Thursday, April 19, 2012

Update - 283



Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:25 PM PDT
Tapatalk 2
Tapatalk is a great way to browse forums from your Android phone, and the bar just got moved a notch or two higher with the beta release of Tapatalk 2. It's the same basic premise --  an app that connects to forums software (through a plug-in installed on the server) so it can deliver an experience optimized for mobile devices. You have controls designed to be easy to use, forum-specific menus and features that you just don't get from a web browser, and a bandwidth-saving U.I. that focuses on delivering content versus themes and other fluff designed to look good on a computer. 
Tapatalk 2 just does all this better. There also are a couple new features, namely an improved UI with multiple theme support, improved moderation tools, a nicer conversation style, and cloud-based account sync. Move past the bullet points and this means all the things you love about Tapatalk work better, look better, are faster and sync back to your phone when you reset the data on your phone. 
We know a lot (as in a lot) of people use Tapatalk to peruse the Android Forums here at Android Central. Tapatalk 2 is going to make all of us happy.  You'll love the new UI and theme options, forum moderators will love the new moderation options, crack-flashers will love the new sync option, and everyone will love how much faster it is. This is how you provide a major update -- everything works just like you're used to it working, and the improvements make the entire experience better without any change in the way you use the app. If you spend any time on forums from your Android phone, you need to give this a try. After the break you'll find a bunch of screenshots and a Google Play store link to the current version of Tapatalk (Android 1.5 and up, $2.99). You can also hit the source link and learn more about the beta from the folks at Quoord Systems Ltd.
More: Tapatalk forums 
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Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:16 PM PDT
From the Forums
With another week almost over, we're kind of wondering where it went considering it seemed to fly by. With lots of content posted this week, including a new Android Central podcast for you all if you happened to miss out on anything, the weekend is a great time to get caught up both here on the blogs and in the Android Central forums:
If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 01:55 PM PDT
Droid R2-D2
Remember the Droid R2-D2? Verizon does, and will shortly be issuing a maintenance update for the aging, but still capable R2-Droid2. The software version is getting a bump to 4.5.622.A957, on top of Android 2.3.4, and looks like it's chock full of security fixes and enhancements, bug-fixes, and newer versions of Verizon's installed apps. The full change log:
  • Enhanced security with DigiNotar security patch.
  • Increased browser cross-application scripting for enhanced multitasking stability.
  • Device will no longer automatically power on after it has been powered off.
  • Device is enabled with the Wireless Alerting System.
  • Successfully download and save purchased MP3 ringtones.
  • Camera settings will be saved, even after the device is powered off.
  • Increased device stability when keypad is opened and closed repeatedly.
  • Improved 3G data connectivity while using the Mobile Hotspot.
  • App shortcuts remain on the home screen after moving them from internal to external memory.
  • VZ Navigator is now updated to version 7.2.0.452.
  • V CAST Apps is now updated to version 4.4.1.0.
  • Successfully play WAV files.
  • Contact groups will sort correctly.
  • Successfully add application shortcuts or widgets to the home panel without error.
  • Fixed issue where duplicate text and multimedia messages were being received.
  • Improved ability to access and receive Gmail messages when the Mobile Hotspot is turned on.
  • Improved syncing with Yahoo! email.
  • Forwarded emails will no longer remain in the outbox when Smart Forwarding is enabled.
While it's not Ice Cream Sandwich, and the R2-Droid2 will never officially see ICS, it appears to be a welcome update -- especially if you were affected by one or more of the listed bugs. No word on exactly when this one will start to roll out, but it should be soon as the support documents are already live on Verizon's support sites. Have a look at them via the links below.
Source: Verizon (1), (2). Thanks everyone who sent this in!
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 01:32 PM PDT
Xperia S
Looks like Sony's new Xperia S will be arriving on North American shores in the near future, as Sony Mobile Canada has revealed that its high-end phone for early 2012 will be hitting the Rogers network. No release or pricing info is available just yet -- Sony just says the Rogers Xperia S is "coming soon."
The Xperia S is out now in Europe, and we recently got our hands on the finished article. While we were disappointed to see a flagship smartphone launching in Spring 2012 with Gingerbread, we were impressed with the Xperia S's build quality, HD Reality Display screen and 12MP EXMOR R camera. The phone's due an update to Ice Cream Sandwich during Q2, though, so depending on when Rogers launches it, Canadians may find their version comes pre-loaded with the latest version of Android.
For more on the Xperia S, check out our full review.
Source: Sony Mobile CA; via: MobileSyrup
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 11:48 AM PDT
Jabra Freeway
When it comes to using your smartphone in the car, it's a tricky proposition. Hands-free is a must. And after that, it really becomes a point of actually having to use your phone -- or in this case, the Jabra Freeway speakerphone -- as little as possible. Can you place or answer a call without touching anything? When you do have to touch something, how many motions does it take to perform an action? Are those actions easily memorized? And, at the end of the day, does the darn thing just work?
Jabra is a long-recognized name in Bluetooth accessories. But it's been some years since I've used one of their speakerphones (read our review of the Motorola T505 I've been using for as long as I can remember). Switching to the Freeway is a nice change in design. Clipped to the sun visor, it looks a lot like an old-school oversized garage door opener that curves back around the front.
Let's not beat around the bush here: The Jabra Freeway has quickly become my speakerphone of choice. Read on to find out why.
read more
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:44 AM PDT
In a recent interview with news outlet Reuters, Samsung Mobile's vice president of design, Lee Minhyouk, shed some light on the Korean manufacturer's recent rise to the top of the smartphone heap. Tracing the ascent back to the (dark) days of the Omnia, Lee detailed the origins of the company's first major splash in the swimming pool, the OG Galaxy, which he says grew out of the lessons learned from the failed Omnia.
More interesting than the history of the Galaxy line, however, is Lee's defense against accusations that it blatantly ripped off Apple's design model. Having sold over 44 million Galaxys since its launch, Lee says that the product is steeped in Samsung's "technology, color, and design language."
I've made thousands of sketches and hundreds of prototype products (for the Galaxy). Does that mean I was putting on a mock show for so long, pretending to be designing?
While Lee admits that he isn't at the level of expertise as the big-wigs over in Cupertino, he is confident that Samsung will eventually create a product to "define our time," and he hopes that he's at the helm when it happens.
It's not just effort that makes it possible for a new product to be a massive hit. It also has to be timely, and technology should be ready to make a certain design a reality.
Reuter's full interview, which is definitely worth the read, can be found at the source link.
Source: Reuters
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:33 AM PDT
King of Fighters Android
Classic SNK fighting game The King of Fighters has launched for Android today, and is available to download from the Google Play Store, assuming you own one of the handful of supported devices. The 2D beat-'em-up will set you back £3.79 in the UK, or $4.99 stateside, and includes 20 fighters from previous KoF titles, along with five game modes. If you're into unlockables, you'll also be able to gain access to bonus content including "gallery" mode and trading cards.
Unfortunately, The King of Fighters Android is currently marked as incompatible with a large number of devices, and from what we can tell, only a handful of Samsung and Sony Ericsson phones have access at present. Owners of other phones and tablets may be out of luck until the game's updated to explicitly allow access on other devices. 
Hit the break for the Google Play link, and today's announcement press release from SNK.
Source: Eurodroid
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Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:53 AM PDT

