10.Android 5.1: Unwrapping a new Lollipop update

Today we are rolling out Android 5.1 - an update to Lollipop that improves stability and performance and offers a few new features like support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition (HD) voice on compatible phones.

Whether you want to share your phone with a family member or better manage your mobile costs, Android Lollipop 5.1 now lets you use more than one SIM card on a device with multiple SIM slots.

Today we are rolling out Android 5.1 - an update to Lollipop that improves stability and performance and offers a few new features like support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition (HD) voice on compatible phones.

Whether you want to share your phone with a family member or better manage your mobile costs, Android Lollipop 5.1 now lets you use more than one SIM card on a device with multiple SIM slots.

With Device Protection, your lost or stolen device will remain locked until you sign in with your Google account - even if someone resets your device to factory settings. This feature will be available on most Android phones and tablets shipped with Android 5.1 in addition to Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.

High Definition voice calling is now on your mobile phone. Get crystal clear calling with HD Voice between compatible Android 5.1 devices like the Nexus 6 on T-Mobile or Verizon.

More@
http://officialandroid.blogspot.ro/2015/03/android-51-unwrapping-new-lollipop.html

01. Android 5.1 Lollipop Update Reportedly Rolling Out To Nexus Devices This Week: Improved Battery Life And More Fixes

  Android 5.1 Lollipop may be heading its way to Nexus devices in the very near future, according to the founder of Android news website Android Police, Artem Russakovskii.

Rusakovskii posted on his Google+ account that Google is preparing to push out Android 5.1 Lollipop to the first Nexus devices, with the estimated timeframe of as soon as this week.

"The Lollipop MR1 (Android 5.1) will start rolling out to Nexus devices starting with the N7 (probably 2013) this week, barring anything unexpected," Rusakovskii wrote.

  Rusakovskii is referring to the second-generation Nexus 7, which could be among the first devices to officially receive the update for the Android operating system.

  The rumor for the Android 5.1 Lollipop launch, Rusakovskii said, comes from trusted sources.

  While there is no official detail on what advantages Android 5.1 Lollipop will have over the previous version, Rusakovskii said that the update will make the operating system run "buttery smooth" once again. Specifically, Android 5.1 Lollipop could improve the battery life that has dissatisfied users, along with provide for a smoother overall experience.

Source:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/37757/20150306/android-5-1-lollipop-update-reportedly-rolling-out-to-nexus-devices-this-week-improved-battery-life-and-more-fixes.htm

01.Google Announces Mobile Payments Platform Android Pay

At the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona,Google's GOOGL +0.66% senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Google Apps Sundar Pichai announced an upcoming mobile payments framework called Android Pay. Android Pay will not be a separate payment app, but it is going to be a platform that enables developers to integrate mobile payments into their apps using an API layer.

“We are doing it in a way so that anybody else can build a payments service on top of Android,” said Pichai during the event via The Guardian. “In places like China and Africa, we hope that people will use Android Pay to build innovative services.” Android Pay will be able to act as a payment source within apps and stores that have NFC-capable registers.

Down the road, Google will enable Android Pay to utilize biometric devices such as fingerprint scanners — just like Apple AAPL +0.22% Pay. Apple Pay can be secured using the Touch ID fingerprint sensors in some of the latest iOS devices to approve transactions. The credit card data of Android Pay users will be stored locally so that payments can be made without a data connection. To prevent fraud, Android Pay will use “tokenized” card numbers — which means that a one-time credit card number will be generated for each transaction.

This past weekend, Samsung announced a biometric-enabled mobile payments system of its own called Samsung Pay. Pichai said that Android Pay is not intended to rival against Samsung Pay. Samsung Pay utilizes a fingerprint scanner to secure payments, which will be built into the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge so it essentially competes directly against Apple Pay. Google will work closely with Samsung to determine if there are potential synergies between Android Pay and Samsung Pay.



Source:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2015/03/03/android-pay/

08.TELEBIT, THE TELEGRAM BITCOIN WALLET

Former co-Director of SatoshiPoint, Jonathan Harrison, and Eric Goforth of cexstar.io (now defunct), have teamed up and developed Telebit, the bitcoin wallet for telegram.

