What if Google announces Play Store and Android apps support for Windows 10 Mobile devices? [feedly]

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What if Google announces Play Store and Android apps support for Windows 10 Mobile devices?
// Betanews

Chatter on Twitter suggests that Google will be present at Microsoft's grand "Windows 10 Devices" event tomorrow, and it would announce Android apps support for Windows 10 Mobile devices. Bolstering the theory is the two company's seemingly improving relationship, the biggest testament of which was up on display when the two recently agreed to drop 20 patent lawsuits they had filed against each other. If it indeed true, what does it mean for Microsoft's mobile operating system? Revival.

It's no secret that Android and iOS are the two dominant mobile operating systems out there -- whether you like it or not. Windows Phone has been playing catch up ever since its inception -- quite literally as Microsoft was late to arrive in the mobile operating system party. Perhaps it didn't get the memo. This race left the company's mobile operating system non-beneficial for mobile developers to make apps for it. And how can you blame them? Windows Phone had less than 5 percent of market share. So a majority of these developers never made apps for Windows Phone.

The company, on its part, did plenty of things to get these apps. We also saw developers like Rudy Huyn who took it upon themselves to make Windows Phone versions of several popular apps. This too, to a large extent, didn't yield any positive result.

But Microsoft was long from quitting. The company announced several ways for developers to port their Android and iOS apps to Windows Phone. The company also announced universal apps to make it easier for developers to quickly make mobile app versions of their desktop applications. But that too largely seems like a missed opportunity.

Act 2: Run Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile.

It's not a new idea, per se. The possibility of running Android apps on Windows Phone handsets has been talked about for years. We also saw developers forcibly run port of Android apps on Windows Phone handsets and manage to do it on several occasions. But Microsoft never hinted its interest to announce support for Android apps on its handsets, and Google's terse relationship with Microsoft -- just one Google app on Windows Phone Store (also remember the Google-Microsoft-YouTube fiasco?), made it pretty clear that Google wasn't going to help Microsoft in saving Windows Phone.

But things are changing. "Google and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on certain patent matters and anticipate working together in other areas in the future to benefit our customers", Google had said after the two companies recently decided to resolve several of their patents issues.

But that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from offering yet another claim of such a possibility. If Google does step on the stage at Microsoft's event tomorrow, the company will be able to tap on more devices, whereas Windows Phone handset users will be able to use many of the apps they need to stick to the platform. We will know for sure tomorrow.

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Google Now on Tap might just be the killer feature of Android Marshmallow [feedly]

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Google Now on Tap might just be the killer feature of Android Marshmallow
// The Verge

Smartphones keep getting better. That's a fact. They get nicer displays, cameras that put point-and-shoots to shame and, hopefully, better battery life.

But what about smartphones getting smarter? On the software side, companies like Apple and Google have been trying to make the smartphone experience much more intuitive — Apple with proactive Siri suggestions in iOS 9, and now Google with something called "Now on Tap" in Android Marshmallow.

We've seen Now on Tap before. Google first showed it off at its annual developers conference this past May, and we did a deep dive into Google's plans for Marshmallow then (codenamed "M" at the time). But since the spring, Google has made impressive strides in actually bringing Now on Tap to life.

Now on Tap officially launches today

It officially launches today as part of the release of Android Marshmallow. It's rolling out to Nexus phones and tablets first, and will become available to other Android devices in the coming weeks.

The Now on Tap feature is part of Google Now, something that Google launched a few years ago as a kind of intelligent assistant to Android phone users. Have a bunch of meetings lined up, or a long drive ahead of you? Google Now will automatically tell you what time you need to leave in order to beat traffic, where your next meeting is, how to get there, and so on. It's an opt-in feature — some people are, understandably, a little freaked out at the notion of Google having access to so much of their personal data — but in my experience, it does make the Android experience more powerful.

Now on Tap takes that further. The idea is that you can get more information and take action from directly within an application. You no longer have to leave one app to run a search in another, or to use a mobile web browser. The most interesting part of Now on Tap might be that Google is actually giving you a way to eschew organic search; other options are right there for you.

In the hour-long demo I had with Now on Tap last week, I was able to go from someone's Instagram page to their Twitter page, and from a Viber message about going to see a band to that band's music, without having to "leave" the app or run a new search.

