Android and Me |
- HTC One video overload: official commercial, One X stress test and hands-on overviews
- HTC One camera wins shootout with the best Android phones
- Blind man drives to Taco Bell in Google’s self-driving car
- Top 10 Android App updates: EyeEm, Hooked, Zaarly, …
- Stop everything, the One video you need to watch today
- HTC Sensation 4G Android 4.0 update delayed
- Rumor: Best Buy email accidentally reveals AT&T HTC One X launch date
- HTC One hits store shelves a few days early in Germany
- Google Drive to feature free 5GB of storage, in-app document editor
| HTC One video overload: official commercial, One X stress test and hands-on overviews Posted: 30 Mar 2012 05:06 PM PDT  The guys who brought up the HTC One X camera shootout have also uploaded a few hands-on videos of HTC’s new lineup, the official commercial for the HTC One X, and a stress test demonstration. We could go into detail and talk about the different videos, but it’s probably easier to let you sit back and watch them instead. There’s been a little bit of HTC One overload today and we expect things to stay this way until after the launch of the HTC One series next week. As always, leave us a comment and let us know what you think of the videos. I was fascinated by the HTC One X camera shootout video, but it’s nice to know that the HTC One X can take a beating and still hold things together.
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| HTC One camera wins shootout with the best Android phones Posted: 30 Mar 2012 12:52 PM PDT  You already watched the unboxing and the new TV ad, so why not see what the HTC One X camera can do? One of the main things I’m looking forward to in HTC’s new lineup is ImageSense. With this new technology, HTC thinks they can rival digital point and shoot cameras with improvements to every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip. Today’s new video demonstrates just how good the HTC One X camera is compared to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Sony Xperia S. We can see the One takes a photo in just 0.7 seconds, and it takes 4 photos per second (max of 99) in the burst mode. Best of all, these exciting new camera features are available across HTC’s entire One lineup (X, S, and V). I recently found myself using my camera more than ever, and I admit that I’m a little disappointed with the Galaxy Nexus camera. It can take great photos, but it’s slow to start up and it struggles with low light situations. It’s nice to see HTC raise the bar for camera phones, and we hope more handset makers follow. How important is camera performance for your next smartphone purchase? Highlights of HTC ImageSense include:
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| Blind man drives to Taco Bell in Google’s self-driving car Posted: 30 Mar 2012 12:20 PM PDT  “Look, Ma, no hands,” said Steve Mahan, who is legally blind, as he rode around in one of Google’s self-driving vehicles. ”No hands, no feet. This is some of the best driving I’ve ever done.” Google announced their self-driving car project in 2010 to make driving safer, more enjoyable, and more efficient. They recently felt it was mature enough to show off, after several years of testing and completing over 200,000 miles of computer-led driving. A three minute video which documents the technical experiment was placed on YouTube where it went viral and has already received over 500,000 views. It’s not every day you see a blind man in the driver’s seat of a moving car, so check out the clip below to preview Google’s technology that could change Steve’s life. “Yes, this test was legal,” a Google representative told PCMag.com in a statement. “It was performed on a carefully designed course, and we filmed in partnership with the local police department. We also placed one of our project experts in the passenger seat who could stop the vehicle if it became necessary.” Don’t be surprised if you start to see self-driving cars in the coming years. Nevada has already approved rules for self-driving cars and more states will follow.
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| Top 10 Android App updates: EyeEm, Hooked, Zaarly, … Posted: 30 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT  Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most upgraded apps for the week. I've found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, and not focus on which apps have the most installs. To find the most updated apps, I turn to AppAware. It's a great tool that shows me which apps have active support from their developers and sometimes reminds me of an old app that I might have removed long ago. Make sure to install it so your activity can help determine our weekly top 10 list. This week I’m going to do things a little different. I normally filter out apps that have over 10 million installs, but I’m going to make an exception for popular apps that had significant updates. I hope you enjoy this weekly feature and discover some apps that you might find useful. EyeEm – Version 2.1.2
What’s new in this version:
EyeEm is a photo sharing & discovery app that connects you with like-minded people through the photos you take. Clark turned me onto it and I’ve been playing with it this week. Yes, it’s another camera app for Android, but this one is special. There is an interesting social network that allows users to find people who take similar photos of the topics, places & events they contribute to. It currently has less than 50k installs, so install it and give it a try. Zaarly – Version 2.0.2.2
What’s new in this version:
Zaarly is a location based app that allows you to buy and sell anything with people nearby. Think of it as a mobile, local version of eBay or Craigslist, with the addition of a market for services. The latest update is pretty minor, but I wanted to share this app because I think it has huge potential. There are less than 500k installs right now, so it might only be useful in metro areas. Evernote – Version 3.6
What’s new in this version:
There are a lot of note taking apps out there, but Evernote is the most popular by far. I have tried it on and off, but never been a regular user. The latest update adds the ability to record audio notes with speech to text transcription, so I might have to give it another try. Endomondo – Version 7.0.2
What’s new in this version:
Android has a ton of great fitness apps, so it’s hard to choose the one that’s the right fit. I’ve been using Cardio Trainer Pro and enjoying it, but I’ve been looking for something a little more social and the new Endomondo v7 looks to offer what I need (and I just installed it). Endomondo only has 1 million installs, but it has been able to maintain an average review score of 4.6. Opera Mini – Version 7.0
What’s new in this version:
This week Opera Mini rolled out a major update to Version 7. Opera promises their browser is the world’s fastest and it can save users money by reducing data costs by up to 90% with their unique compression technology. Android fans seem to prefer Dolphin Browser as their favorite alternative browser, but Opera Mini is also well liked with an average review score of 4.4. doubleTwist Player – Version 1.7.3
What’s new in this version:
DoubleTwist Player is one of those must have apps if you are an iTunes user. This free app syncs music (including iTunes playlists) to your phone from your Mac/PC over USB or AirSync over WiFi. The latest update added support for Google Music, which is a nice addition for Google users. Hooked – Version 1.2.23
What’s new in this version:
Hooked is another app discovery service, but they focus on finding the best games for you based on other games you already have installed on your device and what games you are playing the most. These week they released a minor update for bug fixes, but I wanted to share it because I’ve found the app to be increasing useful in my never ending search for new games. GO TaskManager – Version 2.1
What’s new in this version:
Is there any part of your Android phone that the GO Launcher Dev Team doesn’t let you customize? We have already covered most of their apps, but this is the first time we have mentioned GO TaskManager. The latest major update turned their widget into a more powerful apps that they claim is more useful. Layar – Version 6.2
What’s new in this version:
Poor Layer. They keep releasing new updates, and downloads keep sinking while the average review score hovers around 3.5. The latest update includes streaming video in camera mode, but it’s only available on dual-core phones. I have Layar installed, but I never use it. GPS Essentials – Version 2.8.6
What’s new in this version:
I had never seen this app before today, but GPS Essentials claims to be “The Swiss army knife of GPS navigation!” and “The most complete GPS tool on market.” Based on the description, it looks like a pretty useful tool. GPS Essentials lets users build their own dashboard from 45 widgets. Honorable mentionsDid you see any Android apps that received notable updates in the last week? Share your suggestions in the comments below and we will add them to our honorable mentions list.
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| Stop everything, the One video you need to watch today Posted: 30 Mar 2012 08:14 AM PDT  “Welcome to HTC One, a phone which was designed with the belief that no one person is the same as everyone else. We believe that one recommendation is a 1000x more powerful than ours, which is why we have always put that one person at the heart of everything we do.” If you watch one video today, make it HTC’s new ad Welcome to HTC One. These guys are getting pretty good. What do you think of the HTC One launch campaign?
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| HTC Sensation 4G Android 4.0 update delayed Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:49 AM PDT  HTC announced a while back that the HTC Sensation 4G would be one of the first phones in their lineup updated to Android 4.0. The update was expected to be released before the end of March. We actually had hope that HTC would follow through on its promise; we saw Android 4.0 updates begin to trickle out to the HTC Sensation in Europe, HTC Velocity in Australia and the HTC Vivid here in the US market. Some of you even got your hopes up when T-Mobile updated its website, indicating that the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Amaze 4G would be coming soon. We’re only one day away from the end of March, and T-Mobile is now speaking up about the update status of the HTC Sensation 4G. According to an unnamed T-Mobile rep, the Android 4.0 update for the HTC Sensation has been delayed. The rep explains how the ROM testing process between HTC and T-Mobile works and indicates that the software update is back in HTC’s hands to fix a few reaming issues with the build (most likely T-Mobile specific application compatibility and radio connectivity issues). We’re not sure how much longer T-Mobile customers will have to wait for the HTC Sensation 4G’s Android 4.0 update, but we’re glad T-Mobile is being somewhat transparent about the issue. HTC has delivered a ROM to us however it is still having issues the reason that other sensation types have the update without issue and ours did not come out that way is because every ROM must be adapted to the hardware of the device because we use a different radio than other providers and also have applications such as wifi calling it also has to be compatible with those. What the HTC rep told you is most likely correct because once a ROM is delivered we have 2 weeks to test it and then approve it or send it back they then have 4 weeks to fix the bugs and return it back to us, where we are exactly in that process I do not know but that is how a ROM is delivered to the customer.
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| Rumor: Best Buy email accidentally reveals AT&T HTC One X launch date Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:11 AM PDT  AT&T and HTC has been tight-lipped about the launch of the HTC One X, so Best Buy has taken matters into its own hands – revealing that the phone will be available on May 6. This new information comes from a Best Buy customer who pre-ordered the AT&T HTC One X at his local Best Buy store. The store did not reveal the handset’s launch date, but he did receive an email yesterday which claims that his pre-ordered HTC One X for AT&T would launch on May 6th. The most curious part about the email states that May 6th is a new release date, indicating that AT&T may have had another date in mind. We’re not sure why the date has changed, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For all we know, AT&T pushed the launch date up by a week or two after news broke yesterday that T-Mobile USA would be launching the HTC One S on April 22nd. Of course, there’s always the chance that the email is a fake or that AT&T will change the release date of the HTC One X again. we’ll just have to wait to see how this all plays out. If you don’t want to wait for AT&T to release the dual-core HTC One X with LTE, you can always buy the quad-core Tegra 3 powered HTC One X from Amazon or a few dozen other retails who are selling the phone. The official launch of the HTC One X in Europe is scheduled for April 2nd which means you could be installing all your favorite apps on an unlocked HTC One X by this time next week.
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| HTC One hits store shelves a few days early in Germany Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:59 AM PDT  Even though HTC officially announced that the HTC One would be available starting on April 2nd that has not stopped electronics retailer Media Markt from putting the HTC One X, HTC One S and HTC One V on store shelves a few days early. Several shoppers have reported that the three HTC One devices are available at Media Markt stores in Germany, allowing customers to get an early taste of Android 4.0 with the latest version of HTC Sense. The HTC One X and HTC One S are listed for €579 and €519. While the HTC One V is said to be available as well, no one took the time to remember the handset’s sale price. If you live in Germany, we suggest you rush down to your local Media Markt. You’d be crazy to not want to test it out and get some hands-on time with HTC new flagship devices. If you do spend some time with the HTC One, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let us and the other readers know what you think of the device.
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| Google Drive to feature free 5GB of storage, in-app document editor Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:15 AM PDT  The folks over at Talk Android have come across a screenshot which shows some further details on Google’s upcoming Google Drive cloud storage platform. Many were expecting Google to go the way of Dropbox and offer users 2GB of free storage with premium tiers for additional storage. While Google will certainly offer premium tiers to customers, all users will be presented with 5GB of free storage. Certainly not a significant amount of storage, but more than most of the competitors are offering, with some notable exceptions like Box which offers 50GB to most users. According to support documents, Google Drive will also feature a built-in document editor, suggesting that Google Drive may be more of an extension of Google Docs than a standalone cloud storage service, though users will likely be able to upload multiple types of files to Google Drive. Engadget notes that the service could also be a complete re-branding of the Google Docs platform, with an expansion for multiple file types and a 4GB increase in the amount of available storage. We should be seeing official unveiling of Google Drive over the course of the next few weeks, where all our outstanding questions of the service will hopefully be answered. 
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