LG releases 60-second video for its new Watch Urbane

LG releases 60-second video for its new Watch Urbane

LG announced last week that it would be unveiling a new smartwatch at MWC 2015 in Barcelona. Named the LG Watch Urbane, the Android Wear powered timepiece is the manufacturer's luxury timepiece with an all metal build, and a thinner design. Available in a gold or silver finish, the device offers the same 1.3-inch P-OLED display as the one on the LG Watch R. That means it will feature a resolution of 320 x 320 for a 245ppi pixel density.

The manufacturer has released a 60-second video showing off the Watch Urbane. LG says that with its new smartwatch, contemporary and classic unite. We also get a chance to see how some of the different watch faces look on the wearable in both gold and silver designs. Additionally, the video displays several of the strap options available for the watch.

Online retailer Expansys has started taking pre-orders for the LG Watch Urbane, although the $410.50 price is strictly a guess. We will know more about pricing and availability when LG officially unveils the Watch Urbane next week. Until then, you can check out the official video to get your fill of the device. Source

Living with the Apple iPhone 6: long-term review

Living with the Apple iPhone 6: long-term review
Introduction
It’s been nearly four months since Apple released the iPhone 6 in September, and in the meantime one thing has become abundantly clear: the new iPhone is breaking sales records and is extremely well received. After the initial lines and short supply, the iPhone 6 is finally well-stocked and available for everyone to buy. What this means is that it is about time for a long-term review of Apple’s dearest.

I have been using the phone off-and-on for months now, but in the past month I've dedicating myself to four weeks of intense exploration of all of its hidden avenues. It's above all a personal journey: I have been put off by Apple's decision to stick with small screens prior to the iPhone 6, and in the past couple of years, my list of daily drivers consists of Android devices solely. A larger iPhone, however, calls for a deeper look back at Apple's ecosystem and all its different aspects.

In this iPhone 6 long-term review you'd find a summary of my most essential personal impressions from this four-week intensive exploration of Apple's latest flagship. Read on.

Design can make or break a product

The iPhone 6 is a result of the adamant focus and discipline that Apple has imposed on itself throughout the years. After spending a few months with Apple’s iPhone 6 darling, I can say that the new aluminum-body design has withstood the test of time and comes out as being very practical and good-looking at the same time. Multiple factors intertwine in a singular feeling of premium experience with the iPhone 6: the thinness of the phone makes it stand out (only the Sony Xperia Z3 comes close to the slim profile, all other phones seem terribly chubby in comparison), the exquisite color options and the extremely stylish gold version in particular make it very desirable, and the attention to all the little details is admirable (the well-crafted and responsive volume buttons, the presence of the useful mute switch, the lock key that is positioned conveniently right next to your thumb).

Apple’s reality distortion field is said to funny effects on people, but I can't say this widespread admiration is unjust: every time I pick up the iPhone 6 after using most any other phone, I felt wowed by the thinness and the sturdy design. I've felt in a similar way about few other devices in the past: the HTC One S was one such phone, and in most recent years, the HTC One (M8) has taken a special place in my heart also, but it's a place reserved for few phones, and the iPhone 6 seems to have found it. I've also found the aluminum of the iPhone 6’s back not as prone to scratches as on the 5s and earlier 5. I'd still prefer carrying the phone with an ultra-slim case when I know I'll be on the run and I am afraid it might slip out of my pocket, but I did find myself poaching it out of its case not once to have a more direct contact and appreciate its thinness. In those cases, I made sure I placed it in a pocket where it won’t mingle with keys and other pocket lint. After a month of intense use, the iPhone 6 still looks brand new, without a single scratch. Source

LG G Flex 2 shows up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse with free QuickCircle case and Bluetooth speaker

LG G Flex 2 shows up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse with free QuickCircle case and Bluetooth speaker

Are you anticipating the LG G Flex 2 as fiercely as we do? Gosh, that Volcano Red color is so striking! Not to mention the smartphone itself is a powerhouse, even if its user interface seems to be in need of some polish. Anyway, a pretty good pre-order offer just popped up for those of you in sunny England! Carphone Warehouse has put up the topsy-curvy smartphone (only the black version, alas) for predorder on a £24 per month plan with a £310 down payment. Although that's not cheap by any means, especially compared to US subsidies, the retailer is throwing in a free Bluetooth speaker and a QuickCircle case, which makes for a far better deal - the two are worth £150 alone! But if you aren't up for a downpayment, you can have the G Flex 2 for free on a contract starting from £34.50 per month.

In addition to its curved shape, the LG G Flex 2 boasts a 1080p resolution display and cutting edge internals, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP camera with OIS and laser auto-focus, a self-healing back cover, and a 3000mAh battery. Stuffed full of technology, the smartphone is heading towards Sprint and AT&T in the USA sometime in mid-March. Source

The best and worst HTC smartphones we've ever reviewed

The best and worst HTC smartphones we've ever reviewed

Last week, we showed you the best and worst Samsung devices that have ventured into our office for a full and thorough review. As HTC is one of the larger and more popular manufacturers, it has churned out a hefty amount of devices during the years. As you might imagine, many of these have passed through our hands.

While a lot of HTC devices have successfully wooed us with their design (the HTC One & One M8), certain features (the Desire EYE with its potent selfie shooter), or simply by being well-honed and polished devices as a whole, many products that bear the HTC logo have turned out to be quite disappointing and under-performing in one or many areas.

Below you'll find five of HTC's Android-powered devices that we've rated the highest and another five that have received the lowest ratings in our reviews. Check them out and feel free to discuss in the comments section right below!

The Best Of HTC

HTC EVO 4G

Back in the day, we hardly found any cons for the device despite its slightly thicker silhouette and the not-so-impressive video recording quality. On the other side, we commended this 2010 phone for its A-class build quality, good performance, and impressive 4.3-inch display.

HTC One

The "father" of the HTC One (M8), 2013's HTC One was truly a phone to behold. Its stunning aluminum design, display, performance, and front-facing speakers secured it a pretty high review rating. As a whole, the device was close to perfect, though the UltraPixel camera that debuted alongside it was somewhat dragging it back.

HTC Droid DNA

The 2012 HTC Droid DNA is among the devices HTC aced. Save for the non-expandable on-board storage and the hardware keys, the device was as good as it got. Definitely one of the trend-setting Android phones from 2012, it was unfortunately a bit over-shadowed by Samsung's equally-impressive Galaxy S III.

