Android Authority |
- Google Drive to debut next week, free 5GB storage
- AT&T expected to announce the HTC One XL today. Release in 5 – 7 days
- Shake ‘n Rotate: Toggling auto-rotation with just a shake
- FaceLock: Locking down your phone apps and unlocking with your face
- Pictures taken with Motorola Droid Razr HD show up on Picasa. Is it the Droid Fighter?
- Android 4.0.3 vs Android 4.0.4 vs Android 4.0.5
- Google Play Store modified; (unofficially) removes country restrictions
- HTC One X custom patch gives up to 20% improved battery life
- Oracle vs Google trial starts today, both CEOs to testify as witnesses
- ARCHOS 101 G9 Turbo giveaway winner announced!
| Google Drive to debut next week, free 5GB storage Posted: 17 Apr 2012 02:38 AM PDT
It seems Google is ready to take the lid off its cloud storage service, Google Drive, in the following days. The Next Web reports that they have received a draft release from one of Google's partners that provides a glimpse of what the service entails. Apart from spilling the beans on the expected launch date, which would be sometime next week (Tuesday is a possibility), TNW’s report confirms that each user will get 5GB of free online storage space. What does this mean for other online storage services such as Box, Dropbox, and even SkyDrive? The 5GB storage that Google Drive offers for free trumps the default storage that user gets from Dropbox's 2GB (you can easily get more, we know), matches the Box's 5GB storage, and lags behind SkyDrive's 25GB storage. But of course, Google Drive will come with full syncing, meaning that any changes you make on a file will be automatically updated to your other linked machines. This is something that some of the competitors lack in the free version. While it's a given that Google Drive will work on PCs and Android devices, the service is expected to work on Mac computers and iOS devices as well, though details are still somewhat scarce at the moment. In addition to allowing you to access the cloud data via a browser, Google Drive will work as a local application on PC and Mac computers. The report also mentions the possibility of the Google Drive app coming with document editing capability, which is a sign that it will be deeply integrated with Google Docs. With so many signs pointing to the imminent release of Google Drive (the leaked screenshot of the website and the premature availability of the OS X app come to mind), it's safe to say that, very soon, you'll have one more option to move your files around the cloud. This article, Google Drive to debut next week, free 5GB storage , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| AT&T expected to announce the HTC One XL today. Release in 5 – 7 days Posted: 17 Apr 2012 02:09 AM PDT
Sprint recently recently announced the availability of two of its three 4G LTE phones, the LG Viper and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for April 22. Not to be left behind, AT&T is expected to release its flagship 4G LTE device, the HTC One XL, as early as this week, according to BGR. As reported, AT&T is expected to announce the availability today with a release to follow in five to seven days. As a reminder, the specifications of the HTC One XL are:
Unlike the complete makeover that turned the HTC One X into the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint, the AT&T version is largely similar to the international release. The only notable difference is the swapping of the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor (found in the international version) with a dual-core Snapdragon S4, to provide 4G LTE capability. Like the international version, the HTC One XL won’t have a microSD slot, but will include the 25GB Dropbox storage for free. Pricing and release information will be available with the official announcement expected soon. Will you be upgrading to the HTC One XL? Which device would you prefer between the One XL and the Sprint EVO 4G LTE? Let us know in the comments section below. This article, AT&T expected to announce the HTC One XL today. Release in 5 – 7 days , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Shake ‘n Rotate: Toggling auto-rotation with just a shake Posted: 16 Apr 2012 04:00 PM PDT
With how smartphones are becoming increasingly sensitive to even the smallest of things nowadays, it doesn’t take a lot of tilting to get the screen to rotate. For users who don’t want to put in a lot of effort to change their screen to rotate, this is a good thing. But, for others who find it extremely annoying to find their screens rotating to a position they don’t need, just because they’re holding their device off center, disabling auto-rotate is a must. Who wants to check his or her phone while they’re lying down, only to find one’s phone screen moving into another position? For the most part, disabling auto-rotate solves our problem, but since we use our phones for a variety of functions, one orientation just won’t do. Taking pictures, for example, can be tiring when you need to breeze through your settings menu just to enable auto-rotation again. It takes extra time that you could be spending snapping shots of the perfect moment.
