HERE maps beta officially released for all Android devices

Nokia’s HERE Maps launched on Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones recently to offer “true” offline navigationand an alternative to Google’s preloaded Maps.

But the app was in testing only on Samsung’s smartphones even despite the leaked apk file that allowed us all to sideload the HERE navigation on non-Galaxy smartphones. Now that’s about to change – Nokia is releasing the apk for all Android smartphones so you can try HERE maps for yourself.

You’ll need to download the apk file to your smartphone and sideload it (using a file manager of some sort) but you’ll need to go into the Security settings of your device and enable the Install from Unknown Sources option. Nokia has the entire step by step tutorial over at the source link.

The app is still in beta so a few bugs are to be expected but it should be safe to try out.

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Google Play Music gets contextual music stations, Material Design

Google has announced a big update for its Play Music service. First off, the Android and iOS apps have received a new, Material Design-infused coat of paint. Second, the service now brings you contextual music stations.

These have apparently been “hand crafted” by a team of music experts, including DJs, musicians, music critics, and ethnomusicologists, to give you exactly the songs you need for a particular moment.

When you open the app, you’ll be prompted to play music for a time of day, mood, or activity. You can choose an activity, such as a workout, a commute, or so on, to get shown several music stations you can then instantly start listening to. These music stations can be downloaded to listen to when you’re offline too. You can also see what song is next, and even reorder the contextual playlist, add songs to it, or remove songs from it. And you get to start a new station for any song in the mix.

Play Music’s Listen Now page has been redone too. Your recently played music, new songs you may like, and radio stations based on what you usually listen to are presented in a card-based interface, complete with Material Design.

The contextual music stations are available today for Play Music subscribers in the US and Canada, through the Web, as well as the Android and iOS apps. The new Listen Now page is showing in all of the 45 countries where Play Music is available, and it too is out for the Web, Android, and iOS.

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LG G Watch receives Android Wear update which enables offline music playback

Back in September, Google told us to expect an update to Android Wear that would bring support for offline music playback and GPS sensors. And now it looks like the first Android Wear device to get the new software is LG’s G Watch.

Some owners of this particular smartwatch have started receiving update notifications. After applying the new bits, they’re on software version 4.4W.2 and build KNX01Q. And sure enough, a new ‘Play Music’ option shows up in the watch’s menu. Furthermore, the G Watch is now capable of pairing itself with Bluetooth audio accessories.

That said, it’s still unclear how exactly you may get music onto the watch, to enable true offline playback as advertised. It’s also a mystery whether playback is only initiated from the phone, or if it will work (as you might expect) even if the watch isn’t connected to a handset. All of these things will undoubtedly get cleared up once more people start receiving the update. It’s a staged rollout, that’s for sure, so if you own a G Watch, you could still need to wait a few days for it.

Because the G Watch doesn’t have a built-in GPS, that functionality isn’t applicable here. In fact, the only Android Wear device that was announced so far and has a GPS sensor is Sony’s SmartWatch 3, which isn’t on sale yet.

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Olloclip unveils 4-in-1 photo lens for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Olloclip is a name you may have heard if you ever looked for attachable lenses for your iPhone. The company has created a new edition of its 4-in-1 photo lens for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The design has been updated to allow the lens clip to be carried as a pendant, making it easier to bring with you everywhere.

The 4-in-1 photo lens includes a fish eye lens and a wide-angle lens. You can unscrew them to get a 15x macro and 10x macro lens respectively.

The lens has been designed so that it covers the front and back cameras simultaneously for all the fish-eye selfies you want. There’s an accompanying app you can download from the Apple App Store, which will help with fish-eye and macro shots.

The pendant will be available in three colors, while the 4-in-1 photo lens itself will be available in four – Gold or Silver lens on a White clip or Silver, Red or Space gray lens on a Black clip. The lens is available for pre-order right now for $80, it will ship in late November.

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Google enhances 2-step authentication with USB Security Key

Google has today announced it’s started supporting a new type of two-factor authentication for its websites, as long as you use its Chrome desktop browser. The existing 2-step verification system is based on you entering your password followed by a six-digit code that you either receive via SMS or get from a special mobile app.

The new system replaces the code-entering with inserting a physical USB device into your computer, then tapping its sole button when prompted to do so.

Obviously then, this is a simpler way to perform two-factor authentication, from the user experience perspective. It relies on a specific physical object (the required USB device), which you can carry with you on your keychain, for example. On the other hand, that device seems easier to lose than a phone, so understandably the new system will be opt-in. And you’ll still be able to use the old code-based one if you so choose.

The Security Key USB device only works after having verified that the login site truly is operated by Google, thus preventing against phishing attacks. All of this works because Security Key and Chrome (since version 38) incorporate the Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) protocol developed by the FIDO Alliance. This means other websites with login systems will also be able to use the same system if they want to.

The new Security Key will be free to use for Google accounts, but you have to purchase a special USB authenticator device – your existing USB sticks won’t work for this purpose. Google helpfully recommendsa couple of Amazon-listed products, the cheapest currently going for $5.99.

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Nexus 9 accessories can now be pre-ordered from Amazon

The HTC Nexus 9 tablet itself went up for pre-order last week. And now you can pre-order both the Keyboard Folio for Nexus 9, as well as the Magic Cover for the tablet from Amazon.

The former of those will cost you $129.99, while the latter is priced at $39.99. The Magic Cover comes in four different hues. You can choose from black, ‘coral amethyst’, ‘lime stone’, and ‘mint indigo’.

The Keyboard Folio is a case and a keyboard at the same time. When closed, it protects your Nexus 9. When opened, it reveals a mechanical keyboard for the tablet. You can fold it in two different angles, and it attaches to the back of the Nexus 9 magnetically. The Magic Cover is magnetic too, and it too can fold into two positions. It also supports automatic screen wakeup and sleep when you open or close it.

The accessories are due to become available on November 3, which is actually the release date for the Nexus 9 tablet as well.

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Firmware update for Moto 360 brings new features, squashes bugs

Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatch received a major firmware update. The new Android Wear build brings a host of new features and improvements to the wearable timepiece.

The two most notable new features that the update brings are Smart Battery Saving and more frequent time checks. The former will automatically turn off ambient mode on the device when its battery reaches 15%, while the latter will ensure that the Moto 360 always shows accurate time.

User interface tweaks have also been included in the firmware update. Mood lighting has been added as well – it will adjust the screen brightness of the Moto 360 to match the environment.

On a side note, the Qi wireless charger of the smartwatch is now officially up for grabs in the Google Play store. The accessory is priced at $39.99.

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Nexus 6 compared to iPhone 6 Plus, found to be bigger than bigger than bigger

The Nexus 6 is a big phone. You can tell that from the display size or from reading the dimensions. But nothing drives the point home than watching it being compared with phones that we are already familiar with.

TechCrunch did a hands-on with the Nexus 6 and there are two images from the article that are worth focusing on. The first is the image above, where the Nexus 6 sits next to the iPhone 6 Plus. Now the iPhone 6 Plus is a big phone, but the Nexus 6 isn’t that much bigger despite packing half an inch of extra screen. But the more hilarious image is the one below.

Bear in mind the Nexus 5 has a 4.95-inch display and isn’t exactly a small phone by any means. But look how it is absolutely dwarfed next to the new Nexus 6. I mean, this is like the time you went to a supermarket and spotted a family pack version of something you are used to seeing in the normal size.

Yeah, good luck using that with one hand.

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