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LG reportedly outing a G Watch 2 at IFA 2014

It’s only been months since Google I/O in July, and only months since LG launched and gone to market with its wearable device, the LG G Watch. But what is this we’re hearing? LG wants to rectify the almost pedestrian design and aesthetic of the G Watch with a new version to come out at the IFA 2014 in Berlin? Most likely a good move for them.

After Google I/O, only LG and Samsung carried their Android Wear smartwatches to market, with Motorola’s Moto 360 possibly launching on September 4. But LG’s G Watch elicited “not so great” feedback from consumers, with users saying that it looked ordinary. The “shock” and corrosion issue also did not help the device’s cause at all.

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Maybe that is why LG was quick to act on the feedback, if the rumors be true. The insider info on the LG G Watch 2 is that it would have an OLED display to improve the pedestrian LCD exoerience from its predecessor. Rumors also point to a better aesthetic design that the original G Watch, more in keeping with consumer tastes than Google’s reference point.

LG is also set to meet up with watch makers from all over during the sidelines of IFA 2014, in search for a partner or multiple partners for the future iterations of the G Watch. With the Moto 360 in the wings set to impress the Android world, it will do LG a lot of good to strategize how to move forward with the G Watch brand.

VIA: SlashGear

LG G3 UX features coming to mid to low end devices

When you finally land on a winning formula, it's only natural to want to capitalize on it as much as you can until the well runs dry. The LG G3 has been praised not just for its premium hardware but for its software suite as well, which LG will now be bringing in parts to its roster of less premium devices down the line.

LG has slowly been introducing a number of custom software features that have reached their crowning glory in the G3. Features like Multi Window, QSlide, QPair, and Knock Code have been improved in the latest smartphone and have likewise made appearances in LG's other devices. The company will be continuing that rollout of features and is now targeting its line of entry-level and mid tier smartphones and tablets.

Of the many UX (user experience) feature in the G3, two will be coming to other LG devices, namely Smart Keyboard and a set of Camera features. Smart Keyboard goes beyond the call of duty of other "learning" keyboards by studying not just your most used words but also your typing habits and mistakes. The keyboard also offers some degree of customization to make it even more personal and tailor fit for different kinds of users. On the camera side, three specific features will be making their way down the chain. Touch & Shoot combines the act of "tap to focus" and "tap to shoot" into a single tap to make taking photos quick and easy. Gesture Shot lets you activate a three-second timer by simply opening and closing your hand in front of the camera. Finally, Clean View removes all the clutter around the camera screen, giving you an unobstructed view of your target.

LG does not mention which devices will be receiving these new features nor when, though it mentions devices released in the second half of this year. The OEM also doesn't mention if there will be other UX features that will join the list in the near future, though that might be a possibility as LG continues to consolidate its UX offering across is different devices.

SOURCE: LG

“Ignore No More” claims it can control children’s phones

One almost certain truth in life is that when children hit a certain age (puberty for some, pre-puberty for others), they will start ignoring your text messages and calls. One mother did not want any other parents to go through that and so she created an app that would “force” children to pay attention to the digital summons of their parents.

Ignore No More is an app that claims it can give you control over your children’s phones, well at least until they are of age. If for example they refuse to answer “urgent” text messages or repeatedly not pick up their phones when you’re calling them, then you can lock their phones and they will not be able to do anything with it until they actually call you back. Only then will the phone remotely unlock. The app has to be installed in both the parent phone and the children’s phones in order for it to work.

It is a devious way of controlling your children (in fact some would claim it’s a violation of their rights) but desperate parents would welcome this kind of control. However, it seems like the early feedback from those who’ve purchased and been using it is not all that positive. Even as the developer claims that this app "cannot be disabled”, there have been several complaints that the children could easily disable it and that there are devices that aren’t compatible with the app. Some have discovered also that you need ICE in order for it to work, but there are some phones out there that do not have that feature.

But if you’re confident enough that your child doesn’t have the capability of disabling a “sophisticated” app like this, you can purchase Ignore No More for $1.99 “per phone” from the Google Play Store. If you use the same Google account for different phones, then it would still work as just one phone. Now, the only challenge would be if your kids are more tech-savvy than you and how you can circumvent that in order to properly use Ignore No More.

VIA: SlashGear

YouTube Music Key tipped to be new music subscription service

What do you do if you have one of the world’s largest online database and repository of music – some under labels, some indie, some without labels – all searchable and viewable at the click of a button? Why, you think of ways to profit from it, of course. It honestly baffled me why it took this long for YouTube – and by extension Google – to think about this. But “YouTube Music Key” is coming soon.

