01Android

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/reddit-has-a-new-beta-mobile-site-and-it-doesnt-suck/

Reddit Has A New Beta Mobile Site, And It Doesn't Suck

There are dozens of Reddit clients in the Play Store, which is important seeing as the Reddit website sucks so hard on mobile devices. It doesn’t really have a mobile UI at the main URL, it just scales things (awkwardly) to fit the screen width. There’s also a little used “compact” site that’s terrible in every way. Thankfully, Reddit is testing a beta mobile version of the site, and you can check it out now. It won’t make you want to give up Reddit is Fun or Sync just yet, but maybe one day.

The layout is completely different from the classic desktop Reddit—it’s available at h.reddit.com. The page is a series of cards with appropriately-sized image previews and links that are actually large enough to tap. Comment threads are automatically collapsed in a smarter manner as well. The basic functionality is there, including logins, comments, access to all subreddits, and more. Posting new items from the mobile site will come later.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-games/ea-sports-releases-graphically-impressive-ufc-game-for-android/

EA Sports Releases Graphically Impressive UFC Game For Android.

I’ve seen many Android games that offer gorgeous screenshots in the Play Store that hardly reflect the visuals I encounter after downloading the title to my Nexus 7. That’s not the case with EA Sports’ newly-released UFC game. The press images were spot on. The fighters in this game are impressive, and fans are in for a visual treat.

Controls are more of a mixed bag. EA Sports UFC uses a combination of taps and swipes to perform basic strikes and dodges. Special moves appear at the bottom of the screen that you can perform with quick taps rather than traditional console or arcade style combos. Some techniques require tapping at the right moment on a progress bar or jamming your finger repetitively to fill a gauge all the way. Touchscreen fighting fans will probably find it compelling, whereas others will be left wishing for a gamepad.

The game centers around a career mode where you get to build up your stats and fame. There are over 70 fighters included, many of which you can buy through overpriced in-app purchases—we’re talking spending up to 3,500 gold on a single fighter, which can cost in the neighborhood of $30. It’s easier to break the bank in this game than competitors’ faces. But you can also earn gold the old-fashioned way if you’re dedicated enough.

EA Sports UFC was previously soft launched in a few countries, which is why it already has thousands of downloads. Now it’s more broadly available. So if you can take a punch, dive into the ring below.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/whatsapp-2-12-45-adds-the-option-to-back-up-and-restore-from-google-drive/

WhatsApp 2.12.45 Adds The Option To Back Up And Restore From Google Drive

I know it seems that we have a new WhatsApp post every couple of days on Android Police lately, but it ain’t our fault. The app’s developers, specifically the Android team, appear to be drinking the good kind of kool-aid and kicking one new version after the other with not only bug fixes, but also lots of new goodies. So first there was the Web “client”, then the saga of the voice calling feature rollout, followed by the Material design update, and now Google Drive is being implemented as a backup option inside the app.

It was only a few weeks ago that we received translation strings that hinted at WhatsApp’s potential plan to enable backing up and restoring your conversation history and media to Google Drive. But the function just went live in the app’s most recent version 2.12.45 which can be found on APK Mirror — the official WhatsApp Android download page still lists 2.12.44 at the time the article is being written.

Once you install the update, head into the app’s Settings, Chat settings, Chat Backup, and you’ll see a new screen that shows your last backup time and a list of greyed out Google Drive settings. Change the frequency from off to daily (or weekly or monthly), and you’ll be able to pick up a Google account for the backup as well as choose whether you want it to use Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

You’ll then have to wait for 4:00 am when WhatsApp usually does its daily backup for the magic to happen. If you’re impatient, you can initiate it by tapping the top Back up now option, which first does a local backup then starts sending the data to Google Drive. However, you should be aware that there’s no stopping the backup once it starts and the size is quite large if you have received and sent a lot of media through the app. Even though I had the app set to only use Wi-Fi, I tried turning Wi-Fi off, but the backup had already initiated and it kept chugging along using my data connection. I’m not sure if it’s a bug only on my phone or if it’s a widespread one, so proceed with caution.

For now, my personal backup hasn’t finished uploading so I don’t know what data is exactly sent during the process. Comparing the size of the backup to my local WhatsApp folders, I’m certain it doesn’t just contain the conversation history and I’m pretty confident that all images are included but videos aren’t (just like the translation strings hinted at). I’m also not sure if the data will be visible inside Google Drive or kept hidden and only accessible when the app initiates a restore. We’ll update the post when we have more information.

