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Google+ gets Chromecast support, becomes even more social

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Google has updated its Google+ Android app with Chromecast support. While the company isn’t saying anything about the new feature, it’s making Google’s social network app even more social by allowing you to share the experience on your TV.

The Google+ app joins the numerous Chromecast enabled applications. The social app makes images appear fullscreen with text on top. This makes flipping through galleries a very cool experience. Read more »

No tablets and laptops are allowed in Manchester United’s Old Trafford

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Football team Manchester United management has had enough with viewers coming to the Old Trafford stadium and bringing their tablets and laptops along. From now on, those two types of devices are prohibited from making it to the stadium.

While the press release states that the football club is responding to security intelligence obtained by the UK airports and wants to ensure the safety and security of all spectators, it’s safe to assume that blocking the view of others while trying to record the game or make a selfie is enough of a reason by itself. Read more »

XBMC gets modified to run on Android TV, works like a charm

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The popular home media center application XBMC (soon to be known as Kodi) is running on Android TV like a champ. Keyan Mobli, who’s part of the XBMC dev community reports that it wasn’t too much work to get it going on Google’s TV version of Android, which is due to launch in the coming months.

What you see above is a photo of XBMC showing on the Leenback Launcher of Android TV that’s running on ADT-1 (dev box for developers given at Google I/O 2014). Mobli shares that 1080p video playback is a breeze and everything is running flawlessly. Read more »

MIUI v.6 launches for the Xiaomi Mi 2 and Mi2S in a week’s time

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Xiaomi plans to launch an update for its Xiaomi Mi 2 and Mi 2S smartphones by the end of this week. The update in question is MIUI v.6, which was first mentioned at the launch of the Xiaomi Mi4.

The latest version of MIUI will sport a more simplified look that’s free of clutter. It’ll be sporting the popular “flat design” with a bunch of new features. Read more »

Samsung trademarks the Galaxy Note Edge, hints at a Note 4 with a three-sided display

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Samsung has been granted a trademark over the “Galaxy Note Edge” name, further suggesting the company plans to launch two versions of the Galaxy Note 4.

The Note Edge moniker is strongly indicative of what has been confirmed by a previous company patent – a Note 4 with a three-sided display. Well, we can now safely call this one a Galaxy Note Edge. Read more »

XDA-modified YouTube app allows playback with the screen off

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Playing YouTube videos with the screen off has been a highly requested feature for a very long time and finally you can have it today. Thanks to the work of an XDA developer theos0o, who has modified the YouTube 4.4.11 apk file, the feature is now a reality.

The nice thing about the modified app is that you don’t need to have root privileges on your device. Simply uninstall the existing YouTube app by visiting the Play Store (you can always re-install it later on), then side-load and install the modified YouTube app. Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Alpha to get a 64GB version as well

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Samsung already showed off the metal-clad Galaxy Alpha in Russia over the weekend sporting 32GB of built-in storage. Interestingly, SamMobile claims to have information that confirms the phone is also gong to launch in a 64GB variant.

The Galaxy Alpha doesn’t feature a microSD card slot and considering its high-end metal posture, it’s logical for Samsung to consider a 64GB version, too. Read more »

Weekly poll: Six-way camera shootout

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The time has come for another weekly poll of ours. This time we up the ante and turn the poll rivalry to eleven (minus 5). In the spirit of our recent flagship camera shootout, we’re asking you which out of the mighty six you think is the best in four distinct categories.

The contestants are the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3, Sony Xperia Z2, Oppo Find 7, Nokia Lumia 1020 and the Apple iPhone 5s. They’re competing in over four categories – best camera features, daylight image quality, low-light image quality and video recording quality. Read more »

HTC Flounder/Volantis premium specs leak again, confirmed by South Korea certification authority

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The upcoming HTC Nexus 8 tablet has visited the rumor mill again with uprising Twitter leakster @UpLeaks sharing some of its key specifications. The slate, which has been called Volantis and Flounder before, is called by him the T1 and appears to have gone through a certification process in South Korea.

As far as specifications go, the HTC T1 will be one of the first to feature the 64-bit Nvidia Tegra chip, 4GB of RAM and will run Android L out of the box. Read more »

Philips launches affordable 28″ 4K monitor for $599

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Philips is launching a budget-oriented 28-inch 4K monitor (3840 x 2160 pixel resolution). The company’s asking price for the high-resolution monitor is $599/€599, making it one of the most affordable 4K displays out there.

The Philips 288P6LJEB outputs the UHD resolution at 60Hz and comes with VGA, DVI, HDMI 1.4 (with MHL support) and DisplayPort 1.2 connectivity. Read more »

Google updates Search and Play Music apps

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Google has launched updates for its Search and Play Music apps, bringing some additional features that won’t remain unappreciated.

Starting with Search, Google has enhanced the support for deep app linking and search within them. However, these features require developers to implement them first within their apps. Read more »

Moto 360 smartwatch appears in a ton of photos, confirms steel build and wireless charging

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A fresh set of Moto 360 photos has hit the web showing the device next to the LG G Watch. It was rumored that the Moto 360 could be made out of plastic instead of steel, but these photos debunk those reports.

In one of the photos portraying the back of the Moto 360, a text reads that the smartwatch is made of Stainless Steel 316L. The watch also features wireless charging and is devoid of any charging pins, unlike the LG G Watch and the Gear Live. Read more »

Sony Xperia Tablet Z3 spotted in Indonesia Postel website, anticipated to debut at IFA 2014

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An upcoming Sony Xperia Tablet has been caught in a listing on the Indonesia Postel website. The tablet sports a model number SGP621, which suggests one thing – Xperia Tablet Z3.

The original Xperia Tablet Z sports the model number SGP321, while its successor carries the model number SGP521. There have been rumors that the upcoming Xperia Tablet Z3 is going to be smaller than its predecessors with an 8-inch display. Read more »

Microsoft to launch a Windows 8.1 update next week, but don’t call it “Update 2″

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Microsoft is scheduling an update for Windows 8.1, but has unequivocally stated that it’s not going to be called “Update 2″, as rumors were suggesting. That’s because the company doesn’t want to wait longer in order to build a more comprehensive update pack, and strives to release the fixes and new features as soon as possible.

With that in mind, the not-Update 2 includes the usual set of security fixes in addition to some new features. The Start menu isn’t making its long-awaited return in this one, but rather in the upcoming Windows Threshold release. Read more »

Putinphone 2 aims to for the Oligarchs’ choice award

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Italian luxury brand Caviar has launched a successor of its limited edition Putinphone, and it was only logical since all 44 units of the first one were sold out in just one day. The Putinphone 2, however, sports a titanium back engraved with the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and 499 units will be made.

Based on the iPhone 5s, the Putinphone 2′s full model name is the Caviar iPhone 5S Ti Supremo Putin. And it costs the cool $3,320 (RUB 119,000). Read more »