HTC Amaze 4G

What else to say about the HTC Amaze 4G apart from praising its build, display, and commendable performance (as per 2011's standards)? Well, we have to be fair and mention its downsides: the sub-par battery life and the under-performing camera. 

HTC Sensation 4G

The Sensation 4G is another notable HTC device that suffered from certain issues (unimpressive battery life, sub-par viewing angles, and somewhat bulky build), but is still among the better phones the Taiwan manufacturer has released.

The Worst Of HTC

HTC Desire 200

As a device released in 2013, the HTC Desire was quite a disappointing offering. Yes, we should mention that it was an entry-level device, but its single-core Snapdragon S1 chipset and outdated Android OS that shipped by default (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) were quite disappointing. 

HTC Salsa

HTC so-called Facebook phone did not live up to the hype built around it and turned out to be, well, a flop. Sporting a dedicated Facebook button and integration for the popular social network, the device was marred by issues that prevented it from being the smartphone HTC had certainly hoped with would be.

HTC Tattoo

Welcome to 2009, when HTC decided to re-invent the "low" in low-end and released the HTC Tattoo, a device that was nothing to write home about. On the contrary, the limited amount of available apps and dissatisfactory resistive screen were quite a let-down.

HTC Desire 601

Although the 601 was a mediocre handset that does the job, it failed to impress us with anything, yet generally disappointed in almost any area. Indeed, we are dealing with a mid-ranger, but this should never justify the existence of such unimposing handsets.

HTC Desire 310

By far, the worst HTC device to ever venture past the front door of our headquarters. Blame it on the awful display, the misshapen concoction that HTC called an user interface, an inferior rear camera, and the excessively-high and totally uncalled for price tag of roughly $220. We hope HTC never releases a device of the Desire 310's ilk. Source: Phonearena

Acer to announce a Windows 10 smartphone at MWC 2015, plus a new Android-based Jade handset

Acer to announce a Windows 10 smartphone at MWC 2015, plus a new Android-based Jade handset

While Acer is far from being one of the world's leading smartphone makers, in the last few years the company (best known for its laptops and desktop PCs) has constantly released various handsets, most of them running Android. Acer also made a few Windows Mobile smartphones (before Windows Phone existed), but those weren't exactly successful. This year, however, Acer will try its luck again - with a Windows 10 handset.

According to Focus Taiwan, Acer will announce its first Windows 10 smartphone at MWC 2015 next week. While there's no word on what specs the new smartphone will have, we heard that the device might be a low-end, or mid-range one.

Of course, since Windows 10 won't be properly released before summer (as Microsoft still has to polish the OS), Acer's new Windows-based handset is expected to be available starting the second half of the year.

In addition to announcing a Windows 10 handset, Acer also plans to unveil a new Android smartphone from its Jade series at MWC next week, plus a new wearable device. We'll let you know more about Acer's upcoming products as soon as they're announced.

P.S.: what you're seeing above is a mock-up based on the Acer Liquid Jade S (which in reality runs Android, not Windows, as our quickly made mock-up is suggesting).  Source

1st-gen Moto G and 2nd-gen Moto X getting Android Lollipop updates in Canada

1st-gen Moto G and 2nd-gen Moto X getting Android Lollipop updates in Canada

Motorola has launched its Lollipop update rockets towards its first-generation Moto G and second-generation Moto X. The information comes out of Canada, where a wide release of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop for the 1st-gen Moto G on Virgin, TELUS, Koodo, Videotron, WIND, and unlocked devices is happening. Meanwhile, Android 5.0.1 is heading towards Moto X (2014) owners on WIND after a small number of devices were affected from a botched initial Lollipop update.

As of now, owners of the first generation Moto X and the Moto E are the ones left without Lollipop updates, but Motorola will attend to the matter. In addition, the Lenovo-owned company may be about to release its second-generation Moto E smartphone on Verizon soon, and the phone could launch with Lollipop out of the box,

Motorola's release notes for the Moto G (2nd gen) and Moto X (2nd gen)'s Android 5.0 Lollipop updates are quite extensive, so if you are not in touch with all the enhancements and changes contained within them, click here if you have a Moto G and here if you have a Moto X. Source

How to disable KnockON (double tap to wake) on the LG G3 and other LG Android phones

How to disable KnockON (double tap to wake) on the LG G3 and other LG Android phones

No phone is perfect. From the basic feature phones to the smartphones of the highest caliber, they all have their flaws. The LG G3, while being one of the best phones we've reviewed in 2014, is no exception. You see, its maker has loaded it with a feature called KnockON, which allows one to wake or lock the phone with a double-tap on its screen. It's a feature that's both clever and convenient... most of the time.

But for some of us, KnockON does not work as flawlessly as it should. On rare occasions, the feature gets triggered accidentally while the phone is in a bag or pocket, which could lead to anything from battery drain to pocket dialing. One possible solution to the issue is to disable KnockON manually. Doing that, however, might not be a straight-forward procedure since the option to do so is not present in the settings menu of every LG G3 variant. In the phone's current software build, KnockON's switch may be placed in a hidden menu instead.

To disable the LG G3's double tap to wake function, you have to access the phone's service menu, which is done by inputting a code in its dialer app. The tricky part is that this secret code varies between LG G3 models. For example, the code is 3845#*855# on the international variant of the device (model D855), while the AT&T's model (D850) requires the code 3845#*850# entered.

Regardless of which LG G3 model you have, try inputting 3845#*XXX# where XXX are the digits from your LG handset's model name. So if you have purchased your LG G3 from T-Mobile, you have to enter 3845#*851# as D851 is that particular variant's model name.

Using the same formula, you should be able to access the service menu on other LG Android phones as well, as long as you know the model's name. Verizon's LG G3 is the only exception that we know of as it works with code ##228378 + send.

Once in the service menu, scroll down until you find "Knock on/off setting". In our case, it was the very last item on the list. Tap it and you'll be given access to the switch that disables KnockON. And that's it! If you ever feel like turning the double-tap-to-wake feature on again, just follow the same steps.  Source

Sony Xperia E4g

Sony Xperia E4g

Design- and specs-wise, the Xperia E4g is similar to the Xperia E4. Some of the few differences between the two devices is the slightly more powerful 1.5GHz quad-core SoC that can be found inside the Xperia E4g, an upgrade over the 1.3GHz one in the regular Xperia E4, and the LTE connectivity on board of the newcomer. The Xperia E4g also comes with a smaller display - a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels.



