Minus for Android - Updated with bug fixes, stability improvements, and optimizations Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:33 PM PST Minus has rolled out its latest release for Android users, bumping the app up to v3.0.17. If you're currently using Minus on your device for your file sharing needs you'll want to make sure you grab this update as it brings some much needed changes: Basic searching for users/folders Upload multiple files at once with new built-in picker Upload faster and more stable than before User profile added, with folder lists and avatars Copy Link button returns, now with options! Updated Image Editor to use new Aviary Feather 2.0 Invite and follow friends on Minus for Android View all of your folders, and all files in a folder Context Menu in Folder View Clearer error messages View captions and other file info SSL connections added for more security Many other stability and bug fixes As a reminder, Minus will give you to 50Gb in storage for your hosting needs and files as large as 2GB can be uploaded to your account, although you'll likely want to use their desktop solutions if you're moving that much content. The updated release can be found past the break for you all. read more

DroidDoodle - Still a Nexus -- really Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:13 PM PST OK, OK. We get it. Someone screwed the pooch. read more

What is a widget? [Android A to Z] Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:47 PM PST What is a widget?  In Andronid, the word widget is a generic term for a bit of self-contained code that displays a program, or a piece of a program, that is also (usually) a shortcut to a larger application. We see them every day on web pages, on our computer desktop and on our smartphones, but we never give too much thought into how great they are. Widgets first appeared in Android in version 1.5, and really gained traction thanks to HTC's Sense-flavored version of the operating system. Prior to the release of the HTC Hero and our first taste of Sense, widgets were functional, but pretty bland in appearance. Since then, OEMs and independent developers alike have done some marvelous things with widgets, and it's hard to imagine using Android without them. Android widgets come in all shapes and sizes and range from the utilitarian 1-by-1 shortcut style to full-page widgets that blow us away with the eye-candy.  Both types are very useful, and it's pretty common to see a widget or two on the home screen of any Android phone. A full-page widget, like HTC's weather widget for late-model Android phones, tells you everything you need to know about the current conditions, and is also a quick gateway to the weather application where you can see things like forecasts and weather data for other cities.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Google Reader 1x1 widget watches a folder in your Google Reader account and tells you how many unread items there are, and opens the full application when pressed.  Both are very handy, and add a lot to the Android experience.   Most Android phones come with a handful of built-in widgets.  Some manufacturer versions of Android offer more than others, but the basics like a clock, calendar, or bookmarks widget are usually well represented.  This is just the tip of the iceberg though.  A quick trip into the Android Market will dazzle you with the huge catalog of third-party widgets available, with something that suits almost every taste.  With Ice Cream Sandwich supporting things like higher resolution screens and re-sizable widgets, it's going to be an exciting year seeing what developers can come up with. Previously on Android A to Z: What  is USB?; Find more in the Android Dictionary read more

Telus launches on-demand TV streaming app for smartphones and tablets Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:34 PM PST TELUS has just launched a new app that ties in with their Optik TV service. Canadian customers can now watch a bunch of their subscribed channels streamed wirelessly to Android or iOS tablets and smartphones. Unfortunately, the channel selection is a little limited for the time being; through the app, you'll be able to access YTV, HBO, two Disney channels, and a few others. You'll also be able to access those channels on a laptop or other web-enabled device through their online portal. On top of that, if you've got an Xbox 360 with Kinect, you can now use the game console to control everything with gestures and voice. This is a fine companion to the existing remote recording app TELUS offers Optik TV subscribers, and it's good to see there's a wide array of device support. TELUS LTE is right around the corner, likely coming out on February 14 with the Galaxy Note, which will no doubt be a great host of streaming mobile TV. It's worth noting that while Android devices with Optik TV will be able to benefit from LTE (with the usual data charges applicable), the iPhone and iPad versions are relegated to Wi-Fi networks. If you're a TELUS customer and want to give this a shot, head on over here for instructions, or download the tablet app at the link after the jump. There's a video demo down there, too. read more

