Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition finally gets Android Lollipop

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition is finally getting the much-awaited Android 5.0 Lollipop. This means the smartphone will be a lot sweeter as the software update has started to roll out. Last year's flagship phone from the South Korean giant was the first GPE device but is now among the last ones to get a taste of the sweet Lollipop. This brings new platform features to the bestselling Galaxy S4 but it will only be the Android 5.0.0 and not the 5.0.1 update recently released. The preview we saw earlier this month was true after all.

There was a bit of delay in Galaxy S4 getting the Lollipop because it's up to the device manufacturer when it will be released. Google already made the update available but maybe Samsung was too busy the past few weeks to worry about the last generation flagship phone.

A Google Play Edition of any smartphone is special because it's actually a stock version of the Android OS. A GPE unit has no customizations yet from manufacturers so it's almost like the Nexus line. Other Google Play Editions include the HTC One M7, HTC One M8, Sony Z Ultra, LG G Pad 8.3, and the Moto G.

Android 5.0 Lollipop now on the Galaxy S4 means it will also have the Material Design. If you're a Samsung Galaxy S4 owner and has been wanting to upgrade to Android Lollipop, make sure you have at least 500MB of free space. Software update is expected to roll out in the next few days.

VIA: SlashGear

Story Timeline

• Android Lollipop build on Samsung Galaxy S4 leaked


• KitKat vs Lollipop on Galaxy S4: It's like a new phone


• Preview of Android Lollipop on Galaxy S4 GPE leaked

BBM for Android update: Lollipop, stickers and longer timer

Just in case you've somehow forgotten, BlackBerry Messenger is still alive and is on other platforms as well, giving the loyal BlackBerry users a free messaging connection to those on Android, iOS, etc. The latest update brings a host of other features that has been available in other messaging apps but is now just being adapted by BBM. Still, better late than never.

Since Google has slowly (with emphasis on slowly) been rolling out its Android 5.0 Lollipop to its various devices, BBM is also now ready to support the latest major update in both design and features. Stickers are also now available on the messaging app, which is a must-have given that all others have used this new way of communicating as a selling point. The sticker packs are also on sale, with each pack at $0.99 for a limited time only.

If you want ephemeral messages, then the timed messages feature of BBM is a good way to go. The latest update has extended the life of these messages to 60 seconds. And they can also view them more than once, until the timer expires. If you feel more comfortable reading and typing out messages when your device is horizontal, landscape mode is also now available for the messenger. If your photos or attachments are on your smartphone or tablet's SD card, you can now send it also through your BBM.

There are already a lot of messenger apps in the market, but if you still have a lot of friends using Blackberry, then this may be the best, free way to communicate with them. The update is already rolling out to users, but if you don't have BBM yet, you can get it for free from the Google Play Store.

SOURCE: Blackberry

Android Community Weekly Digest: Dec. 14, 2014

Things have been relatively quiet on the mobile front this week, seemingly the great quiet before the storm. Of course, that doesn't mean nothing of importance passed us by. This week saw one of the biggest updates to Android Wear: official support for watch faces. We've also seen a good number of games land on Android. India also continues to be mired in controversy . This is your latest edition of Android Community's Weekly Digest, covering the period from December 8 to December 14, 2014

Android Wear Faces

After asking developers to hold off from going berserk with watch faces, Google has finally released the official API for making them. Now developers and designers need not rely on hacks, workarounds, and pieces of code that may change right from under their noses. And to start the Android Wear watch face support with a bang, Google is launching over a dozen watch faces from big brands.

The latest Android Wear update isn't just about looks either. Both the smartwatch OS and the companion Android app have been improved to be faster, quicker, and easier to access. New smart modes have been added that adjust to your situation, like Sunlight mode or Theater mode. All in all, Android Wear is slowly, but surely, shaping up to be a formidable companion to your Android smartphone.

