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HTC offering HUGE discount on Nexus 9 today only

Matt Adams
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0
HTC offering HUGE discount on Nexus 9 today only

Are you looking for a tablet for your Valentine? HTC is having a massive, limited-time sale to help you pick one up at a great price.

For today only you can pick up an HTC Nexus 9 for 40 percent off! This brings the cost down to be very competitive with even the best priced tablets. Here’s how all the prices break down:

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  • 16 GB WiFi – $239
  • 32 GB Wifi – $287
  • 32 GB Wifi + LTE – $359

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The 16 GB Wifi version has been going in and out of stock (probably due to this sale), so you may want to save yourself some time and pick up the 32 GB version if it fits into your budget.

But wait, there’s more

In addition to the 40 percent discount, you’ll receive a Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard when you purchase the 32 GB Wifi + LTE version of the Nexus 9. This is not the same Folio Keyboard offered by HTC that showed up in some advertisements last year.

HTC is also discounting all other accessories at 40 percent. You can grab the HTC Folio Keyboard Case for the Nexus 9 for $77 (it’s cheaper on Amazon), Dot View Ice for the HTC One M9 for $29.99, or the HTC Pro Studio Earphones for $47.99, among other deals.

[graphiq id=”5Ufw57k1Agt” title=”HTC Nexus 9 Overview” width=”600″ height=”666″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/5Ufw57k1Agt” link=”http://tablets.specout.com/l/829/HTC-Nexus-9″ link_text=”HTC Nexus 9 Overview | SpecOut”]

Jumpy Word combines elements of Scrabble with Tetris (review)

AndroidGuys
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0

Screenshot_2016-02-04-23-29-58

Overview

If your choice in mobile games veers toward your inner ‘word nerd’, then you should consider “Jumpy Word” by evezzon.  This game could be alternatively titled ‘Speed Scrabble’ if not for all the potential copyright infringements.

Why do you ask? Well, how do you play Scrabble?  You are given a set of random letters and are tasked to spell the most complicated words with them, scoring the most points — that’s how.  Jump Word works a lot in the same way.  The big difference is that your letter inventory is never-ending and your time limit for finding said words is much more limited.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Screenshot_2016-02-04-23-30-05

Setup

Available for free from the Play Store, the game is linkable to Google Play Games, if that’s your thing. Note that it only applies if you manually click on the profile icon in the title screen.  The settings consist of turning sound effects background music on or off.  An additional setting is to turn ‘Slow Mode’, which simply slows the game down. 
Screenshot_2016-02-04-23-30-19

Gameplay

To play (by clicking on the gamepad icon in the title screen), you are presented with a blue 7 x 6 grid on your screen.  Another way to think of this game as Scrabble combined with Tetris. This grid starts out blank, but begins filling each square with a random letter, starting at the bottom and moving up towards the top.

Your goal is to tap on combinations of letters making the longest words possible (longer words  = more points).  After tapping out the letter combination you want, click on the pencil icon to register your word.  If you make a mistake in your tapping, there is an eraser button which clears your current word build.  If your combination is an actual word, your word is scored and the squares holding your tapped letters are emptied, albeit temporarily.

AScreenshot_2016-02-04-23-31-33fter a brief time these square begin to fill back in with new letters, again moving (generally) from bottom to top.  As the grid fills up, the background color moves from blue, to a kind of gray, to orange, and finally to red. This is designed to indicate your game is close to ending.  The game does end when your grid fills up.

Screenshot_2016-02-04-23-31-41

If there is a twist to this game, it’s the inclusion of ‘bombs’.  You can tap the bomb button anytime to completely empty your grid to start fresh without disrupting your current score.  You can gain more bombs, at the rate of one per 500 points scored at the end of a round. Players have a maximum inventory of 50 bombs.

Conclusion

I personally love this game, as it combines very easy pick-up gameplay with light-hearted mental gymnastics.  Because the game can be played with any word combination, the difficulty is flexible to the person playing it. This makes it a great title to have on a parent’s phone as it can be enjoyed by an adult or child. It’s currently residing on my phone where my grade-school kiddos can access it.

Highlights:

  • Quick startup
  • No in-app advertising
  • Simple gameplay
  • Adjustable difficulty
  • Fun but intellectual

Download from the Play Store.

Instagram app now supports multiple accounts

AndroidGuys
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0

instagram_multipleA new update to the Instagram app for Android and iOS devices was announced yesterday which should come as welcome news for a number of you. Available in the 7.15 version of the app is support for multiple user accounts.

