Chanoatx

It's that time again, time for yet another round of Disney Easter eggs. This time, we have appearances from Kermit the Frog in The Little Mermaid, a Mickey Doll on a shelf in Frozen, a very easy to miss reference to Paperman in Wreck-It Ralph, as well as Belle, Pumba, and Aladdin's Magic Carpet showing up in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Click here to view the first iamge in this week's demotivational poster gallery. Continue reading for a viral video showing one of the craziest ways to use a faucet in a musical sense.

Camp food has come a long way. We look at a to-be-launched line from AlpineAire, including new flavors and a packaging redesign that makes meal choice and food prep easier than ever.

A sharp red powdercoat finish for rust and corrosion resistance, as well as walnut-dymondwood handles, define a new series by Buck Knives called the ‘Compadre’ line.

Filming after dark with a GoPro is a pain. A new accessory from Knog sheds some literal light on the situation.

This isn't your typical schoolyard parkour — this is hardcore parkour.

Equipped with two GoPro cameras, professional stuntman Ethan Swanson captured his epic jump from the top of one building to a lower rooftop. The jump was so intense, he ripped the leg of his purple pants in the process. The video also features all of Swanson's breathing and psychological tricks to land this crazy stunt.

Though the video does feature some tricky editing, a spokesperson for GoPro confirmed to Mashable that the stunt is indeed 100% legit.

Can you smellllll how awesome this is?

WrestleMania 30, which will air Sunday night on NBC, brought together three of the most legendary names in professional wrestling — Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock — to kick off the specialMashable has an exclusive clip of the in-ring meeting, which took place in April at New Orleans' Superdome in front of 75,000 people.

In the clip, The Rock, whose movie Hercules is finishing off its second weekend in theaters, pays tribute to his buddy Austin and "hero" Hogan. Read more...

These small houses will really make you question whether you need all that space.

The recent tiny house movement appeals to people because it is an economical, but also sustainable and minimal way to live. Many people choose to take their home into their own hands and build these tiny dwellings themselves.

Gaze at these examples of homeowners' personal tiny homes for real-life success stories of creative ways to live small in style. They might even inspire you to build your own tiny house, or at least live more simply.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. Read more...

By now, you've probably heard a lot about Amazon's Fire Phone. I figure that most people aren't really curious about what the overall phone is like – if you've used a Kindle Fire/HD/HDX then you already know. It's about Amazon services and a weird launcher layout thing. Most people are curious about the four front-facing cameras and Dynamic Perspective. I'm with you on that – that's exactly what I was curious about before getting this phone for review.

Amazon Fire Phone Review: It's Not Terrible, It's Just Pointless was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

We can picture the movie trailer now, “Your favorite feathered derp is back, and this time…. he’s bringing backup.” (Cue explosions).

Flappy Birds Family has just landed in the Amazon Appstore, the official followup the cultural phenomenon that was the original Flappy Bird. While the original was deemed too addictive for public consumption, this new version should prove much more casual.

Oddly enough, there’s been no official word from the developer’s Twitter account, no listing of the new game on their official website. We should note that the developer has mentioned a sequel would launch this August (check your calendar) and that it would feature multiplayer. We can clearly see the addition of what appears to be multiplayer in the screenshot above as well as lives, making the game fun for the whole family. I mean, what better way to keep an eye on little Timmy’s Flappy Bird addiction than by sharing in on his video game crack?

It’s still unclear if Amazon managed to nab the exclusive on the game’s release — the game’s listing does show compatibility with controllers and Fire TV, so it could be exclusive to Amazon’s set top box — in either case… Flap on.

Download on Amazon: Flappy Birds Family

An interesting new rumor has surfaced this morning suggesting Google wants to allow you to buy the case you want for your Nexus 5, and potentially other devices. Dubbed Google Workshop, this service — which we imagine would be hosted on Google Play and accessed whenever you shop for accessories — is said to be offering up at least two options for users to customize their device:

• MapMe: put in a location, and Google will give you a map-patterned case based on that area (with options for changing the color and adding text, natch).
• Moments: you can upload a photo to be used as the imagery on the case.

