Telltale Games is releasing the second episode of its ‘Game of Thrones’s game on the mobile platform on February 5, two days after it releases on the desktop and consoles. Unlike the first episode, Episode 2 will launch simultaneously on iOS and Android.
Episode 2, The Lost Lords, continues from where the first one left off and is the second in the six part series. The game takes between the end of season three and the beginning of season five of the show, which itself is based on the books by George R. R. Martin.
Episode 2 will be available for purchase for an additional $4.99 as in in-app purchase, provided you have the original game. You can watch the trailer for the new episode below.
In the past, Samsung has hosted its Unpacked events at Mobile World Congress (MWC) as well as in the US, but this time around, that won’t be the case, as the South Korean company has confirmed that there will be no US-based Unpacked event this year.
In a statement to Sammobile, the tech giant said, “Samsung has no plans to host an Unpacked event in the US,” adding that those who are not traveling to MWC, can watch the event via livestream atyoutube.com/SamsungMobile.
The Burj Al Arab silhouette has become iconic for Dubai and the self-titled “world’s only 7 star hotel” celebrated its 15th anniversary (it opened December 1999). Instead of 15 candles on a cake, the Burj went with 15 bespoke gold iPhones.
Crafted by Gold & Co London (which had previously supplied the hotel with golden iPads), the commemorative iPhone 6 units come in Yellow and Black Gold.
OnePlus, the Chinese team behind the famous OnePlus One smartphone is definitely no stranger to promotions. After a more than interesting social-retail campaign for Black Friday and another one for the company’s one year anniversary the team is now happy to announce that their Twitter account officially reached 200,000 followers.
Naturally this is an opportunity to celebrate and what better way than giving out 20,000 free invites to purchase the OnePlus One handset. The small, start-up style company has been battling to handle the massive interest towards their device by implementing an invite purchase system.
ARM announced a trio of high-end components, which are bound to be part of the next generation of mobile chipsets. The brand-new ARM Cortex-A72 CPU, Mali T-880GPU, and the CoreLink CCI-500 interconnect will feature in top-shelf mobile devices in 2016.
The 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU is going to be the successor of the Cortex-A57. The newcomer is 3.5x faster than the Cortex-A15 generation, yet it consumes the same amount of energy. Cortex-A72 will use 75% less power than 2014 Cortex-A15 devices under similar workload.
A report in the Korean media suggests that Samsung is preparing to launch a new payment system alongside the Galaxy S6. Samsung has lured in Visa as one of its main partners for the new payment system.
The Apple Pay competitor is going to be based on the LoopPay technology, which enables customers to pay at sale terminals by touching LoopPay-enabled cards.
Verizon quietly listed the Motorola Nexus 6 as ‘coming soon’ in its online store. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint are already selling the Android 5.0 flagship phablet in the United States.
There is no exact timeline on the release of the phablet just yet. However, Verizon has put up a page where overly anxious users can sign up for updates on the Nexus 6 availability.
Nexus 6 will be latest high-end device by Motorola to appear on the shelves of the Big Red. Verizon is already offering the highly capable Motorola Droid Turbo, as well as the 2014 Moto X.
The Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini has now become official, and it's the new world's thinnest smartphone. The device was teased once back in January, when we first heard it would dare to take that crown away from the Vivo X5 Max, the previous holder of the "world's slimmest" title.
And now it has. The Ivvi K1 Mini is just 4.7mm thin, which is 0.5mm less than the X5 Max and 1.5mm less than the Oppo R5, which has now become the world's third thinnest handset.
Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini
The Ivvi K1 Mini won't be a high-end offering, it will instead have midrange specs, paired with a "baby skin" texture on its back, which should not attract any fingerprints.
The phone will sport a 4.7-inch touchscreen (resolution is still unknown), an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing shooter, and a 1,800 mAh battery. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit SoC (probably with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU), aided by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. 4G LTE support will be in too.
The Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini will be available in China in white for starters, for an asking price of CNY 1,299, which right now translates into approximately $207 or €180. It's unclear whether it will ever officially be offered in other markets.
The Nokia Lumia 2520 joined the Microsoft Surface and Surface 2 on the list of very good looking tablets running a very bad Windows RT operating system. As much hype as there was for Nokia to finally build a Windows-powered tablet, the company’s decision to stick to Windows RT made this tablet a DOA product. Windows 10 does paint a much brighter picture for mobile tablets running the operating system, and today we have good and bad rumors for fans of the Lumia 2520.
