Google hints at Chromecast expansion with iOS and Android

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.

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DNP Google Play newsstand

You can already download anything from TV shows to magazines from Google Play, so it's no surprise that newspaper subscriptions might come the future. Android Police tore down the upcoming Google Play version 4.4., and it strongly hints at a portal called Newsstand. It's not exactly brand new -- it first appeared as Play News within the store's website code earlier this year -- but the recent discovery makes the section's debut look more likely. While there's no concrete info at this point, a close scrutiny of the APK's code has revealed that the Magazines section might merge with it, creating a centralized store for virtual readables. That makes sense, considering it's most likely designed as a competition to the iOS app of the same name. The code also hints at a free trial, but you know what'll make the service better? If newspapers offer free digital versions to print subscribers from the start.

[Image credit: Bill Ward, Flickr]

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Yes, Microsoft is working on a Remote Desktop app for Windows Phone

When Microsoft said that it would release its Remote Desktop app for Android and iOS, it left many scratching their heads -- what, no Windows Phone version? There's no need to worry, though, as the company has just promised The Next Web that it's writing a client for its own mobile platform. Redmond can't yet say when it'll release the app, although we wouldn't expect a launch in the near future. Microsoft got a head start on developing for Android and iOS by acquiring technology from HLW Software, which produced Remote Desktop equivalents until this month; there's no such luxury for Windows Phone.

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DNP BBC's Moving On to premier on iPlayer

BBC's iPlayer is shaping up to be a workaholic's best friend for lazy weekends. This time, it's the fifth season of daytime drama Moving On that's hitting the service, which has also scored 30-day catch-up programming and exclusive content in recent months. While the network has previously experimented with pre-TV airing, it has focused on comedies like BBC Three's Jack Whitehall's Bad Education -- this marks the first time a drama will premiere on iPlayer. There's no word on when Moving On will debut online other than that it'll happen sometime this fall, and that all five standalone episodes will be available at once. According to the BBC, this is all part of a trial that explores "the role of online premiering," so we can likely expect more titles to follow suit in the future.

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Engadget Mobile Podcast 179 - 05.09.13

Want to go beyond the review for even more details about HTC's One Max? You've come to the right place, as Brad Molen and Richard Lai dive into all the details, from fingerprint scanning to battery life and more. Also on the topic of HTC, you'll find out if Richard got cooties by licking the gold-plated HTC One. Weirdness aside, we've got the skinny on upcoming events, from potential tablets at Nokia World in Abu Dhabi -- where Richard expects to see even more gold -- to Brad's predictions for the upcoming Apple event next week. So head on down and get your stream on with another episode of the Engadget Mobile podcast.

Hosts: Brad Molen

Guest: Richard Lai

Producer: Jon Turi

Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

Hear the podcast:

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Google Hangouts for iOS can call US & Canada for free, receive Google Voice calls

The Google Hangouts app for iOS is getting a major update this evening that gives it all new calling features on Apple's mobile hardware. Users can call phone numbers directly from the app itself, with no charge for any calls to US & Canadian numbers (international calls work too, for a fee). If they have a Google Voice account it's even more useful since it can both make and receive calls now, with outgoing calls showing your GV number and incoming calls popping up in the Hangouts app itself. Also new, are the better visible indicators of who is reachable right now that recently popped up in the Android version, inline animated GIF support and now incoming calls don't stop user's music -- they just pause it. We're already expecting Hangouts to take a step to the forefront in Android 4.4 KitKat -- check the app's placement in yesterday's Nexus 5 leak for a peek -- and this update will probably make things easier for users that cross back and forth between platforms.

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DNP Google teams up with Abandoned NYC to bring the city's secrets to Field Trip app

Starting today, users of Field Trip for iOS, Android and Glass will be able to experience some of New York City's forgotten -- and occasionally creepy -- locations as Google's Niantic Labs brings Abandoned NYC's content to the app. Normally, Field Trip functions as a convenient mobile tour guide, delivering interesting information provided by sources like the American Institute of Architects and the Little Black Book series. With Abandoned NYC joining the ranks of content providers, Field Trip users will be able to explore obscure, mysterious and atmospheric spots across the five boroughs uncovered by photographer and project founder Will Ellis, like Harlem's Public School 186 and the Red Hook Grain Terminal. Unfamiliar with Field Trip? See it in action after the break or download it from one of the source links below.

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Bing Weather and Sports apps for Windows Phone get skiing weather, more leagues

Plenty of Windows Phone owners enjoy sports beyond American traditions like baseball or football. If that describes you to a (golf) tee, you'll be glad to hear that Microsoft has updated its Bing Sports and Weather apps with you in mind. The Bing Sports app now tracks 30 more sports, including Champions League soccer, LPGA golf, NASCAR, rugby and tennis; it follows individual players and sports, too. Bing Weather, meanwhile, now displays skiing conditions for hills around the world. Neither upgrade is revolutionary, but they're enough that fans of snowy slopes and stock cars will want to visit the Windows Phone Store today.