Pros

Big display (4.7 inches)
Quad core processor
Fast mobile data support (4G)

Cons

Low pixel density screen (234 ppi)
Too little RAM memory (1024 MB RAM)
Battery is not user replaceable
Low-resolution camera (5 megapixels)

Sony announces the affordable Xperia E4g with LTE connectivity on board

Sony announces the affordable Xperia E4g with LTE connectivity on board

Earlier last month, Sony unveiled the Xperia E4 entrant, an entry-level device that flashed what might end up being Sony's refreshment of its OmniBalance design language (if it decides to stick to churning out smartphones, that is). The humble low-end device came with no LTE on board, but today Sony rights that wrong as it has just announced the Xperia E4g.

Design- and specs-wise, the Xperia E4g is similar to the Xperia E4. Some of the few differences between the two devices are the chipset (a 1.5GHz quad-core MediatTek MT6732 chipset) and just as we mentioned, the LTE connectivity on board of the newcomer.

The Xperia E4g also comes with a smaller display - a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. Naturally, this leads to different dimensions (133 x 71 x 10.8 mm for the E4g vs 137 x 74.6 x 10.5 mm for the E4).

“Xperia E4 set out to bring many of the premium features people expect of Sony to lower-tier devices; Xperia E4g brings that same quality and ease of use – but with super-fast 4G LTE connectivity”, stated Tony McNulty, Value Category Business Management VP with Sony.

Similar to the Xperia E4, the Xperia E4g won't make be sold in the USA. It will launch in other markets starting this April, with a price tag gravitating near the €129 mark (~$145) before taxes and rebates. Similar to the Xperia E4, the Xperia E4g will also have a dual-SIM version. Source

Samsung’s smartphone sales share nosedives to new lows in Q4, Apple picks up the slack

Samsung’s smartphone sales share nosedives to new lows in Q4, Apple picks up the slack

Research firm Strategy Analytics is ready with its end smartphone sales report for the last quarter, and things aren't looking pretty for Samsung, on account of the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus crusade, as well as the Chinese smartphones riseup.

It turns out that Samsung's share of the world's smartphone market sales dipped to just 10% in the previous quarter. Yes, you read that right, just one in 10 smartphones sold in Q4 were Samsung ones, according to Strategy Analytics, regardless of the company's numerous lines and models. Apple, on the other hand, accounted for 48.9% of all smartphones then.

When it comes to revenue, Samsung still did fine, though - flying high on the Note 4 sales, it hauled home 17%, but Apple took the lion's share of the rest. Samsung hasn't seen a smartphone market share this low since the end of 2011, when the iPhone 4s was introduced. By the time the Galaxy S3 was outed in 2013, though, Samsung Electronics got almost breathing down Apple's neck with 34.1% of the global sales, against 34.2% for the Cupertino team.

For the whole 2014, Apple outpaced Samsung again with 37.6% versus 25.1%, and both left LG as a distant third with its 4.3%, followed by Huawei with 3.8 percent, Sony with 3.7 percent, and Xiaomi with 3.3 percent. Samsung's slump is expected to halt this year, buoyed by the expectations for success of the Galaxy S6, whose announcement is just a few days away. Source

Spigen launches cases for the Galaxy S6 Edge, depicts just one curved side

Spigen launches cases for the Galaxy S6 Edge, depicts just one curved side

Well, we've gawked at Galaxy S6 cases for a while now, carefully inspecting every render, and looking for signs of the phone's design under every curve. However, there have been no such offerings for the Galaxy S6 Edge (come on, we know it's coming) up until now.

Famous case maker Spigen has launched 7 Galaxy S6 Edge cases, all available for preorder now, and have adorned their page with renders of how said products look. The images depict the phone as having only one curved side, despite the fact that it was often rumored to be rounded off on both sides.

So, could this be correct? We wouldn't jump to conclusions – the phone face we see in Spigen's renders is most obviously a Galaxy Note Edge with a fresh UI and wallpaper photoshopped on it. We're not saying that Spigen is devilishly trying to deceive people – these renders are probably just placeholders, so potential customers would have a better idea of what they are buying. We wouldn't jump to conclusions that they mean anything about the Galaxy S6 Edge's appearance, and we'd suggest you don't listen to anxious speculators as well.

Anyway, MWC, ergo – Samsung's Unpacked event, is less than a week away, so we will have more clarity on what the new Edge looks like very, very soon. Source

Samsung Galaxy S6 gets a possible launch date for India, to be released in April

Samsung Galaxy S6 gets a possible launch date for India, to be released in April

March 1 is just around the corner and for Samsung fans this day will be nothing short of a celebration - the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge will be unveiled on this date in a pre-MWC event. The official announcement day and hour are no mystery anymore, and neither are the possible specs and unique design features of the smartphone, but what we are not yet aware od is the global release date for the top-tier handsets Samsung has in the pipeline.

A recent report claims that similar to last year Samsung will release its flagship champion(s) will arrive on the Indian market in early-to-mid April, in the second week of the month. While this rumor does not necessarily mean that the flagship will arrive on all other markets in the similar period, it's somewhat hinting that this might be the case. Indian customers will be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 starting mid-March.

Back in 2014, Samsung released its Galaxy S5 in more than 150 countries on April 11, so we won't be surprised at all if the same thing happens this year as well. Well, we wouldn't bet our money on April 11, 2015, in particular, but the global release of the Galaxy S6 and probably the S6 Edge will likely take place in the same time period.

As far as availability is concerned, we already know that AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile will be carrying the device. Verizon has not yet posted its own take on the multi-colored Galaxy S6 teaser, but we are more than certain Big Red will offer Samsung's next flagship, too. Source

Samsung signs mega deals to supply DDR4 RAM for the iPhone 6S and the LG G4

Samsung signs mega deals to supply DDR4 RAM for the iPhone 6S and the LG G4

Apple and LG have inked multibillion deals with Samsung to supply next-gen RAM modules in their upcoming flagships, tentatively named LG G4 and Apple iPhone 6S (or iPhone 7). That's the word out of Korean media, though the publication doesn't spell out exactly what type of random access memory will Samsung supply to those two mobile juggernauts by the boatloads.

Samsung recently announced it has started mass production of next generation DDR4 RAM, made with the 20nm process, as well as "stackable" 3 GB RAM/32 GB storage combo, which, however, is DDR3. Our bet is on the DDR4 undertaking, as we doubt Apple would settle for anything less than that for the iPhone 7, while LG already outed the first phone with DDR4 RAM our - the G Flex 2 - so it's hard to imagine the G4 won't be equipped with the same tech.