More information

To answer some of our (and your) questions regarding the backups:

Backups are incremental, which means that WhatsApp will upload everything once, then only the changes daily/weekly/monthly.Backed up data is hidden inside Google Drive. Open your Drive on the web, go to Settings, Manage Apps and you’ll see WhatsApp listed as having hidden data.Videos aren’t backed up, only conversations and photos.When you install WhatsApp again (on a new or the same phone), after you log in with your phone number, the app will check to see if there’s a Google Drive backup (it will still check for local backups too) associated with your account and offer you one shot to restore your entire data from the cloud.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/beginner-geek-how-to-pair-devices-over-bluetooth/

Beginner Geek: How to Pair Devices Over Bluetooth

Wireless devices with Bluetooth radios must be “paired” with each other before they can communicate. This involves making them discoverable and potentially entering a PIN.

The pairing process works with “Bluetooth profiles,” and each device has to be compatible. For example, you can only pair a mouse or keyboard with a device that’s been designed to work with that type of accessory.

To save battery power, a device with Bluetooth isn’t constantly broadcasting that it’s available. Even if you have a Bluetooth-enabled accessory near a Bluetooth-enabled device, they won’t be able to see each other until you put them into discovery mode. The device will then be “discoverable” by other devices — for a few minutes.

First, put the accessory you want to use into discovery mode. The exact way you do this depends on the accessory. If you have a headset, you may need to hold a button down on the headset for several seconds until a light starts flashing. A keyboard or mouse may have a similar button you may need to press or hold down. A speaker may have a Bluetooth button on its remote that puts it into Bluetooth discovery mode. A light may flash to indicate that the device is in discovery mode. It’ll only stay discoverable for a few minutes.

Not sure how to put your accessory into discovery mode? Consult its manual, check the manufacturer’s website, or perform a web search for instructions.

If you’re using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can make it discoverable, too. On an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, just open the Bluetooth settings screen — your device will be discoverable as long as you have that screen open. On a Mac, just open the Bluetooth settings screen. On Windows, you’ll need to search the Control Panel for Bluetooth click “Change Bluetooth settings,” and enable the “Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC” option.

Note that you don’t need to make a device discoverable if you’ll be connecting from it. You only need to make a device discoverable if you’re connecting to it. For example, let’s say you wanted to connect a headset to your Android phone — you’d just need to make the headset discoverable, and not the Android phone.

But, let’s say you wanted to connect an Android phone to your computer — you’d need to make the Android phone discoverable.

Now, go to the smartphone, tablet, computer, music player, or whatever other device you want to connect the Bluetooth accessory to. Look for the Bluetooth settings or devices screen. This screen will display a list of nearby Bluetooth devices that are in discovery mode as well as devices paired to the device.

Be sure the Bluetooth hardware on your device is actually enabled. You’ll often see a toggle in the Bluetooth settings area.

For example, here’s how to do this on popular operating systems:

iPhone and iPad: Open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth near the top. of the listAndroid: Open the Settings screen and tap the Bluetooth option under Wireless & networks.Windows: Open the Control Panel and click “Add a device” under Devices and Printers. You’ll see discoverable Bluetooth devices near you. You’ll need Bluetooth hardware in your computer to do this, but you can always add Bluetooth to your computer.Mac OS X: Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click the Bluetooth icon in the System Preferences window.Chrome OS: Click the status area at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Click the Bluetooth status in the pop-up that appears.Linux: This varies depending on your Linux distribution and desktop. On Ubuntu’s Unity desktop, click the gear menu at the top-right corner of your screen, select System Settings, and click the Bluetooth icon in the System Settings window.Other Devices: Whether you’re using a music player or a video game console, you should generally just be able to enter the device’s settings screen and look for a “Bluetooth” option.

Select the discoverable device in the list to connect. Depending on the device and its security settings, you may have to enter a PIN code to pair the device. If you need a PIN code, it should be displayed on the device’s screen. For example, if you’re pairing your phone with your computer, you’ll see a PIN on your phone’s screen and you’ll have to type it into your computer.

You may sometimes not have to type the PIN. Instead, you may simply see the PIN displayed on both devices. Just ensure each device shows the same PIN code before continuing.

In some cases, you may be asked to enter a PIN even if your device can’t display it. For example, you may be asked for a PIN when pairing with a Bluetooth headset or speaker. Entering the code “0000” will often work. If not, you may need to check the device’s documentation (or perform a web search) to find the PIN it needs.

By default, after the devices are paired, they’ll automatically see each other and communicate when they’re both powered on and have Bluetooth enabled.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/how-to-make-siri-respond-to-your-voice-without-pressing-anything/

How to Make Siri Respond to Your Voice (Without Pressing Anything)

By default, Siri only responds when you press and hold the home button on your iPad or iPhone. You can, however, configure Siri to respond when you say “Hey Siri.”

Siri is useful as means for doing many things. She’s meant to be something of a digital personal assistant and, as such, can do a great deal more than simply looking stuff up on the Internet. She can take notes, set alarms, place calls, handle directions, and so on.

