T-Mobile’s latest Uncarrier promises: all promo plans permanent, prices never hike, & they pay all fees to switch

T-Mobile was in New York today to announce some exciting new changes for those who choose to use their service. The eye-opener most of you will care for: the un-contract. It’s what John Legere called his company’s commitment to never raise the price of the rate plan you happen to be on (though you shouldn’t rule out the possibility for them to lower it).

But even that isn’t the most exciting thing about this “contract.” The company also promised to make all promotional plans permanent, meaning if you happened to switch to T-Mobile for an unbelievable deal that wouldn’t last forever, that is now reversed.  It does last forever (or as long as you want it to, anyway).

This means that awesome 4 lines for 0 plan that gave each line 2.5GB of data won’t be downgraded to 1GB of data after a couple of years — you’ll always have 2.5GB per line, and it’ll always be 0 as long as you don’t switch plans.

Another big piece of news: T-Mobile is taking Sprint’s cue by not only promising to pay your way out of a contract should you decide to leave, but also to pay for any device payment plans you may still have to take care of as a result. They’ll pay up to 0 per line for up to 10 lines, which should be more than enough wiggle room for you to migrate to Magenta’s network without having to pay your old carriers a dime.

Legere also touched on unlimited data, and while he didn’t have some earth shattering announcement to make in that regard, he did promise that they wouldn’t change their stance, prices or availability of it for at least the next two years. It’s not all that comforting to know that T-Mobile isn’t committed to unlimited data forever, but at least they’re committed long enough to keep sweat off our foreheads. Let us know if any of this will convince you to switch on over (or if this makes you happy that you’re with T-Mobile if you already have).

Google’s latest reference app shows developers how to target different types of devices

Android is on a lot of different types of devices these days, and it might be confusing for even an experience developer to efficiently target all of them with a single app. Thankfully Google has come up with a great new code example to show you exactly how it’s done.

This example uses a standard music player app that has a full-fledged user interface on your phone or tablet, but simple pause, play, and skip features for those using the app through Android Auto, Android TV or on their Android Wear smart watch. The app itself is very basic, but the point isn’t to show you how to make the holy grail of music players.

Google has uploaded the source code to GitHub right here. Compile the app. Look into the code. See how it all works together. Become a more awesome developer because of it.

[via Google]

HTC’s latest ad is really weird, takes shots at Samsung and Apple [VIDEO]

HTC has a long history of really strange ads. There was Hipster Troll Carwash, and then a bunch of short-films starring Robert Downey Jr. The latest ad is a parody of all the commercials for medical products we see on TV all the time. HTC calls it their fake drug Cellami, which is the cure for “suffering from having to choose between the same old options for a smartphone,” or “Bi-phonal Displeasure Disorder.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=60&v=F3LBOqXTvM0

HTC says one of two things can cause Bi-phonal displeasure disorder: SAD and iOS. SAD stands for Samsung Effective Disorder. iOS, of course, stands for Irritable Operating System. Like all drugs, Cellami comes with a list of side effects. It can lead to “pinched zoom, clogged charge port, permanent thumb loss, and only plastic discharges.” But, if you are currently taking HTC One M9 they are quick to point out you don’t need Cellami. In fact, “your phone is the best!”

I’ve watched this ad a couple of times now and I can’t decide if it’s really clever or really dumb. This is not the type of ad we’d expect to see on TV anytime soon. What do you think of Cellami? Did HTC actually create a good ad, or is this just another in a line of weird videos?

Facebook Messenger adds cross-platform video calling in latest update

Facebook today announced the launch of video calling for Facebook Messenger on Android and iOS. It’s what it sounds like — if text or voice isn’t enough for you, you can take your Facebook chat to a more personal face-to-face video call using one simple button.

The feature is cross-platform, so those on Android can video chat with their friends on iOS without issue, though it’s not yet possible to video chat with folks in the desktop version of Facebook.

