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Starting on Wednesday, people living in the UK won’t have to import the Chromecast from the US to be able to own one. There is at least one retailer in the UK that already has the dongle in stock, which is the Dixons retail store. We don’t yet know how much it will cost, or if we will see Google sell the Chromecast directly through the Google Play Store, but this news should be pretty big for those waiting for it to be available outside of the US. Source: Android Police Come comment on this article: Google to launch Chromecast in UK on March 19 Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! News via TalkAndroid

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that your MP3-playing, book reading, web browsing, game playing Android device is still a cell phone that was originally designed to make phone calls and communicate with others. Your smartphone manages tons of contacts from your email accounts and social networks, and if you have a ton of contacts, you might want to sort different contacts into different groups. In this guide, we’re going to go over some of the top address book replacement apps for when your built-in contacts app or dialer just doesn’t cut it. Jump past the break to get started. ExDialer & Contacts is one of the more basic address book managers on this list, …

A U.S. panel ruled today that HTC, ZTE and Huawei did not violate digital camera patents made by FlashPoint, an Apple spinoff. FlashPoint originally filed the complaint in 2012, and accused all three of the companies of infringing four patents related to phone cameras. One of those patents was dropped as the case moved forward. In September 2013, a judge found in a preliminary decision that the HTC Vivid and HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE infringed upon one of the patents, while both ZTE and Huawei were cleared. The panel ruled in a final decision that none of the companies infringed on any patents made by FlashPoint. Source: Reuters Come comment on this article: …

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!! Guides Best Android apps for managing your contacts / Address book [March 2014] Accessories Samsung launches “Specialized Usability Accessories” for the Galaxy Core Advance customers Apps DrawCast updated with multi-device support Google URL Shortener undergoes simplifying name change Don’t have a KitKat device? Say goodbye to Google Wallet’s tap and pay feature on April 14 Google Maps updated …

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/26f47c9e2c5cf9ddab4df5db53194643.jpg Samsung on Friday announced three smartphone accessories that should improve accessibility on certain Galaxy devices – namely the Galaxy Core Advance – for users that can’t interact with smartphones in usual ways. These are the Ultrasonic Cover, the Optical Scan Stand and Voice Label. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

A new report from Taiwan says that while various Android device makers have plans to introduce more smartphones packing eight-core mobile processors this year, the market share of such devices will actually decline in 2014. Digitimes’ industry sources said that brand and white-box device makers will choose quad-core models in their upcoming devices “to build their share in the entry-level to mid-range segment.” Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Well this should be fun. Reuters reports that ATM maker NCR claims that two-thirds of all the ATMs running Windows XP in the world — or just under 1.5 million ATMs total — will not be upgraded to a newer system by the time Microsoft ends support for XP in April. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

More than a year ago, developer Maxis and publisher EA launched a refresh of SimCity, one of the iconic games of the 1990s that was a cherished staple of early computer gaming. However, like a lot of things EA touches, the new SimCity was a disaster from day one. The game's always-on digital rights management system that forced players to play the game online quickly crashed EA's servers and made the game unplayable during its launch week. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Now that we know both Microsoft and Google are working to stop OEMs from releasing dual-boot devices that combine Windows Phone and Android, maybe we should thank them. Ars Technica's Peter Bright makes a compelling case that while it may sound cool to have two platforms running on one mobile device, in the real world such devices are a complete mess that will only frustrate and confound most users. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Today, Sprint announced a new Pre-Paid plan called “Sprint Prepaid” with cheaper plans but it comes with a disadvantage as well. It is a revamped version of the As You Go plan with new pricing as well as new devices; LTE Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, LTE Samsung Galaxy S III, and 3G Motorola Moto G, as well as the pre-owned Apple iPhone 4s. Customers can choose from either two plans. The ‘Smart Plans’ costs $45 with unlimited talk time and text messages but no data plan (WiFi only data). On the other hand, the ‘Smart Plus’ cost $15 more with unlimited talk time, text messages and LTE data plan (2.5 GB data speed), though Sprint will limit video streaming to 3G speed. Sour…

In the never-ending battle for customers, wireless companies have a few weapons in their arsenals. Recently we’ve seen an uptick in companies targeting other companies through advertising and occasionally through comments during press briefings. Verizon appears to be ready to use a new tool, the loyalty program, patterned after similar systems used in other market sectors. Rather than going after competitors’ customers, the Smart Rewards program is intended to help prevent current Verizon customers from looking elsewhere for service. Like plans utilized by retailers and credit card companies, the Smart Reward customer loyalty program rewards participants with points fo…

Wikipad 7, a 7-inch Android gaming tablet, received a price discount of $50 in the U.S bringing the cost from $249 down to $199. The gaming tablet comes pre-installed with popular titles such as Shadowgun: Deadzone and Dead Trigger 2. Other territories will soon announce a similar discount later. In addition, the company has also unveiled a new game control mapping tool that will boost your gaming experience. The tool will allow you to map the touchscreen game controls to the controller. The 7-inch Android 4.2 tablet can also be detached from the controller making it suitable for non-gaming purposes as well. Read the full press release after the break. WIKIPAD…

On March 25, HTC will not be the only company announcing its next flagship device. When the dust clears on that date, ZTE will have announced the Nubia X6. The ZTE Nubia development team has sent out press invites for an event in Beijing on March 25. While ZTE does not have a very large presence here in the United States, HTC is likely very frustrated since manufacturers typically respect one another and choose to space out announcement dates. One thing we know for sure about this device is that it will have Optical Image Stabilization technology like the LG G2. Other than that, the Nubia X6 is believed to have a 5.5-inch or 6-inch QHD display and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon…

