Deal: Lepow Moonstone 6000mAh External Battery for $19.99

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Today, Lepow Moonstone External battery pack is on sale for $19.99. Now it’s a 6000mAh battery pack, so it’s not all that big, but it’s big enough to charge your device in a pinch when needed. It has two USB ports, one is a 1A and the other is a 2A, obviously the 2A is for tablets while the 1A is for smartphones and such. It’s a really nice looking external battery pack and it comes with a ton of accessories though. It works with just about every device. This includes iPhones, the Nexus 10, Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1, 12.2, Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 and everything in between. If you’re interested in picking one up, check out the links down below.

• Lepow Lepow Moonstone 6000mAh External Battery for Smartphones and Tablets – Battery – Retail Packaging – Glossy Black


• Lepow® Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Power Bank, Portable Charger) with Dual USB Ports and Lithium Polymer Battery – Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2, Note 3, HTC One, Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, LG Nexus 5, Blackberry Z30, (Apple Adapters – 30 pin and lightning, not included). Different fashionable colors available – Ivory White


• Lepow® Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Power Bank, Portable Charger) with Dual USB Ports and Lithium Polymer Battery – Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2, Note 3, HTC One, Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, LG Nexus 5, Blackberry Z30, (Apple Adapters – 30 pin and lightning, not included). Different fashionable colors available – Sunfire Yellow


• Lepow® Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Power Bank, Portable Charger) with Dual USB Ports and Lithium Polymer Battery for iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 4S, 4, iPad, iPad 2, iPad Mini, iPods, Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2, Note 3, and other USB Charged devices (Apple Adapters – 30 pin and lightning, not included)-RoseRed


• Lepow® Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Power Bank, Portable Charger) with Dual USB Ports and Lithium Polymer Battery – Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2, Note 3, HTC One, Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, LG Nexus 5, Blackberry Z30, (Apple Adapters – 30 pin and lightning, not included). Different fashionable colors available – Yellow Duck

The post Deal: Lepow Moonstone 6000mAh External Battery for $19.99 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1tfsWT7

New Patent Application Reveals Apple is at it Again

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Well Apple is at it again folks. Still in courtrooms fighting Samsung. Still trying to make their case that Samsung has infringed their patents. While all of that is going on, they are filling for a new patent. Nothing out of the normal here yet, until you see what they are trying to patent. An unlock gesture that is essentially the same as an Android version of the same. Though in Apple’s defense, they did add a thing or two to make it their own.

Too bad changing a few things isn’t making it your own in any world. Apple’s or Android’s. This new patent application(complete with photos) is an obvious rip off of Android. The most interesting part, is that this unlock gesture is not something new to Android. Instead it has been around for years. If you haven’t caught on, the gesture we are referring to involves grids of dots. On Android, you slide your finger-in a preset pattern- over the dots to unlock your device. Essentially playing connect the dots.

So how can Apple get away with something like blatantly copying Android gestures? Simple really, they change it up in even the smallest way and then apply for a patent. Let’s take a look at what Apple thinks is a fair chance to patent their “new” idea.

First, on Android these dots are not customizable, (though there didn’t seem to be a need for that) Apple has made them customizable. This means you can move them around, changing the way the pattern would look. That’s not the only change here. Apple has also made “invisible” dots. These “dots” are essentially the empty spaces between the visible dots. The other way Apple has changed things up, is by adding speed and stops into the pattern. Meaning you can go from the first dot to the second dot fast, then stop for a second before continuing. The speed and stops will be configured into the code, and if not done correctly, will not unlock the device. These changes do seem more secure, but they also make things more confusing for the common user. The last thing Apple has added is a password strength bar. That is all they needed to do to apply for a patent.

Patents are a natural aspect of the industry. It is only fair that everyone has the right to own their ideas. However the question we all are asking is why would Apple apply for this patent. Let’s not forget Apple is the first company to introduce the fingerprint scanner on their device. The main purpose-and biggest selling point-was for security on your device. This is how Apple sold the fingerprint scanner. As a security measure-and if we aren’t lying to ourselves-that was well received. On Apple it is called Touch ID, and should be an end all security unlock feature for the iPhone. So what’s the deal?