"Under the agreement, Samsung will start providing LG Electronics with 100 percent mobile DRAM chips it needs for LG G4 smartphone, which will be unveiled in April. Also, Samsung will handle at least half of the amount that Apple needs for its new iPhone ― tentatively named iPhone 6S," said one industry source.

So what's the advantage of DDR4 over DDR3 that's in current flagships? Well, the new DRAM type offers twice the density and the I/O performance, for starters, and Samsung is offering it built with its frugal 20nm production method, what's not to like here. In addition, the publication confirms that Samsung will be supplying no less than 70% of Apple's upcoming A9 chipset that is slated to go into the iPhone 7, so the future looks bright for Samsung's chip businesses. Source

Stock Lollipop vs Samsung TouchWiz vs HTC Sense vs LG UI: Interface comparison

Stock Lollipop vs Samsung TouchWiz vs HTC Sense vs LG UI: Interface comparison

The original, Google version of Android 5.0 Lollipop has been around for months now, but it wasn't until recently that manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, and LG, finally started pushing an over-the-air update that saw their own proprietary overlays move to the newer firmware. At the same time, unfortunately, companies like Sony are still stuck on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, so it'll be a while longer until we get to see an Xperia-themed take on Lollipop.

But even if you're well-versed in the above-mentioned makers' custom Android skins, it's quite possible that you are wondering what exactly the differences boil down to now that they've made the move to Lollipop. Overall, we've got to say that despite having their own style and adhering to different design philosophies, we're starting to notice some more uniformity in the way their respective Android flavors look and even function. This doesn't mean that they don't differ wildly in certain regards, though, as you'll be able to see for yourself right below.

We took a number of interface screenshots on our resident Motorola Nexus 6 (stock Android), Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (TouchWiz), HTC One M8 (Sense), and LG G3 (LG UI), so that you can contrast and compare. Take a look. Source

Emoji diversity: iOS 8.3 Beta adds more color, more flags from around the world, and more

Emoji diversity: iOS 8.3 Beta adds more color, more flags from around the world, and more

Next month, iOS 8.3 will be made available as a public beta test, with Apple hoping to recreate the success it had with a similar rollout for its OS X Yosemite update last year.

Unlike other public betas however, Apple expects you to earn your keep if you happen to get one of the coveted 100,000 available spots for the preview of iOS version 8.3. Beta testers will get a dedicated app to report bugs and such.

While those signed up for the AppleSeed program wait for their opportunity to get the beta, the rest of us are simply interested in what iOS 8.3 may bring to the user experience. Like any iOS update, the changes are fairly incremental, but iOS 8.3 beta 2 has already pushed to developers, so we get to take a look at what is inside.

Most noticeably, there is a wider selection of emojis to choose from, reflecting the diversity of ethnicity around the world. Speaking of the world, more flags have been added as well. Expect to see some images updated in the “objects & symbols” area, notably those of the iPhone reflecting an iPhone 6 image, and the watch resembling well, an Apple Watch.

Other enhancements lie beneath the surface. iOS 8.3 will bring improved login for Google services, as well as updated voices and languages for Siri including Russian, Danish, Dutch, Thai, Turkish, Portugese, and Swedish. Chinese support for Apple Pay should be fully enabled by its release. One thing not supported in the iOS 8.3 beta is Verizon LTE voice.

We have not yet had iOS 8.2 officially drop yet, so it is a safe bet that iOS 8.3 beta testing is going to last a while, meaning we will not likely see these new features until this summer. Source

Spotlight: Smart Unlock bypasses the Android lockscreen security when you're connected to trusted networks and devices

Spotlight: Smart Unlock bypasses the Android lockscreen security when you're connected to trusted networks and devices

Developed by two XDA Community members, Smart Unlock does something really small that you may greatly appreciate. Basically, when your smartphone or tablet is connected to a trusted Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device, it makes Android automatically bypass the lock screen security. It's logical - when you're safe at home, or in the car, you don't really have to get past swiping, patterns, pins, and all these precautions each time you reach for the screen! With Smart Unlock installed, and while in a trusted environment, pressing your device's power button takes you straight to the homescreen - no frills!

As the app is work in progress, the developers plan on adding BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) support to deal with the rising tide of smartwatches and smartbands. NFC connectivity and a manual lock button are in the cards, too.

Unfortunately, Samsung device owners won't be able to enjoy the app just now, as security features implemented by the vendor make it impossible to work. The developers are contemplating a Samsung edition of the app to get past that. Also, Clean Master, AcDisplay, and Llama are apps that break Smart Unlock, so you'll have to deal with that as well.

Smart Unlock has a 7-day trial version in the Google Play store, and XDA forum members can sideload an unlimited .apk version that supports up to three trusted devices. Source

Indeed there will be a new Chromebook Pixel “coming out soon”

Indeed there will be a new Chromebook Pixel “coming out soon”

Chromebooks, highly functional, and by most accounts, highly affordable devices that have made an impact in the public sector, educational institutions, and developing markets around the world. While they are arguably nothing more than a browser in a box, the Chrome OS powered devices are very lightweight, start almost instantly, and tied into Google’s services, provide a very compelling bang for the buck. Right now, an Acer C720 Chromebook is just $229.

There have been other equally affordable models over the years, with one exception, the Chromebook Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel made its debut two years ago, and it remains the power player of Google’s mobile computing platform. Packing solid specifications, beautiful build quality, and a gorgeous 2560x1700 resolution touch-screen display. All that goodness came at a cost though, prices started at $1,299.

Chrome OS is not lacking for development either, as now a number of Android applications can run on Chromebooks. Updates are pushed out regularly, and because the environment is browser driven, performance is consistently fast.

Two years is about four lifetimes in the world of technology, however, and thankfully, Google does not appear to be letting its guard down. At a conference last week, Renee Niemi, Google’s Director of Google for Work and Android & Chrome stated that a new Pixel is coming out, but it will be developer focused, and limited in availability.

We do have a new Pixel coming out and it will be coming out soon. We will be selling it but I just have to set your expectations: this is a development platform. This is really a proof of concept. We don’t make very many of these — we really don’t. And […] our developers and our Googlers consume 85% of what we produce. But yes, we do have a new Pixel coming out.

