Welcome to 2015 and the first Apps of the Week for the new year! Last year was filled with amazing apps that only made our smartphones better , so let's start this year off right.
Learn How To Install Ubuntu on Chromebook
Chrome OS is definitely a nice operating system that offers a unique cloud experience. It’s becoming more capable and complex with every single release, and Google is pushing hard to make it a true competitor to Windows and Linux distros. While the OS is constantly improving, Ubuntu still seems to be a better choice in terms of software availability and overall user experience when looking at alternative OSes.
Google’s operating system is installed by default on Chromebooks. These laptops weren’t designed to run other operating systems out of the box, but the community quickly managed to find a way. If you don’t know how, XDA Forum Member mbloomer04 created a little guide to help you on your journey.
The guide written by mbloomer04 explains how to install Ubuntu as a second operating system using crouton: Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment project. Switching between Chrome OS and Ubuntu is as simple as pressing the three or four key combination. Your machine doesn’t even need to be restarted, which improves speed of switching between the OSes significantly.
The Ubuntu installation is temporary and you can easily get rid of it. All you need to do is restore the factory state of the device. This Linux distribution can be installed both on Intel and ARM based Chromebooks.
If you use a Chromebook and would like to try Ubuntu, please head over to the guide thread to learn all the details.
The post Learn How To Install Ubuntu on Chromebook appeared first on xda-developers.
Flappy Bird Is Probably The Perfect Smartwatch Game
Smartwatches are good for certain things. Music. Notifications. Fitness monitoring. Social alienation (kidding!). But one activity they have consistently suck at, ever since calculator watches first spelt naughty letters, is playing games. An proper version of Flappy Bird for Android Wear could change all of that.
Looking back, moving forward: 2014 in retrospect, 2015 in preview
We're just into the second day of the new year so the memories of the previous one are still quite fresh in our mind. But in case you may have forgotten some of the highlights of 2014, here's a quick recap of the unforgettable devices, names, and events that entered our mobile world. We also get to polish up our crystal balls as we try to discern movements and trends to cook up some hypotheses as to what will be coming our way this year, especially with CES 2015 just around the corner.
Flagships Ahoy!
Naturally, device manufacturers have kept to their schedules, more or less, and came out with one or two prime devices. Some, especially the Chinese ones, even came out with a lot more. Here's a rundown of some of those from the top OEMs in the industry.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung came out with two flagships on the clock, with the Galaxy S5 in early 2014 followed up by the Galaxy Note 4 later last year. The surprise, however, came in two forms. Samsung, for one reason or another, decided to venture just a wee bit into metal, with the Galaxy Alpha and later on with lower-end Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, and the yet to be seen Galaxy A7. And although it didn't come up with a successor to the strange Galaxy Round, it still managed to show off some curves in the rather eccentric Galaxy Note Edge.
Head on over to our in-depth review of the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge for more insights.
Top rival and fellow Korean OEM LG isn't far behind, also with two top phones. The LG G Pro 2, the successor to the large Optimus G Pro, made its way to the market early 2014. But the real star of LG's show didn't come until later with the LG G3, one of the first mainstream devices to sport a 2560x1440 QHD resolution (technically the OPPO Find 7 was the first QHD smartphone in the market). LG definitely found a winner in the G3, so much so that the company would reuse that brand many times over even for devices that aren't as premium as its flagship. Moving forward, LG is rumored to be cutting down on its yearly flagship output, removing the G Pro line from its list and focusing instead on the main G brand.
Get to know more about the LG G Pro 2 and the LG G3 in our reviews of LG's 2014 stars.
LG isn't the only one rumored to go on a diet. Just a year after saying that they will be adopting a bi-annual launch schedule, Sony is now said to be considering switching to only one flagship per year. Of course, that hasn't happened yet in 2014 which saw the Japanese OEM launch two "incremental" updates to its line, with the Xperia Z2 in February and the Xperia Z3 in September. Equally interesting, however, are the devices that go along with the flagships. Skipping the Z2 line, Sony only had another "Compact" smartphone with the Xperia Z3 Compact. On the other hand, it also launched its first small tablet as well with the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. Rumor has it that Sony's next tablet will swing the other way and be the biggest it has ever made as far as Android tablets are concerned.
Just like 2013, Motorola only has one flagship. And just like 2013, it was also named the Moto X. Call it the New Moto X or the 2014 Moto X, the name doesn't give justice to the improvements the former Google subsidiary, now a Lenovo property, made to the smartphone. The budget-friendly Moto G also got a "new" or "2014" edition, but the even more budget-friendly Moto E hasn't. What's more curious about Motorola's devices, however, is that the company also outed two other smartphones that pretty much stole the thunder from the 2014 Moto X, namely the Nexus 6, Motorola's first ever Nexus, and the even more premium DROID Turbo, with its non-Verizon Moto Maxx counterpart in Latin America.
