Asus to reportedly launch unusual-sized tablets

With the tablet market growing and getting too crowded as OEMs launch new ones almost every quarter, it takes something a bit unusual to get people to pay attention to it. Based on listings that were reportedly seen on the GFXBench database, Taiwanese brand Asus may just be launching two new tablets that are not the usual size that we’ve gotten used to with a lot of those in the market.

The listings on the site show tablets called Asus K01E, a 9.4-inch tablet and an Asus K01B, a much bigger device at 14.2 inches. The smaller one could either be part of their MemoPad lineup or the Asus Transformer Pad family. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processors and Adreno 320 graphics, same as the 2013 Google Nexus 7 which was also designed by Asus. The specs also indicate that it has 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage and has a display of 1280x800 pixels. The rear camera is at 2MP and the front-facing one is at 0.3MP, which is not really impressive for tablets.

The 14.2-inch is unusually large for a tablet so we can assume that just like the others in the Transformer Pad family, it will work with a keyboard dock so that you can turn it into a notebook. But if there is no keyboard option, then it just might also be just a really large tablet. It has the same processor and graphics card, but has slightly better specs than the K01E. It has a 1920x1200 pixel display with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The camera is 5MP for the main and 1.2MP for the front (we said just slightly better). Unlike the smaller model, the K01B has ambient light sensor so that the brightness can adjust automatically.

There is still no confirmation whether these tablets are real. But we’ll probably find out by the first week of September during the IFA in Berlin and if there is more to these Android tablets than what is shown in their spec sheets.

VIA: Liliputing

Story Timeline

• ASUS Transformer Book V 3-in-1 can be used in five ways


• ASUS MeMO Pad 7 and 8 continue tradition of bang for your buck

Amazon Fire Phone has improved battery life in new update

While Amazon’s first smartphone, the Fire Phone, may have underwhelmed those who were expecting something at par with its competitors in the market, it is considered a work in progress and may yet find its stride in later versions. An update the software of the current phone promises better battery life (a must for all devices now) as well as a slew of other new features that should please the early adaptors who already have gotten themselves the Fire Phone.

Fire OS 3.5.1 brings with it dozens of system upgrades that would enable your smartphone to have longer battery life. It also now allows you to quickly switch between apps and close running apps just by double pressing the home button, not the long press which is how other Android phones usually do it. You can also now make app grid collections, which are folders to house or group certain apps or certain content from the grid itself. If you have too many apps already, you can now pin the ones you use the most to the home carousel so that it would be easier to find them.

In terms of multi-media functions, there are also slight improvements with this update. You can now use 11 images to create lenticular photos instead of the previous 3. You can also share higher-resolution videos to your friends through MMS (may have additional charges with your carrier) or through email. In terms of email, if you receive notification of an email that you don’t want to read, you can delete it directly from the home screen so that your inbox will not be clogged with unwanted email.

Given how Amazon Kindle Fire has slowly grown on tablet users (especially those who use it primarily as a reading device), the Fire Phone (or at least its later versions) may still surprise the smartphone market later on. For now, users might be pleased with the continued rollout of improvements on the software side at least. You can update your phone directly through the settings or manually download the updated Fire OS from Amazon.

SOURCE: Amazon

Story Timeline

• Amazon Fire Phone coming July 25, will be AT&T exclusive


• Amazon Fire Phone: All you need to know


• Amazon Fire Phone iFixit teardown: unsurprisingly tedious

Root access achieved on LG G3 via Stump Root app

XDA senior developer “jcase” – the same guy who tweeted the makers of Blackphone last week during DefCon that he had rooted the security and privacy-leaning Android device – together with a couple more developers (IOMonster, AutoPrime, PlayfulGod) calling themselves Team Codefire has just outed an app that gives root access to LG current flagship phone, the G3.

The app, called “Stump Root” is now able to give root access to LG G3 phones from Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. While root was already attained via PurpleDrake for AT&T and T-Mobile units, the Verizon model was still not rooted until Team Codefire and the Stump Root app.

As per usual, rooting a device will entail low level changes to one’s device. It is highly recommended that you back-up your phone (data, apps, etc.) in any way possible before attempting to root your device. Team Codefire has given their guarantees that using the Stump Root app should not lead to data loss of any kind, but as they say, anything is possible.

If you are interested in the Stump Root app, check out the source link for the app's official thread at XDA. Look for the download link within the first few posts of the thread. Enjoy!

SOURCE: XDA

Story Timeline

• Root your LG G3 easily with PurpleDrake


• LG G3 revisited: the US version is here


• Blackphone reportedly rooted, makers to patch vulnerabilities

Cabinet Beta, Sliding Explorer give a foretaste of Android L

Android has a lot of file managers, many of them offering more power to what is already a power tool. But they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and those file managers do not always meet the aesthetic taste buds of some users. Those users might want to give these two updated file managers a whirl, as they offer some superpower but look nice to boot, thanks to a dash of Material Design.

Of the two, Cabinet Beta is more representative of Google's new design language even at first glance. That's in part to the use of the almost iconic blue and pink color scheme that seems to be used for most of the Material Design examples. But even beyond the colors you immediately get a feel of the paper and pen metaphor prescribed in Material Design, especially with the presence of the floating button for adding files and folders. Cabinet Beta, however, isn't all show. It doesn't come with all the bells and whistles that more powerful file managers boast of, but it has enough to get things done: root access, SFTP, quick folder shortcuts, and an easy multi-select feature enabled by tapping on the file or folder's icon. As a bonus, Cabinet is also open source software.

