Action Launcher 3 gets more features in December update

Action Launcher 3 is getting another large update, and Chris Lacy has posted a video explaining the new features. And once again, the additions are useful and innovative.

The main new feature added to Action Launcher 3 is Quick Edit, which allows you to edit icons, well, quickly. Holding an icon and letting go will pop up a menu with suggested new icons and allows you to edit label, open the Play Store, and uninstall the app. On top of that, the Google Calendar icon will now change with the date, which is a nice touch.

Another feature is Smartsize, which resizes icons for a uniform size. We all know how much icon sizes vary, but Smartsize will resize them to Material standards.

If you haven’t tried Action Launcher, I urge you to do so. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a very innovative launcher with lots of good features. Hit the source link to give it a shot!

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NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1 receives Android 6.0 update

NVIDIA is now pushing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update to the SHIELD Tablet K1, and it’s a surprisingly good update. Though at first it seems really minor compared to Lollipop, the subtle changes start showing with use and make a big difference.

Some new features are Google Now on Tap, adoptable storage (which allows you to use a microSD card as internal storage), completely customizable app permissions, customizable quick settings, and many more tweaks. NVIDIA also improved the camera app with Material Design and better burst photo functionality.

The update should make your tablet run smoother and the battery last longer, along with added features. Check for updates and let us know how you like it!

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Charge all the things with the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger

Until this year, I never stepped outside of North America. When I was a kid, my parents apparently took me to Mexico, we vacationed to the Dominican Republic when I was in 6th grade, and I grew up only a few hours away from the Canadian border in Seattle. This year I traveled to Europe for the first time, and they use different plugs there. I only brought one adapter with me and so I had to get pretty dang creative to keep all my devices charged while I was there. A Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger would have been brilliant to have because it would have made charging my many devices with just one EU travel adapter a piece of cake.

Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger-6
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Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger-2

Travel is just one of the many great uses for a desktop charger. I had a hard time deciding where I was going to put the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger in my own home. I was excited to put it lots of places like my nightstand, my computer desk, or in the kitchen where many devices end up congregating. I ended up putting it in the kitchen, where it has served honorably by charging phones, tablets, and battery packs.

One thing that I think is particularly convenient about the desktop charger is that it also acts as a charging extension. Most AC adapters that comes with a phones don’t come with a very long charging cable. But the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop charger comes with a 5-foot (1.5m) power cable that will bring the charging ports much closer to you. Then you have much more flexibility than with your typical 3-foot microUSB or Lightning cable. The 5-Port charger on your desk could end up being an ugly mess of cables and difficult cable management, but I’m thinking the next stop for the desktop charger will be my desk at work, which has very inconveniently placed power outlets.

As for capability, the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger is no slouch. The charger has what Lumsing calls a “smart quick charge technology” that automatically switches the charging mode of the connected digital device to offer the speediest charging possible, up to 2.4 amps per port and 8 amps overall. So you can get 2.4 amps to all 4 or 5 devices if they are plugged in at the same time and asking for that much. As I mentioned earlier, the Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger will work for international travel, accepts 100-240V input, and provides a 5V output. The charger is also CE/FCC/ROHS certified and comes with a 12-month warranty.

Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger-Fig1So how does it perform in real life? I pulled out my mad Excel skills for this review. The first chart shows the speeds of three different devices being charged by the Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger. All devices charged at very similar rates, with the Galaxy S6 charging at about 0.7% per minute and the Nexus 6 and Alcatel OneTouch Conquest charging at about 0.6% per minute.

The second chart compares the Lumsing charging rate on the Nexus 6 to the Motorola Turbo Charger. Here we see the Turbo Charger charges the Nexus 6 at more than 1.1% per minute, compared to the Lumsing’s rate of 0.6% per minute. Please note, though, that the Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger does not claim to have Qualcom Quick Charge 2.0 technology like the Motorola Turbo Charger, but it does claim to be “quick” and should be able to charge your mobile devices at the fastest non-Quick Charge 2.0 rate possible. I apologize if that’s confusing.

Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger-Fig2Beyond performance, I think the Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger looks very nice. It has a very minimalist design with a matte soft touch plastic outside. It comes with a IEC320C7 to NEMA 1-15P power cord that has its own Velcro cable wrap to keep the cable organized and it has 5 USB ports on the side so that the unit can charge any device that uses a USB cable. We reviewed the black Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger, but it’s also available in blue, orange, and white.

Overall, I’m very excited about the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger. I haven’t owned this type of mobile charging accessory before, but it’s become very useful and I could easily see myself using it in many different areas in my life. I think it would make a great gift this holiday season for your loved one that owns all the gadgets or is a big traveler. One of the best parts about the Lumsing 5-port Desktop Charger is how it won’t break the bank. You can pick it up from Amazon with Prime shipping for $19.99. At the time of writing this, the blue desktop charger is only $16.99.

