Disappointed with LG’s skin? Make your navigation bar more minimal and keep them up with the times with this mod. And if you fancy the iPhone’s Status Bar, you can find that in here too. G3’s stock Lollipop won’t feature these keys, so enjoy them!
The post G3 Gets L Navigation Keys, iOS Status Icons appeared first on xda-developers.
Virtual keyboards have been gaining more popularity among mobile users who are not satisfied anymore with their smartphone or tablet's default keyboard. One of the more popular ones is Minuum and their latest app update brings improved autocorrect, a new feature called smart spacing, the ability to do multilingual typing, more new (or rather, old) themes on offer, and of course the usual bug fixes you can expect.
One usual mistake we make when we're typing in a hurry is that we sometimes forget to put a space in between words. If you don't have smart auto correct and you don't review what you've typed (which, admit it, is often the case), then you will send a message or post something that might seem gibberish to some (although smart readers will also get the message sometimes). The smart spacing feature of minuum recognizes that you're trying to type two words and autocorrect it by putting a space in between. The update also means that the autocorrect options are better in this version.
You can also now choose to use a multi-language layout when typing. Oftentimes, we use more than just one language when sending messages to friends, so now you have the option to choose which keyboard layout suits the different languages you're used to. In terms of themes, due to public demand (okay, at least the Minuum using public), the flat black and flat white themes are back.
Of course, there are the usual bug fixes and improvements that we can expect but not understand except that, hey, the app works better! The update should roll out to users, but if you don't have Minuum yet, you can download it for free (with in-app purchases available) from the Google Play Store.
SOURCE: Minuum
T-Mobile seems to be serious with getting more customers than ever. It's been introducing great offers and new deals the past few weeks. The holidays may be over but there's no stoping the mobile carrier to bring loyal subscribers and lure new subscribers to avail more from them. After the Simple Choice Unlimited 4G LTE Family Plan, Un-Carrier 8.0 Data Stash, rollover data plans for shared subscribers, Simply Prepaid Deals, and the very recent Smartphone Equality, here comes SCORE! with the best phone upgrades.
Exclusive pricing on the best deals has been exclusive for some time but T-Mobile wants to change all that with SCORE! and for a very minimal monthly fee of $5. This means anyone who owns a prepaid phone or with bring-your-own-phone types can avail of T-Mobile exclusive prices on his next purchase. After six months of being a SCORE! member, you can upgrade to a new entry-level 4G/LTE smartphone at no extra cost.
A SCORE! member can also choose to just avail of an exclusive discounted price after 12 months on ever phone. This deal includes all 4G LTE models in the lineup and not just entry-level phones. You only need to wait six or 12 months instead of two whole years to get a new phone. T-Mobile's SCORE! makes it easier now for everyone to get his hands on the latest smartphone.
Some of the models in the SCORE! lineup include ALCATEL ONETOUCH Fierce 2, Google Nexus 6 , LG Optimus L90, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and T-Mobile Concord II but you can avail any of this after one year. After six months, you can already get the ALCATEL ONETOUCH Evolve 2 if you want.
SOURCE: T-Mobile
As of today, it seems that we won't need to dizzy ourselves going around in circles in looking for a place to buy the Nexus Player, as you can now obtain the uniquely round Android TV device outside of the Google Play Store. Users looking for a more Android-based TV viewing experience can now get if from Newegg, Best Buy, and Amazon, but still the device’s availability it raises several other questions.
The first of these questions is, why is it so hard to get the Nexus Player on Amazon? Apparently the online retail giant is sourcing the device through third-party sellers, and with a considerable markup too, from the standard retail price of USD$99.99. To avoid sellers seemingly taking advantage of this superficial shortage, you can drop by Best Buy and pick it up yourself, as there’s no shipping available (again, another question at this point). Your best bet to have the device delivered right to your doorstep is through Newegg, which offers the regular sale price along with free standard shipping.