Using Siri won’t take long to figure out, but to completely master her, you will need to spend some time learning all the things she can do. To help make this easier and a bit more natural feeling, you can turn on her hands-free voice activation, though this will only work when your device is plugged in.

Having “Hey Siri,” however, is a great way to interact with your device and is comparable to Android’s “Ok Google” as well as Microsoft’s upcoming “Hey Cortana” search feature in Windows 10 (this already available to Windows Phone users).

“Hey Siri” isn’t enabled right out of the box. You have to first turn it on in the settings. To do this, unlock your iPad or iPhone and open the “Settings.” Tap on the “General” category and then tap on “Siri.

Siri doesn’t have a lot of options to deal with. First and foremost, there’s an option to completely turn her off, and then below that is the “Allow ‘Hey Siri’” toggle.

Once again note that “Hey Siri” will only work when your device is connected to a power outlet.

As long as we’re poking around in Siri’s settings, have a look at the other remaining options. You can turn Siri from a she to a he using the “Voice Gender” option. There’s also an option to configure “Voice Feedback” from “Always” to “Handsfree Only.”

You’re not stuck using only one identity with Siri either. Tapping the “My Info” button lets you assign who Siri talks to from your contacts.

Siri is also a serious polyglot as well, if you tap the “Language” button, you’ll see a wide and extensive array of different languages, often in several variations.

As we said, enabling “Hey Siri” is a great way to interact with your iOS device without having to look around, pick it up, and push the home button.

And, while it’s unfortunate that you can’t enable it to work when the device is unplugged, we understand that having such functionality constitutes a serious drain on the battery. Even so, if you’re driving around with your iPhone, you can easily plug it in and use this feature for hands-free assistance.

Further, if you have an iPad, you can leave it plugged in at your desk and use “Hey Siri” to perform routine commands and tasks. So, it’s not a make or break issue and sure beats placing an unnecessary drain on the battery.

Let us know now what you think. Do you use “Hey Siri” already or is this a news to you? We appreciate your comments and questions, so please leave your feedback in our discussion forum.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/7-new-material-design-guidelines-that-android-developers-should-know/

7 New Material Design Guidelines that Android Developers should know

In an effort to flesh out their Material Design guidelines, Google has released a whopping 7 new sections that’ll show you best practices for crafting user interfaces, handling data and providing an overall sensible user experience as it pertains to the current standard. Here are the new sections Google has added for developers to take a look at:

Whether you’re including ingredients for a recipe, stats from a sports league, or results from an arcade game, Google gives you the lowdown on the best practices for incorporating data tables into your apps and websites with material design (read more).

Ever wonder why phones from the low-end to high-end seem to ignore pixel widths and resolutions? They’re not being ignored, Skywalker… it’s all a matter of pixel density (and much more).

This beautiful addition to Android now gets its very own Material Design section. Learn when, where, and how to use the floating action button appropriately right here.

Having trouble deciding how to organize and structure the content in your app? Google has some ideas for you.

Users of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator have long had access to system icons and component sticker sheets, but what about folks using Adobe After effects? Well… you’re now in luck.

Feel free to show me your credit card number, expiration date, and secret pin number on the back… I’m an angel and would never use it for nefarious purposes. However, developers will want to protect their users from meanie heads by not showing important info like passwords, so Google is now helping you conform to their design standards in cases like these.

It’s all about consistency. Nothing bothers me more than jumping into settings and not knowing what the heck is going to happen when I make a selection, so I really hope developers follow these guidelines closely.

Google has also updated existing sections with more detailed guidelines, including topography, cards, dialog boxes, tabs and scrolling techniques. You can find all the newest changes right here, while the entirety of the Material Design guideline document is waiting for you here.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-apps/googles-android-for-work-app-hits-the-play-store/

Google's Android For Work App Hits The Play Store

In February, Google proclaimed “Android is ready for work,” marking an official opening to the Android for Work effort first introduced at Google I/O 2014. Today, Google’s official Android for Work app has hit the Play Store, ready to help users running Android 4.0-4.4W (since setup is built into Lollipop) and working with Android for Work partner solutions set up their device for work use.

For those out of the loop, Android for Work is Google’s take on dual-persona device management, allowing users to have two copies of the same app – one for personal use and one for business. The two are securely kept separate from one another but appear on the same device, meaning users can jump between work and personal apps effortlessly, knowing that data from work apps can’t carry over or mix in with the apps’ personal counterparts.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/type-find-my-phone-into-google-on-your-computer-and-immediately-locate-your-android-phone/

Type 'Find My Phone' Into Google On Your Computer And Immediately Locate Your Android Phone

Google is a digital genie. You type your wishes into a search bar and -POW- there it is, what you are looking for. Now you can even use Google to find tangible objects, as long as the object you are looking for is your Android phone. Just type the words ‘find my phone’ into any google search bar from your computer and in seconds Google will locate your device on a map and give you the option to make it ring. Nifty.

