| No Moto X for UK, Motorola CEO promises cheaper Moto X devices Aug 2nd 2013, 18:21, by Dima Aryeh The Moto X was announced yesterday, and it did not seem to go over well with the tech community. Most people are calling it a major disappointment, but not because it’s underspecced or didn’t live up to the hype. Most people are disappointed because of its high price. At $199 on contract, it goes for a high-end price without delivering the same specs as high-end phones. So what is Motorola’s response? Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside claims that there will be a cheaper Moto X. He seems to understand that the prepaid market is getting big here in the US, so Motorola plans to release multiple devices under the Moto X brand. There will be cheaper variants for those who buy off-contract. But why is the Moto X so expensive in the first place? Well first of all, US labor is pretty expensive. US assembly probably tacks on quite a bit of price by itself. And the customization factor could raise it even more. Finally, Motorola might just want people to associate the Moto X with “high-end” via the price tag. While many US consumers don’t much care about a cheaper Moto X, those in the UK might. Not because they’re more budget oriented, but because Motorola has no plans to launch the standard Moto X in that market. The cheaper Moto X devices will launch across Europe, so they may be the only option for our British friends. Our first thought about a cheaper Moto X was “the Moto X is already not high-end, we don’t need an even lower end model.” However, the more we think about it, the more viable it becomes. Looking at the new DROID line, the DROID Ultra is pretty similar to the Moto X, and both are $199 on contract. The DROID Mini, retaining the same specs (camera, processor, resolution) drops to $99 with a screen size drop. If Motorola could release a smaller Moto X, or even one that’s not built in the US and is made from the same mold and doesn’t offer customization, that could drop the price significantly. We know that making the Moto X even worse isn’t exactly what the tech community wants, but if it drops the price significantly, it could become perfectly worth buying off-contract. What do you think of a cheaper Moto X? Source: CNET, Pocket-Lint  |  | Top 10 Android app updates this week: Twilight, Bank of America, MX Player Aug 2nd 2013, 18:17, by Steve Raycraft Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most upgraded apps for the week. I've found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, not focus on which apps have the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but I'm going to make an exception for apps that had significant updates. I hope you enjoy this weekly feature and discover some apps that you might find useful. Floating Notifications – Version 1.5 
What’s new in this version: - 4.3 support – Uses the new notification listener service.
- Card styled UI.
- Enhanced theme engine.
Onavo Count | Monitor Data – Version 2.0.1 
What’s new in this version: - We’ve redesigned Onavo Count from the bottom-up. With all new features, you can go well beyond monitoring your data. Introducing App Guide, comparative data, and fresh reporting graphics.
- Widgets for 2.0 are back and better than ever!
Bank of America – Version 4.3.229 
What’s new in this version: - Make payments to your credit card using your checking accounts at other banks (note: external account must already be set up in Online Banking).
- Add/edit/delete your Bill Pay accounts.
- Add your own email/mobile number to receive money from others.
- Send money to people and small businesses via their email addresses or mobile phone numbers.
- Call Me Now feature now available for Platinum Privileges clients.
Showtime Anytime – Version varies 
What’s new in this version: - Live TV: Tune in to watch what's currently airing LIVE on SHOWTIME.
- Improved stability and performance.
Twilight – Version 1.8 
What’s new in this version: - Status bar notification for >=4.2 has always lowest priority.
- Fix for status bar notification in 4.3 (4.3 does not allow to completely remote the notification from status bar).
- Expandable status bar notification and app widget which may be added to home screen to control forcing, pausing and to quick access settings.
- No interference with APK install in case filter is completely transparent.
Viber – Version 3.1.0.1103 
What’s new in this version: - Send doodles or paint over a photo and share it with your friends!
- Now you can know when your friends have seen your messages.
- Support for the Viber Desktop application on Windows and Mac.
- Fun new emoticons.