Another element to all of this are customized live wallpapers that may also be made available to you in some way. MapMe could show you a dynamic map that displays location-based Tweets and check-ins, for example, while the Moments option would cycle through additional photos you upload through the service.

Unfortunately it sounds like this isn’t something Google is 100% confirmed to be launching just yet. With that, there’s no word on if this is just a Nexus 5 exclusive or if they’ll be extending functionality to other Nexus or Google Play Edition devices.

Google is said to still be in the “exploration” stages, so we imagine it’d be too soon for them to consider anything but their flagship smartphone (and perhaps tablet) right now. If the Moto X taught us anything, though, it’s that people love to customize things, and we’re sure this would sell a lot more accessories than they’re selling right now. Make it happen, Google!

Happy weekend! This is a very special weekend for geeks and nerds like us. Marvel’s latest film, Guardians of the Galaxy, is in theaters everywhere. Early reviews of this new film have been extremely positive. Leave it to Marvel to make a movie about a raccoon and a tree as likable heroes. We’re big fans of Marvel movies here at Phandroid, so in order to celebrate this new one we have some wallpapers for you!

We scoured the web for some cool Guardians of the Galaxy wallpapers (they were not easy to find). Here are 4HD wallpapers that should look great on your device while standing in line for the movie. To get one of these on your phone, tablet, or even PC simply tap or click the download link underneath each image. Let us know which one is your favorite! Have you seen the new movie yet? What did you think?

Guardians Of The Galaxy by Cakes-and-Comics

Download (1920 x 1080)

Guardians of the Galaxy by Marko Manev

Download (1920 x 1080)

The Guardians

Download (2880 x 1800)

Hero Shot

Download (2048 x 2048)

Rocket & Groot

Download (1920 x 1053)

Read more of Ben’s work here!

Samsung, LG, and HTC continue to duke it out for the top spot in this August edition of our monthly best phones list. Not a lot has changed as manufacturers shift their attention from summer to fall, but several potentially killer handsets are rumored to be just around the corner. Could a big shakeup in our rankings be in the future? Read on for the full rundown!

Previously: July | June | May | April | March | February

5. Sony Xperia Z2

The Xperia Z2 has finally been getting some US love with the official launch of the unlocked version of phone via Sony’s online store.  At the same, time it’s looking less and less likely we will see an actual carrier-backed release. That doesn’t change our opinion: the Xperia Z2 is one of the best combinations of top-notch handset design and premium smartphone features we have seen in recent months. That should be changing soon, though. The Sony Xperia Z3 is rumored for a September launch with the potential to usurp the Z2’s spot on our list.

4. Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 stands alone as the only option for the Android purist. It has the spec sheet to earn its place as Google’s preferred reference platform for app developers, and direct support from the Android team means the N5 will be among the first to land the highly-anticipated Android L update. It doesn’t hurt that the Nexus 5’s $350 price tag makes it an easy sell for those in the market for a new handset.

3. Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 continues to dominate the field when it comes to pure market saturation. While the 2014 flagship hasn’t proven to be the most compelling update to the Galaxy S4, that hasn’t stopped folks from lining up to buy one. Top-tier specs, a gorgeous 1080p Super AMOLED display, and intriguing features like a fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor add up to one of the best Android phones currently available.

2. HTC One M8

HTC hasn’t put the flashiest marketing behind their One M8, so it’s easy to forget about the handset amongst all the talk of the Galaxy S5 and LG G3. The phone is front and center in our minds, however, and holds on to the number two spot on our list of the best Android phones available. Solid, industrial design meets HTC’s graceful Sense interface to create one of the best Android experiences around.