When I’m trying to read my iPhone (or iPad) in bed, I’m liable to wake up my spouse with the device’s backlight, even when the screen is set to its lowest brightness setting. Moreover, it’s hard for me to fall asleep immediately after staring at a relatively bright screen.
Up until last night I thought I was just out of luck unless I installed flux, which would never be worth the security and stability issues raised by jailbreaking a device. Fortunately, Olivier Lacan commiserated and relayed a tip that iPhone’s accessibility settings can be lightly abused to decrease the strength of the backlight below its lowest setting. (We’ve known the hardware is capable of this given that iBooks has always allowed you to.)
Because the Lifehacker guide Olivier linked was a bit hard-to-follow, I figured I’d help by illustrating a how-to do this with a few GIFs.
How to do it
First, go to Settings → General → Accessibility → Zoom, like so:
Second, toggle Zoom on, then do a very fancy triple tap with 3-fingers. This will bring up a translucent modal configuration overlay. From this overlay, tap “Choose Filter” then “Low Light”. Finally, drag the Zoom slider all the way out, like so:
(The “Low Light” feature is what sets the hardware brightness dimmer than the setting allows, while zooming out completely will prevent the “Zoom” feature from actually, you know, zooming.)
Third, tap away from the modal, then tap “Zoom Region” and select “Full Screen Zoom”, like so:
Finally, go back to the top-level Accessibility settings, scroll down, and assign the “Accessibility Shortcut” to “Zoom”, like so:
Huzzah!
Now, when you triple-tap the home button you’ll see your screen dim to previously undimmable levels of dimness. To return to the default settings, just triple-click your home button again.
Here is a comparison with two photos — one taken at minimum brightness and one shot with Zoom enabled after being configured with the above instructions:
As you can see, it’s a significant difference when you’re in a dark room.
Hopefully this guide helps you when your setting calls for an even-dimmer-than-dim setting!
We all know that the Facebook app is one of the biggest and most resource-hungry apps on Android. But it seems like Facebook is finally admitting it as well, by releasing a new version of the app called Facebook Lite. Intended for lower-end and older Android devices, the more streamlined app might also be the solution to your sluggish Facebook woes, no matter which phone you have or where you live.
If Facebook is too bulky for you, why not try Facebook Lite?
For starters, Facebook Lite is much smaller: at just 252 KB, it pales in comparison to the 130 MB of the regular Facebook app. You read that right: Facebook Lite is one five hundredth the size of the standard app.
The app has been designed to run on Android devices with far lower specs than the usual flagship devices and has been released as a trial in various Asian and African countries. Despite rejigging the main app last year for emerging markets, Facebook evidently realized even more elbow grease was required.
Facebook Lite may be pared back, but it's 1/500th the size of the regular app
Facebook Lite also works on poor quality internet connections, meaning that regardless of where you are, if you're using Facebook Lite you'll get more Facebook out of the Lite version when your Wi-Fi or data signal drops. From what we can see there are also no auto-play videos in the stream either.
The Lite app is based on Facebook's feature phone service Snaptu, but you'll still have access to push notifications and other indispensable Android features like camera integration and chat.
All the essential Facebook features are present in Facebook Lite.
How to download Facebook Lite
Facebook hasn't made any official announcement yet on the app, and this may just remain a trial that never sees a wider release, but there's nothing stopping you from grabbing the app and installing it right alongside the normal Facebook app right now to see what you think.
If the above Play Store link doesn't work for you, simply grab the Facebook Lite APK and install it yourself. You'll have to have Unknown Sources enabled in your security settings for this to work though.
It's definitely worth a look in any case: who wouldn't want a less resource-hungry Facebook app with a smaller storage footprint and better data management?
WhatsApp has finally integrated voice call functionality into the world’s most popular instant messaging app. The WhatsApp call feature hasn’t arrived to everyone, so don’t be surprised if you don’t yet have the added functionality, but rest assured, it is coming, and soon. The story was broken onReddit, when a user by the name of Pradnesh Patil (pradnesh07) posted some screenshots showing a Calls tab in the app and later a video showing the functionality in action.
