Google hints at Chromecast expansion as its apps go international

With all of the focus on the imminent unveiling of a certain next-generation Nexus smartphone, another of Google's bestselling products could soon be set for a wider launch of its own. The company has begun lifting restrictions on the official Chromecast apps and is now allowing iOS and Android users outside of the US to download them for the first time. We've successfully installed the apps on our devices in the UK and Canada, while additional reports lend credibility to complete international rollout. The Chromecast still finds itself geographically challenged, but those who jumped on Amazon's offer of international shipping will welcome Google's decision to extend the availability of the apps. While we're expecting to see the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat launch before the end of the month, we wouldn't be surprised if Google has a Chromecast surprise up its sleeve too.

Via: Android Central
Source: Chromecast (Google Play), Chromecast (App Store)

More Nexus 5 details break cover in leaked LG service manual

It appears that nothing about the hardware of Google and LG's next Nexus smartphone will be left to the imagination by the time it releases. Android Police just got its mitts on what's claimed to be a 281-page draft of a service manual for the DE21. Surprise! The product specs match up nicely with the DE20 that went through the FCC a month ago -- and then some. This leak reveals the best shots yet of both the internals and the exterior, as well as a through listing of every spec. To refresh your memory, we've known those to include a 4.95-inch display, a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, inductive charging and NFC. This particular model's LTE bands (1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 20) are optimized for Asia and Europe.

Lenovo IdeaPad B6000 and B8000 tablets spotted at German online retailers

When you're in the game of leaking your own products, why not do it properly? Those self-supporting Yoga Tablets we saw sneak out via Lenovo recently seem to tally well with the above pictured IdeaPad press shots. The pictures actually come from a couple of German retail listings for two tablets -- the IdeaPad B6000-F and B8000-F. The former is an 8-inch (1,280 x 800) slab of Jelly Bean (4.2) housing a 5-megapixel camera, 6,000 mAh battery and 1GB RAM / 16GB memory with a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT8125 quad-core chip. The IdeaPad B8000-F steps things up to a 10-inch display at the same resolution, and matches the spec-sheet of the 6000 apart from a much beefier 9,000 mAh battery. Prices shown start at 215 euros for the smaller, rising to 280 for the bigger screen. As for Lenovo? You know where we are if you ever fancy going back to using a good old-fashioned press release.

Via: MobileGeeks
Source: Sixpol, Top Elektronikwelt

BLU Studio 5.5 smartphone carries big screen, $179 off-contract price

Is that big-name giant smartphone way beyond your price range? No problem: BLU Products has just shipped the Studio 5.5, one of the more affordable large phones that we've seen in a while. The Android 4.2 device won't impress with its 854 x 480 resolution, quad-core MediaTek chip or 4GB of expandable storage, but it also costs just $179 contract-free -- much less than many rivals. The bright colors and dual unlocked SIM slots don't hurt, either. If you're interested in BLU's big budget handset, you'll find it at Amazon and Best Buy in the near future.

Source: BLU Products

A.I smartwatch is also a standalone Android smartphone (video)

Smartwatches sure are multiplying faster than rabbits. One of the newest devices hoping to make it to market is the A.I Watch: a companion gadget that's also a standalone Android phone, similar to a Chinese creation we saw in August. According to its developers, you can use the A.I Watch to make and accept calls -- à la Hot Watch -- even if it's not connected to a phone via Bluetooth. That's because it has its own SIM card slot and supports 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands, as well as 3G. They also claim that its unspecified 1.2GHz dual-core processor is powerful enough for downloading apps from Google Play, loading Maps for navigation, streaming videos and accessing social networks, among others. The A.I Watch runs Android 4.0.4, has 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, a 1.54-inch 240 x 240 touchscreen display, a 500mAh battery and a 5-megapixel camera.

Global HTC One gets Android 4.3 update, improved low-light camera performance

If you're the proud owner of an unlocked HTC One smartphone, you should now have access to an Android 4.3 update. If you picked up a locked device from a US carrier, you're likely out of luck, but global users can now snag the latest version of Jelly Bean. According to Android Highlights, improvements include a battery charging percentage indicator, boosted low-light camera performance, Sense 5 enhancements and increased stability overall. Check the update menu to see if your device is eligible.

Via: Phone Arena
Source: Android Highlights