When offered the opportunity to review the ZTE Spro 2 smart projector, I jumped on it. Isn’t Android and Me an Android site, though? Yes it is, my friend. The Spro 2 runs Android in a way that’s very familiar way to all of us Android fans while being hardware that is mostly unique in the Android world. It runs Android, it has a 6,300mAh battery, it’s a mobile hotspot, and it’s a projector. Yes, please.

I received the ZTE Spro 2 exactly five days ago while on a little vacation to attend my brother-in-law’s wedding. It has already demonstrated the convenience of this type of device in two of the major ways it was intended: as a smart projector and a mobile hotspot.

On Friday, my wife and many other members of her family were setting up for the wedding. I was free labor. Kids were running wild everywhere. It was the complete opposite of a nice, relaxing vacation. Then the ZTE Spro 2 arrived. I found a vacant room, unboxed the Spro 2, signed in with my Google Play account, and immediately started projecting Big Hero 6 for the kids. The Spro 2 did not get me out of being used as free labor, but it was 50 times easier without kids getting in the way. The Verizon mobile connectivity of the Spro 2 and its 6,300mAh battery worked brilliantly. It even has a built-in speaker that was loud enough to be heard over a bunch of noisy kids. The portability of this device is fantastic. It saved the day, or at least a bit of my sanity.

On the way home from the wedding, we drove from Seattle to San Francisco. I’m too poor to fork out the money to buy plane tickets for my family of 5, so we drove. It’s about a 13 hour drive (without stopping) and the kids quickly grew tired of the apps I loaded onto the non-data connected Android devices we let them use for the trip. Good time to try out the Spro 2 as a mobile hotspot, right? The Spro 2 is available on AT&T and Verizon’s networks, and we were provided a Verizon-connected Spro 2. Again, the Spro 2 worked brilliantly on Verizon’s network. I think partnering with Verizon for this device was a brilliant move for ZTE. My kids love the YouTube Kids app, and they watched YouTube videos for much of a drive. Only one time in the 13 hours of driving did my kid notice an issue with connectivity, which was due to being in the middle of nowhere and not because of radio issues with the Spro 2.

The ZTE Spro 2 is currently residing on top of my headboard. The headboard has about an 8-inch shelf on the top, which is plenty of room for the Spro 2. I’m not sure how big the wall is that the Spro 2 is projecting on, but it’s a heck of a lot bigger than my 26-inch Vizio TV on the other side of the room. I have Hulu Plus installed on the device and have been using it to binge watch the full series of Seinfeld as I fall asleep at night. There’s also a companion app for the Spro 2 that allows me to control the Spro 2 from my phone. It basically mirrors what’s on the Spro 2 display, so any function the Spro 2 has can be handled from your phone. This makes the Spro 2 convenient to use from the comfort of my bed, only requiring you to be on the same network as the Spro 2 mobile hotspot.

I don’t have a nice screen to project on, but the Spro 2 projects bright enough and well enough that I can enjoy whatever video or show I show with it. It even has auto-focus and keystone correction, which is something I had never heard of until now. If you’re projecting on a surface that isn’t perpendicular to your projector, like projecting at an angle onto the ceiling, it automatically skews the image so it appears rectangular. Although the keystone correction is probably not unique to the Spro 2, the feature works well and it’s quite impressive, having never experienced it before.

The ZTE Spro 2 is running an overhauled version Android 4.4. It has a launcher that works conviently for its use as a projector, with a projector settings app that’s separate from the regular Android settings menu. I think the projector is a great application for Android. When using it, it feels like you’re using an insanely thick tablet with a 5-inch display that’s also a projector. I’m really digging the projector, and it’s making me really think I want to get one. I can totally see the convenience of a smart mobile hotspot projector for the traveling salesman or a family on-the-go, but that doesn’t sound like *most* people. I’m trying to decide if this Spro 2 at $500-$600 is worth it compared to a cheap $100 projector with a Chomecast stuck in it.

As a device, the ZTE Spro 2 is great. I have very few complaints about it, and those are mostly small annoyances. Here are the prices: The Spro 2 is available now from ZTE USA’s website and Amazon (Verizon version) for $599.99 plus tax, and from AT&T for $499.99 with no contract or $399.99 with a 2-year contract. Interestingly, I can’t find the ZTE Spro 2 on Verizon Wireless’s website. I’m not sure if the price is steep or not. I’ll have to do my homework to compare the specs to other projectors and mobile hotspots to form an opinion on the price.

So, now I need your help a bit. I still have more than a week still with the device, and I want to hear what you want to know about the ZTE Spro 2. I’ve never reviewed or owned a projector before, so if you have a feature you want me to test out or something you want to make sure I touch on in the full review, please let me know by commenting below.

How do you feel about the ZTE Spro 2? What do you think of the price? Would the Spro 2 be a great fit for your work or family life? Or does it seem a little excessive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Rejoice, Verizon HTC One M9 users, because your Android 5.1 update is nearly here.

