SwiftKey adds incognito mode for secret texting

Just as with children, there are occasionally words you'd rather your keyboard didn't learn from you. If this sounds like something that keeps you awake at night, then you'll be elated to hear that the latest SwiftKey update has taken the incognito feature out of beta and into the public release.

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10 best Android keyboards

May 2, 2016

Incognito mode is accessed via the hamburger menu at the top left of the keyboard. Simply activate it and SwiftKey will temporarily pay no mind to the cussing, x-rated words or other gutter talk you throw at it. I'm sure it's really designed to avoid having the name of a secret gift show up in the predictive bar when your girlfriend borrows your phone, but yeah, we're all adults here.

The feature arrives as part of the latest update available in Google Play right now. The update also delivers a few new keyboard layouts for you international types, including QWERTZ for Swiss French as well new extended layouts for Swiss German and Swiss Italian.

• Install SwiftKey from Google Play

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Now you can talk to random strangers with Facebook Messenger Rooms

If you've ever felt the need to start chatting with random strangers online, Facebook has a new feature with you in mind. Well, when I say "new" I really mean "old" but in a repackaged new location. Facebook Rooms as a standalone app was killed off back in December last year, but it is now reappearing as a part of Messenger.

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3 days ago

Messenger Rooms is basically a public chat room on whatever topic the creator wants to make the room about. Think of it like Reddit but capped at 250 participants (for now). Rooms can be private as well as public, and Facebook reserves the right to boot any undesirables out if they start playing up, because this is the internet after all.

The feature is designed to avoid hassling your friends about topics they have no interest in, according to Facebook Messenger product manager Drew Moxon:

"Group chats today are focused on people you know — friends and family — and what we've found by talking to users is there's a lot of need for conversations about specific topics.[Rooms] will be for topic-based conversations and so people can talk with others they may not know."

Messenger Rooms are currently being field tested in Canada and Australia, but assuming all goes well, the feature should roll out globally soon. Messenger Rooms were rumored to be on the way a couple of months ago, but this is the fist time we've seen the feature active. If you've got access to Rooms we'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below.

 

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Android-based LTE 4G fixed wireless phone launched in India by Reliance

While Android smartphones are all over the world, the OS can also be used for other types of phones. In India, Reliance Communications has launched such a device, the 4G LTE HomePhone. It's a fixed wireless phone for the home or office that uses Android 5.1 Lollipop.

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Reliance Retail introduces special edition LYF F1 in India

3 weeks ago

Reliance says this is the first type of 4G wireless fixed phone to be launched in India. It has a 3.5-inch touch screen, and the phone's support for 4G LTE networks allows it to not only make HD voice calls, but also lets it send out SMS text messages. It can even be used as a Wi-Fi hot spot for up to eight devices in the home or office.

The 4G LTE HomePhone can be used with the new monthly data and call plans from Reliance. The 4G Smart Life monthly plans offer 300 free voice calling minutes, which include local, STD and roaming. Any calls that go over that 300 minute limit will be charged at 40 paise per minute. Prices for the plans begin at Rs. 299 with 2 GB of monthly data and Rs. 499 with 4 GB of data.

What do you think of this new kind of home or office phone that uses a wireless network?

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Deal: Moto 360 Sport for just $119.99, save $160!

The upshot of smartwatches kind of failing to take off is that they are dropping in price left, right and center. The best deal on a smartwatch we've seen in a while has just cropped up on Daily Steals: a Moto 360 Sport for $160 off.

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2 days ago

You've got three days from the date of this post to pick up the smartwatch on sale. The Moto 360 Sport features a 1.37-inch IPS LCD with 320 x 325 pixels. It has an IP67 water-resistant rating and follows the standard smartwatch spec soup recipe: Snapdragon 400, 4 GB of storage and 512 MB of RAM.

