AmberBurnham4: Lilbits (11-04-2013): Moto G and Google Nexus 8 incoming …

Monday, November 4, 2013

Lilbits (11-04-2013): Moto G and Google Nexus 8 incoming … –

Motorola plans to announce a new device called the Moto G on November 13th. You can sign up for details about a live announcement that’ll be broadcast online at moto-g.com, and that’s about all that Motorola’s saying about the new device for now.

But based on leaks it seems likely that this’ll be a smartphone, and based on the name (and other possible leaks), it’ll probably be a cheaper phone than the company’s Moto X.

In other leaks, evidence of an 8 inch Google Nexus tablet may have hit the web this weekend… or not. The fact that Google hasn’t removed the image since it was discovered on the Android website and widely discussed in the blogosphere suggests the company’s not particularly concerned (or perhaps Googler’s know that pulling the picture would just fan the flames further).

Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.

Motorola Moto G announcement coming November 13th, likely a cheaper Moto X alternative

Like the Motorola Moto X, but think it costs too much? What seems likely to be a cheaper variant could be on the way. It’s rumored to have simpler specs, and a name derived from a letter that’s lower in the alphabet. [Engadget]

Chrome beta for Android gets a simpler tab switcher for Android 4.4 KitKat on devices without much RAM

One of the things that sets Android 4.4 KitKat apart from Jelly Bean is that it’s designed to support phones with as little as 512MB of RAM. Google’s also working to ensure that core apps such as Chrome play well with cheaper and older phones. [François Beaufort]

Want to borrow an LG G2 smartphone from LG? Register as a developer and request one

LG’s launching a developers’ device loaner program, starting with the company’s latest flagship device. [PR Newswire]

LastPass password manager hits 3.0, gets new Chrome and Android UIs, integrated search bar, more

LastPass makes it easy to create unique, secure passwords for each site you visit and access them across your devices. Now it’s prettier, makes sharing passwords with friends or family members for accounts you share a bit easier, and an integrated search bar. [LastPass]

TeamViewer remote desktop app for Android adds 2-factor authentication, more

TeamViewer is one of many apps that let you login to a remote PC using an Android device, but it gets high marks for ease of use… and now for security, thanks to support for two-factor authentication support. [Android Police]

You don’t have to pick up Google Glass in person anymore, but Google to hold 45-minute Hangout session with new users

Google is opening its Glass Explorer program to more people, and you can now order online without showing up in person to pick up your wearable computer. But Google still wants to spend a little virtual time with you to make sure you know how it works. [Android Central]

Valve Steam Machine prototype and Steam Controller previewed, real hardware launching in January

Valve plans to ship its Steam Controller video game controller and Steam OS game-centric operating system in the coming months. While the company will leave the manufacturing of actual Steam OS gaming consoles/PCs to other hardware makers, Valve will be sending out demo hardware to beta testers soon, and a few journalists were invited to play with the previews. [The Verge]

Is this a Google Nexus 8? Or just a fake device for marketing purposes?

Google has a habit of spilling the beans about upcoming hardware. Nexus docks have been known to show up early and unannounced in promotional videos, and the first glimpse of the Google Nexus 5 came from a video of a KitKat statue going up on Google Campus. It’s possible that a picture on the Google Android website that’s supposed to be showing off the Google Play Store is also showing us a first look at an upcoming 8 inch tablet. Or maybe not. [Ars Technica]