India's Growing Presence

It seems that the drama between OnePlus and Cyanogen, Inc. is far from over. Taking one step forward and two steps back, Cyanogen clarified that while it will indeed support OnePlus One devices in India with continued OTA, there is a subtle, confusing, and arbitrary caveat: It will not update OnePlus One smartphones bought from India, specifically the ones being distributed through Amazon India. This is supposedly to respect its exclusive partnership with Micromax, though it does disregard its already existing partnership with OnePlus.

But OnePlus isn't the only Chinese company having problems in the sub-continent. Chinese mobile star Xiaomi has been banned from selling its products in India due to an ongoing patent lawsuit from Ericsson and its India office. Although Xiaomi is hardly the first one to meet this kind of adversity from Ericsson, with India's own Micromax experiencing the same, the timing couldn't be worse as the Chinese OEM tries to spread its wings to other parts of Asia.

Games Galore

A lot of promised games were finally delived to Android this week. Marvel's "console-like" brawler Contest of Champions, with its promise of high quality graphics and more intuitive touch controls, punches its way through Google Play Store. The Game of Thrones Adventure Game, a point and click, er, adventure game also arrives for fans of both novel and TV series to enjoy. Minecraft makers Mojang also release the card slash board game Scrolls, with the assurance that you do not need to pay to win. Next year we'll be anticipating the mobile port of Heroes of Might and Magic III as well as the super-deformed Transformers: Battle Tactics.

Head on over to our Friday roundup of games for more details, and be sure to check out our Gaming selection for more.

Devices

Vivo unveils the incredibly and ridiculously thin X5Max, with a 4.75 mm profile that will make super models die of envy. OPPO's R5, while not exactly that thin, proves in a video ad that thin doesn't have to mean fragile or bendable. While details of what Samsung has in store for "Project Zero" a.k.a. the Galaxy S6 are still relatively slim, it seems that the Korean OEM is quite busy with its SoC expansion. For one, Samsung is rumored to have an Exynos chip with Cat. 10 LTE support, speculated to be heading for the Galaxy S6. But even here and now, Samsung might out a Galaxy Note 4 edition solely for Korea, at least initially, that bears the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor.

Apps

Power users, customizers, and developers have quite a bit to chew on this week. Google has finally released version 1.0 of Android Studio, the official Android Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Meanwhile, several new app launchers have hit the market, starting with the newest, and rather controversial, Action Launcher version 3.0, updated not just with Material Design but in code as well. Sadly, it is also missing some features. Flow Home is a launcher that keeps your social network feeds just a swipe away, ala HTC's BlinkFeed but for everyone. Microsoft has also pushed out a new version of its unexpected Next Lock Screen, bringing in weather information and customization options. And speaking of Microsoft, Redmond surprisingly continues to expand its Android apps roster.

Google has also revealed its top app picks for 2014, so be sure to check that out as well.

Updates

A long time coming, Amazon has finally updated it Kindle app for Android, adding the much desired X-Ray functionality as well as flashcards for making studying easier. VLC finally sheds off the Beta tag after many years of development. Nokia's HERE Maps, on the other hand, clings to that Beta title, but at least it can be downloaded from Google Play Store now. Keeping up with the times, Hangouts has added stickers to its feature list. Google Fit added support for 100 more activities to track, some of which you can customize on your own. YouTube gets another Material Design makeover and adds offline support in some countries.

Sony releases tutorial vid for unlocking Xperia bootloaders

Unlocking the bootloader is, more often than not, the gateway to squeezing out every bit of functionality from your Android device, specifically via rooting and installing custom ROMs. While not exactly necessary for most users, it has become both tradition and requirement for developers and power users. Trying to endear itself to that crowd as well, Sony has just released a video tutorial that guides users through the process of unlocking an Xperia device's bootloader.