Android users have been able to find their devices remotely for a while now, but until today you had to log into Android Device Manager on another mobile device or your computer to start your search. I guess this new option doesn’t save a ton of time but let’s be honest – when your phone is missing, it feels like part of you is missing, so every second counts.

If, after your device is located, you find it is in an unsecure location you can click on the map to be redirected to the full Android Device Manager page where you will find the options to remotely lock or wipe your phone.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/verizon-note-3-owners-its-your-turn-to-get-lollipop/

Verizon Note 3 Owners, It's Your Turn To Get Lollipop

The Verizon Note 3 is the latest Android device to be invited to the Lollipop party. The Note 3’s product support page on Verizon’s site has been refreshed with the announcement of the software update and a brief overview of the enhancements of Android 5.0.

The new software will showcase a material(ish) version of TouchWiz, as well as performance enhancements and optimized battery performance. Unfortunately, the update will not remove the horrendously placed Verizon logo on the home button (I find it amusing that all the Note 3 images on the software update page are logo free). Edit: As the commenters pointed out, that was the Note 2 with the Verizon logo on the home button.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/the-new-usb-type-c-connector-a-practical-guide-to-the-next-generation-of-data-and-power-ports/

The New USB Type C Connector: A Practical Guide To The Next Generation Of Data And Power Ports

While there has yet to be a major smartphone announced with a USB Type C connector, we know they’re coming. As are tablets, laptops, and pretty much every other kind of USB gadget you can imagine. This is our quick guide to USB Type C (and USB 3.1, which are actually not the same thing), which will go over the benefits of the new standard, as well as discuss the kind of cables you’ll probably want to buy in the next couple of years as it is adopted.

Currently, as a consumer, you’re likely to encounter four major types of USB connectors. Type A, type B, micro (in various A/B configurations), and mini (also in A/B configurations). Type A is the standard USB port/connector you see on laptops and many USB accessories, the full-sized connector we’ve had for many years. Type B is, generally, what you use to hook up a USB hub or printer to your laptop or desktop. Mini is most often used on cameras for charging and data transfer. Micro, of course, is what the vast majority of smartphones on the market not made by Apple have.

A USB Type C port on Google’s 2nd gen Chromebook Pixel

The goal of the type C connector is to replace all of them. The USB3.1 Type C connector has better data transfer (up to 10Gbps), power capacity (up to 100W), is smaller than all but two of the previous ports (micro/mini), and boasts the major advantage of being reversible along its X-axis, meaning it won’t be such a pain to plug in. Type C in a USB3.1 configuration has native support for things like relatively high-throughput display and multimedia protocols, too, so eventually it will hopefully even replace things like HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort cables on your laptop.

So, yes, eventually (like, years from now) all of your micro, mini, type A and B USB connectors will become obsolete. I feel your pain – I’ve amassed a collection of dozens of microUSB cables, and switching to type C is probably going to necessitate throwing most of them out.

But, but, but! It’s for the best.

First, let’s do some terminology primers.

USB Type C: The name of the connector and port design for the newest iteration of USB hardware. Type C connectors can be implemented on USB2.0 cables, USB 2.0 hosts, USB3.1 cables, and USB3.1 hosts. There is no requirement of USB3.1, and cables and hosts can be mixed and matched with full legacy support.USB3.1: The name of the latest USB protocol. There are two generations of USB 3.1, the first (formerly known as USB3.0) supports transfer rates up to 5Gbps, the second supports up to 10Gbps. There are other differences, but this is the important one.USB Power Delivery 2.0: This is what allows the “up to 100W” of power transfer, and while it’s part of the overall USB3.1 specification “package,” it’s not only optional on USB3.1, it can even be implemented on USB2.0.

Now, let’s bullet out the primary advantages of USB Type C and USB3.1.

Speed: USB3.1 Type C (Gen 2) allows data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps. While that’s slower than, say, Thunderbolt 2 (20Gbps), it’s still insanely fast and should provide enough bandwidth in all but very specific applications.Power: One of USB’s historic limitations has been power transfer. With type C, a maximum of 100W can be routed through your USB2.0 or 3.1 cable if the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification is supported at both ends, more than enough to power all but high-end gaming/workstation laptops.Simplicity: A Type C to Type C cable is reversible at both ends, as well as at the connector itself, and is much smaller than older Type A connectors.

Google also has a pretty good video summary of the standard.

Now, let’s break it down in detail.

That 10Gbps rating is based on generation two of the USB3.1 standard – most of the early devices with USB3.1 ports (new Pixel, new MacBook) are based on generation one. As such, they’ll ship with 5Gbps of transfer capacity. This is incumbent upon the port (host), not the cable – all USB3.1 Type C cables support the full 10Gbps transfer rate, but the host has to have a generation two port in order to get those speeds.

