Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

T-Mobile Plans For Company Re-Branding – Trades Carly’s Pink Dress For Some Leather [Video]

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:58 PM PDT

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I have a confession. I have a huge crush on Carly Foulkes. In case you were unawares, she just so happens to be “the girl in the pink dress” behind just about all of T-Mobile’s commercials since 2010. In her latest teaser video, Carly has taken off her sweet, wholesome pink dress and slipped into something a little more… leather, as T-Mobile readies for the launch of the HTC One S.

Apparently, the new “good girl, gone bad” image is part of T-Mobile’s newest efforts to re-brand themselves this year and stand out from the pack. According to T-Mobile’s senior VP Peter DeLuca, “We really can’t wait until the end of the year to make some noise in the market."

Seems T-Mobile will be betting big on the HTC One S, as they plan to invest $200 million to boost advertising spending. The One S will be one of the first devices to receive a good portion of this spending seeing how T-Mobile is one of the few US carriers to not offer the iPhone on their network. T-Mobile will no doubt highlight the One S’s superiority over the iPhone 4S — even attempting to lure diehard iOS users as they rollout their 3G network across their old 2G bands. Part of this marketing push will be a new “test drive” website where T-Mobile will showcase the speed of the devices they currently offer, over the competition.

DeLuca also went on to say, "We really want to set the record straight and say to the consumer they really should be taking a second look at T-Mobile."

The new company re-branding and recent cutting of call center jobs to help alleviate costs (there’s even talk T-Mobile could be selling their US cell towers) seems more like a last ditch effort to save a sinking ship. As a current T-Mobile customer, I wish them the best. Can’t say I’d like living in a world where we only have 3 options for cellphone service. Or no Carly.

[AllThingsD]

More Samsung Galaxy S III Details Leak – 1080p Display, LTE and 16GB/32GB Versions [Rumors]

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:08 PM PDT

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By now, most of you already have your calendars marked for May 3rd. That’s the day the Galaxy S III, Samsung’s best kept secret, will be unveiled unto the world. As that date draws nearer, the folks at BGR are claiming another “breaksclusive,” this time revealing some of the alleged specs we can look forward to from Samsung’s next flagship.

According to sources, the GSIII will be available in both a 16GB and 32GB versions, feature the rumored quad-core Exynos processor with LTE compatibility and will also — get this — come with a 1080p HD display. This is the second exclusive from BGR where they mentioned the 1080p display and I wouldn’t take that spec with anything more than a grain of salt. While manufacturers love to best other OEM’s devices when it comes to specs, at the same time, they also have to give themselves some elbow room to grow for the next year’s model. Leap frogging over a 720p HD display when current Galaxy S II’s only feature WVGA, just doesn’t make much sense business wise. I’d be willing to bet a SAMOLED Plus 720p HD display will be the official spec. If I’m wrong on this, I’ll eat my underpants.

It was also said that the Samsung is prepping for a huge marketing push where the Galaxy S III will be featured as the official smartphone of the 2012 Summer Olympics. With the attention of just about every country in the world watching the games, Samsung has also planned for simultaneous launch event for the GS3 to occur in New York (US), Seoul (Korea) and Dubai (somewhere near Florida I believe?). We wont have to wait too much longer to see if these rumors pan out, but just don’t go expecting pink unicorns or else you may end up disappointed.

Google Begins Adding 600 Titles to Google Play Store and YouTube With MGM Deal

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 03:31 PM PDT

Another day, another Google Play store deal for movies and television. Google has inked a deal with MGM Studios, a move that looks to add about 600 new titles to the Play Store and YouTube for rent. This is a pretty significant signing as we all await 20th Century Fox to jump on the bandwagon.

While I won’t go into incredible detail about the amount of titles I like from MGM’s camp, I’ll say that many of you will want to consider their library for your next movie night or boring flight on a plane. Google says they’ve already started the process of adding the titles and all of them should be available after a short time (weeks, apparently). Thumbs up, anyway, Google.

Google Drive to Launch Next Week?

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 02:29 PM PDT

It appears we may be very close to getting Google Drive. New details have emerged courtesy of TheNextWeb and who they believe to be a reliable source. According to them, Google Drive is set to launch sometime next week, stating that Tuesday would be the most likely date. Past leaks have suggested we’re close to an unveiling so it’s not too far-fetched to believe that we’re a week away.

We’ve also gotten a few new details. Alongside the already-established rumor that Google would be offering users 5GB of storage for free, there is a bit more insight into how it’ll all work. The service will apparently work in folders on Windows and Mac OS X desktops. While a clear description couldn’t be offered, it sounds like it’ll be similar to Dropbox’s desktop folder feature.

