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How-To change your default ringtone

AndroidGuys
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Ringtones are one of those things that we can use to personalize our mobile device experience. If you’re pissed off, maybe you set it to metal; feeling happy, maybe Journey is your tune; If you’re me, it’s video game ringers all day long. Let’s not waste any more time and get to it.

Prerequisites:

All you need is a phone and an audio file.

Getting Personal:

There are plenty of services that you can use to download the ringtone of your choice. There are even apps out there that let you turn MP3 or WAV files into ringtones. WE are not going to get into that here. We are keeping it basic.

  1. Open the app drawer and tap on Settings
  2. Under settings, tap sounds and vibration
  3. Select the Ringtone option
  4. Tap on the ringtone you would like to use

And now you have a new ringtone so everyone else knows what kind of person you are when your phone rings.

What kind of ringtoner are you? What apps do you use to for downloading/creating ringtones?

Yummly: Unleash the cook inside you (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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Some people were born to cook. I’ve seen people that start with a couple of ingredients and end up making culinary masterpieces, after being under total control all the time. Then there’s people like me, who even with recipes, mom’s instructions and recommendations from friends, fail miserably at kitchen-related stuff. For all of those in between (lucky you), there’s Yummly, an app that provides detailed recipes under an attractive interface to spice up your evenings.

Developer: Yummly
Price: Free

Setup

The setup process asks you to create an account for personalization purposes.

When opening the app, it will ask to connect the app to either Google, Facebook or email. Fortunately, for those of us who prefer to not have an account on every app in the Play Store, you can try Yummly without any account or social media integration. However, this won’t let you record your preferences and other personalization aspects.

Yummly uses your social media information to offer you personalized recommendations. If you prefer to do this manually, every recipe has a Yum button, which is just a like button. Based on the things you “Yum,” the app will start to offer you new recommendations.

Finally, to complete the setup, Yummly kindly asks you for the Storage permission, in order to cache pictures displayed in recipes. You can say no if you want, though. I must say that, in an environment notorious for asking permissions that go beyond the app’s purpose, this is a neat approach that should be replicated by other developers.

Overview

The app is divided into three sections: Just for you, Explore and Store. You can probably guess what each section is, but I’ll explain anyways. Yummly puts a lot of focus on personalization and making it yours, so the Just for you section is completely tailored for you. Based on your Yums and the restrictions you can put in place in the options (more on that later), Yummly will personalize this for you.

The Explore tab groups different recipes under categories. For example, there is a popular category that (you guessed it) shows recipes that have caught the attention of Yummly users. Other categories include Trending Now, Seasonal and Kid Friendly.

I am truly sorry if you’re reading this review while hungry.

There’s also a videos section in which very detailed videos are posted so that you can visually examine how difficult or easy a recipe is and what the final result looks like. This is done through a built-in YouTube player that works seamlessly.

Finally, the Shop tab doesn’t let you actually buy stuff within the app, but gives useful recommendations about what tools you can buy to make your life easier in the kitchen. Clicking on these recommendations will take you to Amazon, where you can order said tools.

As you might expect it, Yummly puts recipes front and center. Every recipe is accompanied with a very nice picture of how the end result is supposed to look like (expectation vs reality memes incoming). The details screen will also include information about ingredients, calories and the time it takes to do the recipe.

There are three different tabs: Just for you, Explore and Store.

The list of ingredients can be added to a built-in shopping list at the tap of a button. You can also see the reviews other people are giving to the recipe, so that you can decide on if it is worth it or not. Finally, the app suggests similar dishes and categories so that you can continue your search further if you are not satisfied.

However, where are the directions for making the dish itself? Unfortunately, you have to click an additional button that will take you to an embedded web view.

This weird design choice is completely disruptive to the awesome experience the app provides elsewhere. I am not sure of the technical reason behind this but adding a button to see directions seems like a half-baked approach and something that, hopefully, will change in the future.

On the top left, you will see a search button, which lets you search through the whole database of recipes. There’s also a button to access the shopping list.

Digging further into it, we can see that the shopping list is very simple but effective. You can add the ingredients from any recipe and sort them by aisle or by recipes. In case you need something else, you can also add it manually. It is nothing ground-breaking but it gets the job done in a nice way.

User Interface

The recipe detail screen is beautiful.

Yummly’s UI is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in an Android app. I know it is not straightforward to make a good-looking app on Android, especially if you compare it to iOS, but the Yummly team has done an amazing job at it.

