Google Android Device Manager, Help Users Find Lost Devices

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has announced a new tool aimed at providing Android users with the possibility to locate their lost or stolen devices easier than before, namely the Android Device Manager.

Set to become available later this month, the tool lets users quickly ring the handset at maximum volume should they lose it, and also enables them to easily locate it on a map, provided that it is out of earshot. Furthermore, provided that the phone or tablet cannot be recovered, the tool enables users to easily erase all data on it, so as to ensure that it won’t get into the wrong hands.

“This service will be available later this month on devices running Android 2.2 or above; to use it, you also will need to be signed into your Google Account. There will also be an Android app to allow you to easily find and manage your devices,” Google announced.

Android Device Manager
Image credits to Google

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Here’s What the iPhone 5C Looks Like, Sans Electronics [Video]

Published by the same Japanese blokes who leaked an iPad 5 enclosure with a supposedly backlit Apple logo, a new video claims to show the final iPhone 5C design.

According to a recent leak, Apple will reportedly call its (unconfirmed) budget smartphone “iPhone 5C.” Considering all the leaks that have been reported in the past few months, the device seems all but confirmed. The iPhone 5C is basically an iPhone 5 dressed in plastic, according to the rumors. A new video now purports to show the entire enclosure of the phone, which would confirm its design. As the video embedded above shows, the resemblance to the current-selling iPhone 5 is noticeable.

The hardware lacks all the components needed to actually make the phone, but it does seem to confirm the final design of the iPhone 5C. Apple is said to be on track to unveil both the low-cost iPhone 5C and the more expensive iPhone 5S upgrade this fall.

Video credits to Mac Otakara 

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BlackBerry Z30 Leaks as A-Series Flagship, Tutorial Videos Available

Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has long been rumored to plan the release of a new BlackBerry 10 flagship smartphone before the end of this year, and the first handset in the lineup appears to have leaked online, called BlackBerry Z30.

While a leaked BlackBerry A10 made the rounds for a long time as the possible first A-Series smartphone, it seems the company had other plans in mind, and that the newly spotted handset will take that place. In fact, reference to the smartphone has been spotted in recently leaked BlackBerry 10.2 builds, along with confirmation that it will indeed be the initial A-Series phone, although no specific info on its release date has been provided as of now. As we see it, it would make perfect sense for BlackBerry to continue the naming scheme it launched when BlackBerry Z10 was unveiled, though it remains to be seen what exactly the company has in store for users with this device. For the time being, all that is known on it is the fact that it will hit the market with a removable battery door, although the battery itself is said to be non-removable.

As N4BB notes, chances are that the handset vendor will launch this smartphone with a series of replaceable back covers in tow, so as to provide users with additional personalization options, a trend that has started to take over the smartphone market lately. Furthermore, there is also the possibility that the microSD and SIM card slots are hidden beneath the cover, which changes the phone’s outer design, or means that the company was considering better reparability for the device. One way or the other, specific info on the matter might emerge in the not too distant future, so stay tuned to learn more on the new BlackBerry Z30.

In the meantime, however, you can have a look at some video tutorials with the device, extracted from the aforementioned leaked OS 10.2 build and embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

The first BlackBerry A-Series smartphone to be BlackBerry Z30
Images credits to tinhte.vn via N4BB

Videos credits to Kris Simundson 

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Android 4.3 Now Available for Google Play Edition Devices

Google has started delivering the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system to more devices out there after pushing it to smartphones and tablet PCs in the Nexus lineup last week, as the owners of HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition have started receiving it.

The software update is being delivered to devices over-the-air, which means that users will receive a notification as soon as it has been pushed to their smartphones. According to AnandTech, there is a series of specific changes that Google Play edition handsets will take advantage of in this OS release, including larger homescreen icons. At the same time, HTC One users will be able to enjoy the infrared feature of the device, while Galaxy S4 owners will benefit from Bluetooth-based Internet tethering following the update, as well as a new background color for settings. Some other specific changes might have been included in the update as well, but no official changelog has been provided, and it’s still up for users to discover them.

The new software release will land on HTC One Google Play edition as a 180MB file, while available for the Galaxy S4 model as a 150MB download. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean arrives on these handsets as build number JWR66V. Until now, Nexus handsets and tablet PCs had been the only devices to get a taste of new operating system flavors so soon after a new version was released, yet Google did promise that a similar move would be made for Google Play edition phones, and it seems that the search giant kept its word.

It should also be noted that, just before the OTA update started to land on said HTC One variant, the source code for the software was made available for download through the HTCDev website. Those interested in grabbing it should head over to this page for that.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Image credits to Google

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More Leaked Photos of Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10 P’9982

Recently, Porsche Design was rumored to plan the release of an exclusive version of the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, and some new images with it are now available for your viewing pleasure,it seems, following the leak of other such photos a few days ago.

In fact, the newly leaked shots, available courtesy of Vietnamese website Tinhte, offer a glimpse at the handset’s front as well, while also showing the phone’s battery. Moreover, the guys over at N4BB claim that the smartphone will be released under the name of Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9982, and that it will pack a unique BlackBerry 10 user interface.

No official confirmation on the matter has been provided as of now, but rumor has it that the new handset will be priced at around $2,000 (around €1,500). Stay tuned for more on this.

Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9982
Images credits to tinhte.vn

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