Earlier rumors have suggested that Google will allow users to purchase more storage space if they need it, but it wasn’t clear if they’d be offering free upgrade incentives like their main competitor. There are a lot of questions yet to be answered, but if the rumor of its arrival next week turns out to be true it won’t be long until we’re all head-first into Google’s next big thing. [

ZTE Optik Receives Update to Upgrade Apps and Fix Bugs

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:54 PM PDT

The ZTE Optik, Sprint’s affordable Android tablet, has received an upgrade to firmware B09. It’s nothing too significant, but they’ve updated Google+, Google Music, the latest DRM solution for content from the Play Store, Sim City fixes, and more. Read the full changelog following the source link, and be sure to visit that source link for details on how to upgrade. [Sprint via PocketNow]

This LG Phone is the Galaxy Nexus, According to Sprint’s Mobile Site

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:11 PM PDT

I’m not sure if this is a training issue or something, but someone really needs to double check these sort of things. At least the desktop site is OK… [Sprint Mobile, thanks Mika!]

Motorola to Use Snapdragon Chipsets for some Phones?

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 11:16 AM PDT

 

Motorola has enjoyed a nice, fruitful relationship with TI and NVIDIA, but new evidence suggests they may be looking at Qualcomm’s arsenal of chipsets for at least one upcoming phone. A GLBenchmark result for one Motorola MB886, a device believed to be headed to AT&T. The benchmark surprisingly shows that the device will house Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 MSM8960.

While we’re sure AT&T would love to get NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 into their devices, they have to consider options which are currently playing nice with LTE. It’s a good decision over TI’s current OMAP4 platform. While both are dual-core technologies, the S4 enjoys significant performance gains over ordinary dual-ore processors. This should please many of you who believe OMAP4 is feeling a bit dated (and I wouldn’t blame you if you do). [via Droid-Life] 

[Rookie Review] Linwood Wine To-Go is my Week 1 Pick, Week 2 requests now open

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:14 AM PDT

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Firstly, I’d like to apologize for the delay. I needed to give each app a decent run before making my choice, and as such did not want to rush into this post.

Anyway, moving forward, the app that stood out for me from the various requests was Linwood Wine To-Go. Why? I believe the app, with the suggestions I have mentioned below, could go on to become something significant. I’m choosing Linwood primarily for what it could go on to be, than what it is in its current form (which is pretty decent for Daniel Fares, a first-time, indie developer). Here’s how Daniel described the app in the first post:

My app is called Linwood Wine To-Go.  As it states in the description of my app in the play store, I work at a wine shop and we have a lot of customers come in and they try to remember the wine that they had at a restaurant to see if we have it but more often then not they forget the name.  As a first time developer I wanted to make something for our customers that they could search or scan the bottle right at the restaurant and get that info on the spot.  This is the first time I have ever developed an app that actually went anywhere besides my own computer.  I am trying to get it to work with more items other than wine… It works with beer and spirits but does not offer as many options as the wine search does.

The biggest compliment I can give Daniel, is that my mom tested the app, and she was pretty happy with it. I am a teetotaler, so I had to bring her in to give it a whirl, and she could see it being a useful thing to have around when she goes out for dinners. It does what it claims to do decently enough.

My suggestions? The UI/UX needs an overhaul. Remove the tabs, they are not needed. Take the user straight to what is the current "kiosk", the rest can come in a menu/action bar. Additionally, try to get someone in graphic design to help out in the overall look of the app.

The most important part, however, is the (lack of) social element. Bring in Facebook integration and connect users to their friends who also use the app. Also, integrate with Facebook Timeline, which could help make the app go viral. When they scan a bottle, ask them whether they would suggest the wine to their friends. Show users’ what their friends have been drinking recently.

This way, when a user reads about the wine on the app, they aren’t given the limited information available right now, they can actually use the app to make a decision whether or not to buy the wine itself. That ability to help make users decide whether or not to make a purchase can be extremely powerful, and helps take the app from being just an app into a venture in itself.

There are others in the same domain, but I haven’t found one that has come close to the vision I have for such an app. With the right amount of effort (which is a LOT) and the required amount of luck, I can see Daniel’s little project going on to become something a lot more than an-also ran app with under 1000 users.

P.S. Daniel, you can get in touch with me on Google+ over here if you would like to.

P.P.S. Rookie Review Week II is now open. A little change of rules:

  1. Your app should have under 5000 downloads to qualify
  2. If your app has a paid version and a free version, the free version’s downloads will be taken into account.
  3. As before, if you only have a paid version, I will need a free trial copy to test it out. You can look at possibly time-limiting the trial, and can send me the download link on Google+.
  4. As before, enter your submissions as replies to the comment thread I have started below.

