Phandroid
HTC plans to make BlinkFeed available to other Android devices soon
It’s not often a manufacturer wants to extend an olive branch to anyone but their own consumers, but HTC is daring to break the mold with their latest move. In a statement to the press, the Taiwanese company acknowledged the popularity of BlinkFeed, and felt compelled to make the launcher available to non-HTC users in the near future:
Following its popularity with HTC users, HTC will now make HTC BlinkFeed available to other Android devices, launching on the Google Play store soon.
Odd move indeed, but perhaps there’s a deeper cause here. For starters, what better way to try and sway people to your brand than to show them what they’re missing out on? BlinkFeed could be the gateway that some consumers need to be interested in the rest of what HTC is offering.
The latest version of BlinkFeed rests on HTC Sense 6.0, which comes pre-installed atop Android 4.4.2 on the all new HTC One M8. It isn’t a huge departure from the norm compared to previous versions of BlinkFeed, though HTC did add a refined user interface, introduced more news and feed sources, and increased performance across the board.
This type of move is definitely encouraged, regardless if it’s a genuine goodwill gesture or the result of a guerilla marketing tactic needed to help restore HTC to former glory. Whatever the case may be, though, it’s already in the Google Play Store for HTC One M8 owners, and we’ll be watching it like a hawk in the weeks and months to come.
30-Day Android Fitness Challenge (post your favorite apps!)
I’m terribly out of shape. The weather is about to get warm. New Year Resolutions have crumbled into dust. But it’s time to change all that with the 30-Day Android Fitness Challenge, where Hershey’s KitKat and Android’s KitKat face off in an epic angel meets devil battle for our conscience.
This challenge initially started (and failed) about a month ago, when I couldn’t decide between getting a Jawbone UP or Fitbit Force. Since then a lot has happened in wearable tech including the announcement of Android Wear, Moto 360, and the LG G Watch. Along with Google Glass, Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear Neo, and other breaking-the-mold devices, developers continue creating rich experiences in the health and fitness space.
It seemed like the perfect time to turn my quickly declining nimbleness into an exploration of Android as it relates to the possibilities and opportunities in fitness and health. I hope you’ll join me.
This is your time!
Participating takes absolutely nothing except a willingness to try some cool stuff and see how it goes. Membership to this exclusive club is free and so anonymous that you’re the only person that will know you’re in it. It’s hard to get the ball rolling, but once you find that reason to start, you can’t be stopped!
What you can do:
- Leave a comment on this article suggesting and requesting apps, games, devices, comparisons, etc… related to health and fitness that you’d like to see discussed and reviewed in this series.
- Follow along in our Android Fitness & Health Forum – we’ve just created this community to help people share their challenges, goals, and progress while staying motivated and informed. Help us shape the community while shaping up yourself!
What I plan on doing:
- Wearing both a Jawbone UP and Fitbit Force for 30-straight days (different wrists), using them to their full ability, and reporting back the results with full reviews.
- Using various apps and devices (suggested by readers in the comments) to plan and track my daily activity and reporting back in organized/themed posts
- Using both our Android Fitness & Health Forum and my Google+ profile to share daily challenge results and random insights
- Making a concerted effort to increase my activity, exercise daily, eat more healthfully, and do (or don’t do) the small things that add up over the course of the month and year.
Don’t forget to join in on the challenge in our Android Fitness & Health Forum, follow me on Google+, and leave a comment with suggestions and requests for this series!
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