Articles about Android

The OnePlus One smartphone has finally started to receive the Cyanogen software update. On a blogpost, the software maker announces that the OnePlus One handset is the first smartphone to snag the Cyanogen update. The Yu Yureka smartphone will be receiving the update soon, the company notes.

Cyanogen 12 is built on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop with some exclusive software features -- such as App Themer that lets you change style system-wide -- and many software tweaks. The build also brings with it the company’s new email app. The update is rolling out over the air.

Continue reading →

If you don't have a Kindle to read your books on then there's no worries, as apps exist on other platforms like Android. Amazon isn't standing still on this either, now offering customers on Google's mobile platform some new features already available on the stand-alone device.

Included are two new features that Amazon claims customers have found the most useful. First up is Word Wise, which Amazon claims is excellent for young kids and also for those learning English. Tapping a word pops up a box that provides a definition, along with synonyms and more.

Continue reading →

There's no shortage of ways to turn your phone or tablet into an MP3 player. The days of dedicated devices like the iPod have waned, and most of us simply use a smartphone as the substitute that replaces that bygone era. With a multitude of services at our disposal we can have an endless supply of music on hand as we work and travel, or just relax on the couch.

Amazon is never far from any new trend and it has brought music streaming to its Prime customers to compliment the other benefits that go along with the service. Now the retailer announces that Android customers will have access to the many playlists available through Prime Music on their devices.

Continue reading →

Firefox is important to me and I hope it is important to you. Even if you do not use the browser, there is value in having an open source browser available that isn't based on WebKit or a fork of it (Blink), as so many are nowadays. Variety is the spice of life, and having only one browser engine is not only sad, but dangerous; competition drives innovation.

If you are an Android user, you probably use Chrome or the stock Android browser and that is OK; both of those browsers are great. With that said, some people, such as myself, prefer Mozilla's Firefox. It is fast, buttery smooth and offers plugins. Today, Mozilla announces that Firefox for Android has been downloaded 100 million times. Whoa.

Continue reading →

Today Facebook launches a new standalone website for its Messenger service. The separate interface means that it is now possible to chat with your Facebook contacts without having to visit the main Facebook website where you might run the risk of whiling away too much time reading through your timeline as well.

On mobile devices, Facebook has moved users to a dedicated Messenger app rather than allowing them to chat within the main app. By bringing the web-based version of the social network's chat tool in line with the iOS, Windows Phone and Android versions, Facebook has made chatting a distinct feature that can now be conducted completely separately in its own tab.

Continue reading →

April Fool's Day is well behind us, so all the pranks should be over, right? I ask because today, Google announces that it is making its Santa Tracker project open source on GitHub. The fact that it is open source is great, but the timing is odd. The last thing I expected to read about in April is friggin' Santa Claus, but here we are.

While many will be quick to dismiss the Santa Tracker as a novelty, developers may actually find value in the code. Not only is the web version hitting GitHub, but the Android version too. There is no reason why the code can't be used in non-Christmas related projects.

Continue reading →

Announcing a new top-of-the-line smartphone around the same time rival manufacturers are also showing off their latest flagships is not an inspired move, which is why LG has decided to unveil its upcoming G4 after MWC 2015, leaving HTC, Samsung and the like fighting for the public's attention.

So, the new G4 will debut later this month, at a dedicated event that LG is holding on April 28. The flagship will arrive 11 months after its predecessor, G3, and, unlike its rivals, the South Korean maker has already revealed some details about the camera and software.

Continue reading →

A number of consumer groups have filed a complaint with the FTC suggesting that Google is targeting children with "unfair and deceptive" ads in YouTube Kids for Android and iOS. A letter signed by Children Now, Consumer Watchdog, Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, and others says that ads are displayed in a way that would not be permitted on broadcast or cable television.

The letter makes three main complaints about the app. The first suggests that Google mixes programming and ads, while another says that the relationship between Google and the manufacturers of advertised products is not clear. The groups ask for the FTC to take action to stop the advertisements.

Continue reading →

Great presentations aren’t just about the content -- how they’re delivered matters, too. Android app Swoosh helps you stand out by stepping through your slides with just a wave of the hand.