Sliding Explorer has a longer list of features but might give off a less than Material feel. That said, it shares many of the design features of Cabinet, like multi-select via icon previews. Sliding Explorer shares many of the same features, including root access and a way to mark folders as favorites in the slide out side panel. However, it does add some interesting features, like handling of ZIP files, cloud printing (Android 4.4 and above), and even DashClock extension.

Both file managers focus on simplicity without getting bogged down with too many options, and so it isn't surprising to see a dearth of configuration options in the apps' settings. That said, that might actually appeal to some segment of the Android community. For those who do hear the call of these file managers but would rather not have any Material flavor, they do allow for minor tweaks, like switching to a dark theme and turning off status and navigation bar translucency, to give the apps a less Andorid L look.

Download: Cabinet Beta, Sliding Explorer on Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• The Android Community Team: mixed opinions on utility apps


• ES File Explorer tips and tricks for managing your files


• By the power of root! File managers square off

Flippr lets you use your widgets from any app

Widgets on our smartphones have definitely made our lives easier by offering us certain shortcuts to the apps that we love to use. However, one limitation is that we can mostly access them through our home screen only, and in this age when we want things faster and easier, it is a few added steps towards playing music, reading emails or checking your schedule for the week. One developer had the brilliant idea to create an app that will make using widgets even quicker and easier.

Flippr app simply has one basic function: to let you use your installed widgets without going to the home screen. Whatever app you’re using, whether browsing through the web or playing a game, if you suddenly have the need to look at your calendar, then you don’t need to exit your current app to access it. All you need is to click on a small bubble that will expand and show you all the widgets that you have on your smartphone.

Just tap the bubble, swipe your finger horizontally in order to go through the available widgets. You can even organise them into groups, just like you would organise your regular apps, so that it would be easier to sort through them and find the widget that you need, especially if you have a lot of them installed. You would need to swipe vertically in order to switch from one group to another. You can also customize the size and position of the bubble so that it will not interfere with the use of your other apps.

However, the app doesn’t work properly for now when it comes to OEM-specific widgets. You can get Flippr for free from the Google Play Store. There is also a pro version available where you can have unlimited number of widgets and groups to include in your bubble. You can also customize the animation of your bubble as well as the background of your widgets.

SOURCE: Forum XDA

Meizu’s next flagship phone launch imminent

It’s not just the low-end, entry level Android phone market that’s getting saturated, outfits from China – like Meizu – are becoming bolder in their quest to battle the big boys with flagship level devices that are priced relatively cheaper than those of Samsung, LG, Sony, or Apple. Meizu, according to social media updates, may be coming out with its own flagship sooner than expected.

September 2 is the date to mark, according to Meizu’s Facebook account and the official invite (see below) – which could mean that the outfit may be launching the Flyme OS 4.0 (Meizu’s own rendition of Android), or that they could be launching the MX4, Meizu’s upcoming flagship device. Or it could be both!

According to leaks and rumors, the MX4 might come out in a number of variants, with a “pro” version being the most robust. The MX4 is rumored to be an LTE-capable phone (maybe only for Chinese networks), with a monster 20.7MP main camera purported to be the same the Sony used for the Z2. It will most likely sport a MediaTek chipset, although a Samsung (Exynos) or Qualcomm chipset isn’t impossible as well, being that the model will have different variants.

The phone will reportedly have a generous 3GB helping of RAM, a gorgeous 5.4-inch Quad HD screen, and will be priced at around USD$400. We only have over a week to wait, so we expect to have the real information soon.

VIA: GSM Arena

Story Timeline

• Meizu smartwatch concept images reveal dreams of curved displays


• Meizu MX4 tipped to be unveiled on March 6


• Meizu MX4 leak reveal narrow bezels, familiar design

Researchers reveal gyroscopes can be used to spy on you

It is almost difficult to believe that a seemingly innocuous part of your smartphone would be a huge security hole, but then again that is how miscreants usually gain unauthorized access to otherwise secure systems. Standford researchers are once again proving how a device's motion sensors, this time the gyroscope, can be used to compromise your security and spy on you, without you knowing the better.

Last year, it was the accelerometer, responsible for measuring the speed of movement or turning of the device, that was being put under a microscope. According to Standford researchers, accelerometers, as well as microphones and speakers, have unique identifying marks that can be used to monitor the components and, by extension, the devices that house them. All a web service or app needs to do is to store that ID associated with the data coming from the sensor and then watch for that same ID whenever the device access the service or the app.

Now it's the gyroscope, which is more interested in orientation and rotation, that is on the hot seat. According to Standford researchers and Israel's defense research group, the sensor can be used to eavesdrop on phone conversations. This is because, according to them, gyroscopes are sensitive enough to pick up sound waves, practically turning them into microphones. The process isn't perfect but it is enough to probably generate some panic. The demonstration, which is scheduled to be shown to the public at the Usenix security conference this Friday, showed that it can pick up the speaker's gender with 84 percent certainty, differentiate the owner's voice from surrounding voices with 65 percent certainty, and distinguish spoken digits also with 65 percent certainty.

Of course, one would first need to install a spying app to be compromised, but that can easily be done by the user without knowing it. The problem is that, unlike other components of a smartphone or parts of a mobile platform, accessing the gyroscope does not require special permissions. Not that majority of users will even read permissions when installing apps, but the lack of a default gate might already be worrisome by itself. That said, there isn't any reason to panic just yet, as this security hole is still more of a proof of concept. But who knows what may happen once the cat is truly out of the bag.

VIA: SlashGear, Wired