- Renee Niemi, Director - Android & Chrome, Google for Work

What can we glean from that? Well we would not be surprised if the overall design was unchanged, with natural build evolutions to some of the internals, and maybe reversible USB Type-C ports. As to what Ms. Niemi meant by “proof of concept,” we do not have enough information to hazard a guess. Since the new Pixel will presumably be the spec leader of Chromebooks, and will be built in limited quantities, we see no reason to expect a price point any lower than where today’s Pixel starts. Source

Made in Indonesia smartphone law could put Apple and others at a disadvantage in the country

"Made in Indonesia" smartphone law could put Apple and others at a disadvantage in the country

According to a law expected to be finalized in Indonesia next month, smartphones and tablets sold to the 250 million people living in the country must have at least 40% of its parts sourced from within the Indonesian borders. This law would take effect on January 1st, 2017. Understandably, global smartphone manufacturers like U.S. based Apple are not happy with this proposed rule. Samsung has already opened a plant in Jakarta that has been turning out locally produced handsets, but many business groups expect that the law will cause prices of handsets to rise in the country, and could prevent Indonesia from obtaining the latest technologies.

As it is, less than a third of the people in the country own a smartphone, which makes it quite an attractive market for manufacturers. Indonesia Communications Minister Rudiantara says that the law will be finalized next month and is designed so that Indonesian companies can snag more of the $4 billion in annual smartphone sales that occur in the country. The law would also support President Joko Widodo's promise to make Indonesia a nation of producers rather than consumers.

The office of the U.S. Trade Representative is said to be talking over the matter with Indonesian authorities, and the American Chamber of Congress mentioned the law in a letter to Communications Minister Rudiantara dated on February 12th. The country's smartphone manufacturing industry is only about a year old and many fear that Indonesia does not have the strong supply chain necessary for manufacturing smartphones in the country. The letter says that Indonesia could be violating international law if the rule is put into effect.

"We fear that the approach taken in this draft regulation could inadvertently restrict access to new technologies, raise the cost of ICT for Indonesian companies, stimulate grey and black markets for mobile phones, and carry other unintended consequences"-Letter from American Chamber of Congress to IndonesianCommunications Minister Rudiantara. Source

T-Mobile and Nokia aim small: to deploy small LTE cells that use unlicensed spectrum

T-Mobile and Nokia aim small: to deploy small LTE cells that use unlicensed spectrum

During T-Mobile USA’s earnings call last week, where it announced that it added over 8 million customers last year, outpacing everyone, Team Magenta’s CTO, Neville Ray, said that the carrier will begin deploying small cell units that operate in the unlicensed radio bands.

These units will initially be installed indoors first and deliver LTE-U (unlicensed) via the unregulated radio bands in use today. The gear is built by Nokia Networks and it is called Flexi Zone.

While T-Mobile said that installations would begin in earnest next year, Nokia says that the carrier has already begun deploying the Flexi Zone small cells. LTE-U is technically in a “pre-standards” phase, operating in the 5GHz band. You might be thinking that it might conflict with your home Wi-Fi, but Mr. Ray assures that T-Mobile’s LTE-U will not conflict with wireless LANs.

Part of the reason for that assurance (as well as the appeal of getting into the unlicensed space), is that there is in excess of 500MHz of unutilized, or under-utilized spectrum in the 5GHz band. That means there is great potential for delivering extremely fast throughput.

The tradeoff is that keeping everything in check within the unlicensed arena means limited coverage. However, indoor installations will be augmented by outdoor deployments where it can complement existing services.

This technology has been successfully deployed by NTT DoCoMo in Japan, called “Licensed Assisted Access,” or LAA-LTE, it uses Nokia’s Flexi Zone gear. Ericsson will be testing LTE-U small cells with T-Mobile as well. The standard will be finalized by 2016. Source

Microsoft Band update adds WordFlow swipe-to-type keyboard

Microsoft Band update adds WordFlow swipe-to-type keyboard

No sooner did Microsoft release the Microsoft Band last November, than the device was quickly sold out at Microsoft Stores. The popular fitness band tracks your heart beat, exercises and offers integration with Cortana. The latter is coming off a remarkable 83% accuracy rate in forecasting Academy Award winners! At $199.99, the wearable is priced to move.

An update to the Microsoft Band now gives it a dedicated cycling tile. The sensors keep track of distance and calories burned. And since the band knows that you are riding a bike, it will also track elevation and heart rate for cycling. You can also download a number of cycling based exercises. The cycling tile will work for outdoor bikes, or for the stationary variety.

One interesting addition to Microsoft Band is the WordFlow swipe-to-type keyboard. This might be hard to employ on a 1.4-inch screen, but it is there nonetheless and it does allow you to reply to messages by swiping your responses. While Microsoft has updated its web based Health dashboard to show you stats and graphs, the info is not available on the Microsoft Health smartphone app. Well, at least not yet.

Perhaps the biggest news is the release of an SDK for Microsoft Band that covers Windows Phone, iOS and Android. This should pave the way for many new features for the device in the near to intermediate future. Source

Not happy with the Windows 10 Technical Preview? Here is how you can drop back to Windows Phone 8.1

Not happy with the Windows 10 Technical Preview? Here is how you can drop back to Windows Phone 8.1

Have you recently loaded the Technical Preview of Windows 10 for Mobile on your Windows Phone? By now, you probably realize that this is a work in progress as it is quite buggy. Thankfully, Microsoft had the foresight to install a "rollback" feature in the Technical Preview that allows you to bring Windows Phone 8.1 back to your handset if so desired. You will lose all of your data, so back it up to a microSD card or to OneDrive before you begin.

To bring Windows Phone 8.1 back to your handset, you will need your phone, a USB cable, a Windows PC and the Windows Recovery Tool which is downloaded to your PC. Use the USB cable to connect your phone with the computer. The phone should be automatically recognized by the computer. If not, disconnect the phone from the PC and click on 'My phone was not detected' at the bottom of the screen; follow the instructions on the display.

Once your phone model is detected by the computer, click on the name of the model on your PC screen. The next screen will show software versions; click on the reinstall button. You will then see a disclaimer suggesting that you back up the phone. Click on continue. The next step has the recovery tool downloading and installing the firmware. It is important that you do not disconnect the phone from the computer while this is happening. When completed, you will see a notification that says "Operation successfully completed." Oh happy day!

Don't consider it a failure if you need to go back to Windows Phone 8.1 from Windows 10 Technical Preview. After all, we are not talking about the final version of the new Windows build here. Once Microsoft kills all bugs dead and releases the finished Windows 10 for Mobile, you should try again to update your Windows Phone device to the latest and greatest build of Microsoft's mobile OS. Source

T-Mobile's update page keeps you abreast of your phones update to Android 5.0

T-Mobile's update page keeps you abreast of your phone's update to Android 5.0

If you're a T-Mobile customer wondering if your handset will soon receive the Android 5.0 update, all you need to do is visit the carrier's Software Updates page and click on the image of your phone. You will receive information related to your model's update to Android 5.0. For example, click on a phone that has already been updated like the Nexus 5, and you will see that the stock Android model has already been Lollipopped.

