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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!! Carriers Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and LG Pad 8.3 to possibly arrive on Verizon March 6 New leaked press render suggests the LG L90 will head to T-Mobile Chromecast AllCast receives updated UI, Muzei support Gaming Google Developer Day planned as part of Game Developers Conference 2014 Google Project Ara smartphones could be as cheap as $50 Sundar Pichai talks about relationship with Sams…

Xiaomi announced back in September last year that it sold over 10 million Mi-2 smartphones since its launch. To add more to its success, the company officially announced yesterday that it has sold over 15 million units of Mi-2 smartphone, up from the 10 million units it had sold until September 2013. To celebrate this milestone, Xiaomi has reduced the price of the 16GB 8-megapixel MI2s in China from CN¥1,699 ($280) to just CN¥1,299 ($210). However, the 32GB model with a 13-megapixel camera remains at the same price at CN¥1,799 ($290). Last year, Google’s Hugo Barra left the company to become Xiaomi’s Vice President and later announced that the company had big plans …

Google on Thursday announced a new Google Maps-related online product that should help both companies and regular consumers enjoy a better maps experience. The Google Maps Gallery will offer let governments, business and non-profits create specialized maps using Google’s Google Maps Engine and share them online. The new maps will appear in search results and offer different experiences than Google’s own Maps service. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Fortune has come out with its annual list of the world's most admired companies and it looks like big tech companies are once again the envy of the world. The survey, which asked corporate execs to name the companies that they admire the most, placed Apple, Amazon and Google in the top 3 spots while companies such as Samsung (No. 21), Microsoft (No. 24) and Facebook (No.38) also found spots on the list. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

We've mentioned before that Nokia's Lumia 520 line of smartphones is one of the world's biggest smartphone bargains and now it looks like future Windows Phones could offer even better deals for budget buyers. Infosonics CEO Joseph Ram tells PCMag that Microsoft plans to cut licensing fees for Windows Phone by as much as 70% in an effort to draw more manufacturers to use the platform and to help make Windows Phones cheaper to battle the onslaught of dirt-cheap Android phones that are spreading through emerging markets. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Do you play a lot of Candy Crush Saga or Clash of Clans but almost never spend any money on in-app purchases? If so then you're free riding on the backs of a tiny number of users who are spending ungodly sums on virtual goods that enhance their enjoyment of their favorite games. Re/code reports that a new study from app-testing firm Swrve claims that half of all in-app purchases are made by just 0.15% of mobile gamers, which is pretty stunning considering how lucrative in-app purchases have become for mobile game developers. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Fitness trackers have become a big trend of late, with many companies jumping on the wearable tech bandwagon with fitness tracking devices. It seems like they all do more or less the same thing – track your steps, you calorie burn, your sleep, and so on. There’s one new fitness tracker that’s been designed by a formal Apple engineer. The Moov aims to go beyond simple fitness tracking, and instead be your personal trainer. The device itself can be worn on your wrist, strapped to your body, or simply attached to something else. Not only that, but it’s also waterproof up to one meter, so you can wear it while swimming (although not scuba diving!). The goal behind the…

Google has added the ability to search the web with your voice in the newest release of Google Chrome Beta. Just like in Google Now, users can initiate the search by saying “Ok Google”, after which you simply say what you want to search. This feature will be rolled out to U.S. English users on Windows, Mac and Linux over the next few days. Not only can this feature be used for search, but a number of other features will also be added. For example, you can say “Ok Google, set a timer for 30 minutes.” In the latest update, users can also set up supervised users on multiple devices, making it easier to manage how your family members explore the Internet. If you creat…

Verizon took forever to get the Nexus 7, but it seems they will be considerably faster getting the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and LG Pad 8.3. According to a leaked document, the Note Pro 12.2 as well as the Pad 8.3 will arrive for Verizon users in just a few weeks, on March 6. This obviously isn’t an official document, and things could still change from now until then, but it’s good to see that Verizon seems to have plans to get their users the Note Pro 12.2 within a month of its announcement. Source: Android Police Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and LG Pad 8.3 to possibly arrive on Verizon March 6 Visit TalkAndroid for And…