T-Mobile celebrates Valentine's Day with free 4G devices Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:30 PM PST T-Mobile announced today that it will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a blow-out sale on all of its 4G smartphones. On Saturday, February 11, a respectable lot of devices will be free after mail-in rebate both in stores and online. Below is the list in its entirety, which includes some heavyweights such as the Galaxy S II, the Amaze 4G, and T-Mobile's Springboard tablet: HTC Amaze 4G HTC Sensation 4G HTC Wildfire S LG Doubleplay LG Optimus T Samsung Exhibit II 4G Samsung Galaxy S II Samsung Gravity Smart T-Mobile G2x T-Mobile myTouch T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide T-Mobile myTouch Q T-Mobile Sidekick 4G T-Mobile Springboard If you've got a sweetie that's still carrying around a G1, now might be the time to show him or her how much you love them. Hit the source link for the sale page, and remember, phones are the new box of chocolates. Source: T-Mobile

Chrome Beta, Galaxy Note pre-orders [From the Forums] Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:06 PM PST It's been a pretty busy day with all the udpates coming from Google and of course their release of Chrome beta. If you missed out on anything thus far, get yourself caught up and once you're done -- hit up the Android Central forums: HTC Rezound Forums - Battery life sucks, anything I can do about it? HTC Thunderbolt Forums - HTC dropped the ball Galazy Nexus Forums - Chrome Beta for ICS Galaxy Note Forums - Got an email from AT&T - Note on backorder? Kindle Fire Forums - Any problems using your own PDFs? If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

New browser (Chrome) doesn't support dying plug-in (Flash) Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:32 PM PST Everybody's all in a tizzy over the new Chrome for Android browser -- and rightfully so. It's likely the future of default browsing on Android going forward. But, guess what: It doesn't support Adobe Flash Player. And that should not come as a surprise to anyone. Adobe in November announced that Flash Player would be taken off life support, insofar as mobile browsing is concerned, and that the company would focus on AIR instead for cross-platform applications. And, so, Adobe Flash Player isn't supported in the new Chrome mobile browser. And that's a good thing. It's time we all -- from end-users to developers to OS-makers -- start weening ourselves off Flash for browsing And Adobe said exactly as much in a blog post today. Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers, and thus Chrome for Android Beta does not support Flash content. Flash Player continues to be supported within the current Android browser. Makes perfect sense, folks. If your favorite website's not yet moving toward HTML5, it's time to warm up your e-mail-writing fingers. Source: Adobe

Google Authenticator updates with 'UI improvements', looks the same to us Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:02 PM PST There's only so much you can do to improve the appearance of an app that's essentially a black screen with a six-digit number on it. But that's exactly what Google's done with the latest version of its Google Authenticator app, which has just been pushed out on the Android Market. The official changelog for version 0.87 notes "UI improvements" as the only new feature in this version. We'll have to take Google's word for it -- to us, it's still just a blank screen with a number on it. In any case, Google Authenticator is an important app for those using two-step authentication for their Google account, so it's always best to keep things up to date. We've got the Android Market link for you after the break. read more

Motorola teases Mar. 7 MOTOACTV update Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:52 PM PST Motorola is preparing to roll out a new software update for the MOTOACTV, it's Android-based fitness tracker. The new firmware, which Moto says will land "around the world" from Mar. 7, will enable owners to track new types of activity including yoga, Pilates, dancing and martial arts. The manufacturer's also promising the ability to activate the MOTOACTV with a flick of the wrist, and set up Wifi connectivity directly on the device. The most interesting new feature, however, is the competitions feature in the MOTOACTV Training Portal, which will allow you to (virtually) square off against MOTOACTV-owning friends at various activities. Motorola says it'll unveil more features of this new software update as the release date approaches. Source: Motorola

Huawei Ascend P1 S reportedly coming to China in late March Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:37 PM PST It looks like Chinese consumers might not have long to wait before they can pick up Huawei's new Ascend P1 S. Huawei SVP Yu Chengdong has been dropping a few hints on social networks about when the super-thin smartphone will be arriving, Chinese site Tech.Sina reports. According to one of these messages, he says that Chinese buyers will be able to get hold of the P1 S in end-of-March sales, suggesting a launch is just weeks away. Given the timing of previous Huawei launches, we'd expect to see the Ascend P1 S launching in Europe and the US in the months following its Chinese debut. This would fit with what we heard at the phones CES unveiling, where we saw it alongside its big brother, the P1. The P1 S is expected to be one of the first non-Nexus phones to launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and a relatively untouched version of ICS at that. As we saw in Las Vegas last month, it packs some pretty impressive hardware inside its thin chassis, including a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, a 4.3-inch qHD SuperAMOLED display and an 8MP camera. For more on the device, check out our hands-on report. Source: Tech.Sina; via: AndroidCommunity

