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AT&T's HTC One X test units in the wild, AC forums member weighs in Posted: 24 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT We're waiting patiently (mostly because we have no choice) for AT&T to sell us the HTC One X, and now we can drool over and talk to a fellow who's testing one for AT&T in the Android Central forums. Phonegeek (perfect name) has a One X in his hands and has let us in on a little bit of info, and is getting us even more excited for a release. The AT&T version uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, and has 16GB internal storage. This is different from the international version, but is necessary to include the LTE radio. The S4 is no slouch though. Look in the thread and you'll see it rules the benchmark arena, handily beating out the Galaxy Nexus (and everything else) in both Quadrant and Browser benchmarking tool Vellamo. Benchmarks aside, the new generation of processor from Qualcomm means that this phone will perform like no other. One day, everyone will make chips and radios that work on all networks, but in the meantime HTC (like Samsung) has made sure that as far as performance goes, there is no difference between versions. It looks as good as it operates, which is just as important. The speaker grill is slightly different, but otherwise it's the same One X we saw in Spain at MWC, and that's a good thing. Phonegeek also compares it to the HTC Inspire 4G, and it checks in a full 1.5 ounces lighter at about the same thickness. We're digging that, as sometimes too thin is just too thin. Also, be sure to check out a great picture taken with the new HTC camera setup and ImageSense software, which looks as good as we expected it to be. It's clear, in 2012 HTC is once again a force to be reckoned with. We wouldn't want it any other way. Latest word is mid-May for release, and we can't wait. Hit the link below and have a look! Source: Android Central forums

Instagram for Android: Sign up now to find out when you can get it Posted: 24 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT By now you should all know exactly why you want Instagram on Android so bad, and you are all probably dying to know when it will come. Well the folks at Instagram have opened up a sign up page for Android users to be notified about the progress and when it is available. While we aren't sure whether this is just to be made aware of when it is released, or to be part of the beta, but either way you won't want to miss out. The process is simple, click on the link below and then enter your email address. Just like that you will be registered to be notified of whatever Instagram has in the works for us. Here's to hoping for a release soon! Sign up for Instagram for Android Information Source: Instagram

Android Central Editors' app picks for March 24, 2012 Posted: 24 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT You love apps, right? Well, let me warn you -- this week we got a ton of them for you. So, without any further delays let's hit the break together and check out some of our favorites from this week. read more

Required reading: CyanogenMod team Q&A Posted: 24 Mar 2012 11:54 AM PDT There's some great stuff coming out of the CyanogenMod camp over the past week, and we're not talking about an alpha version of some phone long forgotten. No, this one comes in the form of a lengthy Q&A session that gives great insight into how the community project works. You can guess where a lot of the questions lead -- "When will my device be supported?" ... "Why isn't my device supported?" ... "What devices are next?" ... and so on and so forth. But there's once answer that particularly stood out, because it's one we get asked a lot, too. In a nutshell, it's why can the CM team get updates of next-gen Android versions released for phones before carriers and manufacturers. The answer: We aren’t trying to ‘beat’ anybody; such an idea leads to a lot of broken ROMs and potentially broken phones. That said, we do have fewer resources, but we also have less to upkeep. CyanogenMod is created as one large OS, a standardized image across all devices we support. The OEMs, for competition purposes, don’t do this – they need features that sell. Quite frankly, in some cases, it isn’t in their interest to update devices either. If they did, who would buy the next generation that comes out in 6-8 months time? “Continuity” for us is actually easier to maintain, if for nothing else than the points in response #1 The carriers do take long to test, because they have to certify both the hardware and software aspects of the device, and go through a number of legal (FCC, for instance) and partner (operators and Google) certification stages before release. Devices that destroy their network towers or cause issues are no benefit to them. CyanogenMod gets the phones at the end of the chain – they have already proven to be network compliant, and we don’t have to worry about carrier requirements. We code our features to minimally alter the network connectivity as well. As for testing they have a Q&A division, with unknown (though likely not large amounts) of testers. We have nightlies that we utilize as our testing; so in our release cycles, there is actually a lot of time built in for testing. The answer in and of itself is important, but we're equally happy to see the CM team remind us all that by far the bulk of the code in a CM release is written by someone other than the CyanogenMod team. Or, as they put it, "CyanogenMod gets the phones at the end of the chain – they have already proven to be network compliant, and we don’t have to worry about carrier requirements." There are a lot of hands that go into putting out any Android update. And not having to answer to carrier, manufacturer and governmental testing absolutely speeds the process. The entire Q&A is a must-read and can be found here. More: +CyanogenMod