Telegram is an open source instant messaging application that boasts over 50 million users, citing a free privacy orientated, open API, distributed servers, cloud-based messaging application. It is available for Android, iPhone, iPad, WP, web-version, Mac OS X, and PC/Mac and Linux. Users of each now have a bitcoin wallet.

You can send bitcoins between phones without the requirement of creating new wallets or bitcoin addresses, and you can send coins to any of your contacts without needing to request a receiving address, or similar.

Telebit is giving away free bitcoin to each user, and as a bonus, free bitcoin if to you and your contact if you send some of your first free bitcoin to a contact.

With easy to use commands (viewable here), Telebit is already integrated into the Telegram service, so no additional software or application is needed to be downloaded, nor identification or sign-ups required.

Telebit boasts instant free transfers and the ability to send bitcoin to any of your contacts, which they cannot refuse. They (your contacts) are then able to send the bitcoins forward, or withdraw to their personal wallet of choice.

“You contact Telebit just by searching for it within the telegram app and sending a message to it. The Telebit wallet is controlled by messaging simple commands to Telebit.” ~ Telebit.

Keep in mind that Telebit is for sending small amounts of bitcoin, the bitcoin is ultimately held and centrally controlled by Telebit. Each address can hold a maximum of 0.5 btc, any excess will flow into another bitcoin address you control.

Telebit has only been in existence for a few weeks and already boasts some excellent stats for users. Their total registration now exceeds 5239, active users in the last 15 days is 4352 and their total btc transacted is 29.85904481 (Stats provided by Jonathan Harrison).

Source:

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/telebit-telegram-bitcoin-wallet/

09.BlackBerry rises on deal with Google

BlackBerry Ltd.’s stock jumped after it announced a partnership with Google Inc. to allow the search giant’s suite of mobile productivity tools to run on the smartphone maker’s device management system.

The agreement lets businesses and governments running BlackBerry’s BES12 software integrate Android for Work, which Google rolled out today, BlackBerry said in a statement.

The news sent BlackBerry stock up 2.3 percent to $10.51 at the close. Google, based in Mountain View, California, rose 1.5 percent to $543.87.

As more businesses allow employees to use their own phones for work, BlackBerry is trying to increase its ability to manage devices and tools from multiple technology providers. In November, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company inked a similar deal with Samsung Electronics Co.

Android for Work allows users to separate work and personal applications on their smartphones, letting a company’s information-technology department secure and manage only work- related content.

The partnership shows BlackBerry’s reputation for security is still strong, said Kevin Stadtler, president of Stadtler Capital Management LLC.


Source:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/02/25/blackberry-rises-deal-with-google/oNpQvZdzWxYVE7UNb8nVvK/story.html

10.BlackBerry working with Google to secure Android devices

(Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said on Wednesday that it is working with Google Inc to enable its software to manage and secure some of Google's Android devices, a move that builds on BlackBerry's recent partnership with Samsung Electronics Co.

In November, BlackBerry announced partnerships with Samsung and other high-profile technology industry players, broadening the reach of its revamped mobile-device management and security platform.

BlackBerry said it is offering a "highly secure mobility solution" for Samsung's Android devices. The new system weds BlackBerry's security platform with the South Korean company's own security software for its line-up of Galaxy devices that are powered by Google's Android operating system.

On Wednesday, BlackBerry outlined a similar tie-up directly with Google, to manage devices equipped with Android for Work - Google's own solution to securely separate business and personal data and applications.

BlackBerry shares rose 4.3 percent to $10.71 on the Nasdaq following the announcement.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha; editing by Andrew Hay)

Source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/25/us-blackberry-google-idUSKBN0LT28N20150225

Amazon.com lets you play with an Android virtual machine, try apps before you buy them

When Amazon's Appstore rolled out last week, we glossed over one detail that merely seemed neat. Today, we're inclined to say that Test Drive may be the most significant part of Amazon's announcement that day. Basically, Test Drive allows US customers to take apps for a spin at Amazon.com, with all the comfort that their tried-and-true desktop web browser brings -- but rather than sit you down with a Flash-based mockup of the app, Amazon is giving you a taste of bona fide cloud computing with an Android virtual machine.






