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Google and MediaTek to work together on Android One project

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Google and MediaTek to work together on Android One project

During the Google I/O 2014, Google introduced the Android One series. The devices under it will be released in developing nations, and this is actually Google’s move to take a huge chunk out of the low-end smartphone market. There was a time when Nokia conquered it, now as Google Android powered smartphones are on top when we talk about high-end smartphones, they are also joining hands with different companies to manufacture low-cost phones under the Android One banner.

According to DigiTimes, MediaTek is now Google’s strategic solution partner for the development of the Android One initiative, which will enable smartphone makers to build low-cost smartphones that will target at least 1 billion customers.

At the I/O, Google showcased the first ever Android One smartphone, it was made by an Indian company Micromax and it was running on MediaTek MT6575 SoC as well. 

Android One should be under the price tag of $150-100 if Google wants it to be a success in the developing smartphone markets. Do you think Android one will be a success for Google?

Source: DiGiTImes

Android TV announced by Google

AndroidGuys
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As you no doubt know by now, Google’s developer conference I/O kicked off yesterday with the keynote address. While I was unable to attend the conference in person I did watch the live stream on my computer. And, as many of you understand, one of the numerous announcements that Google made was Android TV – an evolution of the less than popular Google TV. Here is a quick run down of things that you may find important in the next-gen attempt at Google play for TV.

Android TV is in an attempt to unify Smart TVs under one OS and use the same API so that it is easier to get apps onto your TV. Another important point is that there is one SDK to write apps for all Android forms factors. With Android TV, you can search through your TV shows and movies easily using your phone or smart watch. You can also control your TV using a physical controller.

Controlling a smart TV with a smart phone might not be such new news to you; you might be wondering “Is that all they got?” Well no. Google has really worked hard putting together this Android TV experience for you. In addition to standard things that are becoming the standard with smart TVs, Android TV is backed with Google’s own Play Store. With the Play Store, you get the Play Games. In the keynote, they demonstrated how you can also use your Android TV to play games with your friends. They show one guy playing with a controller hooked up to the TV against another guy playing on his tablet.

Another feature of the Android TV is that it comes with Chromecasting built in. This means that you can use your Android TV the same you would use a TV with a Chromecast plugged into it. It also has Screen Mirroring which means that whatever you see on your device screen will display on your TV! You can cast anything and everything with the push of a button.

You can learn more about the Android TV from the keynote video itself here. They start discussion about the Android TV at 1:45:10

LG G3 review: Great hardware meets simplistic interface

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NOTE: We’re giving our readers an early preliminary preview of our LG Optimus G3 review. Currently, star ratings of this product are disabled and as we spend more time with the device, we’ll update this page. 

The LG G3 will begin the global roll-out on June 27th, which will go first to Asian countries in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Then it’s headed to the remaining Asian markets, Europe/United Kingdom, and the Middle East with other regions in July. Although a date has not been officially announced by any major carrier in North America, speculations say roll-outs will take place beginning in Canada and the United States in upcoming months. Shipments from LG being sent to these carriers should be received in early to mid July, with official carrier releases by the middle of August, however this is just speculation.

This phone is going toe to toe with the top devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, Sony Xperia Z2, OnePlus One, etc.

At First Glance & Design

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The G3 features a clear display with thin bezels. On the rear is a metallic back plate, with an interesting camera/flash setup. Top of the line hardware and software make this beauty something incredibly irresistible.

On the back, sadly there are no healing properties, such as on the G Flex. The same styled rear-facing buttons are drastically improved. The rear battery door is mostly plastic, but features a very thin layer somewhere inside the plate.

Great hardware is met with a simple interface, leaving the drama behind for a better User Experience.

Display

The LG G3 utilizes a beautiful crisp 2K/Quad HD (4x 720P) [2,560×1,440/538ppi] display. Colors are wonderful, even if not perfectly accurate yet slightly over saturated. Viewing angles are decent. Not all content is really optimized for such a sharp display, however pixels are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Surprisingly, QHD doesn’t have the same ‘WOW!’ factor such as when 1080p mobile devices were released, however there is slight noticeable improvement over a 1080p screen.

Hardware and Processors

The Quad Core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 32GB internal storage, 3GB RAM, and Adreno 330 GPU ensure that can power through almost anything without delay. The AnTuTu X Benchmark rates this model at about 35,500 with 3rd party background processes running.

