Android Central |
- HTC EVO V 4G now available for pre-order at Radio Shack
- ClockworkMod Tether [Android App Review]
- Android A to Z: Bloatware
- ooVoo update brings 12-way video calling, Facebook registration, user upload option
- Sony Xperia S update to ICS actually further off than first thought
- HTC adds some timelines to its ICS device update list
- Gameloft to bring UNO to the entire Kindle family
- Avadon: The Black Fortress [Android Game Review]
- Everything Everywhere launches smart signal sharing, still confident of 4G this year
- The best Android travel apps
- ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #77: Infuse 4G ACTIVE Case, Max 4X Bluetooth Headset & more
- Customs delay a short-term nuisance, not a killing blow for HTC
- Spotify now live in Australia and New Zealand
- ShopAndroid Daily contest winners!
- Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Samsung Galaxy Note
- Jha steps down, Woodside steps in as Google-Motorola deal closes
- David Beckham and the Galaxy Note get official
- Carphone Warehouse to offer early collection for Galaxy S III pre-orders
- Three UK launches Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
- Late-night poll: Texting and driving
- S-Voice isn't another Siri, EVO 4G LTE [From the Forums]
- Netflix for Android updated, brings 'enhanced playback experience' and a secondary install method if needed
- Amazon Appstore updated, beta version of 'Test Drive' comes to some
| HTC EVO V 4G now available for pre-order at Radio Shack Posted: 22 May 2012 04:47 PM PDT
The EVO V 4G, Virgin Mobile's answer to the EVO 3D, is now available for pre-order from Radio Shack. For $299.99 you get a more than capable high-end Android handset, that you own outright, runs on the Wimax 4G network, and can use on Virgin's ubercheap prepaid service. That's hard to beat, no matter who you ask. The EVO V ships with Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 3.6, has all the hardware bells and whistles it's Sprint counterpart had -- including the stereoscopic 3D cameras and screen, and will be available at the end of this month. While it's not exactly state of the art when compared to the upcoming Android phones, this one is a great upgrade for all those Wildfire S' and Optimus V's out there. If you're thinking of making the jump, rest easy knowing that some of the best Optimus hackers are doing the same. Pre-order the HTC EVO V 4G from Radio Shack. Thanks, GreyCelt! 
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| ClockworkMod Tether [Android App Review] Posted: 22 May 2012 03:05 PM PDT
Tethering your phone to a computer can be kind of a tricky thing. First, there's a definite questionable legality to it. (The whole "if it's my data, I'll use it how I want!" argument comes to mind.) Second, you've (usually) got to have some sort of techie knowledge to install the right drivers, get all the appropriate cables plugged in, and then you've still got to get the app to work! Add in the issue of usually needing root, and where is a non-rooted, Android-loving simpleton supposed to turn? The answer would be ClockworkMod Tether (hereafter referred to as Tether) by our friendly neighborhood dev, ClockworkMod. (You might have heard of him. He did ROM Manager, among other things.) What makes Tether so great? For starters, you don't need root to use it. Next, you can use it with Windows, Macs, and Linux. And perhaps most importantly, it's got the most simple, easy to use interface ever created. Open up Tether and you'll see two buttons: a big power button and a little red button with a question mark in it. To get Tether running, you hit the power button. It'll turn blue and say, "Hey! Tether is running now!" The question mark has a few basic support options. You can download the desktop client (so you can actually tether), get a link to the drivers for your computer, or get some basic troubleshooting advice in case Tether either doesn't connect or is running slowly. If push comes to shove, the app tells you to directly email Koush. Installing drivers for your phone is pretty self-explanatory. Double-click the little executable file you download from ClockworkMod's website, get the drivers going, and then install the desktop client. Once Tether is installed on both your phone and your computer, you're finally ready to make magic happen. Once your phone is all nice and plugged into your computer, open up the desktop Tether client, and either tap the digital power button on your phone or start the desktop client. You'll get a huge screen of text on the desktop client, and, if all goes well, it'll say you're connected. You can track your data sent and received on your phone's screen. In my experience, Tether worked like a charm. My data speeds started off a bit slow (despite the fact I was on LTE), but after three or four speed tests, my speeds were more in line with what I would expect. Even if you're only on 3G, if you don't want to pay for say, an airport's WiFi and don't want to buy a dedicated USB modem, Tether is the way to go. Unfortunately, Tether (in its free form), is only a 14-day trial. After your two weeks are up, you're limited to a mere 20MB a day. Upgrading to the full version will set you back $4.99, but that's still cheaper than the other no-root tether apps out there, and this also has the added benefit of being backed by a big name developer that everyone knows puts out quality. We've got a few screenshots of my speed tests, video and download links after the break. 