The feature is available for those in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. Your country not on the list? Facebook pinky swears that it’ll be on its way shortly. Find the upgrade at Google Play right here.

[via Facebook]

Google wants to buy your unwanted patents with their latest initiative

Are you brilliant enough to have come up with a patented idea but don’t have the means to utilize or protect it? Tired of people infringing on your ideas and having to deal with expensive legal fees and extensive court procedures to battle it out?

If all of that headache moves you to sell your patent, Google wants to make the process of selling it somewhat easier. Instead of dealing with the strenuous process of finding a buyer for a patent on your own, Google is creating an open submission platform that’ll allow you to submit your patents to them for review. Should Google want to snag it (for whichever price you’re asking) they’ll contact you and whisk you through the process to take it off your hands. You get some good money, they get their technology — everyone’s happy.

Google will open a patent submission form from May 8, 2015 through May 22, 2015. Once the portal closes, they’ll undergo a review process to identify which patents they want to buy. You’ll get an email by June 26th, 2015 letting you know whether Google decided to bite the bullet and buy your patent, and payments are expected to be made to lucky souls by the end of August.

Google says this is to be considered an experimental program and attributed its existence to the result of the lawyer equivalent of their “20% time. If you’re not aware, 20% of a Google engineer’s work time each week can be spent on experimental projects that they’re interested in pursuing. Some of Google’s best apps, services and platforms — such as Gmail and AdSense — are the result of 20% time.

What’ll happen if this takes off? Who knows — perhaps Google will find themselves with a very effective and solid foundation for a Craigslist-like patent marketplace. Whatever the case may be, it’s great that Google is giving people who want to ditch their patents an easy out (even if Google’s biggest reason for doing it is because they simply can’t get enough of them).

[via Google]

Google Keep is now a full featured app on your Android Wear smartwatch thanks to latest update

Making that monthly shopping trip to Walmart is never easy task. If you’re anything like me, you probably cruise about the aisles phone in hand, narrowly avoiding pedestrians with your cart (or occasionally bumping their heels). Today, Google is making those trips a little easier, with new and improved Keep notes now available on your Android Wear device.

Now, we’ve been able to add Keep notes for quite some time using the “Ok Google, take a note” command, but this allows you view all your notes straight from your wrist with a fresh new UI. Simply say “Ok Google, open Keep” and the app will pop up right on your smartwatch (or you can open from the app list). From here you can view all your notes, archive, add list items, or even add a reoccurring reminders. But until the latest Android Wear update arrives — which allows for always-on apps — you’ll have to keep opening the app every time the screen turns off. Not. Fun.

To get started, simply update the Keep app from the Google Play Store. Link provided below.

Download on Google Play: Google Keep

Samsung touts the Galaxy S6’s fast and wireless charging features in latest ad

You should have already heard about the Samsung Galaxy S6’s great charging capabilities by reading our review, but in case you haven’t Samsung has a cool new ad showing you just how great their new charging features are.

The company talks up the device’s ability to serve up enough juice to last 15 hours in nearly 15 minutes thanks to its fast charging, as well as the ability to charge the device wirelessly with nearly any charging pad without the need for extra accessories. They even show off Ultra Power-Saving Mode, a limited software form that scales back on processing power, displays apps in greyscale and other tricks in order to squeeze as much time as it can out of however much life your battery has left.

All of that is important for the device’s user experience. As noted in our Samsung Galaxy S6 review, battery life on the Samsung Galaxy S6 isn’t terrible, but it isn’t the greatest either. It’s a good thing that Samsung made the charging experience effortless and blissful in the absence of advancement in core battery technology, we’d say. Be sure to check out Samsung’s full video above.

Mailbox gets a fresh coat of Material Design in latest update

Another popular app is getting a fresh coat of Material Design. This time it’s the Dropbox-owned email app, Mailbox. If you’ve never used Mailbox it’s the app that started the craze of snoozing emails. Many apps have adopted that feature, but Mailbox was one of the first to implement it, long before Google Inbox came around.

