Google Quietly and Oddly Pushes Lollipop 5.1 Update to Android One Devices

android oneThe 5.1 update isn’t a typo. It’s real and it’s already available on entry level Android One devices designed for emerging markets.

In the nomenclature of updates, it’s a fairly large jump from 5.0.2 to a full 5.1, though we don’t have an official changelog on whats included. AndroidPit published a list in December on what was coming in 5.1. They expect we’ll see the Silent Mode return alongside improvements to performance, RAM utilization, and radio management.

It’s just somewhat odd that Google would launch a decimal point update like this with virtually zero fanfare, though it’s interesting to see what phones Google selected first to receive the new software. Android One is one of the few areas that Google can almost completely control the software experience on a smartphone. It’s an area where even the Nexus experiment can falter when carriers get involved in support. Continue reading “Google Quietly and Oddly Pushes Lollipop 5.1 Update to Android One Devices”

Android Wear: What is Sync Loop? How to Unlock Developer Options, Take Screen Shots!

I’m just starting to find my sea legs on Android Wear, and one of the things that puzzled me was the persistent notification on my phone. What the hell does “Connected, running sync loop” mean? Here’s the answer!

Shop Android Wear on Amazon.
Shop Android Wear on Google Play.

Review: Asus ZenWatch
Review: LG G Watch
Review: Moto 360
Review: LG G Watch R

Review: Sennheiser Urbanite XL Headphones- Sophisticated Design, Impeccable Build Quality

Sennheiser impressed last year with the high end Momentum headphones, and now they’re positioning the Urbanite line as their mid-range audio experience. A unique blend of modern design and incredible build quality, do these cans have what it takes to stand up to more established “FashionPhones” brands? Let’s take a listen!

Shop the Urbanite XL’s on Amazon.

Informal Poll: Is HTC’s Rap Video So Bad It’s Good?

Now I LOVES me some schlock. The best “bad” media is made from passionate people, who really believed in their project, but lacked the resources to properly execute.

That’s maybe why I’m torn on HTC’s “funny” rap video here. I’d imagine that HTC has enough cash to compete with the budget of a single Digital Short from SNL, right? Trying to make something look “bad” or “low budget” is a tricky thing to pull off. It’s like asking a singer to purposely sing off key.  It’ll never be as funny as someone who knows they’re a terrible singer belting their favorite karaoke jam at the top of their lungs.

Or maybe I’m wrong, and HTC’s delivered a masterpiece. Your comments below will certainly be appreciated…

Informal Poll: Do You Have Broadband Internet at Home?

SAMSUNG CSCLast week the FCC redefined broadband internet, moving it from 4Mbps download / 1Mbps upload, to a far more modern 25Mbps down / 3Mbps up. With the stroke of a pen, now almost 20% of the population here in the United States no longer had access to “broadband” internet access?

Were you one of those folks? Has your service provider been able to keep pace with infrastructure and data needs? Drop us a comment below!

The Long Awaited Moto 360 Smartwatch Review – It’s Just OK…

One of the most popular posts we published last year was the announcement for Motorola’s boundary breaking watch the Moto 360.

Now that we’ve spent some time playing with it, has it lived up to the hype? No. It has not, and here’s why…

Shop the Moto 360 on Amazon.
Shop the Moto 360 on Google Play.

Google Earth Pro is Now Free for All

gep-post-pdx-resizedGoogle Earth was one of those services that really showed off what a company could do with mapping data, and I’m sure many man hours have been spent doing virtual flyovers of spots around the world.

While there was a free consumer version of Earth, for professionals needing high resolution imaging, a subscription for Earth Pro used to cost $399 a year. Now everyone can join in the fun by requesting a free license, which will also allow for high res printing and the ability to create animated videos.

Will you be signing up? Because it’s free… So why wouldn’t you?

Google’s full PR is below.

Continue reading “Google Earth Pro is Now Free for All”

Microsoft FINALLY brings Tablet Optimized Office Apps to Android!

After we saw a demo of an iPad running Office apps, Android fans wondered, rather vocally, when we would also get to take part in the business grade festivities.

Oh sure we had an Office Phone app for basic viewing, editing, and formatting, but it lacked proper tablet support.

Microsoft office word document for android tablet app somegadgetguyAll that changed yesterday when Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and Powerpoint tablet apps were finally approved on Google Play. Each service is an individual app, and downloading the apps is totally free. When not linked with an Office 365 subscription, the apps function as viewers, and wont allow you to edit docs or spreadsheet. Though with unlimited cloud storage coming to OneDrive with an Office 365 subscription, it’s not a bad value when compared to other cloud storage solution.

Linking to Office 365 opens up a full world of document and presentation creation and editing, very similar to what we saw on the iPad version. The full toolsets of Office are included, with advanced formating and formula support, and are well optimized for touch screen use. Tied directly into Office Online, OneDrive, and can be linked to DropBox, it’s a fairly robust ecosystem for sharing and collaborating.

Microsoft office excel for android tablet app somegadgetguy

As they’re beefy services, the download sizes are pretty large. Expect all three apps together to clock in at around 370MB. There’s also an issue with compatibility. Most of the tablets I ave lying around are not yet approved to install the apps. No Asus Transformer, no NVIDIA Shield, even the newer Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 was a no go, so my first impressions were performed on a Nexus 7.

Still it’s a great collection for Android, and now Windows Tablet and Phone fans can start the waiting game as we should see touch optimized Office apps arrive with Windows 10.

Microsoft Word on Google Play
Microsoft Excel on Google Play
Microsoft Powerpoint on Google Play