Once you have the update you will be able to hop back and forth between various Instagram accounts. No longer will you have to log out of one profile to log back into another; it will as simple as tapping the account.

As to how notifications will work, Instagram says you’ll receive them for any accounts that have them turned on and active.

Instagram

Get 2GB of Drive storage for free by checking your Google security settings

AndroidGuys
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1

What would you do if you lost access to your Google account? It’s not something we would like to think about.

But have you done anything to protect your account from malevolent sources, or at least include a way to recover your account if anything happens?

To help, Google is rewarding anyone who does a security check-up on their account with a cool 2GB of Google Drive storage space.

To get started, head to the Security Check-Up page and login to your Google account.

Google Security Check-up

On the Security Check-up page, you can change or add your recovery information, review your connected devices and app permissions, enable or change your two-step authentication and app password settings. Of course, if anything looks odd or suspicious, you can alert Google and take steps to fix the problem.

Once everything looks like it should and your account is at its most secure, Google will add your bonus 2GB of Google Drive storage to your account, permanently. That’s all there is to it!

It is all part of the Safer Internet Day initiative, which Google and many other companies and organisations are a part of, to promote safer and more responsible internet use.

But you better hurry, you must complete this check-up by February 18 to get the bonus Google Drive data.

Source: ZDNet

Screen Off Pro (Screen Lock) – Certainly locks screens. [Review]

Donovan Jeska
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1

Overview

Screen Off Pro does what it sets out to do; it locks your screen at the push of a software button, negating the use of the hardware button for this use. There are a number of other options within the app, including assigning vibration, sound and animation to the screen off function, but many of these are hidden behind the paywall of the $0.99 ‘unlock’ version.

Developer: Yogesh Dama

Price: Free (Unlock: $0.99 / Unlock + Tip: $1.49)

Highlights:

  • Turn off and lock screen without use of a hardware button.
  • Various icons to stay consistent with your theme.
  • Floating Screen Off Button. (Unlock only)
  • Vibration, animation, and vibration options. (Unlock only)

Setup

Screen Off Pro requires minimal effort to set up. The app guides you through the process, which is as follows:

  1. Tap ‘Create Screen off Shortcut.’
  2. Activate Device Administrator* (Tap button, tap ‘Activate.’)
  3. Choose Icon and Label.
  4. Tap ‘Create Shortcut to home screen.’
  5. Enjoy.

* See below.

[row][double_paragraph][df-caption title=”Opening splash screen.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160208113116.png”%5D%5B/double_paragraph%5D%5Bdouble_paragraph%5D [df-caption title=”Tap the first option to allow Administrator Privileges.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160208113208.png”%5D%5B/double_paragraph%5D [/row]

Features

As far as Screen Lock apps go, Screen Off Pro is pretty full-featured, if limited. Unfortunately, many of these features are hidden behind the paid version of the app. These features are not marked in any way as pro features; you’re only informed of such once you try to use them. At best, this is a minor inconvenience. Below is a list of the features as provided by the developer. My annotations follow in parenthesis.

  1. Number of best Screen off Shortcut icons (FREE)
  2. Change the label, name of the screen lock shortcuts (FREE)
  3. Play sound you like on screen lock (Pro Only)
  4. Vibrate on screen lock if you like (Pro Only)
  5. Lock with style, Choose the best animations (Some options free, most Pro Only)
  6. Notification shortcut to easily lock the screen from anywhere  (Pro Only)
  7. Floating screen off button over all apps, with option to set transparency and size of floating Screen off button (Pro Only)
  8. Best UI design with minimal option for simple use

This app also requires Administrator permissions, which may be concerning to some. To see if it was an isolated incident with this particular app, I downloaded a number of other screen off apps – they all require Administrator permissions, in order to turn off the screen. Looks like if you’d like this functionality, you have to play ball. I also ran into a number of instances where the app force-closed on my Nexus 6P, possibly due to inactivity.

[df-caption title=”Lots of icon choices.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160208113234.png”%5D

Conclusion

Screen Off Pro does what it sets out to do; provide an app that turns your phone’s screen off without using the hardware button. However, I find the app description and, indeed the app itself, to be misleading in that it does not mention that many features are hidden behind a paid app. If you’re looking for a free app that turns off your screen and little else, this app is for you; if you’re looking for a free app that does the features described, you’re out of luck.

