Dolphin Zero is a Browser for the Privacy-Conscious

Need to clandestinely browse the web? We all do from time to time, but if manually clearing browsing data takes too much effort, there’s Dolphin Zero, an app for Android from the creators of Dolphin Browser. Essentially a stripped-down version of Dolphin with a focus on privacy, Dolphin Zero does not retain the information internet browsers typically do; things like history, form data, passwords, and cookies are deleted automatically. To further protect from unwanted data collection, the built-in search function directs queries to the privacy-conscious DuckDuckGo, and “Do Not Track” flags are enabled by default.

Assuming you have a device running Android 2.2 or later, Dolphin Zero can be downloaded for free from the Play Store.

 

Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dolphin.browser.zero

Koush Releases AllCast App To Google Play, Brings Local Video Casting To Many Devices

Android developer Koushik Dutta, of CyanogenMod and ClockWorkMod fame, announced today the arrival of his new AllCast application onto Google Play. Previously in beta, the app allows local media content to be pushed to a wealth of popular devices, like new Xbox consoles, Roku 3, and Apple TV. Google’s Chromecast remains unsupported in the app due to Google’s continuing developer limitations, which have been documented quite publicly since the HDMI dongle’s release this past summer. Koush could only say that he “hopes” Chromecast support will arrive some day.

Here is the full list of currently compatible devices:

• Roku
• Apple TV
• Xbox 360, Xbox One
• Samsung Smart TVs
• Panasonic Smart TVs
• Google TV (Logitech Revue, etc)
• DLNA Renderers

The app does not require root access and is free on the Play Store, with a $4.99 in-app purchase to unlock the “premium” version, which removes ads along with some casting limitations.

Go grab it!

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.cast

Asus Teases Dual-booting Something or Other for CES

With CES around the corner, expect to see a tease or two per week from companies looking to steal some of the spotlight from competitors or at least make us pay attention for a minute. Asus is one of the first up with this new clip that dropped over the weekend. It features the Statue of Liberty throwing up deuces to tell us that it has a product that can do two things. The product appears to be a tablet of some sort, or convertible laptop-to-tablet dealio, which also flashes green and blue as a potential sign that we’re looking at Windows and Android.

We have seen a couple of dual-booting Android-Windows combo devices over the years, none of which seem to have really caught on. But Asus certainly seems to be into this dual-everything idea. They already have an all-in-one PCs that boots both Android and Windows, plus we’re all very familiar with their Padfone concept of having one device to power both a phone and tablet. Maybe whatever they have in store for CES will finally be the ticket.

Dual-booting devices, are you interested

 

Source: Droid Life

So, the Nexus Q Sort of Still Lives, Gets Unofficial Kit Kat Build

That big, beautiful, overpriced, never-could-do-much-before-Google-killed-it-anyway, sexy orb-ish ball sitting at the top of this post isn’t quite dead yet. The Nexus Q does indeed unofficially live on for the couple of thousand people who still own them or at least have one sitting around the house being put to use as a weighted object. Thanks to developers, an “unofficial” build of Kit Kat (Android 4.4) “based on CM11 from repo sync” has been ported over to the device. Yes, Kit Kat on the Nexus Q!

The build is said to be “experimental,” but the only issues listed are sporadic stuttering here and there in Google Play Music and the inability to install Chrome through the Play Store. Since this is Android, you can sideload the .apk just fine. And uh, that’s pretty much it. The magical mystery ball known as the Nexus Q is half-way alive and well should tinkering be of interest.

In order to get yourself into some Nexus Q Kit Kat, you’ll have to know adb commands and how to boot a custom recovery, flash a couple of .zip files.

Speaking of the Q, and I know this will never happen, but why can’t Google issue it one more update to turn it into a Chromecast or something? It probably doesn’t make sense to spend the resources on an individual or two to make that happen, but all I’m asking for is one last update to at least give it functionality again. Then forget it forever. There are a few of us out there who still want to use it, have speakers that work wonderfully with it, and could get extra Google service use through it should it work.

 

 

Source: Droid Life

Greatest Samsung Commercial Ever.

I seriously can’t tell if it’s meant to be as bad as it is because it just keeps going and going, but you know what, I just don’t care. This is hands-down, without a doubt, Samsung’s finest commercial to date even if it was unintentionally made to be so. As our reader put it, “so cringeworthy it’s newsworthy.”

I hope Aimee and Jack can make it to the Galaxy S5 unveiling to relive this on-screen magic like only Jack and Aimee can. Please, Samsung, bring them. Please bring the single man’s guide to picking up women with a Galaxy Gear too.

“Want to see something cool?”

So, are you GEARed up? Haaaaaa.

 

Source: Droid Life

[New Game] No Brakes Valet

The titular valet in No Brakes Valet isn’t quite as bad as the famous garage attendant from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He is, in fact, a professional. And he’d be well on his way to the Valet Hall Of Fame… if it weren’t for an apparently religious opposition to using the brake pedal. It’s the sort of minor personal hang-up that can really sink a career in vehicular services.

No Brakes Valet was originally an OUYA title, though it comes from slightly notable indie developer Captain Games, of Enviro-Bear 2010 and BEEFWAR fame. The objective is to park a series of cars in a tiny parking lot without using brakes. To say that the game is difficult is to miss an opportunity to use adjectives like “soul-crushing” and “digitally cruel,” but it’s all in a sense of fender-bending fun, spurred on by the developer’s standard Microsoft Paint graphics. That said, moving from a controller to a touchscreen can’t do No Brakes Valet any favors.