Google may be working on Android-powered augmented reality glasses Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:26 PM PST Rumor has it Google Goggles may become more than just an image recognition app for your smartphone. An anonymous source claims to have seen a pair of glasses being prototyped at Google that will run Android and connect to the cloud either through local Wi-Fi or when tethered to the internet over Bluetooth to your smartphone. Outward-facing cameras would capture the world, and overlay the image with contextual location data, like most augmented reality apps. That final image would then be displayed on a tiny screen over one of the two eyes. Apparently you'll be able to navigate the user interface with head tilting, which will no doubt get you some weird looks in public. The glasses will supposedly have a decent amount of horsepower, currently running with hardware roughly one generation behind the current smartphones. Of course, whatever the source may have seen was just some crazy skunkworks concept that never sees the light of day; for now, Google is supposedly unsure if it will fly, and will at best be launching a Chromebook-style private beta program to test the waters. read more

Google Chrome Beta now available for Android 4.0 devices Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:09 PM PST It's been rumored for some time, but now it's finally here -- Google Chrome has landed on Android. Android 4.0 phone and tablet owners in selected countries can now grab a beta version of Chrome from the Android Market. Chrome for Android expands on the stock ICS browser with faster performance and speed-boosting features like the ability to pre-load web pages, and a brand new tabbing interface. Tabs are now handled through a card-like interface, allowing you to flip between open pages, seeing more of the sites you've got open. Familiar features from the ICS browser, including incognito mode, and bookmark sync, have made it across to Chrome for Android too. There's also a big focus on maintaining a consistent browsing experience across multiple devices, so you can send pages between desktop Chrome and mobile Chrome right from the menu button. We'll be diving further into Chrome for Android in a our hands-on feature. In the meantime, we've got screenshots, an official Google video and the Market link after the break. Note that you'll need an Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet, and live in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Argentina or Brazil to use it. read more

CyanogenMod 9 team aims for balance between tweakability and user experience Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:08 PM PST Exynos, Snapdragon S2 & S3 support on the way; Nexus One still uncertain   Work on CyanogenMod 9 has been underway since Google dropped the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich code back in late November. Today, lead developer Steve "Cyanogen" Kondik has given fans of the popular custom firmware a quick update on development of CM9, in a post on the official CM blog. Steve says that third-party drivers remain the biggest issue for CM9 on many devices, particularly when it comes to camera support and graphics acceleration. Right now, CM9 can be compiled on current Google Experience devices (Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom), as well as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and HP Touchpad. Steve expects Samsung Exynos devices (that's your Galaxy S II-class phones) to be next in line for support, with Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 and S3 (MSM8660 and 7×30) devices following shortly after. As far as Nexus One and similar devices (HTC EVO 4G, HTC Desire and the like) are concerned, support is still "unclear", though the developer is optimistic. Steve also reminds us that the team has started with a clean slate in CM9, building on top of Google's latest Android platform, and in doing so, the the team has had a chance to carefully choose which CM7 features to bring forward into CM9. This, he says, should give users a "balance between tweakability and a great out-of-the-box experience." We're sure we're not the only ones eagerly awaiting the arrival of CM9 on our devices, and we're sure many of you will be jumping on the first nightlies as soon as they're available. Source: CyanogenMod.com

Samsung Infuse 4G Gingerbread update is on hold Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Remember that Android 2.3.6 update to the AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G that was prematurely announced last week before finally getting going? Yeah. It's on hold, apparently. According to an answer in Samsung's support forums, things didn't go quite as planned. We currently have put a hold on the update. Samsung and AT&T are aware of the issue with the Infuse 4G Update and are developing a fix. AT&T has confirmed to Android Central that indeed the update's on hold and that "we are working with Samsung to get this resolved as quickly as possible." For everyone  (including us) still stuck on Froyo, hang in there. Source: Samsung, AT&T; more: Infuse 4G forums

