The Android Crew by COOL BLIND TECH

The next generation of Amazon's best-selling Fire tablet ever - now thinner, lighter, and with longer battery life and an improved display. According to Amazon, it is more durable than the latest iPad. CBT initializes VoiceView and goes through the setup of Amazon's newest Fire 7 Tablet. The accessibility features allows you to magnify the screen and increase the size of text in menus on your Fire tablet. You can also navigate your device using VoiceView gestures and hear spoken feedback about the items you touch and open The Fire 7 Tablet has a 7" IPS display with higher contrast and sharper text, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, and up to 8 hours of battery life. 8 or 16 GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for up to 256 GB of expandable storage. Enjoy millions of Kindle eBooks, games, and apps - including Prime Video, Netflix, Facebook, Prime Music, Spotify and more. Prime members get unlimited access to over one million songs, thousands of movies and TV episodes, and unlimited photo storage - at no additional cost. Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership or Netflix plan. Technical Details Display 17.7 cm touchscreen, 1024 x 600 resolution at 171 ppi, SD video playback, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and advanced polarizing filter Size 192 x 115 x 9.6 mm Weight 295 grams (Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process.) CPU & RAM Quad-Core 1.3 GHz with 1 GB of RAM Storage 8 GB (4.5 GB available to user) or 16 GB (11.6 GB available to user) of internal storage. Add microSD card for up to 256 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. (Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.) Battery Life Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary. Charge Time Fully charges in under 6 hours using the micro-USB power adaptor included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adaptors that you may already have Wi-Fi Connectivity Single-antenna dual-band Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. Ports USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adaptor; microSD slot for external storage Audio 3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker Content Formats Supported Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM) Sensors Accelerometer Camera Specs VGA front-facing camera. 2 MP rear-facing HD camera Location Services Location-based services via Wi-Fi Additional Features External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support Accessibility Features VoiceView screen reader and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. Fire tablets also include system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, colour correction, colour inversion, and high contrast text. A variety of book reading option are provided such as adjustable colours, text spacing, and font sizes. System Requirements Fire 7 is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content Included in the Box 7th generation Fire 7 tablet, USB 2.0 cable,

CBT takes a look at the Google Home Mini with updated touch controls. Shortly after launching the Mini, Google disabled all touch controls due to an issue with the touch control on the top of the device constantly being triggered even when not touched. Google recently added some touch controls back to it's Mini speaker. Here's what you can do: To play, pause, stop music playback or end a phone call, long-press on either side of the Home Mini. Stop a timer or alarm with a tap on either side of the device. Tap the left side to decrease volume. Tap the right side to increase volume. Touch control on the top of the Home Mini is still missing. You will need to summon Google Assistant using your voice, instead of a long-press on the top of Home Mini as was originally intended. If the long-press actions aren't working for you quite yet, be patient. An update is rolling out to all Google Home Mini devices to add the new touch controls.

CBT gives you our first impressions of the Google Pixel 2 XL. Find out how this maybe the best of 2017. Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processors with 4GB RAM. (You can also choose between 64GB and 128GB options.) They have the same camera, processor, and speaker specs. They have 12.2-megapixel rear cameras that have an autofocus with laser and dual-pixel phase detection, and optical and electronic image stabilization. In the front, the Pixels have a fixed-focus 8-megapixel camera. Both phones use USB-C, but no wireless charging. There is no headphone jack and it runs on Bluetooth 5.0. The Pixel 2 XL has a bigger battery and a 6-inch screen with a 2880 x 1440 smart OLED resolution; the Pixel 2 has a 5-inch screen and 1920 x 1080 OLED resolution. This year's XL is slightly bigger than last year's 5.5-inch screen. The Pixel 2 is also slightly lighter and slimmer than the XL. The Pixel 2 comes in “kind of blue,” “just black,” and “clearly white. The regular price for the Pixel 2 64GB is $649, while the Pixel 2 XL 64GB costs $849. The 128GB variant costs $749 and 949. Look out for holiday discounts!