Want to know why the 2014 Moto X and the DROID Turbo are so hot? Check out our reviews!
HTC also had a few surprises up its sleeves in 2014. The HTC One M8 was, unsurprisingly yet thankfully, just as delightful as the previous 2013 model. But it was HTC's later ventures that really put the company under a new light. The Taiwan-based manufacturer would later make a foray into mobile photography, with the HTC Desire EYE, a deceptively premium smartphone with equal cameras on the front and back enclosed in plastic, and the odd-looking RE action camera. It would then later bring its design sense and manufacturing abilities to the Nexus world with the Nexus 9, the first tablet that it has made in a very long time.
Get to know HTC's photography-centric devices up close in our reviews of the HTC Desire EYE and the HTC RE.
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Of course, one cannot forget the major Android announcement this year. After the usual round of name guessing, Google finally revealed the sweet name of Lollipop. But the latest Android version is even sweeter than its name would imply. Probably the biggest update to date, Android 5.0 changes the mobile platform both within and without. Material Design now permeates Google's products with a paper metaphor, flat, bold colors, judicious use of graphics, and delightful animations. Deep inside, Android has also switched out the runtime component with a brand new, start from scratch Android Runtime (ART) retiring the faithful Dalvik from work.
Wearables everywhere
Although smartwatches aren't exactly new, there was an explosion of them when Google finally launched Android Wear, the version of Android specifically designed for smartwatches and other wearables. Now we have at least 6 smartwatches in Google Play Store. And that's not counting Pebble, or the Tizen-powered ones from Samsung, or Sony's custom smartwatches, or the countless clones and attempts in Kickstarter. Even Apple is has jumped on the bandwagon as well.
Rising Stars: Xiaomi, India
In China, Xiaomi is undoubtedly the king of mobile devices, but its name was only on the fringes in the international market. That all changed once the company started setting its eyes outside of China, which started when it hired Google's Hugo Barra in 2013. Things really exploded, however, when Xiaomi's name landed on the list of Top 5 smartphone makers in 2014, causing the world to pay even more attention to the waking dragon. But while many are still trying to woo the Chinese market, a new market darling is starting to emerge. The second most populous country in the world is also becoming the second most sought after emerging market for smartphones. Google got the ball rolling with Android One in India and many are now trying to follow suit. But it isn't without controversy, as the country has become the stage of legal spats that involve its own Micromax, Chinese startup OnePlus, and Android ROM maker Cyanogen, Inc. The show is just beginning.
2015: What's Hot and What's Not
Now that we've seen what 2014 looked like from a bird's eye view, what can we expect from 2015, aside from a flood of flagship smartphones and tablets? And what are the things that might not fly at all?
It's no secret that Google is after cars, now that it has finished its work on Android Wear and Android 5.0. 2015 is the year when many car makers have promised integration with Google's new infotainment system, believed to debut in "Android M". But just like in the smartphone race, it will have some tough competition. Apple's CarPlay will also be in Play this year, and some automobile companies aren't completely sold on the promise of a full-fledged Android system on the dashboard, preferring to roll out their own for the time being.
2015 will also be the year that the retail version of the modular phone will hit the market. At least, if all goes well. Development is definitely going well and there are even other attempts at making a similar modular smartphone outside of Google's control. Of course, it all depends on the amount of modules that will be available at launch, not to mention their prices, and we will get to hear and maybe even see a lot of those in the upcoming Module Developers' Conference this month.
QHD, 64-bit
Naturally, smartphones this year will get a big update, at least the high-end ones. The LG G3 got the ball rolling, and many flagships are expected to start sporting a QHD display. Hopefully, size variations have more or less plateaued by now and those high-resolution screens won't get any larger than they need to be. Of course, that doesn't mean these OEMs won't be making gigantic phablets anymore, just hopefully nothing as ridiculous as a 7-inch phone.
Although Apple triggered the 64-bit discussion back in 2013, it will only be in 2015 that the Android world will be catching up, now that Qualcomm has its own 64-bit team. Things have actually already started last December, with a few new devices sporting the Snapdragon 810, 610, and 410 but it will most likely really pick up this year. Hopefully, it will pave the way eventually for 4 GB or higher RAM inside our smartphones, something that Samsung is already laying the groundwork for.
Naturally, not everyone will be winners this year, and some may or may not make it to 2015's top achievers. Android TV, Google's formal entry into that space, is one of those whose future is still a bit muddy in our palantirs. While pretty much long-awaited, people have probably waited too long already before Google made its move. It's first implementation in the Nexus Player fell rather short of the hype, though it did show promise that will hopefully be fulfilled this year. Android TV's fate, however, will be tied to the Smart TV trend in general. With platform wars looming on TVs, Google's platform will be facing off with LG's WebOS and Samsung's Tizen for a piece of the living room.
