Crackle Adds Chromecast Support with Latest Update

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

For those of you that use Sony-owned Crackle, you can now rejoice as the latest update for Crackle has added Chromecast support. So now you can stream your favorite content on Crackle from your Android-powered smartphone or tablet to your TV with ease.

If you’re unaware, the Google Chromecast is a $35 HDMI dongle for you TV that allows you to stream content from your smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer to your TV. There are more and more apps coming out with Chromecast support now that the SDK is available. But some of the major names are Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV, Netflix, Pandora, Allcast, Hulu Plus, and now Crackle. There are plenty of others available too. You will need to have the Chromecast and the device you are planning to cast from on the same wifi network for it to work. Which is great because you won’t have to worry about data overages on your cell phone bill.

In addition to the Chromecast, there is also the new Roku HDMI dongle which is about $50 and already has had Crackle support for quite a while now. They also have about 1000 channels on their devices to choose from as well. So there’s definitely more content. If you’re interested in picking up the new Roku HDMI dongle, it’s also a great choice. Right now Roku and Apple own the living room space, unfortunately, but I’m thinking in about another year, Google is going to surpass them. Simply because the Chromecast is simple and relatively cheap. They are also planning to do more Chromecast devices in 2014. So hopefully we’ll see plenty more for Chromecast this year, like it being available in more countries.

How many of you are using Crackle? Are you glad to see Chromecast support finally come to the app? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Crackle Adds Chromecast Support with Latest Update appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1iSkMuD

Sprint’s LG G2 Getting KitKat…Today!

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

I’ve been hearing fellow LG G2 owners on Sprint asking for weeks when their taste of KitKat would arrive via OTA, and it appears that today is the day. Sprint has just announced that the update is now rolling out via OTA to G2 devices on their network. So if you’re on Sprint, you can now jump up and down in joy as you are about to get some KitKat love. The change log has not been posted just yet, but we expect it to be relatively the same compared to the AT&T, and T-Mobile G2 updates as well as the Canadian update.

That means improved cloud printing, immersive mode, white status bar icons, and much more. You can check out my KitKat overview video on the T-Mobile LG G2 down below, if you’re interested to see what’s new. I’d also expect some bug fixes in there, possibly some network fixes as well, which is quite common with OTAs for carriers.

If you are on Sprint and have the LG G2, I suggest you jump into Settings, tap on About phone and Check for updates. So you can pull down your taste of KitKat. It’s a great update on the G2 – I can only speak for the T-Mobile variant – and I’m sure you all are going to love it. If you notice in the update that “Bluetooth” is in your battery stats and you don’t have it on, don’t worry too much. It’s a known bug that we’ve had for quite a while – not sure if it’s coming to the Sprint G2 as well so just a heads up. I’m still getting relatively the same, if not better, battery life on KitKat as I did on Jelly Bean. So don’t worry about it too much.

How many of you are on Sprint and excited to get the KitKat update finally?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Sprint’s LG G2 Getting KitKat…Today! appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/O8Hd3l

Here’s a Concept of a HTC Tablet Based off of the One M8

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

We heard from the CEO of HTC, Peter Chou last week that there is a tablet in the works as well as wearables. Which got most of us excited. There are a couple of us here at Android Headlines that love HTC’s build quality, but don’t really like their software too much – but that was also before Sense 6. So when we heard that there is a HTC tablet coming, we all got pretty excited. Now there’s a new concept image out of the device, which yes they are fake that’s what “concepts” are. It looks a bit strange to me, it’s basically a stretched out HTC One M8, which is what the tablet is based off of anyways. Hasan Kaymak put this one together for us, and gave us some specs as well.

There’s a 8.9-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset, 3GB of RAM, with storage ranging from 32GB-128GB along with a microSD card slot, 4G LTE connectivity, 8-9mm thick, with Sense 6.5. It’s basically our dream tablet. Partially because of the specs, but also the front-facing speakers. For a while there, Samsung was putting front-facing speakers on their tablets, but for some reason they stopped, and put them on the sides. Their last tablets with front-facing speakers are the Nexus 10 and Galaxy Note 10.1. Hopefully they bring that back because front-facing speakers are pretty amazing.

In the concept images, it is keeping the same 4MP UltraPixel camera and duo-camera module, and say what you want, but on a tablet I don’t think the camera is a big deal. Not as big of a deal as it is on a smartphone. I think the bigger deal is the front-facing camera which you’d use for Hangouts, Skype, etc.

How many of you are interested in a HTC One M8 Tablet to go with your brand new HTC One M8?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Here’s a Concept of a HTC Tablet Based off of the One M8 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1rXVznd

Control Chromecast from your Wrist Thanks to Latest Music Boss Update for Pebble

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

While I still don’t have a real need for a smart watch in my everyday life – at least until Android Wear is available – being able to control Chromecast from your wrist is pretty awesome. And that’s just what is possible with the latest Music Boss update for Pebble. With the latest update for Music Boss you can now control the volume and playback right from your Pebble. Which is pretty cool, I think. But It’d be even cooler if there was Chromecast functionality built into every app on the Pebble App Store. However, I think we may get that with Android Wear, who knows.