CBT gives you the first impressions of the new Essential Phone. The Essential Phone' has a stunning edge-to-edge Full Display and is a large-screen device that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Essential PH-1 features Materials Titanium body Ceramic back Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover glass Dimensions Height: 141.5mm Width: 71.1mm Thickness: 7.8mm Weight: < 185 grams Display Resolution: 2560 x 1312 QHD Aspect Ratio: 19:10 Diagonal Size: 5.71” with radiused corners Brightness: 500 nits (typical) Contrast Ratio: > 1000:1 (typical) Technology: CGS / LTPS Human Input + Sensors 10 finger multitouch; palm and water-error rejection Fingerprint reader: fastest available technology Proximity / Ambient light sensor Volume buttons, Power button Environmental pressure sensor (barometer) Accelerometer, Magnetometer and Gyroscope Audio Microphone: 4x microphones with noise cancellation and beam forming Low Audio (earpiece) High Audio: (loudspeaker) Rear Camera 13MP Dual RGB + Mono camera with image fusion technology 13MP True Monochrome mode f/1.85 lens Hybrid Auto Focus combing Contrast, Phase Detect and IR Laser Video at 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps Front Camera 8MP resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio f/2.20 fixed hyperfocal lens Video at 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps Battery 3040mAh. Fast charging via USB Memory & Storage RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1 Connectivity Bluetooth: 5.0 LE WiFi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO NFC: yes Positioning: GPS and GLONASS Network / Bands UMTS/HSPA+: 1, 2, 4, 5 6, 8 GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz CDMA EV-DO Rev. A: 0, 1, 10 FDD-LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66 TDD-LTE: 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 TD-SCDMA: 34, 39 System Architecture / OS Android Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 CPU: Kryo 280 Octa-core (2.45GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad), 64 bit, 10nm processor GPU: Adreno 540, 710MHz, 64bit Ports USB Type-C 60GHz, 6 Gbps Wireless Accessory Connector 2x accessory power pins NanoSIM tray with pin eject Water and Dust Resistant IP54 From Andy Rubin, Essential CEO, Android Founder Why I started Essential I know people are going to ask me a lot of questions about why I started this company. Why didn't I just travel the world, ride my motorcycle, tinker with my robots, hang out at my bakery with friends and family. And to be honest I still do ask myself that sometimes…but not too often. So why did I create Essential? Well, my hardware engineers wanted me to talk about how we are bringing real passion and craftsmanship back into this category. My software engineers wanted me to talk about our vision for making all devices, even those we don't make ourselves, play well together. My partners wanted me to talk about how we are using methods that could change how successful technology companies are built forever. But the real reason is because of what happened during a night out with an old friend of mine... Read more Accessories that simply Click Don't you hate it when you have to buy new dongles, chargers, and accessories every time your phone is upgraded? We do too. So we decided to make this a thing of the past. The magnetic connector with wireless data transfer keeps your phone cord-free, future-proof, and always up-to-date. All accessories magnetically snap to the phone.

The over the air update for the Android O developer preview has arrived, and there are some very interesting new features for those of us who use TalkBack. Listen to this podcast to find out what accessibility improvements are on the way. If you are considering installing the developer preview of Android O, make sure that you backup your device before enrolling in the Android Beta program, and downloading the update. Listen to this podcast on how too backup and enroll an Android device in the Beta program, if you need a step by step guide on how to do it.

In a previous podcast, James Oates showed us the features available on a Google Home voice activated speaker. Now he gives us a live demonstration of those features in action. After listening to this podcast, you should have a good understanding of what the Google Home can do.

Version numbers are not always what they are cracked to be. Windows 10, for example, has kept the version at 10.0, with only incremental build numbers which are prefixed by the month and year. Google is a little different. Talkback has undergone major evolution even in minor releases. Yet in the last few ones from 5.0 up to now, the changes to Talkback have refined much of what we experience. In 5.0, screen dimming, and in 5.1, abilities q export custom labels and more intelligent interaction handling removed many pain points for the user. With 5.2, perhaps one of the largest ones is addressed. Have the accessibility developers behind Talkback made the right choice with the redesigned sounds? For the first time, there is a mobile screen reader which allows for desktop-quality granular control. Is this useful? Be sure to check out this article to get the full Changeling of to this release.