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| Posted: 22 May 2012 01:34 PM PDT
When you think of Android phones, you think of bloatware. We wish it weren't so, and not every phone comes with, but the majority of Android phones out there come from carriers and are chock full of bloatware. We've complained about it, and found ways to remove it, but what exactly is it? Most folks consider any applications that your carrier (or the folks who built your phone) pre-installed to the system as bloatware. Usually, these applications are a front end to some service or content that you'll have to pay for, and usually it's something you would never download and use on your own. All the carriers, and all the manufacturers, are guilty of including it, and we tend to hate it all equally. When you open the app drawer on your new phone, and see City ID staring back at you, just waiting for you to click it, you can't help but hate it. But why is it there? It's one down side of Android's open nature. Google gives Android away to anyone and everyone, but realistically only a very few companies can afford to make cell phones. And they don't make them with you and me in mind as their customer. HTC, or Samsung, or LG (you get the picture) makes Android phones for the carriers. They work out deals to decide hardware and software they want to include, and part of those deals are these "value-added applications" we lovingly call bloatware. Verizon and HTC love you, but they still want you to click the app and send in the money. Because Google isn't involved and doesn't make any rules about it, they can include any app they like in your new phone. Nobody likes it, but it is the side effect of being open. Thankfully, Ice Cream Sandwich brings along the ability to disable (most of) these apps without rooting or tinkering with the system files on your Android device, and that provides the best solution we can think of. Certainly there are some people who found a use for City ID or VZ Navigator, and they should have the opportunity to use those apps if they like. And we can disable and hide them, and forget they exist. Check out the complete Android Dictionary 
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| ooVoo update brings 12-way video calling, Facebook registration, user upload option Posted: 22 May 2012 12:44 PM PDT
It's a big day to be an ooVoo fan (and probably an equally big day to become one), as they've announced a pretty massive update to not only their Android app, but also their service as a whole. Starting today, ooVoo users can participate in 12-way video chat from all ooVoo mobile applications, the desktop program, and even Facebook. The interface for the Android application has been updated and also feature a simple, one-click Facebook registration option (for those who are new to ooVoo). Similarly neat is the ability to send an oovoo Call Link, so friends who don't have ooVoo can still be connected to you. ooVoo also listened to user feedback and has added call record and upload functions right into your chat, giving you access to uploading to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. What do y'all think of the update? Impressed? Let down? Neither? Be sure to sound off and let us know, and if you haven't yet, be sure to take the new ooVoo for a spin. We've got the full presser and download links to the updated app after the break. 
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| Sony Xperia S update to ICS actually further off than first thought Posted: 22 May 2012 12:41 PM PDT
Literally, less than a week from hearing that Sony Xperia S owners would be tasting some Ice Cream Sandwich by 'early June,' do we hear new information refuting that information completely. The story lies in the Sony Xperia S support forums. The initial post was in response to a customer query, but left everyone -- quite rightly -- reason to get excited. Now though, it seems the gentleman in question -- going by the name of Marcus -- has "mixed things up" with the dates for the rest of the Xperia line. Before we're too hard on Marcus though, he still says that the Xperia S will be updated during Q2. The latter part of Q2 to be more precise. By our maths, that basically says it'll be late June rather than early June. It's still coming, and it's still coming in Q2. It's just going to be an extra couple of weeks potentially before it lands. We're all human, and Marcus has had the decency to own up to an honest mistake, and to apologize for it. Can't say fairer than that. via Xperia Blog 
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| HTC adds some timelines to its ICS device update list Posted: 22 May 2012 11:37 AM PDT
HTC in the past, hasn't made any bones about telling us all which of their devices will be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the future. Granted, they've made some changes here and there to the list as testing has gone on but overall, they've been doing good at keeping folks in the loop for better or worse, depending on which device you may own. Now, they've gone ahead and take it all one step further by adding some official timelines to the newly minted Android 4.0 Update FAQ page:
Looking at the list, you can easily spot the devices that have already had ICS rolled out to them over the past little while. Nothing overly surprising, and HTC does note things are always subject to change but it's nice to see some official timelines placed beside all those devices. Source: HTC 
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| Gameloft to bring UNO to the entire Kindle family Posted: 22 May 2012 11:15 AM PDT
For those of you rocking any non-Fire versions of the Kindle (that would be the Kindle Keyboard, Kindle, Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G), you'll be happy to know that Gameloft, purveyor of fine games on Android, is releasing UNO for all of the aforementioned devices. Not only will the Kindle-customized versions of UNO feature all of the standard gameplay UNO fanatics have come to know and love, this specialized version will also include an interface tailored for e-ink and achievements. Yes, you can get achievements on your Kindle now. If you're ready to get your UNO on, full presser is after the break. 
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| Avadon: The Black Fortress [Android Game Review] Posted: 22 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT
Sometimes a game is made on such an impressive scale, it dwarfs the games around it by its sheer magnitude and detail. Avadon: The Black Fortress is one such game, and while its graphics and sound effects might initially leave you in the lurch, the excellent story and massive amount of content more than make up for it. When you first open up Avadon, you're shown the all too familiar options screen. Chances are you'll want to start a new game, and when you do so, you're able to create your character. There's four classes to choose from: blademaster, shadowwalker, shaman, and sorceress. Each class fits one of the established archetypes we've grown accustomed to seeing (for example, the blademaster is a tanky, devastating warrior, capable of taking damage, while the sorceress is mostly ranged, casting spells, wearing cloth, and equipped with the occasional heal), so all should be familiar on that front. After you've settled on your name, Avadon tells you the game's story through a series of still images and text. All of the drawings are very well done, and it's clear a lot of effort went into the detailed storyline. (Long story short, you're now a warrior working at the Black Fortress, defending your land, fighting off baddies, and trying not to infuriate the all-powerful and crazy ruler of the place). Once you're actually in-game, the camera takes a 2½-D, top-down view of your environment. You simply tap where you want to move and your character will walk there, and if you happen to tap on another NPC, you also use touch to advance through all of the dialogue. There's a multitude of button that run alongside the bottom of the screen, and these help you access your inventory, player stats, and abilities, to name a few. On the right side of your combat status icon (the middle icon that shows a peace sign when you're not fighting) are quick access slots for your preferred spells and items. You can hold four of each, so as you continue to get better gear and more abilities, you can switch these out as necessary. Combat is fairly fluid, using a turn-based system that should be familiar to anyone who has played a tactics game before. A grid appears underneath all involved parties feet, you're limited to how many squares you can move (as are they), and you tap the enemy you want to attack. When you have skills, this would be the time to use them. (You aim and control them using the same touch method.) While the battle style isn't clunky, I'd definitely appreciate an auto-attack function so I don't have to keep tapping the enemy I'm on. Sure, you might want to switch to someone else mid-fight, but in the battles I played, it was all pretty straightforward (we steamrolled them), so being able to check out for a few seconds would help keep the monotony down. Still, Avadon: The Black Fortress is truly a game of epic proportions. It's detailed, very engrossing, and just plain long. The fact that Spiderweb Software promises it to be the first in a trilogy of games excites me (and gives me hope they'll improve the graphics), and if you ever played the older games of a bygone era, this might just tickle that nostalgia bone of yours. Avadon: The Black Fortress is $9.99 in the Google Play Store. We've got video and download links after the break. 
