OneDrive offers Office 365 customers unlimited storage

We will never have shortage of cloud storage especially now when more companies are offering deals for unlimited storage. For one, all current Office 365 subscribers are lucky to receive unlimited OneDrive storage for free. This means all Office 365 Home, Personal, and University customers can store their files on the cloud service with no additional cost.

Microsoft announced this offer yesterday to the delight of Office 365 members. However, the rollout will not happen at once. The software giant will slowly give free access to the subscribers over the next few months. While waiting for the full OneDrive unlimited storage, subscribers can enjoy the auto upload feature from the smartphone’s camera roll to the cloud storage.

First customers to get the unlimited storage are the OneDrive for Business subscribers. Their storage will be listed on the Office 365 roadmap in the next few days ahead of others. Microsoft will also update the service for the First Release customers next year. Right now, 1TB can be used for backup but Microsoft promises unlimited storage soon.

OneDrive unlimited storage is an important development for everyone who has started to depend on cloud computing. Geeks are relying more on the cloud for work, communication, development, and other creative endeavors. Professional and personal computing are made easier with cloud services. Everything can be stored and accessed online now. No need for bulky hard drives, SSDs, or USB flashdrives that are prone to errors and viruses. All you need is fast Internet connection.

Microsoft aims to be the top cloud storage in the world today. Let’s see how Office 365 will get more subscribers and beat other cloud storage services out there.

SOURCE: OneDrive

Story Timeline

• Bitcasa unlimited cloud storage arrives on Android for $10 a month


• Office Mobile for Android arrives for Office 365 users


• Microsoft Office Mobile for Android drops the Office 365 requirement

Hangouts lets you call 25 countries free for first minute

Whether it's expanding the scope of its service or simply trying to advertise the existence of that option, Google is doing a promo for the voice call feature of Hangouts. Users can get their first minute of a call to any of 25 allowed countries for free. But before you jump the gun on this offering, carefully read the fine print first, as things aren't as rosy as they seem.

Hangouts has long been poised to eventually deprecated Google Voice, and that largely happened last month when Google rolled out the feature via the new Hangouts Dialer extension app. Although most, not all, calls to the US and Canada are free, many require a fee, usually 1 cent per minute after the first minute. Now you can have at most a minute of free call, but, of course, there are limits, aside from time. Only 25 countries participate in this deal, which are:

• Australia

• Belgium

• Brazil

• Canada

• China

• Dominican Republic

• France

• Germany

• India

• Indonesia

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan

• Mexico

• Netherlands

• Norway

• Peru

• Poland

• Russia

• South Korea

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• United Kingdom

• United States

There are other caveats as well. First, you need to have some calling credits on your Google Account, which might be a good idea since only the first minute of the call, which will be indicated by a "First minute free” sign on the call screen, is free and succeeding minutes will be charged accordingly. Second, regular data charges still apply, so it might be a better idea to do this over WiFi. And, of course, you need to have the Hangouts Dialer app installed and enabled to even make voice calls via Hangouts.

And if you're planning to just make multiple short one-minute calls, better think again. Google says to only make one call at a time, otherwise only one of those would be getting the first minute free. And if the system notices that you're trying to game it, it might also revoke the free minute for subsequent calls as well.

SOURCE: Google

Story Timeline

• Google's Emu buy seen to bring some brains to Hangouts


• Is Google Voice starting to merge with Hangouts?


• Google Hangouts now lets you make voice calls

LG confirms Android Lollipop coming to G3 and G2 as well

LG G3 and G2 owners can all now breathe a sigh of relief (if they were ever worried) as it has been confirmed that Android 5.0 or Lollipop as it will be more popularly known will be coming to said devices. The South Korean OEM is one of the last ones to announce that their flagship device was getting an upgrade, as anticipation for the rollout of the latest major update from Google is imminent. Samsung, HTC, Sony, ASUS and of course Nexus devices have all previously announced that they will be getting "Lollipop-ized".

But while some of the devices will be getting the upgrade early next year, LG assured G3 owners that they will have the Lollipop on their devices by end of the year. This means that, aside from the Nexus of course, it will be one of the first flagship Android gadgets that will be upgraded to 5.0. The announcement was made on their German Facebook page, with the picture of an actual lollipop on top of the G3 (something which we would never advocate, unless you want a sticky screen).

