HTC has dissected another piece of its Sense software and shipped it off to Google Play for fast access. Starting today, owners of compatible devices made by the Taiwanese manufacturer can pick up the HTC Sense Input keyboard directly from the Play Store. The benefit of doing this is that it lets the company make small adjustments to its keyboard without having to release device specific software updates.
Republic Wireless’ big pitch has been dumping your home phone and wireless plans in favor of its hybrid calling services that blends WiFi and on the go carrier calling powered by Sprint’s network. Now, the company is going after your local cable company, well sort of. Today, Republic Wireless announced a new promotion that bundles a Google Chromecast with the purchase of a new Moto X.
The push for Android 4.4.4 continues with UK Moto G owners receiving the latest wave of KitKat starting today. While it may not be the most feature-rich update, Motorola has provided a changelog outlining what people can expect. As seen with other devices, Android 4.4.4 patches a potential OpenSSL hole, and offers some stability improvements, however the Moto G has also managed to score a few extras.
Liberio, an online eBook publishing platform the based on Google Drive went from beta to official today. Designed to connect to Drive, this new tool lets you import just about any text-based document and convert it into an eBook that is compliant with industry standards, making it compatible with most major online stores like Amazon, Google Play Books or the iBooks Store.
Google recently updated its Views platform with comments and +1 support. This lets people reach out to photographers about their photo spheres and opens up conversations for subjects like technique and travel. Packed with awesome images, some of the community produced photo spheres have already racked up millions of views, according to Google Maps product manager, Evan Rapoport.
The OnePlus One is a different type of smartphone. The startup behind it managed to put together a powerful handset with an entry-level price tag. So, in a market flooded with golden handsets, there’s no surprise that the folks behind this elusive device are doing something a little different. After a little bit of teasing, OnePlus officially announced the phone’s new bamboo “StyleSwap” cover today, which will be available to purchase at the end of August.
Just in time for the Commonwealth Games, the BBC Sport app for Android has been updated with Chromecast support. If Google’s media streaming dongle is embedded in your entertainment setup, you can now leaf through the BBC’s live and on-demand sports programming on the largest display in your house.
Google recently participated in an informational meeting for companies interested in bringing free WiFi access to New York City. Other companies interested in such a venture include IBM, Samsung and Cisco, however it’s well-documented that the search giant wants to make internet access less challenging for people who are struggling to get online.
The HTC One Remix will be launching on Verizon on July 24th, according to @evleaks. If you’re unfamiliar with this device, it’s believed to be the US version of the HTC One mini 2, which features a 4.5-inch 720p display, a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing shooter and a front-facing 5-megapixel camera. This compressed HTC One also ships with Android 4.4.2 skinned with Sense 6.
Recent rumors suggested that the Xperia Z2 was coming to Verizon, but the carrier ended up offering the Xperia Z2 Tablet instead. However, Americans looking to get their hands on Sony’s flagship smartphone now have the option to buy the device directly from its maker. Available at a discounted price of $700, the unlocked Z2 will work with most US GSM-based networks, like AT&T and T-Mobile, however LTE compatibility may vary.
Four new mid-range smartphones are heading to Virgin Mobile USA, according to popular gadget leaker @evleaks. Pictured above from left to right are the LG Pulse, LG Unify, HTC Desire 816 and the ZTE Emblem. The HTC Desire 816 is already available elsewhere, so you can expect a 5.5-inch 720p display, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of local storage space, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, a 2,600mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Today, Google’s Senior Director of Global Enterprise Marketing, Chris Farinacci, announced that the search giant moved over 1 million Chromebooks through its Google for Education program during Q2 of 2014. Part of the company’s success is based on school districts and teachers using Google’s alternative laptops and software as tools to educate students.
Glass may be available to the public, but with a $1,500 asking price and limited locations to test it out, you’re still likely to have your reservations about Google’s wearable. However, on July 26th Mountain View will be bringing its high-tech eyewear to the great city of Boston. From 10am – 6pm local time, the festivities will take place at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts for one day only.
Samsung is awfully proud of its Galaxy Tab S’ high-resolution Super AMOLED display and in an effort to get more eyes looking at its new tablet’s 2,560 x 1,600 screen, the company is partnering with Lionsgate to debut the first official trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 ahead of its online release. The trailer will be shown first on July 25th during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Fans unable to attend the show can see the preview at Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buys nationwide from July 26th – 27th.
Lenovo’s $2.91 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility from Google is still pending regulatory approval, however it looks like the company is already mapping out a new strategy. Despite being one of the world’s largest PC makers, Lenovo is halting the development of Windows tablets under 10 inches in size and migrating its remaining inventory to markets like Brazil, China and Japan where there’s more of a need for low-cost slates.
If you decide to privately browse the web for one reason or another, you might notice something a little different when you go into Incognito mode. Back in April, Google revealed that it was working on giving Chrome’s privacy tab a bit of a makeover and while its functionality pretty much remains unchanged, its landing page’s mascot no longer looks like the neighborhood watch guy.
Today, Evernote announced an update for its Web Clipper Chrome extension that was designed to keep onscreen distractions to a minimum. New features of version 6.2 include a flat floating toolbar that hangs in the upper right-hand corner of your browser window with a “more prominent” save button (mapped to your enter/return key) displayed at the top of all of your menu items.
Amazon is currently testing an all you can eat subscription-based ebook and audio book service called “Kindle Unlimited.” A product landing page spotted by GigaOM revealed that the unannounced service will provide customers with access to over 600,000 titles for $10 a month. While subscription-based e-book services for smartphones and tablets already exist, Amazon has a vast number of resources that could quickly make the company a force in this relatively untapped market.
Back in May, a device made by NVIDIA that looked like a game controller hit the FCC and sparked rumors of a follow up to the company’s Shield system. Shortly after this filing surfaced, word broke that the chip maker was instead developing a gaming tablet utilizing its new Tegra K1 processor. Today, the often reliable @evleaks has shared what appears to be a press or concept render of NVIDIA’s unannounced slate, with a caption referring to it as the “NVIDIA Shield Tablet.”
The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will reportedly feature some type of ultraviolet (UV) sensor that is expected to be integrated with the company’s S Health software, according to SamMobile. So, how will this ambitious gizmo work? The sensor will reportedly measure the sun’s ultraviolet radiation levels to help users avoid damaging their skin, which could potentially help reduce their risk of skin cancer.
European Union privacy regulators have reached out to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to discuss the rules of the recent court-ordered “right to be forgotten” rule. EU officials told The Wall Street Journal that they are trying to set up a meeting with the tech juggernauts for next Thursday in Brussels, however it remains unknown if the companies have accepted the invitation.
PayPal updated its Android app today and while version 5.5 introduces a couple of new features, it also manages to take something away. Bringing the software up to speed with its iOS-powered counterpart, you can now link loyalty cards to your account, which should hopefully make your wallet a few grams lighter. There’s also some “behind the scenes” work that speeds up login times, something that’s always welcomed with any application.
A little over two months ago, LG announced three new affordable tablets. Among this trio of slates was an entry-level slab called the LG G Pad 7.0 and according to @evleaks, the device is heading to AT&T. As suggested by its name, LG’s small tablet features a 7-inch display (1,280 X 800), a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Google recently gave the world a look at its homegrown self-driving vehicle and although it looks like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon, not everyone is convinced that the company’s cutesy car will be used for the good of mankind. According to an alleged FBI report obtained by The Guardian, the bureau believes that autonomous vehicles can be “lethal weapons,” but not in ways that you may think.