5Gbps is still enough for most stuff, however, so this really shouldn’t be reason to worry. In addition, your smartphone or tablet can’t even read data from its flash storage that quickly – it’s a speed ceiling so high that it’s not worth worrying about in the next couple of years on your mobile device, most likely.

The bigger caveat is that there will be USB Type C connectors and ports that do not support even 5Gbps, but rather are capped at 480Mbps. The cables are USB2.0 “charging” type C cables, which will support that same 60W of power transfer and the 480Mbps speed rating of modern USB2.0 hosts. They will be substantially cheaper than USB3.1 Type C cables, too, at least for a while. USB2.0 Type C ports will also be a thing, supporting all the standard USB2.0 protocols with the bonus of the universal connector and enhanced power capabilities inherent to type C cables.

100 watts is a lot. That’s more than the vast majority of modern laptops require – even a big, beefy Macbook Pro 15 with Retina Display only needs 85. First, though, we need to clear up a basic distinction about USB3.1 / Type C and power.

USB3.1 and USB Type C are not what enable higher power transfer rates on new USB ports, but rather it is a new USB Power Delivery specification (v2.0) that is responsible. This new specification is first being introduced alongside USB3.1 Type C connectors and ports, because it makes the new port and connector that much more appealing to customers. USBPD2.0 (a mouthful, I know) also allows intricate control of power distribution to multiple connected devices, daisy-chaining, and sending power in either direction relative to the host. So, you could charge your laptop with an external charger you’d use with your smartphone (assuming it supported the new USBPD2.0 standard). I realize this is kind of confusing, and I’m sorry, but it’s not going to get much better – there are other caveats.

So, you’ve got USB3.1 Type C port with USB Power Delivery 2.0. That means a maximum power transfer rate of 100W. You might think all USB Type C cables support that 100W of power transfer out of the box, right?

Wrong! In reality, the practical max power transfer rating for USB Type C is more like 60W – 3 amps at 20 volts (3Ax20V=60W). In order to achieve the full 100W (5A at 20V), a type A female bridge connector is currently required, and we have yet to see what implementations will look like for end consumers on real products, even if the adapters themselves are already available.

For smartphones and tablets, this doesn’t really matter. Even the fastest fast chargers for phones today don’t exceed 15W, and that’s 25% of the minimum power transfer spec for USB type C cables. There’s plenty of headroom. Additionally, even a USB2.0 Type C cable will still give you that full 60W so long as the new power delivery specification is supported on your charger / end device.

The catch, though, comes down to the aforementioned host support on that end device. USB3.1 Type C and USB Power Delivery v2.0 are two different things, and having USB3.1 Type C does not mean you get USBPD2.0. The new power specification requires new hardware on the host device (as well as the charger on the other end) that is generally lumped in as part of the USB 3.1 specification when you see it covered in the news, though it is not actually required. Additionally, USBPD2.0 can be implemented on a USB2.0 Type C port – USB3.1 isn’t even needed.

USB Type C connectors are around 1mm wider and just a tenth or so of a millimeter taller than microUSB connectors, so designing them into a smartphone will probably present no significant challenge for manufacturers. But their ability to be reversed on the X-axis (like Apple’s Lightning connector) is a huge advantage over microUSB. When all your stuff uses type C, you’ll be a lot less likely to end up in a situation where you can’t charge a gadget! Future smartphone chargers (wall warts) will also likely have type C ports, so the cable itself will be reversible end-to-end, something even Apple’s Lightning standard doesn’t have. There are no real “gotchas” here – this is [very] arguably the best part of the USB Type C standard.

USB-C compared to Apple Lightning and microUSB connectors, image via Ars Technica

USB3.1 Type C also does power, data, and video – it’s an all-in-one. A single powered external “hub” or “dock” device could provide hookups for ethernet, HDMI, external USB, and power. Instead of plugging three or four things into your laptop when you’re working at your desk, you’d plug in just one type C cable from the dock – and it could provide you wired internet, access to external storage, an external display, and power. Your phone or tablet, similarly, could use its USB3.1 Type C port to receive power, put out video to an external display, and access an external drive.

USB3.1 host ports can do this because of a concept known as daisy chaining – multiple end devices can be connected in a “chain” to send or receive data or power to or from a host either through connections to each other or via a powered hub. For example, you could connect an external SSD to your laptop, which would power the drive and allow for data transfer, and then connect a second USB Type C connector from the external drive to your smartphone (or a second drive), which would also show up as an external disk on your computer, assuming the external SSD had a USB host chip.

Another example: utilizing a Type C dongle like the one available for the new MacBook, you can charge your laptop while you also have an external USB device and an external monitor connected at the same time – all of them going through the MacBook’s single USB3.1 Type C port. Previous iterations of USB didn’t really allow for this. Native support for HDMI and DisplayPort video (on most devices, hopefully) along with those high bandwidth and power ceilings mean USB3.1 can do a lot more stuff at once.