The previous flagship, the LG G2, meanwhile will also be upgraded to the Lollipop, but the announcement says it "will follow", which might mean early 2015. This is good news for those who thought the older device will be left behind in this latest development. But there is still no word if the other older ones will also get to the 5.0 level.

Android 5.0 Lollipop will be bringing major improvements to the smartphone's performance, although we don't know what specific to the LG G3. But platform-wise, it will bring 64-bit processor support, enhancements to the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, OpenGL ES 3.1 for better graphics, application of SELinux and of course, the Material Design that has been creeping on us from Google and other apps as well.

SOURCE: LG

Story Timeline

• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 teased with Android 5.0 Lollipop


• ASUS PadFone, ZenFone series to get Lollipop sweetness in 2015


• LG G3 also getting the Android Lollipop update

Fitbit intros three new models, now with GPS and heart-rate sensor

It seems the smartwatch-wearable era is booming. A lot of wearables from different manufacturers are being introduced left and right. The Pebble may be one of those who started in this business but it’s gaining a lot of rivals. It didn’t help that Samsung unveiled a series of Gear wearables too and other companies were quick to follow. The result? The Kickstarter-funded Pebble was overshadowed. It’s still thriving but Pebble developers must think of new ways to market and sell the smartwatch.

Being added to the list of wearables are new Fitbit models. A Fitbit Surge was leaked yesterday by an online store before launch. It was actually leaked earlier and we learned it will have GPS. Photos and specs of the new FitBit were also leaked so we have an idea how the new Fitbit devices look like.

The guys behind Fitbit have been working hard updating the smartwatch with a new dashboard design. No wonder Fitbit for Android was downloaded more than a million times. It was also integrated with the new HTC One M8 and other Android devices like the Sony Xperia Z, Moto G, Moto X, and Nexus 5 so users can do more with it. The smartwatch has proven to be a success despite the skin irritation issues some 10,000 users reported.

After more than a year, Fitbit has announced a trio of new fitness tracking wearables: the Fitbit Surge, Fitbit Charge HR, and the Fitbit Charge. These new wristbands can track sleep patterns and can be used to show call notifications with the Caller ID function. Making these three models a better alternative are the heart sensor and GPS connectivity.

Fitbit continues its aim to lead people to be more active and live healthier lives. Fitness and health goals can easily be achieved with these new Fitbit werables. Let’s take a look at each new model:

FITBIT SURGE, $249.95

The Fitbit Surge is a Fitness Super Watch that is sleek in design. It comes with GPS and heart rate sensor now so it works better with any compatible phone device. It offers all-day fitness tracking with its advanced tracker functionality, 8-sensor technology, and the basic features you can find in the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Charge.

Fitbit Surge is the most advanced among the new models and most expensive too. It can record different sports activities from strength workouts to cross-training and running with the tailored metrics. It also works as a basic smartwatch with mobile music control, text alerts, and Caller ID.

Other features include the eight sensors (GPS, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometers, optical heart rate monitor, altimeter, digital compass, ambient light sensor and touch screen), a backlit LCD touch screen display, customizable watch faces, alarms, workout apps, and maximum of 7 days of battery life. FitBit Surge will be available in blue, tangerine, and black.

FITBIT CHARGE, $129.95

This wristband is an upgrade from the Fitbit Force model. It features a high-performance wristband display that shows the fitness and health stats you need. With this Fitbit Charge, you can track your distance traveled, floors climbed, steps taken, and calories burned. You can also make use of exercise tracking to see exercise stats and record workouts and then view summaries on the Fitbit dashboard afterwards.

Features of the water-resistant Fitbit Charge include a new automatic sleep detection monitors, a bright OLED display screen, Caller ID, an improved clasp, textured wristband design, and up to seven days of battery life on one charge. Available in burgundy, blue, slate, and black.

FITBIT CHARGE HR, $149.95

Last but not the least is the Fitbit Charge HR. This one is for the more active users. It features Fitbit’s very own PurePulse optical heart rate technology that offers automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking. No need for a chest strap, just wear the Fitbit on your wrist.

