‘Moto G’ link appears on Motorola’s website, has since been removed

 

Just last week a new Motorola trademark showed up for the name “Moto G”. Since then we’ve heard several reports claiming that Moto G will be the official name for the upcoming budget version of the Moto X, previously called the Motorola DVX.

In reality, we have yet to see any real proof that Motorola plans to use the trademark name anytime soon – until today.

A little over an hour ago the first reports came in revealing that Motorola’s website had been updated to include a button labeled “Moto G”. Clicking the link would bring users to a non-existent webpage “www.moto-g.com”.

As these kinds of “accidents” go, it didn’t take long before the link was completely removed, but it certainly got our attention. Although the mishap doesn’t prove the Moto G’s launch is imminent, it certainly lends credence to the idea.

So what do we actually know about the Moto G (aka Moto DVX)? Nothing officially, though the rumor mill claims the device will have a 4.5-inch ‘non-super AMOLED’ display, a dual-SIM slot, removable colored backs and the same X8 computing system found on the Moto X. We have also heard that pricing for the Moto G (DVX) will be around $200 – $250 outright.

It seems hard to believe that Motorola could offer the phone for such a low price considering it doesn’t seem terribly different from the existing Moto X – so speculation is certainly advised. Perhaps Motorola will actually cut back on the processors for the Moto G, too? Only time will tell for sure.

What do you think, would you be interested in a lower-cost version of the Moto X or are you more interested in picking up the Nexus 5 when it arrives?

 

Source: Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy Round is pleasing to hold and swipe, nothing remarkable

 

The saying goes “to see is to believe”, but, in some cases, “to hold is to believe” is probably more appropriate. That does seem to be the case with the Samsung Galaxy Round, which, despite the odd appearance, turned out to be quite acceptable, if not almost too plain.

 

This hands-on comes via Engadget, who was able to snag a device indirectly from Hong Kong, since the curious-looking smartphone is available only in Korea, at least for now. The Galaxy Round sports almost the same specs as the Galaxy Note 3 save the slightly lower battery. Also missing, of course, is the all-powerful S Pen. This makes the Galaxy Round nothing but a less capable Galaxy Note 3, whose only selling point will be it’s curved shape. The question on everyone’s mind is, of course, whether that alone will be enough to sell the device.

And it’s not as if that curvature has no purpose. The folks over at DisplayMate definitely don’t think it’s a simple gimmick, arguing that the concave curve actually helps increase readability through the combined effects of reducing reflection and increasing magnification. And Engadget did seem to find the device’s curves quite a nice fit not only in their pants’ pockets but also in their hands. The curve also made swiping across the screen easier and smoother. There’s seems to be some basis to Samsung’s TV spot after all. Then, of course, there’s the Roll Effect available for quickly taking a peek at notifications, though it is unfortunate that it is the only one that takes advantage of the device’s unique shape.

The Galaxy Round may have some benefits, but that will unlikely never make it across to the smartphone-using population, considering the device is reportedly not really being distributed quite extensively, making it reek of an expensive prototype. Even with the LG G Flex, it’s quite hard to tell if this is simply the beginning of a new and hopefully more innovative trend or if it is just a flash in the pan.

SOURCE: Engadget

[New App] ESPN Fantasy Hockey

October is the perfect storm for American sports fans: Baseball fans have the World Series, basketball fans have the opening games of the season, and football fans are just getting a good look at the playoff scenario. Against this triple threat, hockey fans (especially those in the United States) tend to get the short end of the stick, so to speak. ESPN is bucking that trend: today they posted the very first build of the network’s official Fantasy Hockey app to the Play Store.

 

If you’re into fantasy sports, this is familiar territory for you: get a bunch of fans together, form a league, have a draft, then watch your digital player simulacrums duke it out week to week. The Android app has all of the major features of ESPN’s online Fantasy Hockey service, including live fantasy scores, starting/benching players, adding or dropping players, and trading with fellow league members. There’s a league message board and the typical sports coverage and fantasy-flavored analysis that seems to be standard for fantasy apps.

 

The app itself seems to conform more to ESPN’s own televised interface than Holo, and it also includes in-network advertising, but it’s bad form to complain too loudly for a free service and app. ESPN Fantasy Hockey is available for Android devices running 2.3 or later.

 

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.espn.espnfantasyhockey

Verizon Galaxy S4 Update to Android 4.3 With Galaxy Gear Support is Live

 

Verizon’s Galaxy S4 is now receiving Android 4.3 in a brand new update that went live moments ago. The update was approved this morning, bringing along Galaxy Gear Support, band 4 LTE, and some other tweaks along with the most current version of Android (for the time being) to Samsung’s 2013 flagship. We’re as surprised as anyone to see this update arrive first on a Verizon phone before any other carrier, but you won’t find us complaining.

