Breathe new life into your “obsolete” smartphone by using it as a smart home gadget

Just because your old smartphone is a couple generations old doesn’t mean it can’t be put to good use. When you get down to it, even the most outdated phone is still a palm-sized computer stuffed with advanced sensor tech. So instead of throwing it away or reselling it for less than what you paid originally, why not repurpose it?

There are dozens of incredible Android and iOS apps that can transform your phone into a useful smart home fixture, as well as a myriad of low-cost “appcessories” that can add extra functionality to your device. Below you’ll find a quick roundup of the best ones around.

Manything (iOS)

Manything is a free iOS app that can convert your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a Wi-Fi-connected security camera. Then, you can use a second iOS device as your mobile monitor or opt to keep an eye on things from the Manything webapp. But it’s more than just a security camera; it’s also got it’s own IFTTT channel, so you can link it to a huge range of webservices and connected devices. For example, if you’ve got Philips Hue lights in your house, you could set them to turn on automatically whenever Manything detects motion — making your phone act as both a motion-activated smart switch and a handy home-security tool that makes it look like someone’s home.

Salient Eye (Android)

Much like Manything, Salient Eye turns your phone or tablet into a network-connected security cam; the only big difference is that it works with Android devices instead of Apple ones (though an iOS version is in the works). It’s completely free to download and use and comes with a boatload of useful features, such as auto-capture on motion detection, email and text alerts, a sound alarm, and a decent chunk of free online storage space. And the best part? It works with any phone running Android 2.2 or higher, so no matter how old your brick might be, it’ll still be able to run the app. Just don’t expect crisp, 1080p video playback from your first-gen Samsung Galaxy.

Cloud Baby Monitor (iOS)

There are a handful of different of baby monitor apps in the App Store, and while the vast majority of them are nearly indistinguishable from your average security cam app, there are a few that boast advanced features and functionality that set them apart. Cloud Baby Monitor is one of those apps. In addition to live-streaming video footage, the app also supports two-way audio transmission so you can hear (and talk to) your baby; musicplayback so you can play your little bundle of joy a lullaby; and adjustable brightness controls so you can keep an eye on the crib in complete darkness.

Dormi (Android)

For a one-time price of just seven bucks,Dormi will take any Android phone or tablet running Gingerbread version 3.2 or greater and put its Internet connectivity and advanced video and audio sensors to good use. Once you’ve got it installed, you just plug the device into the wall and let it run like a regular baby monitor. From there, you can use your primary phone to monitor audio or video at any point, or simply configure the app to send you automatic alerts when your baby wakes up. It constantly senses ambient noise in a given room, so as soon as your little monst — err, bundle of joy — wakes up and starts crying, you’ll know.

Bemo (iOS/Android)

Designed by Arizona-based startup WiseLabs LLC, Bemo plugs into your old iPhone or Android device and transforms it into a fully functional smart thermostat. The device itself is only about the size of a credit card and works as a sort of bridge between your phone and the HVAC wiring in your wall. Once you’ve got it all rigged up, all that’s left is to download the Bemo app and fire it up. WiseLabs’ custom-built software can perform just about all the same functions you’d find in a purpose-built smart thermostat from Nest, Honeywell, and the like — remote control from your main smartphone, smart scheduling, habit learning, energy monitoring, and even proximity-based activation settings that can turn on the heat or AC before you get home.

Rico (iOS)

Rico doesn’t necessarily need a smartphone in order to function, but when you pop in one of your old devices, it transforms into a highly-capable smart home hub. On it’s own, a slew of embedded sensors allow the device to operate as a motion detector, thermometer, humidity sensor, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, and even an Internet access point for connected devices. If you happen to have a dusty old smartphone to put inside, however, you can give Rico a handful of additional functions. Put one inside, and the device can take advantage of your old phone’s speaker, microphone, HD camera, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, and processor.

Lenovo third-quarter profit beats estimates on smartphone boost Lenovo's Q3 net income declined 4.6 percent to $253 million, but the company came in better than expected after its Motorola acquisition.

Lenovo recorded a drop in third-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates as it expanded its footprint in the smartphone market.

The China-based PC giant announced Thursday that net income for the quarter ended December 31 was $253 million, a 4.6 percent decline from the $265 million recorded a year ago -- but better than the $182.4 million average analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

As the first quarter to include acquisitions of Motorola Mobility and IBM's x86 server business, both of which closed in October, the third quarter represented the first test of the company's push into areas beyond consumer PCs.

