Peek moved to developer’s own name, new app pages added

Popular Android utility Peek has a major update, but it's not one that has added new features or fixes bugs. Instead, the update is that the app is now filed under the account of Jesús David Gulfo Agudelo or jedga, Peek's author, instead of his Google Play Store "proxy" Francisco Franco.

This change is significant on two accounts. The first is that it marks Google's addition of Colombia as one of the regions where developers are allowed to published paid apps. While Google's Android Developer Console is available widely and to any developer, the ability to monetize apps is limited to certain markets only, with Colombia previously left out of the list. This forces developers like jedga to look for friends in other supported countries to publish the paid apps for them, sometimes with undesirable consequences. Now that the doors have been opened, jedga is able to move his apps to his own account in Google Play Store, to minimize confusion about the authorship and authenticity of the apps.

That said, the second reason this news is significant is that it will be causing some initial confusion. Peek been available on Google Play Store for a while but the paid version has been published under Franco's name. The older Peek Pro version has been updated with an insanely high price tag of $200 to prevent would be buyers from making the wrong purchase. Those who have bought it in the past will now have to install the correct free version under jedga's name and update the old Pro version, which will automatically unlock the new Pro Peek. New buyers, on the other hand, will have nothing to worry about.

Peek is the standalone Google Play Version of the similar named feature available on Paranoid Android. The feature itself traces its history back to the 2013 Moto X and its Active Display feature, allowing users to see notifications on the display even when the phone is still locked and, in the case of AMOLED screens, without even waking up the entire display. There are now three version of Peek up on Google Play Store so there might be some confusion. The proper ones, which have Jesús David Gulfo Agudelo as the named developer, can be found in the Download links below.

Download: Peek (Free), (Pro) on Google Play Store

SOURCE: +Jesús David Gulfo Agudelo

Story Timeline

• Paranoid Android Peek notification explained and demonstrated


• Paranoid Android's Peek Notification ported for KitKat devices


• Paranoid Android outs Beta 7, clarifies paid Peek app


• Peek 2.0 arrives, brings in lots of features and fixes

LG G Watch R finally launching, first in Korea

We’re finally getting word that LG’s round-face smartwatch – the LG G Watch R – is finally launching, albeit in their home market in South Korea first. LG has had a history of doing that, and so we in the international tech community and consumers at large would have to wait just a bit more for the international launch.

The LG G Watch R is the South Korean manufacturer’s answer to the huge draw and popularity of Motorola’s Moto 360 – the first Android Wear product to take on a radical round design. And according to LG, the Korean market will get first taste of the pretty round watch on October 14. That’s not too far away now.

As for international markets like the US and Europe, there is no mention of a launch date yet – but you can’t imagine LG making these profit-rich markets wait for too long, could you? No, we don’t think so as well. Especially when this could be LG’s “Moto 360 killer”. Take a gander at our hands on with the LG G Watch R video below.

LG is harping on its full circle OLED screen, possibly making fun of the Moto 360’s “flat tire” round design. It sports a Snapdragon 400 processor, pretty powerful for a smartwatch, and a 410mAh battery – bigger capacity than the Moto 360’s 300mAh battery. LG says that the LG G Watch R wearable device will retail at around USD$330 in Korea on launch date.

VIA: SlashGear

Story Timeline

• LG G Watch R revealed head of IFA: R is for "round"


• LG G Watch R revealed to have a hefty price tag


• LG details round-face G Watch R smartwatch

HTC confirms event on Oct. 8, may launch 3 new products

So it’s finally confirmed – HTC is having a big event on October the 8th and we’re expecting a product-laden launch, what with a lot of new HTC products buzzing around the rumor mill these days. The mosy eye-catching (pun intended) will be the HTC One (M8) Eye, which is probably a new version of the company’s hugely popular flagship. Then there’s also the HTC Desire Eye, dubbed as the ultimate selfie phone, and RECamera, an odd-looking mobile camera of some sort.

The HTC One (M8) Eye, will have a decidedly two-eye camera setup (geddit? One eye, two eye…) as the main upgrade to the flagship is the new 13MP dual camera setup at the back of the device, a much needed spec bump from the quite embarrassing 4MP that used to adorn the HTC One M8. Other than that, rumors say that it should take all other specs from its predecessor. We’ll know soon enough.

The more interesting device is the HTC Desire Eye. Dubbed as the “ultimate selfie” phone, it gets the moniker from the huge 13MP front-facing camera it has, to partner the same 13MP camera it has at the back. It also rumored to have a very strong spec lineup, as one might even be tempted to say it has flagship level specs – a Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor (2.3Ghz) backstopped by 2GB of RAM, a 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p screen, 32GB of internal storage and a removable 2,400mAh battery. Interesting, right?

Lastly, we have the “ugly duckling” of the bunch – we really don’t know what to make of the rumors surrounding the RECamera, which was initially purported to invade the personal professional mobile video camera market dominated by GoPro. Some recent rumors say that the camera on the device might not stand up to GoPro’s level. And with the leaks showing an inhaler-slash-periscope shaped oddity, we will only have to look forward to October 8 to see how HTC spins this product.

So there you have it. You’re all ready and wound up for the launch. Now to wait the two days (or one day, depending on where you are) for the actual event. Go and relax for a bit. Grab coffee or something. And stop biting you nails.

SOURCE: HTC on Twitter

Story Timeline

• HTC might be going after GoPro's market [UPDATE]


• New HTC One (M8) Eye passes through China’s TENAA


• HTC Desire Eye leaked, with ‘ultimate selfie’ front camera

T-Mobile Xperia Z3 page now up, device still coming soon

Sony's latest flagship might make its way to T-Mobile subscribers really soon now. Sony has put up a product landing page for this carrier-specific version of the Xperia Z3, not only confirming the fact that T-Mobile will indeed be carrying the smartphone but also giving hope that it could launch sooner than the end of the year estimate.