How to sync tabs in Chrome desktop and Android Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:34 AM PST So we've now got Google Chrome for Android, eh? How's about that. And one of the shining features Google's pimping is the ability to sync your desktop tabs over to your phone or tablet. No muss, no fuss. That's not actually a new feature for mobile browsing -- Mozilla's certainly had it in Firefox and Fennec for quite some time. But today is Chrome's day. So how do you go about syncing your desktop tabs to your phone? First things first: You need to be signed in to your desktop Chrome browser. Hit the little wrench icon that's about halfway down, and make sure you're logged in with your Google account. Next you'll need to hit the "Advanced" button, right next to the "Disconnect your Google Account" button. Hit it, and you've got a bunch of options of what to sync. The option you want, which we've conveniently highlighted above, is "Open tabs." Theoretically, you should now be able to see your open tabs on the Chrome app on your phone or tablet. We say theoretically, because we and others (hat-tip to Mr. James Kendrick) have had to restart one browser or the other to get things to work, and hit the tab sync button a time or two. But once that's out of the way, the sync is quick and painless. We even went so far as to try and melt the operation with dozens of tabs open at once. Wasn't a problem for the phone -- can't say thet same for the desktop version of Chrome. But sync they did. Quick and easy. read more

Google Voice updated with new features, new icon Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST Google Voice just got itself a nice little update today, with a slew of improvements coming down the pike. They are: Asynchronous SMS sending (offline queuing) Google says it works synchronously for multiple recepients. New style UI in Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich Official user feedback menu on each screen. (Brought forward, out of the dogfood menu) Head into the Android market to get your update on, or we've got download links after the break. read more

Announcing the Android Super Challenge on HyperQuiz winners! Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:04 AM PST Over the weekend we gave you the chance to win one of two HTC Sensation XL handsets by proving your superior Android knowledge in the addictive HyperQuiz game. Today we're back with the full list of winners. Join us after the break to find out who managed to walk away with a shiny new handset... read more

ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #02: Rezound Skin Case, Droid RAZR Barely There & more! Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:55 AM PST For today's ShopAndroid Giveaway we'll be looking at the Mobi Skin Case for the HTC Rezound, Motorola Droid RAZR Case-Mate Barely There Case, HTC Hard Shell Case & Holster Combo for HTC EVO 3D, and the AT&T Galaxy S II OtterBox Commuter Case. Leave a comment letting us know which of these featured accessories you'd like to get your hands on, and we'll announce a winner on Monday's Daily Giveaway post. Mobi Products Skin Case for HTC Rezound The HTC Rezound skin case by Mobi Products is your standard silicone skin that covers the back and sides of your Rezound while leaving the screen and camera exposed for full functionality.  This Rezound skin case feels great in the hand and is a great option for keeping your device safe against drops. >> More accessories for HTC Rezound read more

New Droid Bionic OTA rolling out, fixes bugs and stability issues Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:27 AM PST Motorola and Verizon Wireless are now pushing out software version 5.9.902 to Droid Bionic handsets, bringing a lengthy list of changes and fixes to the LTE-guzzling slab. The update, which weighs in at 57.6MB, provides Droid Bionic owners with a handful of welcome stability improvements, fixing crashes and lock-ups in a variety of areas. Some highlights from the changelog include fixes for -- Black screen lockups Camera multi-shot lockups Idle resets Multimedia dock lockup Data connectivity and stability improvements So if you've been plagued by crashes and stability issues on your Droid Bionic, you'll definitely want to pick this one up. Head to Settings > About phone > System updates to begin. Check the source link for the full list of changes in this latest OTA. Source: Verizon Wireless (PDF)

Seesmic Ping brings easy posting to Twitter, Facebook, Salesforce and LinkedIn Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:04 AM PST It's been a while since Seesmic, makers of the excellent social networking app of the same name, acquired Ping.fm. Since then they've slowly been working on Seesmic Ping getting it ready for release and now, the time has come for some beta testing in the real world. The multi-platform posting application (think one-way posting to Twitter, Facebook, Salesforce and LinkedIn) is now available in the Android Market and has a great set of features to go along with it: Post via web Post via email Attach links & images (post pictures on Facebook and Twitter as if you were posting them “natively”) Schedule your posts at any time, save drafts and more Right now, there is support for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Salesforce with more planned at a later time. One thing to note though -- the app once out of beta will be a paid app, but currently it's free for now so if you're looking for a multi-posting platform app, it's worth a look. You can find the download past the break, or you can hit the source link for the full details. Source: Seesmic read more

Free Android Wallpaper of the day - Colorado Sunrise Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:23 AM PST Today's Free Android Wallpaper comes from requent contributor dcreed, who shot this sunrise near Sterlin, Color., on a Pentax K20D with a 90mm lens. Download this wallpaper See all new Android wallpapers Share your own Android wallpapers