To download the update head into Settings>More>About phone>Software update.

 

 

Source: Droid Life

WIND Mobile briefly posts up a pre-registration page for the Nexus 5

 

A little over a week ago the LG Nexus 5 made a surprise appearance on Google Play’s website, though it wasn’t too long before the page was pulled right back down. Whether a mistake or intentional trolling on Google’s part, it certainly got our attention.

Now a similar move has been made by the Canadian carrier, WIND Mobile.

Just a few hours ago, WIND Mobile took to their Facebook page, posting up a pre-registration page for the LG Nexus 5. As you see in the screenshot above, the page had the tagline “Google Nexus 5. The smart, new phone made to capture the moments that matter”.

We all know that Google has yet to unveil the Nexus 5, so it was only a matter of time before the page was pulled down. With the page gone, it’s possible that this was yet another teaser or someone at WIND Mobile just messed up and posted the page ahead of schedule.

What’s interesting about the pre-registration page was that, during its brief time online, it listed what it claimed to be official device specs: •Screen: 4.95-inch 1920×1080 display (445 ppi) Corning Gorilla Glass 3 •Cameras: 1.3MP front facing 8MP rear facing OIS •Weight: 130 grams •Dimensions: 69.17 x 137.84 x 8.59 mm •Operating System: OS Android 4.4, KitKat •Chip Set: 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor •Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ncNFC (Android Beam) / Bluetooth 4.0 •Storage / Memory / Ram: 16GB or 32GB internal storage 2GB RAM •Ports & Connectors: microUSB, SlimPort enabled, 3.5mm stereo audio jack, Dual microphones, Ceramic power and volume buttons

Now we are left wondering: did WIND Mobile simply gather up the already rumored specs and use the existing leaked press image, or are the Nexus 5’s specs finally confirmed? It’s really hard to say for sure – though at this point I’d say that it seems pretty likely that these specs will hold (mostly) true.

While we don’t know exactly when Google plans to unveil the Nexus 5 or Android 4.4 KitKat, at least tomorrow’s Google Google+ event should tide us over with some (hopefully) interesting Google+ news.

 

 

Source: Android Authority

Huawei is now third in global smartphone market share for Q3

 

Samsung and Apple continue to be at the top of global smartphone market share, but there’s a new number 3. Huawei has overtaken LG, according to estimates from Strategy Analytics. Huawei now owns 5.1% of sales, while LG is at 4.8%, a switch in positions from Quarter 2. This isn’t the first time Huawei has appeared at this position, but while LG continued to grow during Q2, Huawei grew even faster. Researchers attribute the rise to the Ascend P6 and the mainstream G610, particularly in China.

Otherwise, Samsung still leads the world with a 35.2% share, with Apple still in second place with 13.4%. Click through the break to read the full official press release from Strategy Analytics.

 

Samsung & Huawei Outperform as Global Smartphone Shipments Reach Quarter-Billion Units in Q3 2013

According to the latest research from our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, global smartphone shipments grew 45 percent annually to reach a record 251 million units in the third quarter of 2013. Samsung captured a record 35 percent share of all smartphone volumes worldwide, while Huawei jumped into third place in the rankings.

Global smartphone shipments grew 45 percent annually from 172.8 million units in Q3 2012 to 251.4 million in Q3 2013. This was the first time ever that smartphone shipments exceeded a quarter-billion units in a single quarter. Smartphones accounted for 6 in 10 of all mobile phones shipped worldwide. The smartphone industry’s robust growth is being driven by strong demand for LTE models in developed regions like the US and 3G devices in emerging markets such as China.

Samsung grew 55 percent annually and shipped a record 88.4 million smartphones worldwide, capturing a record 35 percent marketshare in Q3 2013. Samsung shipped over two times more smartphones than Apple during the quarter. While shipments of the flagship Galaxy S4 model softened, solid demand for the new Note 3 phablet and for mass-market devices like the Galaxy Y helped to lift Samsung’s volumes.

Apple shipped 33.8 million iPhones worldwide in Q3 2013, up from 26.9 million a year earlier. Apple grew just 26 percent annually during Q3 2013, which is around half the overall smartphone industry average of 45 percent. Apple’s global smartphone marketshare has dipped noticeably from 16 percent to 13 percent during the past year. Nonetheless, we expect Apple to rebound sharply and regain share in the upcoming fourth quarter of 2013 due to high demand for its new iPhone 5s model.

Huawei was a star performer as global shipments grew 67 percent annually to 12.7 million units in Q3 2013. Huawei captured 5 percent marketshare and became the world’s third largest smartphone vendor. The popular P6 and G610 models have been among the main drivers of Huawei’s success. Huawei remains very strong at home in China, but its position is less robust in other major markets like the US and Europe. Huawei will need to expand aggressively in the American and European markets if it wants to seriously challenge the big two of Samsung and Apple next year.

