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CyanogenMod 11 M11 is out with another round of polishes

No, you're not seeing double. This is indeed CM11 M11, or to be more verbose, the 11th milestone release for CyanogenMod version 11. This release is sort of less spectacular than previous ones and probably rightly so. It hints that most of the development is now focused more on fine tuning than introducing big, invasive, and potentially disruptive features. It could also be the calm before the storm when Android L is released and all development hell breaks loose.



New devices have been added to the officially supported roster, a mix of both old and new, and probably some never heard of, models such as the Galaxy S4 Active, the Galaxy S4 SK (SK Telecom variant), the Galaxy S5 GSM, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the Galaxy Player 4.0. Of course, there might be some devices in the official list that might not have an M11 image built for them, but, as always, that is no cause for panic. It doesn't mean that the device has been dropped, only that it is missing out on this particular iteration.


Majority of the changes in this release involves fixes to existing features, such as fixing the arrangement of Navigation arrows keys in RTL (right to left) setups, preventing the playing of sound while in the middle of a call, addressing GPS and NFC issues on last year's LG G2, and laying the foundations for the HTC Desire 816 and the HTC One mini 2, though actual builds for these two devices are not yet available.


With development seemingly settling down, some users or onlookers might wonder if CyangenMod 11 will ever see a "stable" release. CM developers explained the situation last month and, for all intents and purposes, these M releases can be considered as the monthly stable builds in the absence of a more formal one. That said, things are most likely to pick up pace once again when Google unfurls the next version of Android either late this month or early November, with all the API changes, design shifts, and new features that it will bring.


SOURCE: CyanogenMod





8tracks curated playlists app updated with Chromecast support

There are hoards of music apps out there for Android users. One of them is an app called 8tracks, rather than being a music service like most, this app is a place for music fans to come and find playlists curated by other users of the app. The app promises playlists with all sorts of musical genres.



8tracks first launched in 2011 and it has been through a few updates since then. The latest update for the app has now landed and brings it to version 3.1. The biggest new feature in version 3.1 of the app is support for Chromecast.


Chromecast support means that you can now shoot your 8tracks playlists to your TV. The update has also fixed a number of bugs in the app. New sorting options were added as well with options for trending, newest, and popular.


The update landed this week and brings the app to version 3.10.100784. Android 4.0 or higher is required for the app and it measures in at 7.3MB.


SOURCE: Google Play


CF-Auto-Root now supports Asian Galaxy Note 4 and S5 Prime

One of the things that Android fans really lust after when new devices hit market is a root so they can install their own version of Android on the new device. If you are one of these folks that want to put your own flavor on your smartphone, CF-Auto-Root's Chainfire has some good news for us today.



Chainfire has announced that he has added the first Note 4 models to the support list. The catch for now is that only Asian Note 4 models are supported, specific models supported include SM-N910C, SM-N910U, and SM-N9106W.


Galaxy S5 Prime users in Korea are also now able to root their devices with CF-Auto-Root. Supported S5 Prime models include the SM-G906K, SM-G906L, and SM-G906S. CF-Auto-Root support for other Galaxy S5 models came back in March. CF-Auto-Root is also now available for the Android TV ADT-1.


All of the root files are available on Chainfire's Google+ page. The developer is also calling for stock recovery.img files so he can add support for new models to the list. If you install the root on these models, let us know how the process goes.


SOURCE: Google Plus


5 Apps That Show Off How Awesome Android Wear Can Be

5 Apps That Show Off How Awesome Android Wear Can Be


Any Android app works with Android Wear in terms of simple notifications and alerts, but there now are a growing number of dedicated apps that try and do more with the interface. If you're wondering exactly what Android Wear's capabilities are—whether or not you've picked up a device yet—browse through this selection of the apps that really show off the platform's potential.


Read more...
















Get Google to remind you to pay your bills

No matter how much you try to organize your life, there are some things that might slip through the cracks. But there are some things you cannot afford to (literally) get past you and those are bill payments. Google has now added a very crucial prompt that will tell you what you need to pay, how much you need to pay and when you need to pay them. And all you need is just to have these information on your Gmail and for you to use your best "Ok Google" voice.



Okay, you don't really need to sound great when asking Google. But you do need to have all the necessary information in your email, which we assume most of your bill payments are sent to you electronically. So all you need to do is tell Google to "Show me my bills" or "My bills due this week". If you have all the complete information, like due date, amount due, etc, then it will show you a summary of both the past bills you've paid and the upcoming ones you need to settle.


However, it will not automatically give you a reminder when your bills are due, but you can also use the power of Google to give you a push. Once you have the list of upcoming bills, set a reminder by "Okay Google"-ing again and only then will your forgetful mind be at ease, knowing your virtual assistant will have your back. Or you can also add it to your to-do list of choice, whether it's Evernote, To-doist or your phone's built-in reminders. The other problem is that if your bill is in one of your filters, like promotions or updates, it seems to not be able to detect it. But maybe they'll be able to fix that soon or you can just transfer it to your primary filter.


google-now-bills-2


The important thing is, you can always check with Google Now if you feel like you're forgetting a mortgage payment or a credit card bill. No need to update anything, the power is already in your hands (or rather, your voice).


SOURCE: +Google


Galaxy Tab Active up for pre-order in the US

Samsung has announced that its latest ruggedized tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active, will be available in the US this month. The tablet is also now up for pre-order for fans in the US wanting a tablet that can survive life on the road. The Galaxy Tab Active will sell for $699.99 in the US.



Samsung made the tablet with water and dust resistance built in along with anti-shock and drop protection to keep the tablet from dying an early death from drops. Internal storage for the tablet is 16GB and it features Samsung Knox, NFC tech and the C-Pen.


Samsung is aiming for mobile business pros, so the tablet is Certified Citrix-Ready and SAP-Certified for SAP Work manager and SAP CRM Service manager. The tablet has integrated WiFi, Android 4.4 is the OS, and the main screen is an 8-inch unit with native resolution of 1280 x 800.


The screen is rated for 400 nits brightness. The tablet uses 1.5GB of RAM paired with a 1.2GHz quad core Qualcomm APQ 8026 CPU. Power comes from a removable lithium-polymer 4450 mAh battery and the rear camera has 3.1MP resolution.


galaxy-tab-active-1 galaxy-tab-active-2 galaxy-tab-active-3


SOURCE: Samsung


Galaxy Note Edge passes through FCC, launches in Japan Oct 23

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is a device that we already know quite a bit about, but one of the things that we aren’t sure of is exactly when it will launch. The Galaxy Note Edge was spied recently passing through the FCC in the US to gain the certifications it needs to launch. The specific version of the device that passed through the FCC is SM-N915A destined for AT&T.



The FCC lists the smartphone as working on 1900/850 MHz (II) / 850 (V) MHz, GSM (B2) / 1700 (B4) / 850 (B5) / 700 (B12 / B17) MHz, W-CDMA 1900 FDD-LTE 1900 networks. We already know some of the specifications of the Note Edge, and one of the most notable is the screen. The Galaxy Note Edge is tipped to feature a Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440.


We also know that the smartphone will support the ability to draw or sketch directly on the screen using the S Pen. Samsung has also said that the device will be a limited edition. We have no idea how much the smartphone will cost at this point, but it is expected to be a premium device.


While the smartphone crossed the FCC in the US, we also know that Samsung will be launching the smartphone in Japan this month. The official launch date is tipped as October 23. Samsung will offer the smartphone in Japan via KDDI and NTT DoCoMo and those wanting the smartphone can pre-order now.


SOURCE: Blog of Mobile


SOURCE: Samsung Mobile Press





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