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Sony

Yes, it's futuristic, but that ponderous trickle of energy from base station to device isn't great for impatient types. Sony, however, thinks that it's solved the problem of slow wireless charging with its latest invention. The new unit, based on a forthcoming version of the Qi standard, promises to pump 10 to 15 watts of energy into your device -- theoretically cutting charging times down to just an hour. While so much power would normally cause your smartphone to overheat and combust, chip and power company Rohm promises that its new control chips can handle the temperature issues. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing this hardware turn up in Xperia phones until the second half of 2014, but at least that means we've got some time to recycle all of our cables.

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Apple and Samsung make the most satisfying phones, says JD Power report

Happy with your iPhone's service? That could be because you're on Verizon, whose iPhone customers reported the highest satisfaction in J.D. Power's latest survey. However, when combined with any other mainstream handset, Verizon actually ranked dead last in overall customer satisfaction -- yielding the top three spots to AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, respectively. To be fair, a Consumer Reports survey said the exact opposite about Verizon just five months ago, so it's best to take these things with some seasoning.

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DNP Archos line of smartphones

Archos has revealed not one but four budget smartphones with humble specs to join its tablets in the Titanium line, making us want to break into song. The new Android Jelly Bean devices are named after their screen sizes -- models 40, 45, 50 and 53 have displays that measure 4 (800 x 480 resolution), 4.5 (854 x 480), 5 (960 x 540) and 5.3 (854 x 480) inches, respectively. They have dual SIM slots that allow them to support 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM, as well as 900/2100 WCDMA bands, and they connect to the internet via HSDPA+/HSUPA.

On the inside, you'll the find the phones running on 1.3GHz dual-core MTK6572w processors with 512MB of RAM and, sadly, only 4GB of storage that makes their microSD card slots more valuable than ever. While the devices don't boast any fancy add-ons, they at least come with 5-megapixel rear and 0.3-megapixel front cameras. Availability seems up in the air at this point, but the phones' prices will range from €100 ($137) to €160 ($219) when they come out. Those who'd like to know more about the company's new set of quadruplets can head past the break for more info.

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The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 1230AM ET!

We try to record the mobcast during the day as much as possible, but we'll be doing this week's episode later at night because our special guest is Richard Lai, Editor-in-Chief of Engadget Chinese! We had a lot of time to play with the HTC One Max, and there will be plenty of other things to chat about as well. Join us!

October 18, 2013 12:30:00 AM EDT

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Nexus 5 listing appears in the Play Store, teases 16GB for $349

We still haven't heard anything official about Google's next Nexus phone, but tonight some people are already seeing the Nexus 5 as an option in the Play Store. Just among our editors, some see the outgoing Nexus 4 while others get the result shown after the break, with a 16GB (from the link in the page, although it doesn't go anywhere) Nexus 5 listed for $349, along with the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Previous leaks have given us a good look at the outside while a service manual gave up the internal details: 1080p 4.95-inch display, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU, LTE and storage capacity that tops out at 32GB. These screenshots show the Hangouts app where we'd usually expect our SMS icon to be, which is among the software changes we're expecting when this new device arrives with Android 4.4 KitKat some time in the future -- possibly around October 28th.

Update: It looks like Google has plugged the leaky hole, as the page is showing all of us the Nexus 4 once again. Nothing to see here... for now.

[Thanks, Jacob]

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DNP Facebook for iOS update lets you edit posts, add photos to comments

Stop the presses. A new Facebook for iOS update hit iTunes today, and it brings with it a handful of relatively minor features. Now, you can edit your posts and comments through the app to fix any egregious mistakes you might make, after which a label indicating that the post has been edited will appear. And for those situations when mere words will not suffice, version 6.6 allows you to add photos and emoticons to your comments (though the latter is only available if you use the English version of Facebook). Additionally, privacy shortcuts can now be accessed by simply tapping the lock by your name on the main menu. If these new features tickle your fancy, you can download the update at the source link below.

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Microsoft Remote Desktop apps for Android and iOS allow mobile access to stationary PCs

In order to keep that office-bound PC accessible on the road, Microsoft released Remote Desktop apps for both iOS and Android alongside the arrival of Windows 8.1. Now, users can navigate a Windows machine via a smartphone or tablet with the help of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The software doesn't detect PCs automatically, so you'll need to have that IP address handy and remember to toggle on the requisite options from the base station's Control Panel. Once inside the app, you can expect multitouch navigation, content streaming and a management tool for an entire collection of remotely connected devices. Both the iOS (iOS 6 and 7) and Android (2.2 or later) versions of Microsoft Remote Desktop are free and they await in source links that follow.

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