Sony can perhaps be credited and praised for being the only major device maker to actually support modding their products this way, though with the necessary disclaimers and warnings. You can find many guides on the Internet about rooting and unlocking Samsung, LG, HTC, and whatnot, but, aside from Motorola, which is a very special case, Sony is the only one that provides detailed instructions for doing so. It even provides a tool for flashing the stock Sony ROM. And now they have a video that ties all those up together.

That said, the process isn't entirely easy as Sony doesn't provide a one-click tool to automate it all. They do it the official and multi-step way, perhaps to ensure that only those who dare take that journey are really those who are sure of the consequences. Users will have to request for an unlock code from Sony, download the Android SDK from Google, and fiddle around with ADB and Fastboot, among other things. Those steps indirectly serve as checkpoints to make sure that the user is really aware of what they're trying to do.

Of course, unlocking the bootloader isn't a necessary operation and Sony reminds users of that. Of course, they'd prefer users to stick to their own custom Android experience, but there are also technical considerations as well. Depending on the device, most especially the more recent models, unlocking the bootloader and installing custom ROMs results in some functionality being disabled, commonly the camera, noise reduction, and sometimes even cell radio, which practically renders the device useless. But at least for those who do live for these kinds of things, and those that develop the ROMs that other users install, the option and the instructions are officially there.

SOURCE: Sony

Always On “OK Google” Now Available with the Australian Accent

The phrase “OK Google” has sort of become the catchphrase of Google Now across all devices running Android00be it the smartphone, the tablet, or the smartwatch. If you want something done, such as to do a google search, set an alarm, or search for directions, simply say “OK Google” into your device and state your command.

Normally for many of us, you can only do this when you have Google Now actually running on your screen, meaning it’s not as simple as just commanding your device to do things with your voice – you need to actually hold the device in your hand and navigate to Google Now. But, if you have an offline voice recognition pack for your language or accent, it is possible for you to activate Google Now with “Ok Google” from anywhere on your device, including the lock screen. This function however, is limited to only certain regions, as unfortunately not every language or accent has an offline voice recognition pack users can download, including, up till now, Australia.

With this said, reports are coming in of the Aussie accent and vernacular (which I understand, can be quite tricky to comprehend for many) being finally able to be downloaded as an offline pack, enabling Australian owners of Android devices to finally be able to activate Google Now from anywhere via voice recognition. It seems like the version number of Google Search in which this function is working with is 4.0.29, meaning you need Android 5.0 running on your device to have this function (as Lollipop APIs are needed for Google Search 4). So unfortunately, if you’re running an older version of Android, this will not be available for the time being.

For Australian users of Android 5.0 however, look out for an update to Google Search, and if you’ve already updated, tell us what you think of this new feature.

[Via Reddit]

The post Always On “OK Google” Now Available with the Australian Accent appeared first on xda-developers.

Google Maps’ voice navigation updated with highway guidance for some European countries

The voice-guided Google Maps' navigation system has helped a lot of people to find their way around unfamiliar roads. A new update to the app adds several European countries, particularly their highway systems, so as to guide them as they make their way to their family homes, vacation spots, or wherever they're going this holiday season.

So if you're driving across France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the UK, you'll be able to use Google Maps in its turn by turn navigation mode. It will tell you which lane you should stay in so you could be prepared to take the next exit or avoid which lanes will make you become stuck in traffic. If you're nearing a junction or multiple exits, it will suggest which lane you should take. It will also offer you several alternative routes, especially during rush hours and the Christmas rush.

So how will you be able to activate the turn by turn Navigation option? First off, you have to enable your GPS so your smartphone can access your location. Then open the Google Maps application on your device and get the directions to a specific location. To use the turn by turn feature, just touch the Navigation icon and you get the voice-directed direction, which also includes the aforementioned lane guidance.

If you don't have Google Maps on your phone yet, then you must be pretty confident about navigating your way through unfamiliar territory. But if you're not, you can download the app from the Google Play Store.

SOURCE: Google

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Sharing is caring—at least that's what those creepy anthropomorphized Care Bears used to say—and in the app world this week, those sentiments are particularly true.

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