Posted: 29 Feb 2012 04:39 PM PST  If you were holding off on buying one of Seidio's 3800mAh batteries for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus because they weren't compatible with NFC, here's something you'll be interested in. The company has begun offering the big battery with built in NFC circuitry. It's $75, but Seidio says:
With Verizon's power hungry LTE network, for many a spare battery is a must. Now that they have the NFC issues sorted, you can have that spare, in the XXL size, and still play with your hacked-on Google Wallet. Hit the link for details. Source: Seidio. Thanks, Mike! 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 03:28 PM PST  The questions start out incredible easy, but gradually get more difficult as the monetary value increases. Topics include: general knowledge, sports, movies, politics, geography, biology, computer science and mathematics. Each question has four answers and you're given three lifelines to last through the entire game. 50/50 eliminates two of the answers, ask the audience is self explanatory, and you can scrap the current question for another one. Once you lose the game, you can enter your name to submit it to the leaderboard and even share it to Facebook if you wish. Options include the ability to change 'Answer Clicked Wait Time', and 'Answer Solving Wait Time'. The game app is available for free in the Android Market. Please find links to it after the break as well as more screenshots. read more 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:11 PM PST  There's an old letter being passed around today that provides Verizon's response to the FCC about locked bootloaders. Starting early this month, these letters began going out to anyone who had formally filed a complaint with the FCC about Verizon locking the bootloaders on phones that utilized the spectrum covered under the block C license, and they don't say anything everybody didn't already know. Verizon wants bootloaders locked, and they say you'll get better customer service if they stay that way. And they are right. Put away your pitchforks and hear me out. If you're reading this, and got a little hot under the collar when I said Verizon could better serve customers if the bootloader was locked down, you're not the problem. You root and ROM your phone, and when things get squirrelly you don't call customer service and gripe about it. You flash another ROM, like any smart Android geek would. Verizon isn't worried about providing customer care to you, and you don't need them to. But there are people out there who see these tricks online, get someone on Craigslist to root/unlock/flash something to their phones, and a week later when they realize the camera doesn't work as well, or the Wifi is wonky, or they can't rent movies from the Market, they get on the horn with Big Red. Those people cost Verizon money, and end up not very happy with their hacked Android phone. Plain and simple -- Verizon tech's can't help you if you don't have their software installed. Yes, it gets old. It sucks when we get punished for problems other folks cause, but welcome to society. It's not likely to change, and VzW probably isn't violating the C block agreement by not allowing unauthorized software to run rampant on their network. You've got three choices -- only buy phones that can be unlocked, switch providers, or enjoy the hell out of your phone the way it came out of the box. Verizon has their best interests, and their shareholders best interests, in mind and we shouldn't expect anything different. Source: Droid-Life 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 01:16 PM PST   
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 01:11 PM PST 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 12:12 PM PST  Source: Virgil Dobjanschi 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 12:10 PM PST  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 forumsread more
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 10:38 AM PST  "Our Gesture-based browsing function was a game-changer in terms of the way people browse on their mobile devices, and Sonar is the logical next step," said Yongzhi Yang, CEO of MoboTap, makers of Dolphin Browser. "Just as sonar is used by dolphins to navigate, Dolphin Sonar interprets sound to get you where you want to be online. We are continuously thinking of new ways to heighten our users' mobile browsing experience with new and innovative features."Having given it a quick run through, it fairs quite well when issued commands. I'm not so sure I would use it all the time but I suppose that's the good thing about it -- you don't have to but in case you want to, it's there. You can find the full press release and download link past the break. read more 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 10:23 AM PST  Toshiba announced today that their new Excite 10 LE will be available for purchase starting March 6, and a starting price of $529. Billed as the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet (7.7mm and 535g respectively), the Excite 10 LE will cost $529 for the 16GB version, and $599 for the 32GB version. It's packed full of new features like an AutoBrite display, covered in Gorilla Glass, SRS sound, and an anti-smudge coating to keep it looking good. Here's the specs:
The Excite 10 LE ships with Honeycomb, but Toshiba says the Ice Cream Sandwich update is in the works and coming this spring. We're not thrilled when manufacturers say coming soon, but a tablet this thin and light almost makes up for it. The full press release is after the break. read more
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 09:58 AM PST  Today at the 27th annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference Sprint announced that they will begin offering a free application to ease the use of Android phones for people who are blind or have low vision. The app, written by developers at Code Factory, is free in the Sprint area of the Android Market for Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile customers. The application normally sells for $99 US, and is for anyone who has trouble reading the small print on a smartphone. It's simple user interface and voice guided instructions help users make and receive calls, texts and mail messages, as well as access things like their contacts, calendar, and even browse the web. We're hard on the carriers here sometimes. Sometimes they deserve it. But I want to take a moment and say on behalf of all of us at Android Central that we applaud Sprint for what they're doing here. The people that will find this application useful may not be able to afford a hundred dollar Android app, and offering it for free is a nice way to give back to customers. Nice work Sprint. It's available in both English and Spanish, free for Sprint customers with Android phones running 2.1 or higher. Download links are below, and a short video and the press release are after the break. read more