Even though I know some people would complain that the app displays way too little information at a time, I believe that the approach used by Yummly works. It is imperative to show a picture of the recipe as early as possible, and the combination of beautiful pictures and smooth performance makes for an awesome user experience.

The recipe screen is also a highlight of the user interface, with the picture taking the limelight here with a beautiful Material Design-inspired animation. The nutrition facts, for example, are very well presented and they even have a slick animation. At least you’re killing your diet in a beautiful way.

Options

I have good news for our distinguished vegetarian/vegan readers. The app supports four different variations (lacto vegetarian, vegetarian, ovo vegetarian and vegan) so that the results you get are tailored to your preferences. Plus, it also caters to pescetarian and paleo diets.

If you’re allergic to specific stuff, such as dairy or peanuts, then there’s the option of hiding these recipes as well. Gluten-free options are also available. If you are absolutely disgusted with a specific ingredient (sorry, I can’t stand shrimps), there’s a huge database of ingredients you can search from.

Conclusion

Through a gorgeous interface, snappy performance and plethora of filters, Yummly provides thousands of recipes for those who love cooking. Aside from some inconveniences, such as the fact that you need to open a web view to see directions, or some loading issues when first starting the app, Yummly is a superb choice if you are looking to improve your culinary prowess.

Download and install Yummly from the Google Play Store.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus pass through the FCC, supports all carriers

Matt Adams
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Ahead of its rumored release next month, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are now at the FCC for the governmental agency to give its approval on the newest devices from the South Korean giant. Passage is little more than a formality at this point but this is a step in the right direction for us to get our hands on those sexy new devices.

What we do know is this, Samsung is holding events on March 29, in New York City to debut the new devices. The FCC filings are for model number SM-G950 and SM-G955, which are the model numbers for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, respectively.

As pointed out by droid-life, we’re actually seeing SM-G950U and SM-G955U which indicates that the devices passing through the FCC are the unlocked variants of the S8 and S8 Plus. What we can tell from this chart is that the phones will work on all carriers and come with an impressive list of supported frequency and bands. LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 30, 41, and 66 are supported as well as CDMA bands 0 and 10 for Verizon and Sprint.

We’ll bring you all the coverage we can stomach for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, but if you want to know EVERYTHING we know as of right now, check out our What We Know post that we regularly update. We’ll also bring you live coverage of the Samsung event on March 29.

Want to win a Samsung Galaxy S8? Enter our giveaway here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AT&T announces the LG Phoenix 3 is coming March 10

Matt Adams
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If you’re an AT&T prepaid customer, you’re about to get a brand new device option from LG. The country’s second largest carrier (by subscriber count) will bring the newest device by LG to customers on March 10 for only $79.99 online or in stores.

The Phoenix 3 is the successor to…. yep, the Pheonix 2. The Phoenix 2 was actually a rebranded LG K8 that was sold at Verizon Wireless and the LG Phoenix 3 is a rebranded LG K4. This year we’ll actually see a bit of a spec downgrade. Here’s what the vitals look like compared to last year’s Phoenix 2:

LG Phoenix 3/LG K4 (2017)

  • Processor: Snapdragon 210, 1.1 GHz quad core
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 16GB (expandable)
  • Battery: 2500mAh
  • Display: 5.0″, 480 x 854 pixels
  • Camera: 5MP main, 5 MP front
  • Operating System: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

LG Phoenix 2/LG K8 (2016)

  • Processor: Mediatek MT6735, 1.3 GHz quad core
  • RAM: 1.5 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB
  • Battery: 2125mAh
  • Display: 5.0″, 720 x 1280 pixels
  • Camera: 8MP main, 5MP front
  • Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Alright. The specs aren’t great. The display is a little light on resolution and 1GB of RAM in 2017 is going to hurt. At least it has Marshmallow, even if it is a generation behind. It’s decidedly a worse phone than the previous generation, though. Less ram, a worse processor, a worse display and main camera. It does have a bigger battery, though, so it has that going for it, I guess.

But it’s $80. You’re going to be able to snap a picture, jump on Facebook or Instagram, surf the web, and play some music. With the low-resolution display and the pretty decent 2500mAh battery you should get some really good battery life.

Look, this thing isn’t going to win any awards for pure performance, but it’s not trying to hide what it is. It’s a budget device you can pick up for under $100 and get through the day without it dying on you. Do you have a teenager who wants their first phone or a parent who just needs to make some calls and send some texts? This should be fine.

