Android and Me |
- ASUS Transformer AiO is your Windows 8 desktop and Android tablet all in one
- One Galaxy S III to rule them all
- Instapaper for Android now available for $2.99
- U.S. Carriers announce plans for Samsung Galaxy S III
- Samsung Galaxy S III coming to five major US carriers in June
| ASUS Transformer AiO is your Windows 8 desktop and Android tablet all in one Posted: 04 Jun 2012 01:46 PM PDT  So I jumped the gun a bit last night in thinking that the BlueStacks Windows 8 integration was all that ASUS had meant with their cryptic teasers. Earlier today ASUS took the wraps off the ASUS Transformer AiO which is both a full Windows 8 all-in-one touchscreen desktop and a somewhat massive 18.4-inch Android tablet running Android 4.0. What exactly does this look like in action? Well you can check out the video from The Verge below for a quick peek at the system both in its dock as a Windows 8 desktop and then undocked in all of its gigantic Android 4.0 glory. The AiO isn’t quite ready yet, and while it currently seems to immediately switch to Android when undocked, that is actually supposed to require the push of a button as it can function remotely around the house as a wireless display for the Windows 8 PC, but that is dependent on the base station being in range. The docking base features multiple USB 3.0 ports, ethernet and an optical drive. The screen is LED backlit and supports up to 10-point multitouch. If ASUS was offering this dual-boot functionality in some of the Windows 8 tablets that they showed off today, which look identical to the Transformer Prime hardware if you haven’t seen them, I would probably be throwing my money at them already. Now I’m not in the market for a desktop so that doesn’t help the cause, but I’m not sure I see the appeal here. What’s the use case for an 18.4-inch Android tablet in your mind? Mildly portable media center and gaming rig once you pair it with a controller? Lay it on the coffee table for some Android board game fun? Let us know what you think of the ASUS Transformer AiO in the comments, and if you have any clever ideas for uses, we are all ears.
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| One Galaxy S III to rule them all Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT  To say the US launch of the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S II didn’t exactly go off without a hitch would be an understatement. Thinking back on both devices brings back memories of unexplained delays, terrible names, and more design changes than you can shake a stick at. Fortunately, this time around, things seem different. In keeping with manufacturer’s vows of less is more, and quality over quantity, US carriers seem to have left the Galaxy S III alone for once. In name and design. I still can’t believe my eyes. Looking over the dedicated web pages for the Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III has me rereading everything twice to make sure I’m not missing something. How can all the US variants of the Galaxy S III look the same, and share the same name? It’s almost as if someone talked some sense into the big carriers around here. There’s no Fascinate III. No Vibrant II HD. No Epic HD Touch Plus IV. Just Galaxy S III. And look at the device. The same button configuration. The same colors. Same screen size. I know this may not seem like much at first glance, but for consumer usability and recognition, this is a huge leap forward. When a rendered T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S III first leaked, we thought this may end up happening. Actually seeing it come true with not only the T-Mobile S III, but Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T’s as well is still shocking. Just like with the iPhone, anyone who wants a Galaxy S III, no matter what carrier they’re using, can get a Galaxy S III. And it will have the same name as other Galaxy S IIIs, and it will look the same as other Galaxy S IIIs, and will be able to use the same accessories as other Galaxy S IIIs. If the chipsets are slightly different, it’s no big deal. So long as no one can tell the difference between a Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint Galaxy S III, it’s a win for consumers. If memory serves me right, this is the first time this has ever happened in the US. With any line of Android devices. Let’s not make it the last.
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| Instapaper for Android now available for $2.99 Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:31 AM PDT  Instapaper for Android has arrived! For those who don’t know. Instapaper is a wildly popular application (previously an exclusive iOS application) which allows users to save web pages for reading later. The application strips out all the ads and unnecessary content from the page and presents the text in a clean and intuitive UI. Users can manipulate the font size and style just as they would in any eReader application. While the idea behind Instapaper is extremely simple, the implementation is the most critical aspect. Offline web page viewing is a feature which Google built into the updated web browsing experience in Android 4.0, but the interface in clunky and does not allow for much customization. Instapaper Features
Gallery
The launch of the application on Android is a bit surprising since its creator, Marco Arment, has never been a fan of Google OS and recently stated that he has no plans on developing the application for Android. Technically, Arment stuck to his guns since he did not personally develop the Android application. Instead, Mobelux was enlisted to deliver Instapaper to all the little green robots across the globe. Instapaper for Android is available on for Android 2.2+ devices and downloaded from Google Play for $2.99. To make things even better, Mobelux has developed specific versions of the application for the NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire and can be downloaded from their respective application stores. How many of you have been waiting for Instapaper for Android? Is $2.99 a fair price or would they have more success if they priced it a little lower?
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| U.S. Carriers announce plans for Samsung Galaxy S III Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:58 AM PDT  Samsung announced over the weekend that carriers in the U.S. would soon be announcing their plans for the Galaxy S III, and today they’ve started doing just that. Verizon Verizon has announced that they will be offering the Galaxy S III for preorder starting June 6th at 7am via their online site. They will offer the 16GB variant for $199.99, and the 32GB model for $249.99. No word on when they will officially sell the Galaxy S III, but we’re expecting it to be in stores around the 20th. T-Mobile Meanwhile, T-Mobile has announced they will begin carrying the Galaxy S III in retail stores on June 21st. They haven’t announced when or if they’ll be offering a pre-order for the device, nor the full retail price of the device, though similar devices go for about $199-$249 when they land on T-Mobile’s network. You can sign up to be notified of the release at the T-Mobile page. Sprint Sprint’s variant will arrive on June 21st with Google Wallet in tow. The pricing will match the $199 and $249 price points for the 16GB and 32GB variants, respectively. Preorders will go live tomorrow, June 5th, ahead of the June 21st release date. AT&T AT&T hasn’t announced official availability of the Galaxy S III, nor did they offer information yet as to a pre-order. You can sign up for updates from AT&T on their website, and they’ll likely offer more details over the next few hours. We’ll update this post as we learn more. US Cellular Finally, U.S. Cellular will begin offering pre-orders starting June 12th, with the device making its way to store shelves sometime in July. They will also have a 16GB and 32GB variants, with the former available in both color variants, and the latter available only in Pebble White. Pricing will be announced on June 12th. Full Specs for the Galaxy S III include:
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| Samsung Galaxy S III coming to five major US carriers in June Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:23 PM PDT  Tonight Samsung announced the Galaxy S III will be coming to five major US carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular. The device will arrive in June and retail pricing will start at $199 with contract. Exact pricing and retail availability will be announced by each of the five carriers in the coming weeks. As expected, the US version of the device will features a dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor and 2 GB RAM. All of the other specs will remain the same as the international version. The addition of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor with integrated modem will allow the device to operate on the fastest LTE and HSPA+ 42 networks. “The U.S. launch of the Galaxy S III is the most anticipated launch of the year. As promised, we are delivering the 'next big thing' for U.S. customers and across all major carriers,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. “Galaxy S III introduces new technological innovation and takes sharing to the next level.” Rumors have suggested we could see the device launch on some carriers as soon as June 20th, so be on the lookout for the official dates and pricing any day now. Update: Almost all carriers have announced launch and preorder plans for the Galaxy S III.
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