The update doesn’t give you all the controls you’d like to have, but it allows you to play, pause, and resume playback as well as adjusting the volume. I’m sure we’ll see more controls in the near future though. Music Boss does work with a slew of media players like Google Play Music, Songza, Netflix and more. The app is available in the Play Store for a buck ninety-nine or $1.99 for those that like numbers better. It may be a bit pricey for a smart watch app, but many users are loving it’s usefulness so it’s worth a try. Don’t forget that you get 15 minutes to return your app for a refund. However if it’s over the 15 minutes, usually if you email the developer they are more than happy to refund you.

For those of you with a Pebble and a Chromecast, this is a pretty awesome update. If you own both devices, and are using Music Boss, be sure to let us know in the comments down below how you’re liking this new update to Music Boss. As it seems really interesting, and almost makes me want to buy a Pebble – but I’m resisting and waiting for all the Android Wear devices instead.

The post Control Chromecast from your Wrist Thanks to Latest Music Boss Update for Pebble appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1jPEXwP

What’s Next for Flexible Displays from LG and Samsung?

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Last year, we began seeing our first smartphones with flexible displays, from rival Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. LG announced the G Flex, a few days before Samsung announced their Galaxy Round. Which is pretty typical of LG. When they know Samsung is going to announce something, they will announce it a day or two before to say they were first. The Samsung Galaxy Round only launched in Korea, and on one carrier. While the LG G Flex is actually here in the US, and on 3 out of the 4 carriers, which is actually quite surprising. So what’s next on the horizon of flexible displays?

According to ETNews who spoke with industry insiders, LG will be working on reducing the size of their flexible display and improving other aspects like the resolution. The LG G Flex is a 6-inch display, but with a 720p resolution. While it didn’t look too bad during my time with the device, it definitely was not a selling point for most people. While Samsung is working on different forms of AMOLED, which are said to be a game-changer.

While Samsung has the 1080p display on their Galaxy Round, it’s not as flexible as the LG G Flex’s display. Which probably explains why we are seeing higher specs from Samsung than LG. But I’m sure with the next iteration we’ll see higher specs. We’ve already seen Samsung put a curved display on another device, that would be the Samsung Gear Fit. Which is a really nice looking device and will be on sale in about 2 weeks. I’m interested to see what other devices LG is going to put their flexible or curved display on, maybe some wearables? I think they’d really excel there with flexible and curved displays. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see how the Gear Fit works in real life and how well it sells before we can be sure.

The post What’s Next for Flexible Displays from LG and Samsung? appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1dJZAb1

Deal: Audio-Technica ATH-M35 Headphones for $49

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Here’s another great deal going on today. This one is for the Audio-Technica ATH-M35. Not their newest set of headphones, but still an amazing set of headphones nonetheless. These are normally $139, this is a pretty big price drop. The ATH-M35 hare closed-back dynamic stereo monitor headphones and are perfect for those that do a lot of video editing, or are musicians. They are made of folding construction for compact storage and transportation. It also uses 40mm neodymium drivers and extended frequency response for clear, balanced sound reproduction. They are ideal for field recording, studio tracking and mixing. They also have a closed back which makes more comfortable to wear, they are also using an around-the-ear design, so all the sound goes into your ear.

For those of you familiar with Audio-Technica, you basically know what to expect with these headphones. And for $49, it’s pretty much an impulse buy at this rate. How many of you are planning on picking up the ATH-M35′s today while their on sale? Don’t forget, free shipping with Amazon Prime.

Audio-Technica ATH-M35 Closed-Back Dynamic Stereo Monitor Headphones

The post Deal: Audio-Technica ATH-M35 Headphones for $49 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1jPq5hZ

Deal: Diztronic Matte Black Flexible TPU Case for the LG Google Nexus 5

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

For those of you out there with a Nexus 5, here’s a nice looking case that you should check out. It’s a flexible TPU case from Diztronic, which is a pretty reputable company. They’ve made countless cases before and I’ve used quite a few of theirs as well. This particular case has a matte black finish on the back, and is flexible. It’s also a custom fit for the Nexus 5. The matte black keeps the fingerprints away and has high gloss TPU frames on the screen. The power button and volume rocker are still easy to press as they are molded on the case. There’s also cut outs for the camera/flash module, speaker, microUSB port, and the headphone jack. It’s a ultra-thin and lightweight case that’s perfect for the Nexus 5.

Diztronic Matte Back Black Flexible TPU Case for LG Nexus 5 – Retail Packaging

LG Google Nexus 5

The post Deal: Diztronic Matte Black Flexible TPU Case for the LG Google Nexus 5 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1ohL2UL