Lenovo's mobile unit, which includes products from its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, topped 10 million smartphone shipments for the first time. The unit, which also includes Android tablets and TVs, recorded sales of $3.4 billion in the quarter, an increase of 118 percent from the year-ago period. Combined with the Motorola unit, Lenovo had a 6.6 percent global marketshare, a 78 percent increase over the previous year's quarter.

The company expects the Motorola unit to return to profitability in the next four-to-six quarters, thanks largely to its re-entry in the China market. Lenovo, already the No. 2 smartphone maker in China, is positioning Motorola to compete with high-end smartphone makers Apple and Samsung.

Lenovo's PC unit, which typically accounts for most of the company's revenue, shipped 16 million units in the quarter, a 4.9 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. The company commands a 20 percent share of the market but expects consolidation for the quarter.

"This quarter, we are at the starting line of a new race, but the results show that we have the right strategy, we made the right acquisitions and we executed well globally, so I am confident we are ready to win," Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang said in a statement. "The two newly acquired businesses are achieving great momentum in their first quarter of integration. They are definitely becoming our growth engines."

Companywide, Lenovo's revenue came in at $14.1 billion, a 31 percent increase over the year-ago period and outpacing the $13.5 billion average of 20 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Lenovo's $2.1 billion acquisition of IBM's x86 server lineup put Lenovo in third place in the worldwide x86 server market behind HP and Dell. Speaking with Reuters, Yang said last year that the deal opened a new "growth engine" for his company and that he expected the x86 server business to generate sales of $5 billion in its first year.

Along with Lenovo's $2.9 billion deal to buy Motorola and its smartphone business, he said the moves achieved the goal of expanding the company's grip in three key markets -- PCs, servers and smartphones.

Samsung patent showcases new dual-edged screen design

With MWC 2015 closing in fast all eyes are on manufacturers to usher forth their new device lineups. Samsung's next flagship S device - the Galaxy S6 has long been in the rumor mill and is still expected to make its first appearance at the Barcelona venue this year.

While we have a somewhat clear idea of the , which should be powered by an Exynos 7420 SoC with 3GB OF RAM, there are bigger, still unanswered questions, mostly concerning its physical appearance and new features. New additions to the next S-line leader supposedly include an aluminum body, much like the ones in Samsung's recent A series as well as a new line of advanced back panel accessories, like e-ink displays and camera optics.

But perhaps, most exciting of all is the possibility that a variant of the new Galaxy S6 will come equipped with a curved display, just like the Galaxy Note Edge and even go a step beyond with a double-edged panel. The interesting device will most probably be named Galaxy S Edge and might have more than a few tricks up its sleeve, that is if a recent patent leak is to be believed.

The document in question showcases an interesting new take on the edged concept and might just hint at what we can expect from the Galaxy S Edge. The screen in the sketch is indeed curved on both sides, but it extends all the way to the back of the device. Unlike the screen on the Galaxy Note Edge, which is only usable when the device is facing upwards this new idea might just allow users to interact with the additional GUI space even when the phone is facing down.

This opens an array of new possibilities. The cleverly-positioned extra space will most likely be used for notifications and quick toggles and media controls, but other interesting use-cases are sure to emerge.

It is also worth noting that the leaked patent showcases another new feature, described simply as "Pop-up. From the looks of it there is a panel on top of the device that the name suggest will perhaps pop-out of the device. Nothing is really known about the feature yet and what functionality it will bring, but it is also worth mentioning that not every patented innovation makes its way on to the production line.

The sketch might just give us a general idea of what the highly-anticipated Galaxy S6 might look like. On the other hand it could be absolutely unrelated and pertaining to entirely future-planned features and designs. For now all we can do is wait and hope the Korean tech giant will unveil the new technology at MWC next month.

Meizu MX4 and MX 4 Pro to get Android Lollipop in March

Meizu is reportedly working on a new Flyme OS version based on the newest Android 5 Lollipop. It should bring all the Lollipop optimizations and will incorporate Google's Material design for a flat and more beautiful UI.

Both Meizu MX4 and Meizu MX4 Pro will be getting the update, though they are a long way from completed.

Meizu plans to start an open beta for the new ROMs this March and everyone will be able to test the new software package.

Currently both MX4 and MX4 Pro are running on Android KitKat and are getting regular software improvements via firmware upgrades, especially the MX4 Pro. It's nice to see Meizu working hard to bring the latest available Android OS available.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge to debut on March 1

It's official - Samsung is holding its Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event on March 1. The company's press event is going to focus primarily on its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6. In the teaser image below, however, you can see the company will also introduce a product with a distinctive curve in its design. Could we be looking at a Galaxy S Edge?

