Category Archives: Android

HP Chromebook 11 safety plug warning

Android, Tech News,

Google and HP are pausing sales of the HP Chromebook 11 after receiving a small number of user reports that some chargers included with the device have been damaged due to overheating during use. We are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify the appropriate corrective action, and will provide additional information and instructions as soon as we can.

In the meantime, customers who have purchased an HP Chromebook 11 should not use the original charger provided with the product. In the interim they may continue using their HP Chromebook 11 with any other Underwriters Laboratories-listed micro-USB charger, for example one provided with a tablet or smartphone. We apologize for the inconvenience.

So the US has a product recall, but not in the UK. Maybe our 3 pin plug arrangement is safer?

Is the Nexus 5 a bargain?

Android, Tech News

I am going to start by saying it is a low priced phone, priced at the lower points of its spec sheet versus the competition, but it does have sacrifices.

When I look at a phone, apart from its user experience, it needs to take a decent photo and have above average sound from its loudspeaker and also from the headphone jack. It also must look like I spent several hundred pounds on it. The iPhone achieves this hands down. It also must have apps and services to enhance the user experience. Again, the iPhone achieves this with ease. So along comes Google, and launches the Nexus 5.

And the first statement from anyone’s mouth is it so cheap and such great value. It has a 5 inch 1080p screen, 2gb ram etc etc. So what if it has the latest and greatest. What are the benefits is what matters. I’m not saying Google hasn’t achieved a great mid market phone that more people can afford, since they have. But if you look overseas to China, other companies are producing android phones with similar hardware specs and at similar or lower price points. What they are not providing is android 4.4 and future upgrades instantly. So the difference between a £299 Nexus 5 and £500 iPhone looks massive on paper. But let’s not kid ourselves. The iPhone looks more upmarket, looks more stylish and has a better camera and sound quality. It like driving a Fiat to work or a Ferrari. Both will get you from A to B, but one might put a bigger smile on your face.

So are you the Fiat or the Ferrari?

But going back to the Nexus 5. This is Google’s answer to the current mid priced phones. It also makes companies that sell higher price phones be on guard as to what they might need to do next to outshine Google’s £299 smartphone. If all you do is share photos to social media websites, then the Nexus 5 camera is perfect. And again makes it a tough one to ignore.

Moto G arrives at Phones 4 U – a low priced android phone with decent performance

Android, Tech News

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Phones4U have an exclusive on the freshly announced Moto G, by offering the white backed version.

Phones 4U is offering the new device in both 8GB and 16GB versions of the Moto G and can now be ordered online for delivery showing as November 22, but it will arrive in shops tomorrow.

The 8GB Moto G will cost just £119.95 plus a £10 top-up voucher on pay-as-you-go, and the 16GB will run for £149.95 plus the same £10 top-up voucher.

The Moto G includes a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400, 4.5-inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM, 5MP main camera, and either 8GB or 16GB storage.

If you want a cheap android phone, this looks like a good bet.

MetroTalk for Windows Phone hit by Google Decision to ban all 3rd Party Voice Apps

Android, Apple, Tech News, Windows

From MetroTalk –

We are sad to announce that after a request by Google, MetroTalk will be removed from the Windows Phone store on May 1, 2014. We apologize to all our users for this but the decision is beyond our control, and in fact affects all third-party Google Voice apps. The good news is that the app will remain available and fully functional for 6 more months, and you can expect bug fix updates during that time. A huge thank you to all of our users for making us one of the top downloaded and highest rated apps of the Windows Phone store. Once again, we truly apologize to everyone affected by this.

This is a decision by Google that will affect all 3rd-party apps, due to Google locking down on security in Google Voice. The Google Voice API was never publicly available. So if you use a 3rd party app for Google Voice you have 6 months notice.

Bit by bit the openness of Google as a platform is closing down and this is another step towards that end game.

Google Search has a huge update available on android with extra options too

Android, Tech News

A huge Google Search update started rolling out to all Android devices running Android 4.1 and above. The update is version 3.1.8.

The update brings Google Search version 3 (or 3.1.8) to all devices running Android 4.1 and above. This is the version of Search that comes with KitKat, and brings a new UI, as well as a new refreshed animation. The update also allows the Google Experience Launcher APK to work properly when installed.

Google Now is also improved with this update adding reader like website updates, Waze traffic reports and more.

The openness of android is closing bit by bit

Android, Tech News

It should come as no surprise that the once big claim of Google was it free open sharing platform has taken a different turn. This is due to Google wanting control back and I don’t blame them.

Google has practically released large chunks of its operating system as apps in the Google Play store. As more and more parts of the operating system get launched on the play store, this means Google is under no obligation to provide the source code of its apps and can slowly claw back control again.

Just go to the play store and search “Google”. The list of apps ranges from Google Keyboard, Play Music, Play Books, Gmail, Google Calendar and so on.

It’s ironic that the main draw of android originally was that it was free and open. It has become so big, it now has become necessary for Google to reign it back in, and become more like Apple and Microsoft. That’s not a bad thing, and it might reduce fragmentation and enable Google’s services and apps to remain updated on everyone’s android phone without the carrier or manufacturer interfering.

Nexus 5 camera modification

Android, Tech News

A developer by the name of Jishnu Sir over on XDA created a flashable .zip file in hopes to improve the quality of the Nexus 5 camera. It’s a whole new camera app that replaces the stock one, which will require you to unlock your bootloader and have some sort of custom recovery (i.e. ClockworkMod or TWRP). Here’s a full list of what the new camera app do/improve upon:

1) Sound Recording now in Stereo with the secondary Mic.
2) Faster Focusing for the camera.
3) Front Camera also records 720P Videos@ 20 Mb/s.
4) Front camera Audio Bitrate@ 192000 Kb/s.
5) AntiBanding default set to 50Hz
6) Focus Range Adjusted.
7) Enhanced Smooth Zoom.
8) Turned Edge Enhancement ON.

For more info head over to XDA Devs.

Feedly changing sign in methods – following YouTube

Android, Apple, Tech News

It surely was no surprise to everyone that Google made it mandatory to sign in using Google+ with YouTube. Likewise with the gradual shift towards Google+ sign-in across Google sites, Feedly is following suit and introducing G+ sign-in. The transition will take place this week on the web and later this month through the Feedly Android and iOS apps.

The move to Google+ sign in, Feedly says, allows for easier sign-in on mobile devices and opens up more sharing possibilities. Feedly is also testing Twitter, Facebook and WordPress login options, with the aim of rolling them out over the next seven weeks.