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Earlier today, a Samsung device under the codename Project KQ surfaced. It features specifications that would align itself with the long-rumored premium Galaxy S smartphone. Now, on the Zauba shipping database in India, a corresponding Samsung model number has appeared. The Project KQ model number is believed to be SM-G900. The model number on Zauba is SM-G906K. The original model number is probably the basis for different variants of the device; therefore, the SM-G906K may have slightly altered specifications for some regions or different radios for certain carriers. With jaw-dropping specifications, Samsung may have another grand slam on its hands. Source: Zauba …

With so many smartphones on the market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a company to distinguish their device from others just based on a leap forward with hardware specs. More companies are turning to customizations of the operating system to enhance how users interact with a device. We already saw Motorola do this with some of the unique features they incorporated into the Moto X last year. Amazon appears to have figured out this same strategy as their forthcoming entry into the smartphone market uses a combination of sensors and customizations to Android to produce some unique interface improvements. As we know, Amazon is planning to include several camera…

Last month we learned Sony was working on rolling out an update that would include improvements first seen at MWC 2014. Sony has announced that they have started to roll out the update. The Sony SmartWatch 2 device which is currently supported by about 400 apps is also being updated with a couple new editions for buyers to choose. Sony has partnered to get the SmartWatch 2 to be the official accessory of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and in recognition of that has released a special “Brazil” edition of the smartwatch. Sony has also launched a “Business” edition. One of the biggest new features Sony incorporated into their new update is customizable watch faces. These can be…

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/3e6e20a4f2162ec2a0d895fc631988bd.jpg The Xbox One has a major PS4 problem, recent sales numbers have revealed, with sales of Sony’s new console sales seriously outpacing Microsoft’s. While Sony has recently announced that it sold 7 million PS4 units, Microsoft was only able to say it shipped over 5 million units to stores, without saying how many of them have actually been sold. Forbes says that in order to prevent Sony from further widening the gap, and winning the early Xbox One vs PS4 war, Microsoft has to cut the price of the Xbox One. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Apple on Tuesday issued a new update for its wildly popular mobile operating system. iOS 7.1.1, which is available immediately over the air (OTA) and should show up soon as a download through iTunes, is a minor update with bug fixes that follows Apple's last major release, iOS 7.1. The update is compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s and iPhone 4, as well as recent iPad and iPod touch models. Apple's brief change log for the iOS 7.1.1 update follows below. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

So let's say you've decided to cut the cord on your expensive pay TV service and get all your favorite shows over the Internet. Which apps will you need the most on your connected television? NPD Group has just come out with a new survey of connected TV users and has unsurprisingly found that viewers see Netflix as their most essential app for TV watching. However, Netflix isn't the only TV app that cord cutters love and the rest of NPD's survey on popular TV apps contains some surprises. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/9a878b51605dbf28dd85b26e8e0719db.jpg The marriage between Google and Nest just got even more official. As Android Police points out, Google has started selling Nest thermostats on its Google Play store starting at $249. And given that it's Earth Day and that Nest is an eco-friendly, energy-saving thermostat, Google says that it will plant a tree for every Nest unit sold on Tuesday. Nest, which was founded by former Apple exec Tony Fadell, was acquired by Google earlier this year for $3.2 billion. Earlier reports have indicated that Google isn't interested in Nest just for its smart thermostats but also for its team's design pro…

Samsung was rumored more than once to be actively developing a plan to break away from Google’s Android mobile operating system and release devices powered by its own Tizen platform, but that has not happened yet. Considering that Samsung and Google have inked an important partnership earlier this year, it’s highly unlikely that Samsung will ditch Android anytime soon. But there’s one more reason the company may be far from actually making it on its own in the mobile business, a new survey suggests: Samsung's own software apps rarely become instant hits with customers. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Acclaimed writer and director Joss Whedon is responsible for several cult classic TV shows including Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he is known more recently for writing and directing the blockbuster smash, The Avengers. Whedon has been known to experiment in his films and with new distribution methods, and his latest project could be one of his most interesting experiments yet. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Google has released a new major update for its Android chat application, Android Police reports, including several interesting features. Hangouts 2.1 for Android brings SMS improvements and a homescreen widget, Google’s Mike Dodd wrote on Google+, with the main feature of this update being Merged conversations. Starting with Hangouts 2.1, SMS and Hangouts conversations with the same recipient will be merged into a single conversation. A switch will let users choose what kind of message they want to send, and different message types will be easily spotted. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/c035cc495177408f704be6708cf3bab8.jpg Apple has been further extending its company trademark to cover the “jewelry and watches” category in many countries it operates in, MacRumors reports, in addition to registering "iWatch" trademarks on some markets. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

In the market for a new tablet? Listen up. Sony’s Xperia Z2 Tablet has finally been made available for pre-order through the company’s online store. The price tag reads $499 for 16GB of storage or $599 when opting for 32GB. While it may seem expensive, the Xperia Z2 Tablet does pack some punch. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 3GB of RAM sits inside and the display, which is 10-1 inches, features Sony’s TRILUMINOS technology. Also, it is water and dust resistant and ships with Android 4.4 right out of the box. Not bad when you are getting all of that. Do you plan on purchasing the Xperia Z2 tablet? If not, what tablet do you have your eyes on? Sour…

It appears that Google may have inadvertently leaked a screenshot of an updated Dialer application. The official Nexus twitter account posted a screenshot in response to a user’s question asking how to access a call’s duration. Pictured above, the new look for the dialer application is on the left while the current version is on the right. While this may be an extremely subtle change, it is just the latest in Google’s push to add color to its stock applications. Just over a week ago, we got a supposed leak indicating that Google was also adding a splash of color to its calendar application. Along the same lines, we got another leak indicating that in addition to o…