With this update you can expect the normal smattering of Material goodies. A new floating action button allows you to create new emails, the slide-out drawer is cleaner, and the Search button has been moved to the top bar. Mailbox is a really nice email app if you’re someone who struggles to get to “inbox zero.” It treats emails more like a to-do list, which forces you to take action or archive. Not everyone will like that approach, but it’s free and worth a shot.

What email app do you use on your phone?

Mailbox | Google Play Store

Evernote is the latest app to get dipped in Material Design

It seems like every day more and more apps are adopting Google’s Material Design language (and we love it). The latest app to get a Material makeover is the uber-popular Evernote. Everything you’ve come to expect from Material Design is present in the new Evernote. Floating buttons, thoughtful animations, clean fonts, colorful status bar, and more.

The update isn’t only about aesthetics. Evernote has taken the time to also improve note editing and viewing. They’ve also simplified the controls and updated the navigation drawer with more personalization. Lastly, new notebook covers will help you differentiate your notes. Overall this is an excellent update for an already stellar app.

To celebrate the big update Evernote has shared an interview with Android product manager Theresa Pittappilly and designer Adam Glynn-Finnegan. If you’re interested in the design process it’s a great read. They also shared some cool photos, like the one below that shows the evolution of the Evernote Android app. Download Evernote for free right here.

Click to enlarge

The latest Chrome Beta adds support for push notifications from websites

Google loves the web. They want everyone to do everything inside of the Chrome browser. We’ve seen them add more and more features to Chrome that allow websites to act like apps. Chrome in Android 5.0 treats tabs like apps when you press the “Recents” button. Websites can even change the color of the status bar. Google’s next step is to allow websites to send notifications through Chrome.

In the latest build of Chrome Beta (42) they’ve including two new APIs that allow sites to push native notifications to users even if the website is not currently opened. Here’s the tech-speak behind how it works:

After the user has granted permission, a developer can use the new Push API to remotely wake up their service worker using Google Cloud Messaging. Once awake, the service worker may run JavaScript for a short period but in this release it is required at minimum to show a user-visible notification. Each notification includes a ‘Site Settings’ button, allowing users to easily disable notifications for a site.

This is a really big deal. As mobile sites and browsers get better there is less reason to download apps. Some mobile sites are already better than their app counterparts (*ahem* Facebook), but we stick with apps because they offer a native experience. If websites start adopting these new APIs it could change the way we use apps.

Another notable feature in Chrome Beta 42 is promoted home screen shortcuts. If Chrome detects you visit the same site a lot you will see a pop-up suggesting you add a shortcut to the site to your home screen. Once again, this is a direct shot at apps. Google will be actively urging users to treat websites like apps by placing them on the home screen. More info about Chrome Beta 42 can be found on the Chromium Blog.

Latest HTC One M9+ leak shows a phone that looks like One M9 and has a 5.2-inch display

HTC didn’t unveil the HTC One M9 Plus (said to be branded as M9+ by the time it hits retail) like we were hoping and expecting them to, but that doesn’t mean it’ll simply disappear from the rumor mill. The latest information from OnLeaks reveals a couple of new details about the device.

The photo above shows a mockup of the latest prototype OnLeaks saw, and there’s some bad news: it looks like an HTC One M9, only taller and with more gizmos (with said gizmos being the home button / fingerprint scanner splitting the boomsound speakers on the front, as well as the dual camera on the rear. This design is vastly different from the original prototype as shown by @Evleaks.

The screen size of the HTC One M9+ will supposedly be just 5.2 inches, a far cry from phablet territory we were told to expect. That’s about .2 inches bigger than the current HTC One M9, so the devices should provide similar viewing experiences (though the design of the chassis could make its ergonomics differ significantly).

Speaking of the chassis, we also caught wind of the exact dimensions at 150.9 x 72.5 x 10.15 mm. For comparison’s sake, the HTC One M9 clocks in at 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.6 mm, which means the M9+ will be just a hair thicker in depth and a bit more wide thanks to its increased display size.