Pixel users plagued by microphone bug, Google says to use warranty to get replacement

Alexandra Arici
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The Google Pixel is a great phone, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Since it launched, we’ve been hearing the Pixel owners complain about a variety of issues including a serious battery drainage problem and a really annoying camera flair issue.

Well the latest one which appears to be plaguing a consistent number of Pixel users (according to the thread on the Google Support Forum) affects the microphone. What’s happening is that select Pixels are experiencing total microphone failure. The bug can even affect all three Pixel microphones at the same time, thus resulting in total audio input block.

Google employees have been helpful enough to provide some (possible) explanations for the issue including a hairline crack in the soldering of the audio codec or a malfunctioning microphone. And at this point, everything points towards it being a hardware problem. Google suggested the problem might also be the byproduct of an accidental drop (at least in part).

A way to fix the issue has been identified by users, but involves applying heat with a hairdryer, but naturally this is not a recommended solution since the extra heat might end up damaging other components as well.

The best solution, which Google also recommends – is for affected users to take advantage of the Pixel’s warranty in order to get a replacement. Although you can’t be 100% sure the replacement won’t come with the same problem attached.

Are you experiencing similar issues on your Pixel too? Let us know below.

Enhance notification experience on your Moto Z with the Edge Mod

Alexandra Arici
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A lot of smartphones today offer LED notifications – so when you get a new message on Facebook or SMS, a colorful light will start blinking in order to alert you, you need to check your phone.

But for some, LED notifications are just t too subtle to notice. Luckily, there are workarounds to this problem. For example, if you are the owner of a Moto Z smartphone you can opt for the Edge Moto Mod which brings “in-your-face notifications” to the table.

The Mod actually adds a strip of LED lighting around the edges of your phone, so you can constantly be in the loop with what’s happening online.

You can set different colors for different apps. So if you use Instagram the most, you can choose the Red color – this way when your phone starts glowing red, you can immediately switch on your Moto Z and check the Insta feed.

But that’s only the beginning, when it comes to notification customization. The Edge Moto Mod also allows you to choose between 4 unique lighting patterns, set up profiles for different locations or time of day, grouping and much more. It can let you know when your battery needs charging, as well.

And that’s not all. The LED strip also doubles as a 2,000 mAh battery pack (Edge Force) or wireless charging contact pad (Edge Air). It’s a pretty intriguing offer, especially when you consider that you only need to pledge $59 for an Edge Force or Air Mod on Indiegogo.

The project has reached its funding goal, so shipments of products are expected to start sometime in July 2017.

Understanding how thermal imaging tech apps work (Promoted)

AndroidGuys
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Thermal imaging improves human visibility of the ‘invisible’. Put simply, a thermal imaging device can see what our naked eyes cannot see. Human visibility is restricted to the visible spectrum of light on the electromagnetic spectrum. This is a small component of the entire spectrum.

Thermal imaging – infrared – notices heat signatures of objects, creatures, gases, emissions and so forth. The benefits of thermal imaging are especially noticeable in dark environments. Each object creates a heat signature that can be picked up with a high quality thermal imaging device.

Night vision technology includes low-light imaging, thermal imaging, and near-infrared illumination. Thermal imaging cameras such as the Therm-App® for Android have even greater applications – from weapon sights and drones to nighttime driving assistance. These handheld thermal imaging cameras have a myriad of applications, including wildlife safaris, finding a lost pet in the darkness, spotting dangers in adverse weather, or finding leaks in the basement of your home.

Since thermal imaging cameras went mainstream, wider possibilities are now available to folks. They are, for instance, great for home security as part of an existing alarm or warning system. Other applications include mobile, aviation, industrial and defense.

What’s the Therm-App® all about?

One of the hottest new Android thermal cameras on the market is the Therm-App® from OpGal. The company uses the motto – Beyond the Visible – to explain to clients what they are guaranteed with these thermal imaging cameras. It’s even possible to utilize these cameras for medical purposes such as detecting infections, inflammation or raised temperatures in pets and people.

The most important applications of this technology are evident in the new ways that thermal imaging technology is being used. For example, DIY folks can now detect gas leaks, faulty electrical cables, fire hazards, water leaks, mold, and air-conditioning problems whenever they crop up.

Tech Specs of the Camera:

  • Fully supported on Android 4.1+
  • Frame rate of 8.7 Hz
  • Weight of 138 g
  • Operating temperature – -10°C through 50°C or 14°F through 122°F
  • No battery needed
  • Certified by ROHS, FCC and CE
  • Resolution of 384 x 288 pixels
  • Accuracy of +/-3°C
  • Video and audio output and snapshot
  • Colour palettes include vivid, iron/rainbow/gray/hot black/hot white
  • Continuous digital zoom with touchscreen technology and full updates available via Google play

Is this the Moto Z (2017)?

