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With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Accessories

Get into the holiday spirit with Ornamental Androids from Dead Zebra

Apps

Motorola launches Active Display in the Play Store and fixes lag

Hangouts 2.0.2 released adding import SMS option, group messaging toggle and MMS bug fixes

Carriers

AT&T strikes deal with Rogers to allow 4G LTE roaming in Canada

Android 4.3 finally on its way to T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 users

Verizon rolling out update for Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Google

Google lets you create your own Street View

Hardware

Qualcomm’s new 64-bit chip targets entry-level devices

Phones

HTC One Mini sales resume in the UK until December 12 hearing

Smaller LG G2 may be in the works, matches internal specs of bigger sibling

LG G2 sales fall short of expectations, but not by much

Moto X owners get a new holiday boot animation [Update: Moto G as well]

Nexus devices receiving Android 4.4.2 (KOT49H), manual update ready

Samsung SM-G900F is latest Galaxy S 5 or F Series candidate to show up in benchmarks

Samsung makes Galaxy J official in Taiwan

Samsung cuts forecast 2014 smartphone sales down to 330 million

Verizon rolling out update for Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Android 4.3 finally on its way to T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 users

Xiaomi’s Magic Cube to take on Motorola’s Project Ara in the modular smartphone revolution

ROMs

CyanogenMod announces WhisperPush SMS system for CM 10.2 nightlies

Tablets

Amazon slashes prices on the Kindle Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HD again

Nexus devices receiving Android 4.4.2 (KOT49H), manual update ready

Winners of Nexus 7 tablets from KitKat promo in India getting the 2012 model

Updates

Nexus devices receiving Android 4.4.2 (KOT49H), manual update ready

Android 4.3 finally on its way to T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 users

Verizon rolling out update for Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Daily Dose for December 9, 2013

Everyone wants in on the mini market with smaller models of their full-size devices. Samsung, Sony, and HTC have all released downsized devices. This time around it seems that the LG G2 will be getting a downsized sibling. While the G2′s screen is 5.2-inches, this model’s would be 4.7-inches. And this device will pack the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM. It is unknown if the display will be 720p or 1080p. A reveal could be in the works for CES 2014 in January; however, that is nothing but an assumption.

Source: Techblog (translated)

Via: Phone Arena

Come comment on this article: Smaller LG G2 may be in the works, matches internal specs of bigger sibling

To get their name into the entry-level device market, Qualcomm will be launching a special processor during the last half of 2014. The Snapdragon 410 is aimed for devices that cost about $150. The processor stands out because it is based on 64-bit architecture, something Qualcomm discredited a few months ago. The Snapdragon 410 supports LTE networks and high quality graphics for the price.

Source: Qualcomm

Via: AllThingsD

Come comment on this article: Qualcomm’s new 64-bit chip targets entry-level devices

Motorola has already migrated the Camera, Touchless Control, Motorola Connect, and Motorola Assist to standalone apps in the Play Store. Now they just added Active Display, and with it’s release, it gets updated with a fix for the delay when swiping up or down to unlock from the Active Display screen. Of course, if you don’t have a Moto X or the new DROIDs, you won’t be able to install it or update it.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Motorola launches Active Display in the Play Store and fixes lag

You have to hand it to Motorola. They may not sell the most phones, but they created one of the best phones of the year plus they added some really nice touches like Windy Day and now a new boot animation for the holidays. This probably wasn’t a background update, but more of something that was already installed and ready to kick in today.

If you don’t have a Moto X, hit the break for the quick video showing you what Motorola came up with. If you do have one, then power off your damn phone and turn it back on.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Moto X owners get a new holiday boot animation

Now that we are heading into the winter season, the Galaxy S 5 leaks should start multiplying. We already saw the SM-G900S show up in GFXBench, and now we have the SM-900F. This one showed up in Browsermark, but no details were specified other than it was running Chrome version 28 (a little older than the current version 31). Even with the older version, it came in as the 3rd fastest device globally.