Google is offering some users the opportunity to get a sneak preview of Android Nougat 7.1.2. To take advantage of this offer, you must enroll in the Android Beta program and have an eligible device. To enroll, just visit android.com/beta and provide your Google sign in credentials. The following devices are eligible at this time. Pixel PixelXL Nexus 5X Nexus Player Pixel C Google has confirmed that the Nexus 6P will also be eligible. Before launching the Beta version of Android Nougat, you should back up your device. In this podcast, James Oates shows us how to back up a Pixel phone and enroll it in the Beta program.

Google released the Google Home, which is a voice activated speaker that can control your smart home devices, play your music, answer your questions about almost anything, stream the news from sources you select, and so much more. In this episode, James Oates tells us how to setup the Google Home, and walks us through the Google Home app on his Pixel phone. Here he shows us all the different configuration options available for the Google Home. The Google Assistant is built-in to the Google Home, and it is amazing how many things it can do.

In this episode, we look at the TalkBack settings on a Google Pixel running Android Nougat 7.1.1. James Oates gives a brief overview of accessibility settings while primarily focusing on the settings for TalkcBack 5.1. He also shows us Moves, which are specialized gestures for Android that can be toggled on or off, depending on your preferences. Although James is new to Android, he is very impressed with the Google Pixel, and looks forward to bringing more Android content to our listeners.

In this episode, James Oates shows off a new accessibility feature which allows anyone using an Android phone running Nougat 7.1 or higher. If you open the camera app, and you have Talkback 5.1 or higher running, Talkback will automatically give feedback concerning how many people are in the frame, if the faces are centered, and what percentage of the screen is occupied by the face or faces. This is a great way for a person who is blind to take selfies and capture important moments. James also shows us how to give the photo a description, and share it to social media, cloud drive services, or by email.

In this episode, James Oates gets out of his comfort zone, and tries out his first ever Android phone. He describes the Pixel, shows us how to start TalkBack, navigates through the TalkBack tutorial, and shows us how to setup the phone.

Amazon's virtual assistant was first introduced on the Echo, as well as the Echo dot. It only made sense that Alexa would eventually expand onto the rest of Amazon's devices. If you own any of the new fire tablets including the fifth generation—or the hd tablets, you have access to Alexa, including her skills! In this podcast, Leo demonstrates several ways to interact with the virtual assistant on the Fire tablet. Keep in mind that your tablet will need to run the latest version of Fire OS. What do you think of Alexa on Fire tablets? Let us know in the comments!

In this episode, James Oates reviews the new Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation). He describes the configuration, and tells the lay-out of the physical buttons, and what they do. If you need help setting up your new Echo device, listen to this podcast from Leonid Prazdnik of Cool Blind Tech. James then talks about Amazon's new unlimited music subscription which rivals the other major music subscription services already available. He demonstrates how well the Echo works with Amazon's music subscription.

The amazon's Fire tablet has a lot of content to offer via its app store including games, apps and more. The problem is that not all apps that are on other app stores make it to amazon's ecosystem. Fortunately, since FireOS is based on Android, it's possible to get the Google Play Store onto your Fire tablet. In this Podcast, Leo demonstrates how to install the play store using a script from Root Junky. Keep in mind that if you haven't already, you will need to obtain the Google USB drivers for the tablet. Have you found the Play store on the Fire tablet useful? Let us know what you think!

The Amazon Echo is amazon's Wi-Fi voice controlled speaker. Using just your voice, you can ask the Echo to do a number of things such as play your music library, check the weather, give you news updates, and much more! Additionally, third-party skills allow the Echo to expand its capabilities. In this podcast, Leo covers setting up the echo for the first time, as well as some of the things you can do with the echo, as well as its accompanying Alexa app. Are there any particular features or skills you would like to be covered in a future podcast? Let us know!

