There are way too many music streaming services and some are free while others charge monthly fees. Google has been leading the pack at offering incredible value for its standard $9.99 music plan with a huge selection of music. You can play music from your Android smartphone, tablet, TV, or even your computer while you’re at work.
If you have a family that $9.99 subscription plan can quickly add up to be quite expensive.
Google has just announced the family plan availability for households with up to five family members for the incredible price of just $14.99 per month. That’s a savings of $35 per month if all five members had an individual account. So Mom can listen to Frank Sinatra, Dad can listen to Marvin Gaye, and the kids can listen to Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Pit Bull.
Benefits of Google Play Music(family plan):
Access to over 35 million songs
Ad-free
Offline mode
Access to YouTube Red ($9.99/month)
Downloadable ad-free videos from YouTube
The family plan will be made available in the coming days to Android devices in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France and Germany.
Cortana, the virtual assistant from Microsoft has officially left beta and will now be readily available for anyone to use across Windows, iOS and Android. The personal assistant will also be built into Cyanogen OS.
Microsoft bills Cortana, named after the Halo character, as a personal assistant with personality. Now you’ll be able to use Cortana cross platform to do things like set location based reminders on one device and have it pop up on another, get missed call alerts and respond to text messages on your Windows 10 computer, and track flights and packages.
Microsoft says that Cortana will come with the same personality and features on mobile that it does on desktop. One of the main selling points of Cortana is the ability to give contextual suggestions for people, places and things that may interest you. Now the information and searches you use on one device will follow you to other devices so you’ll be able to pick up where you left off.
Even though Cortana will be fully featured on iOS and Android, due to some system limitations, it won’t be able to do some actions like toggling system settings or opening apps.
Another exciting tidbit is that on Cyanogen OS phones will now integrate Cortana much like Android Now is integrated into almost all Android Phones. Â You’ll now be able to say “Hey Cortana” from any screen and have the personal assistant pop up, ready to serve. With the increased integration comes more options. On Cyanogen OS phones you’ll be able to ask to have your phone powered down, enter Quiet Mode or have it toggle network modes.
All of this is good news to those that find they like a little bit of personality in their personal assistant, but don’t want to jump over to iOS for the increasingly unreliable Siri.
That time of gift-giving is quickly approaching. Most of us don’t quite have the cash to gift full-on devices, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give something valuable to those among our friends and family who are tech-oriented. There are plenty of potential gifts under $25 which they would appreciate, so we’ve gathered up a list to assist with your brainstorming this holiday season.
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Cases
This one might take a little reconnaissance on your part for who you plan to gift it to, such as what phone they have and if they have more preference for either form or protection. There are a ton of cases out there, so chances are that they’ve overlooked an offering they would really like.
We’re seeing more and more phone compatibility for cases with integrated batteries. If that person you’re thinking about could always use more battery life and wouldn’t mind the extra thickness, a battery case could be a smart choice.
Skins and Screen Protectors
If you know that your giftee isn’t into phone cases, that’s not the only option. Skins are gaining popularity, because a quick 10-minute application transforms your device anew and blooms excitement once again. Here are a couple examples dbrand skins on the Nexus 5X and 6P courtesy of our own Derrick Miyao. They start at $10.
Nexus 6P in copper and the Nexus 5X in carbon fiber.
A screen protector can also be a good idea. Shop online for these, you’d be surprised how much they’re marked up in stores like Best Buy. For instance, Skinomi screen protectors run from $7-$10.
Battery Packs
Battery life is often the largest pain-point with phones, hence why external batteries are aplenty on the market. You can’t really go wrong with giving the gift of extended battery life. I would just suggest to get a feeling if the person is a power user or just needs an extra boost here and there. Battery packs have a wide range of sizes depending on capacity. You may also want to consider one with an attached charging cable – most people prefer to not have to carry around extra supplies.
If someone close to you is a music-lover and uses Apple Earpods as their daily driver, do them a favor and gift them a real pair of headphones. It doesn’t even have to be expensive to beat out Apple’s earbuds. However, first find out what type of headphone they like.
Also, being that Bluetooth headphones are mainstream now, there are plenty of choices that won’t break the bank. We recently reviewed a set from Coocheer that goes for only $18.99.
Portable Speakers
Bluetooth-connectable speakers are a big thing these days. They can be pretty pricey when you look at well-known brands (Bose, UE, JBL, etc.), but you don’t necessarily need to spend an arm and a leg to get something that sounds decent.
Every Android lover would welcome a collectible. There are tons! Most commonly collected are the mini Android figures. There are a multitude of different kinds.