Even with an increased display size we’re not totally crazy about it being taller than the HTC One M9 by nearly 6 millimeters, but that is necessary to house the supposed fingerprint scanner and dual camera. We’ll have to wait to see its final design to judge whether it makes for a device that’s comfortable to hold vs one that’s needlessly long.

It’s worth noting that there has yet to be any confirmation that HTC is still planning to release this device. As it stands they’re in the very early stages and they could easily decide to scrap the launch if they feel it’s not worth it (which, if the above design is accurate, is becoming increasingly apparent that it isn’t).

[via Twitter 1|2]

Alcatel’s Hero 2+ phablet is the latest phone to launch with Cyanogen OS

Alcatel might not be the most exciting name in all the mobile lands, but their latest phone gives us reason to pay attention. It’s the Hero 2+, a 6-inch phablet that will find its way onto the market with the following specs:

• Display: 6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) TFT 16M color display + built in stylus


• Processor: MT6592 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor


• Camera: 13MP main camera + 5MP front camera for the perfect selfie


• Video Capture: Full HD 1080p 30 frame per second video capture so you never miss any of life’s moments


• Memory/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB of storage (Expandable to 32GB via MicroSD)


• Dimensions: 160.5mm x 81.6mm x 7.9mm

All of that hardware is used to run Cyanogen OS as this is the latest phone to launch with the grassroots ROM by default. Unfortunately it’ll ship with Cyanogen OS 11S, a KitKat distribution, but we’re sure Cyanogen OS 12 — the one with Lollipop — will be along shortly after release.

“We’ve joined forces with ALCATEL ONETOUCH to push the limits of what a great user experience looks like, beginning with their latest phablet for North America – HERO 2+,” said Vikram Natarajan, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Distribution for Cyanogen. “Our partnership is reflective of our deep commitment to driving innovation and meaningful differentiation for users; with enhanced privacy and security features.”

The device is said to be a North American exclusive, and will be available from Alcatel’s Amazon store starting at 9. It ships Q2 2015 so there won’t be a long wait if you’re interested in something like this over, say, the OnePlus One.

Latest Android malware sneakily installs rogue apps, but Play Store users need not worry

Quick heads-up on a vulnerability you might learn about soon. The folks at Palo Alto stumbled across a major security vulnerability within Android that could allow malicious apps to hijack an app install. Before you freak out and hook your phone up to a chemo machine to rid it of any impurities, stop — there’s almost nothing to be worried about here:

• Google has already patched it ahead of this report being released


• The initial bug was reported to Google as early as January 2014. We suspect Google kept it under wraps this long to make sure no-gooders wouldn’t try to target exposed devices


• The vulnerability only affects sideloaded apps or apps downloaded from third-party app stores


• It only affected Android versions prior to 4.4


• For devices not on 4.4 or higher, Palo Alto worked with top manufacturers like Samsung to patch this fix in with their most recent software updates. Amazon also updated their Appstore to patch the vulnerability

So what does it do? According to them, since a side-loaded APK is installed from an unprotected source such as an SD card, an app could hijack the process of installing the app by Android’s package installer. It’d do this by replacing the legit APK with one that would most likely contain some sort of malware and other nasty stuff, and it would all happen without the user even knowing.

The dirty (but full) details can be found in the report published here, but the reality is that most folks with a phone made within the past couple of years are probably safe. Still, if you’re the oddball who still as a Nexus One on Android 2.3 and might be using a third-party app store over Google Play, you’ll be glad you know about it.

Palo Alto made a neat app that will check your phone to see if it is vulnerable. If it’s not, you’re good to go. If it is? Well, you should definitely try to download a ROM based on at least Android 4.4, or use this as a good excuse to finally get that new phone you’ve been eying. Be safe friends, and try not to download anything outside of Google Play unless you absolutely have to.