Thankfully, there’s Shake ‘n Rotate. Developed by Andrea Baccega, Shake ‘n Rotate is a handy app that enables or disables auto-rotation when you shake your Android device. Say goodbye to having to take a few precious seconds to manually switch auto-rotate back on when you can just shake the device. You need to look at a picture, for example, but you want to do that in landscape mode. If you’ve got auto-rotate disabled, simply shake your device and you’ll see an icon on the screen that indicates you’ve turned on auto-rotate. When you’re done, hold your phone back in portrait position, and shake it again to turn auto-rotate back off.
Since some of us shake more vigorously than others, Shake ‘n Rotate also comes with the option to control just how high its sensitivity threshold should go. Set it to “Sensitive” so that even the slightest of shakes can toggle auto-rotate. Set it to “Hard” if you’re planning to take a jog; this way, auto-rotate won’t be triggered while you’re working up a sweat. For most occasions, “Normal” should do the trick. Unfortunately, Shake ‘n Rotate seems to have a few bugs and limitations. One of the main complaints users have is that Shake ‘n Rotate only locks in portrait mode and not in landscape mode. Other complaints were that Shake ‘n Rotate’s sensitivity threshold was still too high, even if it was set to “Hard.” This resulted in Shake ‘n Rotate being triggered in a user’s pocket while they were walking. Some other users complained that while shaking works, shaking tolerance is not consistent. Sometimes the auto-rotate function locks or unlocks with as little as a 3-cm shake in one direction, or as much as a full minute’s worth of shaking. Others have complained that Shake ‘n Rotate drastically drains their device’s battery. Future updates may fix these issues and may improve compatibility with some Android phone models. If you’d like to let Shake ‘n Rotate enable and disable auto-rotate for you, you can get Shake ‘n Rotate on the Google Play Store for free. This article, Shake 'n Rotate: Toggling auto-rotation with just a shake , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| FaceLock: Locking down your phone apps and unlocking with your face Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT
Face Unlock and Android Beam are two of the new features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. But, for Android phones running Android 2.3.6 and higher, you can still enjoy the face unlocking feature from Android 4.0 ICS via the FaceLock app. Created by SmartApps Mobile, the FaceLock app allows you to use your face as a key to unlock and access your non-ICS Android phone. What's more is that you don't need a front camera to use this app. The app can utilize your rear camera to unlock your mobile phone. Read on so you will learn how this app works and how can it protect your mobile phone.
Launching the FaceLock for apps will bring you to its main menu which consist of options that lets you customize the app's performance. To enable FaceLock on your mobile phone, tap the Enable FaceLock button from the main menu. This will activate the app on your phone.
The FaceLock also allows the users to take pictures of themselves and train the app to identify its owners. To begin training the app, tap the Train face recognition button to begin taking pictures. The app will require you to take at least 7 pictures of yourselves at different angles and different lighting conditions. You can shave your beard on the first photo, wear your glasses on the second, give a smiling face at the third, hide in a dark place, and so on until the app has enough pictures to detect your face. You can even take pictures of your trusted friends and allow them to unlock your phone. Like the Face Unlock feature of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, FaceLock also has a plan B in case it doesn't recognize its owner. The app will prompt the user to type-in the PIN, password, or pattern-based unlock key. You can set the password or PIN by tapping Set password / PIN from the app's main menu. The pattern-based unlock features are only available in the pro version of FaceLock.
The FaceLock app also protects the Settings, Task Manager, and Google Play on your mobile phone. FaceLock will kick-in whenever you access these areas on your phone. The app also allows you to lock applications on your phone. For the pro version of FaceLock, you can select unlimited applications and set the app as a lock screen on your mobile phone.
