Nextbit, the company founded by former Google and HTC employees, has had a solid response to their Robin smartphone on Kickstarter with over a million dollars in funding so far.

If you need a refresher, the Robin is trying to capitalize on the rising interest in solid mid-range offerings, much like Motorola and perhaps now HTC. Unlike some of the other competitors in this space, it seems that Nextbit isn’t cutting too many spec corners with the Robin as it offers NFC, a fingerprint reader, and quick charging. This is in addition to the real magic that they are pushing with the 100GB of cloud storage that is included with every device, which will supposedly balance your on-device storage and prevent you from basically ever running out of space.

However, one feature that was missing from the initial launch was availability on one of the biggest carriers in the U.S., Verizon. This Friday that will be rectified, and a new version of the Robin supporting Verizon bands will be available, with early bird units at just $299 and then $349 for the duration of the Kickstarter. Unfortunately, this is not an update to the original hardware, but a separate SKU, so don’t make plans to bring your Verizon Robin over to AT&T or T-Mobile later. There is also no word on a Sprint model, but that’s an understandable omission for the start-up.

If you are interested in getting in on that early bird discount for the Verizon Robin, you need to have your Kickstarter trigger finger ready at noon Central time tomorrow.

Have any of you backed the Robin already or for you Verizon customers are you going to jump on board?

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YouTube Gaming officially went live at the tail end of August and positioned itself as the largest competitor to the reigning streaming champion, Twitch. Now YouTube Gaming is adding another trick to its arsenal to try and net more users and viewers.

Google has made it known that it will soon be supporting YouTube Gaming on Android-based devices in one new area: streaming. That means that on some devices, Android users will be able to stream their YouTube Gaming shenanigans right from their device, all without needing any extra hardware to get the job done.

What’s more, YouTube Gaming on Android will support audio and video comments by way of the front-facing camera and a connected headset. Game clips can be recorded and uploaded to YouTube by way of the Google Play Games service, too.

There’s a catch, though. This new feature is rolling out in Japan to start, and there doesn’t appear to be a public timetable for when Android streaming will be supported in other countries. According to YouTube Gaming head Ryan Wyatt, “Japan’s mobile games define its gaming culture, far more so than in other countries,” and that’s why they chose that area to launch the new feature.

What do you think of the idea?

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Today’s a big day for Amazon. Not only did it unveil four new Android tablets, including one that costs $50 and can be bought in a six-pack, but it also unveiled a new Fire TV set-top box.

The new Amazon Fire TV looks a lot like the original Fire TV box, but it’s gained the ability to play 4K video, which is a big deal if you’re lucky enough to have a 4K TV. The new Fire TV box also comes with a Fire TV Voice Remote that allows you to access Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, to do things like check the weather and sports scores and also play music.

In terms of raw specs, the new Fire TV box has a quad-core MediaTek processor, a Power VR GX6250 GPU, 8GB of storage, a microSD slot, 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.1, and HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports.

The new Fire TV box is available for pre-order today for $99.99 and it’ll begin shipping on October 5. That bundle includes an Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote, but if you’d prefer a package that includes a Fire TV Game Controller, you can get the $139.99 Fire TV Gaming Bundle that includes a Fire TV box, game controller, 32GB microSD card, and two games. Amazon is also selling a Fire TV Stick bundle that includes the Fire TV Voice Remote for $49.99.

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Amazon’s got a whole new family of Android tablets launching today that range from a 7-inch model that costs just $50 up to a 10.1-inch slate. Here’s how they all break down:

Amazon Fire HD 10.1

• 10.1-inch 1280×800 display
• Quad-core MediaTek processor
• 5-megapixel rear camera, 720p front-facing camera
• 16/32GB of storage
• microSD slot
• 1GB of RAM
• Dual-band Wi-Fi
• Amazon Fire OS 5 “Bellini,” based on Android Lollipop
• 262 x 159 x 7.7mm
• Pre-order for $229.99 for 16GB or $259.99 for 32GB ($15 to disable sponsored screensavers), launch on September 30

