Samsung and Marvel have collaborated wonderfully to spice up the S6 and S6 Edge – check out this overview that details some of the results of the team-up, including Avengers-inspired cases and accompanying moleskine notebooks that contain sketches for Samsung’s product placement in the Age of Ultron movie.
The post S6 Avengers Cases and Moleskine Notebooks Overview appeared first on xda-developers.
If you’re in the vicinity of Belfast, or just need an excuse to travel there, Cyanogen, Inc. is holding a Meet and Greet in partnership with DroidHorizon on June 19th. The event is of the social variety, with beer, food, music and techies – what more could you ask for?
The post Cyanogen To Hold Meet and Greet in Belfast appeared first on xda-developers.
HTC Sense is one of the nicest looking UI’s available for Android. Check out this theme made by XDA Forum Member sargat to make your ROM with CyanogenMod Theme Engine look like Sense 7.
The post [THEME] Sense 7 Default appeared first on xda-developers.
Android Wear 5.1.1 is rolling out! That and much more news is covered by Jordan when he reviews all the important stories from this weekend. Included in this weekend’s news is the announcement of a resolution to the OnePlus touchscreen issues and be sure to check out the article talking about MediaTek taking Qualcomms place in Flagship devices. That’s not all that’s covered in today’s video!
Jordan talks about the other videos released earlier this week on XDA TV. XDA TV Producer TK released an Xposed Tuesday video covering theXposed Framework Alpha for Android Lollipop 5.1. Then Jordan reviewed the YU Yureka. Also, TK showed you how to tweak your kernel. Finally, if you missed it be sure to check out Jordan’s Review of the Nvidia SHIELD Tablet. Pull up a chair and check out this video.
Be sure to check out other great XDA TV Videos
Check out Jordan’s YouTube Channel and Jordan’s Gaming YouTube Channel
The post OnePlus Touchscreen Issues Fixed, Android Wear 5.1.1- XDA TV appeared first on xda-developers.
Most of us are usually close to a WiFi source throughout the day but leaving WiFi toggled on may drain some battery life on your device. Some forum members like to use automation apps like Tasker to schedule when the WiFi should be turned on and off, while others either do it manually, or just leave WiFi on throughout the day. Which category do you fall into? Do you toggle WiFi on and off? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Do You Manually Toggle WiFi On and Off? appeared first on xda-developers.
Smartphone gaming is not regular gaming – for most gamers, the kind of games on Android are behind and under the more traditional videogames of consoles and personal computers. There are many phone games that bridge the gap, however, be through graphics, story, gameplay or the more holistic result. But as a whole, smartphones are geared towards simpler and more casual games – which is not entirely a bad thing, as people do enjoy these kind of titles.
However, power users face a dilemma: they buy these expensive and powerful phones that are capable of great-looking 3D graphics and immersive experiences, but as of now there aren’t many titles that fit those standards. People still play mobile games seriously – at the XDA office, we love playing The Witcher: Battle Arena during breaks on slow days. Mobile games don’t have to be equal to console titles, but we still love full-featured releases such as KOTOR and other old classics.
Our debate for the day has little to do with the Android OS itself: we want to discuss whether gaming companies’ incursion into mobile gaming is better for both mobile platforms and the companies themselves. Many are already jumping into the Android wagon. So we ask you: Could the future see mobile platforms become hubs of hardcore gaming? Do you think gaming companies jumping into Android is good for all parties? Would/do their mobile projects diminish or dilute the quality of older classics and newer gems? Do you think “serious” gaming is possible with mobile hardware now, or in the future?
The main problems with mobile hardware are not bound to the processor or screen, however. Battery life, for example, is already a serious concern for those that do not do phone gaming. Moreover, heat and throttling are also concerns that would prevent long and sustained sessions. But the biggest issue many people find right now is the touchscreen controls. Luckily, bluetooth controllers are easy to find, and we assume that if serious gaming becomes mainstream on Android, we wouldn’t have issues with them in hand. But the platform is inherently flawed at providing seamless controls for many genres without additional input. Finally, VR is also growing in the mobile space, and this combined with serious gaming can make for very amazing experiences – on the go!
