Posted: 06 Mar 2012 07:19 PM PST   There’s no question that Android devices rule the mobile world when it comes to market share, so why don’t we see more products built with the Android user in mind? A few weeks back, I showed you guys the Fidelio speaker docks from Philips that were tailored made for Android devices, thanks to the inclusion of a micro USB dock for charging your device while playing your smooth jazz. And now it looks like Samsung will follow Philips’ lead with their new line of speakers featuring dual-docks for both iPhone and Android devices.  The new high quality speakers come in 2 form factors and 2 sizes for each. You have the traditional box look DA-E650 (40 watt output and a 20-watt subwoofer), and the DA-E670 (100 watt output and a 60-watt subwoofer). Don’t forget the strange elbow macaroni shaped DA-E550 featuring 10-watts of total power. While Samsung’s own Galaxy S line was specifically mentioned, these speakers will accommodate all forms of Android phones (and maybe even a few tablets as well). No word on pricing but be on the lookout for these to hit stores sometime in April. NEW YORK, March 6, 2012 - Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced the immediate availability of its 2012 range of home entertainment systems, which include Blu-ray players, home theater systems and sound bars. Samsung also announced its audio docks, which support both Apple® and Android® devices, will begin shipping in April 2012.[Engadget] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 06:05 PM PST  Okay, we’ve all heard the news and for lack of better word — yeah, it pretty much sucks. Google has officially rebranded the web version of the Android Market into “Google Play.” And that’s not all, following suit are all of Google’s popular apps: Google Books is now Google Play Books. Google Music is now Google Play Music. Even Andy Rubin is has legally changed his name to Andy Play Rubin. You get the picture. Now, let me just say this. I get it. The Android Market has grown bigger than the mobile operating system we all hold so dear. It’s not longer about apps. There’s books and movies. I mean, you don’t even need to own an Android device in order to take advantage of all these great Google services. A new name was definitely in order. But Google Play? Even as a creature of habit who sometimes loathes change, I still feel like there were a couple of better ideas out there. How ’bout just plain ‘ol Google Market? Most companies who offer goods and services will chose a term that immediately lets you know you need to break out your wallet. Market, store, bazaar. All better ideas. Not playground. And don’t even get me started on that logo. A shopping bag, while a maybe a little too cutesy, was clear and to the point. You click on this to buy some stuff. Couldn’t be easier. If you would have asked me a few weeks ago what Google was planning on doing with all these “Play” domains they snatched up, I would have guess they were planning on entering into the gaming market. Maybe some cool new Android based gaming system. Never in a million years would I have guessed they were going to rename the Android Market. So what’s next from Googs? Well, if this impromptu name change is any indication, I’d say the ad company is planning for an even bigger push into the digital content market. It’s no longer all searches and ads anymore for Google. They are now officially your source for any and all digital content. I think at this year’s Google I/O will start to see them invade your living room becoming your central hub for all things digital. But now, I want to pass it to you. What do you guys think about this new name change? Would Google Market have been more appropriate? Maybe they Android Market was fine and there was no need to change it? Sounds like another Phandroid poll is in order. Vote! Take Our Poll Feel the need to update your Android Market app to the new Google Play… store app. Try this. Worked like a charm for me. Jump into your Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All tab > Market > Clear Data. Launch the Market app and you should now have the new Google Play Market. Enjoy. |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 02:44 PM PST   The transition from the Android Market to Google Play Store has begun on a handful of Android devices. The new name and logo have begun appearing in place of Google’s old app and media marketplace on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola XOOM, and Google TV hardware. The Google Play Store is identical in most ways to the existing Android Market build. The name change marks the only noticeable difference. Cherish your Android Market while you can, because once this rollout reaches all devices it looks like it will be phased out of our lives for good.  