Top 10 Android app updates this week: Lyft, Android Wear

Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.

APUS Launcher - Version 1.5.8

What’s new in this version:

• Icons with uni-style.
• New boost, more simple.
• Widget can be customized.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

SoundHound - Version 6.3.1

What’s new in this version:

• Fresh new look for faster music discovery
• Quickly access the Search button and navigation from anywhere in the app by swiping right
• On the home screen you can now scroll to explore your search history, hear what’s popular, view top videos, discover music on the rise and more.
• New colorful and dynamic listening screen animation

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Instagram - Version 6.10.0

What’s new in this version:

• Discover new people: Find interesting accounts to follow in the People tab on Explore.
• Search faster: Get quicker results with typeahead search.
• Edit captions: Fix typos or change your location.
• New icons: Updated Explore and Profile icons, plus other design updates

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Photo Editor by Aviary - Version 3.6.0

What’s new in this version:

• Unlock Aviary’s complete collection of photo editing supplies — a $200 value free for a limited time and yours to keep forever!
• Sync your downloaded supplies (including free packs!) and restore anytime
• Also, this version introduces new tools such as Overlays, Vignette, Color and Lighting!

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Lyft - Version 2.7.1

What’s new in this version:

• Material design integration
• Updated payment flow
• Redesigned referral screen with more ways to invite friends
• Behind the scenes bug fixes and improvements

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Motorola Connect - Version 2.0.2

What’s new in this version:

• Connect now supports Motorola Keylink
• Connect now supports additonal Moto 360 watch faces
• Competition winner design face-off
• Create your own watch face with My Design
• 3 new analog watch faces
• Connect now has a new Moto Body wellness experience

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Nike+ Running - Version 1.5.0

What’s new in this version:

• Nike+ Running now works seamlessly with Google Fit. To connect your Nike+ account with Google Fit, upgrade to the latest version of the Nike+ Running app (v1.5), and follow the automatic connection prompts. Connecting to Google Fit is optional and may be turned on/off in your application Settings.
• Nike+ Running is now fully compatible with the Samsung Gear S.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Google Keyboard – Version 4.0.21173

What’s new in this version:

• New Material design themes
• Improved design for suggestions and corrections
• Bug fixes and stability improvements

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Greenify - Version 2.5.0

What’s new in this version:

• Rebuilt most UI with Material Design.
• Fully compatible with Android 5.0 (root mode requires newest version of SuperSU)
• Improved stability in root mode.
• Reduced package size.

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Android Wear - Version 1.0.4

What’s new in this version:

• Offline music playback from your watch via Bluetooth headphones
• More control over the top card preview: push it down to view the entire watch face briefly, or simply turn it off
• Battery saver mode — turns off the watch screen when the battery is low to save power
• Bug fixes

(Playboard) | (Play Store)

Sony Xperia Z4 looks set for MWC

It looks like we might be getting the Xperia Z4 as early as April 2015, as Sony has just announced its new flagship mobile image sensor, the Exmor RS IMX230, which is set to ship at that time.

It's very likely that the upcoming Xperia Z4 will feature this sensor, which means we could see a launch of the new flagship to coincide with the release of the IMX230.

An April release for the Sony Xperia Z4 might seem soon considering the Xperia Z3 has only been out for a few months, but it's not too far fetched considering Sony's rapid release cycle for its flagship phones. The Xperia Z3 came just six months after the release of the Xperia Z2 after all.

Sony has already set the date and time of its press conference for the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas. On January 5, 2015, at 5:00pm PST Sony will take to the stage and it might be there that the Xperia Z4 will be officially announced.

I spy with my little eye

The IMX230 sensor has a 21 megapixels resolution, as does the one found in the Xperia Z3. However it also comes with a number of new features, with Sony claiming that it is the industry's first CMOS image sensor built for smartphones that can track fast-moving subjects thanks to built-in image plane phase detection autofocus.

It will also support High Dynamic Range for high resolution still images and 4K video, and it all comes in a form factor that's more compact than its predecessor.

10 tips and tricks for your iPhone 6 camera

The iPhone just seems to get better with every new iteration of the device - seemingly leaving the humble compact camera far behind in its wake.

