| HBO original programming comes to Play Store Oct 7th 2013, 20:53, by Nate Swanner The Google Play Store has HBO! Via their Google+ page, the Play Store announced today that some HBO Original Series' will be available on the Play Store. Seven of HBO's shows will make their way to the Play Store, with episodes running $1.99-2.99 each. 
The list — which includes Veep, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, The Newsroom, The Wire, and Girls — encompasses the entire back catalog of shows. For those wishing to get caught up to speed on shows currently running like Boardwalk Empire, you'll be left wanting. Even the recently wrapped second season of The Newsroom is currently missing. Both seasons of Game of Thrones, however, are present.
While not a total boon for HBO series fans, it's a step in the right direction. Cord cutters will love this, and Play Movies & TV come with Chromecast support, so it's a lot like having HBO natively. There is no timetable offered for when shows will be added after their original air. The service, like many Google rollouts, is currently only available in the US. There was no timetable offered for worldwide release, or if it was forthcoming. If you're in the US and want to catch some older HBO favorites, head on over to the Play Store now! |  | Moto X camera update heading to US Cellular this month Oct 7th 2013, 19:56, by Robert Nelson A software update for the Moto X has been making the carrier rounds. This is the update that brings fixes for the camera and touchless controls and so far it has hit three of the big four US carriers. AT&T was the most recent of the three with the update arriving just last week. We are still waiting on word from Verizon Wireless, however a recent leak is suggesting US Cellular will be rolling the update out soon. 
The details have yet to be announced by US Cellular and are based on a leak at the moment. What we are seeing is coming by way of a “Device Service Bulletin” dated for October 2013. Said bulletin is for the Motorola Moto X and includes a changelog for a maintenance release that is beginning to look rather familiar. Details here include the version being Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with a build number of 13.9.0Q2.X-116-MX-17-57. Anyway, while this one does look familiar, it is not an exact copy from the other carriers. The US Cellular Moto X update is also adding the Wi-Fi Now application (version 4.5.75). This is an app that will help you to automatically connect to available hotspots and while it is coming with this update, it is also available for download from the Play Store. The remaining items in this update include the following; Enhancements to the following experiences - Camera
- Active Notifications
- Touch less Controls
- Motorola Assist
The following Motorola Experiences would be upgradeable via Google Play - Touch less Controls
- Motorola Assist
Calling (Improved Voice Quality) - Addressed issue that sometimes resulted in choppy audio being heard by the person you are talking to using your Moto X
While this is certainly looking like good news for those who picked up a Moto X with US Cellular, we can almost hear the complaints coming from Verizon Moto X users. That being said, if you are sporting a US Cellular Moto X we suggest keeping a close eye on your notifications because according to this, that update should be here within the next few weeks. VIA: Droid-Life | | HTC Chairwoman says they need to "communicate better", but are on the right path Oct 7th 2013, 19:24, by Nate Swanner In an interview with Bloomberg TV, HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang was optimistic regarding the future of HTC. While she wouldn't hint at future products, she did say that HTC is happy with their burgeoning trajectory, and admits failure in communicating with consumers. 
Discussing the downtrodden smartphone manufacturer, Wang said "We really have the best technology and the best product", but went on to admit they needed to "communicate better" with consumers. This disparity between amazing products and communication is what she attributes as the reason for HTC's recent quarterly loss.
"Our communication does have a problem but we are improving on that. It's a gap between our new products coming out and we are improving our innovation and our marketing" said Wang.
Part of their new strategy involves Robert Downey Jr., who Wang praises as an adequate representation of what HTC believes they are. "People like him because people see him as a change maker. I believe HTC is here to change." When it comes to a takeover or merger, Wang was a bit more defiant. 
"This ubiquitous intelligent technology is still at infancy stage, why do you want to consolidate?" Wang quipped when discussing the topic of an HTC merger or — perhaps worse — being bought out by a competitor. Their continued slide and recent loss positions HTC as a takeover target, with many analysts believing it's an avenue HTC should consider. Though HTC is in a continuous downward spiral, Wang — who owns as much as 18% of HTC via various holdings — is taking a very Amazon approach, defiantly pressing on in spite of losses. "Stock price is really the past. Innovation is the future. I actually never look into the price, it doesn’t influence me." she said, adding that leader Peter Chou "is a great guy. He has a lot of innovative ideas and he’s very charismatic." We'll see how long these positive vibes flow, should HTC see continued losses and poor sales.
| | Samsung Galaxy J leak tips a Note 3 and S4 hybrid Oct 7th 2013, 19:12, by Robert Nelson Coming by way of a leaked NTT DoCoMo sales flyer, we have the Samsung Galaxy J. The handset, which is shown as being available in three colors, appears to be a Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 hybrid. Details coming from the flyer point towards the handset as having a 5-inch display (like the Galaxy S 4) but with looks similar to the Galaxy Note 3. 
The handset is said to have a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2600 mAh battery and 13 megapixel rear-facing camera. Touching back in the display, that is reported to have a resolution of 1920 x 1080. There was also mention of a Japanese specific feature — a TV tuner. As seen in the images here in the post, the Galaxy J will be available in blue, white and pink. Specifically, in Lapis Blue, Satin White and Coral Pink. There is no mention of the handset being Active branded, however there are some mixed reports in terms of whether or not the Galaxy J will be waterproof. 
The rbmen blog mentions the “presence or absence of waterproofing is unknown,” while the folks at nowhereelse.fr have said the handset is waterproof and dustproof. Further details from NWE also mention 4G LTE network support. Bottom line here, it looks like the Galaxy J is a cross between two currently popular Samsung handsets. And with that in mind, it could make a good option for those who like the looks of the Note 3, but not the size. Assuming they are not expecting an S Pen. All that being said, this leaked flyer is the “2013-2014 winter spring model” with mention of an announcement date of October 10. | |
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