No doubt the word phablet has entered every day vocabulary among the general population. The larger screen allows not only for more precise on-screen navigation, but also provides an opportunity for more content and video to be viewed. On some phablets, such as Samsung's Galaxy Note 5, a stylus is included which can detect not only precise finger movement, but also pressure in the form of greater line thickness. For professionals, artists, and general consumers alike, this provides the ability to write with handwritten notes or drawings. A picture's worth a thousand words, or so they say. What about other stylus advantages? Samsung has built a special "hover" gesture, which allows swiping and various screen actions without touching the physical phone. This is similar but very, very different from Apple's 3D touch. The reason we make this comparison is simple: Some air gestures can preview content or interact with it in contextual ways. However, it is worth "noting" that 3D touch requires a firm press on the screen, while this is the opposite, whereby you lift the stylus half an inch above it. What about accessibility? Lucky for us, Samsung has built in Talkback support for the stylus. While not ideal, it allows you to swipe around the keyboard, tap items or keys, and see a more "3D" overview of the screen. With a physical stylus, your entire wrist and hand are involved in the touch exploration process. Drawing might also be useful for those who have some vision, as you can create large-print notes for yourself. Join as the question is explored: Is the Note 5's stylus capability worth it for the visually impaired?

With the recent release of KNFB Reader for Android, we can now see how text recognition and accuracy can differ among various smartphones. Does iOS still have an edge over recognition quality? What are some of the shortcomings of the Android app? Taking the same document, we run it through the camera of a Galaxy Note 5 and an iPhone 6s, which offer the 2015-era top notch camera quality from both Apple and Samsung. You can grab the Android version of KNFB Reader here Or grab the iOS one from the iTunes Store here.

If you are a fan of Android, you might be aware of how different the typing experience on most keyboard solutions can be for the platform. Samsung, LG, and even Google all design specific keyboards which differ in the way they present key layouts or even speak some of the names for keys. For some, typing on Android might also seem slower than on rival operating systems. Usually this sluggish behavior is noticed when your finger makes contact with the keys on the keyboard - it takes a few seconds for the screen reader to announce which key you have touched. Enter the Blind Accessibility Keyboard , a $3 app which is designed specifically for blind and low vision users. Unlike most other products, it announces the key your finger lands on by using the default TTS engine on your device. Other customization options, such as the height of the keyboard, labels for specific keys, and even a settings backup/ restore function are provided for advanced users. In our experience, the keyboard can be a hit or miss depending on your device. For slower, more budget phones, typing might be slower or equal to the current stock solutions. For phones that are better with processor speed, it will probably feel faster and smoother. Other issues, such as not being able to hold the delete key to quickly erase text, are being addressed by the developer in a future update.

In this podcast, Yannick gives us an introduction to the new Samsung Galaxy S6, and its own screen reader named Galaxy Talkback. Feel free to send Yannick any comments or suggestions below or via twitter at @YPlassiard. CBT would like to thank our loyal listeners for listening to this podcast by inviting you to join our Community and possibly join the CBT Team, where you can submit your own podcasts or articles.

The Nexus Root Toolkit is a very useful utility which can help you easily root your Google Nexus device. Despite its name however, this utility has much more to offer. It can lock or relock your bootloader, help you flash custom and stock roms, perform a backup and restore of your device among many other things. In this podcast, we walk you through the NRT interface and demonstrate a few of its features. Please keep in mind that NRT relies on ADB and Fastboot in order to work properly. Let us know which features you find most useful!

