Thursday, March 29, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Opera Mini 7 for Android hits Google Play Store

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 01:52 PM PDT

One of the biggest strengths of Android is the near endless customisation available to the user. Don’t like the stock set-up out of the box, go ahead and change it. The stock Android browser has always been extremely capable and the Ice cream Sandwich browser is one of the smoothest and fastest in the market. Mozilla’s Firefox has been steadily improving since its lacklustre arrival on Android. Google really upped the ante in the browser wars when they released the fabulous Chrome for mobile on Android ICS devices and today it’s Opera’s turn to show its hand.

The latest release offers a number of performance and usability enhancements as well as a new take on Opera’s ‘speed dial’ feature which it believes to be more efficient than the standard bookmark approach that most browsers use. Perhaps the biggest Unique Selling Point for Opera’s mobile browser is the claim that the advanced compression techniques on-board reduce the amount of data required to load a webpage by up to 90%, a huge benefit for users without unlimited data plans.

Hit the link below to try it for yourself. Be sure to let us know how it compares to your everyday browser of choice in the comments.

Google Play Store

You can also heck out the full press release below.

Opera Mini 7: The must-have app for Android available today

At last! The wait for Opera Mini 7 is over.

Oslo, Norway — March 28, 2012

Taking a page from Etta James, Opera Mini 7 is "a thrill to press your cheek to" for Android users. Today, Opera Software launched the Opera Mini 7 web browser in a final version for the Android platform.

This must-have app is your web surfing soulmate. 160 million monthly users of Opera Mini already know that this must-have app makes web browsing on your phone faster and can help save costs. If you're watching your mobile data diet, now's the time to go download the Opera Mini 7 app from the Android Market.

What's new, Stu?

Glad you asked, Max! Opera Mini 7 for Android makes browsing faster and panning around sites smoother, thanks to improved hardware acceleration.

Feeling boxed in by only nine favorite Speed Dial sites on the Home Screen? With Opera Mini 7, you get as many Speed Dial buttons as you'll ever want. Add all the sites you want to see right from the moment you start up your browser. No more messing around with fiddly mobile keyboards or bookmarks.

Perfect travel companion

Ever needed to look something up online when you're away from your home mobile network? Using the web while traveling can turn into an expensive adventure … unless you're an Opera Mini user on Android. Opera Mini 7 compresses, squeezes and jams webpages from the network into your phone.

Up to 90% of the original data gets cut out, so not only do you use less data, but you also get where you want to go on the web even faster. You'll also save time on slow networks. It's the must-have web-travel companion!

Download Opera Mini 7 from Android Market or m.opera.com.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 250 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. 'Opera', 'Opera Software', 'Opera Mini' and the 'O' logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

CM9 Nightlies Officially Kicked Off for LG Optimus LTE and Nitro HD

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:11 PM PDT

Looks as though the CyanogenMod team has been busy lately! Earlier today we reported that the CM9 ICS ROM is getting under way for the HTC Sensation and now we see that CM9 nightlies are available for a couple of LG handsets. Lucky for you if you own a rooted LG Optimus LTE (GSM) or LG Nitro HD, because you can now officially board the nightly train to CM9-ville. If you own either of these devices and aren’t rooted yet, this would be a great time to look into it as the CM9 ROM is top-notch ICS in action. For those who don’t know about nightlies, these are early builds and will most likely have a few bugs here and there and will require you to reflash daily to stay up to date with the ongoing changelog. If you are gung-ho for this type of stuff, don’t hesitate to jump straight to the source link below, and for those who decide to give it a whirl, do us a favor and let us know in the comments how it goes!

Thanks Babbi29!

source: CyanogenMod

 

 

New info suggests possible mid-May launch for the Samsung GT-i9300

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:09 PM PDT

Okay Android boys and girls, it looks like we have some more leaked info that we’ll tack up on our rumor board. A few days ago we reported that an anonymous user had taken a photo of the supposed GT-i9300, otherwise rumored to be the model number for the highly anticipated Galaxy S III. According to another tipster, the GT-i9300 will be released to the public in mid-May. Unfortunately it won’t be the GS III, but you didn’t expect it was going to be did you? Apparently the name or code-name of the the phone that is scheduled to ship out is listed as the Samsung Galaxy M. Now if you all recall back in August, Samsung had announced a new naming method for their future smartphones and the letter “M” is meant to be for “magical” (mid-tier) devices. So this is not the GS III that fans everywhere are yearning for. One thing is for certain, mid-May is only a month and a half away so we will find out more about the real GS III soon enough.

source: GSM Arena

Yet more new Galaxy series names trademarked by Samsung

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:06 PM PDT

Another day, another batch of Galaxy series names filed for trademark by Samsung. Earlier this month we told you that Samsung had filed for trademarks on Galaxy Thunder, Galaxy Express and Galaxy Accelerate. We haven’t actually seen any phones using these names hit the market yet however you can now add Galaxy Grand, Galaxy Premier and Galaxy Next into the mix too.

