The first generation Moto 360 was released almost a year and a half ago, yet it’s still kicking. Plenty of people are using them, seeing no need for upgrading or just buying them at a low price after the launch of the second gen. They’re good devices, and they’re getting better with every update.
The newest update for Android Wear is Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and it’s set to roll out to every Android Wear device. But the aging Moto 360 is already getting it, as a few users on Reddit have reported the update coming to their device. It fixes a few small issues that the watch has had for a while, though some features like speaker support obviously won’t work.
If you’re interested in the update, check the About section of your smartwatch and see if you can download it. It’ll likely be rolling out in the next few weeks so most people won’t get it immediately. It’s great to see older and still functioning devices receive continued support. How many of you are still rocking the original Moto 360?
In general, the popularity of a video is based on views more than likes. It matters less how many people bother to hit the like button, what really matters is how many people watched it. But Instagram is based on likes, so when the service got video sharing, the same old system applied. Your self worth was based on how many likes you got.
But no more, as Instagram has announced that videos will be getting view counters over the next few weeks. Hitting the views will show you how many likes you got, but they’re taking a backseat to actual views. Though likes should be more easily accessible and visible from the video itself, seeing the number of views is definitely a better metric of your social media reach. It also means bigger numbers to inflate your ego, so Instagram addicts can rejoice.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was originally released for the Sony PSP, intended to be a mobile-oriented version of the GTA games. It had shorter missions and simpler controls to make the game easy to play on the go and in short bursts. It’s practically perfect for a smartphone.
The game was released for Android today, and it features redone high-res textures, realtime lighting and shadows, longer draw distance, and new touch controls. Of course, it also has controller support for those who want to play the game the way it was meant to be.
GTA: Liberty City Stories is currently on sale for a mere $3.99, so hit the source link to download it!
Considering how prevalent virtual reality (VR) has become over the last year or so, it’s getting hard to ignore. Google already has a bit of a play in the VR market with its Cardboard platform, and word has it that it’s planning on building a competitor to Samsung’s Gear VR setup, but it turns out there’s something else in the works, too.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is hard at work on putting together a virtual reality headset that’s completely a stand-alone experience. That means that, if this project is real, an owner wouldn’t need to connect it to their computer or a smartphone.
According to sources, the device “will include a screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras.” The sources say that this experience is supposed to be a “middle-ground” one, which means it will offer something between the Cardboard experience, and what someone using an Oculus Rift might find.
As far as a release window goes, one source says that Google is priming the new headset for a launch this year. However, another source says that Google’s plans are still in the early stages, and the new VR headset might not launch for some time.
What do you think? Are you enjoying all this VR love?
Consumers enjoy having options when it comes to the design and build of their devices. Some manufacturers like to give them those options, while others will create only one option that they believe is best. Samsung hasn’t always given customers a lot of options, but the company is offering two new ones for purchases of the Samsung Gear S2 Classic.
With the Gear S2 Classic, Samsung took the great features of the Gear S2 and paired them with a refined, classically-designed watch that’s intended for a slightly more upscale audience. Now Samsung is offering two more options for the higher-end market, with the Gear S2 Classic now coming in variants plated with 18k Rose Gold or Platinum.
These new designs will retail for $449.99 and will be sold at traditional retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, while also being offered in some fashion-based stores such as Macy’s. The Rose Gold and Platinum variants still pack all of the same great features as the regular Gear S2, including the rotating bezel for navigation. While the features may remain the same, there’s no denying that the new metal plating adds a serious boost of class to the Gear S2 Classic.
Sprint and T-Mobile have garnered quite a reputation for duking it out. Each carrier will launch a new promotion and the other will rush to match or best it. The usual scenario is happening again, with Sprint matching T-Mobile’s “fourth line free” family plan promotion.
T-Mobile reintroduced its “fourth line free” promotion last week, which offers customers four lines with unlimited talk, text and data for just $150/month. Now Sprint is matching T-Mobile on that deal, offering customers the same package for the same price. Sprint is also matching T-Mobile on plans with two, three and five lines.
When it comes to single line plans with unlimited data, Sprint is undercutting T-Mobile, offering a single line of unlimited talk, text and data for just $75/month, significantly less than T-Mobile’s rate of $95/month.
Per usual, this offer from Sprint can be combined with many of its other promotions. These other offers include a $200 trade-in guarantee when purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S6 or Note 5, as well as paying switching fees for new customers. This offer is only available for a limited time, so act quickly if you want to take advantage of it!
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.
Ys Chronicles II
Description: Ys II — also known as Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter — is an action-packed, heroic fantasy JRPG game that immerses you in a beautiful Japanese artistic universe.
Description: Selling over five million copies since its release in 2000, FINAL FANTASY IX proudly returns on Android! Now you can relive the adventures of Zidane and his crew in the palm of your hands! Enjoy this classic FINAL FANTASY experience with no additional fees or purchases.
Description: The challenge – to build without dropping blocks. Great workout for the brain and the killer boredom. In Game: 75 interesting levels, 3 of the world with its own characteristics.
Description: Begin your adventure and sail the seven seas. Defeat thousands of monsters, hire dozens of heroes for your crew, find and collect hundreds of magical artifacts and awesome treasures. Loot all you can and only then you will become the most famous pirate of all time!
Description: Tired of the everyday grey? Color the world in a ride of your life! Splash cars await! Riding a splash car is exactly what you’d expect. Fun! Paint oozes from your machine leaving a colorful trail behind.