Another great gift idea for Android users is a Play Store gift card. The Play Store has all the content we’d want – movies, games, music, apps, and books.
At the most recent Google Nexus release event in San Francisco, we were introduced to the Pixel C and were not given a release date. Well Google just put the Pixel C up for sale starting at $499.00 for the 32Gb model. If you recall the latest tablet from Google runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, comes with a 10.2″ display with 308ppi, is rather svelte at .517kg, is powered by the super powerful NVIDIA Tegra X1 with Maxwell GPU, and has 3GB of RAM. The Pixel C is made from anodized aluminum giving it an ultra durable and premium feel, has stereo speakers and has a USB type C port.
The Pixel C is Google’s take on a tablet with a keyboard and was designed from the ground up alongside its keyboard, so you can switch in an instant between swiping and typing. Plus, the screen adjusts to different angles, so you can work or watch comfortably wherever you want.
The new Pixel C is available now for $499.00 with free shipping. The Play Store has them in stock and will ship them in 1-2 business days.
[alert color=”green”]For the week of December 14, 2015 until December 18, 2015, Moshi and AndroidGuys will be teaming up to give away two Aerio bags. Check out our Instagram for more details[/alert]
I’m a father. I write, I travel a lot and I’m a tech enthusiast. Many of you reading this may be one or more of those things. If you are, you know that most segments of your life have a phone, tablet, computer or something else that goes along with it. In this day and age, we all have devices that fit our needs. Some times a device can do many things, but if you’re anything like me, you’re toting around several gadgets. Whether that may be a tablet for the kid to keep her entertained while we wait on an oil change, my laptop so I can get some writing done, battery banks and both of my phones, they all live in my Moshi Aerio messenger bag.
In addition to the things I listed, I’m also a bit of a bag addict. I’ve used many messenger bags and backpacks in the past and I’m always in search of the perfect one. That’s why when the good people at Moshi offered me the chance to review the Aerio, I jumped at it. I am an admitted fan of Moshi. I think they make excellent stuff. I hope in the future they make a big push into Android accessories because the iPhone accessories they do make are fantastic.
The Aerio may look like any high premium messenger bag out there, but there are two things that make it stand out over others I’ve tried: its weight and the strap.
This is one of, if not the, lightest bag I’ve ever used. Even when its fully loaded with my Macbook Pro, headphones, notebook, pens, pills, two tablets and two phones, it feels incredibly light. Moshi used really high quality materials that not only make it light, but water resistant too. Now, it’s not waterproof, but I would definitely trust this bag to take a splash, or get rained or snowed on. In addition to it being water resistant, it also stretches. A lot. I’ve never been in a situation where I couldn’t get everything I listed in this bag, plus my lunch and whatever small boxes I have to mail out that day. Unless you’re taking a change of clothes, you should be able to get all of your devices into the Aerio.
What makes the Aerio easy to use is the strap. It extends to and retracts long enough for everyone to find their perfect length. I’ve had many bags that don’t give me nearly enough length since I like to keep my bags near my thigh. The pad that sits on your shoulder is extremely comfortable. There is a ton of padding, and it’s just tough enough to last while still preventing any shoulder fatigue. Where the strap connects to the bag is stretchy material that keeps your bag from tugging on your shoulder when you walk. These things combined makes the Aerio a joy to walk around with. I wish the strap was a bit thinner, but other than that, it’s pretty much perfect.
On the inside of the bag you’ll find a big pocket for up to a 15″ MacBook Pro that has a velcro strip and two notebook sized pockets. I keep my LG G Pad and Moleskin Notebook in these pockets and they have plenty of room to expand outward to hold more. You could easily get four or five tablets in each pocket. In addition to these three pockets, there’s one more on the inside which is just kind of a generic “throw your cables in here” pocket. I keep my headphones, coffee mug, lunch Tupperware and any packages in between these pockets in the main storage area. There’s plenty of space to fit whatever you need.
On the front of the bag is a large pocket and on the front of that is a smaller pocket that zips up. Both of these pockets extend to the bottom of the bag. This is where I keep battery backups normally since I don’t need to get to them as often. Under these two pockets are the plastic fasteners that keep the bag closed. Around back is a huge pocket that stretches the entire length and depth of the bag that secures with a zipper. This is great for large notepads and earbuds or whatever you need to get to quickly.
There’s simply a ton of storage in this bag. I have the bag, I’m staring at it and I don’t know how it’s all fitting in there without it blowing up. It always feels slim and easy to handle.