The removable battery and expandable SD storage enhance the options that users have, especially compared to the G2 and Nexus 5 among others.

Audio Quality

Sound is super clear for both the earpiece and 1 Watt speaker. Callers were able to hear us perfectly fine, and vice versa. LG has added HD Voice capabilities to this handset.

Music playing from the speakers is loud and clear, however we truly wish LG would have opted to put their speaker on the front of the device. For volume, the 1 Watt speaker out performs the Samsung Galaxy S5 and is surprisingly close to the HTC One M8.

Software & UI/UX

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LG has really toned down their user interface a lot. The icons are flat and somewhat minimalist, while featuring the common add-on apps such as LG Health (fitness tracker), QSlide, and QRemote that you commonly see variants of this with other flagships. The LG themed Android 4.4 layout is very clean.

The KnockOn feature is one we found to be really handy – it allows you to knock twice on your screen to wake it up. Knock code is a security feature that allows you to use up to 80,000 combinations in different quadrants.

Camera

There is a 13MP camera with laser focus and optical image stabilization on the rear, which does surprisingly well with low light scenarios. The laser auto focus is met with timing of less than a blink of an eye. Images taken have been pleasant but not perfectly crisp when zooming in.

On the front of the screen, you’ll find a 2.1MP camera. LG made a neat little feature that allows you to have “flash” for a “selfie” by shrinking your view area, and creating white boarders to brighten your environment.

Battery Life

We should note that our testing was done with the Korean F400K variant unlocked on T-Mobile USA, so that can hurt battery life, as the device is not optimized for T-Mobile, which is something you should take into consideration.

Battery life has varied quite a bit. Our earlier figures have been updated as we’ve determined battery drain was caused by a 3rd party add-on. While more intensive than a Full HD display, the Quad HD/Wide 2K display is not as power hungry as we previously thought. The device has lasted an average of 4 hours of heavy screen on only usage, 12-14 hours with normal moderate usage and 14-18 hours with light usage. The 3000mAh removable battery is quite large, but until we get our hands on a US version, we can’t say for sure what will be common in our region. It was quite impressive to see that on a day with lightly moderate usage, the battery lasted over 16 hours.

There are options for LG’s battery saving mode which will turn off NFC, WiFi, Brightness, and more. All of these settings are user configurable for when your battery reaches a certain point per your settings. While not as extensive as battery saving options found in the HTC One M8 or Samsung Galaxy S5, they still help save that precious battery power. We wish LG would really learn from Samsung and HTC when it comes to power saving.

Overview

What we’ve noticed is that LG has taken the form factor of the G2, improved it, and seemingly taken cues from the best flagships yet and combined them. The best of LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and OPPO’s (secretly owned) OnePlus One, have been spun into the LG G3, with the only thing left to wish for is out of the box wireless Qi charging (available almost everywhere but South Korea and the United States), and an IP67 rating. The G3 pretty much has it all.

We’d like to thank our sponsor and talk a little bit about 28Mobile, a Hong Kong based consumer Mobile Retail and Wholesale outlet that ships worldwide, and only sells unlocked devices. Backed by Hong Kong Wholesale Limited, and the PayPal guarantee, you can find recently released devices and more. 28Mobile also supports Amazon and eBay resellers as a wholesale distribution company as well as individual sales. They offer a 28 Day Money Back Guarantee along with high quality care and shipping standards so your order reaches you safely.

We have been completely impressed by LG here. They have finally proven that they can compete with the tough high-end Android mobile market. You can find the unlocked international version of the amazing LG G3, jack of all trades, at the 28Mobile Phone Shop.

Android Auto announced

Jack McNenny
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Google has taken the wraps off of Android Auto, which is their answer to how you use Android in your car. Android Auto is almost like Google Now for your car. Your phone will know when you get in your car and present a simplified UI that is much more usable and safe in a car. It will mirror itself to a compatible touchscreen in your car for easy use with touch and voice control.

The interface should look pretty familiar to you, as it resembles the traditional card-based Google Now look, and gives you the right information at the right time. Once Google Now is familiar with your driving habits, like driving to work at 7am and leaving at 5pm, it will provide you with the quickest directions automatically.

You can see that it is pretty easy to switch between main functions of Android Auto, like music, phone, maps, and others.

androidauto2

 

For music listening, you can simply tell Google to play a certain artist right from your Play Music library. Music from Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart Radio are also compatible with voice commands if that is what you prefer, with more services to be compatible in the future. Text messaging will also be handled in Auto with simple voice commands to read the text aloud and to reply to them.