Thanks to @evleaks over on Twitter, it looks like the recently announced LG L90 will be joining T-Mobile’s device lineup at some point. He tweeted the image above which is a press render of the L90 along with some T-Mobile branding on the backside. From our previous post, here are the LG L90 specifications: 4.7-inch qHD IPS Display (qHD 960 x 540) Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor with 512MB of RAM 8GB of memory 8MP rear camera / VGA front camera 3000mAh removable battery Android 4.4 KitKat 3G (HSPA+21Mbps) LG L90 for T-Mobile. pic.twitter.com/olKactGjvF — @evleaks (@evleaks) February 27, 2014 Source: @…

What you’re looking at above is what the promotional material for HTC’s upcoming flagship will be signed with. The image, from @evleaks, confirms that the M8 will be named The All New HTC One. Is it a weird name? Definitely. I think HTC would be much better off simply calling it the HTC One (again) and perhaps adding 2014 when listed in stores and online. LOL. pic.twitter.com/NNGNUl2Lm7 — @evleaks (@evleaks) February 27, 2014 Source: @evleaks Come comment on this article: “The all new HTC One” name is confirmed thanks to leak Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! News via TalkAndroid

http://androidforum.us/data/MetaMirrorCache/d4523fb5e8f0b3e6596c92c24934955b.jpeg Microsoft Office may not be in danger any time soon. It still makes up a large chunk of Microsoft’s revenue, and most businesses rely on its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs. But Office is also notorious for being misused — people will paste screenshots into Word and email them instead of just pasting them directly onto email, or they will open up Excel to perform a simple calculation. Analyst Benedict Evans has drawn a key insight from these classic misuses: Increasingly, different functions in Office, such as the various misuses, can be done with apps on tablets or phones. Continue…

This has been a rough week for many Bitcoin owners who have lost substantial amounts of money due to the collapse of Mt. Gox, which had been the world's largest Bitcoin exchange. However, Bitcoin owners who escaped the fraud that took down Mt. Gox shouldn't rest too easy: This is likely just the end of the beginning of a burgeoning Bitcoin fraud wave. In fact, American Banker has taken a look at the early history of online payment platform PayPal and has concluded that Bitcoin's immediate future can be boiled down to just two words: "More fraud." Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Sony has unveiled the latest round of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers to add to their Instant Game Collections. In March, PlayStation 4 owners will get their hands on Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition, an upgrade to the 4-year-old top-down shooter from the same studio that brought Resogun to the console last year. The PlayStation 3 will bring in the biggest haul, most notably the incredible Tomb Raider remake that received nearly unanimous praise from gamers and critics alike last year. Indie titles Thomas Was Alone and Lone Survivor: Director's Cut round out the PS3 list. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Following concerns from consumer groups in Denmark, Britain, Italy and Belgium, the European Commission wants to know more about in-app purchases that are available in mobile applications and that can cause unexpected credit charges, especially for games played by children who may not aware what in-app purchases really mean. According to Reuters, the EU has invited industry – including Apple and Google – policymakers and consumer protection authorities for talks on Thursday and Friday. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

You might want to watch your back if you were considering torrenting any of those catchy pop songs you keep hearing on the radio. According to TorrentFreak, piracy monitoring firm Rightscorp now protects over 1 million copyrights, including 13 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100. Rightscorp has already closed more than 50,000 cases since its recent campaign against piracy began. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Multiple reports have suggested that Samsung may be interested in selling the Galaxy S5 for a cheaper price than what’s expected for flagship devices once the smartphone hits stores on April 11th. Samsung did not announce an actual price for the handset during its recent press event or in its marketing materials. The cheap Galaxy S5 is thus just a rumor at this point, and French carrier Bouygues Telecom seems to think that the handset will be just as expensive as earlier models have been. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Apple fans don't typically admit there's anything about other smartphones that makes them envious. However, iMore's Peter Cohen has taken a look at Samsung's Galaxy S5 and has bravely concluded that it has one feature he hopes Apple will copy in the future: Water-resistant casing. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