Good question! It’s hard to say, but you can probably expect some USB Type C smartphones by the end of this year (2015). The industry has no real reason aside from cost (which will inevitably go down) not to adopt it, and plenty of reasons to adopt it – it makes their products more appealing. And yes, the general consensus is that a switch is inevitable at this point, a switch that will likely eventually be industry-wide.

What’s less likely is a USB3.1 Type C port on your next phone. Because the USB3.1 specification currently requires a discrete controller chip to utilize, smartphones and tablets will probably avoid the standard until it can be included as part of the SoC package, and instead stick with USB 2.0 (albeit in type C guise). This ensures forward-compatibility for chargers and cables (even if said cables may not be as fast), and a lower cost of entry for OEMs until USB3.1 is a part of most major mobile chipsets, which is also probably an inevitability.

Since the maximum data transfer rate of even USB2.0 still surpasses that of a phone’s internal storage for random-write and even sequential-write performance pretty easily, USB3.1 probably isn’t necessary on a phone yet. Very few people regularly move large quantities (eg, >10GB) of data back and forth from a phone to a PC, so there’s probably not much of a demand for more speed yet, either. You’ll still get more power than you need (either via USBPD2.0 or some Qualcomm Quick Charge-style tech) and up to 480Mbps of data on the 2.0 configuration, along with the universal type C connectors.

Then again, the highly alluring prospect of USB3.1’s native video-out support for standards like HDMI and SlimPort are big draws. USB3.1 will allow OEMs to license any one of a handful of solutions (SlimPort, MHL) for video-out on their devices without having to use cumbersome adapters or powered hubs.

My strong inclination is that even if all type C phones start out with USB2.0 ports, we may see a split here within a year or two: cheaper phones and budget devices may end up with USB2.0 Type C while high-end and flagship phones may get USB3.1, at least eventually. But for now, that’s just guessing. At the least, you won’t have to worry about which kind of type C cable you need to charge your phone with – they’ll all work.

This is probably best spelled out as a rule: USB Type C connectors only plug into type C ports, and type C ports only accept type C connectors. This means if your next smartphone is a USB Type C device, unless you buy additional cables, the one it ships with will be the only way you have to charge it. There’s also the question of what kind of cable you’ll get – it could be a type C to type C cable, or it could be a type A to type C (current smartphone chargers use the type A port) in an effort to keep costs down by using the same old power bricks. At this point, we don’t know, and probably won’t know until the first major type C phone ships.

The most commonly-needed adapter cable will probably be the USB2.0 Type A to Type C connector, which will allow you to connect your type C device to a regular full-sized (AKA type A) USB2.0 or 3.0 port. Such a cable would allow you the maximum transfer rates for USB2.0 (480Mbps) with a power transfer capacity of up to 60W. There will also be a USB3.1 Type A to Type C cable, so your laptop or desktop’s older USB3.0 ports won’t have their extra speed go to waste.

Essentially, the only real bad news here is for direct-connect microUSB accessories – USB sticks, external DACs, or docks with male microUSB connectors. If you want to keep using them on a type C device, you’re going to need an adapter cable like this one. Given how annoying and often impractical such adapters are, this does mean the effective obsolescence of your microUSB accessories is imminent, and that’s just kind of the trade-off we’re making here for a much, much better universal connector.

So, yes, this is going to cause some breakage in a few niche parts of the accessory market, but the transition will have been worth it. MicroUSB was always a stopgap measure, and now’s as good a time as any to make the jump.

Right now, type C connectors are not cheap. Monoprice sells a 3-foot (about one meter) USB3.1 Type C data cable for $25, whereas a USB2.0 Type C “charge” cable that’s twice as long (6′) but with much less data throughput will cost you a little more than half that. As production ramps up, though, prices will inevitably come down, even if they may never quite reach levels as cheap as current USB 2.0 cables. But, given they will without a doubt become far more ubiquitous than USB3.0 (aka 3.1 Type A) cables, USB3.1 and other type C products will still probably end up substantially cheaper than the old 3.0 gear.

Here’s an outline of the USB Type C ports that may come to be.

USB3.1 (Gen 1 / Gen 2*) Type C port with USB Power Delivery 2.0 – allows up to 100W of power and up to 5 / 10Gbps* of data transfer.USB3.1 (Gen 1 / Gen 2*) Type C port without USBPD2.0 – allows low power (anywhere from 4.5W to 7.5W) and up to 5 / 10Gbps* of data transfer.USB2.0 Type C port with USB Power Delivery 2.0 – allows up to 100W of power and up to 480Mbps of data transfer.USB2.0 Type C port without USBPD2.0 – allows low power (anywhere from 4.5W to 7.5W) and up to 480Mbps of data transfer.

