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Another app has been updated in Google Play giving users the ability to play local content to their Chromecast devices. Bubblesoft has updated their BubbleUPnP app that functions as a control point, media renderer and media server. Unlike some other apps that make Chromecast support an in-app purchase, BubbleUPnP enables this feature for Chromecast natively supported formats MP3, AAC, Vorbis, MP4 and MKV (H264) and makes it unrestricted. For users wanting to stream other formats like MOV, AVI, Xvid, and others, transcoding is required which can be provided by a BubbleUPnP Server 0.8, which should be installed on a decently powerful machine. For the free version, transc…

Asus has officially announced the PadFone Infinity Lite, featuring a Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and a 1080p 5-inch screen. It’s basically the PadFone Infinity with a slightly slower processor and a cheaper price price tag. Since it’s a PadFone, you do still get the option of docking the phone into the larger tablet dock that features a 10 inch 1080p screen, plus an extra 5,000 mAh battery. Asus expects to release this device in March for roughly $463, and they’re offering the tablet dock for $230. It’ll initially be available in Taiwan, with no word on an international release. There’s no denying that Asus likes their docking smartphone design, and I per…

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!! Reviews LG G Flex review: the birth of a new era Apps Microsoft launches OneDrive along with new Android app Glove app now available in Google Play to help users find best wireless carrier BubbleUPnP UPnP/DLNA app adds support for Chromecast Chromecast GR8CTZ for Chromecast uses a Street View image to quiz where in the world you are BubbleUPnP UPnP/DLNA app adds support for Chromecast Gaming …

HTC said they wanted to get the EVO 4G LTE on Sprint updated to Android 4.3 by mid-February, and they’ve hit that goal. HTC’s VP Martin Fichter posted a link on his Twitter feed to the RUU for Android 4.3 for the EVO 4G LTE. HTC RUU’s are update utilities that let users manually update a device to a certain software version. In this case, the RUU updates the EVO to Android 4.3, with one catch; it has to wipe your phone to install. Apparently, HTC wanted to push an OTA update to the device, but due to memory restrictions on the EVO, they had to go with an RUU, evidenced by the mandatory storage wipe. Still, that’s a small price to pay for getting Android 4.3 an…

A new champ in terms of thinness for smartphones is ready to step into the ring as Gionee’s Elife S5.5 3G model is now available for pre-order in China. An LTE version is expected to be available in June. When the device starts to ship, it will eclipse the Vivo X3 which currently slides in at 5.75mm. For reference, an iPhone 5S is 7.6mm think. Although it is thin, Gionee says the device should be capable of going a whole day on a single charge thanks to a 2300mAh battery. The Elife S5.5 will come equipped with a 5-inch display, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and Gionee’s own Amigo Android-based operating system. Gionee indicates the device will eventually …

What do we really know about Apple's upcoming iWatch? Not too much at this point, unfortunately, because Apple has done an unusually good job of making sure no images of the device have been leaked out anywhere on the Internet. 9to5Mac flags what it describes as a "sketchy report" in China Times that claims Apple has tapped Taiwanese touch panel maker TPK to develop a curved, flexible display for its wearable device that will begin mass production in the second half of 2014. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

BlackBerry has been working on a top secret phone internally code-named Windermere, and BGR has learned exclusive details about this peculiar smartphone from multiple trusted sources. For starters, the phone is much wider than any other BlackBerry, and there are some reasons why. The keyboard is not just a regular BlackBerry keyboard — it features three rows of keys instead of the traditional four and all of the keys are touch sensitive. Think of the keyboard app Swype on Android to get an idea of what we mean and how you can use this keyboard. The keys are physical keys that you can press and type on, but you can also swipe gestures over them and this is how you would ac…

Details are scarce at the moment, but Samsung and PayPal may secretly be working on a joint mobile payment solution that will launch sometime in the future, SamMobile reports, noting that it’s unsure whether the two companies will actually announce anything in the coming months. Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy S5 next week in Barcelona, though, so an announcement could be made then. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Microsoft is finally bringing a notification center to Windows Phone in the next major update. Action Center, as it has been dubbed, works almost identically to the notification centers that appear on Android and iOS devices. Simply swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal a log of messages, emails and updates you haven't checked yet. A bar at the top of the Action Center will feature a set of four customizable buttons for quick access. If you find yourself in the airport on a weekly basis, put Airplane Mode in the shortcut bar; if you're constantly fiddling with the brightness settings, you can slide that to the top as well. Check out the video below and breathe a…

We see countless smartphone accessories released every year but how many of them are actually useful? The latest accessory from Nokia seems like it could really come in handy, however, because it will help you keep track of all the things you're most likely to use. Nokia's new Treasure Tags are matchbox-sized tags that you can attach to your keys, wallet and other important items to make sure they never get lost. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Amazon Coins, Amazon’s digital currency, was originally only available on Kindle Fire devices. But today, Amazon made the Coins available to all Android users in the US, UK and Germany. You’ll need the latest version of the Amazon Appstore, and once you do, you can purchase the Coins, or download free apps to reach achievements to earn the Coins. Hit the break for the full press release. SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 19, 2014– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that customers in the US, UK and Germanycan now buy, spend and earn Amazon Coins on their Android phones and tablets. Previously available for use exclusively on Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon Coins can now …

We previously learned about the fingerprint scanner that Samsung will be utilizing with the Galaxy S 5. Now, thanks to SamMobile, we know that the device will have a 16MP camera with a ton of modes and effects. But before we dive into the software options, there is something externally Samsung will be adding to the overall camera. Rather than requiring users to tap the screen to snap a photo, a touch-sensitive button will be featured on the side, simulating a real camera. According to the source, this feature is dubbed Side Touch and the sensor will be located on the bottom right side. Side Touch will not be usable in Portrait Mode and Easy Mode or while recording video. …