What's more is that you don't need a front camera to enjoy these features. The app can utilize the rear camera to unlock your phone. As long as your phone is running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and higher, you don't need a front-facing camera to enjoy Face Unlock on your Android phone. Other options included in the app are Security level, Locking options, and Camera options. FaceLock is a fun and secure to way to unlock your phone using your face. Download the FaceLock for apps for free from the Google Play Store. You can also enjoy extensive protection at a small a price by downloading FaceLock for apps Pro. What security app do you use to protect and secure your Android phone? This article, FaceLock: Locking down your phone apps and unlocking with your face , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Pictures taken with Motorola Droid Razr HD show up on Picasa. Is it the Droid Fighter? Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:50 PM PDT
What would you do if you had a secret Motorola phone that only a handful have ever seen or touched? You’d take pictures with it and upload them to Picasa, of course. Or at least that's what one Motorola engineer apparently did. It's also how Blog of Mobile, a Japanese mobile blog (go figure), uncovered pictures taken with what appears to be the Motorola Droid Razr HD. The EXIF data attached to the series of pictures showed that they were taken by said Motorola Droid Razr HD phone, which is also known as the Motorola XT926. Other notable information listed includes the phone's f/2.4 aperture and Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. While the pictures are only HD resolution, the Motorola Droid Razr HD is rumored to be capable of taking photos of up to 13MP.
 A picture taken with the Motorola Droid Razr HD  Leaked picture of the Motorola Droid Fighter The Motorola Droid Razr Fighter, if you remember, is expected to come with a 4.6-inch HD display and rumored to ship with a 1.8GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 chip and a PowerVR SGX544 GPU inside. Connecting the dots and all that, it is possible that the Motorola Droid Razr HD is none other than the oft mentioned Droid Fighter, whose pictures have been leaked, and which we've even pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S3 right here. If that's the case, it's but a natural progression for the latest Droid phone to come with an HD display and a corresponding name to boot. And to save you the trouble of making the obvious comments (though you're still more than welcomed to add yours), we anxiously await for the announcement of Motorola Droid Razr HD Maxx, in about, let's say, several months down the road after the introduction of the Motorola Droid Razr HD. This article, Pictures taken with Motorola Droid Razr HD show up on Picasa. Is it the Droid Fighter? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Android 4.0.3 vs Android 4.0.4 vs Android 4.0.5 Posted: 16 Apr 2012 09:25 AM PDT
It didn’t seem all that long ago that Ice Cream Sandwich first emerged. Now it seems to have taken Android phones by storm, though not always officially. Almost everyone wanted it on their phone and with good reason. Not only does Ice Cream Sandwich look gorgeous but also boasts an improved Android experience. It didn’t take long before dedicated Android developers churned out countless ROMs based on Ice Cream Sandwich. With each subsequent update, ROMs also assimilated many of the new features and bug fixes. Though version 4.0.4 may have only been recently released, we’re already looking forward to what 4.0.5 has in store for us. Today we’ll be comparing Google’s previous update, 4.0.3, with our current one, 4.0.4, and we’ll see how these two might fare against what’s projected for and expected from 4.0.5. Android 4.0.3Android 4.0.3 was first released in December, 2011. With an API level of 15, Android 4.0.3 packed a number of features. One of them was the Social Stream API in the Contacts provider. Applications that used social stream data, like status updates and check-ins, could now sync that data with each of the user’s contacts. It allowed users to know what their contacts were doing or saying.
Enhancements were also made to the Calendar, such that apps could add colors to events to allow for easy tracking. New attendee types and states also became available. The Camera also received a few new capabilities, such as apps’ being able to check and manage video stabilization and could use QVGA resolution profiles when needed. A number of accessibility refinements also came with the update, such as improved content access for screen readers and new status and error reporting for text-to-speech engines. Incremental improvements in graphics, database, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and more were also thrown in. Gmail also got an update in the form of the Experiments heading in Gmail’s settings menu. Two new options were made available to the user. The first allowed Gmail to index entire messages to improve local search, and the other allowed users to drag and drop contact chips between the To, CC and BCC address fields. Unfortunately, there were a number of complaints that came with this update too. Users didn’t like the animation and the time it took for them to access the multitasking feature. Android 4.0.4Android 4.0.4, released in March, 2012, answered user complaints. Google certainly fixed that lag in getting to the multitasking feature and added a few more things. People were saying that the overall improvement of 4.0.4 was supposed to be how Ice Cream Sandwich should be experienced. Users on our favorite forum, XDA Developers, said that 4.0.4 really felt like a finished product. According to Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, 4.0.4 not only had a handful of improvements but “a few hundred changes over 4.0.3.”