Greg, Leo and Cory welcome a new crew member, Dan Mathis to the show to discuss what's new and up-coming with the world of Google and the latest from Google IO. First up was the newest version of Android, Internally Code Named: Macadamia Nut Cookie, which is focusing on polish and quality It was announced that Android M should be available for Q3 2015, September of this year. The newest version of Android will initially be Launched on most of the flagship Devices: Nexus 5, 6, 9 and player, though the Nexus 7 likely will not be supported. Not to be out-done, Google is launching Android Pay which is coming to any devices with NFC running KitKat or above. Android pay will allow a user to just unlock and place the device on a compatible terminal. Additionally, Android M will allow Android Pay to work with third party apps. Along with Google Pay, Fingerprint reader support will be globally be available in Android M. As part of the shiny new polish, Android M introduces Doze, which is a state of deep sleep where the device senses whether it has been motionless for an extended period of time and manages it's power consumption accordingly. Android M devices will be introducing USB-C support. USB-C connectors work regardless of which way the cable is connected and support USB 3. Additionally, USB-C connectors support higher levels of power transfer. Continuing the new shine, Android M overhauls permissions. Apps will request permissions on an as-needed basis and are individually controllable. If needed, the possibility exists to revoke particular permissions. Audio is not to be left out as well, with volume granularity being enhanced with extended customizability. Chrome has been improved with site-customized tabs and tighter integration in to the OS for apps to display web content. Last but certainly not least, On Tap, will now be hanging out in your Google Now on your home button. This feature will be an Opt-in option for privacy reasons. While we can only speculate at the possibilities as it is Not available yet in Android M betas. What is it? A feature which will automatically attempt to find information based on your current activity and the context of the content you are viewing. Google certainly has some interesting new projects in the works: Project Jacquard: Conductive cloth for wearables. Project ARA: Building phones which have replaceable components Project Vault: SD card with its own OS and encrypted data store. Google Photos: Specific cloud service which is cross-platform for storing photos automatically. The new service supports facial recognition and has unlimited storage. New Version of Google Cardboard: Now compatible with iPhone and larger devices. Project Soli: A hand-motion tracking system that allows us to interact with our devices without even touching them. Gestures like volume control could be controlled with hand movement. Android Wear: Introducing low-power black and white viewing mode. Project Brillo: A stripped down version of Android intended for Internet of Things devices such as your smart lightbulb, allowing cross-platform control and communication with these devices. And finally, the Google Session: Improving your Android app's Accessibility: Discussed methods which developers can use to improve their apps for accessible use and provides techniques to doing this to developers. Additionally, the President of NFB appeared at the discussion. Cool Picks: Leo: Periscope Greg: Google Hand writing Dan: Zedge Cory: Smart Selfie

When you improve your app's accessibility, you improve your product for everyone, including the billion people worldwide who live with a disability. This talk will introduce you to Android accessibility services and show how they make your app work in new ways for a wide range of users. You will learn some accessibility best practices, and get introduced to new automated testing tools that bring accessibility into your existing app development workflow.

Let's talk about rooting Android devices. While previously we have discussed flashing a Nexus back to factory settings for tinkerers out there, we have not yet touched upon how most Galaxy devices are rooted. This podcast is applicable to non-newer Samsung's, anything S5 and below. For most of Samsung's flagships, the guide applies, although some might have different ways to boot into recovery or boot loader mode. This was tested personally to work on Galaxy S4 and S5 models, but the procedure is the same for Galaxy Note 3/4 as well. Grab the proper zip for your device, inside which you will find Odin for flashing. You will also need the ADB setup file This will provide you with the Samsung drivers you will need in order to access the boot loader and recovery modes. If for some reason those don't work, Grab Samsung's official driver here. We cannot stress this further, but doing this guide will forever void your manufacturer warranty. While you will still have insurance through your carrier if you have purchased it, Samsung's support centers will not be able to help you. Happy flashing!

In this podcast Hugo demonstrates some of the accessibility features of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung has developed their own version of TalkBack similar to Google TalkBack allowing you to navigate the screen with their own customized interface. Dark screen allows you to dim the screen. Turning the Accessibility shortcut on, enables you to long-press the power button, and then place two fingers on the screen for a few seconds to turn on TalkBack. permitting you to navigate the interface. Voice Label works in conjunction with writable NFC tags allowing you to scan an NFC tag, and record a voice memo helping you to understand what you tapped your phone to. Accessibility features for low vision users: Magnification gestures allows you to do a triple tap on the screen to zoom the entire interface and also pinch in and out with two fingers to adjust the zoom level. Magnifier window zooms in on areas of the screen with a permanent "window" that can be moved around. Font size allows you to adjust the font size to various levels. The Negative colors option changes the entire interface to a color palette that's easier to see. The interface switches to mostly white, with black text and red or pink elements. Color adjustment enables the interface to align colors by order of shade and color to your preference. Greyscale changes the interface to shades of black and grey.