Google Glass, VR Headsets
2015 might also be the year that Google Glass is finally put to rest. Already 2 years in the making, the smart eyewear doesn't seem to be anywhere near retail availability, something that is causing interested developers to fall off one by one. Without a healthy ecosystem of apps, Google Glass will most likely remain an even more niche and less useful contraption. It doesn't help that it is mired in controversy especially on the legal side. Of course, there are other attempts at smart spectacles, even ones that simply clip on to existing glasses, but Google Glass' failure would also bring about the death of these devices.
Our eyes might instead be entertained by virtual reality headsets, but even then only for a short while. Unambiguously entertainment devices, things like the Oculus Rift and the Gear VR have even less purpose in our digital lives than Google Glass. Gamers will absolutely love them and they will be fancy additions to your cinematic experience. The Gear VR's low price, though limited to a single smartphone, will drive market prices down and we're already seeing a few attempts at a more generic smartphone accessory. But beyond a small crowd, these VR headsets are less likely to be a part of your living room than, say, a smart lamp.
Wrap-up
Of course, these are just predictions based on existing trends, and things might take a different turn, for better or for worse, as the days, weeks, and months go by. If anything, these just show how volatile, fast-changing, and exciting the mobile industry can be. So seat back and enjoy the ride as we trek 2015 together. And what better way to start the year with a bang than with CES 2015. See you in Las Vegas!
Mizuu update 3.0: design overhaul, file name improvement, free
If you keep a lot of movies and tv shows on your Android device, having a pretty good media server app is a must have if you don't want to rely on your boring old built-in file explorer. One of the more popular apps of this kind is Mizuu, and the newest version, 3.0 and nicknamed "Black" brings a design overhaul, as well as a belated Christmas gift for new users.
Developer Michell Bak refuses to call the overhaul a "Material Design" update since he says that it has often been misused, but he said he has tried to follow Google's guidelines in redesigning the app, giving a new look to the movie and TV show library. The different tabs include favorites, new releases, watched and unwatched videos, collections (folders), and a watchlist (to be watched videos). The layout for the details has also been changed, giving you even more scrollable information about the movies and TV shows, like actors, crew details, synopsis, ratings, etc.
The update also allows Bak to share some developments in his life. Creating Mizuu has actually opened doors for him and he recently got a job as an Android developer for a Danish telecoms company. As a thank you and holiday present for users, he is now offering the app for free. He said he is also working on eventual support for Android TV, which he is targeting for thee next update.
If you feel like trying out the media library app (it's just a library, not a media player though), you can download Mizuu 3.0 from the Google Play Store. And if you're wondering what's with the nickname "Black", it is apparently a tribute to Bak's dog Blackie, who died late last year.
SOURCE: Mizuu
Battery Percent Enabler App needs no root
Android users who would like to have a battery percentage rather than the less descriptive battery level on most Android devices may want to look at the new Battery Percent Enabler app. The app is designed to work with any Android 4.4 or higher device.
The best news is that unlike some apps of this sort, Battery Percent Enabler doesn't require root access to your device. The developer of the app notes that you will only be able to see the percent text when the battery is low enough.
The text is white and the battery background is white as well. The dev says that it is impossible to change the text color with his app because the white color is hard coded in the SystemUI.apk file.
The last update for the battery percentage app was on December 30 and it is in version 1.1 now. It has been installed as many as 500,000 times according to Google Play. The download size is 85k.
SOURCE: Google Play
Alcatel rumored to be resurrecting Palm for new markets
Do you still remember your very first personal digital assistant, back when cellphones were still in its analog phase? Chances are, if you grew up in the late 90s, early 2000s, you probably had a Palm Pilot to help you digitally make sense of your life. Of course eventually, Palm died a quiet death, with HP (which acquired the company in 2010) dealing the final blow in the US market. But now speculation is ripe that Palm will be resurrected by Alcatel OneTouch, based on patent documents and website trails.
If you go to mynewpalm.com (which the original palm.com now redirects), there is now a looped video of the slogan "Smart move", which is what Alcatel OneTouch uses as its brand platform. The slogan is accompanied by Palm's classic orange logo, which has led others to speculate that it will be making a comeback. A Filipino webOS (the platform that Palm devices eventually used) user tried to trace who owns the website and based on archive.org records, the new incarnation started on November 12 of last year, even if it has existed since 2003. The domain owner is Wide Progress Global Limited, a shelf company registered in Hong Kong.
Wide Progress is also now the owner of the Palm trademark and service marks, which also includes other brand names like Palm Centro, Palm Pre and the original company name "Palm Computing". TCL Communications, which owns Alcatel OneTouch, has its vice president Nicolas Zibell's name included in the 18-page document posted on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
Aside from this connection, there are no official announcements yet as to whether Palm and Alcatel OneTouch will be merging or if TCL will be creating a new product line. But the rumors are a welcome New Year's treat for those who believe that the webOS is still the best (or at least one of the best) mobile OS and is now being used as an OS for smart TVs like LG.
VIA: MakaPalm
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