Verizon announced a new promotion today that offers an additional gigabyte of sharable data when customers activate a new smartphone or upgrade a new smartphone on one of the carrier’s MORE Everything plans. In order to take advantage of this deal, you’ll need to be on a MORE Everything plan that uses at least 1GB of data.
Microsoft appears to be gearing up to challenge Google’s Chrome OS by partnering with companies to release affordable Windows-based alternative notebooks. Pictured above is the HP Stream 14, a $200 laptop that feels a lot like Redmond’s answer to the Chromebook. From its 14-inch 1,366 x 768 display, to its modest AMD processor, all the way down to its 2GB of RAM, 32GB of flash memory (optional 32GB) and two years of cloud storage from Microsoft’s OneDrive — sound familiar?
IFA is almost here and while we haven an idea of what to expect from companies like Samsung and ASUS, Sony may be planning to announce some new gear as well. An alleged set of documents referencing an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has surfaced and while we’re not exactly sure what the Japanese electronics maker has up its sleeves, this is definitely something new.
After a favorable run on iOS, Afterlight is now available for Android. Priced at $0.99, this image editing software features 59 filters, 66 textures and 77 stylish frames, along with additional options available through in-app purchases. Think of Afterlight as a solid companion for social shutterbugs who frequently share pictures through outlets like Instagram, Google+, Twitter and Facebook.
Microsoft has updated its SmartGlass Beta companion app with support for the new features being added to the Xbox One. New SmartGlass features like streaming live TV to your mobile devices, recording game clips and booting the console directly to television playback when coming out of standby are now available to sample.
The HTC One E8 is coming to Sprint. The carrier recently posted a promo video on its official YouTube channel showing off some of the device’s design. If you’re unfamiliar with the E8, it’s pretty much an affordable version of HTC’s flagship M8 wrapped up in a plastic body. It features a 5-inch 1080p display, a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, a 2,600mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Here’s a nice surprise for Shark Week! During a Cloud Roadshow in Boston, Google product manager Dan Belcher revealed some of the search giant’s extreme measures to protect its underwater infrastructure. The company will reportedly wrap its new subaquatic trans-Pacific high-speed internet cables with a Kevlar cover to keep them safe from shark attacks.
About a month ago, word broke that Samsung was interested in acquiring home automation firm SmartThings and today the two companies have made things official. A blog post by the company’s founder and CEO, Alex Hawkinson acknowledged the deal and stated that SmartThings will continue to act as an independent company under Samsung’s Open Innovation Center group.
After watching UK and Verizon Moto X owners receive their Android 4.4.4 updates, AT&T customers are now being awarded the latest version of KitKat for Motorola’s popular smartphone. This new software push squashes some system bugs and adds a few performance enhancement’s to the Moto X’s camera, including the ability to pause video while recording.
Earlier today, Motorola started sending out invitations for what appears to be an official launch for the Moto 360 and a few other devices. Almost immediately following the company’s announcement, emails started rolling out to I/O attendees who were told that they’d receive Motorola’s first Android Wear-powered smartwatch after its release.
Today, LG announced the launch of the G Pad 8.0 LTE. If you think you’re having a case of déjà vu, you’re not. This is pretty much the same device that was announced a few months back, however this variant features built-in LTE-capable hardware. The G Pad 8.0 LTE also ships with LG’s QPair 2.0 software, which lets users pair their smartphone with their slate via Bluetooth to answer phone calls and send text messages directly from their tablet.
The Galaxy Note 4’s official public debut is just a few short weeks away, but it looks like an Indonesian retailer may have stolen Samsung’s thunder. Erafone has posted a listing on for Samsung’s fourth-generation Note smartphone on its website, revealing what looks like an complete list of the device’s specs. If accurate, the Note 4 will feature a 5.7-inch 1,440 x 2,560 Super AMOLED display, a quad-core Snapdragon 805 (SM-N910S) and an alternate version of the smartphone running an Exynos 5433 (SM-N910C).
Motorola is sending out invitations to a media event in Chicago that will be held on September 4th. The not so subtle invite displays a picture of a watch (Moto 360), a phone with an X (maybe a Moto X+1?), a phone with a G (we’re thinking Moto G2) and a headset that’s likely some type of new wireless accessory.
After a brief hiatus, we received another look at Google Stars and today you’ve got a chance to play with a pre-release build of Mountain View’s new bookmarking software, thanks to the efforts of code connoisseur Florian Kiersch. If you’re feeling adventurous, the programer has managed to extract a nightly build of a Stars extension for Chrome.
In the world of wireless, words like “unlimited data” have their restrictions if you take the time to read the fine print of a carrier’s service agreement and it appears that T-Mobile is not exempt from such practices. An alleged internal memo obtained by TmoNews details how the company will address customers suspected of using its network to access peer-to-peer file sharing services.
A few weeks ago we heard that Motorola was developing Google’s next Nexus device and aside from a rumored 5.9-inch display, its specs were were pretty much unknown. Today, however, an alleged benchmark of the unannounced handset has hit the web and it tells the tale of a powerful up-and-comer. The device listed packs a smaller 5.2-inch 1440p display, a 2.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of 4K video capture, a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter and Android L.
Google’s Street View has been around for a little more than seven years and while Mountain View’s touring software has made a lot of progress since its launch, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Aware of this, a hearing aid manufacturer named Amplifon is looking to update Street View’s silent movie feel by introducing a new concept called “Sounds of Street View.”
If you frequently travel, then you know that airports can be a mess. You arrive a couple hours before your flight to make it through an airline’s grueling check-in process, only to find out your flight has been delayed. Now playing the waiting game, you sit around wondering if it’ll be minutes or hours before you board your flight. Apparently Google is aware of this type of situation and the company has updated its Google Now platform with new features for globetrotters.
Microsoft announced today that a new system update for its Xbox One game console will soon let users stream live TV to their smartphone or tablets. Set to arrive in the next few months, the Xbox One’s SmartGlass companion app will be equipped with the option to watch television via a local network connection without interrupting a gameplay session.
Sure, Android L is on its way, but that doesn’t mean that people still aren’t waiting for software version 4.4. Perhaps better late than never, the ASUS Padfone Infinity and Fonepad Note 6 have made the jump to KitKat. If you haven’t received an over-the-air notification, the software can be manually installed by visiting the Padfone’s or Fonepad’s support pages.
Are you looking for a new playlist to get you through your morning commute? If so, Google Play Music has nine freebie tracks up for grabs that might make that ride into work, school or wherever a little bit smoother. Songs like Drake’s Hold On, We’re Going Home, Kendrick Lamar’s Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, and Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream are all on the house!
Sony has been making water resistant devices for quite a while now and to capitalize on this particular functionality the company has released a unique suite of underwater-friendly applications. Available to download from Google Play, this somewhat bizarre collection of software is comprised of six apps that showcase what your Sony-made waterproof device can do while submerged under water.
Google announced today that it’s completely turning down Google Maps API for Flash on September 2nd. This decision follows suit with the company’s initial depreciation period, which started almost three years ago. Developers now have three weeks to migrate their outdated applications to JavaScript Maps API v3 in order for them to remain relevant.
We’ve been hearing about Google Stars for months now and while the search giant hasn’t made any official announcements, that hasn’t stopped leaks from surfacing. In fact, at one point an extension for the software briefly hit the Chrome App Store, only to be removed shortly after. If you’re having trouble remembering what Stars is, it’s pretty much Mountain View’s new take on bookmarking and collecting things from around the web.
