Start checking your inbox: Google IO 2015 invites are starting to arrive

If you signed up for Google’s big IO raffle, you might want to start checking your inbox: invites are now starting to roll out. It appears those who haven’t been accepted won’t receive an email saying so, and there’s a chance Google is sending invites out in waves (after unclaimed tickets become available) so don’t lose hope on getting one.

Those who have received invites to purchase a ticket have a limited time to do so (the first batch of invites are all saying by Thursday, March 26th) so it shan’t be long before Google knows how many more tickets they can issue. You’ll need 0 handy to pay for the ticket, though if you’re a student you can be admitted for just 0. Let us know if you’ve received one!

Android 5.1.1 factory images arrive for Nexus 7 WiFi (2013 and 2012), Nexus 10

Heads up, Nexus Tablet owners. It appears Android 5.1.1 is already gearing up for an official rollout. Factory images for 5.1.1 (build number LMY47V) on WiFi versions of the original Nexus 7 (2012), Nexus 7 2013, and Nexus 10 tablets have already been uploaded to Google’s factory images page. We’re also seeing reports that 5.1.1 has already begun rolling out to the Nexus 10.

As always, you can either get a jump by flashing the factory images linked below (and erasing all your data in the process), or wait for the official update to hit your device over-the-air in the coming minutes/days/weeks. Hopefully with all the bugs squashed in these updates, a new batch isn’t unleashed onto our devices. Stay tuned for more.

[Nexus Factory Images]

Guest Mode will arrive on Galaxy S6 with release of Android 5.1 update

When the Android 5.1 update arrives for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, one Android feature missing since launch will make its debut. According to a report by SamMobile, Guest Mode will be accessible as part of the Lollipop upgrade slated for Samsung’s flagship line.

Guest Mode, an Android feature first introduced by Google for tablets with the Jelly Bean update but arriving on phones with Lollipop, allows a secondary user access to a friend or family member’s smartphone without providing carte blanche over the primary owners installed apps, services, logins, and files. A guest profile exists separately from the main user profile, and the feature will come to the Galaxy S6 with identical functionality.

There is no exact date announced for the rollout of Android 5.1 for the Galaxy S6, but with betas already floating around it should only be a matter of time.

Samsung’s first phones with front-facing camera flashes arrive

Samsung has quietly announced two new smartphones for their J lineup. It’s the Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7, and these wouldn’t be immediately noteworthy on their own without one fact: they’re Samsung’s first phones to equip front-facing flash units.

We’re hoping that design choice is a sign of things to come as having a flash on the front-facing camera is becoming increasingly as important (if not more) as having it on the rear. But for now, that little perk is limited to these two devices.

They do have legs to stand with on their own, though. The Galaxy J5 and J7 share much of the same specs, including 1.5GB of RAM, a 5 megapixel front camera, a 13 megapixel rear camera, 16GB of internal storage, dual-SIM, microSD and Android 5.1 Lollipop.

They differ in display and chipset. The Galaxy J5 will boast a 5-inch 720p display, a 2,600mAh battery and the 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 410. Meanwhile, the bumps things up to 5.5 inches, 3,000mAh battery and a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615.

Both are on the affordable side at 5 and 9 for the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7, respectively. The idea is to appeal to the growing market of folks who seek phones with superior front-facing camera support, which apparently is all the rage over in Asia right now. Don’t expect to see these things trot too far out of that region, but importing is always a nice option if you just have to have one for whatever reason.

[Samsung 1|2 via SamMobile]

AT&T teases Samsung Galaxy S6 Active release, should arrive any day now

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Active has been leaked so many times, it’s pretty much a sure thing at this point. What we don’t know, is when the phone will actually become available for purchase. If AT&T’s recent tweet is any indication, we can expect the phone to arrive any day now.

Only one thing is missing from your workout. It’s almost time to activate your full power. pic.twitter.com/PzgOS6SATJ

— AT&T (@ATT) June 4, 2015

AT&T began teasing the phone on Twitter but kept it hidden for whatever reason. The fitness angle is obvious (hence the Active in the title) with the phone featuring an extra rugged outer casing. Of course, you can just slap an Otterbox case over the current S6 and call it day, but we do expect the S6 Active to feature some kind of higher than usual water resistance rating. Here are the full leaked specs, straight from Samsung:

• 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display


• Octa-Core Exynos 7420 chipset (2.1GHz and 1.5GHz cores)


• 32GB of UFS 2.0 storage (and we’re also hearing there will be a microSD slot, though the site doesn’t mention it)


• 16MP rear camera with 4K video recording, 5MP front camera


• Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi ac Dual-Band MIMO, GPS, NFC, Heart Rate Sensor, Infrared Blaster


• 5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches , 138g


• 2,550mAh battery


• Android 5.0 Lollipop

So far the phone has been leaked in a few different colors, showing a black/grey version, and camo version in both dark and light varieties. Is anyone out there thinking about picking one of these up?

Google Maps now warns you when navigating to a business that’s already closed (or will be when you arrive)

An update is rolling out now to Google Maps that introduces a new feature you wont believe you’ve been able to live without. As detailed in the changelog of the app’s Play Store listing, Google Maps will now tell you when a place or business you’re navigating to is closed, or will be closed by the time you get there. How’s that for convenience?

For those unaware, Google Maps already lists business hours for most places, but sometimes this gets overlooked when you’re quickly looking up an address for navigation. On a personal note, this would have come in handy yesterday when I was running on empty and navigating to a nearby Costco for a fill up, only to find out it was one of the few locations that was actually closed on Sundays.

Oh, the update also shows car rental reservations (pulled from Gmail) in ‘my events.’ A splendid update, indeed. Thank you, Google. Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most.

Maps (Playboard) | Maps (Play Store)