Ok, maybe the Nexus 5 is an obvious one to pick. Let's choose another phone. Click on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and you'll see that the update is in the process of being tested by T-Mobile. In fact, there are three levels and the Galaxy Note 3 is on the second level. Level one, called Manufacturer Development, means that T-Mobile and the manufacturer of a device have agreed to update the model's current OS build. Level 2, is called T-Mobile testing. In this stage, the carrier runs through the update in an effort to certify it.

When you get to Level 3, the process is completed and the update is available for the device. Some of the devices listed on T-Mobile's Software Updates page include the Nexus 4 (Level 3, Completed), Samsung Galaxy Note Edge (Level 1, Manufacturer Development) and the HTC One (Level 2, T-Mobile testing).

If you want to know where your T-Mobile branded Android phone stands in relation to the Lollipop update, click on the sourcelink below. Source

HTC suggests the One M9 will have more powerful BoomSound speakers

HTC suggests the One M9 will have more powerful BoomSound speakers

Stereo BoomSound speakers are among HTC One (M8)'s defining features, so it's no surprise that HTC is equipping the upcoming One M9 with similar audio capabilities. In fact, they might not be similar, but better.

HTC today suggested that the One M9 will have more powerful BoomSound speakers. The company posted a short teaser video on Twitter, alongside the comment "get your hands on bigger boom." The video (embedded below) doesn't really reveal much, but it's pretty clear that we should expect the One M9 to have very loud speakers. According to a previous report, HTC may have partnered with Dolby Laboratories in order to pack Dolby 5.1 audio technology into the One M9.

Just like Samsung, HTC will announce its next flagship handset on March 1 at MWC 2015. The new smartphone will most probably have two variants: One M9 (with a 5-inch 1080p display), and One M9 Plus (with a 5.2-inch Quad HD display). We assume that both will feature exactly the same improved BoomSound speakers. But we'll see on March 1 if we're right or not. source

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will be launched by Sprint, too, pre-registrations now open

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will be launched by Sprint, too, pre-registrations now open

Shortly after T-Mobile and AT&T put up Galaxy S6 teaser pages on their official websites (see here and here), Sprint also joined the party, allowing customers to pre-register for "the latest Samsung devices."

Sprint is showing the same teaser image that T-Mobile and AT&T are using, revealing the side of a Samsung handset that features a curved display. You can check out all three images in the slideshow below. Mind you, the smartphone that we're seeing in these images is, almost certainly, the Galaxy S6 Edge, not the regular S6 (since it's unlikely that the regular model has a curved display which wraps around its edges).

As you may already know, both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge should be officially announced on March 1 at MWC 2015, when Samsung will host one of its most important press events of the year. US carriers are planning to start selling the S6 and S6 Edge "this spring" - which could mean anytime between March and May. We assume the Galaxy S6 Edge will be more expensive than the regular S6 (just like the Galaxy Note Edge costs more than the Note 4). But we'll see about that.

Do you plan to buy a Galaxy S6, or a Galaxy S6 Edge? Let us know in the comments section.  Source

Samsung Norway might be telling us to expect a larger display on the Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Norway might be telling us to expect a larger display on the Samsung Galaxy S6

Over the weekend, we told you about Samsung Norway's teasers for the Samsung Galaxy S6. Based on real rumors being bandied about online, our theory is that this is really a back door way for Samsung Norway to confirm some of the features expected for the new flagship model. The features include front-facing stereo speakers, a durable and strong build, and curved glass that covers both sides of the phone.

On Monday, Samsung Norway added a new rumor, number four, which says "It has been rumored that the new Galaxy will feature a larger display." So we can now add a larger display to the list of other features that we expect from the phone. Actually, one of the previously listed rumors is not a rumor anymore. Samsung provided teasers to T-Mobile and AT&T that show the Galaxy S6 with curved glass covering at least one of the sides of the phone. We are going to go out on a limb and say that both sides are probably covered.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 will see the light of day during MWC 2015 in Barcelona on March 1st. As usual, we will be at MWC to provide you with all of the exciting new product introductions (don't forget that the HTC One M9 will be unveiled sans parenthesis on the same day), late breaking news and hands on videos. Source

Second generation Motorola Moto E headed to Verizon, LTE in tow

Second generation Motorola Moto E headed to Verizon, LTE in tow

While Motorola hasn't confirmed the existence of a second generation Moto E, we already saw a few renders that allegedly show the new smartphone. Now, we can take a look at another render, which seemingly shows a Verizon-branded next-gen Moto E. That's right, it appears that Motorola's upcoming budget handset will be launched by Verizon, though there's no word on exactly when this is supposed to happen.

Earlier this month, Best Buy listed the new Motorola Moto E as coming soon, mentioning that this would cost only $99.99 off contract. However, the retailer quickly removed the Moto E webpage from its website, so for now we've no idea when the smartphone should become available (though "soon" is probably a good guess).

The new Moto E should be a bit larger than last year's model, reportedly offering a 4.5-inch display with 540 x 960 pixels. The upcoming handset should also come with LTE connectivity and a front-facing camera - two features that can't be found on the old Moto E. Other than that, the second-gen Motorola Moto E could have a Snapdragon processor, 1 GB of RAM, and microSD card support. Near stock Android Lollipop will almost surely be on board.

As a reminder, Verizon should soon also launch the Motorola-made Google Nexus 6, becoming the last major US carrier to sell the extra-large handset. Back to the new Moto E, is anyone looking forward to buying one? Source

Verizon's LG G3 starts to receive Android 5.0.1 update

Verizon's LG G3 starts to receive Android 5.0.1 update

Is that a smile we see on the faces of Verizon subscribers rocking the LG G3? It sure is. This afternoon, Big Red has started rolling out Android 5.0.1 to LG's current flagship handset. The update carries software version number VS98523A and will include the Lollipop Material Design, the new ART compiler making apps run faster, the revised "Recent apps" menu, improved battery life thanks to Project Volta, lock screen notifications and the two-finger slide-down Quick Settings to name a few.

This is a rather hefty update, and while we have not seen Verizon post it on its LG G3 support page yet, you should make sure that you are hooked up to a Wi-Fi network when downloading and installing it. Furthermore, your battery should be charged to at least 50% before you begin the updating process.