The latest pieces of evidence point that the Galaxy S6 will feature a 5" QHD Super AMOLED display and draw power from the Exynos 7420 chipset with octa-core CPU and 3GB of RAM. At the back, the flagship will feature a heart rate monitor and a 20MP snapper. You can check out the design of the phone's back in a set of case photos from Spigen.

Additionally, the phone will likely pack a metal frame, just as the teaser image hints. Akin to the Galaxy Alpha, this will benefit the phone's profile making it measure 143.5 x 70.7 x 7.2mm as per leakedschematics of the device.

The curved variant of the Galaxy S6 might be called simply Galaxy S Edge. It remains unclear at this point if two of the screen's sides will be curved or just one. A patent showcases that Samsung has figured the technology out on making double edge happen.

HTC One (M8) getting Lollipop in India as we speak

The HTC One (M8) is receiving its Android 5.0 Lollipop update in India. We received a screenshot of the system update changelog and it's based around the 4.18.720.8 firmware which amounts to 574.17 MB. That's less than the 780MB update users received in Europe although the changelog doesn't state a difference.

Users will get the Lollipop HTC Sense experience with a redesigned notification area will pull-down quick settings toggles, the carousel recent apps with bigger cards, the new Lollipop lockscreen, a search button in the settings menu and many other little and big improvements.

HTC is steadily upgrading its One (M8) - it has been receiving the firmware update to the latest Android version since last month but some devices will get a delayed update due to some issues HTC and Google are working on.

Snapdragon 810 Windows Phone devices coming in 2015

Whether or not Qualcomm is having troubles with the Snapdragon 810 chip, there is no denying it is one of the powerhouses of the season and people are looking forward to devices utilizing it. LG kicked off first with the S810-running LG Flex, but we expect many more flagships with the same hardware to premiere on the MWC in a few weeks.

Meanwhile Microsoft and Qualcomm will be continuing their partnership and they confirmed we can expect Windows Phone devices to run on Snapdragon 810 later this year. The Snapdragon 810 chip offers an octa-core 64-bit processor (4x Cortex-A57 and 4x Cortex-A53), console-like graphics and full 4K support thanks to Adreno 430 GPU, plus LTE Cat.9 support for up to 450 Mbps downlink.

Here is the official quote from Qualcomm's press release:

"Microsoft and Qualcomm’s long standing collaboration has allowed the two companies to offer compelling business, imaging, and entertainment experiences with Lumia smartphones running on Windows Phone," said Juha Kokkonen, general manager for portfolio and product management at Microsoft. "We look forward to continuing this relationship to deliver best in class Lumia smartphones, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processors, and offer an unprecedented combination of processing power, rich multimedia, high-performance graphics and wireless connectivity for our customers."

Microsoft has announced a unified Windows 10 platform across all of its devices and deep Xbox One integration, including game streaming to other devices (such as Sony's Remote Play). The latter would definitely require powerful hardware and stable internet connection, so the Snapdragon 810 look like a logical choice.

Anyway, the MWC 2015 is upon us and we should be seeing a plethora of top-notch gadgets premiering there. Hopefully Microsoft shows us something interesting as well.

Moto X (2014) gets 1 million pre-orders in China in a few days

Last week Motorola officially started taking pre-orders for the Moto X (2014) in China, following the company's reentry into that market, which was announced earlier.

The latest Moto X went up for pre-order in China on January 27, and it seems to have become quite a hit over there. That's because Motorola's Chinese arm has unveiled that as of February 1 it has already received more than one million pre-orders for the device.

So the new Moto X is clearly going to be quite a success in China when it will finally be released. Speaking of which, it's still unclear when exactly that will happen.

When reading about pre-orders in China, you need to be aware that generally speaking these work differently over there than they do in other places. Most of the time, to pre-order (or reserve) a handset in China you do not need to make any payment at all - that will happen when the product you're trying to buy arrives in stock. This of course means that some fraction of the people who pre-ordered those one million Moto X units may change their minds and not purchase it after all.

Lollipop finally makes it onto Android distribution chart

The latest monthly State of Android report from Google is upon us today. The numbers that follow have been collected for a 7-day period ending today.

The big news is that, for the first time ever, Lollipop has appeared in the Android distribution chart you can see below. Although the newest version of Google's mobile operating system has been out for a few months, it's only now starting to be seen on more than 0.1% of devices. OS releases that are under that threshold aren't shown in the chart.

