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T-Mobile is making a very bold move in regards to employee discounts for their customers, and this time, it doesn’t look like it’s a move for the better. Yesterday, CEO John Legere said the company will stop offering employee discounts on service, and no, you cannot keep yours if you had a discount before the cut-off date. Legere says the move is to help keep up the transparency with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plans. The rates are already so good for those plans, he claimed, that employee discounts just aren’t necessary. He takes a shot at other carriers using those discounts to close big corporate contracts and using employees/customers as bargaining chips, and says …

It's only been a week since HTC launched its latest flagship phone, but according to one retailer, the Taiwanese company isn't done with product launches for 2014 quite yet. 3G.co.uk reports that the HTC One (M8) mini is set to go on sale sometime in May. The smaller device will apparently feature the same sleek unibody design that had us raving in our review, along with a miniaturized 4.5-inch display at either 720p or 1080p resolution. The source also notes that HTC's much discussed Duo Camera will be replaced by a standard single camera. There hasn't been any indication as to the price, but expect a significant discount from the HTC One (M8). Via BRG - Boy Geniu…

Samsung has apparently come up with a new strategy to get Apple to stop beating it up for $1 billion patent verdicts: Pass the buck to Google. NPR reporter Laura Sydell reports that Samsung attorney John Quinn argued during his opening remarks in the latest patent trial with Apple that "all the software on its [Galaxy Nexus] phone was created by Google" and that this software "is used by a lot of companies," not just Samsung. Quinn went on to argue that Apple's real beef is with Google and that its real target is every Android-based device now on the market. San Jose Mercury News reporter Howard Mintz comments that Samsung is "clearly going to use Google as this ginormous…

This isn't a prank: One of the best Android phones of 2013 can be yours, free of charge, if you pick it up before the end of the day. HTC sent out a promotional email on Tuesday announcing a limited-time offer which will allow any customer to purchase an HTC One (M7) with a two-year contract without paying a penny up front for the phone. HTC will even include free express shipping. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Most companies would be worried to see Apple release a new product that has the potential to steal away their customers. According to Bloomberg, however, Samsung is secretly going to be thrilled when Apple finally launches a bigger iPhone. Why, you ask? Because Samsung is getting sick and tired of being tagged with the "copycat" label and it wants to give Apple a taste of its own medicine after it releases a phone that takes its cues from Samsung's Galaxy Note series of phablets. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

As we've noted in the past, Apple's patent spat is about much more than money — it's very personal to the company. Reuters legal reporter Dan Levine brings us word that at the latest Apple-Samsung patent trial, Samsung attorney Bob Quinn presented an email sent by late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs back in 2010 that declared Apple was in a "holy war" with Google over the future of mobile computing and worried that Apple might lose its position as the dominant player in the smartphone market. Quinn revealed the email as part of his argument that Apple is really trying to attack Google's Android operating system and not Samsung. We've heard in the past that Jobs had vowed "the…

Earlier today, an HTC Butterfly owner was wondering where the Android 4.4 KitKat device was. On Facebook, where the Butterfly owner left his concern, was answered briefly by HTC. The company said the update “should indeed be coming soon, Potchi. Stay tuned.” A great sign for both consumers and HTC as the Butterfly was released in December 2012. Extended support for software updates is always a way to keep everyone happy. In the United States, the Butterfly was released on Verizon with the DROID DNA name. That update is expected later next month if it hits the targeted approval date of the second week in April. Source: HTC (Facebook) Come comment on this article…

Smartgloves are here. Samsung has announced Samsung Fingers, a wearable glove that has everything and the kitchen sink. And 5G connectivity. This is not your ordinary connected glove. Samsung Fingers has a built-in speaker and microphone, so yes you can communicate with your hand. Making sure the processor does not get behind is 4GB of RAM, more than your smartphone, and 32GB or 64GB of storage is available. Being that this is a wearable, there is a variety of sensors. They include an accelerometer, thermometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, and compass. Did I mention that a 3-inch wide flexible display is located on the palm? Oh, and there is …