Update: We have received reports of the Google Play Store now appearing on the Droid Bionic, Droid 2, and other devices. We’ve also been alerted to a text message Verizon is sending to their customers notifying of the change from Android Market to Google Play. Is it a coincidence that devices receiving the Google Play Store all share Verizon as an operator? [via DroidLife] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 02:07 PM PST   With the paint still drying their quad-core 7.7-inch slate announced at Mobile World Congress, Toshiba is already looking ahead to what’s next. The company recently had their wares on display in the UK, and among them was a 13.3-inch tablet prototype built around NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 platform. PocketLint was on site and able to snap off a few pictures of the new device, calling it “extremely light,” though it’s hard to say whether the model on display featured the full hardware compliment. The device was a non-functional dummy unit. As of now Toshiba has no firm plans for the unannounced device. Whether or not a final version sees the light of day will be based on consumer reaction to the design and Toshiba’s current crop of tablets. The company has been pumping out some pretty solid tablet hardware as of late but hasn’t been able to hit the sweet spot with the general public. [via PocketLint] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 01:03 PM PST   Bank of America is bringing mobile banking to Android 3.0+ tablets with the launch of a new android app built for devices with larger screens. Included are all the features of the current Android app — bill pay, transfers, nearby branches and ATMs — in an easy-to-navigate tablet UI. Still missing is mobile deposit functionality, something BoA has promised to deliver at some point this year. If the threat of additional fees didn’t scare you away from Bank of America already, you can head over to Google Play to grab their latest and start checking those balances on your Android tablet. Googls Play Apps Link: Bank of America for Tablets [via AndroidPolice] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 11:54 AM PST   Under Steve Jobs, Apple’s legal approach to potential patent infringement by Android manufacturers was to sue them out of business. While dozens of these lawsuits still linger in courts around the world sources are claiming that the Cupertino tech giant may be softening to the idea of reaching licensing agreements with major Android partners. Reports now indicate that Apple has offered settlements to both Samsung and Motorola to cease further legal action in exchange for a cut of hardware sales. Apple is said to be asking for between $5 and $15 on each handset sold. Jobs was famously quoted by biographer Walter Isaacson as saying, “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.” We much prefer the licensing deal approach, as it allows Android to continue to operate and cuts back on the numerous lawsuits we report on each day. Of course, it’s up to the Android makers to decide if they want to accept Apple’s offer or continue to fight their battles in court. [via BGR] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 11:33 AM PST  While the Google Play Store hasn’t quite made the complete transition over to our Android handsets, other applications are getting the full treatment. The artists formerly known as Google Music, Google Movies, and Google Books have all received updates to bring their branding inline with the new media marketplace. The services are now known as Google Play Music, Google Play Movies, and Google Play Books. That’s about the extent of changes you can expect other than seamless integration with Google Play (which doesn’t change much from Android Market integration). You can find the latest versions in the Android Market…er, Google Play store. [via DroidLife] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 11:23 AM PST   How do you soften the blow of upending everything users are familiar with and introducing a totally new app and media download store? Offer some great deals to go along with it. Along with the “7 Days to Play” promotion, Google has slashed the price on a selection of games and applications including popular titles Shadowgun, Osmos HD, Sprinkle, and World of Goo. Each is now priced at a bargain $0.49 for a limited time. That’s not all, though. Here is a full list of other titles included in the sale:
[Google Play via Android and Me] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 11:06 AM PST   Verizon knows the die-hard Android fans out there can’t wait to get their hands on Android 4.0. They aren’t spilling the beans on when to expect Ice Cream Sandwich updates to start rolling out, but they are doing the next best thing by releasing a list of devices confirmed to receive the latest version of Android. For a few devices the update was already announced by the manufacturer, but Verizon’s confirmation should quiet anyone trying to sniff out a conspiracy. Most of the handsets and tablets were released in the past year and a few big names miss the cut. The Motorola Droid X2 and Droid 3 as well as the original HTC Droid Incredible (though expecting ICS for this one was a stretch to begin with) are left out. Verizon seems to be focusing mostly on devices with a 4G LTE radio built in. Here is the full list: HTC[via Verizon] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 10:45 AM PST   In an effort to unify music, movie, book, and app purchases under a banner that is operating system agnostic, Google is phasing out the Android Market in favor of Google Play. What’s the difference? A new name, new logo, but otherwise not much. The content and services remain the same, and don’t worry, you can still push apps from your desktop browser to your smartphone. Soon Google will be rolling out the Google Play Store to Android devices to replace their current Android Market builds. Any content purchased during the Android Market era will be retained and available via Google Play. See, these aren’t any real sweeping changes. Just Google refocusing their efforts and placing equal importance on all aspects of what was once primarily an app store. In celebration of the launch of Google Play, a “7 Days to Play” promotion will feature