YouTube link for mobile viewing
I absolutely adore my Galaxy Nexus. It's fast, has a gorgeous screen, and perhaps most of all, has a notification LED that supports more than three colors. While that might sound a tad bit ridiculous, when I caught wind of the fact that I could potentially have a custom LED color for specific types of notifications, I clicked my heels with joy.
Enter Light Flow LED Control. If all you want to do is customize your LED colors, you'll get all that and more out of Light Flow.
Once you've opened up the app, you're presented with a pretty bland menu screen. You've got general settings, a list of additional apps Light Flow supports that you don't have installed, and even a tools menu, but notifications is where the magic really happens.
Hop into the notifications menu and you're greeted with a pre-populated list of notifications your phone can already handle and what color the LED will flash for them. Changing an LED color is as easy as pie. Select the notification you want to change and you'll move into a notification-specific menu.
Within this menu you can turn the notification on and off, designate what clears the notification, and most importantly, select your color. Light Flow boasts an impressive list of colors (18 plus the ability to have a custom color), so in the event you've got more than 18 notifications you want to customize, you're not out in the cold.
You can also set how quickly the LED will flash and how long it will last before automatically turning off, and if you're so inclined, enable sounds and vibration patterns. It's very cool for Light Flow to give you the option, but be aware: the sounds and notifications you set within Light Flow can conflict with the standard notifications, so you'll either have to turn one set off or deal with double of everything.
If you're curious what the various colors look like, Light Flow has an "all enabled LEDs test" within the tools menu. It's cool to look at, fun to show off with, and if you're just getting started, the fastest way to get an idea of what all the colors show up as on your phone, so you can get your notifications set the first time.
If you're as OCD as I am about controlling your phone (or just like the idea of having lots of cool, custom colored LEDs), then Light Flow LED Control is the app for you. It's got a simple, easy-to-use interface, supports more than 200 applications, and essentially works like a charm.
Light Flow LED Control is $1.99 in the Google Play Store. We've got download links after the break.
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Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:34 AM PDT
Happy Friday, folks! Today we're going to wrap up another week of Android accessory giveaway's by checking out the HTC 2150mAh Extended Battery w/ Door for Droid Incredible, Body Glove Flex Snap-On Case for Motorola Droid 4, Mobi Hard Shell Case for Xperia Play, and the Seidio SURFACE Holster for Epic 4G Touch.
To become eligible to win one of these featured accessories, just leave a comment below stating which item you'd like for your Android smartphone.  We'll select one lucky winner by random and announce them, as well as the rest of the winners from this week next Monday.  Good luck!