Other findings from our research include:

* LG shipped 12.0 million smartphones worldwide for 5 percent marketshare in Q3 2013. LG grew 71 percent annually, making it the fastest-growing vendor among the top five brands. LG has been expanding rapidly in Europe, but China and India remain weak spots;

* Lenovo shipped 10.8 million smartphones worldwide for 4 percent marketshare and fifth position in Q3 2013. Lenovo is popular among mass-market consumers in China and it is expanding internationally. Two of the world’s top five smartphone vendors came from China — Lenovo and Huawei.

The full report, Huawei Reaches Third Place as Global Smartphone Shipments Reach Quarter-Billion Units in Q3 2013, is published by the Strategy Analytics Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/bps9qhr.

 

 

Source: TalkAndroid

Facebook Home Receives Update – Brings Instagram and Pinterest Support, Plus New Icon

 

Facebook pushed out an update to Facebook Home yesterday, which includes support for users of Instagram and Pinterest, as well as a fancy new Home icon. Other services, such as Flickr and Tumblr, also received support for the third party launcher app.

 

The app still behaves the same, replacing your current lockscreen with a steady stream of status updates and pictures from your friends on Facebook. What was funny to us is that since Instagram now supports ads, will you have to see the sponsored posts on Facebook Home, as well? That remains to be seen.

 

Here is the changelog taken from Google Play.

What’s New:

◾Use the Home app just as your lock screen or as your lock screen and app launcher

◾Updated app launcher

◾See photos and posts from Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr on your lock screen

 

Is anyone using this still?

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.home

[New Game] DEAD TRIGGER 2

 

Madfinger’s Dead Trigger was undoubtedly one of last year’s premier mobile games. It brought forth elements that were previously only seen on consoles: quality graphics, a decent storyline, and gameplay that involved more than throwing birds at a some repurposed Jenga blocks. It was (and still is), a gamer’s game.

 

Like with all popular games, we all expected a sequel. Something more immersive, with better gameplay, more features, a deeper storyline, and the like. Madfinger has been teasing Dead Trigger 2 for some time now, which should offer all of the above features, and now it’s finally available. Right now.

 

This game is packed to the gullet with guts (much like a normal human being, I suppose), guns, and action. You’re once again fighting for your life against hordes of undead, but this time you’re not alone. DT2 brings about a whole new level of gameplay, as you’ll actually have to team up with other in-game NPCs to complete specific missions.

 

While the living companions in themselves bring a whole new angle of gameplay, there are new undead to face, as well. Bigger, stronger, more undead-ier, they’re ready and willing to eat your face. And torso. And legs. But not your feet. Fun fact: even zombies hate feet. Crazy, I know.

Dead Trigger 2 is a free game in the Play Store, and much like last year’s title should feature what I assume will be fairly reasonable and optional IAPs. Hit the link to start playing.

 

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madfingergames.deadtrigger2

[New Game] Ghost Toasters – Regular Show

 

Combatting ghosts in difficult work. The Ghostbusters have been doing it since 1984, and frankly, they’re tired. Lately Luigi has tried to pick up the slack, choosing to confront them head-on with his Poltergust 3000, rather than flee like his attention-hogging brother. Yet at the end of the day, there are too many ghosts for one plumber to handle, so Nintendo’s taking a break, and Cartoon Network is bringing in the cast from Regular Show to stop a ghostly invasion in the mobile platform shooter, Ghost Toasters.

 

There are 13 characters to choose from, which should cover most of the usual stars of the show. Each has their own unique attacks and upgradeable skill tree, and you will need to master them all to fully complete the game. If that sounds overly complex, remember, this is a mobile platformer based on a cartoon – you really shouldn’t be worried about depth.

 

There are costumes to unlock, power-ups to acquire, and all manner of collectibles to occupy your time with. The game costs $2.99, and there’s no free version to demo, so this is clearly a title aimed at current fans. If you’re out there, it’s time to toast some ghosts.

 

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.turner.ghosttoasters

[New App] Microsoft Dynamics CRM

 

 

Microsoft has been showing a little more love to Android as of late with the release of apps like Remote Desktop and Xbox Music. Now the business set is getting some attention with the new Dynamics CRM app.

 

If you’ve never heard of Dynamics DRM, you probably don’t have any use for it. CRM stands for customer relationship management – it’s a tool for tracking sales, supporting users, and managing business relationships. This is an enterprise app with narrow appeal, but high value. Businesses that use CRM tools tend to rely on them heavily.

 

A Dynamics CRM license starts at $65 per user per month. If you don’t work for a company that uses Dynamics CRM, feel free to go about your day. In fact, why did you even read this far?

 

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.crm.crmhost