Compared to the January report, Android 4.4 KitKat has grown from 39.1% to 39.7%, and it's still in the most used version of the OS if you count the three different Jelly Bean releases separately. Otherwise, Jelly Bean leads the market with a 44.5% aggregate share.

Ice Cream Sandwich has dropped from 6.7% to 6.4%, Gingerbread from 7.8% to 7.4%, while Froyo has interestingly held still at a measly 0.4% of the market.

Now that more and more smartphone makers and carriers across the world are in the process of making Android 5.0 Lollipop updates available for their devices, the latest iteration of the OS should start growing in the charts we'll see in the following months.

Motorola shipped more than 10 million handsets last quarter

Motorola shipped more than 10 million smartphones during the last quarter that ended on December 31, 2014. Lenovo Group announced the achievement in its third quarter earnings report for the fiscal 2015.

Shipments of Motorola smartphones are up a whopping 118% on an annual basis. The Chicago-based company added a $1.9 billion to the revenue of Lenovo Mobile Business Group.

Overall, sales of Lenovo Mobile Business Group were $3.4 bullion. However, the pre-tax income of the division came in at a negative $89 million. Lenovo announced that Motorola is on track to become profitable within 4-6 quarters after the acquisition.

Adding Motorola to its portfolio made Lenovo “a truly global player.” The Chinese giant is the third largest smartphone vendor with 6.6% market share.

Thanks to solid performance from its PC and server businesses, Lenovo recorded a consensus-beating $14.1 billion of revenue. The company’s Q3 pre-tax income before non-cash M&A-related accounting charges rose 8% to $348 million.

This year promises to be even better for Motorola, as the company is about to reenter the Chinese market. Earlier today, we found out that the Moto X (2014) has raked in 1 million pre-orders in only a few days.

Apple iOS 8.2 beta 5 goes out to developers

Apple iOS 8.2 beta 5 is now seeding to registered developers. The 258MB large update is available over-the-air or through the iOS Dev Center.

The latest iOS developer build brings bug fixes and improvements. Version 8.2 is going to be a major release when it goes live because it will bring support for Apple Watch to the platform.

Speaking of Apple Watch, the icon for the wearable’s companion iPhone app made the rounds on Twitter as did the settings screen for the device. Details on the application leaked out last month.

The Apple Watch settings screen is showcased in the device’s human interface guidelines page. See it below.

The Apple Watch settings app (click to enlarge)

Last week, Tim Cook announced that the Apple Watch will become available in April. Apple will probably release iOS 8.2 around that time as well. The Cupertino giant just outed iOS 8.1.3 last week.

Microsoft launches Office for Android, Outlook for iOS and Android, updates OneDrive

Under its new leadership, Microsoft has embraced other Mobile platforms and Office for Android is officially available starting today (having gone through a preview stage). Also, it’s bringing Outlook to Android and iOS and updating the OneDrive apps to handle photos better.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Android tablets offer an “unmistakably Office experience”, which means the Ribbon UI.

The apps support what you’ve grown to expect from their desktop counterparts, including Track changes and comments in Word, formulas and PivotTables in Excel and transitions and embedded video in PowerPoint.

The requirements for the apps are – a tablet with a 7″ screen or more, an ARM processor with 1GB or more RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. Lollipop is not officially supported yet though the apps should still work. If you have one of the few 10+ inch Android tablets, you’ll need an Office 365 license to create and edit.

Windows RT is not dead yet, says Microsoft

If you are among the owners of a Windows RT tablet, you may have wondered whether about the future fate of Windows RT devices and whether they might get updated to Windows 10 eventually.

It turns out Windows RT devices will get updated with some of the features of the upcoming OS, but not the OS itself.

Even though Windows RT appeared as the OS of choice on a few quite capable tablets, it never managed to gain traction mostly due to the lack of support for x86 desktop applications.

Today, it’s mostly outphased by a slew of tablets running proper Windows 8.1. Even Microsoft’s own last year pet device – the Surface Pro – offered the full Windows experience instead of Windows RT.

A new report however suggests that Microsoft has not turned its back on Windows RT as we previously thought. An editor at WinSuperSite.com contacted Microsoft on the matter and he was told that Windows RT will not be upgraded to Windows 10, but they will get an update that will offer some of the functionality of Windows 10.

By all means, that doesn’t suggest there is a bright future ahead of the now well-forgotten OS, but it’s good to know there still some mileage left in the old clunkers, isn’t it?