Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:14 AM PST  Late last year, we already gave information on Motorola's MOTOACTV as the company's answer to the iPod Nano. Now, we have received word that Motorola is working on an update which will provide more functionality to the fitness tracker and music player watch. Over the previous months, Motorola has provided a few software tweaks. But the update (set for March) will expand the watch's tracking abilities from running, biking, walking, and to a whole other range of exercises such as dancing, yoga, martial arts, and Pilates. If you are a user of the smart watch, this will be great news to you, especially if you are among the many who has requested for a greater range of activity support. Apart from the additional activity support, the MOTOACTV now has the ability to activate its display with a flick of the wrist. Also, the update lets users set Wi-Fi networks directly from the device; and also compete against other users through its own MOTOACTV online portal. This is a great move for Motorola in keeping the MOTOACTV highly marketable, especially with other new smart watches starting to emerge in the market. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, MOTOACTV Gets Update, Better Enhancements Coming in March , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:10 AM PST  National Basketball Association team, the Phoenix Suns has partnered with both Samsung and Verizon Wireless to bring Android to the game. Each team member will be receiving a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet; which will be used throughout the operation of the team. This particular tablet model was chosen because it is 4G LTE-enabled; which makes it highly usable. Apart from providing a tablet to each Suns member, the entire operation will include workers at the game providing different interactive views while on their game seats. In addition, each kiosk or retailer in the arena can use these to jazz up their displays. By giving a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet to each Suns member, the team's videos, scouting reports, playbook, and travel itineraries get shared on the go. And because of the tablet's 4G LTE feature, such information can be updated on the spot. Alvin Gentry, Suns' coach said: "Today's announcement marks the beginning of a new era in the NBA, where I think teams throughout the league will want to integrate a tablet into their operations."True enough, this gives the sporting industry a chance for mobile technology. We've already witnessed a few NFL teams use iPads instead of playbooks. With the NBA, Android is their choice. We can only wonder who will be next to incorporate this new thing into their operation. Any bets? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKENo related posts.This article, The Phoenix Suns Get Androidified , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:06 PM PST  Ever since Canadian Gadget Maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced that they will be making Android apps usable on the PlayBook tablet, a lot of people have received mixed reactions. While many have been excited to hear about this new development, there are some who are scared that this will mean vulnerable security measures for Android. At the current state, Google's Android OS is already the most targeted of malware due to its open source and large user base nature. With RIM's decision to make Android apps compatible with the PlayBook through a software feature Runtime, RIM said that security risks will not come along with the apps. During RIM's Devcon Europe event, Tim Neil (the brand's application platform and tools product manager) said: "For the Android side of things we've been making sure that we're sandboxing the actual Android Runtime in our same security model that we use for everything else.According to Neil, 65% of existing Android apps no longer require any porting for the PlayBook. Instead, the Android application package file (APK) just needs to be repackaged and signed to be compatible with the BlackBerry App World.  But even though majority of existing apps don't need any changes, there are still a few restrictions. One of these restrictions is with apps that use either voice over internet protocol (VoIP), session initiation protocol (SIP), or Bluetooth. Apps that have no user interface are also not compatible with Runtime. "Our goal is to try to get as close as possible [to 100 per cent], from a compatibility standpoint, with Android Gingerbread," Neil said.Considering the fact that more than half of Android devices are still using Gingerbread, it is only understandable why RIM is attempting to be compatible with that version. Unfortunately, RIM has not yet made any announcement or commitment if they will be supporting the latest Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich. More information will have to be anticipated from RIM on this. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, RIM: Android Runtime Apps Won't Bring Security Risks , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 09:01 PM PST  If you're fond of using Google Voice app on your Android smartphone, you'll be pleased with this bit of news! Google Voice has just received an update to version 0.4.2.44—which provides a few tweaks, as well as a complete UI overhaul for both Android Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich. Another new feature that the update provides is the ability to queue outgoing text messages. With this new update, failed messages can be sent first as soon as data connectivity has been restored. Now isn't that exciting? You no longer have to tinker around with the app as it will do it for you! If you've already updated your Google Voice app, how's it going so far? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, Google Voice Updated to Version 0.4.2.44 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 08:00 PM PST  Among the biggest problems of people who use their smartphones while walking is bumping into things, tripping, and even falling into potholes (yes, it happens!). So as an answer to this, an app has been created under the name of Transparent Screen. The app allows you to use your phone while walking so you don't get yourself into an accident. Although it really isn't something new to boast of, Transparent Screen has a different approach for usability. Instead of just focusing on texting and walking, the app turns each user's entire Android experience into a translucent one. Compared to other apps that provide this feature, Transparent Screen works on any part of the OS—even if you're reading email. So how does it work? The app works by activating your phone's rear-facing camera. You then have to choose the level of transparency you are comfortable with. However, users have reported that sticking to just one transparency level is difficult; especially with apps which require more transparency. In addition to this, the video quality is recommended to be set on the lowest settings so that you can see clearly. With your phone constantly on your hands, this app is surely one that will revolutionize the way you do things! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, Walk While Using Your Phone with Transparent Screen , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:28 AM PST  Ever since the announcement and the release of the latest Android OS, people have been making a fuss to get their hands on an Android smartphone that runs on the OS. As Google announced that the first device to carry the latest OS was the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, people started waiting for the phone to be released into the market. That's why when news about delays broke out, people got agitated and all the more anxious to see what the fuss is all about. Plus, it did not help that tech blogs endlessly talk about the latest OS, the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. They started guessing which manufacturer would carry the ICS next. By the time the Galaxy Nexus was released, several had already some idea on what the ICS would be like. In fact, we even posted an earlier blog to avoid judging the ICS until people have actually tested it. Not to mention, several devices are already lined up to carry the ICS pretty soon, so that wait won't be too long. If you're one who wonders what makes ICS so special than its predecessor, Android Honeycomb, the biggest difference is that the latter is designed for tablets. In addition, the Honeycomb was released in February 2011; thus making it somewhat obsolete for the fast devices available today. Other than that, we have compiled a list of differences between the two tablets to give clarity as to what really makes ICS so special.  User InterfaceLet's clear this up: Android Honeycomb is only meant for tablets. This version provided a whole new UI for the electronic slates. Plus it featured holographic support as well as older widgets now fit the size of tablet screens. With regard to its level of uniqueness and perfect UI, the new version plays the field. Needless to say, ICS supports both smartphones and tablets. Moreover, ICS has a better UI with improved holographic effects, widgets, and app launcher. These updates make the ICS the better OS in this category. Multitasking, System Apps, and NotificationsHoneycomb was the first to come up with advanced notifications as well as multitasking features. But with the upcoming rivalry presented by both Windows 8 and iOS 5, Google just had to come up with something. Thus, they designed ICS to have even more sophisticated features—enough to make their rivals jealous. Compared to Honeycomb, the new OS ensures a very smooth user experience on both smartphone and tablet devices. In addition, ICS has a fantastic multitasking feature along with new system apps. On ICS, Google has also revamped old staples such as Gmail, Google Voice, Google Calendar app, Contacts, and many more. Other Noticeable ChangesIn a nutshell, Android Honeycomb is a special OS for tablets. In fact, it did not do bad in sales—being present on the best tablets of 2011 including the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, and several others. As compared to its predecessor Android Gingerbread, Honeycomb featured a redesigned keyboard which enabled users to type faster and more accurately on big screens.Apart from the keyboard, Honeycomb was also noted for its multiple browser tabbing, easy intuitive copy/paste interface, and quick access to camera options (zoom, exposure, and front-facing camera).  