In other words, what you're looking at in the screenshot above isn't just a single program, but an entire virtual Android smartphone with working mouse controls, where you can not only try out Paper Toss, but also delete it, browse through the device's photo gallery, listen to a few tunes, or even surf the web from the working Android browser -- as difficult as that may be without keyboard input. Amazon explains:
Clicking the "Test drive now" button launches a copy of this app on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), a web service that provides on-demand compute capacity in the cloud for developers. When you click on the simulated phone using your mouse, we send those inputs over the Internet to the app running on Amazon EC2 - just like your mobile device would send a finger tap to the app. Our servers then send the video and audio output from the app back to your computer. All this happens in real time, allowing you to explore the features of the app as if it were running on your mobile device.
Today, Amazon's Test Drive is basically just Gaikai for mobile phones -- its purpose is simply to sell apps, nothing more. But imagine this for a sec: what if you could access your own smartphone data, instead of the mostly blank slate that Amazon provides here?






Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/27/amazon-com-lets-you-play-with-an-android-virtual-machine-try-ap/

ET deals: Sony Smartwatch 3 fitness tracker for $225

Sony’s latest smartwatch is still pretty new and hasn’t really been discounted yet. So we were excited when we found we could lop 10% off the price of this fitness-friendly watch with a coupon code, bringing it down to just $225.
The new Sony Smartwatch 3 runs Android Wear, so it can be utilized by anyone with an Android phone with Android 4.3 or later installed. A particular highlight of this watch is that it’s the only Android Wear watch to include a built-in GPS, making it ideal for runners and others who want to track their location precisely through apps like RunKeeper or the included iFit. As for the specs, this watch uses a 1.6-inch screen with a 320×320 resolution and a transflective LCD that reads well in direct sunlight. It also packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 512MB of RAM that will deliver smooth performance, and 4GB of built-in storage for apps, music and more from Google Play. 


Source:
 http://www.extremetech.com/deals/198595-et-deals-sony-smartwatch-3-fitness-tracker-for-225

Octa-Core: ZTE Blade S6 delivers octa-core Android 5.0 on a budget

ZTE goes after a younger crowd with its Blade S6. ZTE
What has eight cores and is made by ZTE? The company's latest smartphone, the 4G LTE-equipped Blade S6. Powered by Android 5.0, it's a cost-conscious attempt to attract the younger user base.






Apart from the eight-core chipset, hardware details are par for the course. They include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 CPU with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Additionally, we find a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and microSD expansion.
As for the display, ZTE is somewhat tight-lipped on the finer details. Listed only as "5-inch HD," we might look for something at 720p rather than 1080p. On a positive note, if this turns out to be the case, it could potentially lead to longer battery life.




The ZTE Blade S6 will be offered for $250 (which converts to £165 or $AU314) in silver or pink-matte finish when it launches. ZTE did not disclose carrier specifics or exact timing.


Source:
http://www.cnet.com/news/zte-blade-s6-delivers-octa-core-android-5-0-on-a-budget/

15 Reasons Android Phones Are Better Than The iPhone

Apple just reported a record number of iPhone sales in its Q1 earnings.

But while iPhones might be selling like hot-cakes, there are still a bunch of reasons why Android phones are better.




1. When you buy an iPhone, you're stuck with as much storage as you decided to buy at the get-go. Most Android phones, however, have a microSD card slot, so you can easily and cheaply buy more storage space.




2. If your battery starts sucking, you can often remove it and replace it with a new one. Can't do that with an iPhone.




3. You can use a bunch of different Android phones (including the HTC One, LG G3, and the Galaxy S5) as remote controls, because they have infrared blasters on the top. iPhones do not.




