Amazing iPhone 6 hack brings the Android Lollipop experience to iOS

Have you ever wanted to try Android without actually ditching your iPhone in favor of a brand new Android device? There might be a way to do that, as long as you still have access to an iOS version that can be jailbroken, as the app that’ll get you an Android experience on your iPhone 6 can’t be found in the App Store.

As posted on Reddit and imgur, Andrios is “an Android experience for iOS,” which aims to bring some familiar Android Lollipop UI elements to the iPhone, offering users a fake but gorgeous Android environment.

The Andrios app isn’t available for download just yet, and it’ll cost you somewhere between $3 and $4 once it’s ready. But its developers have been working on it for two months straight, coming up with an amazing interface that makes the iPhone look like an Android-powered handset. Interestingly, switching between Lollipop and KitKat modes is also an available option.

As the screenshots reveal, Andrios brings over various Android elements you’ll recognize immediately, including the Google Search bar, the Action Bar buttons, and the Material Design palette. Other elements such as the Notification Center, lock screen notifications, notification functionality, power menu, music playback widget, volume sliders and buttons are also shown off in the screenshot gallery.

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Android 5.2 Lollipop update: everything you need to know

The Android 5.1 Lollipop is steadily (and slowly) making its way to devices, and we now know what treats, fixes and updates it contains inside. The rollout of 5.1 also means it's a good time to start talking about what we want and expect from the Android 5.2 Lollipop update.

While there are few hard facts about it so far, there are already a few rumors swirling around, as well as our own expectations about what can be done to improve on Android. As more information about the Android 5.2 Lollipop update emerges, this will be the place to find out about it - so stay tuned.

Information about Android 5.2 Lollipop is scarce so far, but back in February a Geekbench benchmark emerged of a Nexus 5 seemingly running Android 5.2 Lollipop. While the benchmark gives no details on what to expect from Android 5.2, it suggests that there are a few pockets of the world where some early build of it already exists.

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“Microsoft Payments” may join Apple, Android, Samsung in pay platforms

Windows 10 for phones supports Host Card Emulation, licensing makes it official.

In February, Microsoft quietly applied for licensing to be a money transmitter in all 50 states as well as an assortment of current and former US territories. Banking consultant Faisal Kahn recently found an application (PDF) submitted by Microsoft at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to be a Money Services Business (MSB), suggesting that the company is taking next steps to develop its own mobile payments platform akin to Google Wallet (or Android Pay), Apple Pay, and the yet-to-be launched Samsung Pay.

Kahn confirmed that Idaho was one of the first states to grant Microsoft a license to be a money transmitter, as listed on the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) registry. NMLS does not publish information on applications not yet approved by the state.

In March, Microsoft announced that its forthcoming Windows 10 for phones and small tablets (a.k.a. "Windows Mobile"),would support Host Card Emulation (HCE). HCE is a method of transmitting credit card information without relying on a Secure Element embedded in a SIM. Newer Android phones use HCE to transmit NFC signals to terminals, and the benefits of the scheme mean that third-party developers can build NFC functions into their apps. The elimination of the Secure Element requirement makes the payment platform SIM-independent, and hence carrier agnostic.

A Microsoft spokesperson told Ars that it's too early to herald Microsoft Payments just yet, however. “As a mobile-first, cloud-first company, Microsoft continues to evolve our offerings to meet the needs of both our commercial customers and consumers,” the spokesperson said. “Becoming a money service business gives us the flexibility to provide new, innovative cloud services to our customers but we do not have any product announcements at this time.”

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Google Nexus 5 Starts Receiving Android 5.1 Lollipop Update in India

Google released the Android 5.1 Lollipop factory images for the Nexus 5 and other Nexus devices in early March, and then said the rollout of the update over-the-air (OTA) has begun. After another report last month about the OTA rollout having begun for the LG Nexus 5, the Android 5.1 Lollipop OTA update has now started rolling out in India.
The Android 5.1 Lollipop OTA update with build number LMY47I for LG-made Google Nexus 5 weighs 220.7MB, and is recommended to download through a Wi-Fi connection. The update comes with several bug fixes and some much-needed features, which were earlier missing from in the Android 5.0 Lollipop OS version.
As mentioned before, the update brings improved overall stability and an enhanced ART (Android Run Time) making apps open faster than before. Issues with "Okay Google" have also been fixed. Nexus 5 users can now also search for different Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections directly from the 'Quick Settings' option in the notification panel without opening the 'Settings' page.
Also, the system volume can be changed while playing audio. Alarm volume can be changed from within clock app. Some of the other changes include new 'No interruptions until next alarm' option in Priority mode; improved heads-up notifications that let users swipe up to collapse; improved battery life, and lock screen remains locked when swiping within notification settings.