Let’s go back to that courtroom that Apple is in with Samsung currently. Slide to unlock seems like a basic and almost essential part of any smartphone. However, Apple had a patent, therefore have the right to pursue Samsung legally. It is entirely possible that Apple has only came up with this patent, to make sure that Android can’t go any further with the unlock pattern. Not to use the patent-but to hold it. If Apple’s new patent application makes it through the US Patent Office, it will essentially be like Apple has a toy. This toy is not something they will play with, instead they just don’t want anyone else to play with it. This is a common practice, and the only people who are truly affected, is the consumer.

What do you think? Will Apple make it through the USPTO with a patent filing on something that so closely resembles Android? Let us know down there in the comments or on our G+.

The post New Patent Application Reveals Apple is at it Again appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1l9lGHa

Frontback, Dual Camera App Now Available on Android

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

It seems as though the camera aspect of our smartphones has become more popular. We loved the idea of a camera on our smartphones, but with social media and sharing moments of our lives-the camera has become more important. With such a popular piece of hardware that is (for the most part) included with our smartphones; it is no wonder why apps utilizing the camera have become more popular. One such app is called Frontback, and it is finally available on Android devices.

So the use of the word “finally” is loose, since the app is about eight months old. Still, Frontback has been available on iOS for those eight months. During that time it has gained over 1 million downloads. This growth was slow in the beginning, though in the last couple of months downloads have doubled. Frontback hopes that with an Android version they will see a huge boost in downloads. However Android users expect a bit more from their apps than iOS users. Naturally, Frontback has added some a new feature just for Android-for now.

Firstly, you may not have heard of Frontback, so lets cover what it did on iOS. You may have guessed from the name, that the app uses both the front and back facing camera- see what they did there? Yes, this is much like dual capture mode that we are already used to seeing. The app just seems to have a different way of providing the finished product. The front picture ontop and the back picture on bottom. Then you can share across all your social media, easily adding hastags and short descriptions. That’s it, but for Android users they have added a feature.

The new feature is an offline mode. This will allow you to take a picture using their app, and then save it to share later. Could come in handy sometimes, and will be a feature going to iOS at some point down the line.

If you feel the need to check out this app, a download link is provided below. If you are using or have tried this app, let us know what you think. There is space down there in the comments section and on our G+ page.

The post Frontback, Dual Camera App Now Available on Android appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1eOnyTi

Here’s What The OnePlus One Display Panel Looks Like

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

We have yet to see any full images of the OnePlus One completely assembled, what we have been lucky enough to come across though is bits and pieces of the device that have been leaked out over the last couple of months. None of that will matter much within a week, as OnePlus Is slated to announce and unveil their device to the world for the first time. This will of course be their very first smartphone, so many people are eager and interested in seeing what they have to offer. If you have missed some of the leaks over the past week or so, there has been some images leaked out that supposedly displayed the motherboard of the OnePlus One, as well as the one we saw yesterday that tentatively was a screenshot of the OnePlus One homescreen. If the homescreen was indeed from the OnePlus One, then we got a clear picture of what the Cyanogenmod 11S UI looks like compared to regular Cyanogenmod.

Today we have an image from evleaks that shows not only a more clear picture of the motherboard-which you can visibly see the One+ logo on and barely make out the stamp that says developed by OnePlus-but what also seems to be the display panel from the phone, which may or may not be right side up. According to the images we saw previously which was a silhouette of the phone render(just the shape), the top edge looks more flat where the seemingly top edge we see here is more curved, matching the renders bottom edge.

We also get a good look at the backside of the panel, which doesn’t really give much detail or give anything away at all for that matter. We can also see what looks like the camera sensor disassembled from it all. At this point in time, we’re ready to say enough with the teasers and bring on the phone itself. We want to see this presumably beautifully crafted work of art in all its glory. Do we really have to wait until April 23rd? Unfortunately, it looks like we might have to but that is close enough. We’ve waited this long, what’s another week?

The post Here’s What The OnePlus One Display Panel Looks Like appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1l8XRPT

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Box Made of Recycled Material and is 100% Recyclable

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

For the past few years, Samsung has been making the boxes for their Galaxy devices out of recycled material, and last year they began making them look like wood boxes, but obviously they weren’t. Usually we only see the box when we first buy our brand new smartphone, but it’s important to note that the Galaxy S5′s box is recyclable as expected. But it’s also made of recycled material. So it’s very likely that the box that your Samsung Galaxy S5 arrived in, was made from recycled Galaxy S4 or even Galaxy Note 3 boxes. Pretty cool, and environment friendly as well. Samsung states that the manual is also 100% recyclable, which is pretty cool as well.

