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dimanche 14 août 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge update: Samsung Cloud and security improvements

Samsung-Galaxy-S7-Colors-1

We have gotten pretty used to software updates ever since those monthly security patches started rolling out. This is why we no longer make as much of a fuss about updates, but this time Samsung is giving some of you a very nice treat.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are getting a 151.89 MB update. It includes the security updates for the month of July, performance improvements, Bluetooth fixes and GPS upgrades. But that is not all, and the cherry on top is a bit of a surprise.

The OTA update also comes with Samsung Cloud, which was introduced with the Galaxy Note 7… a phone that isn't even out yet. This means the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are officially the first phones to get Samsung Cloud.

This tool makes it possible to backup, sync and restore your files. It is a great tool for switching devices, or for those who often reset their phones to factory settings. You can save contacts, documents, photos, videos, app data, settings, accounts and more. It is actually a great solution many of you will enjoy.

Have any of you gotten this update? Test the new feature and let us know what you think!



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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly

Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! This is the 153rd edition, let's get started with the headlines:

  • IFTTT has rolled out direct third party support. What that means is that instead of going into the IFTTT app to create recipes, individual app developers can include them directly into their apps. People can then just head to the settings and turn on the recipes they want. It's a new thing so there aren't a lot of real world examples yet, but some companies like Garageio, Adobe, Skybell, Bloomsky, Automatic, and others should have it sooner or later.
  • Facebook announced this week that their advertising will be more resistant to ad blockers. Basically, the company is redoing how ads are rendered in order to disguise them as organic content so that ad blockers leave them alone. Ad revenue represents a large portion of Facebook's revenue and many sites depend on them to reach new audiences, so a move like this isn't unexpected. It's worth noting that Ad Block responded in kind like two days later so it's probably a non issue.
  • We are one month away from the day when Google Chrome will start killing off its support for Flash. Despite the sudden off switch coming in just a month, Google Chrome has been slowly lowering its support for Adobe Flash over the last few years. If you still have uses for Flash, you won't be able to do those things anymore, but at this point most sites have migrated away from it anyway.
  • Quadrooter is a new security flaw in Android that affects devices with a Qualcomm processor. It's a standard privilege escalation vulnerability which means that apps that have this problem can get root access and then it'll have access to everything in your device. Luckily, features that already exist such as Verify Apps pretty much prevent this from happening. As long as you don't sideload apps, your chances of having issues are virtually 0%.
  • Hulu announced this week that they're doing away with their free service. Initially, you could watch some stuff for free and then you could get additional features by paying for a monthly subscription. However, the company stated that their free offering is so far removed from their paid experience that they decided to get rid of it. It sucks, but that's how things go.

For even more Android apps and games news, including the latest Pokemon Go news, check out the latest newsletter by clicking here! If you want to sign up for the newsletter, use the form below to sign up! Don't forget to check out the official Android Authority app for even faster updates!

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reign android apps weeklyReigns

[Price: $2.99]
Reigns is a strategy simulation game with some pretty unique mechanics. Instead of using controls to maneuver a world, you're given a stack of cards. You then swipe through each card Tinder style to answer whether you agree with that position or not. The longer you play, the longer you remain in power. If you make the wrong decision, you are mercilessly killed. It's a goofy little idea and it's a pretty interesting use of the Tinder swipe mechanics. It's $2.99 with no in-app purchases.

Download now on Google Play!

isotope android apps weeklyIsotope

[Price: Free / $0.99]
Isotope is a beautifully designed app from Jack Underwood, developer of the popular Today Calendar. This app helps you learn more about the period table of elements. It features a 118-element table complete with transition animations along with high quality images for most of the elements. The developer has promised to include more over time. You can also read information and fun facts about the elements, search for specific elements, and some additional features. If you go pro, you get an additional theme. Neither version has ads.

Download now on Google Play!

the manga works android apps weeklyThe Manga Works

[Price: $4.99]
The Manga Works is the latest sim game out of Kairsoft, the same developers who did the highly acclaimed Game Dev Story. In this sim, your job is to run a studio that produces manga. You'll start with a fledgling studio and you'll be hunting for plot ideas to make your manga better. It has a lot of the same graphical styles and mechanics as Game Dev Story, so those who may have played that will have an idea of how this game games. It's $4.99, but there are no in-app purchases. The only downside is that it doesn't have cloud saving.