Smartwatches are lame, and HTC isn’t afraid to tell everyone that. Instead of wasting time developing something that no one would want, HTC has (probably) spent millions developing the wearable tech of the future, the HTC Gluuv. Designed to function as a companion device to the new HTC One, the Gluuv is, well, a glove. It fits perfectly on your hands and puts tons of different technology literally at your finger tips. The Social Fingerz of the device let you gesture to interact with different social networks, so you can “thumbs up” that restaurant you just visited on Facebook, then take an “armie” in front of the restaurant with the Gluuv’s phenomenal 87.2 megapixel…

If you own a Moto X or Moto G, be sure to head into the Play Store and update your Boot Services app. Then reboot your phone to see Motorola’s new April Fools’ Day boot animation. It features a UFO, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster. You will also find the new “Powered by Android” branding at the beginning of the sequence. This isn’t part of the April Fools gag, but something Google is mandating for all Android OEMs moving forward. For those of you that don’t have a Moto X or Moto G, hit the break for a quick video. Click here to view the embedded video. Come comment on this article: Moto X and Moto G get new April Fools’ Day boot animation Visit TalkAnd…

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!! April Fools’ Day Jokes Google April Fools’ Day jokes for 2014 Samsung Fingers gets announced, the first entrant into the smartglove game HTC unveils the revolutionary new wearable HTC Gluuv Moto X and Moto G get new April Fools’ Day boot animation Apps HTC Sense 6 apps now unofficially available for non-HTC devices Crackle app now supports Google’s Chromecast Rdio app updated with support for C…

Ever since Windows 8 was released in October 2012, Microsoft has undergone a massive internal reorganization. Shortly after Windows 8 was released, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky left the company. Then in mid–2013, former CEO Steve Ballmer announced his “One Microsoft” strategy that left many of Sinofsky’s close colleagues with unclear roles. Soon after this strategy was announced, Ballmer announced that he would be retiring, and after a long search process, Satya Nadella was promoted to CEO in February. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Firefighters are our heroes... until we figure out how to replace them with robots, at least. Discovery News points us to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's newest robot robot called SAFFiR (short for "Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot") that can walk right into deadly fires that are two intense for human firefighters to handle. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Shortly after Google launched its Chromecast dongle in various international markets, a report says the device is quite popular in Europe, singling out U.K. and Norway as top markets for the device. GigaOm says that Curry sold a Chromecast every 4.5 seconds on launch day in the U.K. Some stores sold out the allotted stock on launch day, with one representative calling it “one of the most successful launch days, both online and in-store, in recent years,” comparable with an iPad launch – however, the Chromecast is a significantly more affordable purchase option for consumers. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The OnePlus One Android handset is far from being properly launched, but the OnePlus and Cyanogen Inc teams have come up with a new contest that will reward ten lucky winners with a OnePlus One handset each. The "Case Chase" competition takes place between April 1 and April 10 in Europe and North America, with clues being tweeted each day for a specific region. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Apple’s claims that the 64-bit A7 processor is “desktop-grade” are more than marketing propaganda, a new report from AnandTech reveals, as the processor is far more powerful than anything competitors in the mobile space have come up with thus far. The publication has come across more documentation on the A7 chip, which, paired with its own investigations, helped it conclude that there are “almost” no iOS apps to actually take advantage of the CPU’s power. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The HTC One M8 was just released last week, and rumors of an HTC One M8 Mini are going strong. According to 3G.co.uk, HTC intends to start selling the One M8 mini in May. No word yet on how much the device will cost, its availability, or detailed specs. Previous rumors have suggested a 4.5-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixels, quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a 13MP rear camera, Android 4.4 Kit Kat. It’s a pretty safe bet that the HTC One M8 Mini will come, and it now seems like it will arrive relatively soon, so keep checking Talk Android for the latest updates. source: 3G.co.uk via: PhoneArena Come comment …

