R
Robert Nazarian
Guest
Things were a little calmer this week, but there was a lot of cool stuff. Google dropped a huge bomb by releasing “Inbox” which is a new app for reading your Gmail. We’ve had a chance to play around with the Android Lollipop preview, and we love what we see. Sundar Pichai gets another promotion and Amazon’s Fire Phone didn’t set the world on fire. It’s time to get caught up and get ready for what is sure to be another exciting week in the Android world.
Guides
Copying apps from your old phone or tablet to your new phone or tablet with Android Lollipop
How to make sure your Android phone or tablet is backed up on Google’s servers
How to setup Trusted Devices on Android Lollipop to automatically unlock your phone or tablet
How to lock any app on your phone or tablet for guests and kids in Android Lollipop
How to beam files and photos from one phone to another with the new Android Beam in Android Lollipop
Accessories
Pre-orders for Nexus 9 cover and keyboard folio hit Amazon
Moto 360 Wireless Charging Dock now in stock and ready to ship from Google Play
Montblanc introduces premium accessories for the Note 4
Android TV
Nexus Player now available on the Play Store for $99
Developer brings Android TV to Ouya gaming console
Android Wear
[New Android Wear App] Tempo-Motion is another great option for watch faces
Google Fit app gets exposed prior to official launch
Microsoft wants you to use Bing Torque instead of saying “OK Google” on your Android Wear smartwatch
Android Wear now has GPS and offline music support
Latest Google Maps update brings better Android Wear navigation notifications
Apps – New
[New Android Wear App] Tempo-Motion is another great option for watch faces
Google Fit app gets exposed prior to official launch
[APK Download] Android 5.0 Messenger app can be installed on Android 4.4, no root required
PPLNOTIFY sends Android notifications straight to your web browser on another device
Google introduces ‘Inbox’, an alternative to Gmail that works for you
Microsoft Garage launches two Android apps for your lock screen and travels
Apps – Updates
Spotify announces new family plans starting at $14.99 a month
Play Music gets a Material Design makeover in Nexus 4 port
Gmail 5.0 update will support Outlook and Yahoo accounts
Lollipop’s keyboard can now be installed on any Android device without root
Gmail 5.0 will make the stock Email app obsolete by including Exchange support
Google Play Music gets Material Design, benefits from Songza
Shots of Google Calendar material design overhaul surface
Nokia’s HERE Maps now available on all Android devices
Google adds Material Design to Google Drive App
Google Earth for Android gets updated 3D rendering engine
Nova Launcher update brings more Lollipop flavor to your homescreen
Solar eclipse and police activity cards now showing up in Google Now
SwiftKey introduces two new Material Design keyboard skins
Get in the fall spirit with Google Calendar’s new seasonal wallpapers
Google Inbox users can now invite three friends to use the service
Amazon launches App Store in main Android app
Latest Google Maps update brings better Android Wear navigation notifications
Retailers blocking Apple Pay and Google Wallet as they build their own service
TGI Black Friday app gets updated for 2014 deals
Carriers
AT&T to launch Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 October 24th
Famigo coming pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 through AT&T
AT&T to offer Kindle Fire HDX 7″ for just $49.99 with every Fire Phone purchase
MetroPCS offering entry-level Alcatel Onetouch Pop 7 tablet
Rogers activates its LTE-A service in 12 new markets
Sprint now rolling out LG G2 stability update
Sprint doubles data on their low-end shared data plans
T-Mobile launches annual Postseason sale
T-Mobile’s 10GB/$100 Deal Set to End on the 29th
T-Mobile’s HTC One (M8) now receiving Eye Experience update
HTC One (M8) for Verizon now receiving software update with Eye Experience, Android 4.4.4
Samsung to Release Note 4 Developer Edition on Verizon
Sony SmartWatch 3 now available for pre-order from Verizon Wireless
Chrome
Users of Chrome OS and Android 5.0 reporting Easy Unlock feature is operable
Inbox by Gmail shows up in Chrome Web Store
Chromecast
Chromecast users Cast 650 million times and its successor is on the way
Gaming
Rovio takes flight with new RETRY game
Humble Bundle’s spooky Halloween deal is now live
NHL 2K15 hits the Play Store
Were OEMs to blame for Android Silver never coming to fruition?