Which is going to be the most common? At this point, we don’t know. Like I said, it seems most likely smartphones and tablets will start out with USB2.0 configurations (like Nokia’s N1 tablet, which is USB2.0 Type C). Whether they’ll use the new USBPD2.0 power spec, I don’t know – it’s possible OEMs will choose to continue using their own fast-charging methods, though the jump to type C connectors would be a good time to get on board with the new standard.

As for cables, here are the ones you’re most likely to encounter.

USB3.1 Type C to Type C cable – supports up to 60W of power and up to 10Gbps of data transfer.USB3.1 Type C to Type A cable – supports up to 60W of power and up to 10Gbps of data transfer.USB2.0 Type C to Type C cable – supports up to 60W of power and up to 480Mbps of data transfer.USB2.0 Type C to Type A cable – supports up to 60W of power and up to 480Mbps of data transfer.

The good news here is that while there will be two different kinds of cables that look a lot alike (3.1 vs. 2.0 cables have no easily discernible visual differences), they will work for data and power transfer with any port that they can physically plug into. The bad news is that it’s possible one day you’ll have a USB video / high-speed data cable (3.1 Type C) and then a bunch of “charging” cables (2.0 Type C), the latter of which don’t do USB3.1’s native video and ultra high-speed data transfer. We can only hope some clear, standardized method of labeling these cables will emerge in the coming years.

Aside from Apple’s iOS-only Lightning cable and Intel’s Thunderbolt, the answer is basically no – and you can’t exactly call a platform-limited standard a “competitor” to one that is definitively platform-agnostic, so that just leaves Thunderbolt. The problem is that Thunderbolt has always been and remains expensive. It offers twice the data bandwidth (20Gbps for TB2.0), but allegedly at four times the cost. Thunderbolt also doesn’t have a particularly smartphone-friendly connector design, being quite tall. So, it’s mostly limited to workstations and high-end laptops, plus Apple products.

USB3.1 Type C seems more about portability and compatibility, combining your data, video, digital audio, and low-power cables into a single standard. HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, ethernet, and charging – USB3.1 C really does have the potential to replace a whole mess of annoying standards that we frankly should never have to deal with when using a computer unless we absolutely need them. These purpose-built cables have their uses, of course, but USB3.1 C could retire a vast sea of unwashed and pinched VGA, DVI, USB-B, and ethernet cables, along with the veritable slew of proprietary laptop chargers out there. This is something we desperately need.

The catch is that as with any technical standard seeking to replace other standards, the owners of those other standards aren’t necessarily ready to let go of them. And, in the meantime, it’s always possible something better will come along – you never know. But USB Type C is easily the most promising and capable cable / port standard we’ve ever seen, so widespread adoption seems all but assured at this point in the realm of smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Google claims its own connector design, as included with the new Chromebook Pixel, is very durable, using cold-rolling to form the metal plug jacket instead of stamping it. However, this sounds like something specific to their supplier. Like past USB cables, there will be variation in quality, durability, and abusability. USB Type C was not designed to be any more durable or resistant to “oh shit” moments than the type A connector, and given its physically smaller size, it may actually be worse in that regard, though we can’t be certain yet.

Compared to microUSB, type C is slightly larger, so force would theoretically be distributed over a slightly wider area in the event of port-abuse, not that I’d take much solace in that.

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Google Posts Android 5.1 Factory Images For The Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2013, And Nexus 7 2013 LTE

There’s no more waiting for Android 5.1 if you’ve got a Nexus 4 or either version of the 2013 Nexus 7. Google has posted the full factory images on the dev site, meaning you can flash the new version to get up to date no matter what you’ve done to your device’s software.

The factory images (all build LMY47O) will flash on top of any ROM or previous version of the stock software. By default they remove all your data in the process, but you can remove the wipe command if you’re just going from the last official build. You will need an unlocked bootloader, though.

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Talon For Twitter Update Adds The New Embedded Retweet Feature Before The Official App

Twitter has been giving Android users the cold shoulder repeatedly over the last few weeks: first with the new Periscope app, then with improved Vine video quality, and finally with the new embedded retweet format. All three came to iOS first and are only “coming soon” to Android. Developer Jacob Klinker ain’t havin’ none of that: the new retweet format is now active in the popular Talon for Twitter client, well before the feature has been rolled out to the official Twitter app.

The old retweet formula re-broadcasted an entire tweet into your timeline with the little retweet badge. To add a comment or a link (assuming there was space left in Twitter’s character limit) you had to manually type out your message, then “RE @username” with the original tweet following. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s clunky and hard to work with for longer tweets. The new method allows you to either retweet in the normal way or embed it underneath your comments. This gives you more space for you to add whatever you want and preserves the original, without the need for add-on text or extra tweets.