Here's another example: During the demo I opened a message in Facebook Messenger suggesting an outing to see The Martian. When I pressed and held down the home button, Now on Tap showed me a myriad of information options. Did I want to go to the IMDb page? Watch the trailer on YouTube? Or just go to Chrome and read more about it? What was more impressive (or creepy, depending on how you view it) is that Now on Tap knew that I was looking for information about the movie — not the book. But, in case I did want to know more about the book, I could run a Google voice search from within the app and ask who wrote The Martian.

Now on Tap knew that I was looking for information about the movie — not the book

Aparna Chennapragada, who leads up Google Now, says stuff like that is due to improved natural language processing in Google Now. Google sees the word "see" and knows the context of the query — in this case, that it's referring to a movie. It's also what enables Now on Tap to make calendar appointment suggestions directly, too.

But it's not a totally seamless experience yet, by any means. Certain apps, like Twitter, keep you trapped in the app after using Now on Tap to get there, so when you hit the back button you stay within the app rather than going back to your original Now on Tap query. And in some cases, the app page you're on might not have enough information to lead to robust Now on Tap results. For example, I googled myself (who doesn't) using Chrome, went to a Verge story I recently wrote and from there pressed Now on Tap. The result? An option to search for Chromecast (the story was about Chromecast, ironically enough), but no options to, say, watch a Verge video on YouTube.

After using it briefly, it's easy to see the potential for other use cases, like commerce. If someone can go from a restaurant page directly to an Open Table booking right now using Now on Tap, or from a movie trailer to the Fandango app, it doesn't seem unfeasible that Now on Tap would eventually take you to more purchasing options.

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Here's what the "X" and "P" in the new Nexus phones stand for

http://phandroid.com/2015/09/30/what-nexus-5x-6p-names-mean/

Google's Cell Service Could Snare All the Major Carriers | WIRED

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/googles-cell-service-snare-major-carriers/

Nexus 6P has that black glass window to allow wireless signals to pass through [feedly]

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Nexus 6P has that black glass window to allow wireless signals to pass through
// AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

Google officially announced the Nexus 6P earlier today, however much of the attention surrounding the device – for the Android faithful, at least – has been the black bar that appears at the top of the device. As it turns out, Google hasn't lost its mind and the black bar – or rather black glass window – plays a very important role in ensuring the Nexus 6P continues operating optimally. Given that the Nexus 6P is all-aluminium, this makes it hard to get signals out of the body reliably as the aluminium acts as a reflector – enter the black glass window. By allowing a small portion of the device to be a different material – namely Gorilla Glass 4 – the various antennas, NFC and laser autofocus module all have an area to operate out of.

This information was confirmed by a designer at Google speaking with Android Police, so it's probably true – or at least, as true as Google's going to tell us. At the very least, it makes sense, so hopefully that makes a few of you look on the Nexus 6P a little less harshly.

What do you think about the Nexus 6P? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Android Police

The post Nexus 6P has that black glass window to allow wireless signals to pass through appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

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Nexus 6P Specs (Official) | Droid Life

http://www.droid-life.com/2015/09/29/nexus-6p-specs-official/

Google's Nexus Protect will replace your broken smartphone - CNET

http://www.cnet.com/news/googles-nexus-protect-will-replace-your-broken-smartphone/#ftag=CAD590a51e

Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Arrive 'Next Week' (Phone Scoop)

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=16518

Nexus 6P Leaks in Full with Huge Battery - I4U News

http://www.i4u.com/

Nexus 5 & Nexus 6 Android 6.0 Release Date Details Emerge

https://www.gottabemobile.com/2015/09/24/nexus-5-nexus-6-android-6-0-update-release-date/

Chevrolet Cars will Get Android Auto Update in March - I4U News

http://www.i4u.com/2015/09/95305/chevrolet-cars-will-get-android-auto-update-march

Samsung reportedly prepping Galaxy phone leasing program [feedly]

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Samsung reportedly prepping Galaxy phone leasing program
// Android and Me

Phone lease programs are all the rage in the US market nowadays, with every major carrier offering its own version of the leasing program. Now it looks like Samsung may get in on the action, too.