SanDisk was able to stuff 200GB of storage space inside their latest microSD card

You thought SanDisk’s 128GB microSD cards were insane? The company has just announced another huge milestone — a whopping 200GB of data inside a chip smaller than the size of a nickle. It’s a UHS-1 Class 10 chip, which means it can transfer data at up to 90 megabytes per second.

So why not 256GB, the natural step up from 128GB? It’s likely SanDisk was unable to physically fit enough circuitry, doodads and whatever else makes these things tick inside such a compact form factor. It’s possible that could change with refined engineering techniques in the future, but for now this is as high as it gets.

You shouldn’t bat an eyelash at 200GB. It’s absolutely insane, and it’s even crazier to know that it can work in any device that supports microSDXC cards of 64GB or higher (which includes the newly-announced HTC One M9, but unfortunately not the just-as-fresh Samsung Galaxy S6).

Of course, you’d have to be willing to spend the 0 that this thing will cost to start so if you have that sort of money to throw around on micro storage chips you’ll likely be able to afford a smartphone that can utilize it. The chips are due Q2 2015.

[via SanDisk]

Dallas Texans are the latest to get same-day delivery with Amazon Prime Now

Amazon has announced that their same-day delivery service — Amazon Prime Now — is now available for folks in Dallas, Texas. Orders to be delivered within 2 hours are free, while those who want it within 1 hour can pay just .99.

You’ll need an Amazon Prime membership (it comes with amazing benefits as is) if you want to be in on the fun, though, so make sure yours is active before giving it a go.

A select number of Dallas zip codes are in from the start, though more will be added as time goes on. To check to see if yours is on the list simply download the Prime Now app here and put your location in. If not, you can sign up to be notified of its arrival.

Nova Launcher gets some Material Design love in latest beta

One of the most popular 3rd-party launchers is getting some Material Design love today. Alpha testers have been using the Material Design version of Nova Launcher for a little while now, and it’s ready to graduate to public beta. There are plenty of new Material goodies for Nova fans to enjoy.

First and foremost is the brand new look and feel of Material Design. You might not notice it immediately on your home screen (depending on your set up), but diving into the menus and settings will show a brand new look. A long-press on empty home screen space will bring up a more modern dialog instead of the old 2.x style pop-up. You’ll also notice a new red and white theme in the settings with smooth Material animations.

A new feature that I really like can be found in the app drawer. When the app drawer is opened you can swipe down from the top to bring up a search bar and list of recently installed or updated apps. This is super handy for trying to find apps quickly. Another new feature is the awesome app icon layout editor (seen above). You can also now adjust icon size and font size independently for desktop, drawer, dock, and folders.

All of these new #materinova features will eventually come to the stable version of Nova Launcher. If you don’t want to wait for that you can opt-in for Nova Launcher Betas from Google Play by following these steps. Check out the full changelog for below.

1. Join the Nova Launcher Beta G+ Community (This is not optional)


2. After joining, Opt-in for Nova Launcher


3. When a new beta update is available you will get it through the Play Store

#materinova.14 public beta 1

• Full Material Design


• Google Search from the search bar shows as an overlay


• Edit Shortcut dialog, and quick menu, tinted based on colors of the icon


• New icon


• New Nova Action icons


• Rebased on top of Launcher3


• Individual icon layout settings (size, font, etc) in Desktop, Drawer, Dock, Folder


• Max icon size boosted to 150%


• Widget Search


• Pull to search (pull down in the drawer to open app or widget search)


• Widgets given their own drawer, removed from App Drawer


• Ability to change Page Indicator color


• Drawer Tab Bar completely optional


• Support for Android for Work managed profiles (Lollipop)


• Workaround Expand Notifications Nova Action not working on Samsung Lollipop


• Requires Android 4.1 or higher (Dropped support for Android 4.0 ICS)


• Unlimited desktop pages (previously limited to 9)


• Add/remove of desktop pages by dropping icons on the blank page, or removing all icons from a page


• Add blank desktop pages (for gestures or live wallpapers) from overview


• Improved bulk edit of folders (Folder > Menu > Select Apps)


• Added shadows to unread badges


• Unread Badge size scales with icon size


• Allow reordering drawer folders by drag/drop within window


• Added Roboto-Medium font option


• Improve handling of apps installed to sdcard

It’s no Galaxy S6 Active, but Samsung’s latest phone can take quite a beating

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is not waterproof. While we wait for the Galaxy S6 Active to (hopefully) arrive Samsung has a rugged phone to tide us over. Today Samsung announced the Galaxy Xcover 3, a phone that can take a beating and keep on kicking.

