Android Central |
- How to manually flash todays Jelly Bean update to your GSM Galaxy Nexus
- Rovio's next game, Amazing Alex, launching on Android this Thursday
- Jelly Bean pushing now, Newbie unlocking and rooting [From the Forums]
- Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean begins rolling out to HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus
- Samsung to offer hacker-friendly 'developer edition' Galaxy S III on Verizon
- Android 4.1.1 pushing to the Nexus 7 tablet, boosts performance, adds Google wallet
- Android 4.1.1 - an early look at a compiled build
- Ouya aims to bring free Android games to the TV with $99 console
- Twitter for Android updated to version 3.3 - adds better search and notification options
- How to add Home screen apps and widgets to the Samsung Galaxy S 3
- Smart Tools turns any Android device into a handyman's best friend
- Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G Touch appears poised for Ice Cream Sandwich this week
- Sprint's Galaxy S III update removes local search abilities
- US Cellular announces availability of Galaxy S III, 16GB version onsale tomorrow
- LG QuickMemo coming to the U.S. for the LG Viper 4G LTE on July 16th
- Songza updated with suggested playlists
- US Cellular now shipping pre-ordered Galaxy S IIIs
- The best Android phone you can buy, as of July 2012
- Sky News app for Android gets updated with better image support for tablets
- Wacom Bamboo stylus review
- Samsung hails 'record' first day Galaxy S III sales in Korea
- Motorola announces the RAZR V for Canada
- Motorola Atrix HD Gallery
- Motorola Atrix HD specs
- Motorola reveals new budget Android smartphone, the MOTOSMART
| How to manually flash todays Jelly Bean update to your GSM Galaxy Nexus Posted: 10 Jul 2012 05:10 PM PDT
So you want the latest version of Jelly Bean, but don't want to wait for your turn at the OTA and don't want to flash a custom version of it. We completely understand -- Not everyone is into that. The good news is that a little bit of hackery (just a little, we promise) and an unlocked bootloader can get you some tasty new Jelly Bean with no wait. And when you're finished, you're good as new and completely stock. You'll need to be running the takju version of the Galaxy Nexus, with the Google I/O preview of Android 4.1 already installed. This method may work on other versions, but you don't want to be the guinea pig for that. If you're not running this hit the forums and look for advice. You'll also need a few tools, namely ClockworkMod recovery, the fastboot files you used to unlock your botloader, and the OTA package. Grab them here: ClockworkMod recovery for the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus | The OTA package (direct from Google) Next you'll need to find the folder where your fastboot installation resides. Place the ClockworkMod recovery image file (it has a .img file extension) in the folder with fastboot. Copy the OTA package zip file to the storage on your phone. Shut your phone off, then hold both volume up and volume down, then press power to enter the bootloader. Now follow along!
It looks more complicated than it is, but if you're a bit put off or having trouble unlocking your bootloader, head into the forums. They'll fix you right up, and have you rocking some Jelly Bean goodness in no time. Ummmmm, Jelly Bean. 
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| Rovio's next game, Amazing Alex, launching on Android this Thursday Posted: 10 Jul 2012 05:03 PM PDT
The creator of Angry Birds is about ready to launch their next franchise this week - a physics puzzler called Amazing Alex. Rovio has been teasing this game for awhile, and though it's being painfully branded towards tweens, I have no doubt the gameplay will be polished. The game already did well for itself independently as Casey's Contraptions by developer Mystery Coconut last year, but Rovio had since acquired the company and is now molding it in their image. In all likelihood, that means lots of spin-offs and up-selling as per Angry Birds' precedent, but the trailer video below promises that there will be many free updates. Rovio also hints that there will be a level creator with sharing options, which should be pretty fun. The Incredible Machine was always a favorite of mine, so I'm definitely glad to see this kind of Rube Goldberg gaming coming back. Anyone else eager to give Amazing Alex a try? Source: Rovio 
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| Jelly Bean pushing now, Newbie unlocking and rooting [From the Forums] Posted: 10 Jul 2012 04:52 PM PDT
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 to get started.
If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today. 