The chances of getting Google Fiber just went up… slightly. Today Google has announced they are working with an additional thirty-four cities on the possibility of adding their 1Gbit service. Major cities include Portland, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, San Antonio, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham. New York City, however, still hasn’t made the cut. The aforementioned cities are not ‘locked’ to get Google Fiber as the local government would need to give its approval. Here is part of what Google had to say: We’ve long believed that the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, so it’s fantastic to see this momentum. And now that…

Still searching for some apps compatible with your Chromecast? GR8CTZ for Chromecast is a game that takes Street View images from Google Maps to quiz users on where the image was taken. As you can with Street View, rotating the viewpoint is allowed in order to better understand the setting. According to the app’s description in the Play Store, the images come from a total of 177 world cities. Users have three guesses and after two incorrect, the image switches to an iconic location. A great way to brush up on your geography in a group environment. Hit the break for the gallery and download links. Play Store Download Link Come comment on this art…

Just last week, I was wondering when the hell Google I/O was going to be this year. Last year it was in May, but the year before that, it was in June. Well Sundar Pichai just made the announcement that it will be held June 25-26, 2014. It will of course be held at Mascone West in San Francisco again and be live streamed for those that cannot attend. This is the 7th annual Google I/O, and this year’s registration will go a little differently in order to beat the crazy rush to buy tickets. Those who are interested in attending will need to fill out a simple application form online. Then there will be a random drawing for those that will be allowed to buy tickets. They wi…

Uh-oh. It looks like T-Mobile CEO John Legere is tired of playing nice with BlackBerry and has issued a not-so-subtle dig at the smartphone pioneer on his Twitter feed. In a message posted on Wednesday, Legere said that he "was going to engage John Chen on Twitter, but turns out he’s not here." So instead, Legere said that he would "check MySpace" to see if Chen still has an account there. The MySpace reference is particularly brutal since both MySpace and BlackBerry dominated their respective industries last decade and have now been driven to dire straits by competing products and services. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The Vivo X3 isn’t the slimmest phone out there anymore, Engadget reveals, as Gionee has launched the Elife S5.5, which appears to be the thinnest smartphone money can buy right now. The Android smartphone has a profile of just 5.5mm, slightly smaller than the 5.75mm thickness of the Vivo X3. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

In celebration of the launch of OneDrive, the Dropbox rival formerly known as SkyDrive, Microsoft is offering 100GB of free cloud storage to the first 100,000 people who sign into their OneDrive accounts once the promotion kicks off on Wednesday, CNET reports. Those users that will get the extra storage should know that the offer is only valid for one year, after which time users will have to pay for the same amount of storage. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

When WhatsApp launched in 2009, no one predicted that it would grow to be a multibillion-dollar company. However, Facebook on Wednesday said that it planned to buy the hugely popular social messaging app for a stunning $16 billion. In its official announcement, Facebook says that it will pay $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp plus $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. Facebook also says that "the agreement also provides for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees that will vest over four years subsequent to closing." Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Why was there such a media storm over Flappy Bird? Why is the upcoming IPO of King getting so much coverage? Maybe because mobile game apps are becoming the dominant force in out culture. According to a new survey by App Annie, consumer spending in-game apps has soared to more than double the size of spending on digital music. The survey covers the United States, the big Euro markets, Japan and South Korea. The annual growth of consumer spending on game apps is still a titanic 130%. The annual growth of digital movies and digital music is stuck in the relatively anemic 10-20% bracket. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

With just over a month between now and the official unveiling of the next flagship phone from HTC, the most reliable leaks of all have started to appear: press images. We got a close-up shot of the HTC M8 from @evleaks on Tuesday, and now the reliable source is back with an even better image. The latest leak, which can be seen above, provides us with multiple angles of "The All New HTC One," this time with a gold finish. It's also our best look yet at the dual rear camera lenses that have been mentioned in previous leaks. The phone is also likely to feature a 5-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, a 5 ultrapixel camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and Android 4.4 KitKa…

Who runs the Internet? Is it Google, the global search leader that trades fantastic free services for borderline frightening insights into user behavior? Is it Apple, whose iPhones and iPads are reportedly used to connect people to the Internet more than any other mobile devices on the planet by a massive margin? Is it the Illuminati? According to a new feature from the team that taught us how to disappear online, there are actually six organizations that secretly run the Internet and you might not have considered any of them. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 camera specs and software features have been further detailed by SamMobile, a source with a good track record of reporting on unreleased Samsung products. The site revealed that the S5 will pack a dedicated camera button. Interestingly, the camera button will not be a physical one, as Samsung will instead include an invisible camera button on the right side of the device, in the “same place where usually physical dedicated camera buttons are placed.” Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The Federal Communications Commission has decided not to appeal a recent court ruling that shot down its net neutrality restrictions and will instead write fresh regulations to keep ISPs in check, reports The Washington Post. The Post's Cecilia Kang says that the FCC plans to rewrite net neutrality rules under its authority granted by Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Reuters, via CNBC, adds that the commission is still very interested in making sure ISPs can't discriminate against traffic for rivals' services but adds that it wants to make sure it does so in a way that doesn't get struck down by the courts. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius…

A new iWatch concept video posted on YouTube tries to imagine what Apple’s smartwatch will look and feel like, proposing some advanced iOS 8 features for the device. concept shows a device that looks like a smart band rather than a traditional watch, featuring an elongated, curved screen that’s able to display various information, according to the apps used. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report