Project Fi is only officially compatible with the Nexus 6, but interestingly enough, it seems to work well on the new Moto X Pure Edition. The devices are similar enough, being fully unlocked Motorola devices with pure Android, so it was worth a try.
Droid-Life tested it out by throwing a Project Fi SIM into the Moto X Pure Edition, and it could be activated and used without any obvious trouble. Of course, it’s still unofficial and might have problems down the road, but for now it’s worth a shot!
Sony Xperia devices have been water resistant for a while now. The company is proud of this fact, and advertises it as much as possible. We’ve seen countless photo and video advertisements of people using the devices underwater. Unfortunately, Sony is changing its stance on this.
Sony is now asking people not to use these devices underwater, despite the IP68 water resistance certification. The company cites the testing standards, which are done under laboratory conditions to achieve such a rating. And it makes sense, as the phones are gently placed under 1.5 meters of water for half an hour. Fast movement underwater places a lot of pressure on those seals and water may enter despite the rating, because the pressure is so high during movement.
However, with all the advertisements showing underwater use, it’s a pretty unfortunate thing for Sony to do. A lot of people bought these devices for the IP68 water resistance, and they’re being told not to use the devices as they intended to use them. The water resistance should only be a security measure in the case of an accident, not as a feature.
It’s likely that Sony is dealing with a lot of warranty claims from people who have used the devices underwater, whether properly or improperly, and is taking a stand. I don’t really agree with these actions, but there’s like a good reason behind them. What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.
Twitch – Version 4.4.1
What’s new in this version:
Push notifications
You can toggle push notification sounds off / on in the app settings
Sports Scores: Get scores and articles about your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams (more sports and leagues to come). Search and subscribe to your favorite team to get started.
Update your info in a reimagined editor inspired by Google Search and Maps. It’s simpler, quicker, and a whole lot prettier. (And now supports businesses open 24hrs).
Serve customers at their locations? Now show where by city, postal code, or radius
View your business on Search, Maps and Google+ with a single tap. Like magic, but better.
Gain insights on who your Google+ posts are reaching
See more detailed feedback about your business info.
LANDSCAPE: When a broadcaster holds their phone in landscape, the video will now be oriented properly for all viewers. Viewers can continue holding their device in portrait, or match the broadcaster’s orientation to maintain full screen video. Either way, you’ll never need to watch sideways video again!
BROADCAST TO MUTUALS: Now when you select a Private Broadcast, you are presented with your followers that you also follow back.
Brand new design – Authenticator has received a modern design refresh and an extra layer of polish, plus you can see great Blizzard franchise art every time you load up the digital code.
Usability improvements – Getting a code now features an improved visual indicator, easy clipboard copy, and an animated count-down.
OnePlus loves its teases, and now the company is back with another one, this time teasing something a bit more “luxurious” than anything that has come before. Of course, as is the case with the company’s teases in the past, there’s not much to go on, but there is a blurry image accompanying a catchy tagline.
The image’s bottom section is clear enough, showing what looks to be something leather. The safe bet at this point would be to suggest that OnePlus has a leather back plate coming down the pipe. Considering the OnePlus 2 features StyleSwap covers in a variety of materials, including wood and kevlar, a leather option is certainly possible. And, with other leather options already available from other companies, probably an easy guess.
The main teaser image, as shown above, suggests that it’s a “bit of welcome luxury,” while the company is teasing more directly with a caption that reads,” Something luxurious is coming to OnePlus. What could it be?”
The Stagefright exploit has gotten a lot of people worried, affecting nearly all Android devices currently being used. Manufacturers have been scrambling to update their devices with a patch for the exploit, and NVIDIA is the latest to do so.
The NVIDIA SHIELD tablet is being updated to software version 3.1.1, which includes a Stagefright patch. But that’s not all. NVIDIA also included system-wide optimizations and fixes, including an improvement in battery life and Netflix playback. There’s also a new controller firmware update, and the regular “stability and performance improvements” listed in every update.
If you own the device, check for updates and start downloading the latest. Even ignoring the Stagefright patch, it should be a great update for performance.
Another OnePlus device, another botched launch. It’s nothing new to those who were eager to buy the OnePlus One. The invite system was a huge annoyance, there were endless delays, and people were just getting frustrated waiting for the phone that was promised many times. And though it’s better with the OnePlus 2, the launch isn’t without its problems.
OnePlus founder Carl Pei took to the OnePlus forums to write a lengthy apology to everyone: fans, partners, and team. In it he acknowledges the failures of both of the launches, gives explanations, and repeated apologies for the inconveniences brought upon potential customers.
We messed up the launch of the OnePlus 2.
Well, we messed up the launch of the OnePlus One as well. Although inventory levels ramped up eventually, months after the announcement, it was still extremely difficult to buy the device. We comforted ourselves to the fact that we were young, and that we’d learn and show the world we could do better next time around.