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| Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean begins rolling out to HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus Posted: 10 Jul 2012 04:12 PM PDT
Google has announced that the new version of Android, 4.1 Jelly Bean, is now rolling out to GSM/HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus phones -- that's the international model, and the one sold through the Google Play Store in the U.S. Google says the update will begin rolling out today, and continue "over the next several days." The update bumps the Gnex up to Android 4.1.1 (build JRO03C), the same version that just pushed out to the Nexus 7, and landed yesterday on AOSP. We've updated our Google I/O edition with the new OTA, and we can confirm that the search results returned through the Google Search app haven't changed -- local results are still returned, just as they were on 4.1. Also, unlike version 4.1, Android 4.1.1 is blocked from downloading the soon-to-be-discontinued Adobe Flash Player -- after updating, the app is marked as incompatible in Google Play. If you're curious about what's new in Jelly Bean, check out our landing page, and our Jelly Bean feature articles. Writing on the official Nexus Google+ page, Google says that other Galaxy Nexus phones (presumably the CDMA/LTE versions), as well as the Nexus S and Motorola Xoom are due to receive Jelly Bean next. No time frame is provided for this, however. If you've already got the OTA notification on your device, be sure to hit the comments and let us know how you're getting on with the new version of Android! Source: +Nexus 
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| Samsung to offer hacker-friendly 'developer edition' Galaxy S III on Verizon Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:56 PM PDT
Want a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III without all the huffing and puffing that comes a long with encrypted bootloaders? The manufacture has you covered, as it will offer a "developer edition" Verizon Galaxy S 3 through its developer portal for $599. The other U.S. versions of the Galaxy S 3 all ship with unlockable bootloaders. But not Verizon. Samsung, apparently, has decided to take matters into its own hands. There are all the usual caveats, though. If you bork the phone because of something you've done, with all that rooting and flashing and other things kids are prone to do these days, you're own your own. Warranty isn't going to cover it. But you already knew that. Samsung's proffered a little Q&A about the developer edition, which we've got after the break. 
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| Android 4.1.1 pushing to the Nexus 7 tablet, boosts performance, adds Google wallet Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:41 PM PDT
The Google Nexus 7 tablet isn't quite available to the general public yet, but our Google I/O edition's just gotten an update. As you can see from the screen above, the 12.6MB update to Android 4.1.1 -- which just hit the AOSP servers yesterday -- "improves performance and responsiveness system wide." It also goes on to pimp out some of the newer features of Jelly Bean, including Google Now and the new notifications. If you've already rooted your Nexus 7, this update will flash so long as you have stock recovery. OTA Rootkeeper works as it should, too, so you'll have no issues getting root access back. (Not that we ever though you would -- this is a Nexus after all.) It also looks like local search is still enabled, which Jerry just finished explaining means we likely will see an update to Google's proprietary apps to get around that pesky Apple patent thing. Also of note is that if you haven't installed Google Wallet before, it'll be there now. If there ever was a doubt Google was going to stick with its mobile payment solution, put it out of your mind. 
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| Android 4.1.1 - an early look at a compiled build Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:14 PM PDT
As the resident Android Central code-monkey (a badge I proudly wear) I've been running on fumes and caffeine to test out the AOSP 4.1.1 code since it dropped last night. You knew I had to do it, I knew I had to do it, so there was no use fighting it. For the nerdly inclined out there, building it is easy -- just change the branch to 4.1.1_r1 and go. We'll update the tutorial in the forums as soon as we're sure there are no new nuances we need to address. In the meantime, we were curious about the local search "issue" and if Google had made any changes in the code itself to be Apple-certified™. Building the unedited, bone-stock Android 4.1.1 and using the Google apps from the Google I/O units and their Jelly Bean update, it looks as if on-device search still exists. Our theory (it's always a guess until Big G says otherwise) is that changes to search will be done with a change to the Google Now and Search applications themselves, which are part of the closed-source Google apps. That's why we see no changes here -- we're still using the old ones. This theory was further bolstered when we learned that Sprint removed local search from the Galaxy S III, but it could be restored by using the old search box app. There are two things to take away here -- when we see an OTA update for the Galaxy Nexus, Xoom, and Nexus S, we expect a newer set of G apps that remove the local search options, and that it will be easy enough to restore the functionality if you're willing to root your phone. I'll keep building and tinkering with 4.1.1, and if I come across any real changes (it seems a bit faster loading apps, but the placebo affect is strong) you'll be the first to know. 