Samsung is prepping a leasing program for its Galaxy phones in the US, says an "industry executive with knowledge of Samsung's plans" speaking to Forbes. Details on the program are scarce, but the program will reportedly be similar to Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, which offers unlocked versions of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus that can be used with any US carrier. After one year, the customer can trade in their iPhone for a new model.

Samsung's Galaxy leasing program is allegedly set to launch sometime in the coming months, though it's said that Samsung could push its debut up.

While there are already Samsung Galaxy phones and leasing programs available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, Samsung's own offering might be more attractive to some folks if it is indeed like Apple's leasing program. For example, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program offers unlocked phones and insurance. What will be interesting is seeing what the phones included with Samsung's program look like. Some of Samsung's Galaxy phones have carrier-branded hardware, preinstalled carrier apps, or both, so it's unclear how that'll be handled in a leasing program.

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Verizon Refuses To Activate Preordered Moto X Pure Edition: Here's Why : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/85233/20150916/verizon-refuses-to-activate-pre-ordered-moto-x-pure-edition.htm

Hands On with Alcatel's New Phones (Phone Scoop)

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=16389

Nexus 5X tipped to be the name of the new LG Nexus 5 2015

http://androidspin.com/2015/09/03/nexus-5x-tipped-to-be-the-name-of-the-new-lg-nexus-5-2015/

Hands on with the CAT S40 (Phone Scoop)

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=16394

Rumor: LG releasing a phone with a secondary 'ticker' display

http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/04/lg-v10-ticker-screen-phone-leak/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

Google Nexus 5 (2015) specs

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Google-Nexus-5-2015_id9593

Huge leak: The first real photos of 2015's Nexus 6

http://forexreportdaily.com/2015/08/29/7822-huge-leak-the-first-real-photos-of-2015-s-nexus-6/

Android phones will now come with fewer pre-installed apps [feedly]

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Android phones will now come with fewer pre-installed apps
// The Verge

Android users will soon be getting a little less bloatware on their phones.  Android Central reports that Google has relaxed its requirements about which apps have to be permanently installed, which means apps like Google+, Google Play Games, Google Play Books and Google Newsstand will no longer come pre-installed. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 5, for example, already doesn't have Google+ pre-installed.

Even though Android is largely open source, Google has saddled its handset partners with app requirements — and there's no wiggle room. If, for instance, HTC wants to make an Android handset with the Gmail app, it historically would also be required to give customers Google+ and Newsstand.

Not only does bloatware take up valuable storage space and memory, it takes away choice on the part of the consumer. And while there will now be less bloatware from Google, there are still other carriers and manufacturers with apps that they would love to have pre-installed on the phones. And no, this isn't the death of Google+ or Newsstand. The apps will still be regularly updated and available to download in the Google Play Store for those who want them.

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Nexus 5, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 Will Receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow Preview 3 Update - Neurogadget.com

http://neurogadget.com/2015/08/22/nexus-5-nexus-6-and-nexus-9-will-receive-android-6-0-marshmallow-preview-3-update/13141

How to Use Your Smartphone to Check for Dead Batteries « Smartphones

http://smartphones.wonderhowto.com/how-to/use-your-smartphone-check-for-dead-batteries-0162261/

FCC issues largest robocalling fine ever against travel marketer [feedly]

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FCC issues largest robocalling fine ever against travel marketer
// The Verge

The Federal Communications Commission's crackdown on spammy callers continues with the announcement of its largest fine ever for violating robocall rules. The commission is fining Travel Club Marketing a total of $2.96 million for making 185 unsolicited calls to cell phones and landlines belonging to 142 people, most of whom were on the Do Not Call list. "It is unacceptable to invade consumers' privacy by bombarding them with unwanted and intrusive robocalls," says Travis LeBlanc, chief of the commission's Enforcement Bureau. "All companies, and their owners, who thwart the Do Not Call list should expect to face severe consequences."

Travel Club's fine doesn't set the record by all that much — last year, a $2.9 million fine was proposed against a company that made 184 unsolicited robocalls — but it continues the commission's work to stop annoying, unwanted messages. In June, the commission passed strengthened rules that are supposed to close loopholes and give consumers easier ways of opting out of call lists that their names might have ended up on. The new rules also allow phone service providers to start offering robocall blocking services, which could get consumers a step closer not receiving any unwanted calls.

