Best Apps of 2016

Google has has released their picks for the best apps of 2016. This list features several different categories containing the best apps in each category. For this video, I'll take a look at the best app from each section. So check out the video to see the best apps of 2016 in action.

Best self improvement app: Memrise

Most beautiful app: Adobe Illustrator Draw

Most share-worthy app: Adobe Photoshop Fix

Best Local App: Letgo

Most entertaining app: Violin: Magical Bow

Best app of 2016: Prisma

 

2016 was a great year for new and exciting apps from the Play store.. If you don't see your favorite app on this list, let us know in the comments what it is!

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Guide for Full ADB Root, System RW, and DM-Verity Off on the Sprint LG G5

XDA Senior Member Honestly Annoying has created a guide to walk you through getting ADB Root, System RW & DM Verity Off on the Sprint LG G5. The process can be done on Windows, macOS or Linux, but it will only work on the ZV4 build.

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Acer Will No Longer Be Selling Smartphones in India

India is one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world. Companies like Google, Xiaomi and OnePlus have looked at this growth and have started to invest in getting their brand known within the country. Bringing their phones, apps and services to as many people within the country as possible. This move has been lucrative and successful for some, but not so much for others.

LeEco has been having financial issues due to their expansion plan, and they've been forced into laying off a number of workers within the country. Even Google wanted the country to adopt their initial Android One program, but they decided to change the guidelines when it didn't turn out to be as popular as they had first hoped. There is a lot of potential with the mobile smartphone market within India, but some countries are finding it difficult to be successful.

This week, it was reported that Acer has announced they will no longer be selling smartphones in India. Instead, the company says they would rather focus their efforts in to expanding their laptops and other hardware businesses within the country. This is a company that has been selling hardware in the country since 1999 too and then shifted to sell smartphones there about 6 years ago. One of Acer's top India executives has come out and said this change is because multiple government policies have made it difficult for them. They feel the government would rather have small businesses succeed in the country than larger corporations. Then they also talk about how smartphones have become a commodity based on its price rather than its experience.

We're starting to see this in other markets too. Markets where it's getting harder and harder for OEMs to sell as many high-end premium devices when compared to the mid-range and low-end market.

Source: Mashable

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OnePlus 2 OTA Update Brings OxygenOS 3.5.5 to the Device

OnePlus has announced they are starting to roll out a new OTA update to the OnePlus 2. This new update will bring your device up to version 3.5.5 of OxygenOS, and it comes with a lot of new features and changes. The company warns users that updating to 3.5.5 can cause issues with things like WiFi and network connectivity, as well as the fingerprint sensor if the person tries to downgrade back to version 3.1.0.

It is possible to downgrade to 3.1.0 without issue, but you'll need to use a special 3.1.0 downgrading version and flashing tool. Doing this will wipe all of the data from your phone. The main changes with this update are the new features that OnePlus has added. We're told that this update enables VoLTE functionality for select carriers but doesn't go into detail about which carriers and that it also comes with an App Lock feature.

They've added a Battery Saving Mode, a Gaming Mode, and put in some new options for the Alert Slider within the settings. The update comes with a redesigned volume adjustment bar, adds in some optimizations for their Shelf feature, and comes with an updated user interface for the clock application. We're also told that the Clock, Calculator, and Messages applications will be replaced with stock OnePlus apps unless you have updated the corresponding Google apps.

If this is the case for you, and you want to continue using Google's apps, then you can download them from the Play Store. This new OTA update brings new UI changes to OxygenOS as a whole, they've increased the stability, fixed a number of bugs, and included December's security patches too. OnePlus also warns that this update will reset "many" of the phone's settings (like device name, ring tones, accent colors, etc).

So you'll want to go back through your settings and adjust these options if you notice something is different from before.

Source: OnePlus

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Rumor Reveals Specs of a 4.6″ Flagship from Xiaomi

Over the years, the screen size of smartphones has gotten bigger and bigger. A few years back, smartphone makers were ridiculed for releasing a product with a display that was 5″ or bigger. Some have enjoyed this transition while others merely put up with it. Then there are some within the community who outright loathe the trend and wish things could go back to the way they used to be.

Granted, there have been some smartphone OEMs who release smartphones with a screen smaller than 5 inches. However, the majority of these devices have low-end, or even mid-range specs, and do not get the software support that they deserve. Sony filled this gap with the compact series of their Xperia line, but even changed this year with the release of the Xperia X Compact and it's Snapdragon 650 SoC. Some people just want the latest hardware in their device and it's a market that has been largely ignored for years. A new rumor from China suggests Xiaomi may be looking to fill that void with a smartphone called the Mi S. If true, this device will have a 4.6″ display, Snapdragon 821 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of UFS 2.0 internal storage.

The rumors say the dimension will be 128.3mm, 64.2mm and 8.2mm, with a 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor for the rear camera and a 4MP front-facing camera. The images show a fingerprint scanner in the bottom bezel of the display, they mention it has USB Type-C with Quick Charge 3.0 technology, and a 2,600mAh capacity battery. That battery size might be on the small with today's standard, but we have to remember that it only has a 4.6″ display.

Does this sound like a smartphone you would buy (even if you had to get one from a reseller)?

Source: GizmoChina

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Flashtool for Sony Updated to v0.9.23.0 with Support for Nougat FTF

Users who have owned Sony devices and done any sort of software tinkering with them would have obviously heard of XDA Recognized Developer Androxyde's Flashtool. For the uninitiated, Flashtool offers Sony device owners the freedom to move around on stock packages for both upgrades and downgrades, and was once used as a means of flashing modified "custom" ROMs as well (before recoveries gained their popularity).

Flashtool's popularity stems from its use cases as well as the sheer number of device it supports. The PC-based software works across all Sony phones, ranging from the Xperia X10 that was released in 2009 all the way to the Xperia Z Ultra and newer. Now, the use case for Flashtool has added another milestone in the form of support for Nougat FTF flashing.

Changelog for the Flashtool v0.9.23.0 update is as follows:

• Fix for Nougat sin files parsing. FT should now be able to flash Nougat FTF
• TA raw backup for all devices exposed to dirtycow exploit. TA backup using dirtycow by rayman
• More accurate USB log parser for creating fsc scripts
• In advanced mode, some new TA features: Viewer and custom TA file generator or flashing
• Added a new device property to tell if fsc is mandatory or not. Check of this property is done before flashing

In addition to all of its flashing use case, Flashtool also aids in TA backups. TA backups are usually done to protect the DRM keys on Sony devices, which are otherwise lost irretrievably if a user decides to unlock the bootloader. The update uses the recent DirtyCow exploit to allow for TA partition backups.

To download the most recent Flashtool, head on over to its website homepage. Additionally, you can also visit the forum thread. Since the software is open source, you can aso check out its sources over on Github.

Have you used Flashtool before? What has your experience been with the software? Let us know in the comments below!

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2016 in Review: What are the Best Mobile Games of 2016?

As we enter the final days of the year, it's time to get your opinion on all the events, news, releases and controversies that we witnessed so far in 2016. We saw several new games in the headlines this year — some for captivating the masses, and some for failing to live up to expectations.

So, our question to you is,

What are the best games os 2016? What appeals to you in these games? Do you like them for their artwork and style, their concept and game mechanics, their approach to premium content, or simply because they are enjoyable or popular?

Let us know in the comments below!

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