With the OnePlus 2, we made rosy plans. We were more confident, and prepared a lot more inventory. We told our users it would be 30-50x easier to get invites, and they needn’t worry. Yet, we only began shipping in meaningful quantities this week, nearly a month after our initial targeted shipping date. You can talk all you want, but in the end, flawless execution speaks much louder than unfulfilled promises.
I’d like to apologize on behalf of OnePlus for the delay.Carl PeiOnePlus
As much as it’s tempting to forgive OnePlus, it’s tough. The invite system was an epic failure last time, and it was brought back. Delays are repeated, despite the lessons taught last time. And most of all, potential customers are getting burned again. I know a lot of people are just fed up with OnePlus, and I can’t blame them.
As an apology, OnePlus may hold an open sale late this month or early the next, for a single hour. As much as this is nice, it’s a good month away and the single hour sales are stressful and don’t give most consumers the chance to buy the device. It’s another annoying way to buy the device, just like the invite system.
What’s your opinion on the company? Have they messed up too much, or can they redeem themselves?
You thought you’d never hear about this device again, but it’s back in the spotlight, probably for the final time. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition was a device that was part of an effort to make smartphones available with stock Android instead of the skin that comes on the regular models. However, the project was killed off long ago.
The Galaxy S4 GPe is back in the news because it’s finally getting its Android 5.1 update. No, it’s not Android 5.1.1, but it’s still an improvement over the old software. This also means it likely has all the latest fixes, like the Stagefright patch.
If you still own this device, head over to settings and update it. It’ll add a good bit of life to an old but very usable device. Plus, stock Lollipop just can’t be beat!
Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap of new game releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we’re playing, but this column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions for next week’s post.
David.
Description: You play David, an awfully small abstracted chosen hero tossed into a blissfully simple world overrun by giant culminations of evil physics-beasts. As David, you are given a slingshot-esque gift that you will have to use to conquer your colossus foes.
Description: Master your backspins and drop shots using intuitive and slick touch controls to outwit a series of oddball Kung Fu fighters – from sumo wrestlers to mad scientists and pandas
Description: DefCom TD is a simple survival game with tower defense and real-time strategy elements. Action is going on a randomly generated map, where player should build his base, gather resources and defend from endless waves of enemies.
Description: Climb a dark tower in this Micro sized Chess Style Rogue-like that focuses more on character movement, than stats and gear. Can you retrieve the treasure and escape the dragon’s wrath?
Description: Random Fighters is a puzzle fighting game that pushes the player into a battle of wits and kicks. Tune up your memory and guessing skills to deliver your attacks from a 5×5 grid and beat the hell out of your rivals.
Description:Join millions of players worldwide in a brand new fight against the Empire! Engage in massive Sector Battles to dictate the expansion of in-game content, create your own powerful character and crew, and play real-time co-op with friends.
Description: Prismatica is a puzzle game with a brand new twist, inspired by Rubik’s Cubes, Sudoku, Dodecahedrons and way, way too much caffeine. The goal is to unscramble a series of puzzle boards by rotating multicolored pieces to match a logical pattern.
Description: Prepare to be challenged at a breakneck pace. Jump, butt stomp, fly, catapult, drive and blast enemies in this hyperkinetic platformer, action game. Survive alien boneyards, ice caverns, asteroid belts, forests, space stations, volcanoes, and galactic wormholes!
Description: Train your brain everyday with exciting yet challenging shape puzzles! With tons of levels to beat and numerous achievements to unlock. Beat your own high score and be the best among your friends!
Description: Choose from powerful HEROES who have come to help you out with defeating all Evil Hordes! Craft many different units and command them in REAL TIME. Assist your army with the magic SPELLS. Decide which territory to conquer due to NON-LINEAR progression.
This isn’t entirely unexpected, as it was a test feature in an early test build of Android Marshmallow. We knew it might be cut, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s sad. However, Google says that it will be considered for future releases.
With the move to all white user interfaces, nighttime usage has gotten significantly more unpleasant. Plus, some of us simply like dark UIs more. What’s your opinion on the issue?
Not too long ago, a leak gave life to a phone dubbed the Moto X Force, which was reportedly slated to be headed to the US as the DROID Turbo 2. Now, a new leak from @upleaks has shown us the Motorola DROID Turbo 2, complete with DROID and Verizon branding. The phone uses a very attractive color scheme of gray, silver and white that combines glass, metal and plastic with a sleek triangular pattern. It looks less like many past DROID devices, and much more like a tweaked Moto X.
The front reveals front-facing speakers, with the bottom speaker split into two parts to allow room for a Verizon checkmark. Up on top, there’s a front-facing camera and what looks to be an LED flash, though it’s always possible that it could be a second camera or simply a sensor. The device is code named Bounce, but @upleaks reports that it will come to the US in October as the Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2. For those outside of the States, the device will be available in December as the Moto X Force.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the rumors surrounding the Motorola DROID Turbo 2.
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