Motorola sending out invites to super secret “Moto Makers” fan club [UPDATE]

Motorola is a company that values their users greatly. In the past they’ve run contests to allow fans to design watch faces, and in their phones they give customers a ton of choices for personalization. As a result they’ve slowly grown a dedicated group of Motorola fans. Now Motorola is looking to reward these fans for their loyalty.

Motorola is sending out invites to a program called “Moto Makers.” This is a group for fans and supporters of Motorola products. People who get invited to become a Moto Maker will get invited to behind-the-scenes Google Hangouts, get to test and review products early, and the opportunity to attend Motorola events. It’s a lot like the HTC Elevate program.

All you have to do to be a Moto Maker is help spread the word about Motorola products. If you’re already doing that there is a chance you may get an email like the one above. Right now that appears to be the only way to become a Moto Maker. Motorola hasn’t officially announced this yet, but they already have a Google+, Twitter, and Facebook page. Hopefully we’ll hear more soon.

UPDATE: The website is live now.

Android 5.1 for the Samsung Galaxy S6 will bring super easy exposure controls

Without question, the Samsung Galaxy S6 camera is one of the best we’ve ever used — even when paired against the iPhone 6. We raved about it in our review. But no matter how amazing the quality of a smartphone’s camera, there are those times when it just can’t get some things right. Like the exposure.

Whether it’s a brightly lit background, or just simply too much direct sunlight, sometimes you need to be able to manually change the camera’s exposure setting and diving into menus or settings isn’t the most effective way to do this. Apple knows this and it’s one of the reasons the iPhone 6 was one of the first to introduce super easy and quick exposure adjustments in their camera app. Recently, Motorola followed suit with an update to their camera app which added similar functionality on the Motorola Moto X (2014) and Motorola DROID Turbo.

Today, the folks at SamMobile have revealed a similar feature headed to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and arrives with the Android 5.1 update. The update is also said to bring other camera improvements like support for RAW shooting, and manual shutter controls while in Pro Mode. Android 5.1 is rumored to arrive for the Galaxy S6/Edge sometime in June for international models, although timing for carrier models remains to be seen.

Pushbullet devs introduce super simple WiFi file transfer app called Portal [VIDEO]

The developers behind Pushbullet are gearing up to bring a big update to the push notification app soon, but first they dropped a brand new app on us. It’s called Portal, and it enables you to transfer files from your computer to your Android phone.

It’s not super exciting or some new concept, but it is simple, and it is fast. It works by transferring files over your local WiFi network, so you don’t have to deal with shoddy connection and server speeds. Files transferred to your phone are easily accessed either within the app or Android’s standard file browser.

It’s different from Pushbullet’s file transfer feature which can work even if your two devices aren’t on the same network. We’re not sure why it couldn’t simply be brought to Pushbullet as a new feature, but we won’t complain — it’s free and it’s awesome.

The developers have plans for big updates soon, including the ability to transfer files from your phone to PC.

And that’s about it. Like we said: simple, but sweet. Give it a go over at Google Play.

[via Pushbullet]

Deal: Grab the super discreet Moto Hint Bluetooth headset for $99.99 through June 30th

Ever thought 0 for the Moto Hint was a bit too pricey? Well, now’s your chance to buy one on the cheap. Motorola has the mini Bluetooth headset going for .99 through their online store. The catch is that the deal only lasts through June 30th.

The headset equips you with a micrphone and earpiece for both speaking to your family and friends over the phone, as well as issuing voice commands without having to lift a finger. What’s cooler about the headset is that it ships with a charging bay that actually has a battery of its own, so if the headset dies in the middle of the day you can get more juice by dropping it into the portable charger.

The Moto Hint looks like something you’d find in an advanced crime film. It slots into your ear with a profile so thin that some people might mistake you for a crazy person talking to yourself. If you don’t mind being “that guy” then be sure to buy one before it’s too late.