Need more Crazy Taxi? SEGA is working on a new installment for the series, titled Crazy Taxi: City Rush. Being that the focus is solely on mobile platforms, SEGA can optimize the experience properly. Kenji Kanno, creator of Crazy Taxi, says that “We are delivering a truly fun game that captures everything our fans love about the original and infusing it with several new features to create an even more fantastic and memorable experience.” The graphics will be much more smooth and vibrant and the mechanics finely tuned. But as you wait for City Rush to make its way to the Play Store, SEGA is making the original Crazy Taxi more appealing. From now through March 19 (Wednes…

Although every smartphone has its share of fanboys, not everyone who who uses a particular phone is destined to become particularly loyal to it. The Wall Street Journal draws our attention to a recent Statista survey of more than 3,000 smartphone owners that asked them whether they planned to stick with their current brand the next time they bought a new device. Unsurprisingly Apple fans were the most loyal, as 76% said they planned to stick with the iPhone. Samsung came in second place, with 58% of Galaxy owners saying they planned to buy a Samsung phone with their next purchase. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

News broke earlier this week alleging that the National Security Agency "has infected millions of computers around the world with malware." The report cited newly available documents leaked by Edward Snowden that had previously been classified, and it also claimed the NSA "is impersonating US social media or other websites" to spy on people. The NSA has since issued a statement refuting the report, however, claiming that the allegations within are unfounded and untrue. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Samsung is preparing its second-generation S Band, even as it failed to ship its first-generation version. According to a sales guide obtained by SamMobile, the new S Band will function similarly to its predecessor but feature a much-improved design. The new S Band will track sleep, calories, steps and distance, and will connect to compatible Samsung smartphones over Bluetooth. If the S Band loses its connection it will alert the user with a vibration and LED light. The new design is sleek and simple, with no screen and only a single LED light. It can be worn either as a watch or as a clip attached to clothes; when worn as a watch, the black band can be swapped for differ…

Just like Apple but on a smaller scale – at least for the time being – Google has been hit with an in-app purchase related lawsuit recently, prompting the company to issue an update for its Google Play Store that brings a fix to this potential content purchasing issue. Android Police was the first to spot the Google Play Store 4.6.16 update, which brings a new “Require password” option that, when turned on, will always require the account password for purchases. Otherwise, the 30-minute purchase window will still be available once an application is acquired. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The pirate's answer to Netflix is now offline. Popcorn Time streamed dozens of free movies straight from their torrent files to computers all around the world, and the creators never stopped claiming that it was all completely legal. They even checked four times! But despite the massive response, much of which the creators say was positive, the app has been permanently disconnected. According to the message that now dominates the front page of the app's website, the creators no longer want to be a part of "endless debates about piracy and copyright, legal threats and the shady machinery that makes us feel in danger for doing what we love." We'll be keeping an eye out to s…

Following Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, US Cellular is the latest carrier to tweak their plans to add more data allowances. Beginning March 13, the carrier’s $40 plan with 300MB of data will become 1GB, the $50 plan jumps from 1GB to 2GB, and the $60 plan goes from 2GB to 3GB. They will also add a new $15/300MB plan and a $60 single line plan with 1GB of data. If you’re currently a US Cellular customer, your plan will automatically be changed to the new data amount. Source: Fierce Wireless Come comment on this article: US Cellular tweaks their plans to add more data Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! News via T…

Straight Talk is now officially offering nano SIM cards for devices to be used on its network, which is great news for those of you that wanted to give the service a try but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of cutting down a larger SIM card to work in your phone. Theses nano SIM cards run $6.99, which is the same price as their other two size options. There’s not a whole lot of devices that use this incredibly small card, but if you have a Moto X or newer Motorola Droid device you’ll be able to use one of these. We’ll probably start seeing this SIM card become the standard as phones get thinner and smaller, too, so this is a good move to prepare for that. I…

With just a few days left to the official announcement of the Oppo Find 7, a new set of leaked photos of the device along with the retail boxing surfaced on the web today, thanks to folks over at chinese website, IT168. The device looks pretty large and similar to the Find 5 except that it rocks a rounded edge, but what’s more important is the hardware fixed into this beast. The device is said to come in two variants, both featuring a 5.5- inch screen but with different specs. There is one variant that is rumored to come with a 1920×1080 resolution display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and 2 GB of RAM. Another variant is said to sport a 2560×1440 resolution display, Qualco…

Samsung released a set of accessories for the Galaxy Core Advance customers, which aims at helping disabled and visually impaired users. The Ultrasonic Cover will help the user detect barriers or a person from a distance of 2 meters through vibration or by providing text-to-speech feedback. Another one is the Optical Scan Stand that will detect text from an image and read it to the user. The stand automatically activates the Optical Scan application. Lastly, there’s the Voice Label that will help the user to distinguish objects by enabling them to make notes and tag voice labels using NFC. These new accessories are already available for sale and are sold separate…

For several months, we have heard that Samsung will offer a premium version of the Galaxy S 5. Rumors have flipflopped between it being called a “Prime” version to being part of the “F Series,” but the fact that it was in the pipeline was always consistent. Now the report is that Samsung’s mobile chief, J.K. Shin, denies the existence of a premium Galaxy S 5…… (Translated) “In addition to the Galaxy S5 bring additional premium model was rea article, is wrong,” and “Galaxy S5 and such, no such thing” However, the Vice Chairman & CEO, Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon, admitted they are working on a premium lineup, which will include phones… “We will maintain our …

There was no changing of the guard in the United States last month as new video game consoles from Sony and Microsoft continued to battle for top billing. The race in February was so tight, however, that the pricier Xbox One actually managed to pull ahead of the more popular PlayStation 4 in dollar sales. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report