The Moto 360 Sport also has GPS, a heart-rate monitor, replaceable silicone band and 300 mAh battery. Although Motorola hasn't confirmed the Moto 360 Sport will receive the Android Wear 2.0 update when Google rolls it out next year, it's a pretty safe bet that it will.

• Buy the Moto 360 Sport for $120 from Daily Steals

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Verizon delays shipping of the 128 GB Pixel

Nice one Verizon: fans of the Google Pixel phone are reporting multiple shipping delays, with some folks apparently not due to receive their devices before mid-December. One reader submitted an email from Verizon to Phone Arena, sent on the day he was expecting to receive his 128 GB Pixel, only to find out that shipping has been delayed by another two weeks.

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Google Pixel successfully hacked, exploit to be patched

16 hours ago

We already knew that Google is experiencing higher than expected demand for the first Google-branded phone. There have also been various Reddit threads tracking delivery status and wait times for various Pixel models. But the comments section on the post by Phone Arena already has more than a few tales of delayed Verizon-exclusive Pixels.

Phone Arena

One reader reports an order date of November 1st with an expected shipping date of December 15. Another commenter ordered a pixel on October 22 and has been told not to expect it to be shipped "until November 28 or later". Another reader pre-ordered the Pixel in mid-October and won't receive his until December 2.

Has your Pixel order been delayed? Share your experience in the comments below.

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The HTC Bolt officially won’t be coming to Canada

The HTC Bolt is officially not heading to Canada, with a Sprint rep telling Mobile Syrup that "the HTC Bolt is a Sprint exclusive device and will only be available in the U.S.. It won't be available in Canada". But that doesn't mean that the Bolt may not just assume a different name as it crosses the northern border…

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LG V20 now available in Canada, unlocked version coming to U.S. in November

2 weeks ago

According to Evan Blass, the HTC Bolt may still end up in Canada (and other global markets) under the moniker HTC 10 evo. Part HTC 10 and part Google Pixel, the HTC Bolt is a pretty nice looking phone even if it does have slightly watered down specs compared to those influences.

The HTC Bolt features a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of built-in storage. On the camera front, the HTC Bolt packs a 16 MP main shooter with OIS and f/2.0 aperture along with a 8 MP front-facing selfie cam with a f/2.4 aperture.

The Bolt runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and is powered by a 3,200 mAh battery that supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0. The HTC Bolt does away with the beloved 3.5 mm headphone jack but adds an IP57 dust- and water-resistant rating to make up for it. The HTC Bolt also appeared with the world's first "dual adaptive" USB Type-C headphones.

Would you buy the HTC Bolt under another name?

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Minecraft Pocket Edition players will fight The Ender Dragon soon

Players of the Android Minecraft Pocket Edition version can look forward to a huge update for the popular sandbox game by the end of the year. The Ender Update will bring the game up to version 1.0 on Android, ditching its official "beta" label, while adding the majority of features that were included in the original PC version of Minecraft.

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10 best games like Minecraft on Android

March 20, 2016

Here's what Minecraft Pocket Edition players can expect when they get a chance to download The Ender Update:

The 1.0 Ender Update will add a third dimension to Minecraft – the End, and its iconic ultimate boss battle, the Ender Dragon. But that's not all – after defeating the Ender Dragon, you'll be able to explore the outer islands of the End and its mysterious End Cities. In these End Cities you can encounter the new Shulker mob, pick up cool purple blocks for building (aptly called purpur), farm chorus plants, and even loot the highly coveted Elytra glider from an End ship.

In addition to all that, the world height in the game will be increased to 256 blocks, or double what the game currently supports. That could result in Minecraft players creating some huge structures within the Pocket Edition.

If you are on Android, you have the chance to try out all of these new Ender Update features ahead of its official release by signing up to get early versions from the Google Play Store. If you don't want to deal with bugs and issues with early releases, you can simply wait until the final version is made available for Minecraft Pocket Edition for $6.99.

Get it at Google Play

 

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