4. Android files screenshots, downloaded pics, and pictures saved from messages into their own separate folders.




5. Android doesn't care where your music comes from. Apple and iOS 8, however, require iTunes if you want to load your iPhone up with songs, and you need iPhoto if you ever want to get your photos onto your computer.




6. You can use any micro-USB cable to charge your Android phone. If you want to charge your iPhone, you need to have Apple's proprietary "Lightning" cable.




7.Google's app store lets you download apps to your phone directly from its website. If you search for an iPhone app in a browser, on the other hand, you have to launch iTunes or the App Store to download and install it.




8. You can set multiple user accounts on the same Android tablet.




9.Apple's baked-in Maps apps isn't as good as Google's, but on an iPhone, you can't make Google Maps your default.




10.On an iPhone, you can unlock your phone with your fingerprint or a passcode. On most Android devices, you have several additional options, including patterns or face unlocks.




11.You can customize an Android phone much more than an iPhone, like by adding widgets on your home screen.




12.Android phones don't force you to keep all of your apps on one of your homescreens, like iPhones do.




13.On quite a few Android phones, you can open and see multiple apps at once.




14.When you have an Android phone, your notifications are always shown at the top of your screen, which makes easier to remember what you need to check and respond to.




15.This is a small one that I noticed after I switched from Android to iOS, but the baked-in Android alarm clock tells you how many hours of sleep you'll be getting. iPhones make you do the mental math.





Source:
http://www.businessinsider.com/android-phones-versus-iphone-2015-1?op=1

Free phone calls: How to Install Viber for Linux

Viber, one of the best free communication applications, is now available for Linux. Viber for Linux lets you send free messages and make free calls to other Viber users on any device and network, in any country! Viber syncs your contacts and messages with your mobile device.

Viber, as of now, is only available for the 64-bit linux operating systems in the form of debian and rpm packages. Viber can be downloaded from the official source here.






Installation of viber:

Once downloaded the 64-bit debian package of viber, it can be simply installed with dpkg:

coolcoder@PGGT925:~$ sudo dpkg -i viber.deb
[sudo] password for coolcoder:
Selecting previously unselected package viber.
(Reading database ... 249437 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking viber (from viber.deb) ...
Setting up viber (3.1.2.3) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...

Source:
http://www.coolcoder.in/2015/01/how-to-install-viber-for-linux.html

Android Lollipop UK release date, new features and upgrades: When will my phone get Android Lollipop?

Everything you need to know about Android Lollipop 5.0/5.1 and its release date, plus when your phone/tablet will get Lollipop






When will your phone get Android Lollipop? The final version of Android 5.0 Lollipop was unveiled only in October, yet Android 5.1 Lollipop is rumoured to be on its way. Here's what you need to know about Android Lollipop's release date, design and new features - plus when your phone will get the upgrade. Also see: When will my phone get Android Lollipop?

We've been running Android Lollipop for a few months now, back when it was known only as Android L, and you can see the new features and screenshots here. We've also tested out the increased battery life, but Lollipop is no faster than KitKat

Google launched Android 4.4 KitKat last September and then showed off Android L at its I/O 2014 developer conference before officially announcing its final name and version number on 15 October.

Android 5.1 Lollipop update UK release date

Source:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/features/google-android/3514191/android-5.0-lollipop-release-date-new-features-upgrades-android-5.1-uk/

Apple Vs Android War Escalates With New Nexus 6 Revelations

I have a love and hate relationship with the Nexus 6 and there is no doubt that the massive successor to the game-changing Nexus 5 polarises opinion. But whatever your feelings, it has been revealed that the Nexus 6 had to cut one major corner which could have serious repercussions for Android – and that it is Apple AAPL +0.42%’s fault.






Speaking to The Telegraph, former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has revealed, as suspected, that the Nexus 6 was originally meant to have a fingerprint sensor until Apple stepped in:
“The secret behind that is that it was supposed to be fingerprint recognition, and Apple bought the best supplier,” explains Woodside. “So the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren’t there yet.”