AT&T’s HTC One X to launch sometime in next week

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:54 AM PDT

With reports that training on the HTC One X at AT&T began last week along with further evidence suggesting an April 22nd release, we are learning today via BGR that the handset should see its release within five to seven days. A “trusted source” claims the a release announcement should be hitting the wires sometime in the next day or two.

The timing lines up with the April 22nd date we have heard several times over the past several weeks, though a delay that would push the phone back to May was rumored recently. The HTC One XL (as AT&T’s version is also known) differs from the currently available international model. Rather than a quad-core Tegra 3 processor and HSPA+ radio it will feature a dual-core Snapdragon S4 and LTE connectivity.

[via BGR]

Sprint Galaxy Nexus pre-orders go live, shipping April 22

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT

With no semblance of an LTE network on a larger scale, Sprint is preparing a second April 22nd launch of a 4G device utilizing the network technology. Pre-orders have just gone live for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, priced at $199.99 on a two-year contract and looking to ship in April 22nd. The pre-order was announced via Sprint’s twitter feed.

Sprint will be pushing Google Wallet heavily with the Galaxy Nexus and is offering $50 worth of credit to anyone purchasing the phone by May 22nd. The Android 4.0 flagship device will be identical in specs to the LTE version released on Verizon.

[via Sprint | Thanks, Korey!]

Android 4.0 Meizu MX Quad-core launching in June with Samsung Exynos CPU

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:22 AM PDT

Meizu has an update to their MX flagship slated for release in China and Hong Kong this summer. The Meizu MX Quad-core will utilize a Samsung Exynos chipset. As the phone’s name suggests it will be the new quad-core Exynos platform that Samsung should also be deploying in their upcoming Galaxy S III flagship, only Meizu has beaten them to the punch. The handset’s battery gets a bump from 1600mAh to 1700mAh. Otherwise, specs remain fairly similar to the previous version of the MX with a 4-inch 960×640 display and 8MP camera.

The Meizu MX Quad-core will ship with a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich in June starting at ¥2,999 ($480) for the 16GB model. The original MX will see a price drop to ¥2,399  ($380).

[via Engadget]

Transformer Prime GPS dongle pictured

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:51 AM PDT

Dongle may have been a bit of an understatement when describing the hardware add-on ASUS will provide to Transformer Prime owners to correct GPS issues that have plagued the tablet since its launch. The long signal-enhancing bar will lock into the Prime’s docking port using ASUS’ proprietary 40 pin connector. The downside here is that the GPS dongle cannot be used concurrently with the keyboard dock or while charging the tablet.

The dongle will be available free of charge to Transformer Prime owners starting this week. Support for the hardware was silently pushed in a recent update to the slate.

[via LandofDroid]

Motorola DROID RAZR HD referenced in photo EXIF data

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 05:17 AM PDT

Was this photo taken with a phone called the Motorola DROID RAZR HD? According to its EXIF data the answer is yes. Several photos snapped up by the device heretofore rumored as the Droid Fighter (but looking an awful lot like previous RAZR releases) were discovered among the Picasa stream of a Motorola employee pointing to a phone that could again take up the mantle of one of Moto’s most iconic brands. Little else can be deduced from the photo data, but the handset is rumored to feature a 13MP camera.

It’s clear that Motorola isn’t done with the RAZR name and it’s starting to look like each new device isn’t meant as an upgrade or replacement, necessarily, but as a way of offering a similar experience in a range of devices that fit different needs. With an HD display and likely LTE and multi-core processing, the RAZR HD probably won’t have the battery life if the RAZR MAXX, but it will fill another high-end niche.

[via DroidLife]

Samsung to unveil Galaxy S III on May 3rd

Posted: 16 Apr 2012 04:47 AM PDT

After months of speculation and a countless barrage of likely fake “leaked” images of the handset, the Samsung Galaxy S III will finally have its coming out party. Invites to yet another Samsung Unpacked event have been sent out to press outlets, and no words are minced. We are beckoned to “come and meet the next Galaxy” on May 3rd in London. For those wanting to follow along at home the event will be live-streamed via Facebook

First expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress, Samsung later decided to forego a press event of any type in favor of hosting their own closer to the retail availability of the Galaxy S III. Whether or not the early May date is any indicator that we will be able to pick up the latest Samsung flagship device in just a few weeks is unknown, but the month has long been rumored to house the release date of the phone.

Does Samsung have another international hit on their hands? Rumor point to all sorts of goodies from a quad-core Exynos processor to a 720p Super AMOLED Plus display, enough to make any smartphone enthusiast drool. It’s time to get excited, boys and girls.

[via Engadget]
Posted by at 7:45 AM

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