MyFitnessPal [Android App Review] Posted: 24 Mar 2012 08:21 AM PDT One of the hardest pieces to the fitness puzzle is eating healthy, and paying attention to what you are consuming on a daily basis. While many of us think what we are eating isn't all that bad for you, most of the time we are completely wrong unfortunately. Today's society makes it so easy to grab a burger on the go, eat a chocolate bar in place of a lunch, and not only is it easier but it is also cheaper.  Since many of us don't know how many calories are in the average meal or any of the other nutritional facts we look to applications to help keep us informed, and that is where MyFitnessPal comes into play. Taking control of what you eat is extremely important, and unfortunately if it is something that requires to much time it is something you are not likely to do. After downloading MyFitnessPal an account needs to be created with some basic personal information such as your height, weight, and gender. This information is very important, and you will want to input accurate information in, as this will actually help create your daily goals. After you enter the basic information it will ask how active you are on a daily basis, whether you have a desk job or an active job, and then it will also ask whether you wish to maintain, lose or gain weight. read more

Android Central international round-up - March 24, 2012 Posted: 24 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PDT As we published our definitive review of the Sony Xperia S, many of the week's main stories focused on two highly-anticipated unreleased devices -- the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. Earlier reports of an April 5 launch for HTC's new One series were apparently confirmed by news of a launch party in Paris that evening. And we saw a couple more dubious images claiming to show Samsung's next big thing. And towards the end of the week, we got a first look at the Samsung GT-i9300, a buttonless mystery device running Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz. In software update news, the roll-out of Android 4.0 for the Samsung Galaxy S II continued, and news arrived of an upcoming "premium suite" for the international Galaxy Note, including new stylus apps, ICS and Angry Birds Space. Check some highlights from past week's Android developments in Europe, Asia and beyond in the list below. And if you've got international news, be sure to tip us at the usual address. Special Features Sony Xperia S review News Sony Xperia S headed to Canada on Rogers Orange UK targeting April for Galaxy S II ICS update Panasonic Eluga available from March 29 in Japan, Europe in April More Samsung Galaxy S III leaky goodness Buttonless Samsung phone appears in leaked photo, claims to be the GT-i9300 No, this is not the Samsung Galaxy S III either Galaxy Note ICS update and 'premium suite' teased in official video Leaked O2 screens confirm HTC One date, reveal late April launch for Xperia P and Xperia U Motorola Motoluxe now available in France Sony announces global launch of the Xperia S International Motorola RAZR update adds new smart actions, battery and camera tweaks UK carriers reveal Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich plans Pre-order the HTC One X from Optus today HTC One roadshow coming to 'dozens of cities' around the world HTC One X, One S pre-order prices emerge TELUS launches trade-in program with customers, environment in mind

Flight Track gets update for ICS, bugfixes Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:42 PM PDT Flight Track -- an indispensable app for those of us who go places to do things for a living -- just got itself a sizable (if slightly cryptic) update. First, the changelog: Customizable time zones for flight times Added calendar-style date selection (phone) Significant reduction in app size ICS-based enhancements (phone and tablet) Missing string localizations for some languages Minor bug fixes And now, a little tough love: We're not quite sure what these "ICS-based enhancements" are, but we know one thing: Flight Track is still using the legacy menu design that is supposed to be phased out with Ice Cream Sandwich. But Flight Track's still got the telltale menu button tucked down with the ICS navigation buttons, and that's not good. Hey, developers. It's time for some spring cleaning. We're picking on Flight Track right now, but this remains true for far too many applications. And it's probably a good thing that they be updated now, before Google decides to bring down the hammer. End of lesson. We've got download links for Flight Track after the break. read more