Source:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/01/26/motorola-nexus-fingerprint-sensor/

In-depth with Android Wear, Google’s quantum leap of a smartwatch OS

Yesterday(18.03.14), Google announced Android Wear, its wearable device platform for smartwatches. Android Wear is a shrunken-down, watch-going version of KitKat that looks poised to take over the wearables market. After poring over tons of websites and digging around in the emulator, we've scraped together just about all the information that's out there, so if you want to know what the future of smartwatches looks like, read on.

This is the home screen of Android Wear. At the top is a very faint "G" button. When pressed, the device starts listening for voice commands. If buttons aren't really your thing, an "OK Google" hotword will work, too. Below the button is a notification showing the time and weather. Tapping on the weather will expand it, and swiping left will open the extended forecast. Swiping up will show more notifications, one at a time.

Every UI element in Android Wear seems to work in this manner. Tapping on the center of the screen will expand whatever is on it; swiping horizontally will do something related to the current screen, either showing options or more details; and swiping up or down will go to other areas. If you're off in a menu, you don't have to swipe back to center in order to swipe up, either—just swipe up or down from anywhere in the menu to go to the next notification.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/03/in-depth-with-android-wear-googles-quantum-leap-of-a-smartwatch-os/

Signs of progress: One month with Android Wear 5.0

Android Wear 5.0 came out last month—it was the third noteworthy update to the wearable OS, following versions 4.4W.1 and 4.4W.2. It's not a significant enough update to merit its own standalone review, but it's been a while since our last check-in with the platform. Plus, the launch of the Apple Watch is just a few months away at most.

Google also recently sent us another Android Wear watch we hadn't seen before—LG's G Watch R, the round version of the regular square G Watch we looked at back when Android Wear launched. It looks more like a finished product today, where as the first G Watch looked like no-frills development hardware. The G Watch R also doesn't use the old power-hungry internals that give the Moto 360 so many problems.

So armed with a new watch and new software, we spent a full month wearing Android Wear to get a sense of how far it's come since its original release a little over six months ago. While not all of our initial complaints have been addressed, not by a long shot, there are definitely signs of progress.

Android Wear 5.0, specifically

Source:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/01/signs-of-progress-one-month-with-android-wear-5-0/

Surfaced Android Lollipop Update: Samsung Galaxy S4

For the Samsung Galaxy S4 an update to Android Lollipop is apparently appeared on a Chinese site. But all versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4, will get the Android 5.0.1 update?

Apparently, the Samsung Galaxy S4 the Lollipop update leaked on Android 5.0.1.Thus, owners may soon get the new Android software. At least that seems Android Lollipop already to work on some smartphones Galaxy S4 series such as phonearena.com writes and as an example of the first screenshots.

These seem very genuine, at least Samsung's own TouchWiz user interface is clearly visible. The images are taken from a Chinese user forum , a user of the forum.xda-developers.com points in an entry. In the forum post, there is also a link that leads to the leaked software.

Some users have already downloaded the software and report that everything seems to be working fine on their Samsung Galaxy S4. So no error in terms of WiFi, 3G or 4G Dtaen, NFC, Bluetooth or sensors were found. Of course, it can be expected that certain system messages in Chinese display. If you really want to download this version, you have to live with this potential limitation. But get all versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Android 5.0.1 update?

Source:
http://www.teltarif.de/samsung-galaxy-s4-lollipop-update/news/58359.html

YouTube for Android update reveals work towards video filters

Sometimes you want your photo or video to accurately reflect the real world – device makers keep upping the ante when it comes to camera hardware and software in efforts to make their models capable of the cleanest capturing possible. But sometimes you want to play around with the way things look, and for that we have filters. Apps like Instagram have brought use of such filters into the mainstream, and beyond photos, we’ve also seen them applied to videos. Over the weekend a new YouTube update surfaced, and while the feature isn’t there quite yet, some teardown work reveals development efforts towards giving YouTube its own video filter suite.

YouTube 10.02.3 doesn’t reveal a ton of new feature on first glance – there are some tiny UI tweaks, but nothing earth-shattering. But buried within the app are clues pointing to work on new features, and filters just might be the most exciting among them.