Android Auto is to come with the Android L update this fall, and Google has stated that the first cars to support Android Auto built-in will arrive by the end of the year, which appears to be almost every major car manufacturer in the world if you take a look at the list on Android Auto’s official page right here. 40 to be exact.

The Android Auto SDK will be available to developers “soon” to integrate their apps into an easier driving experience.

 

Our interview with CEO of Blu Products: spec wars, upcoming products, LTE support, and more

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Blu Products is one of our favourite trendy brands featuring a variety of devices to meet the needs of smartphone consumers alike. AndroidGuys had a chance to have some of our top questions answered by BLU’s Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Ohev-Zion.

Our Questions Answered

In a growing world of “bigger is better” and “spec wars”, what products that you offer provides the best of all Blu devices?

We think the spec wars will become quickly irrelevant and disconnected from the consumer mindset, as people will start to ask “what device is good enough” and look for value, since we’re starting to see the performance of product priced at $200 or even lower, match up just fine with $600-$700 flagships. With this in mind, we will have several devices in this price range able to provide incredible value.

As a company that produces many devices, stylistically, what does Blu best showcase?

We best showcase giving consumers the freedom to choose what style fits them best. No one else does that. So the fact we have such a variety of appealing handsets and in amazing colors already puts us ahead of the competition.

When a company releases quite a few devices a year, a valid question that many consumers have is regarding software updates. What is the current BLU Products stance regarding software updates and upgrades for security patches (if applicable) and to newer versions of Android?

Several of our older Life Series and Studio Series will get kit-kat updates very soon. It’s impossible to update every single device, but that’s something we are committed towards improving. The good news is that BLU resale value is high. You can sell your used BLU device on Amazon. eBay, or even to a friend for almost the same price you paid for it. So if you desperately need the latest Android Version, sell your old BLU device, and go get a brand new BLU device with the latest OS version.

While many know Blu as a company that sells affordable lower to mid-range devices, what misconceptions, if any, can we clear up about the market of “spec wars” and what Blu has to offer?

We don’t get into spec wars. Our focus is creating a product that consumers can be proud to own, and show off, and passionate about.

In higher end unlocked devices that Blu offers, can consumers soon expect LTE network capability moving forward?

We will have at least 6 different LTE models launched before October 2014.

We at AndroidGuys have seen pretty amazing devices this year, and have had the pleasure of reviewing select phones. How does Blu answer to the current smartphone market and market demographics?

We have a vast portfolio that has a perfect device suited for everyone no matter their preferences. So plenty of answers for market available.

A question that has plagued our readers is about select Blu devices that seemingly are doubles of other devices, such as the Blu Life Pure XL and the Gionee Elife E7. We wanted to set the record straight with the following question. We asked the following:

What relationships does Blu Products have with distributors such as Gionee of India, and how do this benefit the end consumer?

Gionee India is a subsidiary of the Gionee parent company in China. This is a great partnership, where Gionee and BLU are able to co-develop exciting products together and obtain large volumes for production by leveraging our strength in different sales territories. By uniting BLU’s sales strength in the Western Hemisphere with Gionee’s sales strength in the East such as China and India, our combined efforts allow us to source and secure the best components and technologies available in the world today, which otherwise would have not been possible.

What type of developmental supports are used to help or allow development by 3rd Party developers for BLU Software? Is development either encouraged or discouraged?

At this time, we are focused on the user experience for our consumers by optimizing our BLU software internally. In the future 3rd party developers will be something we will be looking at, but not in our short term focus.

A growing trend in many smartphone markets is creating waterproof, drop proof, water resistant, and or MIL 810G spec devices, perhaps is there anything in the pipelines that we can show AndroidGuys readers about who are more prone to damaging their devices?

Of course we are always working on these types of devices, such as last year’s water and dust proof Tank 4.5 device with IP67 certification. We will continue to focus on that, so your readers will have to tune in and see what the future holds in store.

Blu’s Life Pure Series has really hit the ground running, and we’ll be working with Blu Products and parent company CT-Miami to showcase and review select devices offered by Blu in the future. We’re excited to see what devices are next from this extraordinary company. Learn how ‘There’s a BLU for YOU!’ at their website.