For our second show, Greg Lopez, Leo Prazdnik, Tomi Geczy and Cory Martin meet to discuss the latest happenings in the world of Android. The crew kicks off the show with a discussion on Google's TalkBack user survey and it's results in the form of the Talkback 4.2 beta. Here's some links to other items which were discussed: Microsoft reveals plans to expand further into the Android ecosystem with a partnership with Dell.Google expands Android's smart lock features with on-body smart lock feature to deter would-be thieves. The crew discusses Google's Project Ara, a fully customizable phone built from modular components. It's been confirmed... You can uninstall most preinstalled apps from the Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge. Would you rather write then type? Google's got you covered with their new handwriting input app. APH has released an updated version of Nearby Explorer with Open Street Map support. Do you like using TeamTalk? It's now available in the Play Store. Want to try out Meerkat? It's now in public beta and accepting signups. Looking for your missing Android? Just type Find My Phone into your favorite web browser after signing into your Google account to find it. Google's Project Fi, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) kicks off with a beta for Nexus 6 devices. Cool Picks Cory: TeamTalk for Android Greg: Chromecast (Requires Chromecast or Nexus Player device) Tomi: Talking Stones Leo: Trivia Crack Finally, the crew would like to announce that they have a special guest lined up for May's show... We won't say more then that at the moment, but we're definitely looking forward to our special guest. As usual, if you have any feedback, feel free to get in touch with us in the usual ways, and if using Twitter, please add the hash tag #CBTDroid on the end so we know it's specific to The Android Crew. Thanks for listening, and tell your friends.

In this podcast Leonid demonstrates a simple way to flash a stock Android rom on to a Google Nexus device. The factory images can be downloaded here. The following tools were used to flash the image: Download the 7-zip utility to extract the compressed image here. The ADB and Fastboot tools are used to flash the image on the Nexus device. Download the Minimal ADB and Fastboot installer here. Please be sure to back up any important data before proceeding!

Brandon Cross gives a short introduction to Podcast Addict which is a podcast aggregator app for the Android operating system. He gives a brief overview of how easy it is to add a podcast via search engine. If you enjoyed this podcast and think this app might be something you will like, you can download it from the Google PlayStore. More from developer With Podcast Addict, manage all your audio & video Podcasts as well as your YouTube channels and RSS News feeds from your Android device. Subscribe to your favorite podcasts using the embedded networks (5by5, ABC, AfterBuzz TV, BBC, CNN, Carolla Digital, ESPN, FrogPants, LibriVox, Nerdist, NPR, Revision3, Smodcast, Ted Talks, Twit and Cool Blind Tech…). You can also import your podcasts subscriptions from an iTunes or Google Reader OPML file, or use the embedded search engine to browse Podcasts Addict (200K podcasts) or iTunes databases (250K podcasts). Finally you can also copy and paste your podcasts RSS feeds in order to subscribe. The app displays a small ad banner at the bottom of the screen. If you want to support Podcast Addict and/or disable the ad banner, you can buy Podcast Addict - Donate app Features: • Android Wear notifications & controls (Android 4.3+ only) • chromecast support • minimal permission requirement • manage Audio & Video podcasts, iTunes podcasts, Soundcloud url, Youtube Channels & RSS News feeds • standalone player (MP3, local files, streaming) • support both download & streaming • automatic update • automatic download • advanced automatic deletion features (trash...) • advanced Custom Settings per Podcast • automatic podcasts Flattr • podcast & episode search engine (use both Podcast Addict database & iTunes database) • audio & video player with resume, shuffle, loop, ... • variable playback speed, volume boost and skip silence (available for Android 4.1+) • audio & video playlist • customizable widgets • full app backup / restore • themes • lock screen widgets (Android 4.0+ only) • sleep timer • both list & grid mode display (podcasts & episodes) • authenticated feeds • virtual podcasts (handle a folder content as a podcast) • trending, new, TOP 250 most successful podcasts • Browse podcasts by category • OPML import (iTunes, Google Reader...) • OPML export • Full screen reading mode for RSS news feed • Podcasts suggestions • comments download feature • episode & podcast sharing • episode search engine • pebble support (player notifications) • support for Nova Launcher TeslaUnread plugin • support for Tasker, AutomateIT, ...