Download now on Google Play!

the manga works android apps weekly

oneview calendar android apps weeklyOneView Calendar

[Price: Free]
OneView Calendar is a fun new calendar app with some very bold ideas. For starters, it doesn't sort your calendar by the classic month, day, or week view. Instead, the entire thing is laid out in a single Agenda View mode where you can scroll through your entire calendar. It supports pinch to zoom so you can navigate easily and it syncs with Google Calendar which should make migration easy. You can add events by dragging and dropping the icon where it needs to go. It's completely free and it's actually a lot of fun to use.

Download now on Google Play!

oneview calendar android apps weekly

fie swordplay android apps weeklyFIE Swordplay

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
FIE Swordplay is a new fencing game and, frankly, the best fencing game now on Google Play. You create a character and then learn the finer points of fencing. The mechanics are simple and easy to understand while being difficult to master. The game features customization that has you adding equipment to your character and even fine tune your weapon. There is a PvE campaign mode or you can face off against your social media friends in PvP mode. It has in-app purchases, but they are inoffensive. The game is definitely worth a shot.

Download now on Google Play!

fie swordplay android apps weekly

Related best app lists:

If we missed any big Android apps or games news, tell us about them in the comments!To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.



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Must read: top 10 Android stories

oneplus-3-gold-aa-17-of-22-AA

This week we compared the OnePlus 3 to the Axon 7, caught our first glimpse of the LG V20, and reviewed the BlackBerry DTEK50. Here's the news of the week!

Who wants to win a Moto G4 Plus?

The Moto G4 Plus is one of the best mid-range phones so far this year. We're giving away three of them!

10 Android stories we handpicked for you

Exclusive LG V20 renders: every angle of LG's next flagship The successor to last year's popular LG V10 is a few weeks away and now, in an exclusive leak, we can reveal exactly what the LG V20 will look like.


ZTE Axon 7 vs OnePlus 3 Both cost a similar amount and aim to be the best affordable flagship but which delivers? Find out as the ZTE Axon 7 takes on the OnePlus 3 in this versus!


ZTE ZMAX PRO review – is a $100 smartphone worth buying?  There's a stigma that the more you pay, the better something is but the ZTE Z Max Pro aims to prove a low price doesn't mean low quality. Does it deliver?


Google is working on a new OS called Fuchsia, but what is it for? Fuchsia is an operating system from Google. But what is it? Why is Google investing in it? And what are the goals of the project?


BlackBerry DKET50 review Blackberry claims that the DTEK50 is the world's most secure smartphone but is it worth buying solely on its security features? Find out in our review.


The best fitness trackers There are plenty of great fitness trackers on the market, but which one suits your needs? Join us as we take a look at the best fitness trackers!


The iOS-only apps we wish would come to Android Unlike in its infant stages, Android's app selection now rivals that of Apple's, but there are still some iOS apps not on Android that we wish were.


Android alternatives to some of the best iOS-only apps iOS users occasionally lorded their exclusive apps over Android users. Fortunately, there are plenty of great Android alternatives in the Play Store.


Quadrooter: The latest Android security flaw A new Android security flaw has been uncovered called Quadrooter that once again throws the state of Android security into the spotlight.


The best smartwatches With so many smartwatches on the market, we understand choosing the right one can be a bit daunting. To help you make that decision, we've rounded up a list of the best smartwatches on the market.


You have to watch this

And more: Here are the videos you don't want to miss this week – August 13, 2016

More hot news

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Moto G4 Plus International Giveaway [3 Phones!]

Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone or tablet each and every week!

Congratulations to last week's S7 edge giveaway winner: Supriyanto (Indonesia).

This week we're giving away a brand new Moto G4 Plus!

The Moto G series has been around for years now, and in that time has established Motorola as the king of affordable yet powerful handsets. Motorola's latest low-cost beauty is no exception to this rule.

For those unfamiliar, the Moto G4 Plus is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, clocked at 1.5 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 405 GPU and up to 4GB RAM. There's also a beautiful 1080p 5.5-inch display, up to 64GB storage, microSD, and a 3000 mAh battery.

Despite being an affordable handset, the Moto G4 Plus has no shortage of extras, including a fast and responsive front-facing fingerprint scanner and support for Turbo charging. Motorola is also on the top of its game when it comes to the camera, delivering an impressive 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front cam.

For more details on the Moto G4 Plus, and its even more affordable little brother, the Moto G4, be sure to check out the following:

Enter giveaway

Moto G4 Plus International Giveaway! [3 Phones!!]

Terms & Conditions

  • The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
  • If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
  • We are not responsible for lost shipments.
  • You must be age of majority in your Country of residence.
  • We are not responsible for any duties or import fees that you may incur.
  • Only 1 entry per person, do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
  • We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
  • This giveaway is operated by AndroidAuthority.
  • The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.