Amazon makes the Fire smartphone a reality; due July 25

Scott Webster
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Amazon on Wednesday finally revealed the long-anticipated Fire phone. Making its debut at an event in Seattle, the smartphone teeters on the the balance of mid-range and top-tier hardware.

Specifications include a quad-core 2.2GHz processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM, and a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization and f/2.0 five element lens. The display, as we’ve come to expect, is a 4.7-inch screen with 590 nits which means it has better viewing outdoors. Other hardware includesd dual Dolby stereo speakers with stay-flat cables (ribbon-like) with magnetic earbuds. But, lest you believe this is all about hardware, there’s plenty of great software and enhancements that will certainly “wow” consumers.

feature-dp._V349436054_

About that 3D

You know all those rumors about the 3D features being built into the phone? It’s here, and it centers around “Dynamic perspective.” Starting with the lock screen which shows clock sitting on a moss-covered rock, with trees around it, the phone adds depth and perspective to a lot of content. Maps? Want to see how tall a building is or what it looks like in relation to the surrounding are? Presto. Thanks to four front-facing and head-tracking cameras and some sensors, the Fire  provides and intuitive experience that doesn’t need to be taught to enjoy. Tilt and move the device and you can be launched into Yelp from a map listing.

Shopping in the Amazon store also gets the same treatment. Tilt and you’ll cycle through product listing. Move over to the web browser and you’ll find tilting will “autoscroll” through a website. Reading a book? Tilt and you’ll change pages. You get how it works because it simply makes sense. The cameras atop and below the display create stereo vision and include infrared lighting. Yes, it should work in the dark. Oh, and developers should surely eat up the Dynamic Perspectice SDK which lets them add depth to their apps and games.

Other experience and services

Additional features include unlimited cloud storage for your photos using Amazon Cloud Drive, Second Screen and X-Ray. There’s a lot of crossover from their Kindle Fire line of tablets, which should come as no surprise. Also present are Audible, WhisperSync, and the MayDay customer service feature. Tying into Amazon’s recent announcement of Prime music service, the Fire  has access to more than 1 million ad-free songs.

The home screen offers widget and apps; the carousel across the top is very much like what you have with the Kindle Fire tablet line. Users can pin items to the carousel for immediate access to your favorite content.

Amazon Prime

For a limited time, Fire also includes a full year of Amazon Prime—FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video, unlimited, ad-free streaming and downloading of over a million songs and hundreds of playlists, and over 500,000 books to borrow from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. If you’re already a Prime member, we’ll add 12 months to your existing account.

Say hello to Firefly

One particularly cool feature, Firefly, lets users snap a picture of just about anything (over 100,000,000 items) and have it pull up the Amazon ecosystem. Be it books, CD’s, DVD’s, QR code, email, URL, or other products, it hands things off to Amazon immediately. Yes, it also listens to music, TV, or movies (like Shazam) and points you to Amazon to let you purchase the content or listento/watch it through your account.

 

Take a picture of artwork and Firefly will toss you to Wikipedia for additional details. See a phone number on a sign? Use Firefly and it will push you into the dialer. And, because you’ll likely use this feature quite a bit, you’ll love the dedicated hardware button found on the smartphone. 

Developers will certainly appreciate the Firefly SDK which allows for quick and easy integration options.

Availability

The Amazon Fire will be offered through AT&T exclusively in the United States; the launch date is pegged for July 25 but pre-orders are available immediately. Pricing is $199 (32GB) with a two-year service agreement or $27 per month on AT&T Next plans.

Kyocera Hydro XTRM (T-Mobile Business) Review

AndroidGuys
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At First Glance

The Kyocera Hydro XTRM is a 4G LTE, the company’s first GSM HSPA/LTE capable Android powered handset with an IP57 Rating against water and dust. This device is available in the United States (see: U.S. Cellular), on the T-Mobile Business and MetroPCS networks. Maybe it’s just me but I feel the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active borrows a few design cues from the Kyocera Hydro XTRM; however, stylistically this is pretty standard with durable devices these days.

Design and Hardware

The XTRM features a standard dark panel around the display with average bezels around the sides. The top and bottom, however, have quite a bit more bezel, providing less of a screen-to-device ratio than we would have preferred.

Around the sides, there is a thick border trim that almost feels like a bit of a metal border. On the rear of the device, you’ll have a removable “micro diamond-cut” plastic battery door with an O-ring seal to protect against water.

