Thanks to OpenMobile’s Compatibility Layer, Samsung’s new mobile OS will be able to emulate Android apps with comparable performance to the real deal. Good news for those who want competition in the mobile space to push Android to new heights! Or, you know, whoever wants Tizen…
The post Samsung’s Tizen Is Able To Run Android Apps appeared first on xda-developers.
If you feel ashamed of being a little lost with your new Lollipop ROM, don’t be. It is more confusing than it should be, and this guide will help you clear some of the doubts and complications you might find when getting used to the all-new Android.
The post Guide To Understanding Notifications In 5.0 appeared first on xda-developers.
In a move that might get him to lose more votes, particularly from the liberal sector, UK Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to mete sanctions on software developers that would not allow backdoor access when the government requests it. That is if he wins the national elections set this May. He is the most vocal among the Western governments that are going for an anti-encryption propaganda.
Given the recent world events, a lot of governments are growing nervous and jittery when monitoring possible sources of terrorist attacks. But so are the people. After the NSA revelations from former analyst Edward Snowden, the celebrity hacking incidents and of course the recent leaks of sensitive Sony documents, online security and privacy is at the forefront of our digital consciousness. During Cameron's campaign, he said that encrypted messaging services should not be allowed to have a means of communication that "simply isn't possible to read". He emphasized that recent events have only underscored the need for governments to have greater access when needed.
This is totally opposite the sentiment of most users and even software developers and OEMs. Apple CEO Tim Cook has sad that, "People have a right to privacy" and their latest mobile phones are now encrypted by default. The Nexus 6 from Google has also done the same, preventing the government from accessing the content directly from the hardware, even if they have a warrant.
Now whether Cameron will actually be able to ban or punish such messaging apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber etc remains to be seen. (Actually, whether he will win the election remains a big question as well). On our side of the pond, Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director James Comey are calling on cooperation from the industry to give access when needed because, according to Holder, encryption may actually "embolden" criminals. The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA) requires carriers and telcos to give the government access to wiretaps, but this does not cover phone hardware and other communication services like the apps.
VIA: ArsTechnica
Earlier this morning Google and HTC rolled out a unique sand color option for the Nexus 9. During the initial launch, the colors offered were black and white. The black rear soft touch panel picks up fingerprint residue quickly, switching out to a white or sand could be better in terms of cleanliness and appearance.
Oddly enough the sand color option is only being offered in the 32GB version that's going to have you dish out $479. Seems very steep if you're just looking to switch out for color. It would much more accommodating if the rear panel were interchangeable.
Aside from the Sand color of the back panel, this version of the device should be exactly the same as the rest of the Nexus 9 family. This tablet still retains the black edges and screen bezel of the Black edition, and we must assume all interior parts are the same as that version of the device. Meanwhile the white version has a white rear panel, silver edges, and black screen.
Hopefully a 16GB version of the sand-colored Nexus 9 will be released some time in the near future. At of now, there's no official word from Google on any additional models for general release. At the moment, the sand option is only available to the U.S.
SOURCE: Google Play Store
AnTuTu, one of the most popular benchmarking outfits around, has released their awards for the end of 2014, consolidating the data uploaded to their servers by users who benchmark their phones using the AnTuTu app. Lo and behold, a China-made phone reigns the top rankings, sporting a MediaTek processor. Well, that’s surprising.
The Meizu MX4 – launched September 2014 – is, according to benchmarks, the best performing phone in 2014, averaging an AnTuTu rating of above 47700, with a spec list consisting of the octa-core MT6595 processor, a PowerVR G6200 GPU chip, 2GB of RAM, a 5.3-inch 1080p IPS display, all running on Android 4.4 KitKat. Close behind was the Google Nexus 6, averaging just over 47000 benchmark points. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and the OnePlus One, complete the top 5. See the chart below for the top 10.
Also in the data for the benchmarking app’s annual report is the popularity of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 SoC (system-on-chip) as a flagship processor. Seven devices in the top 10 utilize this chip, and although they may not be the best performing one, it’s a testament to the street cred of Qualcomm that most brands choose their cores to use in their devices.
Also, the annual report shows the still strong standing of Korean manufacturer Samsung in creating top performing devices. They have 2 devices in the top 5, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 rounding up tenth place in the table. Three top performers out of 10 isn’t bad at all, considering that Samsung gave so much market ground away in the mid-range and entry-level markets to the Chinese manufacturers.
Speaking of China-based outfits, they really did take on the world – proving that they can slug it out with the big boys. The fact that Meizu’s MX4 is the best performing phone of the year is testament to how far they have come. 5 of the top ten phones in AnTuTu’s power chart are from Chinese manufacturers.
Lastly, we also saw in 2014 the return of Motorola into the top 10 list – being the manufacturer of the Google Nexus 6. It’s strange not seeing the over-powered DROID Turbo in the list, but we have to understand that AnTuTu’s data is basically crowd-sourced, so they only get what the app users give them.
Looking forward to a great year in smartphones this 2015.
SOURCE: AnTuTu
If you're bored already with seeing that little circle whenever you're using your Samsung Galaxy Note 4's stylus, the Korean OEM is now bringing something new for its users, that may or may not be just a gimmick. During the recently concluded CES 2015, they announced the arrival of the Penvatars or your more fun alternative to that plain circle that automatically appears when you put the stylus near your smartphone's screen.
The Penvatar, which is obviously a play on the word "avatar" (not the movie or TV series, silly) but instead refers to characters or images that will replace the little circle. If you're a comic book fan, then this should really make you happy as the product shots show several characters in the Marvel icons category. They include Avengers superstars like Captain America, Iron Man, Nick Fury, Thor, as well as items related to them like Cap's shield and Thor's hammer.
In keeping with the superhero theme, the announcement on Twitter says, “You can’t choose your super power, but you can choose your pointer with new Samsung Penvatars.” Now whether having these Penvatars can actually give you additional powers when using your stylus, that is still questionable. For now, what we can see from the gif accompanying the tweet is that it is just fun seeing something other than the usual when you're touching the stylus to your screen.
But don't get too excited just yet. This feature is only available for Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge users for now. There is no word yet if it will support Galaxy Note 3 or even Galaxy Note tablets eventually. Stay tuned and be content with your boring old circles in the meantime.
SOURCE: Samsung
Weather conditions can be far more extreme in certain parts of the states than others, and home should be a place where you feel most comfortable. For some, it can be a chill factor to come home and find that it's not so cozy and warm as it should be. In other instances, home can be unbearably hot that you don't even look forward to stepping foot though the door. Nest, the smart thermostat, has paired with Automatic, a car technology company in making it easier for you to come home to a nicely tempered home.
Automatic has rolled out a device that pairs up with the the Nest smart thermostat to monitor where your whereabouts are and acts accordingly to set the right temperature when your close to home or even away to save on the electric bill - known as the “away” mode. By setting “rules” Automatic will notify Nest when you're in proximity of home and act accordingly to however you set the controls.
Specified options through the app let you control how the Nest thermostat acts. The device connects to your car via onboard computer. It's noted that most cars 1996 and newer should be compatible with the device, but just in case you're wary check here: http://ift.tt/1kKTh3B
Time is money and both smart devices are seen as saviors of that. Collaboration of the two devices could help you feel more comfortable and at ease, as this seems to be the goal for the two companies.
SOURCE: iDownload Blog