“Naturally degrading plastic packaging material and charger cases using recyclable plastic and soy ink without petroleum solvents prevent soil and marine environment contamination. In addition, 20% of the material consists of waste plastic and recycled plastic with better shock and flame resistance for charger cases. The soy ink used to print its product manual and box improves the print work environment and save annual use of petroleum solvent by 30 tons.”

Samsung is also pointing out that their Galaxy products have received eco-friendly certification in 213 cases across six since 2011. Now that’s not going to mean that you have to buy the Galaxy S5, but it’s just another feather in Samsung’s cap. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great device, especially for those that have been sticking out their contract from the Galaxy S3, or even the HTC One X. Jumping from the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 to the Snapdragon 801 alone is a huge jump. I wonder how many people are upgrading their Galaxy S3 to the Galaxy S5 this year? It would be interesting to see those numbers compared to the Galaxy S4 to Galaxy S5 upgrades.

How many of you are glad to see Samsung getting eco-friendly certifications? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Box Made of Recycled Material and is 100% Recyclable appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1qPtmxp

MLB.com At Bat Now Supports Chromecast

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

The 2014 baseball season is underway, how’s your team doing? Mine is 6-5, so not too bad, but not too good either. Today, MLB.com At Bat announced that they are rolling out Chromecast support through the app. So if you subscribe to MLB At Bat, you’ll be able to stream games onto your TV with Chromecast, which is definitely amazing. However, you’ll need to be subscribed to MLB.com TV, which is either $24.99/month or $129.99/year. So it’s not coming cheap at all. However there is a $2.99/month version that pretty much only includes the app, and you won’t be getting Chromecast functionality either. Which sucks, but that’s the way it is, at least for now. This may change in a few months, similar to what Plex did.

In case you missed it, plenty of other companies have been adding in Chromecast functionality into their apps. Like Flixster, Rhapsody, and BBC. Of course there are plenty of others, those are just the ones that popped into our heads first. I’m not a huge baseball fan – mostly only start watching in September and October – but with the price of MLB.com At Bat, it seems like you’d need to be a huge fan to justify that pricing. Although there are a ton of games everyday in the MLB, so you probably are getting your money worth if you are watching it all day long.

Great to see more apps getting Chromecast functionality. I wonder who’s going to add Chromecast next? If you haven’t already, you should probably buy one. It costs about $35, and is definitely worth it. It was named the best gadget of 2013 last year and rightfully so. How many of you are already subscribed to the MLB.com At Bat service? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post MLB.com At Bat Now Supports Chromecast appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1gM25ZO

Sony pushes their Xperia Keyboard into the Play Store

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Lately, we’ve seen more and more manufacturers beginning to push their apps into the Play Store. First Google started doing it, which likely influenced Motorola to push their entire Moto X into the Play Store, essentially. Then HTC and Sony jumped on board and pushed some of their apps into the Play Store. Some of you may be wondering what’s so great about Sony-specific apps in the Play Store. Well what this means is that they can update the keyboard without needing to get an OTA out. Which in the US that means bypassing the carriers. Which is a great thing, especially if you have a phone on Verizon.

Today, Sony launched their Xperia Keyboard into the Play Store. No, it’s not available for every Android device out there, still just Sony devices. Which kind of sucks, but it’s alright because we already have plenty of third-party keyboards out there. The keyboard is in Google Play now, and there’s not much of a difference there right now, but we may see some pretty quick updates for the keyboard in the future. I wonder what other apps Sony is going to put in the Play Store? It’s not like they have a lot of bloat anyways. Here’s the description from the Play Store:

“Xperia keyboard is your default keyboard for all languages except Chinese, Japanese and Korean. It offers a superior swiping experience as well as traditional tapping. The keyboard quickly adapts to your writing style, learning your words and can be further personalized from Gmail, Facebook and Twitter.”

It’s about 9.5mb in size, which is about the average size for a keyboard app. It should be compatible with most Sony devices, especially ones announced in the past two years, and maybe even further back. The Play Store doesn’t list which Sony phones it’s compatible with, however.

The post Sony pushes their Xperia Keyboard into the Play Store appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1hPL3Ma