In the past Samsung has used these titles for carrier branded variations of flagship devices like the Galaxy S and Galaxy SII, we’ve also seen previous names attached to the budget Galaxy devices so it’s anyone’s guess as to what devices these new names will end up attached to.

It seems that Samsung’s marketing team is steadily working through the alphabet. Think you could do a better job? Leave us your suggestions in the comments below!

source : uspto

via : pocketnow

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Is Available For A Penny And Oh— Has A Leaked ICS Build Available

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:43 AM PDT

Amazon Wireless will be selling the AT&T Galaxy S II smartphone for a mere 1¢. That’s right gang— a mere penny for new customers. In addition, Amazon will toss in free 2-day shipping when you score the device. Great deal, right? That means those of you on AT&T who have been looking for a new phone may now have found the best and most inexpensive reason to upgrade.

And what better way to celebrate your new purchase or upgrade than with an immediate software upgrade? Let me explain– we know the ICS update for the Galaxy S II smartphone is out, but it was only a matter of time before variations of the update reached American shores. AT&T recently announced the Galaxy S II smartphone would indeed get Android 4.0 at some point this year, but you can bet both Sammy and/or AT&T have been hard at work developing an AT&T-specific version of the global ICS update in the meantime. Not surprisingly, an early build of the of the update has leaked out in the form of a ROM and is ready for ambitious (or impatient) users to an early taste of that ice cream goodness.

Feeling lucky punks? Hit the source links below to see the specific information on the leaked ICS build and page where you can find the phone for a penny.

source: RootzWiki | Amazon Wireless

Android 4.0.4 IMM76 Now Available for Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi [Download]

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Last night we broke news about the Android 4.0.4 soak test beginning for the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi. One of our faithful readers informed us of all the goodies included in the 14.6MB IMM76 update which includes:

Quicker screen rotation
A new setting to choose whether the power button immediately locks the device or not
Microsoft Exchange improvements with additional EAS policies
Better phone number recognition
Camera and image quality improvements
Improved stability
Overall speed boost
Bug fixes 

We also just learned that this update is available for anyone who is willing to put forth a little effort as XDA member solarnz has the update all ready for you to download. There are a few things you must know first before trying to snag the update. You must be on a stock ROM (Android 4.0.3) and running the stock recovery. You will also need a USB stick and a microUSB adapter cable to transfer the data from your computer to your device. If you meet these few requirements and are ready to get to work, you can grab the download below. Next, throw it on to your USB drive, boot into recovery, then update with the .zip file that you just downloaded. Now simply reboot and enjoy a little 4.0.4 action! If you have any questions you can always reference the XDA thread through the source link below.

4.0.4 Update: 0d062b3bcbc7.signed-tervigon-IMM76-from-IML77.0d062b3b.zip

Thanks Andy!

source: XDA

 

 

Transformer Prime ‘awesome new features’ update to include face unlock and Ethernet support

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 10:48 AM PDT

Yesterday we told you how ASUS touted that the upcoming update for the Transformer Prime will have some “awesome new features.” Well I am not sure how awesome they are, but ASUS Italy just shared the details. First of all, the update (9.4.2.21) should hit Prime owners in Italy by tomorrow, which means everyone else should see it by the weekend. It will include the Ice Cream Sandwich face unlock feature, Ethernet networking through an optional Ethernet to USB converter, the ability to select HDMI output to either landscape or portrait mode, and support for ad-hoc wireless networks.

So what do you guys think? Awesome or boring?

source: facebook

HTC Vivid ICS Update Brings Up To 66 Percent Improvement Over Vivid With Gingerbread

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 09:02 AM PDT

You remember that ICS Update for the HTC Vivid smartphone we mentioned last week? Not only did it bring improved sound quality to the device, it’s also brought better overall performance of the device. VentureBeat reports the device with Android 4.0 may be seeing up to 66 percent faster than when the device operated on Android 2.3. This makes the Vivid the first device outside of the Galaxy Nexus in the U.S. to not only feature ICS, but to show the benefits of the updated software through measurable performance. Read on to see the direct comparison of Android 2.3 vs. Android 4.0 on the Vivid smartphone.

 

The first benchmark comparison begins with the BrowserMark test which looks at web browsing quality. It basically handles different web-specific processes which includes processing HTML and graphics rendering. Android 4.0 scores an average of 24 percent faster than its Android 2.3 counterpart on the Vivid.

 

 

The SunSpider benchmark test’s a device’s ability to process Javascript codes. On the Vivid with Android 4.0, it processes Javascript 66 percent faster than the Vivid with Android 2.3. Keep in mind there were no modifications or improvements to the device— so the difference is definitely eye-opening. Quadrant which tests graphics and processing power only showed a marginal difference between the two versions of Android on the device.