Google Play Store – Screen Off Pro (Screen Lock)

Galaxy S7 photo leaks show refinement to familiar designs

Josh Noriega
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0

The unveiling of Samsung’s latest Galaxy handsets is fast approaching, but if you’re too antsy to wait, thankfully leakers have our backs. Today, we’ve gotten our best looks yet (allegedly) at the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. We also have some juicy details to round out the leaks.

First up is a rear shot of the Galaxy S7. We’ve previously heard that Samsung was working on slimming that unpopular camera hump from last year’s flagship, so many folks have been itching to get a visual of that effort.

galaxy-s7-live

While the camera component doesn’t look completely flush with the chassis, it does seem like a big improvement. If you’ve missed recent murmur about the S7’s camera module, it supposedly uses BRITECELL technology and underwent a reduction in megapixel count, from 16MP in the Galaxy S6 to 12MP (f/1.7 aperture lens).

Another interesting observation on the leaked image is that the back cover appears to be plastic rather than glass. But we shouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. It’s likely that this unit is a prototype. Also, notice that the Note5‘s curved back made a return.

Fortunately, that’s not all we have. Another image, of the alleged Galaxy S7 Edge, also surfaced.

Samsung-Galaxy-S7-Edge-Live-Image-Leak

This image doesn’t really show us anything we didn’t already know. We’re familiar with those sexy curved edges. The S7 Edge is supposed to be the larger of the pair (5.5″ vs 5.1″ on the S7), and it does look like it from these pictures.

Samsung is said to have refined the metal frame on the Galaxy S7, replacing it with a stronger magnesium alloy. Water resistance and considerable battery capacities have also been reiterated.

We all know that the chipset will be a beast (they always are). The AnTuTu benchmark score on the S7 Edge image is thought to be achieved with the newest Exynos SoC. But keep in mind that various sources have suggested that some markets will get the Snapdragon 820 (likely the U.S.). Quick charging will also get a significant boost, with a claim of 0 to 80% in just 30 minutes. Lastly, the Galaxy S7 is said to join LG in the high quality audio game, also packing the HiFi ESS Sabre 9018 DAC (digital-to-analog converter).

What do you think about the Galaxy S7 pair so fair? If these details are true, are you sold on one or the other?

Source: SamMobile

Steal This Look: Give your Android a makeover in five minutes

AndroidGuys
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4

Here’s a home screen look you can achieve with just a couple of apps and a few minutes of your time.

Continue

Monster Powercard Turbo review

AndroidGuys
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0

There are a multitude of options out there if you are looking for a smartphone charger — plenty of different types, shapes, colors, bells and whistles. But the bottom line is they all perform the same function – they charge your smartphone.

powercard_turbo3The key to floating to the top of the sea of charging banks is to simply put out a quality product at a reasonable price; that is exactly what the Powercard Turbo does.

The Powercard Turbo, made by Monster, is just that, a monster, especially in quality of the build. This charger is built to last. Within the first hours of having it in my possession, my son dropped it on the tile floor in my kitchen. Then, I knocked it off my desk and also had it slide off my lap onto the parking lot at work. Not one dent, ding or scratch. All that trauma and it still fully charged my phone in under forty minutes.

If by some miracle you manage to break the Powercard, the charger comes with a one year warranty for products sold in North America and a two year warranty for products sold in Europe.

powercard_turboIn terms of capacity, the Powercard Turbo comes with 3350mAh, which is more than you’ll find in most smartphones. Older devices might be able to get up to two charges out of it but today’s devices are inching into this space. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of reserve juice should you run low earlier in the day than you’d like.

Using the Powercard Turbo is extremely easy; you take the two inch USB charging cable, plug the microUSB connector into the port then plug the standard USB port into the wall plug. After about two hours the Powercard Turbo will be ready to charge your smartphone.

Once ready, simply switch the USB charging cord so the microUSB end is plugged into your smartphone and the standard USB end is hooked into the Powercard Turbo. After that, hit the power button and let it go to work.

powercard_turbo2

When it comes down to it, this is a really great power bank as it’s tough, durable and charges my smartphone quickly. The two inch USB cord is easy to keep track of because I can keep it plugged into the device. Never get caught with your power down again, get a Powercard Turbo and keep your device working for hours.

Where to Buy

You can pick up a Powercard Turbo charger via Monster’s website for approximately $50.  Additionally, you’ll find it in a variety of colors at Amazon, too. As of today the champagne gold version is only $20.

The 100% full wood Nexus 6P skin by Toast is awesome

Derrick Miyao
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5

I am not a huge fan of using cases for my smartphones because they add too much bulk. There is definitely a purpose to them if you’re the type who is rough on your smartphone. But if you are gentle on your devices you should strongly consider getting a skin. I have a really unique skin made by Toast on my Nexus 6P and it is pretty freaking amazing.

DSC00369

About Toast

Toast is a relatively new company getting its start in 2012 by a man named Matias Brecher which I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at CES 2016. My first impression was a good one. Similar to other people I know who own their own businesses, I could tell he took great pride and passion in his work. He was standing at the CES booth and actually applying real wood Toast skins to people’s personal phones.

Matias Brecher - "Papa Toast" at CES
Matias Brecher – “Papa Toast” at CES

In the 15 minutes I was at the booth, I did get a chance to speak with Matias and even though he was tired from being on the CES floor for three days straight, he took the time to tell me about his company. He even told me he was the one who designed and cut my custom AG skin.

Toast got its name by the process in which the designers engrave and cut with a laser that burns in a very precise manner. So Matias named his company after toast which also burns.

Toast is a true U.S. based company which does all of its business in Portland, OR. In just three quick years, they have already grown to a company of 10 where they handle every step of the skin creation process. They are very good people. Toast takes part in the 1% for the Planet program in which a minimum of 1% of Toast’s net proceeds are donated to help save the earth. It’s a rarity for such a new company to have a social conscience, but it does and I am happy to support a company like Toast.

“We are a small company dedicated to quality products and quality of life: for you, for us, and for our planet.”

 

Real wood skin made in the U.S.A.

Toast makes a wide variety of skins – mobile devices, tablets, gaming consoles and even custom skins out of real genuine wood. I happen to have the grey Nexus 6P which has an all metal body. And if you’ve owned an all metal device before you understand that metal can be easy to scratch. If you’re like me and are tired of having the same old look in a smartphone with most of them being black, white or gold, skins can offer a superior level of customization without adding bulk.

2I have been a fan of the “wood” look but only a few devices employed the look. Leave it to Toast to fill that gap with real wood skins that can be applied to almost any smartphone. My Nexus 6P skin is made from Walnut with an Ebony inlay for the camera and custom laser etched AG in the center of the skin. I also have the optional Walnut front cover which rounds out skin.

Every single detail is covered when it comes to the Toast skin. The cutouts are perfect for the buttons, cameras, and sensors. The wood itself is about a millimeter thick which a sticky backing which means it is very delicate until it is actually applied to the phone. Since it does add thickness, the SIM slot, power and volume buttons are slightly recessed when the main skin is applied. But Toast provides perfectly cut out wood inserts for that too.

Every detail is well thought out and Toast even provides an alcohol swab to clean your device to make sure the skin gets proper adhesion.

 

DSC00342

Installation

I am not a huge fan of applying skins because they can sometimes be painful, but not the Toast skin. The laser that does the cutting is perfect and I say that without exaggeration. Once you line up the rear microphone hole, found below the Nexus 6P camera, and align the buttons all you have to do is push down and it fits perfectly.

DSC00351

Once the main section is in place, I dropped in the Ebony AG insert as well as the camera insert. It was as simple as removing the protective covering over the glue and fitting it into the skin like a jigsaw puzzle. Following those, I then put the inserts in for the SIM card, power button and volume rocker. I was a little skeptical of the tight fit and was worried they would get stuck, but was pleasantly surprised when my buttons worked without issue. And then all I had to do was apply the front Walnut screen cover and I was done. The whole process took less than five minutes.

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Results

The skin fit perfect. It gives my 6P a unique look that I have not seen before on another phone. It definitely adds grip to what otherwise is a slippery Nexus 6P, and it is 100% made in the U.S.A. and supports charity at the same time. It even smells a little like burned wood. Rather than talk up the results I am just going to provide some sweet pictures. Words can’t do it justice.

DSC00366 DSC00367 DSC00368 DSC00370 DSC00371 DSC00374

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Summary

Of all of the skins I have tried, the Toast all wood skin is by far my favorite. It was super easy to apply, has a unique look and is made by a company with values that I adore. The skins start at just $34 and can work their way up to $50+ if you want custom designs and graphics. I highly recommend checking out Toast skins if you’re up for a new look. You will not be disappointed.