For our first show, the Android Crew, Greg Lopez, Tomi Geczy, Brandon Cross and Cory Martin all meet to hash out the latest Android happenings, starting with new hardware announced at Mobile World Congress. The crew starts out with the Samsung Galaxy S6 by discussing the pros and cons of the drastic new design. Here are a few links to some of the items which they discussed: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge reportedly facing touchscreen issues - SamMobile https://is.gd/Y7hOc1 Here is a link to the new accessibility features for the galaxy S6 https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/eyes-free/bpaJIotS1kE Here is a PDF for the Samsung S6 manual that talks about the accessibility features https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/201503/20150303094626458/SM-G920F_UM_EU_Lollipop_Eng_Rev.1.0_150302.pdf The new Loop Pay on the S6 looks possibly better than other NFC-based payment options, offering backward compatibility with existing point-of-sale hardware. Loop Pay on S6: https://www.nfcworld.com/2015/03/01/334371/samsung-unveils-galaxy-s6-with-nfc-and-looppay-mobile-payments/ S6/S6 Edge available via US and Canadian carriers on 4/10/2015, prices still unknown https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/03/10/samsung-galaxy-s6-gold-canada/ Wireless charging and Fast Charge 2.0 technologies are contrasted, speed versus convenience? It is suggested that wireless charging might be detrimental to battery-life. One of the sources of this information came from the Wikipedia article provided here. Wireless charging may generate additional heat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_charging Finally, it was unanimously decided that the Samsung Galaxy S6 would make an excellent choice for those considering switching to Android from other platforms. The S6 wasn't the only cool phone announced, with HTC and their M9 now boasting a 20 Megapixel camera and 2800 MA battery which might be important for another soon to be announced app: https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-one-m9-what-we-want-to-see-1266545 At finally long last, Blind Bargains brings us an interview from CSUN where it is suggested that the KNFB Reader app might soon be coming to Android: https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=12451 Those monster megapixel cameras on these Android phones might soon be a very important tool for us who are blind or visually impaired. For those of us who might need to conserve the cash, the new Motorola E now has LTE, 4.5 inch screen, 5 MP camera, yet has no flash according to All about Android It is suggested that the phone may have a price-point of $150.00 US. If you're in to unusual, you might enjoy the Alcatel One-Touch Idol-3 Handset with earpiece on front at top and bottom. Check out this article, Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 can take phone calls even when upside down https://www.engadget.com/2015/03/01/alcatel-onetouch-idol-3/ Finally, if you're a fan of the stock droid experience, All Huawei phones released are running stock android: https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/3/8140837/huawei-watch-design-interview-mwc-2015 What will be laid to rest is the Google Nexus 5 according to this article, Nexus 5 no longer for sale https://www.cnet.com/news/google-puts-the-kibosh-on-nexus-5-sales/ Of course, the Apple Watch may have some competition as the Samsung Gear series of watches appear to come with similar accessibility features including a built-in screen-reader, negative colors and a privacy screen option among many others, check out the links to some details on the Samsung Gear accessibility features: Samsung Gear S Specs: https://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/gears/gears_specs.html Samsung Gear S Accessibility User Guide: https://eguides.sprint.com/support/eguides/samsunggears/index.html#samsung_gear_s_ug/accessibility_settings.html Of course, if you're in to the immersive experience, the HTC Vibe definitely has you covered with a whole series...