You can try to pull Android 5.0.1 out of your phone manually by going to Settings > General > Systems Updates. If you do get the update, let us know by dropping your comments in the box below. Good Luck! Source

Google to offer Inbox to its business customers starting next month

Google to offer Inbox to its business customers starting next month

Inbox is an app offered by Google that is like a Gmail inbox on steroids. With Inbox, you can more easily sort out your Gmail, snooze the messages in your inbox and even rescind messages you've sent before they are read. Google has discovered that many of its users want to be able to access Inbox at the office.

With Inbox at the office, you can more easily keep track of your appointments. Certain email messages related to corporation business can be snoozed until they are officially released, lowering the odds of someone stealing the information from your phone and getting it in advance. And Google says that since Inbox was built on the same infrastructure as Gmail, it is secure enough for corporate use.

In March, Google plans on offering Inbox to some of its Google Apps customers for case studies. If you think that you'd like to use Inbox as your primary email client for work, and your firm has many mobile users, you should send an emailed request for a Inbox invite from your Google Apps for Work administrator account. You need to send the request to inboxforwork@google.com. Those who are approved will get to help Google build Inbox for work. Source

Xiaomi threatens legal action against unauthorized websites in India selling banned handsets

Xiaomi threatens legal action against unauthorized websites in India selling banned handsets

Thanks to a patent infringement suit brought against Xiaomi in India by Ericsson, the red hot smartphone manufacturer is limited in the country to selling its handsets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. That means that Xiaomi models powered by MediaTek processors cannot be legally sold in India.

Recently, Ericsson took Xiaomi back to court, claiming that the latter was not abiding by the court's order and was selling phones with MediaTek silicon inside. But Xiaomi said that these sales were being conducted by third party websites that are not authorized to sell Xiaomi phones. Now, Xiaomi is taking legal action against these rogue retail sites. One such site, Xiaomishop.com, has already been shut down.

In India, only Flipkart and Airtel are authorized to sell Xiaomi smartphones. The manufacturer said that it will take legal action against the remaining four or five unauthorized websites selling its wares. Meanwhile, with Foxconn as a partner, Xiaomi is looking to build a factory in the country that will help it more easily comply with Indian law.

"They're infringing on trademarks and they're making the world believe that it's a genuine Xiaomi site, which it is not. The products sold on these websites are not meant for India and are sold at significantly higher price points. We have written to them multiple times, and we will be taking legal action against them."-Manu Jain, head of India operations, Xiaomi Source

Samsung Galaxy Core Prime launches this week on Verizon

Samsung Galaxy Core Prime launches this week on Verizon

While AT&T and T-Mobile are teasing the upcoming release of the Galaxy S6, Verizon today announced that it's going to start selling a less-appealing Samsung smartphone: the Galaxy Core Prime. Thus, Verizon is confirming a previous rumor, which had it that the Core Prime would be available in the near future in the US.

Verizon will launch the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime online on February 26 (this Tuesday), asking $29.99 on contract for it. Starting March 5, the handset will also be available in stores.

Originally announced in October, Samsung's Galaxy Core Prime will be XLTE-ready, being compatible with Verizon's HD Voice Calling. The handset sports a 4.5-inch display with only 480 x 800 pixels, and is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor. Other features include a 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front-facing camera, 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of expandable storage space. A 2000 mAh battery with Ultra Power Saving Mode completes the features list.

The Core Prime will run Android 4.4 KitKat at launch, but Verizon says it will update it to Android 5.0 Lollipop at some point. Boost Mobile might also release the Galaxy Core Prime in the US, though for now there's nothing official about this.  Source

With the Galaxy S6 around the corner, Samsung reminds us that the S5 is "water resistant" and "irresistible"

With the Galaxy S6 around the corner, Samsung reminds us that the S5 is "water resistant" and "irresistible"

Samsung is obviously very busy preparing the announcements of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, both of which will be officially unveiled next Sunday, on March 1. But the company didn't forget about its current Galaxy S flagship - the S5, which has been around since March 2014.

The short Galaxy S5 commercial that you're seeing below was aired last night on ABC, during the 87th Academy Awards ceremony. In the video, Samsung reminds us that the Galaxy S5 is dust-proof and water-proof (IP67-certified), while calling the smartphone "irresistible" and "designed to make a splash." That being said, it's not clear if the S6 will also be water-resistant.

Needless to say, Samsung still wants to sell many S5 units before the Galaxy S6 arrives (we do not know when the S6 will be available to buy, but we expect to see it hitting shelves later in March, or in April the latest). Right now, you can buy an unlocked Galaxy S5 in the US for less than $500. The question is, who's willing to get an S5, when the Galaxy S6 (plus different upcoming flagships from other companies) will be soon available? Source

Best new Android and iPhone apps of the week

Best new Android and iPhone apps of the week 

Another week, another heap of apps on the iOS and Android stores. Interested what's new, but can't get yourself to pick through all the new offerings? Fear not – we combed through them for you and ended up with a bunch of different apps for both platforms.

In case you are just tuning in, this article is part of a new column – we will be eyeing the new apps that come out weekly, and update you on anything worth checking out every Monday. If you missed last week's pick – it's here. We're also doing it for games in a separate column – here's this week's pick.

So, without further ado, let's check out some interesting apps that came out this week, 02.15.2015 – 02.22.2015, on the App Store and Play Store

New for both platforms

"Do..." apps by IFTTT

IFTTT specializes in "script" apps, if we could call them so (IFTTT calls it "recipes"). The idea is that a single tap can be programmed to do a few different actions. For example, Do Camera can be set to instantly share the photos you take to select social medias / email. Do Note can save your note to Evernote and/or post it on a social media of choice as soon as you save the note. Do Button can be programmed to control your smarthome appliances (set thermostat, lights, etc.) with just the push of a big onscreen button.

IFTT's first app – IF – is also worth checking out – it executes automatic scripts, such as controlling your smarthome appliances automatically, based on your location (turn lights on as you approach), can send you text notifications about a forthcoming weather change, or post for you on all your social medias, if you only post on facebook.

Photo Transfer

Photo Transfer is yet another photo sharing app. It does its thing over direct Wi-Fi, and can not only transfer apps between phones, but between a phone and PC, via a proprietary, free software. It's pretty intuitive, drag-and-drop based, so if you are one who moves pictures around often – keep this one in mind.