But it's not all just Apple hype, the iPhone 6 has recently been heralded as the best smartphone camera to have ever existed by respected independent industry bod DxO Labs.

Apple has shied away from chasing huge pixel counts, sticking with the same 8MP resolution that has been featured on the camera since the iPhone 4S. There's also the same f/2.2 lens and processor - the majority of new changes are "under the hood".

Perhaps the biggest new change is the addition of Focus Pixels (in camera terminology that's the addition of phase detection pixels) and in real terms means that the camera is capable of focusing at twice the speed of theiPhone 5S.

One of the most interesting new features is the ability to change the exposure of a photo manually - we'll talk about that more later. There's also improved face detection, to include blink and smile detection for best shots in burst mode.

Here's 10 ways you can get the most from your iPhone 6 camera.

1. Change Exposure Manually

Photographing something a little dark, or a little bright? That's no problem with the new manual exposure control option. First you'll need to tap the area on the photo that you want to be the main subject and therefore base the exposure on.

If the camera doesn't accurately guess the exposure, use the slider to make adjustments by dragging your finger up and down the screen. You can use it to creative effect by producing high key or low key looks too.

2. Better Group Shots with Timer Mode

Co-ordinate your friends with three or ten seconds notice from the new timer mode or just use it to set up awkward shots, angles or even selfies. What's more the camera will fire off a burst when the countdown timer reaches zero, giving you the opportunity to choose the best photo from the bunch - great for weeding out blinkers and grumpy faces.

3. Time lapse mode

One of the new fun modes is the time lapse setting. Simply select this and the camera will take a new photo every few seconds. When you're ready, press stop and a video will be created showing a time lapse of the event you've just photographed. It's great for sports, sunsets, or just your dog fooling around.

For best effect though, you'll either need an extremely steady hand, or something sturdy to rest the phone on - such as a stand or tripod adaptor.

4. Get better shots with burst mode

There are lots of ways to utilise burst mode to make sure you get the shots you need. It's not just for group shots, it could be used when you're photographing a sports event and want to make sure you capture the crucial part, or maybe something like a wedding or a party.

Hold down the shutter icon on screen, or either of the volume buttons, to take a burst. A number will appear on screen showing you how many shots you've taken. Once you're done, click the picture in the corner of the screen.

You'll now notice that you can press select - the one which the iPhone has deemed to be the best will have a grey circle underneath it, but you can choose a different one if you prefer. Make your selection and press done. You can opt to keep all of the shots, or only the ones you want to save memory.

5. Add filters to your images

You may already be familiar with the filters icon in the bottom of the screen which appears when you're shooting a fresh image, but you can also add these filters after the image has been taken.

From the gallery, or the preview screen, simply press edit and tap the same filters icon on the bottom of the screen to choose from different filter options. The good thing here is that you can change your mind at a later date. Go back to the original photo by tapping the word revert in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

6. Quickly collect your best images together

There's a big difference between the photos that we instantly know are long-term keepers and the snapshots of your morning cup of coffee.

A handy way to filter out the dross when you want to flick through your best work is to tap the heart icon that appears at the bottom of the screen when previewing an image you've just taken. These photos will be collected together in an album handily called favourites. If you fall out of love with any of the shots, you can simply tap the heart again to ditch it from the collection.

7. Edit photos without the need for third party apps

Although there are some great editing apps on the iTunes store, being able to make quick changes without leaving the camera app is more convenient.

You can now alter a fantastic array of different parameters, including exposure, highlights, saturation and contrast. Once again, you can revert to your original image at any time by clicking revert. Though it's worth saving a spare copy of any image that you've done a lot of editing work on.

8. Create beautiful black and white images

Apple hasn't left us with a one-size fits all simple black and white conversion tool here, which is great news. Head to black and white under the editing tab and you can alter the intensity, grain, tone and neutral areas in your black and white shot to get it looking exactly the way you want to. Of course you can revert the image at any time.

9. Crop and rotate for better compositions

It's easy to take a snap in a hurry and not worry too much about framing but luckily you can correct any problems later with the simple to use crop and rotate tools.