Amazon Fire HD 8

• 8-inch 1280×800 display
• Quad-core MediaTek processor
• 5-megapixel rear camera, 720p front-facing camera
• 16/32GB of storage
• microSD slot
• 1GB of RAM
• Dual-band Wi-Fi
• Amazon Fire OS 5 “Bellini,” based on Android Lollipop
• 214 x 128 x 7.7mm
• Pre-order for $229.99 for 16GB or $259.99 for 32GB ($15 to disable sponsored screensavers), launch on September 30

Amazon Fire 7

• 7-inch 1024×600 display
• Quad-core processor
• 2-megapixel rear, VGA front cameras
• 8GB of storage
• microSD slot
• 1GB of RAM
• Amazon Fire OS 5 “Bellini,” based on Android Lollipop
• 191 x 115 x 10.6mm
• Pre-order for $49.99 ($15 to disable sponsored ads), launch on September 30

Amazon Fire Kids Edition

• 7-inch 1024×600 display
• Quad-core processor
• 2-megapixel rear, VGA front cameras
• 8GB of storage
• microSD slot
• 1GB of RAM
• Kid-proof case, if the tablet breaks within 2 years, Amazon will replace it for free
• 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, includes kid-friendly games, movies, TV shows, and educational apps
• 219 x 138 x 25.5mm
• Pre-order for $99.99, launch on September 30

Perhaps the most interesting device included in today’s announcement is the 7-inch Fire tablet. While it’s not the most highly-specced device, it is a tablet that costs just $50 and comes from a reputable retailer. Heck, Amazon is even selling the Fire in a six-pack that has you pay for five tablets and then get one free with the code FIRE6PACK. At just $50 apiece, the Fire tablet could be a big holiday gift or just a nice option for folks that want a tablet but don’t have a ton of cash to spend on one.

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Xiaomi has become quite successful in its home country of China, but we haven’t seen any of its devices here in the United States. But a recent teaser from the company hints at an international launch of its latest device, the mysterious Xiaomi Mi 4c.

The company posted a teaser for the device, saying more information will be available on September 22. The teaser asks “Will it come to other countries or only be available in China?” and of course doesn’t answer the question. It is exciting to think that they might be sold here though.

It’s likely that an international release won’t include the US, but we can hope.

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As time passes, manufacturers are uploading more and more system apps to the Play Store. This allows the apps to be updated independently of the device software, meaning fixes and new features can come faster instead of having to wait for the next big software update and carrier approval.

The latest app to be uploaded to the Play Store is the HTC PNS, or push notification service. This service is responsible for notifications from HTC apps, so it won’t often be used. But it’s nice to know that if any problems or vulnerabilities are found, they can be fixed quickly.

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Moving between mobile platforms is never easy. All of your information is always mismatched between phones. Apple aims to make it easier to make the wrong decision and leave Android for iOS by releasing the Move to iOS app on the Play Store.

The Move to iOS app will create a private WiFi network between your new iOS device and your Android device and transfer contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, and calendars. The app will work for any Android phone and tablet running Android 4.0 and up.

If you’re planning to switch to iOS and betray us, head over to the Play Store to download the app!

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New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We’ve shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and propel them to new heights. Our weekly Fresh Meat column highlights new apps with fewer than 100,000 installs. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy.

Pintasking

Description: This is an app for power users that miss the old good Taskbar, ALT-TAB shortcut, WIN+[n] shortcut or workspaces on their Android devices. PinTasking allows you to create floating shortcuts in form of pins, on demand and based on their current task and workload.

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Moto Body

Description: Moto Body tracks your activity, offers personalized insights, and keeps you moving with daily progress notifications to help you maintain a healthier lifestyle.

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Google Wallet (New)

Description: The Google Wallet Card lets you instantly spend money you receive through Google Wallet. You can use it to pay at millions of locations in the US, wherever Debit MasterCard® is accepted, or use it to withdraw cash from ATMs.

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Microsoft Send

Description: Send, a Microsoft Garage project, is in-and-out email. Just sign in with the work or school account you already use to access Office 365, and you’re ready, set, go. No subject lines, salutations, or signatures. Just quick, natural conversations.