Krome – Version 2.1 
What’s new in this version: - Fix for notifications not showing up with encryption key set
- Support for new notifications in Android 4.3
- Fix for opening sites from button
- Fix for bad linking for notification service
MX Player – Version 1.7.16 
What’s new in this version: - Support for Android 4.3.
- Improved Hi10p playback performance with s/w decoder.
- Added an option to use h/w decoder’s native audio track selecting feature for Android 4.1 and higher.
- Added “audio player” option to use MX Player as an audio player.
- Added an option for selecting preferred audio language.
SoundCloud – Version varies 
What’s new in this version: We’ve updated the sign-up process to make it easier for new users to get started. After signing up for an account you can now: - Choose your favorite genres to launch your SoundCloud stream full of music & audio you want to hear.
- Get great suggestions to help you discover new music & audio creators you’ll love.
- Connect with friends and music & audio creators you already follow or like on Facebook.
Lapse It – Version 3.1.0.5.5.9 
What’s new in this version: - Background capture modes.
- Better error handling.
 | | Google to launch Android device manager for finding lost phones this month Aug 2nd 2013, 17:48, by Dustin Earley Left your Android phone at a bar? Misplaced it in your couch? Desperately trying to find out where a thief has run off to with it? Unless you have some sort of third-party lost phone tracking tool installed on your phone, you’re out of luck. Android has been sorely lacking in a Find My iPhone equivalent for some time now, but that’s finally about to change with Google’s new Android Device Manager. Set to release later this month for any Android device on 2.2 and higher, Android Device Manager (ADM) is a new tool for Android that allows users to manage lost or stolen phones from afar. Features of ADM include the ability to ring your phone at maximum volume, whether your phone’s on silent or not, locate your phone using GPS to place your device’s location on a map and securely wipe the data on your device if you fear it may have fallen into the wrong hands. According to the blog post announcing Android Device Manager, it be available on the web and via an Android app for tracking devices as well. It’s a shame that it’s taken this long for Google to finally launch something like Android Device Manager, but we’re glad to see it nonetheless. Will you be using Android Device Manager?  | | Android 4.1 single most used version, overtakes Gingebread Aug 2nd 2013, 16:53, by Dima Aryeh For the longest time, the majority of Android devices were stuck on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. That was disgraceful, and the fanboys of other platforms never failed to mention it. WHile fragmentation isn’t as big a deal as it seems, it’s still not great be stuck on an old Android version (especially one without Project Butter). 
The new Android distribution numbers are in, and a single version of Android has finally overtaken Gingerbread. Before, we were happy to see Jelly Bean as a whole, 4.1 and 4.2, take first place. Now, Jelly Bean 4.1 alone is in the lead with 34% of devices rocking it. 4.2 comes in at 6.5%, but that number will soon drop when Nexus devices are updated to 4.3. Gingerbread remains disgustingly high at 33.1%. The issue of fragmentation is slowly going away, not with time, but with the death of Gingerbread. That was the major turning point of Android, and it left a lot of devices behind. That’s why you don’t see so many people left on Ice Cream Sandwich. As long as Google keeps up a speedy upgrade schedule and manufacturers get their act together, fragmentation (at least to an extent) will fade away.  | | Motorola's magic trick: sizing up the Moto X Aug 2nd 2013, 15:41, by Nick Gray With all the Motorola Moto X news that we pushed out yesterday, one of the device’s most astounding features didn’t get much attention: its size. Technically, the Moto X is a mid-range Android phone that carries a price comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Tech enthusiasts may find that a bit off-putting, but we suggest you take a look at a few numbers before you completely write off Motorola’s new device. Like the HTC One, the Motorola Moto X features a 4.7-inch display, but there is a huge disparity in size between the two phones. The Moto X is about 1mm thicker than the HTC One, but it’s a good 8mm shorter and 3mm less wide. Comparing the Moto X to the HTC One may not be a fair comparison, because HTC’s device sports front-facing speakers above and below its display. But the size of the X becomes even more apparent when it’s lined up against the HTC One mini, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the S4 mini. Motorola has found a way to cram a 4.7-inch display into a chassis that’s smaller than the HTC One mini. 