Would it benefit these big companies to dilute the value of their fan-acclaimed IPs with mobile games? If Nintendo released a Candy Crush clone based around Zelda, many fans (myself included) would hate them for it. But releasing a fleshed out Zelda is, at the same time, something that we might not see Nintendo do for a while on mobile. Such a game could drastically underperform due to the different playing and buying habits of mobile gamers, and if these kind of games fail, they can dilute the value of an IP for good. We also do not want to see our favorite gaming companies succumb to Freemium and IAP spam models. What we do know, however, is that the future of mobile gaming looks terrifically more promising than its present state, so it could be good to start betting on the space early on.
Mobile hardware is still evolving at fast rates, and with our high-resolution screens and upcoming VR boom, our phones could finally expand into and conquer home entertainment territory. At the same time, the physical limitations of current smartphones (touchscreens, heat, battery) don’t make many experiences as rewarding as a traditional gaming platform does. The companies in the game could greatly benefit from such a development, but we don’t know if their models would be beneficial for us users. Finally, a change of focus like this could also redirect time, money and energy from these companies’ console and PC developments, lowering and diluting the quality of the IPs we know and love.
The post Sunday Debate: Hardcore Gaming on Android? appeared first on xda-developers.
Another week, another recap. The Sunday tradition marches on this week with a fresh no-nonsense look at big-picture news, but first, a note on global events. The nation of Nepal is no stranger to devastating earthquakes, and much of the country has suffered yet another blow at the hand of plate tectonics. As a public service, Google is making all VoIP calls to Nepal free through its Google Voice, Hangouts Dialer, and Google Talk properties. If you know someone in the region, please do not hesitate to reach out. At XDA, our hearts go out to those affected by this tragedy, and we wish the best for all involved. And now, back to the world of Android.
Here in the digital XDA newsroom, we spend our days pouring over an average of 2,500 news items and forum threads every 24 hours. Only the most timely and interesting bits survive the editing process, but the portal’s front page still sees weekly counts in excess of 100 posts. This is a glut of content to absorb, especially if following the news cycle isn’t your full-time job. However, the tech world is vast, and the information must flow. With this in mind, let’s dive into a slimmed-down version of this week’s news that’s the perfect size for easy Sunday morning consumption!
XDA covers more than just news, and nowhere is that more apparent than Jordan Keyes’ weekly posts to XDA TV. Here’s the latest round of ROM updates and phone tweaks mixed with a dose of current events; enjoy!
Full annotations for this video can be found in the main XDA TV post from Friday. For more from the TV team, Monday’s recap of last weekend features Cyanogen’s support of the OnePlus One in India, and a slew of other news. However, if you’re already two deep into these YouTube videos, you might as well settle in with some popcorn and fire up the complete archive (found here).
For all the news and only the news, read on.
The latest Lollipop is hitting the HTC One M7 (Google Play Edition) and Nexus 9 now, with the Moto X (2013) set to follow “in a few weeks.” On the Samsung front, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are on track for a June upgrade that will bring much needed RAW camera capture and a handful of other tweaks.
These are only a few of the more popular handsets, and other device upgrades will likely be inbound in the coming weeks. For the latest on the phone in your pocket, be sure to subscribe to its development page on the XDA Forums – your first stop for device specific news.
Upgrades bring new features, fixes, and polish, but what about the down-sides? The Xposed Framework won’t be supporting 5.1 for some time, but the newest unofficial Alpha is playing nice with more modules than ever before. This week, GravityBox and is on the list. Check out the Xposed Tuesday video (at right) for more on how to get up and running with the latest build!
For the full scoop, here’s the accompanying feature article.
The global roll out of LG’s stylish Watch Urbane continues this week, with news of an imminent release in India for Rs. 35k or less. The wearable features roughly the same internals as the earlier G Watch R, but is the first watch to run Android Wear 5.1.1 with its wifi connectivity. Early reports showed that channels 12 and 13 were disabled due to a bug, but this behavior should be fixed in an upcoming patch.
Other smartwatches are finally beginning to see the new OS version as well, starting with the original Asus Zenwatch. Wear 5.1.1 brings a new launcher, wrist gestures to scroll through cards, emoji drawing, persistent apps, wifi connectivity (where supported by hardware), and several other tweaks.
