Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Pentile, Kernels, ROM's and Verizon's new data plans [From the Forums]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:11 PM PDT

From the Forums

Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums, there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below.

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Android A to Z: Multitasking

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:37 PM PDT

Multitasking

Multitasking is a word you'll hear a lot around here and at other places on the Internet that talk about smartphones or other tech. It doesn't mean what it used to, back when dinosaurs with long beards first dreamed up computers, but it still makes a very big difference for some folks and can be the deciding factor when picking a smartphone operating system. Let's have a look and see what the fuss is all about, and how it relates to Android.

A long time ago, in a laboratory far, far away, some Jedi masters decided that computers should do more than one thing at a time. They really already were doing plenty of things behind the scenes, but to the user it was a case of entering a command, and waiting for it to finish. Using threads and schedulers, and probably a little magic and a lot of luck, engineers were able to work up an operating system that could run more than one user command at a time, and multitasking was born. When you switch to a new VT (virtual terminal) on a Unix box with no GUI, you're multitasking. When you have more than one window open on your Windows or Mac or other computer that does have a GUI, you're multitasking. You're doing more than one thing at a time, and the computer is running more than one user task at a time. You can now read Android Central while your completely legal torrents are downloading in the background.

On a smartphone, multitasking is a bit different. We don't have the luxury of a 20-inch monitor, so showing more than one "thing" running at a time isn't a big deal. Samsung is testing the waters and trying it with the Galaxy S III with the Pop-Up Play feature, but for the most part whatever we're doing takes the whole screen to do it. We also don't have tons of RAM and video memory available and have to watch the power usage. This means smartphone multitasking has to be a bit, well, smarter. 

Smartphones have been multitasking for a long time. All the mobile operating systems do it a bit differently -- some suspending all other apps in the background, some saving the state and closing the app itself, and others just letting everything run. The way Android does it is to let threads and processes run depending on their priority. If you're using Google Play Music, the processes that make the sound come out of the speaker have a high enough priority to stay running when you switch away from the app. Not all of it is running in the background, but enough of it is to keep the tunes playing. Other apps can be killed if they aren't being used, and some apps get "frozen" (for lack of a better word) and restore themselves when brought back to the foreground. What's important, and prioritized, is decided when the application is written and compiled so the end user doesn't have to worry about it. It's not perfect, but it follows the very strong multitasking model from Linux and tweaks it for Android. It's all open-source, so manufacturers and ROM builders can (and have) tweaked things to allocate memory the way they want it allocated. Sometimes the tweaks are great, sometimes not so much. 

In the end, remember the next time you open an app and start up where you left off that you're seeing multitasking at work. 

Check out the complete Android Dictionary

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Songkick [Android App Review]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 02:43 PM PDT

Android Central

Apps that genuinely fit into your life are always the best. There are those that you genuinely cannot function without, and those which fill a void you never knew you had until it was filled. With the release of Songkick today, a void I never realised I had, has now been filled. Filled to the point I just found out that Lostprophets -- who I happen to adore -- are playing in my home town this November. A good end to the day for sure. 

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SGP Kuel H12 stylus review

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 02:43 PM PDT

Android Central

The SGP Kuel H12 is a great alternative to using your finger for everything from navigating and activating your icons to playing a game of Draw Something.

 

The beautiful screen on the new Android phones calls out to be touched. But maybe not by your fingers. We have all found, at one time or another, that touching the screen leaves fingerprints and grime on the screen. We have also found that our fingers are fat and clumsy when it comes to painting and writing.

So, we need something with a capacitive end or nib to touch the screen in a far more precise way to really take advantage of some of the newer apps. Enter the SGP Kuel H12 stylus. It's got the look and feel of a pen, minus all the messy ink. For this review, we're going to use apps like Sketchbook Mobile, Note Everything and Handwrite to judge the overall qualities of the stylus.

Read on for our full H12 stylus review!

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Contest: Take Lloyd on an adventure and win 1 of 4 Samsung Galaxy S IIIs!

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 01:58 PM PDT

Abby and Lloyd hang out in Arizona

Lloyd likes to travel, and with summer upon us he is itching to break out and see the world. Last year he jumped in your suitcases and pockets and traveled to all sorts of fun places, our favorite being the Googleplex in California, his birthplace if you will. So we think it's time to help curb Lloyd's craving for adventure in far off places, and at the same time give you guys a chance to win the brand spanking new Samsung Galaxy S III. But wait… we're not giving away just one of these, we're giving away FOUR of them! That's right, four Samsung Galaxy S IIIs are on the line one for each of the major carriers releasing the phone in the coming weeks. (That'd be Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile).

So how do you enter? It's easy. Maybe too easy.

  • Download Lloyd from this link, then print him out and put him on a stick or something. Don't just Photoshop him into a picture.
  • Take a picture with yourself and Lloyd. No, not just Lloyd. We want to see you, too. If you're not in the picture, you're not in the running.
  • If you submit a picture of yourself in a Lloyd T-shirt, we'll accept that, too. Buying a shirt's not a requirement for this contest, though.
  • E-mail your shots in. Use the subject line "SGS3 Contest".
  • You may email us more than one picture, but this is a contest, so make sure you send in the best of the best.
  • We'll accept entries through June 27. That gives you a little over two weeks to get your shots in.
  • We'll pick our favorites, or we'll put it up to the group for a vote if we get a lot of great entries, which I'm betting we will.
  • Remember, we're giving you a phone -- you're on your own for service.
  • The winners will get to choose which SGSIII they want and we'll ship it out after the contest ends. The contest is open internationally, however please note the carrier choices. It's on you to pick which model will work in your country and take care of any unlocking that may be required. We are also not responsible for any customs duties/fees that may arise.

So that's it. Grab Lloyd and head out into the wild. Show him a good time. Then win a Samsung Galaxy S III. Epic. 

Sony Xperia Go and Samsung Galaxy Beam headed to the UK in July

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 12:51 PM PDT

Xperia Go, Galaxy Beam

The latest update to the Carphone Warehouse's "coming soon" page brings news of the UK launch window for two new Android phones from Sony and Samsung. The Galaxy Beam, Sammy's pico projector-equipped phone, and the Xperia Go, Sony's waterproof and dust-resistant 3.5-incher, are both expected on British shores from July.

The Xperia Go is the follow-up to last year's Xperia Active, with IP67-rated water resistance, a dual-core 1GHz CPU and Android 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich later in the year. Meanwhile, Samsung brings to market the first smartphone with a pico projector in the Galaxy Beam, along with a similar 1GHz dual-core chip and Gingerbread-based software. Prices for the beam are expected to start at around £350-370.

Source: Carphone Warehouse

LG Optimus Vu non-unboxing unboxing

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 12:41 PM PDT

You've gotta hand it to LG. The Korean manufacturer knows how to package a smartphone, at least when U.S. carriers aren't involved. 

Here we have the LG Optimus Vu. It's the crazy 5-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio half-phone/half-tablet mutant we first got our hands on at Mobile World Congress back in February in Barcelona. Now we've got it in our hot little hands, and we can easily say we've never seen a smartphone -- or tablet, or even the Samsung Galaxy Note -- packaged quite this way. And this isn't the first time LG's gone all creative on us -- you'll probably remember the excellent book that came along with the Optimus Black.

So kudos to LG for making our usual boring job of opening up a smartphone box and proving that there's a charger and maybe a set of earbuds inside just a little more fun.

And we'll have plenty more on the Optimus Vu coming right up.

Accessory Tip: BlackBerry Premium Charger rapid-charges Android phones, too

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 11:16 AM PDT

The Mobile Nations World Tour continues, and this time instead of asking Android Central readers for accessory advice I'm offering up a tried-and-true BlackBerry tip that also works for Android phone owners. Specifically, if you own an Android phone with a microUSB connection and are in the market for a spare charger, you may want to give the BlackBerry Premium Charger a try.

 

RIM released this charger last year with the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook, and to keep the juices flowing with the bigger battery they cranked up the charging rate to 1.8 amps (most phone chargers that ship in the box tend to be in the 750 mAh to 1 amp range). We quickly put it to the test on our BlackBerry Smartphones and found we could charge them almost twice as fast!

On Android Central Podcast 98 we found out that both AC's Jerry Hildenbrand and Chris Parsons have been using this same charger with their microUSB Android devices for a long time now with great success. If you're going to spend the money on a spare charger, you might as well invest in one that charges at a higher amperage rate. Not every phone will allow for rapid charging, but for the ones that do you'll be glad you have a charger that takes advantage of it (and no, you won't damage your phone even if it doesn't make use of the higher amperage). In the last two days I've already receiveda hand full of tweets and emails from Android Central podcast listeners who went out and bought the BlackBerry Premium Charger after listening to the show and they are loving it. Good stuff.

Win a Free Charger Courtesy of CrackBerry Kevin: The BlackBerry Premium Charger has a MSRP of $39.99 but you can get it for a lot less at ShopAndroid.com. But just to share some Mobile Nations World Tour love, I'm going to give a lucky Android Central member a chance to win one for free, on me. To enter, just leave a comment to this post and you're in. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PT. Good luck.

Pick up a refurbished Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini for just £50

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 10:54 AM PDT

Android Central

Are those 4.7-inch displays getting you down? If you're in the market for something small -- read really small -- and based in the UK, this could be for you. The tiny Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini can be had -- albeit in refurbished form -- on T-Mobile pay-as-you-go for just £49.90 plus a £10 top-up voucher, from retailer e2save. 

While not the most well known of phone retailers, e2save are part of the Carphone Warehouse group. The offer is only available on the black version too, the white variant still runs at full RRP. 

The best thing though -- as a 2011 Xperia smartphone, the Mini should have an ICS update waiting when it's fired up. Or, at the very least not too far off. Definitely not to everyones tastes, but should it be, you'll find more at the source link below. 

Source:e2save

US Cellular Galaxy S III pre-orders now live!

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 09:25 AM PDT

Android Central

Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S III are now under way (online) at US Cellular, with the 32GB version coming in Marble White, and the 16GB version coming in the same white or Pebble Blue. There's no official word on off-contract pricing, but with contracts and/or subsidies the 16GB version will set you back $199, and the 32GB version costs $249. Both prices are after a $100 mail-in-rebate, though, so you'll be paying more up front.

We figured US Cellular would be getting a version of the Galaxy S III, but hearing it announced at the same time (and delivered in the same timeframe -- "July") as the more-common carriers here in the states was a bit of a shocker. Customers on USCC are in for a treat we think, especially those in US Cellular's LTE areas. If you're thinking of picking this one up, hit the link below for more information. If you're on the fence, read Alex's über-review to help you decide.

Preorder now: US Cellular

Editorial: Don't act surprised when new data plans sting a little

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 08:08 AM PDT

Moon River

Seems that folks aren't all that excited about Verizon's new Share Everything plans. I'm shocked. Change isn't exactly welcome in these parts. That's partially because we just don't like change, and partially because the changes don't always work in our favor. 

Why are we surprised?

I look at smartphone plans like I look at casinos. I'm going to get taken. I know this. From the moment I walk in the door, I know that I'm going to be handing over more money than I like. With casinos, I pretend I'm paying for service. I'm paying to play roulette or blackjack. I sit back, relax, have a little fun. (And, on occasion, I actually win something.) But I set a limit for myself. I know I'm going to lose something, but I try to minimize my losses. Same goes for my smartphone plans.

But let's forget about Verizon for a minute. This is bigger than Big Red.

We're all getting fleeced.

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ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #82: E&B Company eCopilot, Samsung Car Charger for Galaxy Tab & more

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 07:23 AM PDT

Today's ShopAndroid.com Daily Giveaway will feature the E&B Company eCopilot Case, Samsung Car Charger for Galaxy Tab, Golla Bee Pouch, and the Seidio Spring-Clip Holster for HTC EVO 4G. For your chance to win the accessory of your choice, leave your pick in a comment below. We'll select one lucky winner and announce them next week. Good luck!

E&B Company eCopilot Case

The E&B eCopilot Case is a slim belt loop leather pouch case. The case is designed to perfectly fit the contour of your device, and features horizontal loading for easy access with a magnetic closure to keep your phone secure.

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Vodafone UK announces EuroTraveller roaming service

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 07:11 AM PDT

Android Central

On account of the EU's recent decision to impose price caps on mobile roaming, European operators have been forced to change price plans to abide by the new Europe-wide rules. Vodafone UK is the latest network to announce new roaming plans, with the launch of its optional Vodafone EuroTraveller service, along with lower European roaming rates for all its customers.

For £3 per day, Voda customers who opt into EuroTraveller can use their UK price plan and balance on the continent. For heavy data users who travel frequently from the UK to Europe, this is almost a no-brainer. But customers who don't opt in will also see lower rates for calls, texts and data in Europe. Calls to the UK will now cost 28.8p per minute, texts will cost 8.9p, while data will be charged at 69.6p per megabyte. The new rates kick in from July 1.

Vodafone isn't the only UK network that's slowly making it less painful to use mobile data in Europe. O2 UK announced its new Euro roaming rates last month, and we can expect more operators to join the party as the July deadline imposed by the EU approaches.

Unfortunately, roaming outside of Europe remains exorbitantly expensive on UK networks -- Vodafone charges £5 per megabyte in its "rest of world" zone, and other major operators offer equally eye-watering rates.

More: Vodafone EuroTraveller

Deal of the Day: HTC TPU Skin Case for ThunderBolt

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 06:25 AM PDT

Deal of the DayThe June 12 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the HTC TPU Skin Case for ThunderBolt. Made of highly durable TPU material that feels great when gripped, this sleek looking case features anti-slip properties that give your device more grip on all types of surfaces. Comes in black, raspberry, purple, and features cut-outs for all ports, controls, and kickstand.

The HTC TPU Skin Case is available for just $5.95, 76% off the regular price today only. Supplies are limited, so grab yours today!

'Next Xperia' announcement countdown clock already down to three days

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 06:01 AM PDT

Android Central

Sony Mobie's countdown clock for its new Xperia smartphone has counted down more than eight days in the past 24 hours. The clock, launched yesterday on the manufacturer's Facebook page, allows customers to speed up the announcement for Sony's next big thing (we're expecting the LT29i "Hayabusa") by clicking a "fast forward" button, signing up to win the device, and sharing the page with friends. Each click apparently takes 20 seconds off the countdown.

Right now the clock stands at just over three days, though if the past day's developments are any indication, we'll be hearing about Sony's new device much, much sooner.

More: Sony Fast Forward

C Spire announces it's getting the Galaxy S III

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:59 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S III

The march of the Galaxy S III continues, with regional carrier C Spire announcing that it plans to carry Samsung's latest. Pricing and availability will be relayed "in the coming weeks," said the carrier formerly known as Cellular South. The GSIII will be one of C Spire's first LTE-capable devices, and the 4G network is still slated to launch in 20 markets in Mississippi in September.

C Spire didn't specify whether it'll carry both the 16- and 32-gigabyte versions of the phone, but it did mention that "it comes" in marble white and pebble blue, which suggests it'll carry both colors.

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Spotify for Android officially updated, all new UI and Last.fm scrobbling on board

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:55 AM PDT

Android Central

The Spotify app for Android has always been a let down to what is otherwise a first rate music streaming service. We recently got a preview of their latest efforts in the form of a preview edition, and the difference was staggering. For some people -- myself included -- it rekindled a love affair with the service. Suddenly, Spotify for Android had become beautiful as well as functional, following the Android 4.0 design themes superbly. Today sees the end of the preview, and the general release of the update into the Google Play Store.

But, not content with what we've already seen and played around with, Spotify has gone and added yet more new features. One of which being Last.fm scrobbling, another being a new widget. 

So, what do we actually get? The answer, quite a lot: 

  • Totally new app with full support for Android 4.0
  • Top-to-bottom redesign
  • All-new slide-out navigation
  • Even more social - check out friends’ profile pages and playlists on the go
  • Artist imagery in high resolution
  • Related artist view - available for the first time on mobile
  • ‘Extreme’ sound quality setting for 320kbps listening
  • So much faster!
  • Play queue
  • Last.fm scrobbling
  • Crossfade/gapless playback settings
  • Widget – control Spotify from the home screen
  • Folder support

The update now seems to be live in the Play Store, so head on over and grab yourselves a copy. As always though, please remember it does require a Spotify Premium account to use on mobile. But, if you've ever thought about signing up, now is definitely as good a time as any. 

Download: Spotify

Source: Spotify

Verizon launches Share Everything Plans

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:29 AM PDT

Verizon Wireless

You knew it was coming. First, the death of Verizon's unlimited data plans, and Verizon today announced its new "Share Everything Plan," which lets up to 10 devices on a single account share data while keeping unlimited voice minutes and text messaging. Let's get right to it:

Initial smartphone access runs $40 a month. Voice minutes and text messages are unlimited. After that, you can share data with as many as 10 devices (so that'd be nine additional devices) with the following breakdown.

  • 1GB shared data - $50
  • 2GB shared data - $60
  • 4GB shared data - $70
  • 6GB shared data - $80
  • 8GB shared data - $90
  • 10GB shared data - $100

So, for example, say you and your spouse each have Android smartphones (as you well should). That's $80 up front. You could then share 4 gigabytes of data a month for $70, which brings you bill to $150 a month. Have an Android tablet? You can add one to the shared plan for another $10 a month.

Sweetening the deal just a little bit is that Wifi hotspot access is included. You'll be using the data from your bucket, but at least it won't cost you any extra for the privilege. 

The plans go into effect June 28.

So, who's jumping on board this one?

More: Share Everything Plans at Verizon Wireless

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Samsung Galaxy S III gets first official firmware update

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:12 AM PDT

Android Central

Samsung's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S III, has received its first official firmware update, bringing the phone up to firmware version LF2. Right now we're seeing that the unlocked UK version of the Galaxy S III is the first to have the update pushed out through Kies, as well as over-the-air. Reports vary as to which route Galaxy S III owners are taking to grab the update, and we had to use Kies after our S III wasn't able to find any OTAs.

The update apparently includes "stability improvements," though we haven't noticed any immediate changes in our newly-updated Galaxy S III.

In any case, the latest firmware also boasts freshly-baked radios and kernel, and it's still based on Android 4.0.4, 'cause that's still the latest version. British S III owners should be able to update right now. Other territories should start to receive the update in the days ahead, so keep checking Kies and the built-in updater.

Amazon Appstore set to finally launch in Europe this summer?

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:11 AM PDT

Amazon Appstore

 

We first got a hint of an International launch of the Amazon Appstore back in September of last year. Back then though, it turned out to be some kind of huge error on the part of Amazon, and access was soon revoked to anyone outside the US. If the latest rumors are to be believed however, Europe could finally be receiving official access as soon as this summer. 

Sources familiar with the matter have been speaking to the guys over at AllThingsD. And, while timing is a little vague at this moment in time, Amazon are apparently to announce plans next week over accepting app submissions from developers. 

The bigger question this poses -- will it be followed by a European launch of the Kindle Fire? While it is accepted that the Amazon Appstore monetizes well for developers, without the Kindle Fire following, many consumers will see little reason to use it aside from the daily free app. After all, Google Play offers up not only apps, but also books and movies too. Europe doesn't currently benefit from any of the Amazon online content services aside from the MP3 store, so we'll have to wait for the relevant deals to be done before there is any sniff of the Fire emerging. Bringing the Appstore could well be the first step though. 

Source: AllThingsD

T-Mobile Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich update now live in Samsung Kies

Posted: 11 Jun 2012 08:43 PM PDT

TMo SGS II

T-Mobile and Samsung have made the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Galaxy S II live and available via Samsung Kies. Because they have labeled this an "optional" update -- ICS brings a good many changes some may not like or want -- there will be no OTA firmware update. Yeah, we don't like Kies either, but what can you do?

Anyhoo, if you do want the optional update to 4.0.3, fire up Kies and follow the on-screen information to update to the latest available firmware. Besides all the goodness that comes with ICS, T-Mobile tells us there are enhancements to Wifi calling, the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), and enhancements to user voicemail. We're just glad ICS is finally here.

Source: T-Mobile; Samsung. 

Trade One X for S III, LED Notification on the S III [From the Forums]

Posted: 11 Jun 2012 06:18 PM PDT

From the Forums

Although it'd been a busy day elsewhere on the web, if you're looking to escape all that we have a spot where you can hang out. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below.

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.
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