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| Ouya aims to bring free Android games to the TV with $99 console Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:53 PM PDT
The Google Nexus Q might be good enough for your garden-variety home media sharing for video, pictures, and music, but gamers will want to keep their eyes on a new Kickstarter project called Ouya. It aims to be an open Android-powered gaming console that retails for $99. One of the main goals is to provide a home platform that's free from the big-money competition and publisher pressures that plagues traditional console gaming and keeps hip indie devs away. Here's a spec rundown on the Ouya.
There's already a bunch of developer interest, including the guy behind Canabalt, the folks at Owlchemy Labs (Snuggle Truck and the upcoming Jack Lumber), Madfinger Games (Dead Trigger, Shadowgun, Samurai II), the devs behind Triple Town, and even Madden NFL 12 showed up on one screen, indicating EA is getting involved. The one catch? All developers submitting their game has to provide at least some gameplay for free. That's awesome for end-users, even if that means that freemium upgrades, in-app purchases, and banner ads are likely to be found everywhere. Twitch.tv is also on board for streaming live sessions of StarCraft and other games, so we may very well see other non-gaming apps get involved. Ouya's Kickstarter campaign is already well over half of the way to their $950,000 goal after launching just this morning, but there are still plenty of pre-orders available for backers. Ouya is expected to ship in March 2013, and backers will get their mitts on it before it hits stores. Gamers, are you interested, or do you think there will be something just as cool (if not cooler) out by springtime next year? Will an open Android box be able to realistically compete with Xbox and PlayStation, or has Google TV already shown us just how well Android does on the big screen? 
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| Twitter for Android updated to version 3.3 - adds better search and notification options Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:58 PM PDT
Twitter for Android, the official Twitter application for Android devices has been updated today and the update brings along some pretty awesome new features. The folks at Twitter have been hard at work listening to users and refining the way things work, and attempting to deliver the best experience possible. In trying to do so they have released an update for the Android application, and the update brings the following new and enhanced features.
The update is pushing its way through Google Play currently, so be sure to check for the update shortly, and as always let us know how you like it! [Download from Google Play] 
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| How to add Home screen apps and widgets to the Samsung Galaxy S 3 Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:45 PM PDT
Your Samsung Galaxy S 3 is highly configurable. You can add apps and widgets to any Home screen.Your Galaxy S 3 has up to seven separate Home screens. That means you can customize each one with various widgets that are available right out of the box as well as those that you can download from the Google Play store. In addition to adding widgets – you can add apps to the various Home screens to make them more accessible in the future. Make sure you take a look at the tutorial on adding folders, so you can further customize your Home screens. 
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| Smart Tools turns any Android device into a handyman's best friend Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:43 PM PDT Your Android device has a ton of sensors - why not use 'em with Smart Tools?
Smart Tools has earned one of the top seller spots in Google Play by offering a whole suite of useful measurement tools for Android devices. These run the gamut of distance, angles, and even sound, vibration, and magnetic fields. Sensors like your Android device's accelerometer, magnetometer, camera, and microphone all act in concert to offer rough measurements, if not clean and precise ones. The developer offers a bunch of these tools stand-alone apps in addition to the single paid bundle for $2.50; the only one that isn't included in the bundle is the Speed Gun, which is available for free separately. 
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| Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G Touch appears poised for Ice Cream Sandwich this week Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:06 PM PDT
Some good news for those of you patiently waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich on the Sprint Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, which until now has been little more than a "coming soon" line. We just got slipped this screen shot that points to it being released this week, starting Thursday and lasting through July 20. If you've been rocking any versions of Ice Cream Sandwich to this point, you should be fairly used to the changes. If not, well, they're listed in the pic above. Don't expect too many UI changes, other than settings being rearranged -- after all, it's still running TouchWiz atop it. But the ICS update certainly will be welcome. We do need to remind folks, however, that Sprint and Samsung don't exactly have the best history when it comes to updates. So until Sprint says it's coming, and until it's actually hitting devices, we'll remain cautiously optimistic. More: Epic 4G Touch forums; Thanks, anon! 