1. LG G3

The LG G3 took the Android world by storm when it debuted with its Quad HD display. Aside from providing some of the most brilliant visuals we have ever seen on a smartphone, the G3 goes with top-of-the-line components for nearly every hardware spec. An innovative design that places the phone’s power button and volume rocker in an easily reached cluster on the rear of the device helps give the G3 a sleek, minimalist feel. A simplified user interface does away with the bloat for a seamless Android experience.

Honorable Mentions

With a list limited to five phones, some tough decisions have to be made when it comes to picking the best of the best. Below find the handsets that just barely missed out on making our main list.

1. Xiaomi Mi4 — Xiaomi’s latest is the specced-out Mi4, a stylish handset that has the spec sheet to do battle with almost any Android out there while somehow managing to maintain a $460 price tag.
2. OnePlus One — Initially marred by availability and hardware issues, the OnePlus One features solid combination of specs and affordable pricing for those willing to take a chance on a lesser established brand.
3. Oppo Find 7a — The Find 7a spares no expense when it comes to premium power and features but still manages to come in at a price that won’t break the bank.
4. Moto X — This build-your-own device lets user put their own personal touch on an Android handset for the masses.
5. Amazon Fire Phone — Not your typical Android device, while the Fire Phone sees some room for improvement fans of Amazon’s content ecosystem might consider the retailer’s debut smartphone.

Rumor Mill

Next month’s IFA show means there is plenty to look forward to when it comes to Android smartphones. While there are few announced phones on the horizon awaiting release, the number of rumored devices seems to increase every day. Below we take a look at just a small sampling of some of the bigger names to keep an eye on.

Nexus 6

While rumors of a new Google initiative dubbed Android Silver threatened to derail the Nexus program, the line of Google Experience developer devices is alive and well, according to recent reports. The latest buzz suggests Motorola could be developing a 5.9-inch phablet that could eventually launch as the Nexus 6. With the Nexus 5 closing in on the first anniversary of its release, the timing is right for its successor, supposedly codenamed Shamu, to make its debut.

Moto X+1 & Moto Maxx

Motorola is keeping busy beyond plans to build Google’s next Nexus device. Rumors continue to swirl about the Moto X’s followup the Moto X+1. Most recently we glimpsed perhaps our best look at the phone to date with all signs pointing toward an official unveiling this month. Evidence is also continuing to mount for a set of updated Moto handsets for Verizon. Though Droid branding is absent, a newly uncovered Moto Maxx trademark could indicate sequels are in line for Verizon’s popular trio of Motorola-made Android smartphones.

Sony Xperia Z3

The Sony Xperia Z2 is a great device, but Sony isn’t settling at that. Rumor has the Sony Xperia Z3 is already in line for an announcement next month at the yearly IFA expo in Berlin. We expect a refined, marginal upgrade over the Xperia Z2, but in this case that’s just enough to grab our attention. Even better, the Z3 is rumored to see a wider US release than other recent Sony handsets. Also expected to debut alongside the Xperia Z3 is the Xperia Z3 Compact.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 & Galaxy Alpha

Next month’s IFA show will have plenty in store for the Android fan, and one of the most highly-anticipated devices that could launch at the show is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. While a lot is still out of focus in terms of the Note 4, we expect at the very least to see Samsung’s 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display make an appearance. Also gaining steam are rumors of Samsung’s aluminum-bodied Galaxy Alpha, which was recently pictured in detail. 

Amazon Best Sellers

If it hasn’t appeared on our list yet and it’s worth buying, chances are you’ll find it on Amazon’s Best Sellers list. Below find all the phones that are still raking in the sales despite the fact that we didn’t have room for them on our own list.

1. Samsung Galaxy S4
2. Samsung Galaxy Mega
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
4. LG G2
5. Samsung Galaxy Note II
6. Samsung Galaxy S III
7. HTC One M7
8. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
9. Casio G’zOne Commando
10. LG G Flex

What say you?