If Motorola does release a cheaper version of the Moto X, we can assume it’ll come with a smaller display and an even smaller chassis. A smaller Moto X with the same design and a 4.3-inch display would out-mini the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Moto X may not have a fancy new processor, but Motorola has managed to create an incredible looking phone with decent specs and a highly customizable experience that is substantially smaller than devices with similarly sized displays. In a perfect world, the phone’s price would be a bit lower, but we honestly think the Moto X will be a hugely popular phone for the second half of 2013.  | | The Googorola mess Aug 2nd 2013, 15:37, by Nick Sarafolean Many of you will remember when, early last year, Google made the decision to drop a cool $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobility. At the time, it was believed that Google simply wanted access to Motorola’s expansive patent library. But a year and a half later, we’re finding that Motorola could mean much more to Google than just patents. Motorola’s newest flagship, the Moto X, was announced yesterday after months and months of hype. But what makes it special is that it was Motorola’s first phone in which Google has played a significant part. The distinguishing feature is that the Moto X is the first phone to offer customization. Of course, the customization is mostly design-oriented. But does the rest of the phone measure up? And did Google get it right with all of its decisions about the phone? That’s yet to be seen. Many people experienced some sticker shock when they saw the pricetag of $199 on-contract for what has been branded an essentially mid-range smartphone. There were complaints that it had only a 720p display and a (technically speaking) dual-core processor. There was also a fair amount of upset over carrier options and exclusives regarding the phone and its customization options. So what has contributed to this issue? Was it Google’s input? The Wall Street Journal has also done some looking into the issue. The Moto X is certainly Google’s first foray into creating a phone through Motorola. But there were a lot of things that went into the process that could have allowed some of these issues to crop up. For one, other manufacturers could feel threatened by Google now that it’s getting into the hardware game. While Google has traditionally been a software company, creating hardware could make other manufacturers wary of Android. They could feel that Google might have an unfair advantage in the market by creating both the hardware and software for its phones. In fact, it could drive Samsung, the largest manufacturer of Android devices, to break away and create its own operating system. (It has been rumored that the company is in the process of doing so). Google has done some interesting stuff to combat that notion. For one, the Moto X isn’t available with Google’s latest version of Android, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Like many other new phones that are being released, it only ships with Android 4.2.2. Motorola and Google also promised fast updates, but the updates won’t come at the same time as the Nexus devices. Both of these are most likely moves to help alleviate manufacturer’s fears about the Moto X constantly being ahead of their phones in terms of software. But tensions have allegedly rippled inside the companies, as well. The Wall Street Journal also reports that the father of Android, Andy Rubin, opposed the move to use Motorola as a hardware manufacturer. He wanted to keep Android completely open and free for everybody. You’ll remember that earlier this year Andy Rubin was moved from his position as the head of Android to a different position within Google. Perhaps this was part of the situation that got him moved. The WSJ mentioned that Motorola employees have said that the relationship isn’t perfect. Communication between the Android team at Google and the engineers at Motorola has apparently been poor with e-mails going without reply and delays happening due to lack of response. Whether all of this is true or not is hard to confirm, but it’s easily believable. So now we’re left with the Moto X, a phone that doesn’t completely fit in the high-end or mid-range categories. It’s got something that no other phone on the planet has with its customization options, and Motorola and Google have even managed to figure out how they can get it manufactured in the US without an extravagant priced. But Google and Motorola need to get closer. They need to work better together and figure out how they can make this even better. Because the Moto X is a mixed bag for just about everyone. It’s got the customization, but the specs aren’t quite as high-end as some would have preferred. Its price isn’t crazy, but it’s higher than many had expected. So will it sell? I believe that it will, but I also believe that the plan could have been executed in a much neater fashion. The customization exclusive with AT&T is sure to be a negative factor and doesn’t do anybody any good. How do you think Google and Motorola could have made the Moto X better?  | | Last stop! Everyone off the Moto X hype train! Aug 2nd 2013, 15:13, by Sean Riley The Moto X hype train has finally pulled into the station and all passengers must disembark. As is so often the case following many months aboard the train, everyone is finding that the destination isn’t quite the panacea they had in mind. For those of you frustrated by some of the details of today’s launch I’m right there with you, and the comments will be a safe space for some venting. I do want to be clear about one thing: half the reason I’m so angry is that I think this is an important device and I hate to see Motorola and Google squander it. So lets start off with the good before we dive into the rest. Put it in context Context is king with the Moto X. All roads for Google lead to Google Now and the identification of what a user wants or needs without having to express it. As Google promised, Motorola is its conduit with the Moto X, the purest execution on the idea behind Google Now that we have seen to date save perhaps for Glass. The Moto X uses the vast troves of information Google has about you along with its on-board sensors to intuit what it is you are trying to do or may need to know at any given moment. Now whether it achieves these goals in practice may be another matter, but this is the vision that Google and Motorola have laid before you. It’s an ambitious and admirable goal. Freedom isn’t free 
Remember this ad for the Moto X from early July? It’s a nice idea isn’t it? Free to customize your device however you want. In fact I would say it’s fair to characterize this idea as the central theme of the Moto X marketing to date. Well it turns out that only AT&T customers are free, something I’m sure many of them would find ironic. Nonetheless, at launch they will be solely blessed with the ability to create a customized Moto X. To paraphrase Henry Ford, the rest of us can have whatever color we want as long as that’s black or white. Yes, the customization option will come to the rest of us eventually, but hamstringing one of the most celebrated features from your marketing campaign at launch is a huge misstep. The price is wrong We’ve known for some time now that the Moto X would feature fairly midrange components. While this was a disappointment to some, the consolation was that Motorola and Google could deliver the Moto X at Nexus 4 pricing. We were half right. The middle of the road specs were spot on, but at $575 off-contract for 16GB and $625 for 32 GB, it is in a dead heat with the absolute top-of-the-line on price. No doubt some of this is attributable to the more expensive US assembly, but the pricing here seems nearly 50% higher than what one would expect for this hardware. Motorola’s CEO, Dennis Woodside, has stated that a cheaper version will be available for the prepaid and international markets in the future. But if you are hoping that will be just a slightly reduced version of this Moto X, you can stop holding your breath. Woodside implied it would be a sub-$200 version, which you can bet will be severely diminished. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope that the Google Edition coming to the Play Store will be discounted, but that’s probably just wishful thinking. Wrap up Google promised that Motorola would be a test bed for new things once the backlog of devices created under the old regime were out the door. And again I think the Moto X hardware does reflect that promise. It’s not the hulking spec monster that people envision as a flagship device, but it is using unique hardware and software to deliver what may prove to be a superior experience. That, it seems, is where Google stopped and the Motorola of old took over. The distribution and pricing model for this phone are completely run of the mill. The one unique feature is the customization, which has been gutted with exclusivity. The Moto X launched yesterday is just the first of what Dennis Woodside has said is the brand they are most focused on. I hope that is the case; there is real promise in what Google and Motorola have built. I confess it was too much to ask that Google would use its clout to turn the industry on its head with the first real offering from Motorola, but it won’t stop me from hoping for it all over again next time around. Your thoughts Alright we wanted to do a quick poll to gauge your feelings about the Moto X, but I also highly recommend the aforementioned venting in the comments as it can be really cathartic. Take Our Poll  | | T-Mobile won't stock the Moto X, but it will work on their network Aug 2nd 2013, 14:18, by Nick Sarafolean With all the