The code shows work on half-a-dozen such filters, taking advantage of both color correction and overlay masks to give videos distinctive looks. These include options like multiple “punk” filters, film grain, and sepia tint. There’s no certainty when these might go live, but work on them is clearly in progress.

Beyond that, strings hint at support for a new view of users participating in live Hangouts, as well work towards a phone number verification feature for YouTube’s social component. Like the video filters, when these all click-on remains to be seen.

Source: Android Police

Source:
http://pocketnow.com/2015/01/19/youtube-video-filters

Samsung Galaxy S5 to get Android 5.0 Lollipop OS update in U.S. soon, 5.0.1 update leaked for S4

The Android 5.0 Lollipop OS for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be coming to the U.S. soon, although the official release date of the update is still unknown. 

More countries in Europe are now enjoying Android 5.0 in their Galaxy S5 handsets as it seems that Samsung is focusing on European countries when it comes to rolling out the update. The sweet taste of Lollipop has reached Poland, Spain, Russia, and the U.K. Samsung-centric tech blog SamMobile added that the tech giant will soon roll out the update to some other European nations such as the Czech Republic and Romania, and more users in Spain. 

Surprisingly, some users in a few Asian countries like Hong Kong and Malaysia reportedly received the OS update, which hints that Asian countries are next in line. The fast rollout of the 5.0 update suggests that Galaxy S5 users in the far west will see it on their handsets soon. 

It can be surmised that Samsung is very systematic in rolling out the latest Android update. 

Samsung Galaxy S4 getting the Android 5.0.1 instead


Source:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/samsung.galaxy.s5.t.android.5.0.lollipop.os.update.u.s.5.0.1.update.leaked.s4/46601.htm

Cyanogen to attempt a Google free Android

The Information, an online subscription based news site, recently had an event in San Francisco on the “Next Phase of Android.” According to Android Authority, Cyanogen had a lot to say when it came to their future as well as the industry’s.

With an opening statement that hid nothing back, Kirt McMaster introduced himself as, “…the CEO of Cyanogen. We’re attempting to take Android away from Google.” As the interview continued, McMaster clarified by expressing that Android is currently limited in how apps can interact on a base system level, so his company would create their own version of Android to rectify this, with more possibilities for app developers and less Google influence. The bold statements didn’t stop there however, with another statement saying that Cyanogen will have their own version of the Google Play Store within 18 months. Until then, they will encourage alternative app stores on the Android platform.

These are massive goals for any company to set for themselves, let alone achieve, and whether or not they are actually viable remains to be seen. There are many challenges facing Cyanogen in the future, such as achievement of enough of a loyal fans to switch from Google to Cyanogen apps, creating their own ecosystem and dealing with the imminent security threats that could arise with allowing applications deeper system integrations.

Source:
http://www.androidguys.com/2015/01/24/cyanogen-attempt-google-free-android/

SMOOSE AND COLLABORA MAKE LIBREOFFICE BETA AVAILABLE FOR ANDROID

Cambridge, January 21, 2015 – Collabora engineers today release LibreOffice for Android for the first time. LibreOffice Viewer for Android (Beta) is available in app stores, and marks the start of a new product series for the mobile market resulting from months of work with SMOOSE B.V.. Weekly releases are planned to bring new features and improvements.

“Freedom of Choice is a defining factor of our approach”, says Niels Spanjers, Customer Manager at SMOOSE B.V., “Having a competitive Open Document Format viewer on Android is an important part of providing that freedom to our customers and the larger ecosystem, as a part of our mobile strategy.”

The Open Source app for mobiles and tablets opens documents, spreadsheets, and basic presentations in Open Document and Microsoft Office formats. Complex presentation support and many additional features are planned for future releases.

“The world’s most popular Open Source office belongs on the world’s most popular mobile platform” said Michael Meeks, Vice President of Collabora Productivity. “By bringing LibreOffice to Android Collabora has brought cutting edge productivity tools to one billion mobile users and entered a new mobile market”.

Source:
https://libreoffice-from-collabora.com/libreoffice-for-android-released/