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Android 5.1.1 factory image for HTC Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi) goes live

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Google posted an Android 5.1.1 Lollipop factory image for HTC Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi). The firmware sports version number LMY47X.

The LTE-capable Nexus 9 is yet to receive the Android 5.1.1 treatment. Read more »

Leaked doc reveals HTC is planning on introducing ads into Blinkfeed

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HTC hasn’t been doing so well in the past few years, if you look at smartphone sales numbers as well as profits. But it looks like the company will soon try to make some money off its software too, and not just hardware. A leaked document purportedly originating at HTC shows us plans for introducing ads into Blinkfeed.

As you may know, Blinkfeed is the home screen newsfeed that’s built into HTC’s Sense UI that sits atop Android in all the devices it ships. Blinkfeed has been released into the Google Play Store a while back, allowing for faster updates. And now it looks like one such future update could bring with it ads. Read more »

AT&T launches its first own-brand tablet, the Trek HD with 4G LTE support

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AT&T is releasing a new Android tablet tomorrow, but it’s the first one to actually bear the carrier’s brand. The AT&T Trek HD is going to become available online on May 12, and in stores nationwide on May 15.

It’s an 8-incher with “HD” screen resolution (we’re guessing that means 1,280×800), a 5 MP rear camera, a 2 MP selfie shooter, and 16GB of expandable internal storage. Read more »

Now you can pre-register for upcoming apps on Google Play Store

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Google has updated the Play Store with a new feature allowing publishers to put their apps for pre-registration.

The feature will not only be helpful for users, who’ll get notified when the app is actually released, but also for app developers, as it will help them gauge interest in their apps prior to release. There’s also an Unregister button in case you no longer want to receive alerts. Read more »

Android reportedly overtakes iOS in mobile ad revenue for first time

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Android has for the first time surpassed iOS in terms of revenue generated from mobile ads, according to a latest report from mobile ad analytic firm Opera Mediaworks.

As per the report, Google’s mobile OS was responsible for 45.77% of the revenue generated from mobile ads in the first quarter of 2015, marginally higher than 45.44% brought in by Apple’s OS. BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows rounded up the top five with 1.96, 1.27 and 0.09% revenue share, respectively. Read more »

Best Apps and Games of the Week

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Here are some of the best apps and games that came out this week.

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Weekly poll results: LG G4 gets the fan love

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LG G4, company’s latest flagship, went official last week with a 5.5″ Quad HD display, Snapdragon 808 chip with a six-core processor, and improved 16MP rear camera with OIS, F/1.8 and 4K video. This year LG focused on the design and user experience instead of packing just the latest tech available and you can tell it instantly when you see the LG G4.

While the LG G4 didn’t turn out the powerhouse some hoped for, it surely gathered lots of positive first impressions. Last week, in the aftermath of the G4 premiere, we put it against the Galaxy S6, One M9 and iPhone 6 Plus in our weekly poll. The poll is now over and the results are in. Read more »

This is Samsung Gear Live booting Apple Macintosh II OS like a boss

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Samsung Gear Live is a smartwatch of many talents. In addition to booting Microsoft Windows 95 with no hiccups, the Korean giant’s first Android Wear device can also run Apple Macintosh II OS straight from 1987.

Just like in the case of Redmond’s mid-90s OS marvel, the Gear Live runs Macintosh II via an emulator. Read more »

In the UK, the HTC Nexus 9 is now available for just £199.99

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Now that it’s finally getting updated to the latest version of Android, perhaps the HTC Nexus 9 tablet might be an interesting purchase for you. If so, and if you live in the UK, you’re in luck – for there’s just been a price drop for the Nexus 9 over there.

You can now buy the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi-only model for only £199.99. That’s a great drop from the £319 level it launched at around six months ago. The downside to this is that there’s no telling how long this offer will last, so it might be gone tomorrow. Read more »

Amazon’s Fire Phone receives software update which includes Android 4.4 KitKat base

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The Fire OS developed by Amazon and which runs on the company’s Fire Phone is based on Android, as you may know. Up until today, though, it was based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. But with a new update, it’s jumped to Android 4.4 KitKat. So while we’re still a long way from a Lollipop base, this is a big step forward.

That detail however isn’t the only new thing that’s in this update – and, by the way, Fire OS still doesn’t come with any of Google’s services, so for most people the underlying Android version may not be that relevant. Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 gets Android Lollipop update

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Both the Wi-Fi-only as well as LTE-capable versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 are now in the process of receiving the update to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. This comes after the much higher-end Galaxy Tab S line has been running Lollipop for a while now.

It therefore seems that it’s finally time for such updates to trickle down to Samsung’s midrange tablets, starting with the Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 as you can see. Read more »

Second-gen Moto X gets yet another price cut in India

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The Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen) has received yet another price cut in India, where it is now being sold for INR 2,000 ($31) less than its usual price.

While the 16GB model is now available at INR 24,999 ($390), the 32GB variant will set you back INR 27,999 ($436). Both versions are available exclusively via Flipkart, which has not revealed the duration of the promotion. Read more »

LG G Watch Urbane gets an iFixit teardown

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The folks at iFixit have managed to get their hands on the new LG G Watch Urbane, which means it’s time for yet another teardown. The G Watch Urbane is LG’s latest smartwatch running on Android Wear and also the most expensive one so far.

Even though on the outside the G Watch Urbane has a shiny gold or silver finish with new leather bands, on the inside it is still pretty much the G Watch R. iFixit found that the Urbane was quite easy to repair, with the only issue being most of the parts being glued together to save space and seal the watch from dust and water. The problem with glue is it makes it harder to put the device back together the way it was. Read more »

Samples comparison between the Galaxy S6, S6 edge Sony and Samsung camera sensors

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The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge might be the current “top-dogs” of the mobile world, but that definitely doesn’t mean that they are perfect. Like all sophisticated tech, various problems are expected and the enormous attention towards Samsung’s latest creations has already led to the uncovering of a few hidden problems.

Yesterday, we reported that some S6 and S6 edge units have been spotted with Samsung’s own ISOCELL camera sensor, instead of the Sony IMX240. Read more »

New deal sees Facebook using Nokia’s HERE Maps on mobile

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Facebook has inked a deal with Nokia to bring the HERE Maps to the mobile version of its website, as well as to the Android versions of its Facebook Messenger and Instagram apps, according to a new report.

Although the companies haven’t yet officially announced the deal, when reached out for comment, a Facebook spokesperson said, “We are testing Nokia HERE maps across Facebook to give us more control and flexibility in delivering a consistent maps experience,” adding that “we’re testing HERE maps in Android versions of some of our standalone apps like Instagram and Messenger as well.” Read more »