There’s a 2000mAh removable battery packed in, with microSIM and microSD card support. The dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus SoC (MSM8960) powered at 1.2GHz runs the device with 1GB RAM, and allows for basic/standard smartphone. It, of course, also comes with your basic GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. Memory will be 4GB, with only 1GB user available, however storage can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 32GB.

Display

With a color plastic overlaid TFT LCD display and 480 x 800 resolution, the 4-inch display isn’t wonderful but gets the job done without looking bad or vastly hindering visibility. It’s worth noting that this unit feels much smaller in hand as compared to other smartphones on the market.

Durability

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The Hydro XTRM can sit under water (~1m deep) for up to 30 minutes and is dust and shock resistant. In other words, you’ll be better protected against accidental damage than with most other devices. To be extra safe, it is always best to ensure that the battery door with the water-seal is fully and securely tight and sealed before getting this phone anywhere near water. This smartphone does not have any of those potentially annoying MicroUSB or headset port covers, yet manages to be water resistant.

We’ve dunked this phone in water, dropped it here and there, ran water directly over the device and much more; the Hydro XTRM was not phased by any of our bad behavior. It’s able to take life’s spills without problems, but do remember the phone should not be used regularly underwater and should be dried immediately after getting wet of course.

Sound Quality

Audio quality was surprisingly pleasing with this device. Our test calls proved to be loud and crisp, which we expected as many users will be using this phone around construction or loud noise areas. The area where we were most impressed by was the speaker/speakerphone volume which was loud but not as quite crisp as the earpiece.

Software and Battery Life

This smartphone runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box. While certainly not the latest, it definitely runs just fine and is compatible with most everything found on the Google Play Store. There is, of course, a small  downside to not having Android 4.4 KitKat. Specifically, we’re referring to usage of resources and security improvements. Hopefully we’ll see an update at some point for this model.

Kyocera has a bit of a funky skin running over 4.1; frankly, it reminds me of Android 2.3 manufacturer overlays (with a 4.1 hybrid style). Simplicity was kept in mind, while keeping the best features of Jelly Bean.

Battery Life is tricky with this phone, averaging at around 5-6hrs with light usage with data on. Strangely, on some days with heavier usage we received around 10-14hours, or the polar opposite of 3-6hrs. Sadly, it was pretty inconsistent in our testing. It is worth mentioning that the coverage area during testing was being upgraded on T-Mobile which may have contributed to the fluctuation in consistency. The phone does features a Battery ‘MaxiMZR’ similar to other Power Saving modes with other devices, something we have yet to see in stock Android in even the latest versions as of the publish of this article.

Camera

There is a 5-megapixel camera on the rear of the phone with a 1.3-mgapixel front-facing shooter. Both are pretty basic in terms of quality with no standout features to share here. Note there is an LED flash included on the rear of the phone.

Overview & Cost

This device did take a bit of getting used to as a daily driver during our testing period as we came from a higher powered smartphone. Indeed, we noticed the differences after using something more robust. Average, and first time buyers, though, may not see any visible lag or under-performance. Kyocera sticks to what’s important for industrial users and the more accident prone customer. If you are looking for the latest and greatest (with or without element resisting features), this device is most certainly not for you.

The Hydro XTRM is a great choice for those needing a basic and durable Android smartphone that can handle the elements. Summarily, it’s a decent 4G LTE handset with essential functions and few extra gimmicks.

Whether you need this as a basic device, backup, or nearly weatherproof phone, check out the XTRM. U.S. Cellular has recently discontinued this model however you can find the Kyocera Hydro XTRM at T-Mobile Business (pricing varies) and for $79.99 at MetroPCS.

Samsung debuts 8.4-inch, 10.5-inch Galaxy Tab S tablets

Scott Webster
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As we’ve all come to expect over the last few weeks, Samsung has announced its new Galaxy Tab S line of tablets. Available for pre-order as soon as tomorrow, Friday, June 13, the premium grade tablets will be offered in 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch variants.

Hardware Monsters

The two tablets are powered by Android 4.4 KitKat and share a number of specifications. Common hardware between the two include Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore ＋ 1.3 GHz QuadCore) processors, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and microSD expansion. Both models also boast WQXGA (2560×1600) Super AMOLED displays however the smaller one gets the higher pixel-per-inch count, natch. Rounding things out are an 8-megapixel rear camera, front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and USB 2.0.