Apple and Samsung were scheduled to return to the courtroom today in the latest round of legal disputes between the two smartphone giants. Unlike the first trial that focused heavily on hardware issues, this new round will emphasize software, especially features found in the Android and iOS operating systems. That focus on software features found in Android means Google will play a much larger role this time around. Apple is accusing Samsung of violating a total of five patents including those covering conversion of data in messages into hyperlinks, background syncing of data, universal search like that found in Siri, auto-complete, and “slide to unlock.” As part of th…

The Moto X has been out for the better part of a year now, but Republic Wireless is finally adding Moto Maker customization options to their variant of the phone. Beginning at 9AM PT on Tuesday, Republic Wireless customers will have access to all of the colors and finishes that other carriers have had. In addition, Motorola is including free wood or bamboo backing to the first 2,000 customers who order from Republic Wireless’s website. As a last addition, Republic Wireless is now offering a 32GB Moto X, which was not an option previously. Source: Republic Wireless Come comment on this article: Moto Maker finally available for Republic Wireless customers Vis…

Expanding the network of retailers offering the Pebble smart watch, Pebble has announced Target will be carrying the devices for $149.99. As part of a special promotion, Target will be the exclusive retailer for the Arctic White version of the smart watch for a limited time. Jet Black and Cherry Red versions of the device will also be available. In making their announcement about availability at Target, Pebble highlights some ways the smart watch can be used to help “Pebblers” stay fit. These include apps like the Couch to 5K running app or the 7-Minute Workout app. If you are interested in a Pebble, you can head on down to the closest Target location or visit them …

Sprint has begun pushing out the Android 4.4 KitKat update to their version of the LG G2. The changelog for the update isn’t very detailed, listing that it’s just an upgrade to Google’s latest version of Android and a fix for Sprint’s Next Radio audio problems. You’ll still get all of the improvements that KitKat brings to all devices, however. If you own a G2 on Sprint’s network, be sure to start periodically checking for the update. Let us know in the comments if any of you have gotten it already. source: Sprint Come comment on this article: Sprint pushes out KitKat update for the LG G2 Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much …

The iPhone 5s might have been our pick for the best smartphone of 2013, but that doesn't mean there aren't a multitude of minor annoyances with the popular phone. One of the many features the iPhone 5s and its iOS brethren lack is the ability to change the font in any given text box. Although you're out of luck while typing within the the current system, one app will allow you to install your own custom fonts inside of apps that take advantage of the iOS font book. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Unless you're already paying Microsoft extra to keep your Windows XP machines safe from malware then you really should upgrade to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 within the next week. Tom's Guide talks with a couple of security experts about the impending end of support for Windows XP and they conclude that, yes, staying with Windows XP after the April 8th cutoff date will be really, really bad for both you and your computer. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/30db0c01c7c879b05e9145902f113d35.jpg Apple might be the most profitable technology company on the planet, but its chief executive's hefty paycheck still wasn't as high as his top rival's last year. A new report from Reuters on Monday points out that Samsung's mobile head JK Shin earned $5.8 million in compensation last year, 36% more than Apple CEO Tim Cook, who made $4.25 million in 2013. Cook's pay was up slightly from the $4.17 million he earned in 2012. Samsung's co-CEOs Kwon Oh-hyun and Yoon Boo-keun also saw huge paychecks in 2013, taking home $6.4 million and $4.8 million, respectively. Samsung, as Reuters points out, wa…

It's been nearly a year since the anyone held the title Head of Xbox, but Microsoft is finally ready to announce the next chief. Phil Spencer, former VP of Microsoft Game Studios, has been appointed head of the division, filling a spot left open by Don Mattrick, who left last July to head Zynga. Spencer has been the de facto face of the Xbox One for some time now, answering dozens of questions from curious fans on Twitter week after week, and his first message to Xbox owners as head of the division is in line with outward facing strategy. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report