For 4.0.4, Google not only improved the multitasking feature but also improved screen rotation. Screen rotation was more fluid and faster than ever before. Users will notice that when they change their phone’s orientation, there’s a slight lag before the screen rotates. It turns out not to be a glitch at all but is instead a built in “hesitation” so you can be sure that the screen is rotating like you intended. With how sensitive phones are becoming nowadays, it isn’t uncommon for the screen to rotate when we really didn’t mean for it to. The Camera app has also gotten some improvements that allow it to work faster, smoother, and a little bit better. One problem with the 4.0.4 update, however, was that some devices, such as the Galaxy Nexus, seemed to be having some problems. There are multiple reports that users experienced signal problems and even loss of signal since receiving the OTA update. Users of the Galaxy Nexus GSM report that signal loss happened after a few minutes or more of the device entering standby. Turn off the screen and you’ll lose the signal. Though some users are speculating that this is an energy-saving feature (to reduce power consumption when you weren’t really doing anything with your phone), it annoyed most users. Imagine not being able to receive messages and calls when your phone was on standby. Android 4.0.5Though Android 4.0.5 isn’t out yet, a lot of people are waiting for it already. It’s anyone’s guess when this update will be released, but rumor has it that it’s aimed for some time April, 2012. The Internet first heard of Android 4.0.5 when the French carrier SFR disclosed a table that claimed the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus S would be getting this version over-the-air some time in March. Though no 4.0.5 has materialized for either of those phones, another rumor has cropped up, saying that Verizon is testing an update for its LTE-capable Galaxy Nexus. Rumors are rumors after all, and Verizon has yet to confirm if these rumors are true.
Based on what we’re hearing, 4.0.5 may not bring any new features to your phone but will carry a lot of fixes for critical issues. Version 4.0.5 is said to address several internal bugs and reboot issues, such as the audio reboot issue. In addition, a certain “data falling asleep” bug may also be corrected, together with battery life problems and the loss of signal when the phone goes on standby. No changes seem to be likely for the launcher and user interface, but some users are holding on to the hope that this update will feature new radios. VerdictUndoubtedly, if you haven’t gotten 4.0.4 yet, you really should. It gives Ice Cream Sandwich an overall smoother performance, resolving a number of issues from 4.0.3. Though some phones, like the Galaxy Nexus, had signal problems, other phones seemed to fare fine. As promising as it may be to wait for 4.0.5, there’s no telling when it’ll land on our devices, but if you’re willing to wait, it just might be worth it. Potentially packing improvements and bug fixes, 4.0.5 may just make Ice Cream Sandwich the software everyone should have. This article, Android 4.0.3 vs Android 4.0.4 vs Android 4.0.5 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Play Store modified; (unofficially) removes country restrictions Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:46 AM PDT
Most consumers that buy an Android device assume they’ll have access to all the applications available in the Google Play Store. But this is not always the case. While most app restrictions are usually based on OS version compatibility, i.e. some apps are optimized for Android 2.3 or higher, sometimes, restrictions are based on your geographical location. Especially if you live outside the US and have used the Google Play Store for a while, you probably are familiar with the message “This item cannot be installed in your country.” Of course, some of these apps that aren’t very useful and likely won’t work at your location anyway. But in a lot of cases, location-based restrictions are for no apparent reason, and the restricted apps should work fine when downloaded. As it is usually the case when it comes to problems with Android, the enthusiasts at XDA developers have a solution at hand. XDA senior member Deeco7 has been working on a modified Google Play Store that has as a primary feature the removal of the location-based restrictions found on the “original” Play Store.
As with any such “development”, there are a few bugs and glitches that need to be worked out. There are some users that faced problems after installing this app, but, fortunately, the developer has been prompt with updates and fixes in an attempt to remove such errors. The latest build (v3.5.16) of the unofficial Play Store app brings:
If all the issues with this modified Play Store can be fixed or if you are lucky enough to have a fully functional app right from the installation, it will be a huge boon for all of you geo-restricted app lovers out there. You can find further information, download, and installation instructions here. It goes without saying that you should backup the original apk, which can be re-installed if something goes wrong. Have you faced problems with app restrictions based on your location? If you try this modification, do let us know your experience in the comments section below. This article, Google Play Store modified; (unofficially) removes country restrictions , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| HTC One X custom patch gives up to 20% improved battery life Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:28 AM PDT
Android Revolution HD developer mike1986 came across a bug in the stock software released with the HTC One X. The Tegra 3 power management and scaling software didn’t seem to function properly, and he looked deeper into it. According to mike1986, an application identified as ‘NvCPLSvc.apk’ was misplaced by the HTC developers. Instead of residing in the /system/bin/ folder (as it is now), it is supposed to be in /system/app/. Along with the custom ROM, Android Revolution HD, the developer was good enough to release a separate fix package. You can find it here on the XDA Developer Forums. To apply this patch, HTC One X users must plug their phones into a computer and ‘push’ the fix to the phone using the ADB development application. Then, the file permissions for the APK need to be modified so the phone can use it without issues. To do all of this, your phone must have USB Debugging enabled, and though it’s not made clear in the XDA thread, it’s likely that your device will need to be rooted. It’s expected that HTC will release an official Over The Air update to fix this problem, along with any others that turn up during the One X’s initial ‘run in’ period. If you’re keen to repair this problem yourself though, it’s not a difficult procedure. People who have completed this process report a battery life increase of 10 to 20%. Whether that is worth it or not, you decide. This article, HTC One X custom patch gives up to 20% improved battery life , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Oracle vs Google trial starts today, both CEOs to testify as witnesses Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:56 AM PDT
As Google and Oracle have failed to reach a settlement in their ongoing patent infringement dispute before the judge-imposed April 13 deadline, the trial will start today, set to begin with jury selection. According to Oracle's potential witness list, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Google CEO Larry Page will both called to the stand in the following days. In 2010, when Oracle filed their initial complaints, Google's Android OS was believed to break seven patents and copyright claims related to the Java programming language, intellectual property owned by Oracle since their acquisition of Sun Microsystems – the creators of Java – back in 2009. Since then, Google was able to narrow down the list to just a couple of patents, thus bringing down Oracle's damage estimates from north of $6 billion to “just” $1 billion, although it is believed that Oracle won't actually receive more than $100 million. If you're interested in finding out more about Oracle's claims, you should read this article here, but to sum it up, the creators of Android are accused of illicitly using 37 Java API packages. As APIs are not subject to copyright, Google does seem to be in a slight advantage as far as the current law goes. According to a Google filing on the matter: "Computer programming languages are not copyrightable, and neither are Oracle's APIs. Oracle accuses Google of infringement for doing what the Oracle API specifications describe. That is a classic attempt to improperly assert copyright over an idea rather than expression. The Court should hold that the structure, selection and organization of the APIs are uncopyrightable." According to the aforementioned Oracle witness list, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison will try to point out that Oracle has acquired Sun Microsystems exclusively for the Java programming language and that Android caused a lot of harm to Oracle's business. The same list mentions that Google CEO Larry Page will be required to explain the business plan and marketing strategy behind Android, as well Google's recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility. The trial takes place in San Francisco, is presided by U.S. Judge William Alsup, and will be divided into main chapters: copyright liability, patent claims, and damages. The Oracle vs Google court dispute is expected to last a couple of months (8 weeks). This article, Oracle vs Google trial starts today, both CEOs to testify as witnesses , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| ARCHOS 101 G9 Turbo giveaway winner announced! Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:44 AM PDT
First off, we wanted to say that we really appreciate all the great comments you all left. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to let us know how we are doing, and what kind of content you would like to see from Android Authority! With this in mind, and due to the fact that this giveaway got over 2000 entries in a short span of time, we have decided to hold more international giveaways! And so, we are very pleased to announce that the winner of the Archos 101 G9 Turbo has been chosen! The lucky recipient’s name is Theo Kokkoris. Congratulations! A HUGE thank you to ARCHOS for partnering up with us for this giveaway. Check back often, as we’ve got some very awesome giveaways of today’s latest Android gear coming up very soon! Let us know what you want us to give away next! Also, do you guys like the idea of app giveaways too? How about cases? Or do you only want Android tablets, Android phones, and other Android accessories? Let us know! Don’t forget – we do this for you – every day! This article, ARCHOS 101 G9 Turbo giveaway winner announced! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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