Learn more at Toastmade.com

IMG_20160108_113940 IMG_20160108_114043 IMG_20160108_114053

 

 

 

Dynasty Icon Pack (Beta) – A Gorgeous Blast from the Past (Updated) [Review]

Donovan Jeska
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1

 

Overview

Developer: Drumdestroyer

Price: $1.39 (promotional price, download it while it lasts!)

Highlights:

  • 1050+ Individual Icons (More than 1900 including alternates!)
  • Hundreds of Wallpapers
  • Themed Clock Widget

Icon packs are a dime a dozen (actually, they average about $0.99 apiece, but I digress) – there’s an icon pack for every theme imaginable, in every color imaginable. Many of them are well done, but in the end they’re all just icon packs. Dynasty is, just like the rest, an icon pack; it is not, however just a well-done icon pack. It also has hundreds of very impressive wallpapers to match, and its very own themed clock widget.

Setup

As with all apps of this nature, the first thing you need is a custom Launcher from the Play Store. This particular icon pack supports a rather impressive array of them, including: Nova, Action, Aviate, CyanogenMod, Apex, GO, Inspire, Lucid, Next, Nine, Smart, Solo, Themer, and even Xposed Framework-powered Unicon and XGELS (shameless plug; that’s what I use). Once you’ve chosen a Launcher you like, the next step is to apply the icon pack. The methods of going about doing this vary by launcher, but the most universal method is actually contained within the Dynasty app. That process is as follows:

  1. Open Dynasty App.
  2. Tap the icon labeled “Apply.” (It’s a phone with a green checkmark.)
  3. Select your Launcher from the list provided.
  4. Follow the instructions provided by Dynasty. (Fun fact: if you haven’t selected a Launcher yet, Dynasty will actually guide you to the Play Store to find one.)
  5. Enjoy!

[row][double_paragraph][df-caption title=”Step 2: Tap ‘Apply.'” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160206155313.png”%5D %5B/double_paragraph%5D%5Bdouble_paragraph%5D [df-caption title=”Step 3: Select your Launcher.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160206155415.png”%5D %5B/double_paragraph%5D [/row]

Features

I’ve downloaded my share of Icon Packs in my time with Android (MyTouch 3G, shoutout!) and I can honestly say that this is, far and above, the most impressive one I’ve come across. In addition to supplying more than a thousand icons for individual apps, Dynasty also brings hundreds of (very high quality) wallpapers and a themed Clock widget, to boot. Drumdestroyer accepts requests, meaning he’s always adding more icons. For reference, this pack was last updated…today – February 6, 2016. The developer is on top of it.

[df-caption title=”Icons: beautiful.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160206155548.png”%5D

All the icons in this pack are made from scratch; no filters, copy and paste jobs, none of that. In Drumdestroyer’s words, this is “Ultra-crisp ultimate HD quality iconography.” And frankly, upon looking at the icons, I’m sold on that description. The colors are gorgeous – if understated – and the icons are masterfully crafted. It all looks very original while still looking like Android. Very, very impressive work. The clock widget, for whatever reason, doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the icon pack (I think it’s the liberal use of greys and blacks in an otherwise green, yellow, blue and red color scheme, but I’m not sure), but it’s still very well done. All the wallpapers included are gorgeous as well, most of them resembling much of what Material design calls for, and some of them even resembling previous versions of Android. Very well done. Other notable features include a dynamic calendar icon, and a built-in icon request system.

[df-caption title=”Wallpapers: also beautiful.” url=”https://androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/screener_20160206155625.png”%5D

Notable Missing Apps (from my phone):

  • IMDB 
  • XDA
  • XGELS (I’m not sure if Xposed Modules are supported in custom icons.)
  • Swype
  • Groupon
  • PushBullet
  • Timely
  • GravityBox (same as XGELS)

(Update 02/09/2016: Every. Single. One of these apps was added in the most recent update. Really, really impressive support by the developer.)

Notable Errors (Icons applied to the wrong apps):

  • Sacramento Kings app (I’d be remiss in my duty as a fan not to report this egregious, heinous mistake)
  • Wish.com

(Update 02/09/2016: These were both fixed too. Wow.)

Conclusion:

If you’re in the market for an icon pack, and you like the look of the screenshots above, do yourself a favor and download this app. It’s currently only $1.39, and that support will ensure that this pack only gets better. Tons of icons, wallpapers, and a custom Clock widget ensure it’s well worth your hard-earned money.

Google Play Store – Dynasty Icon Pack (Beta)

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