Do you have a bunch of devices that need charging? How do you get the job done in the office or when you travel? Does this desktop charger look up your alley? Let us know your thoughts or questions regarding the Lumsing 5-Port Desktop Charger by commenting below.

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ZTE unveils the Axon Max with a 6-inch display and 13MP front camera

Selfies are probably still important to some folks out there in the wild, so having a camera with a high megapixel count on the specs sheet might be enough to warrant a second glance. If that’s the case, and you happen to be in China and can wait until later this month, ZTE’s got a phone for you.

The manufacturer has just unveiled a brand new member of its Axon lineup of devices, the Axon Max. The device boasts a 6-inch 1920×1080 AMOLED panel and is running Android 5.1 with ZTE’s custom UI called Mifavor 3.5. Under the hood there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor and 3GB of RAM, with 32GB of built-in storage with a microSD card slot if the built-in storage isn’t enough.

On the front of the handset there’s a 13MP camera, and on the back a 16MP shooter with a flash. There’s a fingerprint reader as well, and it’s all put together in an aluminum body that measures in at 7.5mm-thick.

The battery is measured in at 4140mAh. The port on the bottom is a reversible USB Type-C that offers Quick Charging 2.0.

ZTE has the Axon Max up for pre-order right now if you’re interested and live in China. It retails for 2799 Yuan, or around $432. It should release later this month, according to ZTE. However, there’s no word yet on whether or not it will see the light of day outside of China.

What do you think of the Axon Max?

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Deal: 32GB Nexus 6 for $249, 64GB for $299

It’s another Monday morning, but you can ease into the week with this one with an excellent deal on the Motorola Nexus 6. Amazon currently has the Nexus 6 listed at some extremely low prices: The 32GB Nexus 6 is available for just $249.99 in color options of Midnight Blue or Cloud White. If you need a bit more storage, you can move up to the 64GB model, which is selling for $299.99 and is available only in Cloud White.

These are some of the lowest prices we’ve seen for the Nexus 6, and they make the Nexus 6 an incredible deal, particularly noting that the phone was still selling for upwards of $600 not too long ago. If you need a last-minute holiday gift, this could be perfect, particularly considering that today is the last day for two-day Prime shipping before Christmas. As a Nexus, the device is guaranteed speedy updates, and you’ll receive a minimum of another year of Android updates in the Nexus 6, with the possibility for even more.

Follow the source link to jump on this deal.

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Sprint’s LG G4 is now being updated to Android 6.0

Two months after the LG G4 started getting its first taste of Marshmallow, the G4’s Android 6.0 update is making its way stateside.

Sprint has announced that it’s now pushing an Android 6.0 update to its version of the LG G4. The update is version LS991ZV6, and in addition to the Android 6.0 bump, it adds support for Sprint Global Roaming. That feature allows you to travel to several different countries around the globe and get free texting, free 2G data, and 20 cents per minute calling.

You can try to grab the Sprint G4’s Android 6.0 update by going into Settings > General > System updates > Update LG software > Check for Update.

We always say that it can take a long time for carrier-branded phones to get updates after they hit international, unlocked models. And while Sprint G4 owners did have to wait two months for their update, it’s still impressive to see that a carrier pushed Android 6.0 to the G4 before 2015 is out.

If you’ve got an LG G4 on Sprint, happy updating!

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Samsung intros Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition with 128GB of built-in storage

Because the Galaxy Note 5 has no microSD slot, it’s important to buy the model with the right amount of storage for your needs. Most of us can only choose between 32GB and 64GB, but some folks will soon have a third option.

Samsung today revealed the Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition, a special version of the Note 5 with one big new feature: It has 128GB of built-in storage, double the amount that other Note 5s top out at. One other small change between the Note 5 Winter Edition and the regular Note 5 is that the Samsung logo on the former’s backside is close to the bottom of the phone, while the latter has its Samsung logo near its rear camera.

The Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition will be sold by South Korean carriers SK Telecom and KT. It’ll be sold in Silver Titanium and Gold Platinum colors, and it’ll carry a price tag of 999,900 won, or around $847 USD.

With past Galaxy Note phones, the amount of internal storage that your phone came with wasn’t a huge deal because you could always add more storage to your phone with a microSD slot. But the Note 5 lacks a microSD slot, so you really have to think about how much storage you’ll need when buying a Note 5. Getting a Note 5 with 128GB of built-in storage is huge, so hopefully Samsung will make the Note 5 Winter Edition — or some other 128GB variant of the device — available outside of South Korea.

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Top 10 Android app updates this week: Cookpad, Vimeo

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.