a different book, album, video rental, and app at a special sale price each day (albums are just $0.25). Other deals include $0.49 apps and $3.99 albums. You can read a bit more about Google Play at the source link below. Now the real challenge: getting used to writing Google Play instead of Android Market. [via Google] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 10:06 AM PST   Every now and then, we like to give away some stuff here on Phandroid. And you’re in luck because today is one of those days. When it comes to keyboard apps, I think it’s safe to say Android pretty much has that area covered. The only problem is because there are so many in the Market, it can be hard to find one that is perfect for you. Well, hands down, one of the most full featured and accurate keyboard apps is Perfect Keyboard. While there are many keyboard apps that excel in one area, but fall short in others — Perfect Keyboard hits all the marks. The make-or-break for any keyboard application has, and always will be, how well it can autocorrect quick, inaccurate, drunken key presses. Thankfully, this is just one of the many areas where Perfect Keyboard truly shines.   But it’s not just autocorrect, the application can also be programmed with shortcuts that when typed out (@email –> chris@phandroid.com), can save valuable time and key presses on commonly used text. For those bilingual Android users out there, you can even quickly change languages by swiping on the keyboard. Perfect Keyboard also gives the user the ability to completely customize the app, from the layout, to themes, to backgrounds, and even gestures, can all be tweaked and fine tuned to your hearts content. Okay, now that I’ve formally introduced you to Perfect Keyboard, let’s get to the fun part. The developer has handed us 25 copies of the paid version of Perfect Keyboard (a $3 value) to giveaway to our faithful Phandroid readers. To make it interesting, all you have to do to enter is tell us your funniest (or worst) “Damn you, autocorrect!” moment for a chance to win. Leave your quick story in the comments section (make sure your email is tied to your Disqus) and winners will be chosen by the end of the day. Good luck, everyone! [Market Link] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 10:02 AM PST  We love sign-up pages. They tell us when new stuff will soon be on its way. And even though 9 times out of 10 you’ll hear about the announcement on a message board or blog long before the announcement email shows up, we like the shininess of the email enough to look forward to it anyway.  Verizon has thrown up a new signup page saying that “Something is Coming.” Unfortunately, they give no clue whatsoever as to what they are referring to. There are always device rumors, of course. The DROID Incredible is said to be on its way in late April, and we also have the DROID Fighter and LG Cayman names that have recently been leaked. There could be a tablet, though nothing specific has been rumored for Verizon Wireless. We’d love to see the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or the Padfone up for sale soon. But alas, all of this speculation is quite useless without even a tiny clue. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled over the course of the month to see what exactly Verizon is bringing to the table. [via VZ Buzz] |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 08:48 AM PST  Temple Run, the insanely addictive iOS game that I’ve been longing for on Android, will finally be headed our way this month. Imangi Studios have confirmed that the game will launch March 27th for no charge in the Android market. The game sees you running away from evil monkeys in temples as you avoid obstacles and try to collect coins along the way. The gameplay is fast-paced and requires quick thinking on later stages. If you haven’t played it be sure to take a look at the gameplay video above. If that does nothing for your excitement, just try it out when it launches since it won’t cost you a dime – I can almost guarantee you’ll fall in love. |
Posted: 06 Mar 2012 07:53 AM PST  The folks at Symantec have announced that Samsung Galaxy users (pretty much most Samsung Android phone and tablet owners) will be getting 90 days of free mobile security through the Norton Mobile Security Android app.  For only 90 days, it’s hard to get too excited about getting the features you see below for free but Symantec is obviously banking on leaving a lasting impression. As for those features, check them out:
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Posted: 06 Mar 2012 07:40 AM PST   Anyone who actively uses the Amazon Appstore knows how pesky those notifications can be. They pop up every other second notifying you of new apps and apps that you have purchased but not downloaded. Dear Amazon: there’s a reason I haven’t touched the app even throughout your 24/7 nag session. They listened, thankfully, and you can now disable all of that if you so choose. While I did appreciate notifications every once in a while to remind me to update or download apps, it was too annoying to bear. Hopefully this will please everyone while Amazon works to implement their notifications system better. Amazon also improved app compatibility checks so that you won’t get worked up over an app or game only to find out it doesn’t work for your device. If you want the updated client be sure to head here. [Android Central] |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Update - 150
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