Chromecast No Longer Amazon’s Top Seller, thanks to Fire TV

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Last week, Amazon announced their much anticipated streaming set-top box. We’ve been hearing about this thing for quite a while and Amazon finally made it official last week and it was available the same day. The set-top box is $99, and does a whole lot more than just streaming movies and TV Shows, but it also does games – in fact it has it’s own game controller which is backordered til May 11th. Amazon has a lot of games ready for the Fire TV, and a lot more coming, including a few from their own game studio.

As pointed out by Android Authority, the Chromecast which had been Amazon’s top seller for quite a while – essentially since it came out – has dropped down to the #2 spot as the Fire TV overtook the #1 spot. Which isn’t surprising, since they are advertising the Fire TV all over their website, and well it is Amazon and their own set-top box, so you’d kinda expect it to do well on their own website, right? While these two are technically competitors, they kinda aren’t. The Chromecast does streaming as well, but that’s about it. It’s a $35 HDMI dongle for your TV that allows you to stream from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. So far there’s no real games or anything available for the Chromecast. But if you’re looking for something that won’t take up much space around your TV, the Chromecast fits that perfectly.

The Chromecast has been widely popular for Google since they released it last year. Now we’re seeing rumors about Android TV, which is their relaunch of Google TV. Since Google TV failed a few times already. Android TV leaked out over the weekend, and it looks pretty good, it’d surprise me if we don’t see it at least mentioned at Google I/O in June.

How many of you have already bought the Fire TV? Let us know in the comments below.

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Registration for Google I/O Now Delayed a Week; Will Run Tuesday through Friday Next Week

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Today, registration for this year’s Google I/O Developer Conference was supposed to open, to let people sign up and stake their claim to get tickets for the show due to be held this summer in June. However, due to some technical issues, the registration window has been put off till next week, the Google Developers page on Google+ confirms. However, this year the registration window will run four days, so you’ll have a decent amount of time to register your interest before all hell breaks loose.

It’s a shame that the registration has been delayed, but much like purchasing a brand new Nexus device, I think we can all agree we’d rather see Google get it right, then simply get it done. Detailing why the registration window has been pushed back the Developers page on Google+ reads “We’re still working to make the registration process even easier for you, and it will now be open four days starting next week (opening next Tuesday and closing Friday).” Once the four-day period has finished, applicants will be selected at random and sent through confirmation emails with further details.

With a sizable time frame for people to register their interest, it’s likely that more people will be disappointed that they’ll be unable to attend this year. However, this is to be expected every year, after all it’s not like Google I/O is some small gathering; it’s one of the biggest (if not the biggest) developer conferences held every year in the world.

For Android fans this year, some important news surrounding Android will more than likely be announced on stage. We’ve got full details of Android Wear to look forward to and as always, the possible announcement of a new version of Android. Device announcements however, shouldn’t be expected as last year, the search giant finally bought Google I/O back to being what it was always intended to be; for developers, by developers. Let us know in the comments if you’re intending to head to I/O this year!

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Robert Downey Jr Returns to Talk “Serious Design” About the HTC One (M8)

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Last year, HTC showed glimpses of getting their marketing in order when they secured the excellent Robert Downey Jr to promote the HTC One. While we’re sure it worked well for exposure of the HTC One, it’s still nowhere near close to the marketing power Samsung wields. In fact, nobody can really take on Samsung when it comes to marketing, even Apple is worried about how effective their marketing is. Now though, we have a new HTC One, the M8 and we’re seeing the first piece of advertising with Robert Downey Jr showing off the device.

In what’s a pretty big departure from the Hipster Troll Carwash ads, RDJ is simply talking serious about how much he loves his new “pre-release” HTC One (M8) and started off by saying that the 2013 model of the HTC One was given “Top Smartphone of the Year” for 2014, the second time running. Of course, that award alone doesn’t seem to have done their sales any favors. Downey Jr then goes on to say how much he loves his own unit and that he would defend it with his very life. Such a line would sound much better in an Iron Man suit, but we guess Marvel have bigger plans for their iron-clad Avenger.

It’s an interesting new ad and definitely a departure from the silliness of other adverts, but personally, this doesn’t seem to have the same effect as some of Samsung’s recent adverts. Sure, the Korean giant knows how to push people’s buttons and poke fun at the competition, but that’s definitely working. Unfortunately for nice guy marketers out there, Samsung’s attack ads are getting their message across clearer than anything else out there and despite the fact Robert Downey Jr is a revered actor the world over, we can’t see people standing to attention when watching this latest ad.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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LG Already Working on Smartwatch Number Two for This Year?

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With Android Wear hitting our wrists this Summer, it’s perhaps no surprise hat we’re starting to hear more about smartwatches from the likes of LG. In fact, this summer should be a busy time for wearables overall, with the Gear 2 line from Samsung launching soon, the Moto 360, the G Watch and more are all heading to shelves vying for attention. With LG a prominent partner of Google’s – along with Motorola – in Android Wear, this latest little rumor is definitely something to take with a pinch of salt.

According to ePrice, LG is already working on a second smartwatch for this year, and that wearable technology is to be an area LG really focuses on going forward. There’s not much to go on here – as is so often the case – but we’re thinking that LG might be creating the G Watch as a sort of Nexus-like device for Google, a more minimal affair to help Google get Android Wear off of the ground. After all, when looking at the G Watch and the Moto 360, it’s plain to see which one of these is the more exciting product. If the G Watch is to be an affordable and simple piece of hardware to get people to use Android Wear, then LG could very well follow this up with a more premium and LG-styled affair similar to the Moto 360.