This cannot be sitting well with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine over at Beats. According to Billboard, the Beats Music streaming service is not performing anywhere near to what was expected after the first 100 days. And it does not look like things will be getting any easier as Spotify will be partnering with Sprint with its Framily plan. Beats Music’s partnership with AT&T has not seemed to pay off. While Spotify boasts around two million subscribers, Beats Music’s subscriber count is said to be in the “low six figures.” Yikes. It is understandable that Beats Music is not beating Spotify, but it is alarming just how far behind it sits. For the Super Bowl, Beats spent a …

At the time of the Galaxy Note 3 Neo launch, the device did not come with Android 4.4 KitKat, which was a little disappointing for some users. Not only that, but because of the fact that the device was not a flagship, users were worried it wouldn’t get the Android 4.4 update for a while. Well, it seems that users didn’t need to fear after all, as Samsung has started pushing out the update. So far the update is only being pushed out in Korea, but it should be available in other countries soon. The Android 4.4 KitKat update will feature many of the same upgrades that were present on the Galaxy Note 3, including white status bar icons, improved battery life, full screen a…

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!! Apple vs Samsung Expert witness claims Apple’s damage calculations are wrong Apps Domino’s Pizza now allows you to pay with Google Wallet Google updates Hangouts app to version 2.1 Google leaks new Dialer screenshot via Twitter Beats Music subscriber count is real low, not everyone is feeling the beat Carriers AT&T offering off-contract, certified like new Galaxy S 4 for $179 Chromecast …

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/cc00b1c8ce3948f72211e39cbffcea6c.jpg Apple is taking innovation to the office space with Apple Campus 2, a development that will house some of the tens of thousands of Apple employees that live in and around Cupertino, California. In the latest video, Apple proclaims that it has "a shot of building the best office building in the world." The mothership, as the circular building is colloquially know, was designed with Stanford in mind, another campus that Steve Jobs visited frequently and remembered fondly. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

In the past few months, rumors have been heating up that Apple will begin taking TV more seriously with a refreshed Apple TV. Apple has been negotiating with Comcast about the next-generation Apple TV, and earlier this month, Comcast hinted in FCC filings that Apple is working on a set-top box. According to respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will release an updated Apple TV later this year. In advance of this rumored launch, 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple has added three new channels to its current Apple TV: A&E, The History Channel, and Lifetime. This brings popular shows such as Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars to Apple TV customers. While a subscription is required,…

Samsung's brand new flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone is barely a week old but it has already seen a substantial price cut in the third largest smartphone market in the world. The new Samsung hero phone recently went on sale in India at Rs. 51,990 ($860) off contract. When HTC's new HTC One (M8) launched in India on Monday for 49,990 ($827), however, the cost of Samsung's new Galaxy S5 was immediately slashed as a result. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Samsung’s newly launched Gear wearable devices, including the Gear Fit smartwatch, will be very expensive to repair according to a new report from ZDNet Korea reports. The publication has learned that any malfunctioning or broken Gear wearables will have to be turned in for repairs, with users unable to simply order a replacement screen or component to fix a device themselves. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs famously went on a tirade against Flash back in 2010 when he said that the video technology was on borrowed time and would soon be replaced by HTML5. While Flash is very much still with us four years later, Rapt Media CEO Erika Trautman thinks that HTML5's time has finally arrived. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Google announced today that it is now rolling out a new update for the Google Glass that brings two new features, namely SMS for iPhone and Calendar Glassware. The SMS feature now allows iOS users to receive text messages on their Google Glass, just like their Android counterparts. To get started, all you have to do is go to the Bluetooth settings of your device and turn on “Show Notifications” for your paired Glass. However, you won’t be able to reply back due to certain limitations with iOS. As for the Calendar Glassware, it is a new feature which can be found in the Glassware tab in MyGlass. After turning it on, you will see your agenda to the left of the home s…

Motorola Solutions has today signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft. It is important to remember that Motorola Solutions is NOT Motorola Mobility, which is the company that has released the Moto X and Moto G. Motorola Solutions is essentially the half of Motorola that Google left behind when they bought the smartphone half of the company. According to the agreement it seems that Microsoft and Motorola Solutions have set their eyes on the mobile market, including devices both Android and Chrome OS. Hit the break for more info and the press release. This is not the first licensing agreement that Microsoft has signed. They’ve signed agreements in the past with c…

If you don’t have to have the latest and greatest smartphones, you may want to take advantage of AT&T’s latest deal on Samsung’s Galaxy S 4. The carrier is offering the device completely off-contract for $179 bucks, which is significantly cheaper than its typical $500 – $600 retail price. The catch is that the device is a certified like-new refurbished model, but at less than $200, it’s a hard deal to pass up. The Galaxy S 4 sports a 1080p screen, 2 GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 600 processor, so it’s still a pretty competitive phone in 2014. Hit the link below to check out the deal. Source: AT&T Come comment on this article: AT&T offering off…

Today on Facebook, LG made it official that Stealth Black will not be the only color option for the upcoming LG G Watch. In addition the the industry standard black option, LG will offer its smartwatch, running Android Wear, in Champagne Gold. The face of the G Watch, however, will remain black. Information is still scarce about the LG G Watch, but we do know that it will be one of the initial Android Wear smartwatches available. Source: LG (Facebook) Come comment on this article: Upcoming LG G Watch will offer Champagne Gold and Stealth Black color options Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! News via TalkAndroid