Most cars can (and will) be parked anywhere, but you’ll get a curveball every once in a while with a dignitary or a handicapped parking space. Road hazards include buildings, water traps, and moose. You’ll need a keen eye for physics and a distinct lack of concern for other people’s property to win. No Brakes Valet is a reasonable $3 on the Play Store with no in-app purchases.

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.expb.valet

[New App] News+

We’re coming up on the 6-month anniversary of the shutdown of Google Reader; and while some people might still be a little jaded about losing the beloved service, most have moved on to one of the many alternatives that popped up to replace it. Several great feed aggregators exist, many offering innovative improvements over Reader, but their mobile apps may not fit your needs. The developer of gReader, noinnion, intends to solve that with the release of News+, a feature-rich and very customizable news reader app with support for several services.

Development on News+ started over 6 months ago, around the same time gReader added support for Feedly. Users of gReader should feel right at home with the new app since many of its features can be found in both. News+ includes podcast support, text-to-speech, notifications, multiple viewing modes, offline reading, 2-way sync, and even a Tasker plugin.
The interface is both phone and tablet optimized, and it shares Night Mode and many of the same themes with its predecessor. Widgets aren’t currently available, but they will be coming with a future update.

News+ was designed to enable reading content from all of your news aggregators and Read Later services. The only service included out-of-the-box is Google News, but additional extensions can be installed from the Play Store or sideloaded to gain access to many other sources. There is also an API on Github for building extensions, so we’ll surely see more options in the future. Aside from the mysterious absence of Feedly, the list of extensions is already pretty good:

• Google News (included)
• InoReader (Play Store)
• BazQux Reader (Play Store)
• Tiny Tiny RSS (Play Store)
• FeedBin (Play Store)
• NewsBlur (Play Store)
• Pocket (Play Store)
• SubReader (sideload)
• Reedah (sideload)
• CommaFeed (sideload via Github)
• Google Reader API Clones (sideload via Github)

You can pick up News+ free on the Play Store, and it’s even open-source on Github, but an unlock key is required to remove the ads and enable all of the features. Without the premium key you’ll be limited to a single extension (in addition to Google News) and you won’t have podcast support or the Voice Reading mode. Of course, paying for the unlock key will also help to fund future development.
If you like gReader but want to try out one of the other services out there, you should definitely give News+ a try!

 

 

Download: News+

Download: News+ Premium

[New App] LEGO® Building Instructions

LEGO licenses out a new video game every other week these days, but let us not forget that this brand still consists of more than adorable animated characters acting out our favorite movie scenes. These are building blocks, and if you still want to spend hours meticulously crafting a plastic masterpiece at home, LEGO is just as eager as ever to make that happen. The company has now provided instructions for building the LEGO TECHNIC Hot Rod or Rally Racer in a convenient, and free, app format.

The app lets you pick which of the two cars you wish to build, pan around, zoom in as needed, and view animations to confirm if you’re doing things correctly. But – and this is a big ‘but’ – you will need a tablet to make use of this visual aid, and not just any tablet, you need an older one.

LEGO® Building Instructions is in continuous development to ensure its availability on a wide range of devices. Currently the app is optimized for the following devices:
● Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
● Nexus 7 first generation

 

That’s right, LEGO says you need either an original Nexus 7 or a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet in order to use the app. Though, on the other hand, we’ve found that there may be some wiggle room here, as one of us has an aging Galaxy Tab 8.9 that’s also supported. Yay?

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lego.buildinginstructions

[New Game] Ratchet and Clank: BTN

The Ratchet and Clank series has been around for over a decade now, spawning one hit platformer after another. Stars Ratchet and Clank have appeared in multiple racing games and thrown a few punches in the fighting game, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but there’s one genre that they have yet to appear in, one that’s nearly a requisite these days – an infinite runner. Sony’s latest mobile release, Ratchet and Clank: Before the Nexus, addresses this issue head-on.

Before the Nexus features characters from the latest PlayStation 3 entry in the series, Into the Nexus, including enemies Vendra, Neftin Prog, and Thugs 4 Less. Ratchet will hop along grindrails, dodging threats and collecting bolts that can upgrade his weapons and armor. He will also collect Raritanium, which players can sync via a PSN account and use in the console title directly.
You can use real money to buy bolts if collecting them the old fashioned way proves too time-consuming, but aside from that, the game is free to play. Get it below.

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playstation.ratchetnexus

EU law to require standard battery charger for mobile devices

While most mobile devices today ship with the same microUSB battery charger, at least in Europe, where the EU insisted a few years ago that manufacturers comply with this particular demand, it appears that’s not enough for the European parliament.

A new EU law will be soon signed, and it will require all companies that sell mobile devices in the region to use the same standard battery charger. While it’s not clear what the standard will be, we’re most likely looking at microUSB chargers for the future, no matter what generation they’ll be – just recently, we heard that a new, reversible microUSB connector is going to replace the current one, so we would assume that’s going to be the new standard.

So far, there’s a provisional agreement on the common charger, which will likely be signed into law next March. From then on, EU members will have two years to adapt local laws, while manufacturers will get an additional year to comply.

The move, whose scope is to limit the “unnecessary waste and cost for consumers,” may negatively affect Apple, which has its own charger for mobile devices, the Lightning that replaced last year the old 30-pin dock connector. It’s unclear at this time whether Apple will be allowed to offer European customers adapters with their new iOS device purchases or whether it’ll have to change ports on the devices it sells in Europe.

Android device makers will probably be largely unaffected by the EU’s new proposed law, as many of the current devices already sell bundled with microUSB chargers.

 

 

Source: Android Authority