As for the question of what the Nexus Player can actually do, it would probably be worth looking inside the core of this oddly-round device (Is it round because it supposedly offers “a world of possibilities?”) and see what it has to offer. The Nexus Player runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and packs a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor and a PowerVR Series 6 Graphics 2D/3D engine, so it is more than capable in the proc/graphics territory. It connects to the Internet through WiFi, no need for clunky cables to link it to your LAN router. The device comes with a remote controller which may look strange to you due to the lack of buttons, but that’s because Google wants you to utilize voice commands on it. Oh, and since the Nexus Player is positioning itself into the Android-gaming-on-TV niche, it comes with a Bluetooth Gamepad which can be had at only USD$39.99 at both Best Buy and Newegg.
Which probably begs the biggest question of all: Why is there only 1GB of RAM and only 8GB of storage? Although the device offers a USB port that presumably allows it to connect to an external storage drive, this apparent lack of internal storage space leaves a lot to be desired, especially in terms of gaming, downloads, and storing user preferences. Until consumers actually get their hands on the darned round thing and start answering these questions for themselves, the Nexus Player might still be one of those gadgets "on the fence" for us.
PLAYER: Best Buy / Newegg
CONTROLLER: Best Buy / Newegg
No matter how you feel about selfie takers, the selfie is here to stay. I blame the front mounted camera on smartphones for the rise of the selfie. If you like to take selfies, you may be looking for a way to get better image quality.
You don’t want your best pouty duck face could be ruined by poor lighting. This is where a new product called Vany comes in. Vany is a ring light that is designed to slide over the lens of your smart device or computer.
It shines more light on the subject of your photo be it yourself in a selfie or someone else using the rear camera. The Vany has eight dimmable LEDs in its case and uses a rechargeable battery good for three hours of use.
The Vany lights will ship with neck straps for carrying them around. The project is on Indiegogo right now seeking $35,000 and has raised nearly $3,500 with 34 days to go. A pledge of $24 will get you a Vany with shipping expected in November 2015.
SOURCE: Indiegogo
Sony has unveiled a new set of headphones that are called the MDR-AS600BT Splash-proof Bluetooth NFC in-Ear Headphones. The headphones are offered in several colors including white, black, orange, and blue. The blue set looks more like teal to me.
No matter the color you choose, they all have Bluetooth for wireless streaming and NFC technology for easy pairing. The headphones are small and have an easy to use single button. The earphones are splash proof and designed for all weather use and feature IPX 4 rating.
Power comes from a rechargeable battery good for up to 8.5 hours of non-stop jams. The ear buds come with Arc Supporters that are available in three sizes for a perfect fit. Sony also integrates a microphone so the earphones can support hands-free calls.
The drivers are 9mm units and the frequency response is 20Hz-20,000Hz. The battery needs 2.5 hours to charge fully and the earphones ship with a micro-USB cable for charging and silicone rubber earbuds in four sizes in addition to the arc supporters.
SOURCE: Sony
It's been quite a start to the year, with CES kicking off 2015. Things are relatively more quiet now in the mobile world, the calm before the storm that will be MWC 2015. For this week, we turn our attention to some existing and upcoming accessories for your mobile devices, but that doesn't mean we don't have a few juicy tidbits about devices and businesses. Welcome to this year's first Android Community's Weekly Digest, covering the period from January 19 to January 25, 2015.
January marks the start of a new year, and naturally we have to take a look back at the previous one. AnTuTu compiled a few numbers from 2014, which has a few interesting revelations. Despite its size, Chinese startup OnePlus still managed to make a dent in the market, entering the top 10 most popular devices. And despite worries about its financial performance, Samsung still reigns the charts. That said, Chinese OEMs are really heating up, giving more established and larger companies a good run for their money.
And while January usually marks the start of something new, we are also saying goodbye to some things this year. Google is graduating its Glass Explorer program and removing the smart eyewear from its store shelves. And although the tech giant assures that it isn't the end yet, some are already considering Glass dead. And it might not be the only one out the door either. Google almost silently removed the HTC One M8 Google Play Edition from its listings, removing the last GPE device from Google Play Store, raising questions about the device line's future.
Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. And as early as now, we're getting quite a number of them, some from CES 2015 alone. Catching up with the crowd is HP, who has just revealed a three new tablets designed for work. The most notable feature of these tablets, however, are the styluses that make use of Qualcomm's fancy new ultrasound pen technology. But perhaps the star surprise of the past two weeks is the Xiaomi Mi Note and its even more premium sibling the Mi Note Pro, mixing Xiaomi's usual quality specs with a price tag to die for.
With the Mobile World Congress just a month away, we're hunkering down on the rumors of what's hot and what's not. HTC's upcoming flagship is the center of much attraction and speculation, not to mention leaks of all kinds and sizes. Leaked photos of what is allegedly the One M9, known in rumors as the HTC Hima, reveal a design that is almost totally similar to the One M8. It is the insides that count, as the say, and this is where things get a bit interesting. While it will be HTC's nominal flagship, and indeed the 20.7 megapixel Sony rear camera sensor and UltraPixel front camera might attest to that, rumor has it that a separate One M9 Plus, known as the Hima_Ultra elsewhere, will have some additional features, like a fingerprint scanner and a DuoCamera setup.
And as far as rumors go, word on the Web is that Samsung is ditching Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 for its own Exynos chip in the highly anticipated Galaxy S6. The reason? Samsung's tests supposedly showed that Qualcomm's 64-bit octa-core chip overheats enough for the Korean manufacturer to seek out a different solution. Rival LG, who is using the exact same chip for its G Flex 2 out in Korea this week, claims it has not had such problems at all.
Now we come to last week's highlight. While most of our attention are, naturally, lavished on mobile devices themselves, it is only fair to give the supporting cast their share of the spotlight. From battery packs to item locators to TV tuners, we have a variety of trinkets to fill your fancy and your imagination.
For your smartphone's battery needs, we've seen Ampere, a wireless charging sleeve that can juice up your phone even while it rests inside your bag or pocket, no wires required. Upp, on the other hand, offers up more juice for a price and with a bit of eccentricity on the side, utilizing hydrogen cells to power up your smartphone. And speaking of eccentric accessories, the Exodrive Kickstarter wants to solve the problem of having no microSD card slots by putting the slot inside the phone's case instead.
For those with a more musical bent, IK Multimedia is finally giving Android users a sliver of hope. In addition to the iRig 2 announced at CES 2015, the outfit is now announcing the iRig UA and an iRig Mic Studio, both compatible with our favorite mobile platform. If you prefer to consume media rather than create it, D-Link has jsut made available a micro USB tuner dongle for Android.
For those who are bit trigger happy for that camera button, we also have some gadgets for you. Vany takes on the idea inspired by the Lenovo VIBE Xtension Flash and tries to create an LED ring light that will brighten up your selfies. For more serious photographers, the Seek XR thermal camera can help you hone in on a subject even in the darkest of nights.
If you constantly lose your umbrella, then the Kisha "smart umbrella" might be for you. Harnessing the power of Bluetooth, plus a very smart mobile app, Kisha will ensure that you won't forget your umbrella in public places or forget to take them with you on rainy days. The more adventurous mobile user might be a bit more interested in the KiiTAG2 which pretty much lives up to its name of being a digital swiss army knife.
Perhaps the most curious accessory of all isn't actually an accessory but a SIM card. Trying to capitalize on the growing preference of instant messaging over traditional SMS, WhatSim converts any smartphone into a device dedicated to chatting over WhatsApp. For only $10 a year, you are guaranteed untethered WhatsApp coverage across 150 countries, but probably nothing else beyond that.
Have a favorite smarpthone or tablet accessory in mind? Hit the comments below and let the community know! We might even discover some hidden treasure that will augment or even considerably change our smartphone lifestyle in a snap.