All you need to do to get the new feature is download the latest version of the app (v2.11.508) viaWhatsApp’s website and sideload it (you’ll need to enable Unknown Sources in your Security settings first) and get yourself an invitation to use the new feature from someone that already has it.
You’ll also need to be running Android 4.4 KitKat (although WhatsApp voice calling has also been reported by some users running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean). The most success seems to be coming from Lollipop-based phones though.
Several attempts have been made to understand the invite system, because not everyone seems to be able to activate the new feature, even with the new version, an invite and KitKat on their phone. Nevertheless, the feature has been confirmed by multiple users and doesn’t seem to be geo-specific or server based.
There is another way for rooted users to force the feature onto their phones, but it is a bit of a pain, as you’ll need to be connected to your PC and open a terminal every time you want to WhatsApp call someone (until it is enabled permanently for you).
Just open a terminal emulator and enter the following command:
su -c am start -n com.whatsapp/com.whatsapp.HomeActivity
The official Samsung firmware for the Galaxy S4 has been pushed in Russia, bringing Android 5.0.1 Lollipop to the device. This means the international rollout is not far away either. But you can get Android 5.0.1 on the Galaxy S4 right now, by following our install tutorial below.
Enable USB Debugging in Settings > Developer Options (in case you need to troubleshoot later)
Backup your essential data for safe keeping. Here's how to backup everything on the Galaxy S4 (without root)
Install Lollipop on Galaxy S4 instructions
1. Unzip the downloaded firmware zip file on your computer.
2. Launch Odin.
3. Reboot your Galaxy S4 in download mode (Volume Down + Power + Home button).
4. Connect your Galaxy S4 via USB cable to your computer and wait for Odin to recognize it (a blue box should appear next to ID:COM).
5. Make sure only Auto-Reboot and F.Reset Time are checked in Odin.
6. Make sure Re-Partition IS NOT CHECKED.
7. Click the AP button and locate the tar.md5 file in the unzipped firmware file and hit Start.
8. Wait patiently until the procedure ends and do not disconnect your S4. It may take a while.
9. You should see a green PASS message when successful.
10. Once your Galaxy S4 restarts, you should be running Android 5.0.1 Lollipop!
Restore any backed up data and if you get stuck in a bootloop or encounter some buggy behavior, reboot your S4 in Fastboot (press and hold Volume up + Power + Home) and use the volume keys to navigate and Power button to access Recovery Mode. You wan to clear cache partition and then reboot.
If you have any major bugs at startup, do a factory reset on your Galaxy S4 from Recovery Mode and then restore your data again.
Surprising everyone, Verizon has today unveiled that it's the first US carrier to push the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop to the Samsung Galaxy S5. This smartphone has so far been updated to Lollipop in other parts of the world, and now the new software finally makes it to the US. Furthermore, it makes its debut at a carrier that really isn't known for swiftly releasing such updates.
The update seems to already be rolling out over-the-air to all Galaxy S5 units sold by Verizon. If your phone hasn't notified you about it yet, then it should do so within the next few hours or days. If you're running low on patience, you can manually check for the update from the Settings menu.
It looks like you'll first get a smaller update which will prepare your handset for the bigger one, which should follow immediately after the first one is installed. The Lollipop build is LRX21T.G900VVRU1BNLC.
As you might have expected, this means you'll get Material Design on your Galaxy S5, as well as a slightly improved iteraton of TouchWiz, Samsung's UI overlay. The new Recents menu is in too, as is the Interruptions feature that replaces Silent mode. The colors are bolder all-round, and the whole experience should be smoother thanks to the use of the new Android RunTime (ART) instead of the old Dalvik virtual machine.
The MWC is right around the corner, and an unexpected Lenovo flagship appears to be in the pipelines, ready to be launched at the March event. Leaked images accompanied by hardware specs have made their way to Chinese social network Weibo.
Lenovo Vibe Z3 Pro
The Lenovo Vibe Z3 Pro is powered by the top-end Snapdragon, and 4GB of system memory is present, hitting the chipset's ceiling. A generous 64GB of onboard storage should be sufficient, but the previousVibe Z2 Pro had a microSD slot, so this one might too.
The new device is equipped with a 5.5-inch QHD display which is a step back from the 6-inch screen of the predecessor. Still, many users find 5.5 inches to be the sweet spot for a pocketable device offering enough screen estate. The predecessor featured a huge 4,000mAh battery, which didn't impress in screen-on time, so we'll see how this one fares with 3,400mAh and a smaller display.