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samedi 13 août 2016

Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – August 13, 2016

BlackBerry DTEK50 hands on 13

Things don't slow down in the tech world, and it's our duty to keep you informed. This is why we work hard to make the best content we can. But we know life can also get busy and you may have missed certain things. In this post we have put together the hottest videos of the week.

Jayce and Joe Hindy give us the news. Lanh takes a look at a new BlackBerry Android phone. Meanwhile, John Velasco reviews the $100 ZTE ZMAX Pro. Interested? Scroll down to get all the details.


In the news

As it goes every week, our very own Jayce is telling us all about the hottest news out there. Joe Hindy also steps in to cover his area of expertise – apps. Want to see what's new? Check out the videos below.

The future of display technology? LG V20 launch date, & Instagram Vs Snapchat

Jayce breaks down a few of the most exciting stories from the week in the video above. You can also check out an article that recaps all our best articles of the week. If you'd rather just read the articles mentioned in the video, you can find them below:

Nexus Launcher leaked, Mobius Final Fantasy, huge Google Play sale for games! – Android Apps Weekly

After watching the video, be sure to check out Joe's post here. You can also go directly to the articles mentioned:


Reviews and comparisons

BlackBerry DTEK50 Review

BlackBerry released its first Android smartphone last year. The BlackBerry Priv wasn't quite the hit, but it is definitely popular among BlackBerry fans. Now they are giving Android a second chance with the DTEK50, which they say is the most secure smartphone in the world. Is it? Let's find out!

ZTE ZMAX Pro review

How much can $100 get you? Once upon a time, not too much. Thankfully, recent advancements in tech have helped raise our expectations when it comes to budget phones. Just $100 is exactly how much the ZTE ZMAX Pro costs, and it turns out it isn't too bad for the price. If you are looking for a phone on a  budget, you should really take a look at this one!

ZTE Axon 7 vs OnePlus 3

Say you have $400 to buy a phone. Obviously, that won't get you too much if you go with the big brands, but pick ZTE or OnePlus and you can get a hell of a phone. Then you have to decide which of these two to go with: the ZTE Axon 7 or the OnePlus 3?


Which is your favorite video of the week? Hit the comments to let us know!



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Chromebooks expected to exceed 17 million units by 2023

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Affordability, performance and ease of use are a few reasons why Chromebooks have been so successful. And boy have these laptops taken off. According to Statista, there were over 5.4 million Chromebooks shipped by 2015. These Chrome OS computers are now outselling Macs, and they have been among Amazon's top sellers for a long time.

But just how big will Chromebooks get? With the addition of Android app support, we believe things are about to skyrocket. And recent studies seem to agree that Chromebooks are important in the future of computing. According to Global Market Insights, Chromebook numbers are to go up to 17 million units by 2023.

Chromebooks are amazing, but the main complaint was the lack of software availability. Chrome OS has so far been seen as a glorified browser, after all. The addition of the Google Play Store and over a million apps really does change everything.

We have plenty of customers touting Chromebooks nowadays, but big part of the platform's growth is due to education adoption. in 2014, over 60% of Chromebooks in the USA were purchased by the education sector.

It's still a while until 2023, so this does seem like a reasonable expectation. What do you guys think? Does Chrome OS have a future in this industry? Do you think mobile Android apps can replace full-fledged software for that many users?



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Deal: Save $150 or more on a Nexus 5X – 16 GB $199.99, 32 GB $239.99

LG Google Nexus 5X 16GB eBay deal

We're entering Nexus season, so the deals on the current batch of Nexus devices just keep on coming. Following recent deals on the Nexus 6P, the Nexus 5X is now getting discounted over at eBay to the tune of 40% off. For a limited time only you can pick up the 16 GB version of the Nexus 5X in Carbon or Quartz (Ice is out of stock) for $199.99 or the 32 GB version in all three colors for $239.99. That's a saving of $150 and $160 respectively.

Nexus Launcher home screen Galaxy S7 EdgeSee also: Download the new Google Nexus launcher APK here235

Keep in mind Nexuses don't pack microSD card slots, so you might want to consider forking over a little more for the 32 GB version. The Nexus 5X is definitely going to be getting Android 7.0 Nougat on release day, so if you don't already have a Nexus and want to be amongst the first to enjoy Nougat, now might be a good time to invest.

The Nexus 5X comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD LCD display, 16 GB/32 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chipset, 12.3 MP/5 MP f/2.0 camera combo, 2,700 mAh battery, fingerprint scanner and NFC to support Android Pay. There's also multiple deals on the Nexus 6P for $339.99 and $399.99 in various colors through Best Buy and Newegg.

BUY 32 GB NEXUS 5X BUY 16 GB NEXUS 5X

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