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 09:20 AM PST  It's the same Galaxy S II you've grown to love, complete with a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.2 Ghz dual-core Exynos processor, and 16 GB internal storage. It's shipping with Gingerbread, and US Cellular hasn't made its Android 4.0-update plans clear as of yet, though we're hoping they'll keep on top of it. Those of you who've been patiently waiting can grab yours today at the source link, or sit tight and head into a US Cellular retail location tomorrow. Source: US Cellular 
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 08:50 AM PST  One of the highlights yesterday in Barcelona was Eric Schmidt's keynote address. Schmidt always entertains, and as former CEO and current chairman at Google we're usually listening when he speaks. At Mobile World Congress this year, Schmidt was focused on one thing -- the digital divide. We did get to see a nifty demonstration of Chrome for Android Beta from Android Product Director Hugo Barra, but for the most part it's an hour of hearing Schmidt's thoughts on how to bring connectivity to areas of the world that don't have it, and why that matters. It's worth a look. There's no hidden gems about Jellybean or some secret-stealth project the folks at Mountain View might be working on, but it's a look at what drives Schmidt, and in turn Google, to go forward. You can find it embedded after the break. Source: Google Youtube channel read more
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:34 AM PST  We snagged a few minutes with the all-new car dock app on the HTC One series phones. Let's not beat around the bush here -- it's easily the best car app we've seen on an Android smartphone, bar none.  You start off with our favorte feature -- a plugless dock. There are four connecting pins on the back of the phone that hook things up to the dock without having to fumble with a plug. If you've never used a dock like that before, it takes all of the guesswork out of it -- and that's a must while driving.Once you're connected, the car app automatically launches. Within the app, you've got a cube motif -- not unlike what you might see in an Android launcher, actually. With it, you can easily swipe between navigation, your contacts list and phone, the music app, Tune-in Radio (which is included) -- and, as HTC told us, other third-part apps shoud work with it out of the box as well. But HTC's own apps are so well-done that you might hesitate to use something else. The buttons are large and extremely easy to see and press -- just about the best we've seen. The UI is bright and clear of distraction. Audio will stream to your car stereo via Bluetooth. Don't have Bluetooth? No worries. A dongle that plugs into your aux port will take care of that. Check out the video of it in action after the break. As of now, our only real question is this: When can we get it? read more
| ||
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:19 AM PST
This slim, sleek, and transparent crystal case will showcase your Motorola Droid 4 and help keep it protected. The Mobi Crystal Case adds very little weight or bulk to your device, and features cutouts for the camera, speaker, ports, buttons, and screen. Easy to install and remove, the Mobi Crystal case is a great solution for protecting your Motorola Droid 4 against bumps, drops and scratches. Take advantage of this great deal while supplies last! |
Grab the 
 |  |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:13 AM PST
Google introduced Google Music last year and this is a good way to drive adoption. The more high quality albums they're able to offer at low prices like this, the more people will be inclined to use the service.
If you're interested in any of the albums, please find a link to the Android Market in our source link.
Source: Android Market
| |
ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #18: Galaxy Nexus SURFACE Extended Case, EVO 4G OtterBox Defender & more!
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST
Welcome back to another ShopAndroid.com Daily Giveaway! Our featured accessories today include the Seidio SURFACE Extended battery Case for Verizon Galaxy Nexus, OtterBox Defender Case for HTC EVO 4G, Qmadix Metalix Snap-On Cover for Motorola Droid RAZR, and the Case-Mate Barely There Case for Motorola Droid Bionic.
As always, leave a comment below letting us know which of these featured Android accessories you'd like to win. Next Monday, we'll announce the winner of today's daily giveaway. It's that easy!
The SURFACE Extended Case is the perfect case for those looking for sleek protection for their Verizon Galaxy Nexus that utilize the Seidio 3800mAh Extended Battery. This case protects your Galaxy Nexus from scratches and drops while adding minimal bulk to your device. Durable plastic is accompanied by Seidio's soft-touch coating which enhances the look of your Galaxy Nexus without attracting lint. This case requires the 3800mAh Extended Battery for a proper fit.
read more
As always, leave a comment below letting us know which of these featured Android accessories you'd like to win. Next Monday, we'll announce the winner of today's daily giveaway. It's that easy!
Seidio SURFACE Extended Battery Case for 3800mAh Extended Battery for Verizon Galaxy Nexus
The SURFACE Extended Case is the perfect case for those looking for sleek protection for their Verizon Galaxy Nexus that utilize the Seidio 3800mAh Extended Battery. This case protects your Galaxy Nexus from scratches and drops while adding minimal bulk to your device. Durable plastic is accompanied by Seidio's soft-touch coating which enhances the look of your Galaxy Nexus without attracting lint. This case requires the 3800mAh Extended Battery for a proper fit.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:03 AM PST
Additional functionality includes the ability to track individual app versions, as well as an integrated timeline that plots the app's metrics since its arrival on the Market, allowing developers to see which promotional period, version update, or other factor contributed to a spike in installations. Along with the new features, the easier-to-manage UI improves usability and simplifies exporting data.