It's time to get those last few rounds of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in, because Nintendo is about to take its legacy consoles offline for good. Nintendo announced on Wednesday that "certain online functionality" for the Wii and DS will be inaccessible starting on May 20th, including online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for a wide range of first-party games. Most other services will remain intact, such as the Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo DSi Shop, Hulu, YouTube and the internet browsers. The Wii U and 3DS will not be affected in any way, other than the removal of online play for Wii games played on the Wii U. The full list of affected games can be found below. Continue…

It's been more than half a year since it was unveiled but it looks like T-Mobile's Jump early upgrade plan is still one of the best deals for wireless users who frequently upgrade their devices. The Wall Street Journal has crunched some numbers and has found that the two-year cost of paying for an iPhone 5S on T-Mobile's Jump plan is around $2,328, which is actually less than what it would cost to buy an iPhone 5s with a two-year service agreement from Verizon and AT&T. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

ABC on Sunday will live stream the 86th edition of the Oscars, although not all users interested in watching the show on a different screen than the TV will be able to tune in. While this will be the first time ever that ABC will stream live online through WATCHABC.com or the WATCH ABC iOS and Android apps, users will actually have to have an active subscription with “participating pay-TV providers,” USA Today reports. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Sundar Pichai addressed a few journalists at MWC, and had some things to say about the relationship with Google and Samsung as well as future devices. Sundar said that Google and Samsung’s relations are actually quite boring as compared to how the press makes it out to be. They continue to collaborate on various projects and there is no tension whatsoever. He went on to say that the Galaxy S 6 would sport Android so there is nothing to worry about. However, he did say that he wished the Gear 2 ran Android instead of Tizen. Somehow the Nexus 6 came up, and he didn’t deny one would exist, but instead, offered that we wouldn’t see it until the second half of the year…

Yesterday Samsung and Qualcomm debuted the new LTE category 6 connectivity at MWC. Category 6 will offer about double the speed of that Category 4 currently has. The device that they used to showcase the new connectivity was a modified Note 3 running the new Snapdragon 805 and a Gobi 9×35 LTE modem. During the tests, the Note 3 was able to reach and maintain download speeds of 300 Mbps. This speed was possible thanks to the Gobi 9×35 LTE modem. That modem will be featured in Qualcomm based high end devices. It’s the successor to the 9×25 series that was used in most of Qualcomm’s LTE devices last year. The 9×35 works by combining two 20 Mhz bands. This carrier aggregat…

At the RSA Conference 2014 in San Francisco, Samsung has announced select Galaxy devices that have KNOX embedded on them have received Common Criteria certification as assessed by Gossamer Labs. The Common Criteria certification is described as a “gold standard” for security, demonstrating compliance with a predefined set of security requirements. By meeting this standard, Galaxy devices with the certification can provide additional assurance to enterprises that the devices are acceptable for use in accessing “high-value information assets.” Samsung notes that the new Common Criteria certification is based on a new Mobile Device Fundamentals Protection Profile (MDFPP) …

Popular media casting app AllCast from developer Koushik Dutta is being watch closely by many after he demonstrated the ability to mirror an Android device to a Chromecast. It is still not clear whether that capability will ever be released and if it is, whether it will be part of AllCast. A new update to the app that hit Google Play today did not bring the mirroring capability with it, but a major revamp of the UI was included. Koush also added support for Muzei along with a whole host of bug fixes. Navigation in the app is now accomplished via a slide out menu and media types are grouped on tabs to make it easier to browse. You can grab the free version of AllCast us…