HTC’s Mo Versi says that the Android 5.1 update for Verizon’s One M9 has been approved and that it’ll begin rolling out tomorrow, August 20. Along with Android 5.1, the update will include a Stagefright patch and will enable bands 3 and 7 for roaming.

HTC One (M9) Verizon customers! Received approval for L5.1 which will OTA out tomorrow. Includes Stagefright fix,Band 3 & 7 enabled -roaming

— Mo Versi (@moversi) August 19, 2015

Verizon One M9 owners have had to sit idly by and watch One M9 owners on other carriers enjoy Android 5.1 for several weeks now, but thankfully that’ll come to an end starting tomorrow. And while updates like these are typically staggered, meaning that not every Verizon One M9 owner will get it tomorrow, at least we know that the update is at least starting to go out.

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HTC hasn’t exactly been innovating much in the last few years. Its flagship devices have been great, but the last three have featured the same name, the same exterior styling, and the same specs as every other flagship. It seems that HTC might know that it needs to freshen the brand up a bit, as it’s rumored that the next flagship will be called the HTC O2.

Along with a new name, hopefully we’ll be seeing a new design that will entice people to buy HTC devices again. Inside it’s rumored to sport a quad-core Snapdragon 820, which opts for four cores made with Samsung’s FinFET 14nm process instead of the more conventional eight cores. With that there will be 4GB of RAM.

The name definitely isn’t a bad one, though it might cause confusion wherever the carrier O2 operates. Maybe a better name should be considered. But at least HTC is changing things up. What do you think of this development? Leave a comment!

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Google released a new preview build of Android 6.0 Marshmallow just two days ago, but it seems something was forgotten or left unfixed. Now Google has posted new image files for the Marshmallow preview, bumping the build from MPA44G to MPA44I.

If you want to manually flash the new build, hit the source link to get it for the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player. If Google decided to release a new build so quickly, it’s probably important enough to update your device.

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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.

iLectric Piano

Description: iLectric Piano FREE is the ultimate electric piano instrument that puts an extraordinary collection of authentic electric pianos and vintage keyboards at your fingertips!

Robinhood

Description: Robinhood for Android is a free download that allows people to buy and sell stocks for free! View market data in real-time, build a personalized watchlist, and place trades with a few taps.

Webmaker

Description: Mozilla Webmaker transforms Web users into Web makers. You can build original content like scrapbooks, photo galleries, memes, comic strips and more.

Ink Space

Description: The project itself it fairly straight forward you can draw, move the phone by tilting in different directions, adjust line that you are drawing, create an animated line which pulses and re-draws itself and record an animated gif of whatever you make.

Ninja Jamm

Description: Build your own tunes from Samplepacks, and remix Tunespacks from Ninja artists. Touch to mix and mash clips in the clip matrix, trigger and scratch one shots, tilt and shake to apply radical FX, and record and share your jamms.

Govberg OnTime: Watch Toolbox

Description: Govberg OnTime is your one stop digital toolbox that allows luxury watch collectors to manage and build their luxury wristwatch collections. You can only wear one watch at a time, but with Govberg OnTime, you can have all of your watches at your finger tips!

iGrand Piano

Description: iGrand Piano FREE is the ultimate grand piano instrument that puts an extraordinary collection of ultra-realistic acoustic pianos at your fingertips.

Wear GBC

Description: Wear GBC lets you play retro games right from your wrist. Use the companion app to sync games to the wearable app and then play them any time.

Wear Inactivity Coach

Description: Lip Swap is an experiment that lets you switch parts of your face with other parts of your face. Talk through your eyes and look through your mouth. Create hilarious videos to share with friends.

 MSTY – The Music Messenger

Description: MSTY (My Song To You) is a music messaging app that allows you to communicate with friends by combining the World’s greatest songs with your own words and photos.

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Android Auto has the advantage of being easily updated because the software resides mostly on the smartphone rather than the car or head unit. The latest update to Android Auto has popped up on Google Play and while there aren’t many changes, it’s still a pretty important one.

The biggest change is to the home screen. The navigation card now shows your next turn and the music card shows a play/pause button, meaning you and see and do more without pressing buttons. In a car, not being distracted with a screen is a big matter of safety.

There is also bigger cards, a small change to the color scheme, and a new background. While it’s not a huge update, I think it’s an important one. If you’re using Android Auto, update the app through the Play Store!

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Project Ara is still well underway despite the delay, and the team is still working hard on the device. The previous plan was to hold the modules in place with electropermanent magnets, which require energy to become magnetic, but no energy to stay magnetic. But unfortunately, that idea is out the window.

No more electropermanent magnets. #ProjectAra #FailedTheDropTest

— Project Ara (@ProjectAra) August 19, 2015

Project Ara Tweeted that electropermanent magnets will not be used after failing the drop test. It’s likely that they are not strong enough to hold modules in place during a strong impact, so a tougher system will have to be used. You definitely don’t want your camera module flying off and getting lost.

The developers of the project still have plenty of time to get it right, as it should be launching in 2016, barring further delays. But it’s a shame, the electropermanent magnet idea was really cool.

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