Click the edit icon, then tap the crop icon. Scroll the dial at the bottom of the frame to rotate the image by up to 45 degrees either way. Minute changes are good for fixing wonky horizons, while bigger angles make for good abstract shots. You can also use pinch to crop into the image, removing any distracting elements.

10. Find your photos quickly

With many of us taking dozens, if not hundreds, of snaps a day it can be tricky finding the one you need in a hurry.

Luckily, the new search function allows you to quickly jump to certain places, including "nearby", "home" and specific locations that you have visited. So if want to see all of your photos from a specific holiday or trip, simply start typing the location.

You don't need to have tagged them with this information yourself, the iPhone will do it automatically if you have location services enabled (go to settings > privacy > location services). You can also view your photos by collections, with a neat bonus being the ability to view your images on a map. Simply click the location name to be shown a map of your images.

ASUS ZenWatch now for sale via Google Play, ships in 1-2 days

it’s always nice when companies say “coming soon” and actually mean it, rather than the geologic interpretation of “soon” that some companies rely on. The former was certainly the case with the ASUS ZenWatch and Google Play as the watch just showed up yesterday with a “coming soon” tag and is already available for purchase.

The ZenWatch isn’t breaking any new ground with the internals, sporting similar specs to many of the other recent entrants.

• 1.63-inch AMOLED display
• 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400
• 512MB of RAM
• 1.4Wh battery
• Bluetooth 4.0
• IP55 water resistance

At $199, the ZenWatch’s pricing is on the low end of what has been established as acceptable for Android Wear watches, which is mainly notable due to the praise that is being heaped on the design. This is the first smartwatch that seems to be challenging theMoto 360 for the style crown, and it is managing to do it with a more traditional square display.

Like the Moto 360, the ASUS ZenWatch is going for a higher-end look that, depending on your daily activities, may feel out of place at times. I would love for one of the Android Wear manufacturers to come up with a solution for swapping bands, which is perhaps the only feature of the Apple Watch that I saw as a step up from the Android competition.

Regardless, the ASUS ZenWatch looks like an amazing smartwatch and I have no doubt it will be a fast seller, so if you’re interested, take a trip over the Play Store and pick one up before that shipping date gets pushed back.

Source: Google Play

Sony PS4: One year on, has the PlayStation 4 lived up to the hype?

oday sees the PlayStation 4 turn one year old and it's had quite the debut.

With Nintendo and its floundering Wii U console barely a speck in the rapidly-shrinking distance, PS4 has battled Microsoft's much-maligned Xbox One console at every turn and come up smelling of roses time after time.

Records have been broken, exclusivity deals have been made and fan allegiances won and lost – so as Sony blows out the candles this November, was it greatness that awaited that sleek black box?

A strong start

PS4's first month couldn't have started any better; Microsoft's garbled handling of Xbox One's defining 'always online' and DRM features in the months leading up to its November 2013 launch had left its fanbase – both casual and hardcore – looking for a new port to call home.

With an aggressive PR campaign and some social media-minded executives in the form of Jack Tretton, Adam Boyes and Shuhei Yoshida, PS4 hit the ground running.

In the US alone PS4 sold 1 million units within 24 hours of its launch (a staggering figure when you think it took Nintendo a whole year to sell 1.5m Wii U's) with global sales reaching 2.1m by the beginning of December.

PS4 went into the Christmas period as a must-have item, thanks in no small part to Sony's aggressive pricing. At £399 in the UK it was a whole £30 cheaper than Microsoft's rival platform and with requests for PS4 going through the roof, Sony must have been wringing its hands with glee as it struggled to meet global demand.

A Knack for games

All these sales are a little surprising considering the relative lack of solid software available for new adopters, though.

Two of PS4s biggest launch titles – the socially-minded racer Driveclub and the uber-hyped open-world hacker sim Watch Dogs – were delayed well into 2014, leaving Sony's new hardware a little threadbare in the software department.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag proved to be one of the series' most popular (and commercially successful) instalments, but its availability on old-gen consoles took much of its PS4 sheen away.