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Hold the wheel

Description: “Hold the wheel” application for Android tries to provide heigher level of safety for smartphone users while they are driving, but at the same time the application tries to maintain the user’s responsivnes to incoming phone calls and SMS messages.

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Messages for Android Wear

Description: Use this messenger for SMS and Hangouts conversations from your Android Wear smartwatch. Write messages with the integrated keyboard with text predictions and emojis, configurable pre-defined texts or voice input.

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Nature Gradients Watch Face

Description: Customize your watch with more than 25 gradients selection inspired by nature. This watch face has a clean and simple design to focus on the fantastic gradients. Touch the screen to switch between day week mode and full date mode. 12/24 hours format.

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NBA LIVE Companion

Description: Play with you, as you, with unprecedented quality. Exclusive to NBA LIVE 16, GameFace HD allows you to scan your face using your mobile device to create a high-definition 3D model to use on your created player in game.

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Star Watch Days of the Dead

Description: Customize your smartwatch with best characters of Star Wars universe, with mexican holiday style “Days of Dead” by John Karpinsky. Works in SQUARE and ROUND watches!

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 LCARS Watch Face

Description: Interactive, digital Android Wear watch face for Star Trek fans. Does not do anything special, but looks pretty good. The application contains two layouts – square and circular. 

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We’ve already seen the new LG Nexus device, called the Nexus 5X, a few times in photos. This latest leak shows off an alleged third color that’s going to be available alongside black and white. It’s a light green mint color, and although it just looks like poor lighting, it’s said to be a color that will be available at launch.

This new color should be announced with the device itself September 29 at a Google event, but we’ll have to wait until then for official information. What do you think of the new mint color? Will you be getting a Nexus 5X? Leave a comment!

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Most devices come with a calculator app pre-installed by the manufacturer. These apps are generally functional, easy enough to use and are capable of completing the day-to-day calculations smartphone users need.

Therefore, creating a third-party calculator app that is compelling enough for users to go out of their way to install is a difficult task. Daily Calculator from TricolorCat is a simple calculator app that aims to differentiate itself from the competition through its ease of use and customizable design. But can it beat out your stock calculator app?

The app, available for free from Google Play, is certainly easy to use. The UI is like that of most calculator apps — nothing radical here — meaning you can dive straight in. This simplicity is both a pro and a con of Daily Calculator. On the one hand, it’s perfect for those looking to complete simple calculations on the go or as a replacement calculator app if your OEM of choice’s calculator app is not to your liking. The large keys and predictable layout make using it as straightforward as can be, and the app is very responsive meaning you can get in, make your calculation, and get out with your answer easily. On the flip side, as it only supports basic arithmetic — addition, subtraction, multiplication and division — many functions have been stripped out to keep it so simple. If you want the functions of a scientific calculator, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

That’s not to say Daily Calculator doesn’t have some handy features over many OEM calculator apps. By default, its memory keeps a track of all of your recent calculations so you can have quick access to the results for reference by tapping on the display area. There are also optional MR, MC, M+ and M- memory keys for when you’re completing a number of sums and need to use previously calculated values. You can quickly copy a result to your clipboard for sharing too by long pressing on the displayed result.

Daily Calculator, which works in portrait or landscape mode, supports some further customization and personalization, too. You can choose from 12 themes with a spectrum of Google-y colors and a couple of design aesthetics, as well as alter the keypad layout. The changes you can make, again, are not radical in order to maintain the simplicity, but you can tweak the app somewhat. There’s also support for international display formats — like 1,234.5 or 1.234,5 for example — to match the styling you’re used to.

Being free, Daily Calculator is ad-supported with one banner ad ever-present at the bottom of the screen. This won’t bug everyone, but those who are bothered can upgrade to the paid version to remove it.

If you are after a simple and easy to use calculator app to replace that which came on your phone, Daily Calculator is worth considering. Although basic, it has a few nifty features which give it an edge on some of the competition but it will be down to your personal tastes and needs as to whether it is worthy of replacing your current calculator of choice.

Check out Daily Calculator on Google Play where it is available to download for free.

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