You can now filter apps in the Play Store by ratings
Google adds USB Security Key support to make their 2-Step Verification more robust
Google publishes guide for switching from iOS to Android
Google introduces ‘Inbox’, an alternative to Gmail that works for you
Firebase, a cloud database company, joins Google’s Cloud Platform team
Google reassigns Sundar Pichai to oversee all of its products
Googler Alan Eustace breaks parachute jump record from 25 miles up
Retailers blocking Apple Pay and Google Wallet as they build their own service
Hardware
LG debuts NUCLUN processor in the G3 Screen, a Korean exclusive with a 5.9-inch screen
Home Automation
Nest thermostats add compatability with third-party home automation products
Phones – Amazon
Amazon takes $170 million hit “primarily related” to the Fire Phone
Phones – HTC
HTC’s Android 5.0 update roadmap leaks
T-Mobile’s HTC One (M8) now receiving Eye Experience update
HTC One (M8) for Verizon now receiving software update with Eye Experience, Android 4.4.4
Phones – Huawei
Huawei hosting contest to launch the Honor 6 in Europe
Phones – LG
LG debuts NUCLUN processor in the G3 Screen, a Korean exclusive with a 5.9-inch screen
LG Liger shows up in benchmarks with mid-range hardware
LG teases a new concept phone that has mood swings
LG G3 now receiving major stability update
Sprint now rolling out LG G2 stability update
Phones – Motorola
Pictures of Droid Turbo’s retail packaging appear online
Phones – Nexus
“Ambient display” appears to be Nexus 6 spin on Moto Display
Google’s Nexus 6 gets compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4
Just how big is the Nexus 6?
Did the Nexus 6 already visit the FCC?
Phones – Oppo
New OPPO teaser hints at second device
Phones – OnePlus
OnePlus pre-order system will go live for 24 hours on October 27th
Phones – Samsung
Samsung launches Galaxy S5 Plus in the Netherlands with Snapdragon 805
Samsung launches budget-friendly Galaxy Core Max in China
Samsung confirms the Galaxy A7 will ship with a Full HD display and 64-bit processor
Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 now available in India
Samsung using Sony’s IMX240 camera sensor for the Galaxy Note 4
Why did Samsung “ditch the stitch” and other design questions answered
Samsung to Release Note 4 Developer Edition on Verizon
Samsung teases Lollipop update for Galaxy Note 4
Galaxy Note 4 destined to be Samsung’s best-selling smartphone yet
Montblanc introduces premium accessories for the Note 4
Galaxy Note Edge to be Launched Thursday in Japan
AT&T to launch Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 October 24th
Samsung Galaxy S 5 to get Android 5.0 Lollipop in December
Phones – ZTE
ZTE officially launches the budget-minded ZTE V5 Max
Project Ara
Google may sell Project Ara modules in a Play Store type marketplace
ROMs
TWRP custom recovery gets support for unlocked 2014 Moto X
Security
Google adds USB Security Key support to make their 2-Step Verification more robust
Set-top boxes
Amazon Fire TV now available in the UK
Smartwatches
LG G Watch gets update that brings new music features
LG G Watch R will be available in the UK starting tomorrow
LG finally announces global release plans for the G Watch R, but still murky
Motorola seeding 4.4W.2 update to Moto 360 with loads of improvements
Moto 360 Wireless Charging Dock now in stock and ready to ship from Google Play
Microsoft wants you to use Bing Torque instead of saying “OK Google” on your Android Wear smartwatch
Next Pebble smartwatch aims to be “more everything,” might feature modular components
Sony SmartWatch 3 now available for pre-order from Verizon Wireless
Tablets
MetroPCS offering entry-level Alcatel Onetouch Pop 7 tablet
AT&T to offer Kindle Fire HDX 7″ for just $49.99 with every Fire Phone purchase
Samsung and Barnes & Noble announce 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
Pre-orders for Nexus 9 cover and keyboard folio hit Amazon
You can now pre-order the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact for a hefty $499.99
Sony reportedly launching 12-inch tablet in 2015
Updates
HTC’s Android 5.0 update roadmap leaks
Sprint now rolling out LG G2 stability update
LG G Watch gets update that brings new music features
Motorola seeding 4.4W.2 update to Moto 360 with loads of improvements
T-Mobile’s HTC One (M8) now receiving Eye Experience update
HTC One (M8) for Verizon now receiving software update with Eye Experience, Android 4.4.4
LG G3 now receiving major stability update
Samsung teases Lollipop update for Galaxy Note 4
Samsung Galaxy S 5 to get Android 5.0 Lollipop in December
Miscellaneous
Motorola video invites people to join company
Deezer acquires Stitcher to broaden streaming content
Samsung donating phones to help U.N. combat Ebola
Online Companies Using Discriminatory Online Pricing
Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for October 20 – October 26, 2014
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