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China forces Samsung to allow “unwanted apps” to be deleted from Samsung handsets [feedly]

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China forces Samsung to allow "unwanted apps" to be deleted from Samsung handsets
// AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

Samsung's bloatware apps are legendary in the Android community and the fact all these apps can't be deleted has turned away many an Android purist. Thankfully for those people (in China at least), a consumer rights committee has been successful in forcing Samsung to allow "unwanted apps" to be deleted – Samsung says it will be providing software patches next month which make this possible. And the committee's yardstick? The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N9008S) which allegedly had 44 pre-installed apps of which 24 could not be removed – that might not sound like much, but it all adds up. Samsung has said that this will even be allowed on their most recent devices, including the Galaxy S6.

And the committee is keen to see this solution through, saying: "If Samsung fails to meet its own promise, then the legal tussle will be continued and expanded". I'm genuinely surprised that Samsung has backed down and conceded this battle – if all it takes is a committee of well informed individuals to make Samsung, or any company, make their bloatware removeable, then I don't know why this hasn't been happening more – then again, this decision only has jurisdiction in China, for now.

What do you think about the decision to make Samsung allow "unwanted apps" to be deleted? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Korea Times via SamMobile

The post China forces Samsung to allow "unwanted apps" to be deleted from Samsung handsets appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

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Mysterious Huawei device is leaked out prior to its September 2nd announcement [feedly]

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Mysterious Huawei device is leaked out prior to its September 2nd announcement
// AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

Mr. evleaks is at it again – in the latest leak from the king of leaks, Evan Blass a.k.a. @evleaks, a mysterious Huawei device has been photographed which is said to be announced on September 2nd at IFA 2015. No doubt that this is one of the device's Huawei is going to announce at the event, and previous leaks suggest to us that this device is either the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Plus or the Huawei Ascend Mate 8, with the former being more probable according to the rumour. From the appearance of the device, it's clear that it is quite large and takes a lot of design cues from last year's Ascend Mate 7, with only the flash changing position since last year's device.

Launching at IFA on 9/2. Features force touch. Branding currently unknown (D-series?). pic.twitter.com/5w2t7m7Nsx

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 8, 2015

The "force touch" mentioned in the tweet refers to a new capacative display technology that puts force sensors under the screen, allowing for more pressure-sensitive gestures. With the leak of this device comes another consideration – will the Huawei Nexus look like this? The Huawei Nexus was allegedly leaked earlier this week and it has more than a passing resemblance to the device that @evleaks posted a photo of. Food for thought.

What do you think about the mysterious Huawei device that @evleaks posted today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Twitter via Phone Arena

The post Mysterious Huawei device is leaked out prior to its September 2nd announcement appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

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ASUS put an insanely large battery in the ZenFone Max [feedly]

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ASUS put an insanely large battery in the ZenFone Max
// Engadget Mobile

During its big launch event in India today, ASUS decided to throw in a surprise for those who are into phones with a massive battery: the ZenFone Max. This is one of the very few smartphones that come with a generous -- or perhaps overly generous -- 5,000 mAh cell, and you can even use the phone as a power bank to charge other devices. Like the ZenFone 2 Laser, the Max has a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera with laser auto-focus plus dual-tone LED flash, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing imager and Gorilla Glass 4 on the 5.5-inch screen, though there's no word on the display resolution. The downer is the entry-level Snapdragon 410 chip with just 2GB of RAM, as if the battery life isn't already long enough.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS

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Tags: android, asus, india, mobilepostcross, phone, smartphone, zenfone max, zenui

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Android 5.2 M Update for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9: Expected Release Date

http://www.android.gs/android-5-2-m-update-for-nexus-5-nexus-6-and-nexus-9-expected-release-date/

What you get with Project Fi, Google's triple network phone service | ZDNet

http://www.zdnet.com/article/what-you-get-with-project-fi-googles-triple-network-phone-service/

Nexus 5 2015 release date: Why two Nexus 5 phones are set to be launched this year |

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/nexus.5.2015.why.two.nexus.5.phones.released.year/61366.htm

Verizon axes two-year contracts as it refreshes rate plans | Android and Me

http://androidandme.com/2015/08/news/verizon-axes-two-year-contracts-as-it-refreshes-rate-plans/