That’s our take on the top Android phones out there. What’s the view from the peanut gallery? Did we leave your favorite phone off? Are our rankings all wrong? Sound off in the comments below and let us know your pick for the top Android phone available!

Always wanted to own a yacht with a helipad? The dream may be no closer, but a guided tour can let you feel the glamour for a fleeting moment.

The Sydney Superyacht Show kicks off in Sydney this weekend, and if you have a cool couple of million stashed under your mattress, you can snap yourself up one of these beauties. Not achievable? Perhaps you can get a share in one of the hotel rooms of the ocean. That will only set you back $2.5 million — for 50%.

From helipads to onboard spas, these yachts demand attention. Sit back and cry.

Ophelia — $13,950,000

The owner will throw in the helipad for free

Patriot — $ 3,950,000

With hand-woven carpets in the four staterooms this is a bargain

Penultimate II — 50% Share for $2.5m plus

That interior? It's Armani, Darrrrling.

There are lots of fitness bands to choose from: the Jawbone UP, Fitbit Flex, Nike Fuelband...and many others. If you're a Runtastic user, however, there's a new one on the market that may interest you, the Runtastic Orbit. As you may have already guessed, this one is built from the ground up for use with Runtastic's services – running, cycling, etc. It doesn't yet work with the company's dedicated cycling apps (road biking, mountain biking), but support for those is currently in the works.

Runtastic Announces 'Orbit,' Its Own Fitness Tracking Gizmo was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Samsung has traditionally launched each iteration of their Note series at or around IFA Berlin in September, and if the latest report from the Korea Times is to be believed this year will be no different. The company reports that Samsung is looking to introduce the Samsung Galaxy Note on September 3rd. IFA’s official start date is September 5th.

There’s no telling what to expect from the device this early, and if all the missed guesses of the Samsung Galaxy S5′s specs and features were anything to go by we won’t put a ton of stock into whatever rumors may arise. The timing of this report is interesting, though, as the Wall Street Journal reports a Samsung phone with a “new material” is in the works. There’s a possibility they could be referring to the metal-clad Samsung Galaxy Alpha said to be announced next week, but you never know.

One thing we do expect Samsung to do is introduce the 2560 x 1440 AMOLED panels they’ve been working on. We thought we’d get that with the Samsung Galaxy S5, but the displays apparently weren’t ready for prime time (not that the phone needs that much pixel density at 5.1 inches anyway). Recent Samsung teasers also tip us off to the use of infrared-based iris scanners, though there’s no telling if they were hinting at a consumer ready product for a flagship phone.

No matter what may or may not be true, though, history tells us Samsung is going to pull out every last stop that they can (and it’s going to have to be big if they want to avoid another down quarter like they did these past few months). Let us know if you’ll be holding out until September to see what Samsung has to offer.

Christopher Nolan came to Comic-Con last week for the first time — how he got away with Inception and three Batman films and no trip to Hall H, we'll never know — but there's clearly something about Interstellar that's different.

Though Nolan explained at some length in San Diego why he doesn't like to show too much ahead of a movie's release (tell that to the Guardians of the Galaxy marketing team, sheesh), he and Matthew McConaughey (also a Comic-Con virgin) treated the crowd to a first look at their new trailer.

And just in case you thought spending hundreds on a badge and camping out in line meant you were in some exclusive company, well ... that dream is over, because Paramount just dropped the full trailer online: Read more...

Contributing editor Jeff Kish is hiking the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail this summer. This is his second report from the trail.

Finally, an Orlando Bloom plot line everyone can all get behind

Bloom allegedly tried, and failed, to punch Justin Bieber outside Cipriani Restaurant in Ibiza, Spain on Wednesday, TMZ reports. The fight began when Bieber yelled "What's up, bitch?" at Bloom, who then confronted the 20-year-old pop star

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

While no one can say for sure what started the feud, there are several rumors circulating that Bieber and Bloom's ex-wife Miranda Kerr, a Victoria's Secret model, briefly dated in 2012, while Kerr was still married. Paparazzi have also caught Bloom hanging out with Bieber's ex Selena Gomez Read more...