Software

In terms of software, the standard suite of Samsung apps are present. Familiar titles such as WatchON, S Health, and Multi Window join other such as Milk Music and new app called Samsung Papergarden. Designed with the Tab S in mind, this one delivers access to newspapers and magazines such as Comso, Vogue, GQ, and Rolling Stone.

Extra Perks

Samsung is giving away all sorts of wonderful content with their new tablets through Galaxy Gifts. Pick up one of these guys and you’ll also be treated to one-year free of Gogo In-flight Wi-Fi access, a 12-month subscription to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 6-month trial subscription to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, 3-month subscription to The New York Times, 3 months free Sirius XM Radio, and 3 months free subscription to Audible.

Availability

The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 will be available for $399.99, while the Tab S 10.5 will be $499.99. The tablets will be sold in July through Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, Office Depot, Office Max, PC Richard & Son, Sears, Tiger Direct and Walmart.com.

Book Cover[3]

As often is the case with new devices, there will be a number of accessories available for the new tablets: Bluetooth keyboard book covers, standalone Bluetooth keyboard, flip covers, book covers, S Action Mouse, USB LAN Hub, power saving cable and portable battery packs

The Road Ahead

Looking ahead, a 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S line will be offered across multiple carriers. According to the press release, all four major players are in line to provide connected variants.

Big list of Google Now commands

AndroidGuys
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Since the debut of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android users have been privy to an increasingly cool experience known as Google Now. Baked into the search app for Android, it’s the personal assistant that we’ve always needed. And, the best part about it is that it improves all the time. New commands and features are being added to Google Now on a regular basis. We’ve compiled a list of everything we know about Google Now and how to activate/use them.

Below are a list of commands for Google Now. Keep in mind that these are just some of the examples available and that the tool allows for slight variations in verbiage. What’s more, the more you teach Google what your interests are, the less you may have to “ask” it to do.

Basic Commands

  • “Search for [Nexus 5]”
  • “How do I say [I love you] in [French]?”
  • “How old is [Morgan Freeman]?”
  • “What is the stock price for [Google]?”
  • “What is the meaning of [life]?”
  • “What is [Chekhov’s Gun]?”
  • “Open [Gmail]”
  • “Take a picture”
  • “Record a video”
  • “Where’s my package?”
  • “Listen to voicemail”
  • “Find [Adam’s] number”
  • “When is [Adam’s] birthday?”
  • “What’s the tip for [$27]?”
  • “How late is [The Home Depot] open?”
  • “What are [Red Robin’s] hours?”
  • “Show me pictures of [Memphis]”
  • “What’s [16 ounces] in [pounds]?”
  • “What is the square root of 2209?”
  • “When is sunset?”

Navigation

  • “Navigate to [Cleveland, OH]”
  • “Navigate to [home]”
  • “Directions to [123 Main Street]
  • “[Biking] directions to [FedEx Forum]”
  • “Find [the St. Louis Arch]”
  • “Where is [the Empire State Building]?”
  • “Where’s the nearest [ice cream shop]?”
  • “Map of [San Francisco]”
  • “How far is [Cleveland] from [Columbus]?”
  • “Show me the menu for [Rendezvous]”
  • “Where is my hotel?”
  • “What are some attractions in [Memphis]?”

Reminders, Notes, and Tasks

  • “Remind me to [call mom] at [9:00AM]”
  • “Remind me to [buy gas] when leave [work]”
  • “Set timer for [10 minutes]”
  • “Set alarm for [7:000AM]”
  • “Wake me up in [6 hours]”
  • “Note to self: [remember to buy Cheese]”

Time and Date

  • “What time is it in [Japan]?”
  • “What is the time zone for [Denver, CO]?”
  • “What time is back home?”
  • Create a calendar event [Dinner at Red Robin] [on Friday night at 9:00PM]”

Weather

  • “Weather”
  • “Is it raining?”
  • “Will it rain tomorrow?”
  • “Do I need an umbrella [tomorrow]?”
  • “What’s the weather in [Las Vegas]?”

Sports

  • “Did the [Cavaliers] win today?”
  • “When does the football season start?”
  • “What are the [American League East] standings?”
  • “How did [The Packers] do?”