Alexandra Arici
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The Moto Z lineup was introduced back in 2016 as Motorola’s high-end family of devices. The phones quickly became popular with consumers everywhere due to their Moto Mods compatibility. Moto Mods are accessories which snap on the phone via pins in order to deliver extra functionality.

Naturally we expect to see a second-gen Moto Z this year. And now it seems like the Moto Z (2017) has leaked in a photograph.

As you can see by yourselves, the purported Moto Z (2017) pictured in the image looks quite similar to the current Moto Z. It features a physical home button reminiscent of the one on the recently unveiled Moto G5 Plus. It probably embeds a fingerprint scanner. By the looks of it, the phone features a dual-tone led flash on the selfie-camera.

There’s not much information about the Moto Z (2017) at this point, but we can speculate a little bit. A recent Geekbench listing revealed Motorola is prepping a high-end phone with a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and Android 7.1.1 Nougat onboard. So we can very well speculate this is the Moto Z (2017). On the other hand, it could be the Moto X (2017) which previously leaked online.

Back in July 2016, leakster @Ricciolo claimed that the next-gen Moto Z’s camera will feature a lower megapixel count, but the size of each pixel will be increased allowing the snapper to take better images in low light conditions.

Since the Moto Z was launched in June 2016, we can speculate Motorola will follow the same timeline, provided the Snapdragon 835 becomes available by then. During the same period we should also be seeing the OnePlus 5 make an appearance as well.

Movado prepares Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch, influenced by Museum Watch

Alexandra Arici
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The line between haute-couture watches and smartwatch is slowly blurring. Case in point, American watchmaker, Movado announced it has partnered up with Google to unleash a line of five intelligent timepieces with Android Wear 2.0 onboard.

Movado will launch the new smartwatches under the Connected brand. You should expect them to make an appearance during Baselworld 2017 which begins on March 23.

Prices are expected to start at $495 which is not cheap at all. However, we expect Movado’s designs to sweep us off our feet. Movado is best known for its Museum Watch which was designed by Bauhaus-influenced artist, Nathan George Horwitt – so the brand has an intriguing history – design wise.

Classic Movado Museum Watch

And the new Movado Connect smartwatches will feature five customizable dials inspired by the Movado Museum dial. On top of that, each dial will include 3-4 customizable elements like for example, array of complications, backgrounds and watch hands.

We’re also told that the five watches will feature support Android Pay and the Google Assistant will be onboard, as well. Like most smartwatches out there, the Movado bunch will take advantage of fitness tracking features. More info about the specs will be revealed during Baselworld.

Movado Bold Motion smartwatch

Movado is not a stranger to smartwatches. Back in 2015 the company partnered up with HP in order to produce the Bold Motion smartwatch which features a simple, classical design. Bu the device did not run Android Wear, but a proprietary system made by HP.

The press release also reveals that two other Movado-owned brands, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss are set to launch Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches of their own come this fall.

Keep in mind, that Tag Heuer also has an Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch due out in May. It seems that at least so far 2017 is going to be the year of ultra-stylish smartwatches.

AT&T is now giving DirectTV Now subscribers free or discounted HBO

Alexandra Arici
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When it launched back in November under AT&T, DirecTV Now promised to offer a wide selection of live television and premium programming. But while the offer looked very good on paper, in reality users experienced all kinds of issues with the services – from signing-in errors to blocked content.

But AT&T is not giving up on the service. The carrier has been diligently working to solve these issues which apparently are in the past now. AT&T also wants to reward DirecTV Now customers who’ve been patient and understanding by offering them free HBO.

Those of you who have been a subscriber of DirecTV Now since March 6 or earlier will be eligible to get HBO either free of charge or at a discounted rate. Customers who are on the Go Big or Gotta Have It will be getting HBO for free for the next 12 months. As for those who have Live a Little or Just Right, they will be eligible to receive $5 off the HBO subscription for six months.

Customers who already have HBO needn’t worry. Customers with Go Big and Gotta Have It will see the charge automatically be credited each month during the 12-month offer. While Live a Little and Just Right users will get the $5 credit applied to the account with the next six month of service.

Take into consideration that it might take up to 24 hours to see the new channel become available, so don’t fret if you don’t see it just just yet.

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