users that multiple gadgets to access it.

Nothing much has changed regarding how many devices you can use. You are still allowed to authorise up to ten devices, which include smartphones and tablets, but not desktops since normally you use a web browser to listen to Play Music. What has changed now, implemented since last week, is that your are only allowed to deauthorize up to four devices a year. If you cycle through several ones in a span of a year or if you are a family that’s using one Play Music account, then that would become a problem.

Google Play Music All Access subscribers can listen to unlimited music on up to four mobile devices.

The representative said that the IMEI number on your device is the one used in the authorization process. Even if you do a hard reset or you flash your device’s ROM, this will not change Play Music’s authorization of your phone or tablet. The policy is also retroactive, so meaning even if it was just implemented last week, if you’ve already deauthorized 3 gadgets earlier this year, then you’re left with just one more for the rest of the year.

Maybe it’s not something that will concern you so much, unless you have several devices all at one time. But as with all other policies from apps and services, it’s always good to know what you’re dealing with.

VIA: SlashGear

Fleksy updated with Arabic keyboard and announces Chinese Beta

Having received over 100,000 requests from users to come up with additional languages for their virtual keyboard, Fleksy announced the release of the Beta versions of their Arabic keyboard and the beta sign-up for the Chinese language version. This comes after the release of Fleksy 3.0 just a few weeks ago, which brought a redesigned new-look for the app and the addition of even more languages.

According to co-founder and CEO Kosta Eleftheriou because they are committed to listening to their customers, this new release of the Arabic Beta goes to show that “our technology can be applied to any language” to bring a better and more unique typing experience to people from all over the world. He also added that the release of the Chinese version will also be “highly anticipated.” The demo version was tried on, of course, a Chinese smartphone, the brand new Xiaomi Mi3. Fleksy expects that their user base among those who speak Chinese will considerably grow once they’ve released the beta version.

Just two weeks ago, version 3.0 was released, with a brand new design, including a “Jet Black” look that took it down “to the pixel level”, as well as 17 new languages (including Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Tagalog). There were also new customisation options available at the Fleksy store, including new themes as well. This latest update also includes 4 new themes: Sun Kiss, Key Lime, Sunflower and Blood Red.

While the Chinese beta is still not available, you can already register so you’ll be one of the first to know when it’s released. You can download Fleksy from the Google Play Store, which already includes the Arabic Beta version.

SOURCE: Fleksy

Story Timeline

• Fleksy Messenger teaches you to type on smartwatches


• Fleksy adds 15 languages in beta, updates messenger app


• Fleksy 3.0 brings more languages, customisation options

Samsung Galaxy Alpha shows up at FCC, launch imminent

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha – at least, that’s the code name given to it at this point – has made an appearance at the FCC, giving credence to rumors that it might just be launched beside the Galaxy Note 4 at IFA 2014 in Berlin. Will this be the new Samsung flagship device? There is a probability that it might actually be that.

According to the FCC documents we’ve seen, the Galaxy Alpha will measure 133 x 67 mm, a little bit smaller than the current flagship the Samsung Galaxy S5. The phone will also be handier than the current flagship, with a 4.7-inch screen. So “ix nay” on the idea that Samsung is making screens larger and larger – although there is this monstrosity right here.

According to earlier leaks, this new smartphone will probably run Android 4.4.4 Kitkat out of the box – it doesn’t make any sense for it not to, especially when you remember that this is supposed to be running a monster Exynos 5433 octacore processor, and have 2GB or RAM.

So on to IFA 2014, and all the gadget goodness it brings. Stick around for next month – Samsung is reportedly launching the Galaxy Alpha and the Note 4 a few days before IFA 2014 officially opens. We will bring you all the juicy details as they are made public, so again – watch this space.

VIA: SlashGear

Story Timeline

• More Samsung Galaxy Alpha photos, 6.7-inch model tipped


• Samsung Galaxy Alpha product page accidentally tells all


• New photos, UAProf of Samsung Galaxy Alpha leaked

HTC One M8′s Duo Cam now allows others to refocus your photos

Have you ever felt the need to edit photos when viewing someone else’s gallery because you wanted to focus on something else in the photo? HTC One M8 and its Duo Cam technology now allows you to do something like that to a certain extent with their newest feature, social editing. This means your friends and loved ones who have access to photos taken with the Duo Cam can now tweak it according to what they want to actually look at in your picture.

The Duo Cam system of HTC’s flagship phone uses a secondary camera to support the main rear-facing one. It is a lower-resolution sensor that is slightly offset with the main camera so it is able to capture the deeper depth when taking pictures that have many elements. It also allows users to make Lytro-style focus changes even when the picture has been taken already with its UFocus feature. The Foregrounder effect meanwhile lets you change the main subject of the photo, therefore changing the effect of the overall picture as well. The Dimension Plus feature pans and tilts within the picture itself in a 3D version of the frame. You can save the photo from whatever angle you want after you’ve changed the view.

When the Duo Cam system was revealed in HTC One M8, only the photographer himself could use these effects if he’s not satisfied with the one he took. But now other users can also do so. The photo is uploaded to the Google Drive and is shared through a browser-based version of the HTC Gallery app where your friends can now tweak the photos to their heart’s (eyes’) desire.

However, if you’d like to keep your photos as it is without the interference of your (nosy) well-meaning friends, you can choose not to upload it to the Gallery. You have the option of just sharing the photo through any social network and of course, this cannot be adjusted by other people anymore. You can download the HTC Gallery app through the Google Play Store.

VIA: SlashGear

Verizon has added its push-to-talk service to Android phones, so now for $5 a month you can use (one

Verizon has added its push-to-talk service to Android phones, so now for $5 a month you can use (one of a range of selected) Android handsets as a walkie-talkie. If you sign up right now, you can try it for free for 6 months.

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