Lenovo has put quite a lot of effort into the main camera. It packs a 16MP sensor with optical image stabilization and laser focusing. The flash has no less than three differently tinted LEDs. Another welcome appearance is the hardware shutter button, a rarity these days.
Lenovo Vibe Z3 Pro camera and shutter button
The device is rather good-looking too, with glass and metal all over. The brushed aluminum back has been inherited from the older generation, but the gently curved edges have been replaced by a chiseled aluminum frame. The front is all glass and unfortunately keeps bezel size a mystery at this point.
The Lenovo Vibe Z3 Pro will launch on Android 5.0 and is expected to be officially announced at the MWC in the beginning of March.
The Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 4 may be getting slowed down by Gear VR support, but the Galaxy Note Edge has yet to receive Android 5.0 too (the Gear VR is not compatible with the Edge). An XDA-Developers member has a beta version of an official Android 5.0.1 build and has shared it with the community.
It's a build number XXU1BOA2 and is very recent – from January 27 – but it has issues to be ironed out. One user reports a deep sleep bug, so it's recommended that you set the minimum CPU frequency to 300MHz to mitigate the issue.
Beta version of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
You'll also need to backup your device, one user had success with flashing the ROM without a full wipe, but there are no guarantees. The ROM can be flashed with Odin 3.09 and you can also throw in CWM and root (with SuperSU).
The Android Lollipop ROM is reportedly smoother than the KitKat software that currently powers the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. You can find more details about the ROM and how it behaves - not to mention the download links - by following the source link. This ROM isn’t officially released for a reason, so flash it at your own risk.
Samsung begun seeding the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the Galaxy S5 in December. Naturally the update was compatible with the Snapdragon 801-powered model and the first country to taste it was South Korea.
The update continued to roll out in stages through Poland, Spain, UK, among other countries. Verizon's Galaxy S5 users were the most recent to get the anticipated upgrade.
As of today Samsung has started to update the Exynos-powered G900H Galaxy S5 model too. The first market to get Lollipop is Kazakhstan, but we expect more countries to get the new firmware very soon.
In case the Kazakhstani ROM works for your device, you can grab it from the link below.
Android 5.0 brings a host of improvements to Samsung Galaxy S5. The OS is TouchWiz-ed with just a pinch of Material design, so the user experience will not be dramatically different from the one in version 4.4. However, thanks to the brand new ART runtime, you should feel a noticeable improvement in the responsiveness of the device.
Earlier today, when Samsung sent out invites for its Galaxy Unpacked 2015 media event, it didn’t reveal anything, except for a teaser image suggesting a curved screen flagship. However, it’s all but confirmed that the Galaxy S6, as well as its curved screen variant, the Galaxy S Edge, would be unveiled at the event.
Although we’ve had reports detailing information such as specs, features, as well as the price of the flagship, none really touched upon the colors it would be available in. But now, Sammobile is reporting that the Galaxy S6 as well as the Galaxy S Edge will be available in four different colors: dark blue, blue-green, gold, and white (shown in the image below).
While Gold and white are common for Samsung flagships, dark blue too isn’t exactly new. However, blue-green is something we’ve yet to see on any of the company’s flagships. Needless to say, these colors are not officially confirmed, so take the information with a pinch of salt.
The reports regarding the Nexus 5's death have been greatly exaggerated.
Google crazy good and crazy cheap smartphone was finally resuscitated and marked "for sale" on the Google Play store yesterday in both 16GB and 32GB options. For the last couple months, Google has let its 6-inch phablet monster, the Nexus 6, be the flag bearer for the pure Google smartphone experience. Now that the Nexus 5 is back, we all once again have a sanely sized (and sanely cheap) smartphone option.
Android has always had a bit of a problem getting all its smartphones around the world running the latest and greatest operating system—and Lollipop is no exception.
According to Android, Lollipop is officially on the board with only 1.6 percent install base over say 40 percent using KitKat (or even the 7 percent using Ice Cream sandwich). Google's latest software has been out in the technological wild now for about three months, and many smartphones from HTC and Motorola's Moto X (2014) are still struggling to push out updates to their users.
But at the very least, Lollipop has more installs than 2010's Froyo