news surrounding the Moto X yesterday, you’re probably ready for a break. Unfortunately, there’s another piece of information to deliver. This comes in regards to carrier availability, which was a bit of a foggy spot during yesterday’s announcement. We know that AT&T currently has an exclusive (can we stop with these already?) on customization and that Sprint is offering its unlimited guarantee with the phone. Verizon has confirmed that it will offer the phone and that it will later gain access to customization options. But what about T-Mobile? Nobody really knew what was happening with T-Mobile. We received statement that the Moto X is compatible with T-Mobile’s network, but that was all. AllThingsD reached out to T-Mobile for comment and got this response: The Moto X optimized for T-Mobile's 4G LTE network will initially be available through Motorola's channels. We do not plan to stock Moto X devices immediately in our stores, but are working closely with Motorola to make the Moto X a great experience for T-Mobile customers. Any news about distribution in our stores would come at a later date.Mike Sievert, Chief Marketing OfficerT-Mobile It sounds like T-Mobile is a bit unsure of its plans for the Moto X. It’s even possible that Google is giving T-Mobile a hard time. Hopefully in the future, this issue will be resolved and the Moto X will become available to T-Mobile customers through the carrier. As for customization in general, we hope options come to every carrier as soon as possible. The whole exclusivity thing is entirely obnoxious. Are you planning to buy a Moto X? How would you customize it?  | | Review: Oppo Find 5 Aug 2nd 2013, 14:01, by Nick Gray The Android space may be dominated by Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG, but there are plenty of lesser known brands out there with unique devices that hold their own. The Oppo Find 5 is packed with an incredible array of specs, but can it really compete in a smartphone world dominated by the Samsung Galaxy S4? Price: MSRP $499 (16GB), $599(32GB), but you can find it on Amazon for a little less The Good Design: The first thing you’ll notice with the Oppo Find 5 is the attention to detail. Oppo spares no expense; even the packaging features magnets in the lid to hold down the top flap. The device itself features a single glass panel that covers the entire front of the phone, giving the Oppo Find 5 a sleek look and feel reminiscent of the Sony Xperia Z. When turned turned off, the back-lit capacitive buttons fade away, and it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between the 5-inch display and the extremely thin 3.25mm bezel. While the phone features sharp corners from the front to its sides, the transition to the slightly curved back panel is more subtle, allowing the phone to rest very comfortably in the hand. Oppo Find 5 hardware               Specifications: As much as we’d like to think that specs don’t matter, we’re all guilty of wanting the latest devices with the latest chips in an effort to justify our unhealthy phone buying habits. For the most part, the Oppo Find 5 delivers the goods. The phone is crammed with a quad-Core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, 5-inch 1080 x 1920 (441 PPI) IPS LCD display, 13 megapixel camera 16/32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSP, NFC, your usual array of sensors and a generous 2,500 mAh battery. In terms of specs, the Oppo Find 5 is a half-step behind the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4, but it can go toe to toe with the HTC Droid DNA and the Motorola Moto X. Battery life: If every phone needs at least one killer feature, the Oppo Find 5 certainly has one – battery life. The 2,500 mAh built-in battery is more than adequate. On average, the phone is able to keep a charge for 12.5 hours with nearly 3.5 hours of screen-on time when used as my daily driver. That’s a good hour longer than what I can typically squeeze out of my HTC One. The Not-So-Good Camera: Taking a picture with a smartphone should be simple and enjoyable, but there are still very few phones that can actually be used to replace a dedicated point and shoot camera. The 13 megapixel shooter on the Oppo Find 5 is enhanced by a UV and blue glass coated lens with an f/2.2 aperture. Like its competitors, the Find 5 features burst capture (20 images per second), panorama, HDR mode and slow motion video recording (120 frames per second), which are all easily accessible through the phone’s custom camera application. The images produced by the Oppo Find 5 would be great, if you were to compare them to flagship phones from 2012. But they are not that impressive in a world dominated by the Galaxy S4. The only thing I was particularly impressed with was the seamless stitching of panoramic images. Oppo Find 5 camera samples             Software: The Oppo Find runs on Android 4.1 with Oppo’s