HTC 2150mAh Extended Battery w/ Door for Droid Incredible


The HTC 2150mAh Extended Battery w/ Door for HTC Droid Incredible significantly increases talk and standby time, and is "memory-free" so you charge up at any time. This extended battery is lightweight and comes with an Extended Battery Door which replaces the stock cover.
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Posted: 23 Mar 2012 07:51 AM PDT
ZTE Fury
We have seen our fair share of low- to mid-range devices release over the past year, and it takes quite a bit for one of them to stick out now-a-days. While ZTE may not be a huge name in Android world right now, they are certainly not taking a back seat in this battle at all. Recently ZTE announced the ZTE Fury for the Sprint network, and the device is priced and spec'd for a low to mid range device, but is it really worth skimping out on a few dollars at the time of signing that new contract, and getting a device like this?
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Posted: 23 Mar 2012 07:18 AM PDT
Deal of the Day The March 23 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Body Glove Flex Snap-On Case for Motorola Droid RAZR. This case features a durable hard shell wrapped in a textured glove material that is easy to grip and protects your Droid RAZR  from scratches. The case allows for access to all controls along with the charging port. There's also a removable belt-clip which doubles as a stand for your RAZR.
The Body Glove Flex Snap-On Case is available today for just $13.95, 53% off the normal price. Get yours while supplies last!
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:57 AM PDT
LG Lucid 4G
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:54 AM PDT
LG Lucid 4G
  • 4-inch IPS display with Gorilla Glass (800X480) 262K Color TFT
  • Dimensions: 4.69 x 2.45 x 0.45 inches
  • Weight: 5.0 oz
  • USB 2.0
  • 8GB of storage
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • Android 2.3
  • 4G LTE
  • Mobile Hotspot capable
  • Bluetooth v3.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
  • Standard Battery: 1700mAh
  • Standby time: Up to 350 hours
  • Usage time: Up to 8 hours
  • Micro USB Charging port
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • S-GPS support for location accuracy
  • Share Genie
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:30 AM PDT
Android Central
Earlier this week, Orange UK wasn't too sure when it's be rolling out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for Samsung Galaxy S II phones on its network, but now it appears the carrier has a release window in mind. Crave​ reports that Orange now intends to release the update sometime in April, putting it on par with O2, which is planning a similar timeframe for its own ICS roll-out.
Some unbranded UK Galaxy S II's started being updated from this Monday, March 19. While Three UK customers are currently being updated through Kies, T-Mobile and Vodafone have yet to commit to any timeframe for their own releases.
Source: Crave; via: Eurodroid
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:25 AM PDT
Galaxy Note S Pen Challenge
Samsung recently announced their Galaxy Note S Pen App Challenge -- say that 10 times fast -- encouraging development for their 5.3-behemoth and its stylus S Pen. They're still in the submission period for interested developers, but the details on just who will be on the judging panel have emerged. 
We've got a representative from Samsung, someone from Gameloft, BlueRun Ventures and even the AT&T VP of Consumer Marketing. Not bad, but sitting top of that list -- and no, we're sure it isn't because everything is in alphabetical order on who they work for -- is our very own Mr. Phil Nickinson.
That's right, folks, AC is on the panel, and will be involved in making one lucky developer very happy. About $100,000 happy to be precise. There is of course a judging criteria, and apps will be judged upon the quality of the idea, the implementation of the idea and overall user experience. Cash bribes sent to Phil will have absolutely no influence whatsoever. 
Judging begins April 9. with the winners announced on April 20.
Source: Galaxy Note S-Pen Challenge
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 05:22 AM PDT
Android Central
Panasonic showed off its first Android smartphone for the western world, the Eluga, back at MWC in Barcelona. Fast forward a few weeks and release information for the mid-range device is starting to appear. 
The 4.3-inch, dust and water-resistant phone will first be available in Japan on NTT Docomo starting on March 29. A European launch for the Eluga will then follow on in April. 
Sadly both versions will be launching on Gingerbread. Like other OEM's, though, Panasonic has already detailed an Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Eluga. We're expecting to see it in the summer, though which part of it is still unknown at this time.  
via The Verge
More: Hands on with the Panasonic Eluga
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:37 AM PDT
Podcast MP3 URL: 
http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/acpc90.mp3

Thing 1: Samsung Galaxy S III rumors, leaks, and nonsense

Thing 2: ICS updates; and lack of them

Thing 3: New phone reviews
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:25 AM PDT
Android Central
Motorola have pulled the wraps of their latest entry level device, the i867. This one is destined for Brazil via Nextel, and will be available in a couple of promotions on the carrier. 
So what do we have? One of the biggest features that they're pushing with this device is the Push To Talk two-way radio. Such features are still pretty desirable around the world, despite not being something we usually look for around here. 
Otherwise, specs are definitely low end. 3.1-inch screen, an included 2GB MicroSD card -- support is there for 32GB though -- and Android 2.1. Thats right, it launches with Eclair. Low end or not, that's pretty unacceptable in 2012. The i867 is available from Nextel now. 
Source: Motorola
Posted: 22 Mar 2012 09:46 PM PDT
Indycar
Verizon has now teamed up with IndyCar to offer exclusive access to the Official IZOD IndyCar Series Mobile application. The app is being made available to all Verizon customers for their smartphones and tablets. If you're an IndyCar fan, this is the app to have:
  • Live In-Car Cameras: Watch the race from the driver's seat and see the intensity first hand.
  • Live Driver-Pit Crew Chatter: Hear the live radio communication between drivers and pit crews during the race.
  • Mosaic: Four live features on a split screen - Streaming Race Control, Real-Time Track Mapping and two in-car camera views.
  • Real-Time Track Map: See the real-time position of every car across the track during every race.
  • Streaming Race Control: Get behind-the-scenes video and audio of the officials that run the race.
  • Real-Time Leaderboard: Keep up to date with the current running order of each race.
  • Driver Profiles: More information about your favorite 2012 drivers.
  • Live Radio Broadcast: Listen to the full radio commentary of each race.
  • Exclusive Video Content: Get app-only content including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
  • Historical Race Footage: Watch video clips from historical races and famous IndyCar moments.
  • IndyCar 101: Get the basics on the IndyCar Series.
That's a pretty compelling list of features for an app and will surely satisfy any IndyCar fans needs. If you're on Verizon, you can grab the app from the Google Play Store using the link below. Keep in mind, it may not be supported by all devices but it's leaps and bounds over last years version.
read more
Posted: 22 Mar 2012 08:30 PM PDT
LG Lucid 4G
Having already shown its colors to the world, Verizon's LG Lucid 4G now has a more official looking spec sheet to go along with it. As we mentioned when it appeared, there isn't a whole lot to get excited about and the specs line up for the most with what we previously reported:
  • 4-inch IPS display with Gorilla Glass (800X480)
  • 8GB of storage
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • Android 2.3 (Really?!)
  • 4G LTE
Left off the spec sheet though is the camera, which could be 5MP with 1080p capability and also missing is the RAM but that has previously been pegged at 1GB. Pricing, while not official shouldn't put this one past $200 with a possible arrival date of March 29.
Source: Droid-Life; More: Rumored devices forum
Posted: 22 Mar 2012 06:56 PM PDT
Kindle Android
If you frequent using the Kindle app for Android, you may be happy to know that Amazon has added some new functions and access to the app. The latest update, available now introduces the "Send to Kindle" function plus, opens up the doors for users to purchase illustrated children’s books, comic books, and graphic novels. Kindle for Android is available for free from the Amazon Appstore for Android and Google Play, download link can be found past the break.
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Posted: 22 Mar 2012 05:52 PM PDT
Android Central Podcast
We're back! We're live! And we're talking Android! For reals! Hit the link below RIGHT NOW!

Watch the Android Central Podcast!




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