 

 

For the Nenamark 1 & 2 benchmarks, it was again status quo. Nenamark— which is a test for graphically intense processes and apps— saw the Vivid operating on ICS saw a 20 percent and 41 percent increase over the performance on the Vivid operating on Gingerbread.

 

 

Finally there is the Basemark OS test which tests your device’s battery under stress. Compared to the Vivid on Gingerbread, the ICS-based Vivid achieved almost an hour more of additional processing available to users of the device.

Here’s a quick summary of the findings: there’s improved performance across all benchmarks and if you haven’t gotten the ICS update yet for the Vivid, you should probably do so— immediately.

source: Venture Beat

Samsung Galaxy Note shipments top 5 million

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:02 AM PDT

So many people laughed when they saw the Samsung Galaxy Note had a 5.3-inch screen, but it’s definitely a hit. Just about a month ago, Samsung told us they sold 2 million units with a projection of 10 million for 2012. A little less than 30 days later and they are now reporting that 5 million units are now sold. Looks like 10 million could be an understatement. Overall Samsung doesn’t appear to be slowing down. When looking at their complete lineup, they expect to ship approximately 50 million smartphones this year. Gee, I wonder if the Galaxy S III might play a big part in achieving those numbers?

source: samsung tomorrow

Temple Run for Android : Was it worth the wait?

Posted: 28 Mar 2012 07:39 AM PDT

You know a game is a global phenomenon when it’s a top trend on twitter and has a number of the nations major sports personalities tweeting their top scores to boast to their team mates. Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney was quick  to post his latest top score, tagging in his team mates in a gloating fashion. With nearly 50 million downloads from Apple’s App Store and unanimous critical acclaim across the web, Temple Run has finally hit the Google Play Store.

To set the scene, picture a young Indiana Jones being chased by a pack of rabid monkeys and you’re pretty much there. Why our character is running and where he’s trying to go is a mystery but this game certainly doesn’t rely on a storyline to keep you hooked.

The controls are simple and not entirely dissimilar from previous Android hits such as Wind-up Knight and Diversion. Your character runs automatically and you need to perform a series of manoeuvres in order to negotiate the precarious temple. You can tilt your phone to swerve, swipe the screen up to jump, swipe down to slide and swipe left or right to, well… turn left or right! Sounds simple right? Not exactly, the obstacles become steadily trickier to navigate through as tree stumps follow pits and you’re faced with one sharp bend after another all whilst trying to collect as many coins as possible. There is no end goal to the game, the objective is to keep on going for as long as you can racking up distance, points and coins. You only have one life so as soon as you plummet over the edge or bang into a wall it’s game over.

The game features an in-game store in which you can exchange your hard earned coins (or real cash if you prefer) for additional characters or power-ups. Power-ups can increase your multipliers which will subsequently improve your high score and ensure you climb that leader-board. For such a simple premise, the tension of making sure you avoid a silly mistake as you approach your personal best is what makes the game so much fun. One wrong move and you’re back to the beginning with it all to do again!

The UI is simple and easy to navigate. There are only a few options in the menus and it’s easy to pick up and play right away. Graphics are crisp and bright and I noticed no obvious stutters or lag running the game on my Galaxy Nexus. As mentioned previously, controls are simple meaning the game is easy to play but difficult to master. I did encounter the occasional force close error, particularly when attempting to ‘run again’ after plummeting to an untimely demise. Not the end of the world but a little irritating and something I’m certain will be addressed in an update.

The mobile gaming market has sky-rocketed over the past few years with mobile devices having a huge impact on sales of dedicated gaming devices such as the Nintendo 3DS and Sony Playstation Vita. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a seasoned pro, you’ll find everything from stunning visual spectacles such as Dead Space or Shadow Gun to simple puzzlers like Tetris and Bejewelled. As technology advances and we see true HD screens, quad core processors and copious amounts of RAM, it’s inevitable that we’ll see the quality and complexity of mobile gaming move on to the next level. All of that said, this writer is of the belief that for mobile gaming, particularly if it’s on a handheld touch-screen device, it’s at its very best when it’s kept simple, and Temple Run achieves this perfectly. The visuals are sharp enough to please the eye, the controls are simple enough for your average toddler to grasp yet the game-play is sufficiently challenging to keep you coming back for more. You can play it for 2 minutes or 2 hours and that, for me anyway, is the mark of a great mobile game.

Try it out for yourself by clicking the links below, but be warned… it’s addictive!

2012-03-28 00.18.46 2012-03-28 00.19.01 2012-03-28 00.19.16 TempleRun__Featured

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Google Play Store
Posted by at 5:52 AM

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