You've probably seen or at least heard about the giant hole / crater that suddenly appeared in Russia this past month, but two new ones have surfaced. The second is in the same permafrost region of northern Russia, and a third on the Taymyr Peninsula, to the east, in Kransoyark region. According to The Siberian Times, "Theories range from meteorites, stray missiles, a man-made prank, and aliens, to an explosive cocktail of methane or shale gas suddenly exploding." Continue reading for more images and information.

If you're not planning on trekking across America this summer, reading about it is the next best thing.

This summer, take your mind through gripping tales of modern adventures — climbing mountains, hiking trails, crossing deserts — while you're safe at home with the air conditioner on. Each of these books are first-person accounts from the adventurers themselves.

They might even inspire you to walk to a restaurant to pick up your takeout instead of getting it delivered.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. Read more...

'N Sync members were caught off guard when they found out a new 'N Sync two-CD compilation album, The Essential *NSYNC, would be released this week.

Lance Bass particularly has been vocal on Twitter and on his Dirty Pop radio show about not knowing the album was coming 12 years after the group split up (though the boy band memorably reunited last year an MTV Video Music Awards performance).

"No one knows about it, I didn't even know about it, OK?" Bass said. "[I found out] on Twitter. People were like, 'What is this?'" ... One CD is like all the hits and the other is all these random songs — the stuff we did on Sesame Street, 'When You Wish Upon a Star' at Disney and all of these random songs we would record that hardly anyone heard. ... I remember recording them, but I've never heard them before. ..Our label didn't even tell us. None of us, none of us knew at all." Read more...

The Satechi CD slot mount is well worth a buy (oops, I was supposed to save that for the end, wasn't I?). Last week I went hands-on the Kenu Airframe+, an AC vent mount that I absolutely loved. But some readers pointed us in the direction of CD mounts, a category I hadn't yet considered, and one that gives purpose to a part of my car that I otherwise would be just fine with leaving off entirely.

Satechi CD Slot Mount Review: It's Time To Give Your Car's CD Player A Purpose Again was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Electronic Arts will deliver some of its newest games via a subscription service on the Xbox One, giving players access to recently released and upcoming titles for $4.99 a month.

The EA Access program, which is only available on Xbox One, allows users to play as much Battlefield 4, Madden 25, FIFA 14 and Peggle 2 as they want. Games that weren't already released or coming to Xbox One, such as back catalog titles, are not included in the service.

In addition, EA Access subscribers will get access to upcoming titles five days before their release dates. Fall releases Madden 15, NHL 15, FIFA 15, NBA LIVE 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition will all be included in that package. Subscribers can also purchase these games digitally for 10% off the retail price Read more...

Leonardo DiCaprio is having a better summer than you.

In a photo released by New York Magazine, the Titanic star was seen, well, running shirtless with a squirt gun.

What we know is this: Leo was armed with a squirt gun in Italy, hanging out with friends near a pool. He could be running straight from the park to watch fireworks, or he could be going to eat ice pops until he throws up. But any context outside of Leo running aimlessly with a squirt gun is really unimportant; DiCaps is experiencing the summer of summers. Read more...

Alert! Alert! If you use Instagram's Android app, complete strangers could be looking at your photos of appetizers and makeup techniques right now! ...which is kind of the point of Instagram, I suppose. But security researcher Mazin Ahmed discovered that the app uses standard HTTP to transmit photos, cookies, and authentication (including usernames and unique IDs), instead of the encrypted HTTPS protocol. As Mr. Mackie is so fond of saying, that's bad.

Instagram Android App Susceptible To Session Hijacking Due To Unencrypted HTTP Transfers was written by the awesome team at Android Police.