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| Everything Everywhere launches smart signal sharing, still confident of 4G this year Posted: 22 May 2012 10:18 AM PDT
Everything Everywhere -- the oddly named combination of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK -- has launched smart signal sharing, which completes the final stage of the pairings 'big switch on.' Customers of either network have been able to share signal for quite some time now. The idea being, that if you should lose signal on your primary network, if signal is available in your area on your secondary network your phone will automatically switch to it. The smart signal sharing is designed to make this process seamless, and will prioritise signal from the other network should your current signal begin to fade. The theory being that customers will have better signal more of the time, without the interruptions of having to search for signal on the other network. Looking ahead, Everything Everywhere are still confident of providing 4G technology before the year is out. Speaking to tracyandmatt.co.uk, the company has indicated they are moving in the right direction to roll out the upgrade this year. The only potential sticking point, is the final go ahead from industry watchdog, Ofcom. Ofcom have already preliminarily approved Everything Everywhere's plans for a 4G network though, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. If the OK isn't given, the necessary hardware and software will still be installed as planned, so as to go live as soon as possible. Source: Tracy and Matt 
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| Posted: 22 May 2012 09:26 AM PDT
We love Android. And we travel. A lot. And after thousands and thousands of miles and more airports than we can recall, we like to think we've got a handle on the best Android travel apps. Some are obvious and likely already are on your phone. Others might require a download. Some are free, some will cost you a few bucks. (And, like most things Android, there are alternatives for everything.) What do we look for in the best Android travel apps? In a word: Reliability. The last thing you want to do when you're out of your comfort zone -- be it in another city, another state or another country -- is to have to fumble with your phone anymore than is necessary. So grab your passport, strap in and join us after the break as we give you our top picks for the best Android travel apps. 
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| ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #77: Infuse 4G ACTIVE Case, Max 4X Bluetooth Headset & more Posted: 22 May 2012 09:15 AM PDT Today's ShopAndroid.com Daily Giveaway will feature the Seidio ACTIVE Case for Infuse 4G, Car and Driver Max 4X Bluetooth Headset, OtterBox Commuter Case for HTC Desire, and the Golla Riley Smart Bag. To become eligible to win, leave a comment below stating which item you'd like for your Android device. One winner will be selected and announced next week. Congrats to the winners from the last two weeks! Seidio ACTIVE Case for Samsung Infuse 4GThe Seidio ACTIVE Case provides great shock and impact absorption while adding minimal bulk to your Infuse 4G. This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. The arachnid design of the skeleton extends out to protect vulnerable parts of your device, such as the corners and sides. 