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| Sprint's Galaxy S III update removes local search abilities Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:01 PM PDT
Yesterday we heard that the Sprint Galaxy S III was in the midst of getting a small "security" update over-the-air, but with little detail of what exactly was changed. The jury is still out about any security fixes, but one thing that was changed is that you can no longer use the Google search bar to search for local content on the device. This comes on the heels of yet another legal battle between Apple and Samsung, where the unified search ability was enough to get the Galaxy Nexus on a do-not-sell list for about a week. Luckily, it's pretty easy to fix by using the Google search bar app from a previous version. If you've received the update and miss your universal search, hit the link below for the AC forums thread for details on getting it back. Samsung, Sprint, we get it. You were forced to make these changes. But calling it a security update and not filling in your users about the full scope of what was being changed on their phones is dirty pool. We expect, and deserve, a little better. Source: Sprint Galaxy S III forums 
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| US Cellular announces availability of Galaxy S III, 16GB version onsale tomorrow Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT
Just after lucky customers began to receive emails confirming that their preordered Samsung Galaxy S IIis have shipped, US Cellular has officially announced availability of the flagship phone. The 16GB version will be available to purchase online starting July 11 (that's this Wednesday) and will arrive in retail stores by the end of the week. The 32GB version will be made available 'shortly after that'. The cost of both will be $199.99 (16GB) and $249.99 (32GB) after a $100 mail-in rebate. So if you weren't able to get your pre-order in or you're just waiting to play with one, you'll be able to pick one up tomorrow and at the end of the week directly from the store. If you do pick one up, share your experience in the Samsung Galaxy S III Forum! 
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| LG QuickMemo coming to the U.S. for the LG Viper 4G LTE on July 16th Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:22 AM PDT
LG QuickMemo, which is a feature that allows you to draw on your phone without a stylus, will be arriving in the United States on July 16th, first appearing on the LG Viper 4G LTE from Sprint. QuickMemo essentially allows you to leave messages or reminders for yourself on web pages, photos, emails, etc. Screenshots of these 'memos' will then be available to share easily for future use. If you already own a LG Viper 4G LTE, you will receive a free update, which will give you the feature. If you don't have a Viper 4G LTE, QuickMemo will be coming to other U.S. LG devices 'later this year'. Once you receive the update, sing out in the LG Viper 4G LTE Forum, we'd love to hear what you think! Source: Sprint 
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| Songza updated with suggested playlists Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:55 AM PDT
Songza, a free music service that somehow manages to get away not serving up audio ads, has updated their Android app with a feature called Concierge. Concierge has been available on iOS for awhile, and now Android users can get suggested music based on the time of day. For example, this Tuesday afternoon, the app offers expert-curated playlists for the summertime, needing an energy boost, or work/study music without lyrics. After picking your current situation, you can provide additional criteria to further tailor a playlist to your mood. There are a bunch of different ways to explore playlists, including by mood, activity, genre, decade, or tailored based on your listening habits. Songza has all of the other standard features you'd expect from a streaming music app, like marking songs as favorites, and sharing tracks over Facebook and e-mail. Songza for Android for is optimized for ICS and available for download at the link below. Just keep in mind that though the web streaming service might be available in your area, the mobile app might not be - that's the case here in Canada, anyway. Source: Songza Download: Songza 
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| US Cellular now shipping pre-ordered Galaxy S IIIs Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:28 AM PDT
US Cellular has begun shipping their version of the Samsung Galaxy S III to customers who have pre-ordered the device. The tip comes from a lucky Forums member who received an email with the tracking number that listed today as the ship date! For all you anxious US Cellular customers who have been waiting to get your hands on the newest and coolest Android device (see our review), and you won't have to wait much longer. If you have received a similar email or even have your phone already, please shout to the Samsung Galaxy S III Forum! Source: Android Central Forums; Thanks Kingtony63! 