The $2 app needs a server component on your Windows, Mac or Linux system. There’s no installation or configuration required, just run the download, launch Swoosh, and as long as they’re both on the same Wi-Fi, they should find each other automatically.

Continue reading →

Low cost Android handsets are both a blessing and a curse. While it allows the operating system to infiltrate low-income markets, it also creates a low-quality perception to some. For example, anyone who buys an iPhone gets a quality device with a good experience; there is no low-quality version. Conversely, an Android buyer can buy a low-spec dud that can sour the experience.

Not all low-cost Android smartphones are duds, however; quite the contrary. Google's previous generation Nexus 5 was an incredible value, as is the OnePlus One. Today, a new low-cost phone enters the market by way of eBay -- the ZTE Blade S6 Plus. The value is quite remarkable, as not only is the price low, but the specs are very impressive.

Continue reading →

OnePlus today released the much awaited OxygenOS update for its flagship One smartphone in India. The said Android-based operating system brings a Lollipop update in addition to a set of features from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Whether or not this is what you prefer, the OxygenOS bestows “pure Android experience”. The update is meant only for the OnePlus One smartphones sold in India.

OnePlus One global variant runs on Cyanogen’s Android KitKat-based CM 11 software. Days ahead of One’s launch in India, Cyanogen partnered with Micromax to give it an exclusive right to ship Cyanogen’s software in the country. The move spoiled OnePlus’ plan to debut in India with a bang. Cyanogen made it clear that it won’t be providing any software updates to OnePlus’ Indian variant.
Amidst the controversy, OnePlus announced that it will soon release an Android 5.0-based operating system for devices by the end of January. The company missed the deadline, but the software update is finally here. And so are a couple of other confusions.

Continue reading →

Samsung finally seems to have got things right in its flagship smartphone. After receiving flak for years for using stale design language and cheap plastic material in its Galaxy smartphones, the South Korean technology conglomerate took to the stage last month to announce the metal clad Samsung Galaxy S6 with glass panel at both front and back ends. But if the $679 off-contract retail price seemed exorbitant to you, there is a clone of the S6 out there costing just $169 from a shady Chinese smartphone company.

Called the Goophone S6, the handset resembles the Galaxy S6 and comes in four color options -- golden, white, black, and blue. From the chassis to the design, to the logo, the resemblance is uncanny. As for the hardware, the smartphone comes with a dual-core MTK6572 processor clocked at 1.0GHz or a quad-core MTK6582 clocked at 1.3GHz (if you're happy to shell out an extra $40), and 512MB and 1GB RAM options. The phone runs on Android 5.0 and comes with enticing air gesture control, and heart rate monitor features. Needless to mention that the Goophone S6’s offering is nowhere close to the powerhouse Samsung has launched.

Continue reading →

Google says that it is keen for Android to be a secure platform for developers and end users alike. It's not a unique claim; Apple would likely say much the same about iOS, and Microsoft about Windows Phone/Windows 10 for Phones.

To demonstrate how fervently it has been working away at improving security and introducing new security-focused features, Google today published a report looking back on Android security in 2014. Dubbed the Android Security State of the Union 2014, it makes for interesting reading. It includes the revelation that nearly 10 million Android devices have potentially harmful apps installed.

Continue reading →

Windows Phone is Microsoft's mobile offering to the world, and some people love it. Unfortunately, the operating system's market share is extremely low, meaning many of the cool features and exclusives do not receive wide exposure. Slowly but surely, benefits that Windows Phone users pointed to as exclusives to the OS are being brought to competing platforms.

Today, Microsoft brings another Windows Phone exclusive to Android and iPhone -- Office Lens. Yes, the super-cool scanning feature is finally available to the large majority of mobile devices. Will you try it?

Continue reading →

Shortly after introducing the new One M9, Taiwanese maker HTC has announced an updated version of its former flagship, One M8. Called One M8s, it packs a 64-bit processor, larger battery and more common camera module on the back.

What that means is instead of featuring the same 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2,600 mAh battery and 4 MP UltraPixel main camera as its older brother, the new One M8s comes with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2,840 mAh battery and 13 MP camera on the back.

Continue reading →