On the smartwatch horizon, the new Zenwatch is now slated for a June 2-6 debut at the Computex Taipei trade show, with a third quarter release to follow. Motorola also appears to be readying their next wearable for release, as a probable Moto 360 successor was spotted during certification at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Could this mean an unveiling at Google I/O like last year’s model?
In the journalism sphere, the more immediately visible implications are for TechCrunch, Engadget and Huffington Post, all of which are being swept up in the sale. As expected, the publications are already making ardent statements of their commitment to unbiased journalism. As fellow journalists, we at XDA feel for their predicament, and wish them the best of luck.
Yureka, the affordable powerhouse from the newest Chinese upstart, gets a substantial bug-fix update to correct battery and heating issues, and enhance security. Read more! This one has been on the market for a while, and you can watch our new video review here, but the big news from this India-focused brand is where Yu is going next.
While we’re on the subject of India, Asus just announced an exclusive Zenfone 2 variant for the sub-continent that packs a whopping 4GB of system RAM. For more, check out the Flipkart listing here.
Reported specs are still largely rumor at this point, but Oppo’s new R7 and R7 Plus are now confirmed by way of official renders. The R7 is believed to pack a 6” display and your choice of Snapdragon 615 or MediaTek MT 6752, both with 3GB RAM, 16GB ROM, and 13MP camera. Stepping up in size, the R7 Plus is thought to trade capacitive buttons for counterparts on a much larger 6” screen. A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and what appears to be laser autofucus are also onboard, with a larger 32GB storage capacity. Read the full story here!
The Sony Xperia A4, an apparently re-skinned Z3c, was revealed for NTT Docomo in Japan this week with the lack of fanfare now typical of Sony events. On board, you will find a 4.6” 720p display, Snapdragon 801, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 20.7MP rear camera (f/2.0), 2.2MP front-facing camera, and 2600mAh battery. The handset will be available starting in June, though pricing and the rest of Sony’s lineup for Docomo are yet to be announced. Read more!
Also from Sony, the new Z4 Tablet is shown off in a promotional video
Keeping with the NTT Docomo theme, Sharp’s upcoming Aquos Zeta is outed in a new device listing from the Japanese carrier. Bezels are slightly more noticeable than on the earlier Aquos Crystal, but the device line remains a powerful mid-range contender set to release in “late May.”
There will be a new Galaxy Tab, the S2. The (unintentional) confirmation unfortunately gives no indication of what we can expect, so stay tuned for more in the weeks to come.
According to Upleaks, HTC is investigating the low-end tablet market for a possible second quarter release. Again, no specifics have been outed just yet.
Future phones from Motorola may feature QHD displays. This is hardly surprising given last year’s QHD Motorola Nexus 6, but the news further confirms the industry’s trend toward dense displays. Check out the Reddit discussion of this one for the internet’s dissection of specs from three upcoming Motorola phones.
Gooogle’s low-cost, high-caliber phone initiative is now expanding to Turkey.
This week has been relatively slow on the non-device news front, perhaps owing to Google saving up reveals for I/O at the end of this month. Therefore, the usual Developers’ Corner is being (temporarily) replaced by a catch-all category of new and notable announcements. Let’s get started!
Coinciding with news that European carriers are looking for ways to block Google advertising, we have learned that Android developers make more money from ads than their iOS counterparts. This is a story that will need close scrutiny, and we are only at the beginning.
In a bizarre twist, Amazon seems to be disabling their streaming service on smart TVs not built by Sony. If this is what selling Fire TV sticks has come to, count this writer out. You can follow the full story back on the XDA Forums where it broke, and be sure to click “subscribe” for continuing updates.
The team behind Glass is looking for new members, perhaps with an eye towards an entire family of new products. We will likely hear more about this story during I/O later this month, but will they be able to top the skydiving entrance in 2012?
That is it for this week, but we will be back next Sunday for another round of recaps. After all, the news never sleeps, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your own rest to stay informed!
The post XDA Recap: This Week In Android (May 10 – 16) appeared first on xda-developers.
