Tag: IFTTT

If Apple was planning on making people believe they were the first to use sapphire in smartphone displays for a more durable screen, Kyocera has made it a point to spoil those plans. The Chinese company has put out a video directly targeted at all the iPhone 6 rumors tipping the tech world off to Apple’s plans to use the displays.

They counter the rumors by saying that they have been doing this a lot longer than Apple has, with 41 years of experience using sapphire in everything from computer components to watch faces. And now they’re planning to beat Apple to the punch in smartphone displays.

They’re calling it the “Sapphire Shield,” and if you know anything about sapphire you’d know that it’s supposed to be virtually indestructible. Coins and keys wouldn’t be able to make scratches and dents, and it would come out looking like a champ if it were dropped flat on its face onto a slab of concrete. Sapphire is said to be used as transparent armor for many military vehicles, and if it’s good enough for a soldier it should be more than good enough for your smartphone.

The problem with sapphire is that it’s expensive — a lot more expensive than tempered glass like Corning’s Gorilla Glass being used in so many smartphones. It was only last year that sapphire displays were going for $20 to $30 a pop, whereas Gorilla Glass can be had for under $3 per unit. Kyocera says they have found a way to make sapphire-based displays affordable, though, and that we’ll be hearing something very soon from their camp.

As much as we make fun of Kyocera’s phones for being underwhelming and uninspiring, one thing we can say they’ve always done well is durable smartphones. This is a natural step forward for them, and hopefully it can be used as a barometer for other OEMs to get in line and compete — we sure wouldn’t mind a future with fully indestructible displays.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1wEi7sS

Verizon and Motorola appear to be testing out new firmware for their version of the Moto X as soak test invites are going out to the adventurous folks not afraid to sign up for these things. As usual we don’t get any idea what to expect, though we wouldn’t expect them to roll out new firmware without also jumping to a new version of Android.

You obviously won’t be expecting Android L, but Android 4.4.3 or 4.4.4 are still on the table for this phone. The latter is already confirmed to be headed to Verizon’s DROID phones so we wouldn’t be surprised if the Moto X is in line for a similar upgrade.

In either case we wouldn’t expect many sweeping changes as this is likely a bug fixing and stability improvement upgrade. As unexciting as it may be, though, we’ll be keeping an eye on it. Be sure to check your email to see if you’ve been invited (and if you aren’t signed up to test Motorola firmware, head here to figure out how you can get in on all the fun).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1n0ZCgU

Google Maps users (that should be just about everyone) will find a nice update rolling out now in the Google Play Store. Version 8.2 brings a host of new features, the biggest being the ability to execute voice commands from inside the app. This can be done by clicking on the new microphone icon in the search bar, used to execute commands like “navigate to” or “show traffic.” What’s more is you’ll find another microphone while in navigation mode (towards the bottom left).

While that sounds extremely useful, the number of voice actions are pretty limited at the moment and require users to experiment with what works. Basic commands like asking Maps to show routes or give a route overview works fine. Even display traffic or show the time left until you reach your destination. The main problem we found is that, unlike Google Search hotword detection, you’ll need to physically touch the microphone icon to engage voice controls — they’re not done purely by voice.

There’s also elevation info for bicyclists to help avoid unnecessary uphill climbs when necessary. Routes will not only show elevations but the distance of the elevation changes as well. This makes it easy for cyclists to pick the easiest route based on their current elevation (see above image).

As usual, you can either wait for the new Maps to become available on your device in the coming days, or download our 3rd party link down below. Safe travels!

Download Google Maps 8.2: MediaFire

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1svuERA

Amazon and AT&T are busy gearing up for the release the Amazon Kindle Fire Phone next week, but before then, they gotta get the word out. The phone’s first commercial has been uploaded to YouTube and features 2 young children (acting like adults) bragging to nearby adults about their new Kindle Fire Phones.

It’s cute, but doesn’t show off any of the phones unique hardware features — like Firefly which scans over 100 million products, movies, songs, books and more — choosing instead to focus on media content and Amazon’s free 1-year subscription to Amazon Prime. A nice value, but one we don’t imagine will help move units from store shelves.

The phone will be available next Friday, July 25th at your local AT&T store, or through Amazon here . Check out the new video down below.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1yyGV8s

The folks at HellomotoHK stumbled upon a mysterious batter cover for an alleged Motorola device, posting the image to their Facebook page for all to see. The image — which we’ve color corrected — shows black battery cover with kevlar-like material woven throughout. It’s not too unlike the back covers we’ve seen on the Motorola Droid line, currently exclusive to Verizon.

Although there appears to be 2 HTC One M8-style camera holes, we wouldn’t go that far in our assumptions. More than likely, the bottom hole will be used for the Motorola logo (which is absent on this battery cover), although we will admit it’s a bit strange to have a cutout for what is normally a printed logo.

Now, exactly which device this leaked battery cover belongs to is anyone’s guess. HellomotoHK lists off a few possible devices, naming the Motorola Moto X+1, a Google Play edition of the same phone, or some upcoming Motorola Droid 2014 device as likely candidates.

We hope this is only the beginning of a flood of leaks that will begin pouring out like we saw with last year’s Motorola Moto X.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1suM152

Ahead of their Q2 2014 earnings call, Google has issued an official press release for their Q2 earnings. Revenue is up 22% from last year, hitting a cool $15.96 billion.

Operating income came in at $4.26 billion (up from $3.47 billion the previous year), making for 27% of their revenue. When all is said and done, Google’s net income came in at $3.42 billion. For those curious about how Google did last quarter, they posted $15.4 revenue and $4.12 billion net (27% of revenue). That’s a nice 3% increase.

Google sites (Google owned properties like YouTube, Maps, etc.) accounted for $10.94 of their total revenue, a 23% increase from last year (partner sites accounted for $3.42 billion). Paid clicks saw a 25% increase from 2013, while cost-per-click dropped 6%.

Patrick Pichette, Google CFO Patrick Pichette said during the call:

“We are moving forward with great product momentum and are excited to continue providing amazing user experiences, with a view to the long term.”

Google also mentions they saw 300% increase in bringing traffic to businesses via smartphones and tablets and when it came to the Motorola team, they’re said to still hard at work, seeing “strong sales in emerging markets” with the wallet-friendly Motorola Moto E and Motorola Moto G.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1yygD6j