It was much the same for cross-gen titles such as Need For Speed Rivals, FIFA 14, Madden 25, etc, while Battlefield 4 blew its own foot clean off with servers as unstable as its much advertised falling skyscrapers (although this issue affected every single platform DICE's shooter was released on, so its effect on PS4's overall sales seems marginal at best).

Only cutesy platformer Knack, download-only shoot-'em-up Resogun and sci-fi shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall could offer the mystique of a proper 'new-gen only' experience.

The new Killzone looked great, but its much-lauded open-ended level design was sadly resigned to a small percentage of the game, while Knack was… well, a knackered attempt at a platformer.

Only Housemarque's Resogun ticked every box, offering addictive score-hunting gameplay and visuals so good you'd want to lick the screen. In fact, it would take ten whole months for PS4 to get its first piece of unit-shifting software. You might have heard of it? It's called Destiny…

Destiny was, and is, a big deal for PlayStation. Yes, the phenomenon that made $350m for publisher Activision in just five days is technically available on both Xbox platforms as well, but a heavily-PlayStation branded advertising campaign helped drive PS4 hardware sales into the stratosphere.

Strangely it would be on Xbox One that Destiny would sell the most copies, but a ninth straight month as the number one selling console was more than enough for Sony.

In and around Destiny there were a few standout releases (inFamous: Second Son, The Last Of Us Remastered and Driveclub being the most notable) but its clear that 2015 will be the real proving ground for Sony's promise of gaming greatness.

Delivering on its promises

It's been almost 20 months since Sony unveiled PS4 back in February 2013 and since then Sony has sold a mind-melting 13.5 million units worldwide.

That's quite a few people that have either upgraded from PS3, switched over from a rival platform or purchased PS4 as a first console, with many of them likely charmed by Sony's refreshingly no-nonsense promises.

Question is, how many of those promises actually made it into reality 12 months on?

Well, Cerny's promise of a, "supercharged PC," has proven a solid investment thanks to its powerful 8GB of GDDR5 and the developer-friendly X86 architecture – in fact, news of new-gen games hitting 1080p and 60fps on PS4 (while failing to hit that on Xbox One) have become so common its barely newsworthy anymore.

Many of the unique features that sets PS4 from its rivals are now a reality, but its taken the best part of a year for them to get here.

Remote Play (which enables you to stream any PS4 game through your PS Vita handheld console or Xperia smartphone) remains a remarkably reliable service while the newly-added Share Play feature (where one player with a full copy of a game can invite one of his friends to join him, even if they don't own a copy themselves) looks set to be a huge hit among its ever increasing user base.

Sadly, the Suspend & Resume feature, which enables you to turn on your PS4 and jump back into a game in an instant, has proven a little too ambitious to realise quite yet.

So while Microsoft's console feels castrated without the features it was forced to tear out last summer, PS4 feels like a untapped wilderness of potential.

Even something as simple as the Share button has breathed new life into not so much the industry of making games but the industry of celebratingthem.

So has it been a memorable year for PS4? Well, while it's sold extremely well it's only in the last few months that we've really seen a glimpse of what it's capable of.

With regular, tangible firmware updates and a genuine belief in the importance of supporting independent developers, it's the coming few years that will hold the most exciting developments for PS4.

10 best iPhone 6 Plus cases

1. Ted Baker SALSO collection

The vivid floral design makes a fashion accessory of your phone

The phone-as-fashion-accessory approach to case design lives on in the iPhone 6 Plus, offering a larger canvas than ever for couture flourishes from your favourite label. This elegant polycarbonate offering from Ted Baker's Autumn/Winter Women's collection stands out thanks to its vintage floral print, gold-coloured plaque and soft-feel interior, which can be printed with a personalised message.

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2. tech21 Classic Shell

tech21 combines a snug, secure fit with a show-off clear back

Straight out of the impactology labs comes this slim-fitting design with some of the best protection available in a minimalist case. tech21's much-touted D30 formula has been impressing users of all phone types for a while now, and this Classic Shell model doesn't disappoint. The shock-absorbant material lines the flexible wraparound edges of the case for a tremendously snug fit, while a transparent polycarbonate back plate keeps your phone's good looks safely housed and in full view.