That the Xperia Z3 will be coming to T-Mobile, as well as other US carriers, is already notable in itself. Sony has traditionally eschewed such partnerships, preferring to carry their mobile phones mostly on their own. While it has the benefit of being ensured of an unlocked device when brought directly from Sony, it is speculated that it has also contributed to its smartphones selling poorly in the US. That might be a moot point now as T-Mobile is now sure to sell the devices while Verizon is also rumored to have stocks available as well.

Sony highlights some of the Xperia Z3's defining traits. Sony's flagships have been known for their rugged qualities, but this latest iteration is its highest rated one yet. And if numbers aren't enough to convince you, then maybe an underwater unboxing will. Sony is also playing on the digital photography talents of the Xperia Z3, which subtly improves on its predecessor. The slew of fun Xperia-exclusive camera apps that the manufacturer has just recently unleashed on Google Play Store seems to attest to that as well. Entirely new to the Xperia Z3 family is a focus on gamers as well, with the new PS4 Remote Play feature for streaming and controlling PlayStation 4 games right on your smartphone.

The T-Mobile Xperia Z3 is still marked as coming soon, so we don't have an expected ETA yet aside from before this year ends. As for the rest of the Xperia Z3 family, Sony does have landing pages for the Xperia Z3 Compact and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, not from T-Mobile or any carrier for that matter, but neither have any dates, not even a "Coming Soon" label, attached.

SOURCE: Sony

Story Timeline

• Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact: PS4 Remote Play, 20MP, and more


• Sony Xperia Z3 may launch this October 9 in the US


• Sony unveils new marketing campaign for Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact


• Sony Xperia Z3 underwater unboxing

LG Tribute now available for purchase at Virgin Mobile

If you're looking for a decent and affordable new smartphone, if you head on over to Virgin Mobile, there's a new device available there that might just catch your fancy. LG's entry-level smartphone, the Tribute can now be purchased on the online shop both for its one-time payment prepaid plan and also with the monthly unlimited plans.

The budget-friendly smartphone comes with pretty decent specifications, although of course for its price range, you wouldn't really expect that much. It has a 4.5-inch WVGA (800x480) IPS display and runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor. For its RAM, it has 1GB and then 4GB of internal storage, but can be expanded because it has a micro SD slot. It has a 5-megapixel main camera with LED flash and Full HD 1080p video recording. Again, this doesn't look pretty impressive on paper, but it's an entry-level phone, but the 4G LTE connectivity might be a selling point.

In terms of LG's proprietorial software, it does adapt several of their flagship, the LG G3's unique features, including the Touch & Shoot which allows you to both focus and take a picture with just one tap. The Tribute also has the knock code that lets you unlock your device just by tapping several areas on the screen that you yourself preset. It will have the latest Android 4.4.2 software, also has Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and has a talktime of 15 hours.

The Tribute is available for purchase at the Virgin Mobile online store for just $79.99 and is ready for shipping. You can also avail of it through the monthly unlimited plans (no contract) that range from $20-$55 per month. If you want to use the phone as a mobile hotspot, you need to add $5 per day and you can connect it to 5 WiFi-enabled devices.

SOURCE: Virgin Mobile

Nizam Jewel Match3 Magic Duel is not your ordinary Bejeweled game

Don't say this is another bejeweled game because it's not—not quite. There may be tens to hundreds of similar games that let you to match three similar items but this is more relaxing and magical. Relaxing because of the background music being played and magical because magic happens every time you complete the puzzle game.

In Nizam, you are the hero of the game. You need to combine three or more jewels in one row to strike the enemies with different spells. Sorcerers and mighty wizards are after you so you need to defeat them as fast as you can.

Goal of the game is to match as many gems of similar colors. A match is equivalent to a spell that must be activated. It’s not a simple match game as it is a turn based puzzle. You only need to match your colors to deal more damage. Be careful not to move opponent’s colors off the field though as this will charge his spells.

Make more cobinations for more damage. Combine a set of seven and you’ll damage additional 7. Combine a set of three and you’ll damage plus three. Combo x 3 will damage + 2. The more combinations you match, the more damage will result. The game can be easy because you simply need to combine gems of same colors but this requires patience. You need to wait for your turn so it might take a while to finish a round. Just because you see similar gems near each other, it doesn't mean you can easily take them off.

Download Nizam: Jewel Match 3 Puzzle from the Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• Bejeweled 2 Coming This Week, Plants vs. Zombies and Peggle Coming This Summer


• Bejeweled Blitz launches for Android

Thief Lupin 2 hits Google Play

Thief Lupin 2 is the sequel to the highly popular original Thief Lupin game and the second installment is now on Google Play. The original game was ranked #1 in 22 countries and racked up 8 million downloads. The second installment of the game hopes to be even more popular than the first.

Players will play as Lupin, Chiyome, and other master thieves. Gamers make their way through five different puzzle filled worlds. During the levels, you will battle vampires, puffer-fish, and other monsters in order to steal artifacts from famous locations.

The famous locations include The Neuschwanenstein Castle and the Pyramids of Egypt among others. The game promises one-touch game play, good music, and 13 challenging bosses to fight. There are five playable characters with special abilities.

There are 160 artifacts to unlock and 90 items and power-ups that can be purchased. The game is a free download, but is supported by in-game purchases. The game is 22MB in size and supports Android 4.0 and up.

SOURCE: Google Play