Description:“Lost Journey” is a puzzle game of space exploration. On a Journey… Lost, but not without Hope. An angel of heaven comes to Jennifer in the form of a butterfly. This plane of existence mirrors the serene world she left behind, but there are secrets – memories – hidden here.
Description: Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins.
Description: Thanks for checking in, Agent. We’ve traced the origin of the lavalanche to the activities of the Mastermind and his growing conglomerate of Henchmen. Receive and complete missions from HQ as you chase the Mastermind in this side-scroller adventure game.
Description: Mrs. Miller has to go on an urgent business trip and the Smith family are looking for accommodation for their house cat while they’re on vacation. Your cattery is the purrfect place for them! Care for the kitties, feed them and play with them until their owners come to pick them up again.
Qualcomm is having a big day of announcements. The company just announced its Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor for wearables, and now it’s shifting things back to smartphones with the introduction of three new processors. These include the Snapdragon 625, 435 and 425, and we’ll begin by looking at the higher-end Snapdragon 625 processor.
While not Qualcomm’s highest-end processor, the Snapdragon 625 will fit the bill nicely for those phones that hover between mid-range and high-end. The new Snapdragon 625 features 35% less power consumption than the Snapdragon 617, meaning that battery life will greatly improve. Other highlights include improved image quality and GPU performance.
Next up is the Snapdragon 435, which packs only one change over the existing Snapdragon 430 processor. This updated version packs in Qualcomm’s X8 LTE modem, offering the first Cat 7 LTE speeds within the 400 series of processors.
Lastly, there’s the Snapdragon 425. This processor is designed for lower-end mid-range phones, offering faster LTE speeds with the X6 LTE modem and improved battery life with a dedicated Hexagon digital signal processor. It also offers dual ISP support, allowing for camera resolutions up to 16-megapixels.
All of these new processors look to be solid updates to their predecessors. There’s nothing game-changing here, but that’s not always necessary, as it’s just as important for innovation to steadily evolve and improve, which is exactly what Qualcomm is doing with these updates.
It shouldn’t be long before we begin see these processors within new devices.
Wearables have faced an uphill battle, struggling with both technical constraints as well as the daunting task of changing consumer mindsets. Things are moving, though, and manufacturers are beginning to overcome these issues. With the next generation, some of the technical constraints will become smaller thanks to a new wearables processor from Qualcomm.
Qualcomm is by far the biggest name in mobile processors, and the company is working to secure a strong foothold in the wearables market as well. The Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is a new creation from the company’s that’s been designed specifically for wearables, offering innovations that specifically suit wearables.
Two models of the Snapdragon Wear 2100 are being created. The first is a tethered version, which uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, while the second version is a connected version, which also brings in an LTE modem. With the connected version, wearables will be able to stream music, answer calls, send texts and more, without being tethered to a smartphone.
A key selling point is the reduced size of the processor, which is 30% smaller than previous wearable processors, allowing manufacturers to create thinner devices, a definite plus considering how chunky some of the current smartwatches are. In addition to reducing size, Qualcomm also reduced power consumption by 25% in both the tethered and connected models. Less power being used allows for longer battery life, allowing smartwatches to come closer to that goal of having battery life measured in days, rather than hours.
Qualcomm has been working behind the scenes with manufacturers, and the company says that there are wearables already in development that are using the Snapdragon Wear 2100. This indicates that the next generation of smartwatches, as well as other wearables, will be powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100.
Keep an eye out for new wearables using this processor.
Manufacturers always seem to get ahead of themselves. The latest example is LG, which has cheekily introduced a new Quick Cover case for the “yet-to-be announced LG G5“. The company has written up an entire press release filled with small jabs and jokes about the G5′s unannounced state. But all that aside, this new Quick Cover case actually looks quite interesting and feature-packed.
LG’s new Quick Cover case features LG’s new touch function, which allows users to take calls and silence alarms simply by swiping on the semi-transparent cover. The Quick Cover case also features a cut-out that enables you to see the information on the LG G5′s always-on display, which the company also recently began teasing. With this, users can quickly see the time, date and small icons informing them of their notifications.
The case is designed to be consistent with the look of the LG G5, so it’s likely that the LG G5 will feature a similar glossy metallic finish.
LG will be showing off the Quick Cover case at its Mobile World Congress booth between February 22 and 25. Alongside the new case will be the new LG G5, which will have been officially announced by that point.
Keep it locked on the site to stay up-to-date with all of LG’s teasing of the G5.
SEOUL, Feb. 11, 2016 — LG Electronics (LG) took the wraps off a new version of its Quick Cover case, designed specifically for LG’s next generation flagship smartphone, LG G5, which does not yet exist. Known as a company ahead of the times, LG took this characterization to heart by revealing the existence of the accessory before the actual product.
The latest LG Quick Cover offers the advantages of previous Quick Covers but with even more features. The touch function, recently introduced on the K10’s Quick Cover View, is now available on the G5 Quick Cover’s semitransparent mesh cover. It enables users to take calls and control alarm settings without opening the case for the ultimate in convenience.
Users of the case can check the time, date and notifications on the Always-on Display of the yet unseen LG G5 even with the cover closed. LG also incorporated a unique film with a glossy metallic finish to enhance the smooth and luxurious look and feel of the cover for maximum consistency with the speculative LG G5.
The Quick Cover for LG G5 will be on display at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain from February 22-25. Visitors to MWC are encouraged to stop by LG’s booth in Hall 3 of Fira Gran Via to see the LG Quick Cover and the rumored LG G5 for themselves.
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