Communication

  • “Post to Google+ [I am having an awesome day!]”
  • “Call [mom]”
  • “Call [my wife]”
  • “Send SMS to [Shawn Collins] [I will see you in a week]”
  • “Send email to [Adam Pollich] [I need you to call me as soon as possible.]”
  • “[Contact name]”

Entertainment

  • “Play some music.”
  • “Watch [The Hobbit]”
  • “What movies are playing tonight?”
  • “Where is [Godzilla] playing?”
  • “Listen to: [John Lennon]”
  • “Play: [Everybody Hurts]”
  • “What’s this song?”
  • “Who directed [Stand By Me]?”
  • “Who sings [Everybody Hurts]?”
  • “Listen to TV”

Web

  • “Go to [androidguys.com]”
  • “Open [cnn.com]”
  • “Show me [Reddit.com]”
  • “Browse to [filmjunk.com]”

Travel

  • “Show me my flights”
  • “Flight [AA 1230]”
  • “Has [AA 1230] landed?”
  • “When will [AA 1230] land/depart?”

Easter Eggs and Fun Stuff

  • “Flip a coin”
  • “Roll a die”
  • “What does the fox say?”
  • “What is the loneliest number?”
  • “Do a barrel roll”
  • “How wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
  • “Beam me up, Scotty”
  • “When does the narwhal bacon?”
  • “Up up down down left right left right”
  • “Go go gadget [Baconreader]”
  • “What is the Bacon number for [Tom Cruise]?”
  • “Tilt”
  • “Askew”
  • “When am I?”
  • “Who are you?”
  • “Sudo, make me a sandwich”
  • “Make me a sandwich”
  • What is your favorite color?
  • “Tea, Earl, Grey, hot”

What did we miss? What are your favorites? How do you use Google Now in your daily life? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

Life Pure XL by Blu is great, here are my first thoughts

AndroidGuys
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The market right now is flooded with unexciting flagships. I’ve owned the entire Galaxy S line-up and the S5 has the same 2 GB of RAM that we saw in the US variants of the GS3. Aside from minor jumps in the processor, screen resolution, and camera, what’s really changing?

I say not enough, even with the understanding that there hasn’t been a ton of progress in processors, I feel that instead of manufacturers adding niche features that no one requested like a heart-rate monitor or dual-lens camera, if they can’t give us the a worthwhile increase in horsepower, they should focus more on lowering the cost of the device.

Life Pure XL By Blu Products

I had been looking forward to getting my hands on the Blu Life Pure XL since the day I first heard the specs. This beastly device has a 16 megapixel camera on the back, 8 megapixels on the front for truly epic selfies. At $399, this is the first sub $400 device with 3 GB of RAM, which is my favorite thing about the device as  I’m so tired of the parade of run-of-the-mill 2 GB we’ve seen as of late.

The Life Pure XL has 32 GB of storage, (will also be available in a 2 GB RAM/16 GB storage variant for $349) and a 5.5 inch 1080p display which you can awaken with a double tap or activate the camera by simply drawing a “C” on the sleeping display. All of this is run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.26 Ghz powered by a 2,500 mAh battery.

See below a size comparison between the Galaxy S 5 and the Blu Life Pure XL:

LPXL-size-comparison

The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful

This first look is going to go by quickly, so pay attention. The best things about the device are the GORGEOUS cameras, 3 GB of RAM, the 5.5 inch, full HD LCD, NFC, and the USB OTG capabilities right out of the box. I do also enjoy the fun features of the secondary camera app “CharmCam,” specifically the “PPT” mode which is Blu’s version of a document cam, you can take a photo of a piece of paper (or in their description a projected slide in a presentation) and it will automatically adjust the edges, contrast and brightness of the subject to produce a scanner quality copy, although in my experience the quality has been better than an actual scanner.

The only real drawback of the device is the lack of LTE. However it is also 9.5 mm thick, which while it isn’t that thick, aside from the lack of LTE it’s the only area about which I can complain. The device is perfectly rectangular, which means the corners are 90 degrees, which tends to make my palms itch when playing a game in landscape mode.

The dual speakers point out from the bottom of the device similar to iPhones and the Nexus 5. Blu has included a few features that I had, until now, only seen in customer ROMs, the ability to turn off the soft-key lights. Torch (flashlight) which you can activate from the lock screen. The Life Pure XL also has a system backup utility built right into the settings, however it appears that you can only backup contacts, SMS, call log, calender, and email, hopefully we’ll see application backups in the future.

Website: Blu Life Pure XL
Google+: Blu Products
Twitter: Blu Products
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