Twitter buys a Lockscreen Replacement App, Cover

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This morning, Twitter announced that they have acquired the popular lock screen replacement app, Cover. So far there’s been no word on the details of the deal, but it appears that Twitter is going to allow Cover to operate as is, at least for now. Which is generally normal these days with newer apps that get picked up by larger companies, like Waze, and others. According to Cover’s blog post:

“Twitter, like Cover, believes in the incredible potential of Android. They share our vision that smartphones can be a lot smarter — more useful and more contextual — and together we’re going to make that happen. We’ll be building upon a lot of what makes Cover great, and we’re thrilled to create something even better at Twitter.”

They also stated that Cover would remain on the Play Store, but it sounds like we won’t be seeing any updates for the app anytime soon, as the team is focusing their attention on Twitter, aka their new boss. So it’s looking like this is the end of Cover, but you can still use the app, at least for now. I’m sure that’ll change soon when the app is no longer usable, as we likely won’t see any more updates, except maybe security fixes. Cover launched late last year as a beta – in fact its still in beta. It’s a smart lock screen replacement that knows exactly what apps you want to use based on the time of day and where you are, and will show them on the lock screen. We’ve talked about it a few times on the Android Headlines Show.

This is definitely an interesting acquisition for Twitter, and one that none of us really saw coming. Feel free to head to the comments below and let us know what you think is the reasoning behind Twitter picking up Cover. Maybe they’ll have them work not their Android app? Would be a good idea, at least in my opinion.

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HTC Dot View Case Review

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Samsung Chromebook 2 Pre-Orders Open Up in the US

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The Chromebook 2 from Samsung is due to start shipping sometime this month. When Samsung announced the pair of Chromebooks last month they stated they’d be available in April – really wish these companies would give us a specific date. It appears that Pre-Orders are now open for the Chromebook 2, at least in the US. The 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 is going on sale for $319, with the 13.3-inch version for $399.99. Now the really only difference between these two are the displays. The 11.6-inch version obviously has an 11.6-inch display, but it is a 1366×768 resolution display, while the 13.3-inch version has a 1920×1080 resolution display, which will probably be drool worthy. Otherwise the specs are identical with the Exynos 5 Octa inside running the show, 16GB SSD for storage, 4GB of RAM (there is also a 2GB version, but I’d highly suggest the 4GB version), along with a 720p capable webcam, USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet, etc., all the typical stuff we expect from a Chromebook.

What’s interesting here, and somewhat new information, is that the 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 does come in both black and white with the faux leather, but the 13.3-inch version does only come in titan gray, no second option. And it doesn’t appear to be in faux leather backing either, just the usual plastic material. Likely similar to what we had in the original ARM Chromebook from Samsung. The Samsung Chromebook 2 does come pre-loaded with a few apps, but since it is Chrome OS, you should be able to easily disable those apps and even uninstall, so it shouldn’t be an issue. However, Samsung is offering a free “exclusive bonus case” with orders placed between now and April 27th. So we’re expecting that the Chromebook 2 will be shipping around that date, as this sounds like a pre-order special.

How many of our readers are looking to pick up the new Samsung Chromebook 2? Let us know in the comments below.

Pre-Order: Samsung, Amazon, B&H Photo

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Samsung’s SM-T800 Tablet Specs Leak Out – Complete with a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED Display

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Samsung hasn’t actually used an AMOLED display on a tablet since the original Galaxy Tab 7-inch. The reason being is because it’s just too expensive for them to manufacture them and sell them at the price that the public wants to pay. But they’ve been working on a new AMOLED tablet for quite some time. Or at least we’ve been hearing rumors about an AMOLED tablet for quite some time. Now the folks over at SamMobile have gotten an exclusive on the specs of this new tablet, and they seem to be about what we were expecting, and right in line with the Galaxy TabPRO tablets.

We’re looking at a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED 2560×1600 resolution display, powered by a quad-core Snapdragon processor (it’s not stated, but they suspect the Snapdragon 801), 2GB of RAM, Android 4.4.2 KitKat, 8MP and 2MP cameras, 7900mAh battery and 16GB/32GB/64GB variants. Obviously we’ll have a microSD card slot as well. Keep in mind that these are the specs for the WiFi version, not an LTE version – although I’m sure there is one in the works. So it’s actually a bit surprising to see Sammy using a Qualcomm processor in the WiFi version which we typically see an Exynos chip. Typically, the WiFi tablets and non-LTE smartphones from Samsung have their own SoC, the Exynos 5 or 6 nowadays, with the LTE version getting the latest and greatest Snapdragon chipset. Maybe, Samsung has heard enough hate about the Exynos chips and have decided to go full blown Snapdragon from now on? Nah. They wouldn’t do that.