What makes the PurePulse work are the LED lights that can detect changes in blood volume when the heart beats. This means heart rate tracking all-day long to get the number of calories burned more accurately and more data on cardio, fat burning, and peak heart rate zones. This Fitbit model is ideal for those who want to maintain workout intensity and maximizing training, as well as, optimize their health by keeping track of heart rate trends and resting heart rate. Available in tangerine, black, plum, and blue.

VIA: Slashgear

SOURCE: Businesswire

Story Timeline

• UP by Jawbone: your fitness tracker without the fitness band


• Leaks reveal GPS-sporting Fitbit Surge to be released soon


• Fitbit Surge leaked by online store before launch

Wave and Wave II Get Functional OmniROM!

Running Android on a device that was never supposed to support is quite a challenge. But even when you’ve got that part working, those last ten percent are often the most challenging. This has been exactly the case for the BadaDroid project, which aims to bring Android to Bada (a lesser known OS released by Samsung for their Wave series, for which development stopped in 2013 after it was replaced by its successor, Tizen). We’ve actually seen the project develop slowly over the last two years, and it’s always great to see it progressing further.

OmniROM is the latest member of the family of ROMs available for the Wave and Wave II, and it’s also the most usable to date, brought to you by XDA Recognized Developer volk204. In fact, it’s fully usable as a daily build without any major issues (the last major problem, which caused the device to overheat while charging, was fixed in the most recent build). The list of bugs is now rather short, and shouldn’t affect daily usage for most users:

• Using 2G causes some problems (3G functions correctly, though, and you can force that easily).


• Conference calls don’t work.


• Audio codec settings are a bit flaky, but problems are rare enough.

Battery life is also a bit shorter than on Bada, but it should still last a full day with low to moderate usage. It’s worth noting that although the ROM is usable without major issues, it’s still considered an alpha project (interested developers are more than welcome to contact the BadaDroid team!), and the community has been great at providing support where possible. If you’d like to give it a try, head over to the OmniROM for Bada forum thread to get started!

The post Wave and Wave II Get Functional OmniROM! appeared first on xda-developers.

Nextbit Wants To Enable Magic App-Sharing For Android

App continuity is all the rage at the moment, thanks to Apple's recently-introduced feature to share apps and data between iOS and OS X devices. Nextbit, a software team of ex-Googlers, is trying to bring the same electronic wizardy to Android.

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Nextbit Baton syncs all apps, data, available on CyanogenMod

When you have multiple mobile devices, languishing batteries aren't your only concern. Keeping your apps and their data in sync across all those devices is always a pain in one's extremities. Some apps can manage that for you, but not all of them. Google has app backups and syncing, but not all Android apps partake of that either. Fortunately, a solution might just be around the corner in the form of Nextbit's Baton. And it will be available in beta as a Cyanogen exclusive.

Baton's purpose is so simple that it's a wonder no one has thought of it before. Or perhaps it's because it was too simple, and potentially too dangerous that one dared approach it without the proper credentials. Nextbit's credentials come from the startup's two founders, former Google execs Tom Moss and Mike Chan. They were also able to rope in former HTC SVP for Design and User Experience Scott Croyle.

Baton is more than just a backup and restore service like Google's built-in feature, though it certainly does that as well. It offers app and data syncing across all connected devices, and it isn't picky about which apps to sync. It also does more than just sync plain data, it also manages states. The most interesting feature, which also give the product its name, is the "Pass" feature, which lets you send any open app and its state from one device to another. Think of it like Amazon's WhisperSync, except it works across devices and for any app.

Enticing and totally useful as it may sound, there will most likely be some worried looks, especially since it stores everything in the cloud. Nextbit's cloud, that is. And that always brings in privacy and security concerns, especially when all app data is involved. We can only presume and hope on Nextbit's abilities and purpose, and they might be on the right track by partnering with Cyanogen, Inc. The private beta of Baton will be exclusively available on CyanogenMod, while future public releases will be available on the "commercially distributed Cyanogen operating system."

That last bit is equally interesting, though tangential to the announcement. Cyanogen, Inc, the company, has never been lacking in ambition, but this is one of the few, if not the first, times it referred to a Cyanogen Operating System. And judging by the wording, it seems that it will be a separate entity from the CyanogenMod we all know. Whether that refers to something that already exists, like CyanogenMod 11S on the OnePlus One, or a product that is yet to come is something we have yet to find out.

SOURCE: Cyanogen