What is it? Well, YouTube Music Key is set to be an online music-on-demand service (much like Spotify), and will dovetail with Google Play Music Key, the latter being the rebranded Google Play Music All Access. What it does is this – it will be able to offer ad-free, audio-only, music on demand (much like YouTube), and even offline playback.

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From insider information, we might be looking at a 30-day trial for starters, and then USD$9.99 per month moving forward. Just how much music are we talking about? According to information acquired by Android Police, it will be around 20 million high-quality tracks – complete albums, organized into artist discographies like we’re already used to with Spotify.

But once you think about what YouTube really is for you, then you begin to understand how huge this could really be. YouTube, according to your artist preferences, can now suggest HD concert footage, covers, and remixes of the tracks you like – because hey, it’s all in YouTube. Google will have to settle the contracts on the artist’s side of it, but once that gets done – we are potentially looking at a Spotify-on-steroids kinda thing, with the service able to provide you with related creative content that mines the biggest creative database of them all – us. Or more specifically, us on YouTube.

VIA: Android Police

Huawei mystery smartphone leaked with fingerprint scanner

It will be barely two weeks before Huawei finally unveils its next smartphone and still the Ascend Mate7 is still pretty much shrouded in mystery. And to add even more mystery, another new Huawei smartphone is now being leaked, sporting what is noted to be a fingerprint scanner on the back.

OK, it's not exactly a firm confirmation, but, being a leak, this is as close as it can get. It seems that this smartphone shares the same rumored sensor with the Ascend Mate7. As repeatedly pointed out before, the placement of the supposed fingerprint sensor is on the back, below the camera, which is rumored to be a 13 megapixel shooter. This mimics the exact arrangement that is found on the HTC One Max. Even the placement of the LED flash to the left of the camera sensor is the same. The only difference is that Huawei is using the square-ish design of Samsung's camera pieces rather than the rounder shape of HTC's.

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Previous leaked photos of the Ascend Mate7 also hinted that Huawei is going after HTC's design in more ways than one, with the smartphone bearing a brushed metal look and a triple segment back cover architecture. That, however, can't be seen here as the device is enclosed in an "anti-leak" casing.

One peculiarity of this latest leak is the specs for the smartphone, which is named as a Huawei Z100-CL00. The device's stats show that it is running on a 1.6 GHz processor with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The screen resolution is noted to be 1280x720 and the size is, of course, not given. There are two possible theories. One is that this is the lower end version of the Ascend Mate7, though the specs are even lower than those rumored for that variant. The second is that this is a completely different device that will just bear some, or at least one, of the key features of the higher end smartphone. Expect to hear more from Huawei when its scheduled September 4 IFA 2014 event rolls around.

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VIA: Weibo

LG’s Quick Circle apps uses G3 without opening phone case

LG’s Quick Circle case, which works exclusively with their flagship G3, is probably one of the most unique phone cases in the market as it is, well, obviously, round. There is now an app package to bring even more functionality to your G3 smartphone without even opening your case. The Quick Circle Apps lets you control your notifications and several functionalities, access your music, and many more, all from the “safety” of your Quick Circle case.

Your usual notifications on your smartphone can now be mirrored onto your Quick Circle case with Quick Notifications. However, viewing them is all that you can do for now as it doesn’t have the capability of performing any action,like dismissing them. Quick Music lets you use any of your music-listening apps so you can control them from that round face you see on the case. Quick Calendar lets you take a glance into your next few days’ schedule or events in the circle.

Some of the other apps included in the package lets you use several basic functionalities of a phone. Quick Torch is for lighting the way when there is no other light source. Quick Stopwatch and Quick Calculator are basically letting you use those two features quickly. Quick Toggles allows you to adjust your phone’s brightness and turn on or off the WiFi and mobile data.

All of these apps are open source and can be tweaked. This is part of LG’s promise that developers are encouraged to create apps and functions specific for users who own an LG G3 and a Quick Circle case. The Quick Circle Apps can be downloaded for free through the Google Play Store.

XDA Xposed Tuesday: Kids Mode for Your Phone – XDA Developer TV

The greatest thing about technology is its ability to teach and promote personal growth. No one knows this to be truer than the technology enthusiasts who have procreated and have a little mini-them running around. However, sometimes this little spawn gets ahold of your phone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and they sometimes make changes they should.

In this episode of XDA Xposed Tuesday, XDA Developer TV Producer TK reviews an Xposed Module that lets you create a kids mode on your phone to protect your device. XDA Senior Member WasseemB created the Kids Mode module. TK shows off the modules and gives his thoughts, so check out this Xposed Tuesday video.

Be sure to check out other great XDA Developer TV Videos