Right now these are just rumored specs, and given Sammobile’s reputation they could be the real deal and they could be fake. We have no idea right now. But we should find out soon whether they are the real specs or not. I’d expect this AMOLED tablet, the SM-T800 to come out sometime this summer. Right in the middle of the TabPRO and NotePRO tablets and the new Note 10.1 this fall.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Survives Brutal Water Testing; Works Just Fine At the End

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The Galaxy S5 isn’t the first time that Samsung has dabbled with water-resistance in their devices, but it is the first time it’s made its way into a mainstream product. Last year’s Galaxy S4 Active was a good device, but being available on just AT&T it’s not what we’d call “mainstream” by any stretch of the imagination. This year’s flagship from Samsung however, features water-resistance out of the box and now, it’s been tested by the folks over at TechSmartt. Put through its paces, Samsung’s latest device holds up excellently throughout a number of tests that would best other smartphones.

In the video below, we see the Galaxy S5 put through its paces in a washing machine, submerged completely in water and still come out just fine the other side. During the testing, the Galaxy S5 was put in the washing machine for almost an hour and despite all of the tumbles and exposure it was subjected to, the device worked fine after the laundry was done. There were some hiccups however, as the device didn’t look as if it was going to come back to life, but after 10 minutes or so the device came back to join the living and worked fine. It also survived being submerged in a meter of water for a pretty long time as well, something that Samsung and Sony say can have adverse affects on the device. Still, the Galaxy S5 certainly impressed us in the below test. Take a look for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Despite the ratings on water resistance and such, we’re genuinely surprised to see the Galaxy S5 hold up to such harsh testing. After all, Samsung devices aren’t exactly known for their use of quality materials. The Galaxy S5 however has proven that a durable device can be made out of plastic just the same. Sure, the design of the Galaxy S5 isn’t to most people’s liking, but it doesn’t look quite as ugly as other rugged devices and yet managed perfectly well in these tests.

Looking for a Galaxy S5 on Verizon? Right now, both Black and White versions of Samsung’s latest and greatest are just $99 from Amazon on contract.

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Even Cheaper Version of Xiaomi’s RedMi Coming Soon?

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Xiaomi has quickly become known for selling affordable devices that offer a decent compromise between price and performance. With their RedMi device launching last year, it was a device much like the Moto G, that offered what people wanted at a good promise, without compromising on the key features that make a decent smartphone experience. Since then, we’ve seen the company release a RedMi 1S with a Snapdragon 400 delivering a little more performance than the original and the 5.5-inch RedMi Note delivering a 720p display for those that want a larger device.

Now though, there could be an even more affordable version of the device hitting shelves soon. A version of the device with a 1.3 Ghz MT6582 has been spotted in the TENAA for certification. MediaTek’s MT6582 is a newer chip designed specifically for 720p devices, and despite the Taiwanese company’s reluctance to release source code, this chip could lead to an even cheaper version of the RedMi. Coming in at just 799 Yuan in China, the RedMi is perhaps cheap enough already, but Xiaomi is a company that likes to move quickly, and if they can sell a cheaper version without any compromises then we can certainly see the Chinese giant going that route.

What Xiaomi should be thinking about however, is that MediaTek CPUs currently have no support for Android 4.4 KitKat, leaving devices like the RedMi and the RedMi Note on Android 4.2, a nearly two-year old version of the platform, which is frankly a little ridiculous at this point. Still, the price of these devices determine those looking for the latest and greatest version of Android will look elsewhere, but that’s not really the point. If Xiaomi is to continue to use MediaTek CPUs in such quantities, we’re hoping they start to lean a little harder on their chip partner to provide source code or at least an update to the latest version of Android.

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Oppo’s Find 7a Up for Pre-Order Internationally; Costs $499 in the US

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When Oppo announced the Find 7, they announced two versions of the device. One with a QHD display of 2560 x 1440 and another, with “only” a Full HD display. Both versions of the device have a lot in common of course, like both of them featuring a Snapdragon 801 CPU and coming in at 5.5-inches. However, the Find 7a is perhaps more of their “everyday” device compared to the “enthusiast” Find 7. The Find 7a features a slower clock speed at 2.3 Ghz, 2GB of RAM vs 3GB of RAM and the battery capacity shrinks a little to 2,800 mAh. Still, the same 13-megapixel camera that creates 50-megapixel images is here and the overall design is very similar.

Pre-orders for the Find 7a have been slated for April 7th since the end of last month and with today being April 7th, Oppo’s latest and greatest is available to pre-order in a large portion of the world. In Europe, the device is up for pre-order for €399 and that comes with 16GB of storage as well as the above free gifts such as an extra battery, a case and a 32GB SanDisk SD Card. For those of you in the US, you can expect to pay $499 for the same model, and you’re also eligible for the same free gifts, too. Obviously, these are unlocked versions of the Oppo Find 7a, so it’s worth checking if they’ll support your carrier’s required bands, but we doubt many of you will run into too much trouble.

The Find 7a is a pretty good deal at this price, even if it isn’t the QHD packing monster that many of you will be looking forward to. Thanks to the Snapdragon 801 inside, and a very capable camera this is easily one of the best devices on the market right now and if you have no qualms about buying from a Chinese manufacturer, you could get your hands on a good deal here. We’re sad that the Find 7a is still running Jelly Bean, but we’re sure Oppo will be righting this wrong with an update to Android 4.4 KitKat soon. You can place your order at the source link below, and if you do, let us know in the comments below!

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