own custom UI. The interface is fairly simple with a few “modern” looking widgets, custom tweaks to the stock Android applications and a launcher with some handy organizational features within the app drawer. While Oppo releases software updates to the phone twice a month and has great support on its forums, I’d recommend installing one of the dozen or so launcher alternatives form Google Play if you intend to keep your sanity. Oppo’s launcher is extremely laggy and riddled with bugs. Fortunately, Oppo has embraced the development community with open arms and even promotes CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android ROMs on its main product page. The Final Word Since most people buy their phones through their service providers with a two year contract, the Oppo Find 5 will never gain a lot of traction. Its specs put it on the same level as HTC Droid DNA, and I honestly appreciate the design of the Oppo Find 5 over that of the Samsung Galaxy S4. If you’re the type who enjoys owning a unique device with software that can be easily be modded, the Oppo Find 5 may be a great device for you. But if you’re looking for a reliable phone that works perfectly out of the box, I suggest you take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z or the new Motorola Moto X.  | | How much can you really customize the Moto X? Aug 1st 2013, 21:06, by Dima Aryeh The Moto X has been announced today and a heated discussion has already started. Some like it, some don’t. A lot of power users have denounced the device because it doesn’t meet our needs, but what about those who don’t care about specs and want a pretty purple phone with blue accents? Well that’s where the Moto X excels: customization. But how much can you really make your Moto X yours? First, you have to choose the right carrier. When the phone is released, customization will only be available on AT&T. The other three carriers will get a black and a white model, with customization coming later down the line. While we think that’s the stupidest decision possible, it is what it is. So if you want a colorful phone, go AT&T or wait. The first line of customization is simple color choices. At launch, you’ll have three areas of the device to color and a multitude of colors available to you. You can choose between 18 colors for the back, 7 colors for the accents, and two colors for the front edges. The accents will be the ring around the camera lens and the buttons on the side. The front will come in either black or white (and I like the idea of white phones with black fronts, so that’s awesome). This, plus the choice of either a 16GB of 32GB model, will allow for 504 different permutations of the device. That’s unique in our book. You can also get the back engraved with your name or a personal message. Sure, that will absolutely destroy resale value, but most people don’t care about that. Then, you add your own wallpaper via the uploading tool on the site where you design it. The wallpaper can be changed at any time, but it’ll offer a little more uniqueness out of the box. The splash screen can also be modified with a custom greeting. But that’s just the start, according to Motorola. New options and materials will constantly be considered and released. The first new material planned to be released is real wood. It’s currently in testing, because the material has completely different properties from plastic (don’t forget that the antennas need to be able to penetrate the casing!). But how awesome would it be to have a wood backed phone? Customization goes further than just the device itself, though. Motorola teamed up with SOL REPUBLIC to offer accessories like headphones, speakers, cases, docks and more to those who purchase a Moto X. With your purchase, you can get a color matched pair of headphones from SOL. You can choose between the on-ear SOL Tracks HD or the in-ear SOL JAX earbuds. And if you get the earphones, you’ll also get free ear tips for life. It’s a great start, and hopefully Motorola will expand on color matched accessories in the future. Because the device is being assembled at your command in Texas, they will ship it to you in four days or less. And best of all, the shipping is free. If you’re unhappy with the choices you’ve made, you can return it within 14 days (30 if you’re a California resident) and redesign it. Or, you can simply get your money back. That’s a pretty sweet deal. So the Moto X is quite customizable and about what we expected. The color matched headphones are a nice touch. We’re loving the freedom in making the device yours, even if we’re not really loving the device itself. But it’s time for you to voice your opinion. Do you like the customization options? Will they appeal to a broad audience who aren’t techies? And is it enough to sell the phone? Tell us in the comments!  | |
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