The Application Statistics update is now live in the Android Market Developer Console. Android Developers' official statement can be found at the source link.
Source: Android Developers Blog
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:42 AM PST
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:08 AM PST
And here we have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 that looks more like a brother from another mother. It's a Galaxy Tab, all right. But the speakers have been brought out front -- basically it's the same body as what we saw released in Germany to stave off design patent issues. That makes it different from the newly announced Galaxy Note 10.1, which also throws in the S Pen feature. Elsewhere on the hardware front, we've got a 10.1-inch plane-line switching display at 1280x800 resolution, a 1 GHz dual-core processor, and it's running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with the TouchWiz UI improvements on top.
Things are as speedy as you'd expect, and Samsung's done well with the UI tweaks to make use of all that extra space.
We've got a complete hands-on with still and moving pictures after he break.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST
The Pad 300 is constructed of plastic as opposed to aluminum, and the resolution is limited to 1280x800, compared to the Infinity's dizzying 1920x1200. But that's still nothing to sniff at, and the IPS displays used by ASUS look great, even at the lower resolution. And although it's chunkier, and made of plastic, the Pad 300 still feels good -- if a little bulkier -- in the hand. We should probably mention that laptop docking functionality is included too, just as you'd expect for a Transformer series device, and the business of docking the tablet is just as seamless as it's ever been.
The Transformer Pad 300 is loaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which flies along on NVIDIA's quad-core chip. ASUS has included its usual selection of widgets and subtle changes to stock Android, which will be familiar to current Transformer and Transformer Prime owners.
Join us after the break for our initial hands-on video of the ASUS Transformer Pad 300.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 04:54 AM PST
There are those who swear by the 10-inch tablet, and then there are those who say that the smaller size is the only way to go. Samsung's brought out new hardware for both, with the newly announced Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1-inch), and this, the previously announced 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2.We're still not entirely sold on the need for all the variations of the smaller-size tablets, but the 7-incher GTab2 does feel great in the hand. It's got all the usual Samsung improvements, including TouchWiz running atop Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The 7-inch PLS TFT display (that's Samsung's version of an IPS screen) rock a 1024x600 resolution, and it's all powered by a 1GHz processor.
We've got more pics and hands-on video after the break.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 04:24 AM PST
At Mobile World Congress 2012, Texas Instruments was demonstrating a stylus that communicates its distance from a tablet over ultrasonic frequencies. The tablet in this demo has a microphone in each of its four corners, which can pinpoint exactly where the stylus is pointing at the screen, even if you're not touching it. Of course, the stylus also works perfectly well along the two standard planes, but it's particularly cool when you pull back and the model correspondingly zooms out.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:56 AM PST
You didn't think we'd go an entire show without seeing some dancing Android robots, did ya? Intel had few at its booth.
And, no. We didn't dance.
And, no. We didn't dance.
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:23 AM PST
Awwwwww, the Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 is a cute little bugger. It's a little bizarre going from a world of 5-inch-plus smartphones down to the diminutive Galaxy Mini 2, but darned if it doesn't feel kinda nice in the hand, kinda like you're holding a little child by the hand, waiting to show it through the big, brave world. No, really. Because in when you're comparing it to the high-resolution, quad-core monsters out there, you sort of want to keep the Galaxy Mini 2 close, where it's safe. Its 3.7-inch HVGA (320x480) display isn't really the sort of thing we'd want to give a seasoned smartphone user, and you're not going to be outputting any video with that 800 MHz processor. But if you remember that this merely is an entry level Android 2.3 smartphone, it could stand to serve you well.We've got more pics and hands-on video after the break.
read more
| |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:04 AM PST
The GSMA -- the group that puts on the fine Mobile World Congress we've been attending all week -- has released 17th annual Global Mobile Awards for this year's show. Of note for you Android fans out there are:- Angry Birds Rio (Rovio), best mobile app for consumers
- WhatsApp (WhatsApp), best overall mobile app
- SwiftKey (TouchType), best innovative mobile app
- Google Maps for Android (Google), best consumer mobile service
- Galaxy S II (Samsung), best smartphone
- Samsung, device manufacturer of the year
The judges' comment was "A phenomenal success around the world, this has outperformed all its Android rivals and demonstrated the maturity of the ecosystem." We wouldn't argue against that. But that was last year. It's also worth noting that the categories have changed a bit. In 2011, the iPhone 4 won Best Mobile Device (never mind that Apple is nowhere to be seen around here), and HTC was Device Manufacturer of the year.
You can check out the full list for yourself at the link below.
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment