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Showing posts from October, 2015

Logo: go, go! Droid Turbo 2’s front-facing carrier branding can be removed…kind of

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Motorola has truly pulled out all the stops with this year’s Droid Turbo 2 . In addition to featuring several improvements and/or changes over the standard-affair Moto X Pure Edition (Moto X Style) such as an AMOLED display, the phone is fully customizable in Moto Maker and literally has over a thousand possible permutations. The device itself has a very distinctive look, something made all the more  noticable thanks to Verizon’s prominent placement of its infamous checkmark insignia. Thankfully, Pocketnow has found a way to remove it…kind of. Essentially the “hack” or “mod” of sorts involves tampering with Motorola’s ShatterShield technology. Consisting of both a layer of polycarbonate and a layer of acrylic polymer on the outer-most of the five layers the display consists of, the trick is simply to remove the surface layer itself. Take a look at the results: It should be noted that removing this layer of protection could have a detrimental effect on the ShatterShei

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1 review – a great game for the whole family

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The Minecraft we all know and love isn’t all too story-heavy, but that’s not the case for this new game. Developed in partnership with Mojang , the game’s original publisher,  Telltale Games recently released Minecraft: Story Mode to the Google Play Store, bringing what some would say is a much needed storyline to the vast Minecraft universe. Although not without its faults, Minecraft: Story Mode is one heck of a point-and-click title that we think both fans of Minecraft and those who are unfamiliar will love. Story Mode is split into five episodes, the first two of which are already available for purchase from Google Play. Today we’re reviewing Episode 1, entitled The Order of the Stone . If you have any thoughts on this game, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the post. For now, though, here’s what you need to know about the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode. Related: 12 best games like Minecraft on Android 13 Story Much like other games from this developer,

These 1-day Halloween deals are scary good!

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Witches and creatures of the night roam our neighborhoods this evening, as do candy-hungry children looking to score sweet treats. But these little beasts won’t be the only ones in your front step; the AA Deals Store is also knocking on your door to offer you some scary good deals you simply can’t say no to. Joining the awesome savings the AA Deals Store already offers is an extra 15% discount. You just have to apply coupon code “ SCARY15 ” upon checkout. But you better hurry, as this additional discount will only be available today – Halloween. These offers include courses, drones and handy accessories. Code Black Drone with HD camera Brooms are good for flying around town, but they don’t come close to the performance modern drones can offer. And for $84.99 (plus the 15% discount), you really can’t complain about this Code Black Drone deal. This guy will literally do flips for you. And there are both beginner and expert modes, so you don’t need to feel intimidated or go take

Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – October 31, 2015

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From Nexus reviews to countless device announcements and comparisons, this is pretty much what diehard Android fans live for. This week we managed to bring you full, comprehensive reviews of the Nexus 6P , Nexus 5X and HTC’s new One A9 flagship, as well as our first impressions of the newly-announced OnePlus X , Motorola Droid Turbo 2 , Droid Maxx 2 and Samsung Galaxy View tablet. That’s not all, though. In hopes to help you decide between some of the better Android devices on the market, we brought you full comparisons of the two new Nexus phones, as well as the Nexus 5X vs the Motorola Moto X Style . Here are the Android-related videos you don’t want to miss this week. Reviews Nexus 6P review Google’s new Nexus 6P might be the best Nexus to date, but is there anything important you should know before you pick one up for yourself? Don’t miss Josh’s full review of the Nexus 6P. Nexus 6P review Nexus 5X review Please enable Javascript to watch this video The

Chainfire cooks up “systemless” Marshmallow root

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Rooting legend Chainfire has released an Android 6.0 root method that doesn’t modify the /system partition. Chainfire emphasizes that this root is highly experimental and probably prone to bugs, but if this experiment is successful, it could make for a much cleaner approach to rooting Android. There could be many benefits to this new approach. For one, a standard factory reset would remove the root. This is pretty interesting, because currently unrooting a device is a significantly more involved process. Also, this removes the risk of bricking your phone if you use the wrong kernel. Instead of bricking, and incorrect attempt at rooting with an unsupported kernel will simply fail to root the device.  However, if you’re looking to use this root on top of an older one, you’ll naturally need to reflash your stock /system partition before beginning. Chainfire is, of course, the mastermind behind projects like SuperSu, CF Auto Root, CF.lumen, and TriangleAway. He’s an incredibly sem

MicroSD offline playback lets you take Amazon Prime music with you

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Previously, if you wanted to take your Amazon Prime tunes on the go, you were limited by the internal storage of your device. Offline playback was available, sure, but not for microSD cards. Songs can add up fast in terms of storage space. For a long time, users have been crying out for Prime Music to allow offline playback of songs downloaded to memory cards so that they wouldn’t have to be constantly picking and choosing which songs they were going to bring along with them. Finally, Amazon updated the app to gain the ability to store songs on the microSD card for offline playing. In addition to this, Prime Music received support for Android Wear . Now your favorite streaming service can integrate seamlessly with your wearables, allowing you to control your beats without even pulling out your phone. Small perks, to be sure, but Prime Music has to pull out whatever stops it can to get ahead in this market. Amazon’s streaming service has long been lagging behind more popular ser

BlackBerry Priv gets first unboxing courtesy of Carphone Warehouse

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It’s hard to believe this day has finally arrived: once a far-flung pipe dream, then a realistic rumor, and now an undeniable unboxing, BlackBerry has finally made an Android phone. The Priv , originally referred to as the Venice, is set to ship on November 6th for customers in the USA. On the other side of the pond however, UK retalier Carphone Warehouse has received a release unit and unboxed it for all to behold: The segment begins with a quick look at the box, with the lovely lady featured in the video pointing out the packaging contains the words “Privilege” and “Privacy”. While offering an idea of how BlackBerry ultimately chose to name the phone, it is her British pronunciation of the latter word that may give some North American viewers an “a-ha” kind of revelation. Inside the box are standard tools-of-the-trade, including the device itself, a SIM ejector tool, manuals, headphones, and a USB cable. The video also demonstrates several unique BlackBerry features. Carried o

Google tests teen waters with social media app Who’s Down

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Google is dipping their toes into teen social media with a new app called Who’s Down . The app serves as a way to broadcast one’s availability and interest so as to bring together equally free and similarly inclined people. The app is currently invite-only, and the sign-up form for Who’s Down asks only for your email address and school, meaning the app is specifically targeting a younger demographic. Google seems tentative to re-enter the social media scene after their previous experience with Google+ . Although the Facebook alternative has attracted a number of hardcore fans who were more than ready to leave their Likes behind in favor of +1’s, the social media platform has failed to garner the same level of mass-market appeal enjoyed by its rival and has arguably become more of a niche platform (though one many of us love). Of course, Who’s Down likely isn’t seen by Google as a replacement for Google+, just a way target a different audience.  Who’s Down looks to be a new angle

Dead Effect 2 released to the Play Store

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Dead Effect 2 is a game that aims to “push the boundaries of mobile gaming to another level,” promising console-levels of quality in terms of action, story, and RPG elements. The game placed second at the Very Big Indie Pitch contest in 2015, and it is now available for download in the Google Play Store. Zombie combat games aren’t exactly novel in the Play Store. UNKILLED is one of the more prominent recent additions to an already sprawling library of shambling undead awaiting touchscreen massacre. Nevertheless, this Dead-Space-esque sequel might be worth checking out. The game puts its weight on storytelling, which isn’t something you can often say about mobile zombie games. You find yourself where the previous game left off, adrift on an abomination-infested spaceshift adrift in the abyss, and of course you’re going to need to fight your way through. A wide variety of weapons makes sure you’ll never get bored, and the graphics are simply stunning. It even supports enhanced

Apple publishes new Android app for managing Beats Pill+ speakers

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Apple has just released their second app for the Google Play Store, and this one allows users to manage their Beats Pill+ speaker. This app follows up their less-than-diplomatic premiere Move to iOS , a release that saw some pretty hilarious responses . This Beats Pill+ app is far more functional and less passive aggressive than Move to iOS, and it sports features that allow users to synchronize multiple speakers to achieve greater depth of sound and stereo effects, as well as the ability to let more than one user control music playing from a single speaker. This companion app promises to give you and your friends greater control over your music. It was developed exclusively for the Beats Pill+ speaker, and it uses Bluetooth pairing to manage and control the device from your phone or tablet. The Beats Pill+ is a small speaker designed by Apple that aims to provide rich, powerful sound in a tiny, sleek package. Advertised as sounding “bigger than its size,” the Beats Pill+ use

Cloud Chasers review: immigration isn’t simple, and neither is this game

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Immigration is a hot topic across the globe, but it’s especially important for many of us in the USA. Living in San Diego, CA, I find myself in close contact to the Tijuana, BC border ( often literally ). Over here, immigration is not only your daily cup of tea, but you can literally see it, feel it and sometimes even taste it. When I first heard of Cloud Chasers: Journey of Hope and what it was all about, I simply knew I had to try it out and take care of this review. And so I paid my $4 and started traveling to through the desert. I have been playing it for a while and am ready to give you my thoughts on the game, but I will give you one spoiler before we begin – I was never actually able to beat the game. As I said in the title: immigration is not simple, and neither is this game. The Story The story is quite simple, but oh so complicated at the same time. Amelia and Francisco take on a quest for a better life after Gertrude (mother and wife) dies. Their mission is to find t

Sign up for Samsung Pay, get a free wireless charger

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If you’re the proud owner of a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus , or a Note 5 , then you have the chance to snag a free wireless charging pad from Samsung! From October 28 to November 8, Samsung is running a promotion to boost the membership of their Samsung Pay service. Owners of the aforementioned devices who sign up for Samsung Pay during this brief window will get a wireless charger mailed to them, no strings attached. You should note that the deal may run out sooner than November 8, as Samsung is limiting the offer to only the first 200,000 participants. Samsung Pay is the company’s digital payment medium that is accepted practically anywhere you would use a credit card. The service is easy to use, and Samsung boasts that Pay uses several layers of security to keep your information private. They also claim not to store or share payment data. This isn’t the first time Samsung has offered free stuff for signing up with Pay. The service only came out in September, and alread

OnePlus releases Reflexion, a unique photo app for all Android devices

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OnePlus came out of nowhere last year and made a pretty big impression with the OnePlus One . Whether the long-term impression was positive or negative depends largely on who you ask, but the company has certainly continued to ramp up its ambitions in 2015. So far OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 2 , and is just starting to offer up its new OnePlus X . And now they are also getting into the app game with Reflexion, a new photography app that is extremely simple to use and basically is designed to capture two shots, one from the front cam and one from the rear, and stitch them together into a unique reflected pattern. As you’d expect, there is a social sharing option that makes it easy to share your “creations” with others. I’ll be honest, this is kind of cool but feels like something that should be part of a full-fledged camera as an option – not a stand-alone app. That said, the OnePlus Reflexion app is still extremely interesting for two other reasons: first, it’s cross-platf

Over a dozen Google Play apps discounted for Halloween, mostly games

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Halloween is but a day away, and to celebrate the season several developers are slashing down their apps on Google Play to as low as $.49, with the majority hovering around the $.99 range. Considering that some of these apps price as high as around $7 normally – there’s some great deals here. Most of these are games not apps, though there are a few fitness apps thrown in, many of which have a game-like twist, such as Zombies Run. Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies – $1.99, was $6.99 Left in the Dark – $.99, was $4.99 Zombies, Run! 5k Training  – $.99, was $1.99 The Walk: Fitness tracker game – $.99, was $2.99 7 Minute Super Hero workout – $.99, was $2.99 Forever Lost: episode 1 – $.99, was $3.11 Greedy Spiders 2 – $.49, was $.99 Vampires: Todd and Jessica – $.99, was $4.99 Dark Arcana: The Carnival – $.99, was $4.99 Nightmares: Davy Jones – $.99, was $4.99 Mystery of the Opera  – $.99, was $4.99 Abyss: Wraiths of Eden – $.99, was $4.99 Twin Moons   – $.99, was $4.

Android + Chrome OS: four big questions

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Instead of having Chrome OS for computers and Android for mobile devices, we could see a new, single operating system emerging next year. Chrome OS will be folded into Android, according to “people familiar with the matter” who spoke to The Wall Street Journal recently. Why is Google going all-in with Android? What will happen to Chrome OS? And what kind of impact will this move have? Why? Why? Why? The reason Google picked Android is easy enough to discern – it’s really popular. Android smartphone shipments worldwide have been around 80% of the market for the last two years now, according to IDC . Mobile Internet usage is growing, it overtook desktop last year, and a disproportionate number of younger users are only ever going online on smartphones and tablets, and rarely, if ever, using desktops. Beyond the stunning popularity of mobile and Android, there’s also the fact that the platform has a huge library of apps, it’s already creeping onto a wide variety of other devices, fro

Deal: only $24.99 for two Monster flash drives you can stick right into smartphones

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Bluetooth is slow, the cloud uses lots of data and cables are downright annoying. What is the best solution for transferring files between mobile devices and other gadgets? We all have our preferences, but those may change after seeing an offer the AA Deals Store currently has for you. A couple Monster USB flash drives are being offered for only $24.99. This is a great deal considering you would get both a 64 GB and 32 GB option, but that’s not the only advantage you get here. These are not cheap products either. Aside from being made by popular manufacturer Monster, they feature USB 3.0 speeds of up to 80 MB/s. Not to mention their high-quality metal construction, which is definitely something to appreciate for those who like a sleek design and strong build quality. But hey, we know you are probably wondering how the hell these flash drives tie into the Android platform. Here’s where the coolest feature will come to light. Aside from the full-sized USB port, these handy Monster th