The update will be reaching all Nexus 5 smartphones gradually. However, those who are impatient for the OTA rollout in their regions can install the factory image - refer to our guide on how to download and manually install the Android 5.1 Lollipop factory image.
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Apple will let you trade in your Android phone toward a new iPhone

Apple has expanded its trade-in program to include Android phones, BlackBerrys and Windows Phone handsets, the company confirmed on Monday.
Users will be able to trade in their phones from other platforms in Apple stores in the U.S., UK, Canada, France, Germany and Italy via its iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program, and receive a gift card to use at Apple stores. The news was first reported by 9to5Mac earlier this month.
The move is likely part of a larger effort to increase conversion rates from non-Apple smartphones to the iPhone and increase hardware sales.
Previously, Apple updated its website to include a step-by-step guide on how to ditch an Android device for an iPhone — and, most recently, CEO Tim Cook said during an earnings call that the company saw more Android users switch to iOS after the launches of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus than after the launches of the past three Apple devices.
The iPhone trade-in program launched in 2013 to encourage Apple fans to swap their old iPhones for store credit toward a newer one. Apple, which gives credit for the current value of the older device, requires users to purchase a new model on the same day as the trade.
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Microsoft and Yahoo likely to end US search alliance as Google remains market leader

Internet giants Yahoo and Microsoft failed to make progress with their renegotiation of a ten-year search deal that was made by the companies' former bosses to rival Google.
The companies have extended the deadline to re-negotiate the deal by 30 days, signalling a possible break-up between them.
The partnership agreed in 2010 allowed Yahoo to use Microsoft Bing's search technology and Microsoft's search-based advertising system. The partnership was pioneered by Carol Bartz and Steve Ballmer, who were heading Yahoo and Microsoft respectively.
The agreement included a provision for Yahoo to exit its search alliance with Microsoft within a 30-day period after 23 February, 2015, provided Yahoo's 12-month average revenue per search in the US was less than an undisclosed percentage of Google's estimated 12-month average revenue per search in the US.
In a regulatory filing, Yahoo said the companies amended the terms of the search alliance agreement, extending the time until late April to terminate the deal.
According to the initial agreement, the search alliance would remain in effect for another five years if there was no exercise of option to exit. Therefore, the extension could mean that Yahoo may be planning to opt out of the alliance.
Microsoft and Yahoo declined to comment on the negotiations.
Before the partnership, Microsoft and Yahoo together handled about 28% of Web searches in the US. In February, their combined market share amounted to 32.6% of US desktop searches, while Google controls roughly two-thirds of the US search market, according to comScore Inc.
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Android fans confess what they envy most about iOS

Android fans are a proud bunch who don’t like admitting things they envy about other platforms, especially those made by (*spit*) Apple. However, open-minded Android and iOS fans alike can see things in other platforms they like and Reddit’s Android community recently had a confessional session in which they admitted what iOS features they’d most like to see Android adopt in the future.
The most popular response had to do with having more granular app permissions on the Google Play store. While Apple lets users grant individual app permissions to apps while rejecting others, app permissions on Google Play are an all-or-nothing proposition where you either grant all permissions or not use the app.
Full device backup is another popular choice for Android users, although one Android fan writes that “Lollipop went a little bit towards fixing this, allowing you to restore the apps you previously had installed,” even though “it still doesn’t restore data, settings, or anything like that.”
Another popular answer — and one that we’ve been harping on for a long time — involves how quickly Android updates get pushed out to devices. Although this would be nice, we’ll never live in a world where an update comes out and every Android user can go get it at once. Android’s business model is based on having multiple OEMs who will want to all install their own apps and customized skins onto their devices. The downside of this is that it takes longer for them to test each new update out and adapt their own software to it.
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Latest Android malware sneakily installs rogue apps, but Play Store users need not worry

Quick heads-up on a vulnerability you might learn about soon. The folks at Palo Alto stumbled across a major security vulnerability within Android that could allow malicious apps to hijack an app install. Before you freak out and hook your phone up to a chemo machine to rid it of any impurities, stop — there’s almost nothing to be worried about here:

• Google has already patched it ahead of this report being released
• The initial bug was reported to Google as early as January 2014. We suspect Google kept it under wraps this long to make sure no-gooders wouldn’t try to target exposed devices
• The vulnerability only affects sideloaded apps or apps downloaded from third-party app stores
• It only affected Android versions prior to 4.4
• For devices not on 4.4 or higher, Palo Alto worked with top manufacturers like Samsung to patch this fix in with their most recent software updates. Amazon also updated their Appstore to patch the vulnerability

So what does it do? According to them, since a side-loaded APK is installed from an unprotected source such as an SD card, an app could hijack the process of installing the app by Android’s package installer. It’d do this by replacing the legit APK with one that would most likely contain some sort of malware and other nasty stuff, and it would all happen without the user even knowing.
The dirty (but full) details can be found in the report published here, but the reality is that most folks with a phone made within the past couple of years are probably safe. Still, if you’re the oddball who still as a Nexus One on Android 2.3 and might be using a third-party app store over Google Play, you’ll be glad you know about it.
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Microsoft to Bring Advanced Version of Cortana to iOS and Android

Microsoft is working on an advanced version of Cortana to rival the likes of Apple's Siri and Google Now, according to a Reuters' interview with Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft research.
The new version of Cortana is based on research from Microsoft's artificial intelligence project called "Einstein." It will be built into Windows 10 this fall, and further be available on both iOS and Android devices.
"This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame," said Horvitz.
Supported by Cortana’s search, speech recognition, and machine learning capabilities, Microsoft aims to this advanced version into the first intelligent digital assistant that can predict users' needs.
But whether Cortana will become the cream of the crop remains to be seen, as Google and Apple are pushing boundaries as well.
In its latest mobile app, Google has leveraged its billions of searches to predict what a user is doing and what they are interested in, and send them relevant information accordingly. At the same time, Apple has integrated Siri (which uses Microsoft's Bing search engine) into its CarPlay software to allow drivers to reply to incoming messages without taking their eyes off the road. The company has also placed Siri on its HomeKit system and Apple Watch.
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