The Korean giant already has another wearable in the works, with the Lifeband Touch said to hit stores later this year as well, so the idea of two smartwatches from the company doesn’t sound ridiculous to us, but you should have a salt shaker on standby. The question remains though, will Android Wear even be successful enough for LG to produce a second watch? Only time will tell and as summer approaches we should hear more details surrounding the project overall.

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Samsung to Give Indian Customers 15% Cashbank on Galaxy S5 at Launch

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Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is just days away from launching all over the world on April 11th, but that doesn’t mean Samsung doesn’t have time to entice a few stragglers left to pre-order the device. Perhaps due to the recent news that Sony is doing quite well in India, Samsung is looking to entice Indian customers with cashback. The offer is only available at launch however, and will only be available until the 13th of April, or until stocks run dry, whichever come first. It’s an interesting move by Samsung, but it’s not going to be available to everyone.

For one thing, the offer is only open for a few days, and it only applies to those using their Citibank credit card, which means you’ll need to have the asking price for the Galaxy S5 free on your balance. With the Galaxy S5 costing RS 51,000 in India, you’re going to need a freed up credit card to enjoy this offer, but you do get 15% cashback, which is RS 7,650 of the overall price of Samsung’s smartphone. While certainly not an offer to overlook, it’s one worth reading the fine print to see just how worth it is to you. Most of the time, offers like this in India require some sort of credit card to be used, which could end up causing you more headaches down the line.

As well as the Galaxy S5, the Gear 2 lineup of devices are also available to pre-book from Samsung’s India store online, which will be news to those looking for their next smarwatch. However, there’s a good chance Samsung fans in the region will have already snapped up last year’s Galaxy Gear when it was heavily reduced running up to the Mobile World Congress debut of the Tizen-powered Gear 2 family. Let us know in the comments below if this is an offer you would consider taking Samsung up on, or is it just too limited to be that enticing?

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OnePlus One Upgraded Before it Launches; Now Features 3 GB RAM and 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801

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Even before the device has seen the inside of retail stores, the first phone from tech startup OnePlus has created quite a stir. It seems that OnePlus takes their tagline pretty seriously, “Never Settle” seems to have become second nature to the OnePlus One device. We have had news earlier that the first phone from OnePlus, unoriginally named as the OnePlus One, would offer high-end specs for a very low-end price. However, the specs seem fluctuate more often than not. In the latest information leaking in from the startup, the OnePlus One has been given a hardware boost even before launch. The device was originally supposed to ship with 2 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system on chip (SOC). For the better, the OnePlus One will now be made available with 3 GB of RAM and will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC.

The company states that “[w]e have chosen to move to Snapdragon 801 processor to take full advantage of the fastest SoC currently on the market. We wanted to bring the real-world performance enhancements gained from the many improvements the Snapdragon 801 offers over the 800.” With the change of SOC, the OnePlus One will see a speed boost from 2.3 GHz of the Snapdragon 800 to 2.5 GHz. The graphics processing unit will also see a speed boost from 450 MHz to 578 MHz, which would translate into better real-world game performance.

The OnePlus One will officially be unveiled on 23^rd April and OnePlus claims that these last-minute hardware changes will not delay the original launch date. With the upgraded specs, the OnePlus One lands in the premium devices segment, however the device will have to live up to the hype and increased user expectations. On our part, we’re pretty excited – any upgraded new phone is always good news. Once it’s launched, we’d love to see the OnePlus One go head to head with the titans – the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the new HTC One (M8). While you wait, check out the teaser unboxing of the OnePlus One.

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Will.i.am Shows Off New Smartwatch, Sounds Like a Standalone Device

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It isn’t a new thing to see celebrities venture off the beaten path and into other markets. It seems as though Will.i.am is prepping for battle. His new smart watch is taking aim at Samsung, Motorola and other OEMs making smartwatches.

You may be asking why Will.i.am? He isn’t exactly on a world tour right now. Some may even already be Googling “What happened to Will.i.am?” Well he’s still going, and though he may not be on tour; he’s still a self titled tasteful tech mogul. Seeing as how Will.i.am also has a history in male fashion, it’s only right that he takes on the aspect of tech that coincides with fashion. Will.i.am appeared on a show in Britain called the Alan Carr show. While on stage, Will.i.am made a gesture to something on his wrist saying, “I don’t carry my phone anymore,” and then he goes on to give a little taste of the device. This simple statement tells us that either Will.i.am is a total diva who has other people carry things for him, or the new smartwatch operates as a standalone device. There is no word on a release date, specs, or designs. All we know is Will.i.am has one, and is promoting it around the world.

While doing so, he has mentioned that the device will require bluetooth headphones. This means there is more than likely no speaker on the watch, or at least not one to write home about. We also know that the device is supposed to make calls. However each time Will.i.am displays the device can’t go perfectly. The time he chose to display the calls aspect was while on “The Voice” when Will.i.am tries to call Cheryl Cole. The Telegraph is reporting that the call was dropped.

Still people are becoming intrigued by this device that Will.i.am is sporting. We all remember the Miley Cyrus/Samsung thing right? The question is, how many tweens were reached by using her to promote a product? Unknown at the moment. Will.i.am may not have the best history with tech projects. For the most part, his never seem to make it very far. However, this device looks nice, and could prove to be a very impressive smart watch. Let’s ask the obvious questions, do celebrities directly affect your decision on buying a product or at least research it? Are we ready for a stand alone smart watch this early in the wearable game? Speak up down below, or on our G+ page.

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