The fit and finishes of the bag are excellent too. I have the black option that has a brown strap and details. It honestly looks really great. I prefer darker colors anyway so it really blends well. All of the zippers are silver with the Moshi logo and feel high quality while handle on the back is sturdy and well stitched.
I’ve tried and tried and tried to find issues with this bag. I don’t want to write a review that seems like an advertisement for Moshi, but I really can’t find anything I dislike about this bag. It holds everything, it looks absolutely stunning and my shoulder never gets tired, even on long walks. This isn’t a cheap bag and it’s priced to match. The $150 price tag isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a bag that will last you a lifetime, this is it.
After the latest update, Google Chrome for Android has received Safe Browsing – something that has been available for the company’s desktop software for years. The new security feature will protect mobile devices against malware, unwanted software and social engineering websites.
You don’t need to update your Chrome browser to get this Safe Browsing client, as it comes bundled up with Google Play Services version 8.1 by default. If you have Chrome version 46 and up, you can relax because now you will see a red warning page if you stumble upon a page that is a privacy scare or consumes data and eats your battery.
“Social engineering—and phishing in particular—requires different protection; we need to keep an up-to-date list of bad sites on the device to make sure we can warn people before they browse into a trap. Providing this protection on a mobile device is much more difficult than on a desktop system, in no small part because we have to make sure that list doesn’t get stale.”
Google Blog
To double check that you are protected against phishing attempts and online scares, all you need to do is go to Chrome’s Settings > Privacy menu and ensure that Safe Browsing is enabled.
Google has announced its comprehensive list of the best movies, apps, music, TV shows and games. From Interstellar, to Adele, Fifty Shades of Grey and to my favorite of all Game of Thrones, Google’s best of lists are pretty spot on. Although I take issue with The Interview as I found that movie to be downright horrible, but I’m clearly in the minority. And the best books of the year were graced four times by Fifty Shades of Grey for 200 total shades, although I can’t argue with those selections as almost half of the females I know could not stop blabbering about the series.
Here are Google’s top five lists for Movies, TV shows, Albums and Books.
BUILD THE PERFECT VAULT
Create a brighter future…underground! Select from a variety of modern-day rooms to turn an excavation beneath 2,000 feet of bedrock into the very picture of Vault Life.
From rage-Âfilled Barbarians with glorious mustaches to pyromaniac wizards, raise your own army and lead your clan to victory! Build your village to fend off raiders, battle against millions of players worldwide, and forge a powerful clan with others to destroy enemy clans.
DomiNations is an epic combat strategy game of advancement, exploration, and conquest from legendary game designer Brian Reynolds. Choose your Nation from among the greatest civilizations of the world, and lead it to ultimate victory throughout all of human history – from the Stone Age to the Space Age! Build a capital city, train your army and dominate rival Alliances to become the most powerful ruler on the planet!
Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs.
Welcome to Empires & Allies, an all-new modern military strategy game that puts the weapons of modern war at your fingertips in a never-ending battle to conquer the world.
Alphabear is an original word puzzle game by Spry Fox, the developer of the award winning game Triple Town.
In Alphabear, you spell words by selecting letters on a grid. When you use letters that are adjacent to each other, bears appear! The more letters you use, the bigger the bear gets, and the more points you earn!
HBO NOW is the new standalone streaming service that gives you all of HBO—every season, every episode of HBO’s original series—plus more of the biggest and latest movies than any other streaming service. All you need is the internet.
YouTube Gaming keeps you connected to the games, players, and culture that matter to you. Featuring videos and live streams with chat — including let’s plays, reviews, speedruns, trailers, and more from your favorite gamers and publishers — you can explore the games you care about more deeply than ever before.
With videos covering Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, League of Legends, Call of Duty, Garry’s Mod, and tens of thousands more, it’s all on YouTube Gaming.
Retrica is a simple photo taking and sharing app with a near infinite combination of live filters, layout, editing, social and secret sharing options. You can shoot the same moment a million ways and share it with the world, that special someone or anyone you want.
Looking for a more powerful and flexible launcher that oozes Material Design? Action Launcher 3 to the rescue! Action Launcher 3 replaces your homescreen with a colorful, customizable and speedy app you’ll quickly learn to love.
The highly customizable, performance driven, home screen
Accept no substitutes! Nova Launcher is the top launcher for modern Android, embracing full Material Design throughout.
Google Photos is the home for all your photos and videos. Automatically organized and searchable, you can find photos fast and bring them to life. It’s the photo gallery that thinks like you do.