Androidify – Version 4.2.0

Androidify

What’s new in this version:

  • New holiday gear just in time!
  • Requests from the suggestion box including phones & devices, sports gear, new outfits and more!
  • Bug fixes and optimizations

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Inbox by GMail – Version 1.16.0

Inbox by GMail

What’s new in this version:

  • Trip Bundles: Share a summary of your trip in one tap, add emails to a trip, and view trip details offline.
  • Attachments: Access your recent photos quickly and select multiple photos at once.
  • Awaken the Force within you. Choose your side at http://ift.tt/1N8anvf.
  • Bug fixes and performance improvements.

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Firefox – Version 43.0.0

Firefox Browser

What’s new in this version:

  • Tab audio indicator displays in tab list
  • Include URL when sharing selected text from web page
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Users can now mark read/unread state of items in reading list panel

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Behance – Version 3.0.1

Behance

What’s new in this version:

  • Updated for material design
  • Marshmallow permissions support
  • The app now includes a job board where you can find open creative opportunities to apply for
  • We’ve consolidated your activity feed and brought grid layouts to your Android phone to pack even more great work into every screen
  • Optimized performance
  • Bugs fixes.

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Cookpad – Version 1.8.1.0

Cookpad

What’s new in this version:

  • Great news! Allthecooks is now Cookpad! We are joining up with Cookpad to bring you a brand new app experience and new design.
  • Completely refined recipe creator that makes sharing your recipes easier than ever.
  • An even bigger, worldwide community to share your favorite recipes with a clean, user friendly design.

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Musixmatch – Version 6.0.0

Musixmatch

What’s new in this version:

  • CONNECT SPOTIFY PREMIUM and listen to all the music you love with lyrics, directly from the Musixmatch app.
  • NEW LyricsCard themes for the holidays
  • NEW FloatingLyrics

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Microsoft Translator – Version 1.2.0

Microsoft Translator

What’s new in this version:

  • Have natural conversations in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. More languages are coming soon!
  • Use your smart watch and phone together to enable conversations without huddling around a single phone
  • Translator conversation history is tagged with your location and reviewable in any participating language

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Vimeo – Version 2.0.0

Vimeo

What’s new in this version:

  • Super fresh design: it’s easier to use, and extra easy on the eyes.
  • A hot new player: stream videos in glorious ad-free HD.
  • A+ uploading: upload your videos, set your privacy, and manage settings.
  • More to love: browse human-curated categories like Animation, Documentary, Travel, etc. to discover amazing new videos.

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Google Play Books – Version 3.7.47

Google Play Books

What’s new in this version:

  • Night Light reading mode makes night time reading even more enjoyable and easier on the eyes.
  • Stability and performance enhancements

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Chipotle – Version 2.4.0

Chipotle

What’s new in this version:

  • Easier way to find a Chipotle near you.
  • Improved experience for first-timers.
  • General bug fixes to improve user experience. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

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Target rumored to be working on its own mobile payment option

A crowded market is only going to get even more crowded as time goes on, and mobile payments aren’t looking any different. Companies that might not have considered mobile payments as a viable means to buy goods just a couple of years ago are turning things around in a big way, and now the number of options for users out there in the wild are getting higher and higher.

It’s time to start preparing for another entry, too, if a new report from Reuters pans out. According to the publication’s three unnamed sources, Target is in the works of putting together its own mobile payment option similar to what we see from Android Pay, Samsung Pay, and others. It’s believed that Target has already begun negotiations with credit card companies, and it’s reportedly leaning towards a system that would bring up a QR code within its Android app to let customers scan it as a means to checkout while in the store.

The report states that while Target has not begun any in-store tests of this new mobile payment option, which doesn’t even have a name yet, it could see a public launch sometime in 2016.

Target is a major retail chain, so it’s not surprising that the company would want to get in on the mobile payment bandwagon, even as it skirts other viable options in development of its own option. That’s a crowded market, though, one that sees the aforementioned Samsung Pay, Android Pay, LG Pay, and, most recently, the introduction of Walmart Pay, which probably has a lot more to do with Target considering its own mobile payment alternative than anything else.

What do you think? Would you use a mobile payment option from Target rather than Android Pay? Do you think it’ll be called Target Pay?

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Sundar Pichai suggests Google may use a poll to name Android N

During a Q&A session at Delhi University, Sundar Pichai was asked by one of the students why Indian sweets hadn’t yet been used to name a version of Android. After joking that he’d ask his mother for suggestions, Pichai said that when the name for Android N is being decided, maybe Google should “do an online poll on what the name should be.”

There’s no doubt that the Android community would love to have a say in what the next version of Android will be. If Google does it right, naming Android could be a massive promotional campaign to promote the operating system over its competitors. At this point, there’s no guarantee that Google will use a poll to name Android N or any future versions of the operating system. Hopefully Sundar Pichai off-hand comment is an indication of something that’s already in the works, but there’s really no way of knowing.

If you had a say in what Android N is named, what would it be?

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