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3. x-doria Engage Folio

This different take on the folio design marries a faux-leather front cover with a clear polycarbonate back treated with an anti-scratch coating. The cover feels smooth to the touch and a pocket on the inside has space for a credit card (two at a push), the only issue is the poor access to volume controls when the folio is closed. Also available in black.

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4. x-doria Engage Plus

This polycarbonate offering from x-doria puts an industrial spin on the classic shell design by adding chrome-plated, laser-finished accented stripes across the lower half of the case. The industrial look really compliments the colours of the iPhone 6 Plus (a gold metallic coating is also available). It's certainly not the most protective case on the market, but who cares when it looks this good?

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5. Griffin Identity Performance (Flower)

This two-piece interchangeable design is part of Griffin's Identity range, sporting a variety of colours and textures. The box promises protection against four-foot drops and it's a convincing claim once the case is on. A shock-absorbant, textured rubber back plate clings to a solid polycarbonate chassis that screams quality thanks to its precision port windows and raised lip around the edges, while an adhesive film screen guard shores up defences from the front. It's pretty slim, too.

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6. Griffin Survivor All-Terrain

First off, this belt-clip case is neither sleek nor slim, but that's not the point of its triple-layer design. It combines a foam-lined polycarbonate inner with an impact-absorbing silicon outer which (as usual in Griffin's Survivor range) meets or exceeds military standards for phone defence in all climes. That translates in real terms to 6.6-foot drop protection and sealed ports to keep out windblown rain, sand, and dust, as well as an anti-scratch screen shield that doesn't hinder Home button fingerprint scanning. Probably worn by Batman.

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7. Proporta Protective Case with Card Slots

This offering from Proporta makes up for its lack of street cred by being well constructed and out-and-out functional. Its black faux-leather folio design conceals twin pockets in the lining for credit cards and the like, and also doubles as a sturdy stand for landscape video viewing on that long commute. The cover magnetises shut when not in use, has a discreet finish with decent port access and protects at the edges without unnecessarily adding to the iPhone 6 Plus's already sizeable profile.

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8. Piel Frama iMagnum

Those who value craftsmanship or are looking to impress need look no further than the iMagnum. Gloriously handmade, it not only looks but also smells the part due to its genuine calfskin leather. The top-folding folio feels awesome, grips the handset well and packs hidden magnets to keep it firmly closed. The front has a hole for the speaker, which Piel Frama claims allows you to hold a phonecall conversation without opening the case. That was true enough in our tests, with no muffling apparent. It even comes with a removable belt clip.

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9. Apple leather case

Apple's own leather case is as minimal as the device it's designed to house; whether you consider that a positive or not depends on your preference for protection over slimline style. The leather is genuine, but doesn't match the natural feel of the iMagnum (above), while an inner microfibre lining keeps the handset safe from scratches. What this case does have over others is industrial precision of cut, perfect alignment with the buttons and ports, and, well, an Apple logo on the back.

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10. Incipio Stowaway [Advance]

Those looking for something a little different should consider the Stowaway, which definitely lives up to its name. Its polymer core and polycarbonate outer shell sits pretty around the iPhone 6 Plus and provides genuine protection along the rim and corners. The back clicks open to reveal a compartment for credit cards or banknotes and doubles as a neat kickstand for landscape viewing. It even comes in a range of snappy colours.

Nexus 4′s Android 5.0 factory image now available

Google recently confirmed that it’ll begin pushing Android 5.0 updates to its Nexus devices soon. If you’re impatient like us, though, you’re probably just using the factory images to bump your Nexus to Lollipop as soon as possible. Now the time has come to upgrade your Nexus 4.Yes, the Nexus 4’s Android 5.0 factory image has officially been posted by Google. The image will bump your N4 to build LRX21T and, as with other factory images, will wipe your phone clean when you load it up.The Nexus 4 isn’t exactly the freshest fish in Google’s hardware lineup, but it’s still getting an official bump up to the company’s newest version of Android. That’s awesome to see, and when you remember that the Nexus 4 has been seeing some heavy discounts lately, you could easily get yourself an Android 5.0 smartphone on the cheap.

If you load Android 5.0 onto your Nexus 4, swing by the comments to tell us how Lollipop is working for you!

Source: Google