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The apps and games listed above are just a sampling from the best of 2015 lists. As the year winds to an end and you take some time off of work, check out some of these apps, games, movies, books and more. Google’s lists really are quite good.
Not that Verizon has issues with connectivity, as it is has fantastic coverage in the U.S., there are times when you might need to make a call over WiFi if your signal has dropped out.
Starting December 8th, Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge users on Verizon will get an over the air update which will enable voice and video calls over WiFi. The selection is highly limited now, but Verizon has plans to expand compatibility to more Android and iOS devices in early 2016. All calls made within the U.S. are free of charge, and international calls are billed at international long distance rates. Prices vary according to each country.
How to Get Advanced Calling with Wi-Fi Calling
To activate Wi-Fi Calling on Android, customers must first download and install the latest software update and turn on Advanced Calling from the settings menu.
Once Advanced Calling is enabled, customers can activate Wi-Fi Calling.
When a customer uses Advanced Calling on Verizon’s 4G LTE network and travels outside of coverage, the call will seamlessly transfer to a known Wi-Fi hotspot when available.
Like keeping your Nexus device up to date? Who doesn’t!? Google has just let go of the Android 6.0.1 factory images for Nexus devices on its Developers site.
Bear in mind that installation isn’t just a simple download and execute. The new build needs to be flashed, which involves having the Android platform tools ready on your computer, communication channels to your Android flowing, and adb commands. If all this sounds foreign to you, you may just want to wait for an official OTA push of the update.
[toggles title=”Factory image flashing instructions”]To flash a device using one of the system images below (or one of your own), you need the latest fastboot tool. You can get it from one of the sources below.
From the platform-tools/ directory in the Android SDK. Be sure that you have the latest version of the Android SDK Platform-tools from the SDK Manager.
Once you have the fastboot tool, add it to your PATH environment variable (the flash-all script below must be able to find it). Also be certain that you’ve set up USB access for your device, as described in the Using Hardware Devices guide.
To flash a system image:
Download the appropriate system image for your device below, then unzip it to a safe directory.
Connect your device to your computer over USB.
Start the device in fastboot mode with one of the following methods:
Using the adb tool: With the device powered on, execute: adb reboot bootloader
Using a key combo: Turn the device off, then turn it on and immediately hold down the relevant key combination for your device. For example, to put a Nexus 5 (“hammerhead”) into fastboot mode, press and hold Volume Up + Volume Down + Power as the device begins booting up.
If necessary, unlock the device’s bootloader by running: fastboot oem unlock The target device will show you a confirmation screen. (This erases all data on the target device.)
Open a terminal and navigate to the unzipped system image directory.
Execute the flash-all script. This script installs the necessary bootloader, baseband firmware(s), and operating system.
Once the script finishes, your device reboots. You should now lock the bootloader for security:
Start the device in fastboot mode again, as described above.
Execute: fastboot oem lock
Locking bootloader will wipe the data on some devices. After locking the bootloader, if you want to flash the device again, you must run fastboot oem unlock again, which will wipe the data.[/toggles]
This morning Cricket Wireless announced their Black Friday deals for this year and one of them in particular is a doozy! Customers who bring their number to Cricket anytime between now and December 6th will get a $100 rebate Visa shopping card*.
*The shopping card can only be used at Cricket Wireless.
Although the card is only useful at Cricket, it can be used for paying your monthly service fee and if you’re on auto-pay with the Basic ($35, 2.5GB) plan, that could be almost 3 months of service for free. You can also use the card for devices and accessories, in store and online.
In addition to their Black Friday special, Cricket is also offering rebates on a handful of their devices and these rebates can be used in addition to the Black Friday deal for savings of up to $200 total savings!
All of the device deals are holiday pricing, so they are going to continue to be available until January 7th, but if you’ve been thinking about switching to Cricket, maybe now is the time! Speaking from my own experience, it’s hard to go wrong with Cricket. They are now a subsidiary of AT&T, so you get the coverage of Big Blue without having to payout to the death star.
Update Dec 7th: The offer is “back by popular demand” and is now extended until January 7th! The difference now, however, is that the credit can only be used as a bill credit. All of the above holiday offers can still be be used in addition to the switching offer. *Switcher Credit: Excl. ports from AT&T. Must make 2 svc payments w/in 45 days. Credit rec’d w/in 60 days.  Src:Cricket Wireless
. There are a multitude of different kinds.
Another great gift idea for Android users is a Play Store gift card. The Play Store has all the content we’d want – movies, games, music, apps, and books.
