Author: Clinton

Google has given another fresh coat of paint to their two-factor authentication app, Google Authenticator.  The update is rolling out to the Google Play store now and if you have it installed, you likely will see the OTA for it in the next day or two if not already.  The updated build is version 4.74 for those keeping score at home.  If you aren’t familiar with Authenticator, it is the code generating app when you enable two-factor authentication on your various accounts.  Many services offer two-factor including Google, Microsoft, Evernote, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  I strongly urge all readers to enable two-factor on all of their accounts for security purposes.  Yes it is a pain but apps like Google Authenticator allow you to have multiple accounts in the app.

Most of the changes in this update are cosmetic but they are good to see.  First, the app is completely Material Design now which has a nice clean look to it.  The six digit codes generated are now split into two, 3 digit sections so it makes it much easier to read.

Capital One has become the latest financial institution to add fingerprint authentication support to their Android app.  The US-based bank and credit institution has updated their Android app to give customers the ability to authenticate and access their accounts on their phones via their fingerprint.  Setup of the new feature is easy and can be found off of the settings menu.  Once it is enabled and configured, you can start the app then access your accounts by touching your fingerprint scanner on your phone.  For security purposes, your PIN or Pattern authentication that you previously used will become the backup way to get into the app and your accounts.

BLU’s latest offering, the Life One X2, is now available for pre-order at their store front on Amazon.  The phone comes with either 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM for $135 or you can get the much better deal 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM model for $180.  That’s a great price for a well appointed budget phone, something that BLU is well known for producing.

As for the specs, it isn’t too shabby.  The Life One X2 is a 5.2″ display device that is curved and gives you Full HD rendering.  It is protected by Gorilla glass 3 as well.  Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor.  That’s an octa-core processor running at 1.4GHz.  It’s not the fastest processor out there but keep the price point in mind here folks.  As mentioned, the phone has two options from a storage/RAM perspective at 16GB/2GB or 64GB/4GB.  That storage can be expanded up to an additional 64GB as it has a MicroSD card slot.

A friendly reminder for those who are still thinking of picking up the great deal on the Nextbit Robin over at Amazon.  The Robin is still on sale today at Amazon for just $199, a $200 savings off the regular price.  It is available in both Mint and Midnight for that price and if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get free shipping on it as well and get it on Saturday if you order today.

For those that don’t recall, the Nextbit Robin has some great features and offers a unique device-meets-cloud storage solution.  It has 32GB of onboard storage merged with 100 GB online storage, so you always have the space you need. Robin seamlessly backs up your apps and photos, intelligently archives the stuff you’re not using, and easily restores items when you need them.  The idea is that you never run out of space.  Those less used apps are backed up into the cloud but then are instantly available when you want them.  You’ll know an app has been backed up into the cloud as it will be grey on your Robin.

Samsung USA has stated that nearly half of the 1 million of the Galaxy Note7 impacted by the recent recall have been returned here in the US.  That’s actually really great news as owners of the Note7 have taken the recall pretty seriously and returned the devices to their carrier or the store from which they bought it for a replacement.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today that about half of all recalled Galaxy Note7 phones sold in the U.S. have been exchanged through Samsung’s voluntary recall. Additionally, 90 percent of Galaxy Note7 owners have been opting to receive the new Galaxy Note7 since the phones became widely available on Wednesday, September 21.

It would appear too that users are opting to stick with the Note7 upon that exchange of their devices although they have mostly had the option to go with a different device if they so choose.

Happy Birthday Android!  Back on September 23, 2008, Android 1.o made its debut with T-Mobile G1, also known as the HTC Dream making it commercially available for the first time.  As we who love the platform know, it has grown exponentially in features, performance and functionality over the past 8 years and it is exciting to think of what the next 8 years hold in store for it.

To be fair, there is a lot of confusion on the Interwebs on the exact birthday of Android but it seems to come down to two dates.  The first, September 23, 2008 as I mentioned before being the commercially available date.  There is also the date of November 5, 2007.  That is the day that the beta of Android 1.0 was made available.  It seems pretty clear in Google’s mind however that the September 23rd date is the one of record and clearly is the one they are celebrating.