   To use the new method in Talon, tap on an individual tweet, than tap the quote button (“). Leave the link where it is and type away, then tweet it when you’re done. Bingo, the original tweet will appear in its own little window beneath your comments. Users on compatible platforms, including the web version of Twitter, Tweetdeck, and even the official Twitter for Android app can see the new format (even though the first-party app won’t actually let users create embedded tweets yet).

Here’s the part where I remind you that Twitter artificially limits the amount of users that can access the service via third-party apps, even when those apps are doing a better job than the company itself. Insert your own expletive here.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/google-calendar-5-2-brings-back-the-month-view-on-phones-apk-download/

Google Calendar 5.2 Brings Back The Month View On Phones [APK Download]

Google Calendar is meant to be precisely that, a calendar. The app serves as the default way you keep up with events and appointments on a stock Android device. As a result, some users were a little miffed when the big 5.0 redesign stripped the app of its ability to display a month’s worth of events on a phone’s screen at once.

With 5.2, that changes.

5.1 could show a single day, three days, or a week. 5.2 bumps this up to a full month. The option to do so is listed alongside the previous ones, but don’t go looking for them in the same spot. Google has moved them from the action bar to the navigation drawer.

  This update also lets you see the color of events when jumping to a specific date. These show up as little dots in the pull-down calendar, as you can see in the image Google posted to Google+.

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Roku App Updated With Voice Search And 'Movies Coming Soon' Feed

Roku announced some new features for its streaming players the other day, and now those features are filtering down to the Android remote app. In the latest iteration, you get voice search and a new “Movies Coming Soon” feed.

Here’s the changelog from Roku. It doesn’t add much detail.

Use your voice to search for movies, TV shows, actors, and directors. Voice search is currently available in the English language in US and Canada. Additional languages will be made available in subsequent updates.Follow “Movies Coming Soon” within My Feed and get updates when they are available to watch.A number of bug fixes.

On the hardware side, you need a Roku 3 to do voice search via the remote. That isn’t listed as a stipulation on the app, so it might work on other Roku boxes. The feed gives you an idea which new movies are available to stream and how much they cost. You can basically follow new movies, and they’ll show up as soon as they are listed on a Roku channel for streaming. The update is live now, but you need a Roku player for that to matter.

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HTC Posts Kernel Source For One M9

Attention developers— you can grab kernel source for the new HTC One M9 right now over on HTC’s dev website. The kernel source is based on Android 5.0.1, and it clocks in at about half a gigabyte.

The downloads currently include variants for the UK, Asia, and a few other locales. No versions specific to US carriers have appeared yet.

This is of little consequence to regular users as there’s nothing you can do with just these open source files. Developers can use them to improve app functionality on the One M9 and help build custom ROMs that run on the device.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/android-5-1-ota-update-now-rolling-out-to-the-lg-g-pad-8-3-google-play-edition/

Android 5.1 OTA Update Now Rolling Out To The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition

Before you ask, yes, this article is basically just another excuse for me to use Android Police’s favorite device abbreviation, LGGP83GPE. (That’s the short-lived Google Play Edition of the LG G Pad 8.3, from way back in 2013.) According to at least one Twitter user and, hey, my own tablet, the LGGP83GPE is getting its Android 5.1 update right about now. If you’re running stock software, head to the usual spot (Settings>About tablet>System updates) to check for yours.

  If you’re already running Android 5.0, the upgrade to 5.1 should be just a bit over 200MB. It’s a bit behind some of the other Nexus and Google Play Edition devices… but not all of them. Don’t show off your fancy new software to anyone with a Nexus 9, for example: they’re likely to try and hurt you. Normally Google software goes out in batches, but the update was awaiting for me as soon as I turned my tablet on, so maybe there are so few LGGP83GPE users that we’re all getting it at once.

A reminder: since the first Lollipop update, and modifications to the system software (including a simple root with the stock recovery) will cause over-the-air updates to fail. If you’ve modified your tablet you’ll need to wait until we find a factory image to flash, which might be a while.

New Post has been published on http://www.01android.com/android-news/galaxy-s5-on-us-cellular-receives-ota-update-with-android-lollipop/

Galaxy S5 On US Cellular Receives OTA Update With Android Lollipop

Carriers started sending over-the-air updates delivering Android 5.0 to the Galaxy S5 back in February, but there are still users who have yet to do the jump. Some of them have been waiting around on US Cellular, who has only just now announced that it’s bringing Lollipop to Samsung’s 2014 flagship.

By now, you know what to expect. We have covered Lollipop’s changes in great detail. We’ve even had half a year to get an idea of how Samsung has flavored Lollipop to taste well with TouchWiz.

So enjoy the update, which is going out as software version G900R4VXU1BOC1. You can wait for it to arrive on its own, or you can do the deed manually via Samsung Kies.