On the other hand, Android Ice Cream Sandwich also boasts of rich features that are impossible not to notice. For one thing, ICS features enhanced performance and speed for smartphones, tablets, and music players. The other features which ICS became famous for include improved error connection on keyboard, integrated screenshot capture, better voice integration feature, and a revamped copy/paste functionality. There is also an added automatic syncing of browser with bookmarks on Chrome. Overall, we would say that even though Android Honeycomb is not dead, Google made sure that they can have a competitive OS compared to the upcoming Windows 8 and iOS 5. Preference on which OS to use still depends on the user. But in order to keep up with change, Google did a good thing by updating its OS. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKENo related posts.This article, What's the Big Deal: Android Honeycomb Vs. Ice Cream Sandwich , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 06:45 AM PST  We all love our Android devices right? Well we are going to explore where it all started, back in late 2008 and how Android has evolved in three years. We started with the G1 on T-Mobile and now all the way up to the Galaxy Nexus, but what happened in between the releases of those devices? Android was Born The Android was born back on October 22nd of 2008 with the T-mobile G1 launch in the US, unbelievably a lot of features we could not live without today were not available on the G1 when it launched in late 2008. Which included an on-screen keyboard and multi-touch capability. Of course when those first Android phones were sold, there were not many apps either unlike today where there are over 400,000 apps that we can download and enjoy now. When Android was launched, we were introduced to the pull-down notification window, we were also introduced to the first mobile Operating System (OS) to feature widgets, which we have grown to love now. Of course with Android being owned by Google, there was some pretty deep Gmail integration when the G1 launched three years ago.  It’s hard to imagine that the images above where from the original Android Market which launched on the G1 as well. Isn’t it amazing how much the Market has changed in three years.  Android 1.1The next version of Android to be released was not named after a dessert, that all started with Android 1.5. The first upgrade to Android came in February 2009, Android 1.1 was not a huge update, in fact it mostly consisted of bug fixes as with any first update on a new platform or software. And of course Over-The-Air updates were working from the very beginning, unlike Android’s biggest competitor.Android 1.5: Cupcake The era of Android Desserts begins. Can you imagine a mobile OS such as Android shipping without an on-screen keyboard, but it only took Google two updates to get a touchscreen keyboard onto our beloved Android phones. But in April 2009 we saw the first touchscreen only Android device, the HTC Magic. Google added the soft keyboard to the Android OS in version 1.5, but they also added the support to allow third party developers to make their own keyboard apps like Swiftkey X, Swype and many others.Google also added extensive widgets in Cupcake, meaning that now developers could bundle widgets for their apps when Android users download their apps. Which these are now found in almost all of the apps on the Android Market. New in Cupcake was also some Clipboard improvements, as we all know Android had a rather rough and bumpy trail to get to copy and paste. Android technically supported copy/paste from day one but it was very limited unfortunately. Copy and paste didn’t get to be as great as it was today, until further down the development road. Cupcake also featured many other miscellaneous updates including batch operations in gmail, upload support for YouTube and Picasa, and access to contacts’ Google Talk Status throughout the platform in places like the messaging app and contact’s app. Android 1.6: Donuthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBRFkLKRwFwOur next tasty treat was Donut. This update was a big deal similar to how Cupcake was. But perhaps it didn’t seem as big to most of us because Donut featured a lot of “under the hood” enhancements. Donut opened the door for Android to have phones that supported resolutions different then the 320 x 480 that the T-Mobile G1 had. If you look at all the current Android devices, you will see many different resolutions and screen types, in fact it’s hard to find two phones that have the same resolution and screen type. This is all thanks to the Android geniuses behind Donut.  Android 1.6 also introduced the notion of the Quick Search box that we all know and love. Prior to Donut you would have to go home and press your “search button” and you’d be directed to Google Search in your browser. Donut also featured a redesigned Android Market with white and green accents, which are very closely tied in with Android’s Mascot and Android Authority’s mascot as well. Also a redesigned Camera interface with much better gallery integration and reduced shutter lag. Although most people didn’t notice much difference in the changes. Google would continue to make small changes all the way through Android 2.3 with significant changes in Android 4.0. But most of us don’t see it since manufacturers cover up the camera and gallery apps with their own skins. Android 2.0/2.1: Eclairhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opZ69P-0Jbc In early November of 2009 Android 2.0 launched right on the heels of Donut. This was a pretty big update that was split into two version numbers. With Eclair being announced, Motorola released their first Android phone exclusively on Verizon Wireless, the Motorola Droid – this was when I first started with Android – this phone really changed the game of Android for the next two years following it’s release. In fact a lot of people that bought still have and use it everyday. Some people have named the Motorola Droid, the Nexus before the Nexus. After the Droid was released Google teamed up with HTC to make the Nexus One, which was a developer’s phone, but it was sold unlocked to everyone.Soft Keyboard Improvements: Like the G1, the Droid launched with a full physical QWERTY arrangement – which is still on the Droid 3 and just released Droid 4 – but Google still needed to showcase it’s touchscreen keyboard. Eclair still lacked multitouch platform wide. But Eclair did used multitouch data on the keyboard to detect secondary presses while typing rapidly, which made a hug difference for those like me that type pretty fast. Multiple Account Support: Finally we could add more then one Gmail account to the Gmail app on one device. Support for multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts was also added. Which for a lot of us with professional and personal email addresses it was a good change. Quick Contact: You remember how Cupcake had added contacts’ Google Talk statuses throughout the platform right? Well Eclair added the quick Contact bar, which amounted to a pop-up toolbar that you could use to interact with your contacts in a variety of ways, and we still have this feature even in Android 4.0 Live Wallpapers: One of the more “show off” features of Android are the Live Wallpapers, which first made their appearance in Android 2.1.The concept was simple and at first we all thought it was really cool, instead of a static image it was an application which gave your device an animated background. But we all quickly found out that it wastes battery. Much more: Google also added Speech-to-text, a very much revamped browser, new lock screen, manufacturers’ skins, and Google Maps navigation. So we can say this was probably the biggest update to the Android OS since it started in October of 2008. Android 2.2: Froyohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZYSVr2BhcIn mid-2010 Google released Android 2.2, and the advantage of having a Nexus started to become clear to consumers. The Nexus One by HTC and Google was the first to get updated to Froyo. The first phone to launch with Android 2.2 pre-installed? None other then the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint – which I also had and loved. So what did Google have to show off in Froyo? Plenty, but maybe not as much as in Eclair. Froyo brought us five homescreens, which before we only three homescreens to place widgets and short cuts on. Additionally, Android 2.2 added dots on either side of the launcher to indicate which screen you were on. In some ways, Google was patching up some things that manufacturer skins were already doing like HTC Sense and Motorola’s motoblur. Of course the two normal things that got updated in Froyo are the Android Market and the Browser, which seem to get updated every time Google releases a new version of Android. Google also implemented more API’s and services for developers to use within the platform. The redesigned gallery that was shown off in Froyo really started to show off the platform’s 3D capability. The gallery had 3D capability, which we now see being put into other aspects of the platform, especially in the CyanogenMod builds. Android 2.3.x Gingerbreadhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx3pdWBlZ34About six months after Froyo launched on the Nexus One, Google released the Nexus S – built by Sprint and available on three of the four major US carriers – with Gingerbread. The biggest part of the Gingerbread update was the UI, as you can tell in the pictures Android went from a light user interface to a more dark one. This was done because the Android Team believed that the darker looks make the platform feel more modern and also saves battery, which was and is the number one complaint about Android phones.  Gingerbread was a “minor” release but in my eyes it was a huge release, maybe not as big as Eclair, but still a pretty big deal. Of course it brought along for the ride the usual assortment of bug fixes and browser enhancements, new Android Market, and better copy/paste functionality.Enhanced Keyboard: Google once again enhanced their on-screen keyboard, they did not update it in Froyo, other then just minor bug fixes. The Gingerbread keyboard had a whole new look and feel to it, overall it became my favorite keyboard very quickly.  Better Battery Management: Over the last two years, Android had been said to be doing to well in the multitasking area. Letting some apps always run, and run down your battery – which we all hate right? – so in Android 2.3 Google added better battery management – you can see how it looks to the right – which we all use everyday. With this new feature you could see exactly what percentage of your battery each app was using, and of course the display is always going to be at the top.Gaming Development: Google really stepped it’s game up with the release of Gingerbread on the gaming front, one of the few areas where it was pretty far behind iOS. The new version of Android gave developers lower-level access to audio, device controls, graphics, and storage, which allowed them to write considerably faster native code. Support for a front-facing camera: When Froyo was released, the HTC EVO 4G was the first non-Nexus phone to launch with Android 2.2, and the first phone to have a front facing camera. So for those of us who had the EVO 4G from Sprint, it would be over six months before proper support would be available for the front camera, but that didn’t stop the functionality of the front camera on phones like the EVO 4G. The Nexus S also launched with NFC (Near Field Communication) capability, so the birth of Google Wallet happened with the launch of Gingerbread and the Nexus S. In Gingerbread there was not much you could do with NFC, but as you’ll see below in Ice Cream Sandwich there is a lot we can do with NFC. Android 3.x: Honeycombhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUGNCIozp0Google had noticed that a lot of it’s Android manufacturers were starting to make tablets for it’s fast growing platform, so Google decided instead of modifying Android 2.2/2.3 to fit the bigger screen lets make a version of Android just for tablets. Hence the birth of Honeycomb. Honeycomb was a bit rushed in the coding and building of the next generation of the Android platform, but for a rushed update it sure looks, feels, and acts very nicely.   Resizeable Widgets: We hadn’t heard any updates to widgets since Cupcake which was about a year ago. Now in Honeycomb we can resize widgets, which is pretty cool and one of my favorite features of Honeycomb. Google also brought us new widgets, the biggest improvements were the Calendar, Gmail, and Email widgets. Death of Physical Buttons: On a Honeycomb tablet, the only buttons you need are the power and volume rocker, that is it! All the other buttons are on screen, including Back, Home, and Recent Apps. Google got rid of the Search button – but you can add it back very easily. Because these buttons are now virtual, the system can hide them very easily and flip them when the screen rotates. Enhanced Multitasking: ‘Borrowing’ a page from WebOS, keep in mind that Google had hired WebOS’s design Guru Matias Duarte, the new Recent Apps button next to the Home button looked and acted much like on WebOS devices. By selecting the Recent Apps button you could see all the recent apps you have running and swipe to quit them, and save your battery a little more. You could also tap on one of the apps and go directly to that app. Android 4.0.x: Ice Cream Sandwichhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_ke3rxopcGoogle’s latest addition to Android is Ice Cream Sandwich, announced in October of 2011. ICS launched on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus which currently is only available in the US on Verizon Wireless – boy was that a crazy launch – and available as an unlocked GSM phone in most of the rest of the world. Ice Cream Sandwich is the glue that brought Android’s phone OS and Tablet OS together. A lot of Honeycomb’s features were added to Ice Cream Sandwich plus many more great ones.  New Launcher: ICS brings with it a entirely new launcher, now you can actually use up the entire bottom row of your screen, instead before you had some space for those little dots to show you which page you’re on. Also the app drawer is different, it has two tabs, one for Apps and one for widgets. So now all your apps and widgets are in the app drawer, no more long pressing your home screen to add a widget. Just drag and drop it on to a home screen from your app drawer.Face Unlock: If you recall in Gingerbread, Android got front-facing camera support right? Well in Ice Cream Sandwich Google started to use that camera a bit more. With face unlock it uses the front facing camera to verify who you are by your face then unlocks your phone. It’s pretty cool, but after a while it gets annoying because those front facing cameras don’t usually have a flash and it also doesn’t work well if you have a beard. New User Interface: Ice Cream Sandwich brought over the UI enhancements Google put out in Honeycomb, getting rid of the green accents in favor of the blue ones. As you can see from the pictures they look pretty nice and smooth. Hardware Acceleration: Now in Ice Cream Sandwich we have true dual-core processor support. Most of the new and current Android devices – phones and tablets – are now running on dual-core processors, but in previous versions of Android we did not have the software support for dual-core processors. Now we do, and Android is much faster then ever, especially if you don’t have a manufacturer’s skin on top of it like Touchwiz. New Font: For all the previous versions of Android we had what was called the “droid” font. In Ice Cream Sandwich we got what is called “Roboto” which makes a huge difference, and looks more modern then the old “droid” font.  Data Usage Management: Starting in Android 4.0, Google added a cool new feature inside the Settings app, Data Usage. It shows you how much data you’ve used and which apps have been using all of it. Also breaks it down by weeks and days, by app. You can also see how much data the app uses in the background and restrict it’s background data. Something we really need with all these carriers shutting down unlimited data. New Calendar and Email Apps: In Honeycomb we got new widgets for the calendar and email apps, in ICS we got even newer widgets and new apps! I must say they look pretty slick. The apps look almost completely different then they did in Android 2.3 and Honeycomb. For the first time the Calendar app now has a unified view, great for those like me who has multiple calendars on multiple accounts. Android 5.0: Jellybean?  What’s next for Android? What are we going to see in version 5.0 of Android? What is the next Nexus going to be named, and who is going to manufacture it? All these questions have yet to be answered, but what are your opinions? Let us know in the comments. What is your first memory of Android? When was the first time you picked up, or the first Android phone you had?And, for those of you hungry for a taste of what’s to come, we’ve put together a piece of the 10 features we want to see in Android 5.0 Jellybean! Check it out. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, The History of Android: How We Got to Tasty Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 04:46 AM PST  It’s here, the update that will put the Droid Bionic back on top, at least for now. This update is supposed to help get rid of those data drops we all hate, and the Black Screen of Death as well as some other improvements.Earlier this week, this update when out to soak testers and most people were saying it’d be a week before it was out to the rest of the Bionic owners. Well hey you guys were wrong! But it was a good thing, because the update got here less than 48 hours after the soak test was over. I have to give it to the folks over at Motorola for being so quick about this one.  Go ahead and hit up the comments below and let us know when you get the update, and if it actually fixed your data drops (if you had them) or any other problems you had. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, Verizon Pushes 5.9.902 Update to the Droid Bionic , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 04:05 AM PST  It’s finally here! The first in the long line of Original Droids (i.e. Droid, Droid 2, Droid 3, etc.) to get LTE capability is now officially for sale. Similar to the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx, the Droid 4′s battery is not removable. But the battery cover is so you can replace your Micro SD Card and your 4G sim card.The Droid 4 comes running Android 2.3.6 and of course it’s been promised an upgrade to Android 4.0. Not sure why Motorola didn’t choose to launch it with Android 4.0, it would have made marketing it even cooler. Imagine “Droid 4, with a 4-inch screen, with Android 4.0, running on Verizon’s 4G LTE network”. The Droid 4 has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 1GB of RAM for multi-tasking, a 1.3mp front-facing camera, with a hotspot capable of handling 8 devices on 4G LTE. Overall it’s a pretty nice device, we will have a full review up soon. In the meantime let us know in the comments if you’re going to go pick this one up from Verizon today. You can hit the source link to buy it from Verizon’s website. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
This article, Motorola Droid 4 Available Today from Verizon Wireless for $199 with a New 2-Year Contract , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. |
Saturday, February 11, 2012
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