New for Android

Gallery Doctor – Phone Cleaner

Remember you were planning to comb through your pictures and finally delete some of those blurry, dark, or just repetitive shots? You haven't gotten around to it yet, have you? No worries, neither have most of us. Gallery Doctor by Flayvr Media Ltd. is here to help – the app analyzes photos and suggests the ones that it deems unworthy for your phone's sacred storage space. Don't worry, it won't auto-delete anything – for images that it's not sure about – it will present them in the form of a card stack, where swiping right on a card saves the photo, while a swipe to the left deletes it (Tinder-esque); this process has auto-learning, which will try to better guess your preferences next time around. As far as images that the app is sure about – it will show them to you in a list of thumbnais, allowing you to "check" the unneeded ones and delete them all in one tap.

DataSize Explorer

Speaking of storage, here's an explorer that makes it very easy to determine which files take lots of space on your device. DataSize presents your phone's contents in a tile format, each tile proportionally sized to represent the size of the respective file. A single glance over its graphical interface can give you a lot of insight on what's going on.

DataSize Explorer is currently only available in a free, ad-supported format, but will have a premium version soon, or at least that's what the developer promises.

New for iOS

Cloudz

There are so many cloud services today, it could get mind-boggling – Box, Dropbox, Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, et cetera and so forth. It is very probable that you have accounts for at least two such services, and it can sometimes get confusing, when trying to remember which files you stored where.

Well, Cloudz is an interesting solution – it acts as a hub for all your cloud service accounts, combining their storage in one large bulk, and easing your file-storing woes. Pretty neat!

Shoot

Want to use your iPhone's camera as a video podcasting tool? Shoot will activate your back-facing camera and show only the captured image on the phone's display – nothing else – as well as prevent the phone from auto-sleeping. From there on, it's a matter of streaming the phone's screen to your computer via AirPlay.

Screen Muncher

Jealous of the Galaxy Note 4's Screen Write feature, which allows users to make annotations on screenshots, before sending them out? Well, Screen Muncher brings just that to iOS – take screenshot, draw or write on it, send it away.

It's a great function for those who often find themselves explaining stuff, making guides, or just trying to share something from the screen of their iDevice.

Tandem

Tandem is a sort of a language-learning social network. You set the language you are looking to practice, and set desired topics for some refined results. The service will try to connect you with like-minded folk, who speak your target language and, in turn, are looking to learn your language.

The app allows for text, voice, and video calling, and is an interesting redux of the 20th century's "pen pal" fad, or at least that's what it deminded us of.

Art Finger Creative Draw

A drawing app, which obviously had a lot of thought behind it – Art Finger offers many, many options to play with – brush shapes and sizes, color opacity and saturation, pressure sensitivities, painting dimensions up to 2048 x 2048, auto-saving so you don't lose your work, unlimited undo, and a lot more. The painters out there who are not entirely pleased with their current apps should give this one a whirl.

That's all we managed to fish out of the endless pond of apps this week. Did we miss an offering that's just way too cool to not be on our list? Don't hesitate to let us know! Source

Best new Android and iPhone games

Best new Android and iPhone games

Let's start off the week with some fun! In our weekly round up of the best new Android and iPhone games we introduce you to everything new and worthy with no limits to the genre, platform, or price. We can't guarantee that you'd love the genre of the game we've picked, but if you do, chances are you’d spend hours playing one of these games.

This week everything is abuzz with the gorgeous new Alto's Adventure, an endless game for iOS that features a calming atmospheric environment and a snowboarder who performs all sorts of jumps and tricks in in an ever-changing mountainous world. That's hardly all there was when it comes to new releases, though, with a few nice puzzlers, a brand new racing game that fans of the genre will like, and a lot more.

With no further ado, here is our summary of the best new Android and iPhone games for the past week of February 2015.

Alto’s Adventure

Alto's Adventure puts you in control of Alto and his friends who are on a snowboarding journey across gorgeous alpine hills, ancient woodlands, and more. Along the way, you get to rescue llamas, grind rooftops, leap over terrifying chasms and more.

Aerena

Set in an Ætherpunk world you assemble a team, plan a strategy, equip yourself with powerful Æther shells and fight against real-world foes to dominate the battlefield.

AG Drive

AG Drive takes you on a wild anti-gravity ride where you race against opponents on spectacular tracks that dive over and under an Earth city of the future.

Swap Heroes 2

Swap Heroes 2 is a casual turn-based strategy adventure where you get to form a group of valiant heroes and guide them in battle through a wide variety of quests and locations as you venture toward a final showdown with the feared Shadow Knight.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves

Another instalment in the popular fighting series, "GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES" renews the series with the "T.O.P. SYSTEM", a revolutionary game mechanic that can be set anywhere on the character's lifebar and gives access to a unique attack and significantly increases the character's hitting power.

Ultimate General: Gettysburg

Ultimate General: Gettysburg is a tactical wargame that allows you to command thousands of soldiers as a Union or Confederate General during the Battle of Gettysburg. The strategy game features unique hand drawn map, complex morale, controls optimized for touch and smart AI.

Imps in Tokyo

Imps in Tokyo is a handcrafted indie arcade/adventure game where the imps are on a mission to use their powers to fight Mr. Cornelious, stop his diabolic plan and save... kittens.

iO - A Physics Platformer

iOS is a physics puzzler with over 150 challenging mazes including portals, inverted gravity, vehicles and more.

Switch & Drop

Switch, drop and match colors to clear the blocks in this new kind of puzzle game. Source

Pebble's new smartwatch leaks revealing color screen and smaller buttons

Pebble's new smartwatch leaks revealing color screen and smaller buttons

An image found on Pebble's servers might reveal the new smartwatch that the company is expected to unveil tomorrow. With the countdown timer on its website telling us to expect an announcement at 10am EST Tuesday, the leaked image shows off a watch with a colorful new display and a thinner design. While the timepiece appears to have a larger bezel, the buttons are smaller (is that trade off acceptable to you?).

Inside the new Pebble Watch is supposedly a Cortex M4 processor and a 6-axis gyroscope. Reportedly, the new watch offers no improvement to the battery life of the current watch. Pebble is also expected to introduce a new OS tomorrow featuring a notifications timeline and improved animations. The team responsible for it includes developers who worked on webOS.

With smartphone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Samsung, Huawei, Asus, Apple and others raising the stakes in the smartwatch business, Pebble cannot afford to stand still. Unfortunately for the company, it doesn't have a smartphone division generating funds it can spend on smartwatch development. As a result, Pebble needs to be proactive rather than reactive.

In less than 24 hours, we should know all of the details about Pebble's updated hardware and software. Be sure to check in tomorrow to learn all about it. Source