Rogers One Number lets you take video calls and answer texts on PC Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:14 AM PST Today Rogers launched a new service called One Number, which lets you initiate video calls, SMS texts, and standard voice calls from a web console. Calls can be shunted to and from the computer with a few quick commands; dialling *11 on your phone pulls the call to your phone, while the browser app has a dedicated button to take the call from your phone to the PC. As a nice little perk, any calls to Canada started on your computer are free, even if you hand it off to your phone later on. One Number also lets you send e-mails easily to saved contacts through the web interface.On the mobile side, there are going to be Android and iOS apps available so you can manage permissions and visibility while you're on the move.  It's an awful lot like T-Mobile's Bobsled Messaging, but unlike T-Mobile, Rogers is only offering it to their customers. At least it's free - normally, I wouldn't put it past Rogers to charge extra for these kinds of services. Since we don't have Google Voice in Canada, telephony-PC crossover apps like this are a rare sight, so it's good to see at least one of the carriers getting on the wagon.  With any luck, we'll see a few other service provers offer some alternatives.  Rogers customers can head on over here to sign up for One Number. Video demo after the jump. Source: Rogers RedBoard read more

No, RIM's CEO didn't say BlackBerry apps are more profitable than Android or iOS Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:44 AM PST Our comrades CrackBerry Kevin and Android Central's own Richard Devine are in Amsterdam this week for BlackBerry's DevCon Europe, and once again new RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has brought up Android as he walked through the success of BlackBerry App World. Now, you might have seen headlines already this morning that stated BlackBerry apps are more profitable -- that they make more money -- than Android or iOS apps in general. That's not quite what Heins said. Here's the the actual quote, taken from CrackBerry's video of the keynote. (And confirmed with RIM PR.) BlackBerry is one of the most profitable platforms to work for. Very clearly, developers are making money on BlackBerry and PlayBook today. There is a study from Evans Data that show that 13 percent of all Blackberry developers made more than $100,000 from App World. That is more than from any iPhone or Android application. And I think that speaks to the economic power of our platform. ... More than 2 billion applications have been downloaded from BB App World today. Every day, 6 million applications get downloaded from App World. That's a fantastic number. So what Heins is saying is that BlackBerry has a higher percentage -- 13 percent -- of developers making more than $100,000, a higher percentage than iOS or Android developers. And that's a stat he's given before. We have no doubt that the Android Market's doing a little better than BlackBerry's App World. In its Q4 2011 earnings call, Google announced that some 11 billion apps had been downloaded from the Android Market -- 1 billion of them coming in December alone. But on the other hand, there's ol' CrackBerry Kevin buying $500 clock widgets, so we can't help but wonder how skewed RIM's numbers might be. (We kid, we kid.)

Verizon Motorola Droid 4 available Feb. 10 for $199 on contract Posted: 07 Feb 2012 06:48 AM PST The Motorola Droid 4 will be available on Verizon starting Feb. 10. It'll run $199 with a two-year contract. The Droid 4, as you'll recall from our hands-on at CES, brings along the Droid RAZR MAXX design and throws in a redesigned five-row keyboard for good measure. They keys are "laser cut" (for what that's worth), and Motorola's backlit them, which is a nice touch. They've got a nice feel to them and are well-spaced. Pair that with all the tweaks Motorola has added to Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread (the phone has been promised an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich) and throw in 4G LTE data (it's the first in the original Droid line to have LTE), and you've got the makings of what should be a popular device among the business set thanks to some government-grade encryption, and it's got Citrix preloaded as well. Other specs of note include a 4-inch qHD display and 8-megapixel rear camera. One thing to remember is that the Droid 4 has a 1785 mAh battery -- but like the original Droid RAZR, you can't remove it. Place your bets now on whether we see a Droid 4 MAXX with a monster battery in the coming weeks. (We kid, we kid. Maybe.) We've got Verizon's complete presser after the break. read more

ShopAndroid.com Seidio ACTIVE Case for Samsung Galaxy Nexus Posted: 07 Feb 2012 06:47 AM PST The Feb. 7 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Seidio ACTIVE Case for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Verizon Galaxy Nexus. It's a two-layer case with a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. All your buttons, ports and cameras are left uncovered, so you don't lose functionality. It's available in black, garnet red, amethyst, glossy white and royal blue for just $17.95 -- that's 40 percent off! Get yours while supplies last.