With the F Series being confirmed as a separate line, one has to wonder if the “F” means that his phone is indeed an F Series device and last week’s SM-G900S is the Galaxy S 5 since it has a “S” in it. This rumor and leak train is just leaving the station folks, so stay tuned for a lot more in the coming months.

source: Browsermark

via: Phone Arena

Come comment on this article: Samsung SM-G900F is latest Galaxy S 5 or F Series candidate to show up in benchmarks

Samsung has always been pretty ambitious with what it hopes to sell in the smartphone market, and we’ve already seen them forced to cut back sales projections to avoid scaring investors, even though Samsung’s sales are figures that most other OEMs can only dream about. This year, it looks like Samsung is trying to temper expectations right from the start.

For 2014, Samsung originally expected to sell 360 million smartphones. After seeing increased competition and smartphone market saturation this year, Samsung has decided to pull that number back to just 330 million. 2013′s estimates for 290 million, so Samsung still expects to move a ton of phones, but I think they realize that once everyone has adopted a phone, growth rates will slow down. To counter that, you can bet Samsung is going to make good on their promise to double down on the tablet market next year to offset slowing growth on the smartphone side of things.

Do you guys agree? Are smartphones at the point now where consumers will keep their phones for two or three years instead of trying to upgrade as soon as the next big things hits the shelves, or is Samsung just losing their edge?

source: ETnews

via: GforGames

Come comment on this article: Samsung cuts forecast 2014 smartphone sales down to 330 million

Dead Zebra wanted to release these cute Ornamental Androids with Series 4, but they weren’t ready yet. Thankfully they just got announced and should arrive in time for your decorations or at least to put in someone’s stocking or under the tree. Unfortunately, that might not be the case for international buyers though. They are offering either blue or red, and both come in a matte metallic finish with silver glitter and a small metal hook.

They go on sale tomorrow (Dec 10) at 11:00am EST and again at 11:00pm EST. They are $10 each and there is a limit of 2 per person. You can buy 2 of the same color or one of each color. You can also opt for the special “Tree Pack,” which costs $90 and includes 5 red and 5 blue. Hit the source link for more information and make sure to put in a Google Now reminder in for 11:00am EST tomorrow. Hit the break for more images.

source: Dead Zebra

Come comment on this article: Get into the holiday spirit with Ornamental Androids from Dead Zebra

A new analysis by Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. indicates Google’s Motorola Mobility business unit is selling the new Moto G at an operating margin of less than 5%. A Motorola spokesman says the company does make money on every unit sold, but did not comment on how much that profit might be. According to TechInsights, the Moto G’s hardware costs Motorola approximately $123 to produce, while the company is selling it for $199 off-contract.

The analysis compares the Moto G to some other devices to help give some context. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini generates about 20% in operating margin and a high-end device like the Samsung Galaxy S4 brings in a 28% margin. Others have estimated Apple’s latest devices the iPhone 5S and 5C run about 30 to 35% operating margins.

The challenge for Motorola is to entice buyers with low prices without triggering a price war. Doing so could work against Motorola on two fronts. First, it could create problems for them with component suppliers who are also trying to sell their own Android smartphones. Second, it could cause competitors, like Samsung, to look for alternatives to Motorola’s parent company Google and the popular Android operating system. Another potential issue for Motorola is a desire by carriers to keep prices as high as possible to help their own bottom lines.

Despite pricing its smartphones less than competitors, Motorola has posted operating losses of approximately $2 billion since its acquisition by Google. Although selling devices at a thin margin will make it a challenge for Motorola to turn things around financially, it could help position them for a new wave of competition expected from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi. That company sells devices, even in the high end market segment, at close to cost and relies on accessories for profits. A similar strategy is utilized by Amazon for its mobile devices where content serves as the source of revenue.

source: Wall Street Journal

Come comment on this article: Google slims down margin on Motorola Moto G

To show just how long the DROID Maxx‘s battery life is, Edward Norton stars in a new commercial in which he has a wild 48 hours with the device. The video starts with a morgue drawer dramatically shaking from the inside and Norton emerges, walking over to a locker that has his belongings. He pulls out his DROID Maxx (with 3% left) and a morgue employee walks by. Norton just tells the befuddled man “it’s been an interesting 48 hours.” After that, we see exactly how Edward Norton spent the last two days. And boy was it interesting.

Hit the break to watch the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Edward Norton goes for a wild ride in new DROID Maxx commercial

Last month, HP Chromebook 11 sales came to a halt when a defect with the charger was found. The device was immediately pulled from retailers across the country and left without a return date. The charger was reportedly overheating after the first few charges and Google urged owners not to use the charger any longer. But now a new one has arrived in the Play Store that will cost $19.99; however, it is currently listed as “coming soon.” The new charger is stamped with the Chrome logo and should be arriving shortly. Those affected by the recall will be able to pick one up for free.

Source: Google Play Store

Come comment on this article: New HP Chromebook 11 charger “coming soon” to the Play Store

Samsung Taiwan has posted a video teasing a product that is coming soon. Not much is known about the new product except that it is supposed to be simple, elegant, fast and fit.

This description could fit a number of new products including the Galaxy S 5, or a completely new line of devices. Could the device be released on December 9? That’s the date that’s showing on the Galaxy Gear at the start of the video! Whatever is coming next from Samsung, it’s sure to be big! Hit the break for the teaser.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Samsung teases its next big thing

A couple days ago CM11 M1 was released to most Nexus devices, but we didn’t see nightly releases enabled for others. Well CyanogenMod has now enabled nightly releases of CM11 for every device that supports it!

Android 4.4.1 has also been merged into the code stream of CyanogenMod 11, so CM updates are up to date. Device maintainers for CM will perform these updates for their respective devices. You can find a full list of devices supported by hitting the source link.

Source: CyanogenMod

Come comment on this article: CyanogenMod 11 nightlies enabled for supported devices

Android director of engineering David Burke announced just the other day that the team was working on Android 4.4.1, an update largely filled with bug fixes involving the Nexus 5 camera.

“All of this gets a boost with an update to Android 4.4.1 rolling out to Nexus 5,” Burke said. “It improves the camera with faster focusing, especially in low light, faster white balancing, for truer colors, the ability to pinch-zoom the viewfinder in HDR+ mode and less shutter lag.”

The update, which is now rolling out, will also come to the Nexus 4 and both Wi-Fi and LTE versions of Nexus 7 2013 model. Hit the break for all the details of the update:

1) The camera app on the Nexus 5 has become faster with the latest update.

2) The low volume output from Nexus 5 speaker in certain apps has been fixed.

3) The heptic feedback on Nexus 5 has also been tweaked.

4) There are some bug fixes related to ART. This allows Whatsapp to work with the ART runtime.

5) The default email client in Nexus 5 not syncing with an exchange server bug is also fixed now.

6) Immersive mode breaking while adjusting the volume level bug is fixed.

7) The new Photo app is now the default Gallery app.

8) There is slight improvement in benchmark performance of the Nexus 5.

9) The transparent status bar sometimes turning opaque issue on the Nexus 5 has fixed.

10) The navigation bar is now transparent on the Nexus 4 lockscreen.

11) The Settings icon in Quick tiles has been changed.

12) The Miracast setting has been renamed to Cast Settings.

13) Option for 4G/LTE under Mobile Data now shows “recommended.”

14) LED pulses more frequently for notifications.

15) Cell/Wi-Fi/Battery icons in the notification bar are now aligned properly.

Source: IB Times

Come comment on this article: Android 4.4.1 now rolling out to Nexus 5

While Android 4.4 is still rolling out to many devices and many other users are still unsure of whether their phone will receive the update or not, it seems that Samsung is considering rolling out the update to a number of their lower cost phones.

One of the main goals of Android 4.4 was to bring the operating system to devices that might have a lower memory and will likely be lower cost. Because of this, owners of a wide range of devices are hoping that Android 4.4 will come to their phones. This list of devices that Samsung is considering to update will surely make a number of people very happy.

The list includes both the Galaxy S4 mini and S3 mini, the Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy Core, Galaxy Fame, Galaxy Ace 2 and the Galaxy Fresh. Quite a list of devices, and some there that we maybe didn’t expect – which is a good thing, and means that Googles vision of bringing a later version of Android to lower cost phones is working! Unfortunately this list is anything but official, and we really only expect the Galaxy S4 mini to get the update for sure. Other devices might be a lost cause, especially because of the fact that Samsung’s Touchwiz is likely to mess things up. But, there is always hope!