The Xcover 3 adheres to the MIL-STD 810G specification that allows the phone to withstand falls up to 4 feet. It’s also rated IP67 dustproof and waterproof for up to 30 minutes under 3 feet of water. The Xcover 3 also has dedicated key to turn on the flashlight or double-tap to quickly launch the camera.

In terms of specs we’re looking at a mid-range device. It has a 4.5-inch WVGA display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, microSD card slot, 5MP camera, and a 2200mAh battery. The Xcover 3 will be released in April for 275 Euros. Here in the U.S. we’ll have to keep waiting for the Galaxy S6 Active.

[via SammyHub]

LG teases the G4’s smooth leather back in latest promo, another look at UX 4.0 too [VIDEO]

Man, it feels like LG is really dragging this one out. To help steal some of the limelight away from the recently launched HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, LG has been teasing the upcoming G4… hard. They’ve practically shown off all of the phone’s features — 16MP camera with f/1.8 lens, 5.5-inch QHD display, UX 4.0 — all while keeping the actual phone’s design mostly under wraps. Well, that’s if you don’t count the massive G4 leak we saw over the weekend.

In their latest teaser video, LG is barely even attempting to hide the phone at all, showing off its all-leather back option in a 15 second promo. The video gives us a quick peek at both the front and back of the device, while leaving little to the imagination. The LG G4 is scheduled to be unveiled on April 28th, but at this point, there wont be much more to actually reveal.

UPDATE: Looks like there’s a new LG UX 4.0 video too. The video highlights the G4’s Quick Shot, Gesture Interval Shot, and Ringtone ID features. Check it out below.

Amazon Echo gets support for Pandora and MLB scores in latest update

Amazon Echo, the weird cylindrical speaker/home assistant, has received an update to add a few highly requested features. The update gives Alexa, the digital assistant lady, the ability to play your Pandora radio stations and give you scores from MLB and MLS games.

To use these new commands simply say “Alexa, play a classic rock station,” or “Alexa, what’s the score of the Detroit Tigers game?” Alexa works a lot like Google Now, but with a little more personality. We compared Alexa to Google Now in our full review of the Amazon Echo. Google can answer more questions, but Alexa is more quirky. Check out the video below to see how they compare.

What do you think of the Amazon Echo?

Amazon Echo | Google Play Store

HTC enlists Robinson Cano to smash competitors’ phones with baseball bats for latest ad [VIDEO]

HTC is taking a break from Robert Downey Jr’s services to indulge in some baseball fun with Robinson Cano, a world class second baseman hitter for the Seattle Mariners. The baseball player’s task? To knock the competition out of the park… literally.

Someone at a makeshift pitcher’s mound tossed a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, an iPhone 6 and an LG G3 at Robinson Cano, and he proceeded to obliterate them into pieces with his baseball bat. They did it in full, smooth and crisp slow motion video, though obviously not with the lackluster camera sitting on the rear of the HTC One M9.

It’s edgy and bold, though the existence of this ad says something about the tech faithful — they have amnesia. Remember when OnePlus held a contest asking you to “smash the past” in order to win one of their phones and everyone crucified them?

Well, HTC is actually smashing their own phones, and there’s not a single peep to be had. Is that a product of subconscious OnePlus hate or do people simply not care about a company’s actions if they’ve already proven themselves? That’s just a little something to think about when checking this ad out. It gets our attention, that’s for sure.