Following the update of the AOSP repository with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google has made available the Lollipop factory images for the Nexus Player (fugu) and Nexus 9 Wi-Fi (volantis) tablet.

The binary image files allow you to restore the two devices to their original factory firmware. Read more »

If you were waiting to play GTA V because it wasn’t available on PC or planning to purchase it again now that it is also arriving on the PS4 and Xbox One, there is some more good news (or news, if you are not into this stuff).

Rockstar has confirmed that the PC, PS4, and Xbox One version of the game will have a new first person mode. The game goes beyond just having a different camera angle but has been optimized for playing through first person mode, including new first person weapons mode alone with interior view of all the cars and other vehicles you will be driving. Read more »

Jawbone has announced two new fitness trackers, the entry-level UP MOVE and the top of the line UP3.

The UP3 is a fitness band that incorporates a wide range of sensors, including a tri-axis accelerometer, bioimpedence sensors, and skin and ambient temperature sensors. The sensors allow the band to track your heartbeat continuously throughout the day. Read more »

The freshly launched Nexus 9 got the iFixit teardown. The HTC-made slate received the poor repairability score of 3.

As expected, the iFixit disassembly of the Android 5.0 Lollipop tablet reveals a number of details. Read more »

Dropbox and Microsoft have announced that they’ve teamed up to make your mobile productivity experience better on iOS and Android. Soon the Dropbox app will work with Microsoft’s Office apps for the aforementioned platforms, and viceversa.

You’ll be able to edit Office files from the Dropbox app as well as sync changes across your devices. All edits will be automatically saved to your Dropbox. Read more »

If you were wondering what the first non-Nexus device to get the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop would be, we might have the answer today. And slightly unexpectedly, it looks like it won’t be a product from one of the big Android makers (in terms of sales). Rather, we’re talking about Nvidia’s Shield tablet.

The company best known for its graphics processors has published a video on YouTube in which it teases the upcoming update. The rollout time frame of “November” is mentioned quite a few times, so we’re assuming Nvidia’s engineers are pretty sure they’ll be able to pull it off. Read more »

Google has updated the Gmail app for Android to version 5.0 and has completely overhauled it, both visually and under the hood. The new app sports a user interface abiding to the Material Design standards, even on pre-5.0 devices.

The big functional change is that the Gmail app now supports 3rd party email accounts with POP and IMAP. This means you can add your Outlook, Yahoo or custom work email without any problems and eliminate the need for a separate app. Read more »

Amazon increased the price of its Prime service early this year but it keeps adding new features to make it worth the $100 a year. The latest addition is that Prime members get unlimited photo storage for free.

Photos go in the Amazon Cloud Drive where they can be viewed on various smart devices – from smartphones to certain Smart TVs from Samsung and LG and, of course, through Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. Read more »

Google has commenced pushing Android 5.0 Lollipop source code to the Android Open Source Project repository. In addition to the actual source code, the company has also updated the documentation behind it. It outlines all the changes that developers need to make in order to successfully build the latest version of Android for themselves.

Going under the title “lollipop-release”, the AOSP Lollipop version sports a build number LRX21M and a lot of hardware is covered in the device-specific repositories. We’re happy to see the first-generation Nexus 7 there. Read more »

Microsoft is discontinuing the Nokia brand for its smartphones and is in the process of renaming Nokia-branded apps to “Lumia”. Some apps have already been rebadged but for some it’s a little harder – Nokia Cinemagraph used to host shared images on memories.nokia.com, but that’s shutting down and “memories” will be deleted come January.

Cinemagraphs stored on your phone will not be affected but if you have any on the Nokia site you’ll have to manually download a copy. Read more »

The Google Calendar app for Android is the latest to get filled with Material Design. But its newest update is also packing a few new features, so it’s not all about the looks.

The new app is available today on Android 5.0 Lollipop – or, specifically, on the HTC Nexus 9 tablet, which so far is the only device to run the latest version of the OS. The app will, however, work on all devices running Android 4.1 or later. It’s expected to make its way to the Google Play Store “in the coming weeks”. Read more »

Today is the official launch day for the HTC-made Google Nexus 9 tablet. Of course you can go ahead and order one from the Play Store, in which case it will be delivered to you within two business days, but what if you don’t want to wait that long?

That’s where Best Buy comes in, as it turns out. The retailer is offering you the possibility to order a Nexus 9 from its website, and pick it up from one of its stores – today. Or tomorrow, if you so wish. But the point is that same-day in-store pickup is possible for the Nexus 9 at Best Buy. Read more »

AT&T has announced a bunch of phones today, but it apparently didn’t want to disappoint smartwatch fans either. So, the carrier has officially unveiled that it will sell both the Moto 360 and the LG G Watch R.

These are currently the only round smartwatches running Android Wear, Google’s spinoff OS for wearables. While the Moto 360′s display isn’t perfectly round, the one in LG’s effort is slightly smaller. Read more »

HTC has outed a Rapid Charger 2.0 travel charger, which supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology. It allows you to charge up your HTC smartphone 40% faster than the standard chargers that are included in the retail package.

The 15W Rapid Charger 2.0 accelerates the battery charging of the HTC One (M8), HTC One remix, HTC One (E8), and the HTC Desire Eye. Theoretically, the charger should work with other brand smartphones, which are compatible with Qualcomm’s charging technology. Read more »

We’ve seen bendable screens from both Samsung and LG but Japanese tech company Kyocera has been working on the problem since 2009. Kyocera’s concept is called the Proteus, which will be a smartphone that’s bendy enough to turn into a bracelet.

AMOLED seems to be the popular choice of display tech here, but Kyocera wants to take it further and create a bezel-less display with a physical keypad that appears and disappears on demand. Read more »