Source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Samsung considering Android 4.4 for low cost devices

The HTC One is now available directly through HTC with interest-free financing. The special promotion, which ends on December 29, allows consumers to get their hands on the One (32GB) for $0 down and monthly payments of $25 for two years. Keep in mind, however, that this payment plan will vary based on a credit check. The $25 monthly price will net $600 once once you are finished paying it off. As you’re paying, you can take the device to either AT&T or T-Mobile. If you’re interested, hit the source link to apply for the interest-free financing plan now.

Source: HTC

Come comment on this article: HTC One now available through company with interest-free financing (U.S. only)

Verizon has announced today that they are expanding the amount of out-of-home streaming channels available through the FiOS Mobile app. Previously there were twenty-five channels and the addition of sixteen new ones brings the total to forty-one channels. Showtime, Cooking Channel, and STARZ are a few of the new channels being added.

Also being added for New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. FiOS subscribers is the ability to stream local CBS and FOX affiliate stations to their devices. Spanish language channels UniMas and Univision have been added, too. Just head on over to the app to start viewing them instantly.

Hit the break for the full list of new channels and download links.

• AXS.tv


• beIN SPORT


• beIN SPORT Espagnol


• Bloomberg TV


• Cine Sony Television


• Cooking Channel


• Encore


• FEARnet


• NFL RedZone (tablets only)


• SHOWTIME


• SHOWTIME EXTREME


• Soney Movie Channel


• STARZ


• Trinity Broadcast


• Universal Sports


• TVGN

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Verizon FiOS Mobile adds 16 new channels for out-of-home streaming

Google TV may be dead as a brand but Google isn’t leaving your living room just yet. Coinciding with a previous rumor, The Information is reporting that the company has plans to release a set-top box of its own in 2014. The device, which is being dubbed as ‘Nexus TV’ for now, will go head-to-head with Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon’s set-top box that was delayed to next year.

It would unsurprisingly be able to stream services like Netflix, Hulu, WatchESPN, and more while also running Android games. It is believed that games are controlled via a touchscreen controller; however, it is likely that this means Android phones and tablets can be used as a controller. Not on board is live TV, which isn’t too much of a surprise since it was a feature that failed to gain traction with Google TV. The gaming aspect is what could differentiate ‘Nexus TV’ from Chromecast because the $35 dongle has yet to, and likely couldn’t handle, gaming. ‘Nexus TV’ is rumored to stay true to the Nexus brand and deliver respected specifications at an aggressive price.

What would ‘Nexus TV’ need to make you choose it over the current crop of set-top boxes?

Source: The Information

Via: Engadget

Come comment on this article: Google set to launch set-top box in 2014 with Nexus branding

Samsung has some more variants hitting the market soon, with the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite (SM-T11) joining the Galaxy Note 3 Lite as well as the Galaxy Grand Lite. The device should be unveiled in the beginning of January.

Specs are currently unavailable, but it should be one of the cheapest Samsung tablets ever. The company plans to grow a command over the low-end tablet market.

The Galaxy Tab 3 Lite is expected to be available in both Wi-Fi and 3G variants. The Wi-Fi version will come in the second week of January, while the 3G version will come in the third week. Samsung is planning to eventually roll out colors including Cream White and Ebony Black.

All information is widely speculative thus far, so stay tuned.

Source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Galaxy Tab 3 Lite to join Galaxy Note 3 Lite, Galaxy Grand Lite in 2014

According to a complain straight from the FTC, the app “Brightest Flashlight” on the Play Store was sharing users locations and unique device IDs with advertisers without user consent. Normally, not a big deal, but this particular app has been downloaded over 50 million times. That’s a pretty large privacy scare.

There is an option in the app that disabled the location sharing, but the FTC says it “deceived consumers” as by the time it was disabled, the app had already sent off location data. Thankfully, because of the FTC complaint, the developers will have to erase all information they gleaned from the app and they’ll have to make their app more transparent to users about what it’s doing with their data.

source: FTC

via: The Verge

Come comment on this article: Free flashlight app on the Play Store shared millions of users locations with advertisers