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| Customs delay a short-term nuisance, not a killing blow for HTC Posted: 22 May 2012 08:11 AM PDT
Last week the AT&T HTC One X and Sprint EVO 4G LTE were delayed at U.S. customs following an International Trade Commission exclusion order and subsequent review that Apple won against the Taiwanese company, banning them due to infringement on a specific aspect of an Apple patent wherein linked phone numbers would open an options menu. HTC in December said it already had a workaround, and sure enough it's present in the One X and EVO 4G LTE. But this customs delay caused HTC to miss its launch date for the EVO 4G LTE at Sprint, and has caused AT&T to show an out-of-stock message on the One X. HTC stock was smacked by nearly 6 percent by the end of last week. And now that U.S. Customs has cleared the EVO 4G LTE, the market obviously feels comfortable with the idea that HTC has skirted this particular patent issue. The stock already has recovered from last week’s punishment. [HTC Corp at Google Finance] But we really should be taking a long-term view of this situation. Similar to our friends from Waterloo who sell BlackBerry, HTC has been struggling in the U.S. market lately. Samsung quickly has become the top selling phone vendor on the planet. And according to Gartner’s latest numbers, Samsung sells more than four times the number of Android phones versus its closest competitor. So HTC really needs a comeback in the U.S. market. And that’s why a delay by International Trade Commission hurt as much as it did. Having just come home from a Canadian long weekend up in cottage country, these short term delays at U.S. customs remind me more of mosquito bites rather than bullet wounds. They’re irritating, but not deadly. They heal quickly and we forget about them. But there’s no denying that Apple is putting some serious pressure on Android. Giving credit where credit is due, Apple single-handedly reinvented the user experience on a mobile phone. Android, BlackBerry, and others have copied Apple. Steve Jobs made no secrets about how he felt about this. I’m not saying that Apple never copied anyone either ... obviously it has. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t matter. Patent law doesn’t care whether the plaintiff has infringed other IP in the past. The way I see it, Android vendors are exposed to future IP litigation by Apple. These first customs problems are the mosquito bites. But are the bullets still coming? And what are HTC, Samsung, and even the mighty Google doing to sidestep these bullets through future software redesign? HTC’s problems also go way beyond patent litigation. The company’s stock price has fallen from about 2,500 Taiwan dollars last April down to nearly 400 Taiwan dollars today. That kind of collapse is on the order of what happened to RIM. But in the case of HTC, it's fighting purely on hardware. It doesn't own a platform like Apple or RIM. It doesn't have the supply chain strength to compete against Samsung. And to me, these are bigger issues than patent litigation. 
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| Spotify now live in Australia and New Zealand Posted: 22 May 2012 07:28 AM PDT
It's been a long time coming, but finally our friends in Australia and New Zealand can enjoy the Spotify service as it has launched down under. By now, Spotify needs no introduction, but its arrival in another new market is welcomed. As a 'celebration' of the launch, a special Australian themed playlist has been put together by Spotify to get everyone started. The service you'll be interested in as a reader of this site, is the Spotify Premium, which includes the ability to listen to music on your Android device. In Australia, you're looking at $11.99 a month for this, and $12.99 in New Zealand. We've included download links to the Spotify app below to get you started. But, there's a newer -- and much better -- preview version available directly from Spotify themselves. We did a little hands on back in April when it first emerged, so don't forget to head over and give it a read. Source: Spotify 
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| ShopAndroid Daily contest winners! Posted: 22 May 2012 07:20 AM PDT
If you're a registered member here at Android Central then you know our forums always have a contest happening. And if you're not registered, well -- now is as good a time as any. This week's winners are as posted after the break, and if you were chosen watch your email as we'll be following up during the week. Stay tuned for more upcoming contests folks. Congrats to the winners! 
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| Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Samsung Galaxy Note Posted: 22 May 2012 06:27 AM PDT
The OtterBox Commuter Case is available for just $26.95 today only, 40% off the regular price. Pick yours up while supplies last! 
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| Jha steps down, Woodside steps in as Google-Motorola deal closes Posted: 22 May 2012 06:08 AM PDT
Google CEO Larry Page this morning penned a blog post announcing the close of his company's acquisition of Motorola Mobility (thanks to China's recent approval) -- and the departure of Sanjay Jha as Moto CEO. Taking over is Google's Dennis Woodside, whom Page notes increased revenue in the Americas region by some $6.7 billion in three years. The big question, of course, is exactly what Google plans on doing with Motorola, Page's post was long on cheerleading and short on strategic answers. No surprise there, but Page does stress the importance of the mobile space, saying:
Woodside, for his part, wrote in a release that "“Our aim is simple: to focus Motorola Mobility’s remarkable talent on fewer, bigger bets, and create wonderful devices that are used by people around the world.” Motorola's news release notes that Woodside has brought on board execs from DARPA, Nokia, Google and NVIDIA (among others) and has retained a number of Motorola executives in their current roles, including product development, mass market products, software and enterprise and consumer experience design. Read Page's full post and Motorola's release at the source links below. 
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| David Beckham and the Galaxy Note get official Posted: 22 May 2012 05:31 AM PDT | ||
| Carphone Warehouse to offer early collection for Galaxy S III pre-orders Posted: 22 May 2012 03:27 AM PDT
When Samsung announced the early launch for the Galaxy S III at its own store in London, it also said it'd allow other retailers to open an hour later. Today we have confirmation that at least one major UK retail chain plans to do just that -- Carphone Warehouse sends word that it'll offer collection for pre-order customers in "select stores," at 7pm next Tuesday, May 29. No word on which stores will be running the promotion, so you'll probably want to call in and ask to avoid disappointment. Carphone also hailed the Galaxy S III as the "fastest-selling pre-order of 2012," which if nothing else shows that it's outpacing HTC's One series in the pre-order stakes. The retailer adds that over 800 of its stores will stock the S III from its UK official launch date of May 30. Are you picking up a launch day Galaxy S III? Planning on collecting yours the day before everyone else? Let us know in the comments! (Also check out our exhaustive launch day coverage) 
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| Three UK launches Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 Posted: 22 May 2012 03:04 AM PDT
Three UK continues its barrage of mid-level Android handsets with today's launch of the Galaxy Ace 2 from Samsung. The Ace 2 is, unsurprisingly, the successor to last year's Galaxy Ace, which saw success among entry-level and mid-range buyers in Europe. The new version rocks a 3.8-inch WVGA display, an 800MHz dual-core CPU, a 5MP camera and TouchWiz'd Android 2.3 Gingerbread. So aside from a few differences with screen size and display tech, it's a similar deal to the Galaxy S Advance, which we recently reviewed. Three's offering the Galaxy Ace 2 for £229.99 SIM-free, or for free on two-year contracts starting at £22 per month. Cheaper monthly plans, which include an up-front fee, start at £15 per month. More: Three UK 
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| Late-night poll: Texting and driving Posted: 21 May 2012 11:44 PM PDT
This one comes from Cory, who happens to be shopping for new car insurance. While deciding how much coverage he should buy, he brought up the question of other folks texting and driving. He is worried just how many people still do it, even though everyone knows they shouldn't, it's illegal damn near everywhere, and it's a good way to cause some serious harm to yourself or others. We're hoping that very few of you guys will say yes in tonight's poll -- we'll all be safer that way and Cory can save a little money. 
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| S-Voice isn't another Siri, EVO 4G LTE [From the Forums] Posted: 21 May 2012 07:29 PM PDT
We're back from the weekend and have quite few things lined up this week for you -- nevermind those silly Canucks, being on vacation and all. If you happened to miss out on anything because you were out soaking up some sun, now is your chance to do so both here on the blogs and in the forums.
If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today. 
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| Posted: 21 May 2012 06:51 PM PDT
The Netflix Android client has seen what appears to be a relatively minor update this evening, promising an enhanced playback experience on both phones and tablets, stability improvements, and general bug fixes. Sound like a typical maintenance release. But what caught my eye was this, from the Google Play store change log:
Having had a device with "issues" when trying to update this particular app from the Play store once or twice, this is a really nice option. No need to try some potentially janky (or worse) version found in a forum, Netflix is offering up an alternative of their own. Hopefully, nobody needs it -- but it's great that it's there. 
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| Amazon Appstore updated, beta version of 'Test Drive' comes to some Posted: 21 May 2012 05:45 PM PDT
Amazon has pushed out an update to their Appstore, bringing it to version 2.6.53. Besides the always-present bug fixes and stability enhancements, this time around there's a slick new feature for a select few -- The Test Drive feature. Much like the Test Drive that's always been available on Amazon's web site, this give you a chance to see what an app looks like and how it operates when installed. Without access to the methods Amazon is using to pull this one off, we're going to have to guess it's simulated on a server somewhere and not actually running on your device. But it's still pretty damn cool. Grab your update from Amazon and have a look. If you're lucky enough to get the Test Drive feature, sing out in the comments and let us mere mortals know how it works! Thanks everyone who sent this in! 
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