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| The best Android phone you can buy, as of July 2012 Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:51 AM PDT
We’ve heard your cries over the past month or so -- the latest next-gen devices from Samsung and HTC are now on the market, so what’s the best Android phone you can buy? With Android 4.1 Jelly Bean arriving imminently on the Galaxy Nexus, is that phone once again worth considering, despite its ageing hardware? And what of the other contenders from manufacturers like Motorola, LG and Sony? You’ll find answers to all these questions and more as we seek out the best Android smartphone, as of July 2012. 
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| Sky News app for Android gets updated with better image support for tablets Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:39 AM PDT
This may not be the biggest app update of the year but due to the popularity of the Sky News app I thought it was news worthy. Todays update brings only one new feature and that is high resolution images for large screen devices. We all know that Android smartphones seem to be getting bigger and with better screen technology. So it makes sense that apps take full advantage of this. In addition, the update will be perfect for Tablets. With the Google Nexus 7 recently announced and due to hit the shelves this month I suspect that app developers are under the same opinion as me; that the tablet is going to be a hugely popular piece of hardware. Once again, a perfect reason for devs to update their apps to make them look as fantastic as possible on a larger screen. More information/Download Sky News for Android 
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:37 AM PDT
The Wacom Bamboo Stylus is one of your best options for handwriting and drawing on your Android phone or tablet. It also is a great alternative to your greasy fingers for day to day navigation around the device.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, making that masterpiece in Draw Something 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. Apps like Sketchbook Mobile, Note Everything and Handwrite will be used to judge the overall qualities of the stylus. Read on for our full Wacom Bamboo stylus review! 
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| Samsung hails 'record' first day Galaxy S III sales in Korea Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:10 AM PDT
Samsung has revealed that its flagship Galaxy S III sold 50,000 units in its first day on sale in South Korea. The phone, which in Korea ships with a quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 4G LTE connectivity, more than doubled the day one sales of its predecessor, the Galaxy S II. The original Galaxy S sold 10,000 on its first day in Korea, while the Galaxy S II hit 24,000. The S III launched on SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ yesterday, and the manufacturer said it hit a new record for sales of a Samsung product in a single day. That 50,000 will go some way towards helping Samsung hit its goal of selling 10 million S III phones worldwide by the end of July. Last year the company sold more than 20 million Galaxy S IIs, some 5 million of which came from its home country. Source: Samsung (Flickr) 
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| Motorola announces the RAZR V for Canada Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:41 AM PDT
Motorola really loves their RAZR line, thinking back years ago to the old flip phone, and then more recently to the remodeled device that was quickly outdone by the RAZR MAXX. Today Motorola has announced the Motorola RAZR V, which will be destined for Canada. Coming in at only 8.4mm the device is extremely thin, but being covered in DuPont Kevlar fiber it is also remarkably strong as well. In addition to all the normal goodies we are used to seeing, Motorola has also included something very unique called SMARTACTIONS. These smart actions will make using the device even more of a pleasure, and easier on you as well. Your device will now be able to know when you plug headphones in that you want to launch a specific app or playlist, or change some device settings to help save battery when it is getting a bit low. The application can automate many daily tasks, and make things much easier on you, which is always a huge plus. The device is set to launch in Q3 in Canada, and should be available from many of the large retailers. Hit the break for the full release. 
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:36 AM PDT | ||
| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:26 AM PDT
Complete specs for the newly announced Motorola Atrix HD on AT&T:
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| Motorola reveals new budget Android smartphone, the MOTOSMART Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:18 AM PDT
Today Motorola has offered up a new budget Android device for the UK in the form of the MOTOSMART. The specs of the device are certainly nothing to get excited about -- this one is all about the cost. Due for release at the end of July, T-Mobile will be selling the MOTOSMART on contract for just £7 per month. Carphone Warehouse will also stock the device and you can pick it up on pay-as-you-go for a mere £89.99. The MOTOSMART sports a 3.5' display, a 3 megapixel camera and runs Android 2.3. Everything else is pretty much as you would expect. Moto's not saying what's powering the device. The new handset is clearly designed for the budget market, and coming in at that price, it does undercut Huawei' Ascend G 300 by a few pounds. If you can handle the MOTOBLUR user interface then you may grab yourself a bargain. You can find the full press release from Motorola below. 
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