Android Central |
- Google acquires TxVia to accelerate innovation of Google Wallet
- HTC One X or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
- HTC One X shows us why developers need to lose the menu button
- HTC One X (Tegra 3) benchmarks
- Sprint Optimus S gets a second chance at a Gingerbread update
- Motorola brings a huge update to the MotoACTV and releasing an application for handsets
- Sony acknowledges heat-related display issue on some Xperia S phones
- Verizon HTC Rezound price slashed to $49
- ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #41: ACTIVE Case for Galaxy Note, TPU Skin Case for Sensation & more!
- HTC One series comparison
- Sense 4 screenshot gallery
- Contest Winners: ShopAndroid Daily winners and Cruzerlite Androidified cases for the Galaxy Note!
- Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX
- How to cut down a SIM card for the HTC One X (and any other phone)
- Samsung throws in free extended battery if you buy the Galaxy Nexus from it
- Motorola Defy Mini launches in Poland
- Monday Brief: HTC One X Review, RIM Q4 Results, Lumia 900 Marketing, and more!
- Rogers LTE network now live in Calgary and Halifax
- HTC One X review
- How HTC Sense 4 handles your private data - a Q&A
- HTC One camera effects
- HTC Sense 4: The definitive guide
- HTC One S preview
- Flash Ice Cream Sandwich leak on your Droid RAZR with this sketchy method
- Android Central weekly photo contest winner: Flowers
| Google acquires TxVia to accelerate innovation of Google Wallet Posted: 02 Apr 2012 04:31 PM PDT
George Costanza may have moved all-in to Google Wallet, but for many the service isn't quite ready yet. Google aims to change that, and today they announced that they've acquired TxVia, a global payments technology company. TxVia isn't likely a name you know, but chances are you've either seen or used their services. They support over 100 million accounts, and partner with many pre-paid card companies, rewards card vendors, and ATM network systems. The next time you see that big rack of various cards at the convenience store or grocery store, know that a good many of them use TxVia's PaaS (Platform as a Service) technology to process the funds on them. This is a pretty big score for Google, and shows us that they are serious about progressing Google Wallet services. The possibilities are huge, and include the oft-wished for Google Play Store gift cards. Google or TxVia have announced no future plans as of yet, but we imagine they are coming. We'll be on the lookout for more news, and let you know first thing when it breaks. Source: Google Commerce; TxVia 
| ||||||||||
| HTC One X or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:46 PM PDT
And there's perhaps the No. 1 question stemming from our HTC One X review: Is it better than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? It's easy enough to spot the similarities. Both have 4.7-inch displays. Both are running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. They're both pretty thin and not heavy for their size. Neither has a micro-SD card. I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Nexus since November. I've been using the HTC One X for a week. So which one is "better?" Is the One X enough to get me to put down the phone that launched a new generation of Android? Click on through the suspense-building link to find out. 
| ||||||||||
| HTC One X shows us why developers need to lose the menu button Posted: 02 Apr 2012 02:51 PM PDT
By now you've read and watched our HTC One X review, and know all about HTC's decision to use capacitive buttons instead of on-screen buttons. As a fan of "real" buttons, I'm glad to see it, though many aren't. That's neither here nor there. The decision was made, and HTC has delivered what may be its best smartphone to date with three capacitive buttons. And some applications are a mess on it. The Android development team has already chimed in and said that developers need to abandon the legacy menu button in favor of new controls on the action bar. Some have done so, but as you can see in the image above, some have not. The three-dot menu symbol just hanging there all by its lonesome just looks bad, but is needed because the Facebook app hasn't been updated to use buttons and controls in the action bar. When the Galaxy Nexus came out and used on-screen buttons, this wasn't that big of a deal. Other than the three dots being in a different place on different apps (as mentioned, some have been updated and use the action bar), it didn't disrupt the way apps looked on the screen too awful much. HTC's use of capacitive buttons changes that, and not in a good way. On the other hand, developers aren't giving HTC much of a choice. 
| ||||||||||
| HTC One X (Tegra 3) benchmarks Posted: 02 Apr 2012 02:03 PM PDT | ||||||||||
| Sprint Optimus S gets a second chance at a Gingerbread update Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:51 PM PDT
Last September, Sprint began rolling out the Gingerbread update for the LG Optimus S. It was quickly pulled as users were experiencing bugs with the data connection, charging, the keyboard, and worse. Since then, we've been waiting for it's return. Today seems to be that day, as Sprint says the update will begin rolling out Wednesday April 4 for Optimus S devices. Besides Gingerbread and all it's improvements, the following issues were addressed this time around:
If you've been waiting for Gingerbread on your Optimus S, now would be a good time to get ready. If you didn't want to wait and have been following the incredible developers for the Optimus from the Android Central forums, you're golden. Don't attempt to flash any update you may be notified of. Your developers will take good care of you, and chances are you won't have to wait six months for it. Source: Sprint 
| ||||||||||
| Motorola brings a huge update to the MotoACTV and releasing an application for handsets Posted: 02 Apr 2012 11:46 AM PDT
If you own a Motorola MotoACTV and have been wishing that you could pair it to your phone to receive notifications and more, your time has come. Motorola is releasing a large update for the MotoACTV in addition to releasing an application for devices running 2.1 and above. The update and application are due to hit at some point today, and will bring tons of features including
Be sure to check out the update, and hit the break for download links for the MotoACTV application. Source: Motorola; Thanks, Chris! 
| ||||||||||
| Sony acknowledges heat-related display issue on some Xperia S phones Posted: 02 Apr 2012 11:33 AM PDT
Sony Mobile says it's confirmed an issue with some Xperia S phones that result in the display showing a yellowish hue at increased temperatures, following reports from disgruntled Xperia S users over the past month. In a statement, the manufacturer said it'd "identified that the display on a limited number of Xperia S smartphones may show a slight yellow tint if exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius." Sony says Xperia S owners with affected hardware should contact customer support to have the issue remedied "at no cost", which we presume involves Sony replacing faulty devices. Along with its 12MP camera, the Xperia S's 1280x720 "Reality Display"-branded screen is one of its most noteworthy features. Any hardware defect in a flagship product is sure to be a source of embarrassment, but it's good to see Sony actively addressing this problem and replacing affected handsets. (Especially since they're required to by law in the UK and EU.) We didn't notice any heat-related problems with the phone when reviewed it, but if you have, be sure to shout out in the comments. Source: Crave 
| ||||||||||
| Verizon HTC Rezound price slashed to $49 Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:29 AM PDT
We might be focusing on a couple of other HTC phones this week, but if you don't mind settling for a device that's a few months old you could take home another high-end HTC for next to nothing, starting today. The Verizon HTC Rezound, which launched last year at an eye-watering $299 on-contract, has just had its price slashed to $49 with a two-year plan. The Rezound is notable for its 720p display, Beats Audio support and dual-core processor. As you'd expect from a leading Verizon phone, there's 4G LTE connectivity included too. We reviewed the Rezound last year, and found it to be a worth competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Nexus. And with an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich imminent, the Rezound offers good value at this price point. Source: Verizon Wireless; via: Droid-Life 
| ||||||||||
| ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #41: ACTIVE Case for Galaxy Note, TPU Skin Case for Sensation & more! Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:08 AM PDT We're back for another week of Android accessory giveaway's! Starting things off today we'll be checking out the Seidio ACTIVE Case for Samsung Galaxy Note, HTC TPU Skin Case for Sensation, Seidio Spring-Clip Holster for Samsung Epic 4G, and the Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for HTC Inspire 4G. To become eligible to win one of these features accessories, leave your comment below indicating which item you'd like for your Android device. One winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday. Congratulations to last week's winners! Seidio ACTIVE Case for Samsung Galaxy NoteCreated for those that have and want to maintain their active lifestyle in mind, the Seidio ACTIVE Case provides great shock and impact absorption while adding minimal bulk to your Samsung Galaxy Note. This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. 
| ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:45 AM PDT
HTC showed off their new One Series this week at Mobile World Congress, and more than a few people seemed to get excited at the upcoming handsets from the long-time Android OEM. We don't blame you at all, they are some nice looking phones. HTC seems to be focusing on a premium experience with both the manufacturing and the software, and from what we've seen, it shows. We all know that the HTC One X is the high end, followed closely by the HTC One S, and finally the HTC One V brings up the budget, but still very nice, offering. But we decided a nice side-by-side look at all the specifications for each was in order. So take your time and have a look, then discuss. There is no wrong choice here, and that's a good thing. HTC One X forums | HTC One S forums | HTC One V forums
| ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:52 AM PDT
A ridiculously large number of screen shots from Sense 4. Be sure to read our complete Sense 4 walkthrough. 
| ||||||||||
| Contest Winners: ShopAndroid Daily winners and Cruzerlite Androidified cases for the Galaxy Note! Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:22 AM PDT
If you're a registered member here at Android Central then you know our forums always have a contest happening. And if you're not registered, well -- now is as good a time as any. This week's winners are as posted after the break, and if you were chosen watch your email as we'll be following up during the week. Stay tuned for more upcoming contests folks. Congrats to the winners! 
| ||||||||||
| Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:07 AM PDT
It's available today only for just $21.95. Get yours while supplies last! 
| ||||||||||
| How to cut down a SIM card for the HTC One X (and any other phone) Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:22 AM PDT
This one's important for those of you looking to switch to the HTC One X (as well as a number of upcoming phones). You're going to need a micro-SIM, which as the name suggests is smaller than a larger (and more prevalent today) mini-SIM card. If you're rocking a GSM phone right this second, there's a good change you're using a mini-SIM. If you've got an iPhone 4/4S on AT&T, you've already got a micro-SIM. So, a couple of ways to go about getting a micro-SIM. One is to just ask. Head to AT&T or T-Mobile or whomever your carrier happens to be, and tell 'em you need a micro-SIM. (If they don't know what one is, it might be time to consider switching carriers. :p ) The other way is to cut your own. Sounds scary. Sounds dangerous. It is neither. 
| ||||||||||
| Samsung throws in free extended battery if you buy the Galaxy Nexus from it Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:06 AM PDT
Just a quick heads up that if you buy the Verizon Galaxy Nexus directly from Samsung, ol' Sammy's gonna throw in a free 2100 mAh extended battery and battery door. That's with a two-year contract, of course, and the phone itself costs $299. Use the link below if you're in the market. More: Samsung Direct 
| ||||||||||
| Motorola Defy Mini launches in Poland Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:53 AM PDT
Motorola's continuing its global roll-out of the Defy Mini (or DEFY MINI, if you prefer) with the news of the phone's arrival in Poland today. As you might expect, the Defy Mini is a miniature version of last year's Motorola Defy, and comes equipped with entry-level smartphone internals along with dust, water and scratch resistance. Inside this 3.2-inch device you've got a 600MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and Android 2.3 Gingerbread running the show. So nothing to write home about in terms of specs, but if you're after a small, inexpensive, ruggedized smartphone, you could do worse than the Defy Mini. The Motorola Defy Mini will launch in selected Polish stores this month, with a suggested retail price of 799 Polish zloty (~$250). We've got Moto's press release after the break. 
| ||||||||||
| Monday Brief: HTC One X Review, RIM Q4 Results, Lumia 900 Marketing, and more! Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:27 AM PDT | ||||||||||
| Rogers LTE network now live in Calgary and Halifax Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:18 AM PDT
Over the past few months, Rogers has been rapidly deploying LTE throughout Canada and today, they've gone ahead and announced two new regions that are LTE enabled. The cities of Halifax and Calgary are the latest additions to Rogers LTE offerings.
Given that I personally live in Halifax, I find this to be great news but even better then the addition of LTE is the fact that Rogers will also soon be adding the HTC One X to their device lineup. This will of course build on their already existing LTE device offerings such as the HTC Raider, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Note. You can check out the full press release past the break. Source: Rogers 
| ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:02 AM PDT
Don't call it a comeback. HTC certainly was in the running for King of Mobile World Congress 2012 (an award that would be way cooler if it existed) with the new HTC One line, and the HTC One X specifically. When you stop and think about it, however, it's also a logical progression. HTC started 2011 with the eventually disappointing Verizon ThunderBolt, which was thick, heavy and a battery hog — due in no small part to its LTE radio. The prevailing winds started to shift later in the year, however, with the likes of the Sensation and Amaze 4G, and you started to get a sense (pardon the pun) that the Taiwanese manufacturer was starting to regain its footing. (That shift was further indicated by the likes of the Windows Phone HTC Titan line.) And that brings us to 2012 and the HTC One X, the pinnacle of the trio of Android smartphones that make up the HTC One line. (The others are the HTC One S and HTC One V.) There actually are two versions of the One X — the GSM version with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and another with a dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor and an LTE radio for 4G data. The HTC One X review that follows is of the international quad-core version. We'll follow up with AT&T dual-core, LTE version of the One X when it becomes available.
| ||||||||||
| How HTC Sense 4 handles your private data - a Q&A Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:02 AM PDT
Privacy is on the tip of everyone's tongues these days, whether it's news about breaches, or applications overstepping their bounds, or buggy operating system-level software that could possibly give a peek into your data. Regardless, it's more important than ever for us, the users of these devices, to at least attempt to understand how our data's being used, and how it's being protected. HTC found itself in the midst of the privacy firestorm on several occasions in 2011. Most of that was in conjunction with the Carrier IQ analytics software, which some U.S. carriers used to track network and device usage, to the chagrin of many. HTC, responding to a congressional inquiry, said that some 6.3 million devices included Carrier IQ code. The crux of the hatred toward the likes of Carrier IQ and other analytics and tracking tools is that users never explicitly gave their permission for them to be used. Only, that's not exactly true. Every phone ships with a privacy policy. And every setup sequence asks you to agree to terms before using the device. To that end, we've been poring over the Tell HTC (Experience Log) Privacy Statement that's included in the HTC One S. Following is a Q&A based on what we've seen. 
| ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:02 AM PDT
Filtered pics are all the rage these days. All the kids are doing it. There's some newfangled app called Instagram or something that's a big hit on iOS and is eventually coming to Android. There are numerous effects applications already available for Android.
HTC Sense 4 and HTC One add a number of filtering effects to the camera app that you can preview and apply in real time. You've got 15 effects from which to choose (16 if you count vanilla.) They are:
Set the effect using the big blue button in the camera app, and you're good to go. We'd prefer to have an option to simultaneously save an unfiltered version along with the filter effect, but it's not a deal-breaker. We've got a full range of examples of all the effects in a gallery after the break. 
| ||||||||||
| HTC Sense 4: The definitive guide Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:01 AM PDT
Welcome to HTC Sense 4, the latest version of HTC's custom user interface. Sense started back in the day as a way to make Windows Mobile actually usable, and from there it made the leap to Android on the venerable HTC Hero. Sense is mainly known as a pretty heavy reworking of the way Android looks, but then it's always been more than just a reskinning of the launcher. Large, colorful, well-designed widgets are the norm — the flip clock is Sense's signature piece — menus are made more attractive, and various apps and services are baked into HTC's software from the ground up. Sense has never been just about making Android look better. Sense has always been about making the entire mobile experience better. And that brings us to Sense 4, announced in February 2012 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This latest version of Sense actually is a step backward (or forward, depending on who you ask) in that HTC has ditched the completely custom launcher, instead going with a more traditional (and customizable) scheme, more akin to what's in stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Some features native to ICS have been allowed to shine through, and others have been enhanced. And many of the customizations we've come to know and love in previous versions remain. Welcome to our Sense 4 walkthrough, your definitive source for what to expect from the current generation of HTC phones. Hit the links below to jump to a specific section, or read straight through. We've got you covered. Setting up Sense 4 | Privacy Policy | Phone Security | Wifi and Mobile Settings | 
| ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:00 AM PDT
There's a belief that being the middle child brings awkwardness. The "Middle Child Syndrome," it's called. Chances are if you have (or are) a middle sibling, you'll find a way for this to be true. The HTC One S is the middle child of the HTC One family, flanked by the HTC One X and the HTC One V. But this guy's no awkward little brother. Before diving into our HTC One S preview, be sure to hit up our HTC One X review, as well as our Sense 4 walkthrough. Any order is fine, it's just that they all share some common traits that will aid your understanding of the following: The One S probably is the sleekest, sexiest phone you've seen to date, with a birth story that sounds more like it came from of "Game of Thrones" than a traditional glass-and-plastic smartphone manufacturer. This phone wasn't just "made." It was forged. Or fried. Or something. This isn't our full HTC One S review. Think of this one more as a preview of what's to come in the weeks ahead (no, we don't have an official date yet) on T-Mobile. Time, tides and the lack of proper radio frequencies here in the States prevent it. But that's why we've got a European desk, and we'll have tons more coming up on the HTC One S. Got all that? Good. Let's get to it. 
| ||||||||||
| Flash Ice Cream Sandwich leak on your Droid RAZR with this sketchy method Posted: 01 Apr 2012 08:30 PM PDT
If you're game for risking a brick, don't mind some questionable practices and are itching for Ice Cream Sandwich on your Droid RAZR, you'll want to pay attention here. A potential Ice Cream Sandwich OTA is sitting pretty on Motorola's staging server, waiting for testers to download, flash and test. Normally, folks like you and me can't get to those staging servers (Moto Matt has to get you hooked up) but there's a method floating around that gives you access, if you're into that sort of thing. Using that method, and a completely stock .173 CDMA RAZR you can download the official release candidate of Ice Cream Sandwich for your Droid RAZR. Note -- this is CDMA only, as in not GSM -- don't try it, it won't work. We're not going to lay out the method, but yalkowni over at XDA has it all worked out for ya. Hit the link and have a look. I'm here to report this type of news, whether I approve of it or not. I've no problem with risky procedures that will brink your phone, in fact I've bricked a few of my own. But I wouldn't do this if I had a RAZR. Yes, yes, Blur sucks (though we haven't really seen the new ICS Blur yet) and Moto really should provide a method to unlock the bootloader on If rumors hold true, we'll see ICS for the RAZR in a couple days, and we won't judge if you go on and give this a try. Our job is to tell you as much as we can. Source: XDA-Developers 
| ||||||||||
| Android Central weekly photo contest winner: Flowers Posted: 01 Apr 2012 06:46 PM PDT
Shalom Veffer; taken with the Samsung Galaxy S II The winner of this week's photo contest is Shalom Veffer, who gave us this great picture with his Samsung Galaxy S II. We chose it because it's clear, captures the subject perfectly (this week was flowers) and provides a great contrast between the yellow flower and the scrubby landscape behind it. Beautifully composed, Shalom. Be on the lookout for information about your prize! This week was the hardest ever to decide a winner. There were so many entries worthy of winning, it was hard to even pull out the 10 best let alone decide on a winner. If anyone ever says Android phones don't take excellent pictures, send them my way show I can show them at least a few hundred reasons why they are wrong. And you guys are some very skilled photographers. It's both humbling and awesome to look through them all each week! We've got a gallery of 10 other awesome shots after the break to look at and enjoy. Keep taking and sending those pictures each week -- you make me love my job. 
| ||||||||||
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Central - Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment