Android Central |
- How to: Use your USB flash drives with the Nexus 7 [root]
- Apple's earnings call is a sign that the lawsuits can never stop
- Gameloft unveils five new free-to-play casual games for Android
- Google's Nexus Q now billed as 'in stock' and shipping in 3-5 days on Google Play
- Roaming in Europe - the definitive UK network guide
- How to set up Face Unlock on your Android phone
- How to set lock screen and security options on Galaxy S3
- Nexus 7 display goes dark at boot? Check the auto-brightness
- ZTE N880E launches in China with Jelly Bean
- Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE review
- New renders pop up for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon
- Dungeon Hunter 3 adds multiplayer support
- Qmadix Xpression Cover case for Galaxy S3 review
- Onkyo Remote for Android updated for greater compatibility
- AT&T posts Q2 results: 1.3 M net adds, 5.1 M smartphone sales
- Deal of the Day: Seidio ACTIVE Case for Galaxy Nexus
- Xperia Go survives ice cream, football and the wheels of a car
- ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity headed to the UK on Aug. 31, £599.99 with dock
- Apple wins EU-wide ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7, seeks $2.5bn in damages in U.S. courts
- Vizio's $99 Co-Star Google TV box goes up for pre-order
- Don't mention the Olympics, but SwiftKey has language pack updates for the Olympics
- UK regulator confirms 4G spectrum auction plans, bidding expected in early 2013
- Three UK sees average monthly data usage more than double in 12 months
- Google helping out newcomers with Nexus 7 getting started video
- Late-night poll: Have you ever pirated an Android app?
| How to: Use your USB flash drives with the Nexus 7 [root] Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:38 PM PDT
One of the few negative points with the Nexus 7 for some, is the lack of any sizable on-board storage. Indeed, looking at a couple of the latest big name game titles such as Max Payne or the Amazing Spider Man further compounds the frustration. With games going well in excess of 1GB -- and even approaching 2GB -- there isn't a great deal of room left for music and videos. Make no mistake, we're not here to discuss the lack of microSD card. It is what it is. But, what we are here to discuss, is a way of using a USB mass storage device such as a flash drive, with your Nexus 7. Hit the break and have a look. 
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| Apple's earnings call is a sign that the lawsuits can never stop Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:59 PM PDT
Apple had its quarterly earnings call today, and while looking through the news a thought hit. The financials are proof positive that the lawsuits against Android OEMs and partners can never stop. I'll admit that it sounds like I'm wearing a tinfoil hat, but if you read through the data you'll find one thing that can't be ignored -- Apple makes all of their money on mobile. Apple sells very few (relatively) laptops and desktops when compared to any of their competitors, sales of the iPod are waning, yet they keep making billions from the iPhone and iPad. Don't be fooled by the images you see online, with rooms full of MacBooks. That's part of the tech bubble effect, and if you were to put 100 "real" people with a laptop in a room, 95 of them would be running Windows. Or 96 if you count Bootcamp. Apple surely enjoys a high profit margin on the OS X hardware they sell, but it's a niche product. That's unlikely to change in the near future. Apple's money and popularity comes from their mobile offerings -- even Steve thought so. Back to the original thought here -- Apple can't let its hold on the mobile market slip away. Android may have a higher smartphone market share and are slowly creeping up in the tablet arena, but sales of the iPhone and iPad keep growing as well each quarter. Apple has to keep it that way, and they see how easy it would be to lose their spot in the hearts and minds of the public. Google, and to a lesser (but not to be ignored) extent Microsoft, is slowly gaining ground on the content side. In the U.S., you can get books, magazines, movies, TV shows, music and applications for your Android products right from Google Play. It's really easy, your purchases instantly sync across multiple devices, and things are competitively priced. The real difference between Google Play and iTunes is in the content -- Apple just has more. As this gap grows smaller and smaller (and it will, Google wants your money bad enough to spend their money), there will be a point where new users will look at device features and capabilities for the deciding factor. Long-time users of either platform are less likely to switch over, as your content doesn't follow you from iOS to Android (or vice versa), but new users who aren't invested have a choice. At one point, iTunes was Apple's cash cow -- the amount and quality of the content was what many users used to make their purchasing decision -- but that will change. Even Apple can't keep Hollywood studios and music labels from wanting those Googlebucks, and eventually other countries will cave and licenses will be negotiated. It may cost Google everything it has in its war chest, but it will happen. When the content is equal, and users look at what the device they are going to spend $700 on, features and ease-of-use become the deciding factor. Folks on the Internet will argue mindlessly about lag or quibble over pixels, but the general public sees things like widgets and pop-up video players on big screens and they are impressed. Fanboy arguments aside, looking at a Galaxy S III beside an iPhone 4S, the iOS simplistic beauty is lost on many consumers. Lost to giant weather widgets and saturated 4.8-inch SAMOLED screens. The more features Apple can have stripped away from Android devices, the better the iPhone and iPad look -- and operate. We hate (as in hate) the smartphone wars and software patent mess that goes on across the global courts. We would love to see innovators battle each other only with innovation, because we all win with awesome new features on both platforms. But that's just never going to happen. Apple can't let it happen, and when the "next big thing" comes along to take on Android (and it will) Google can't let it happen. Money makes the world go 'round. 
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| Gameloft unveils five new free-to-play casual games for Android Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:18 PM PDT
Gameloft has announced that they will be expanding their Let's Play brand with five more games launching this summer on Google Play. Let's Play is geared towards casual mobile gamers in a free-to-play (read IAP-heavy) format. The new games will be:
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| Google's Nexus Q now billed as 'in stock' and shipping in 3-5 days on Google Play Posted: 24 Jul 2012 02:14 PM PDT
Google has changed the availability status of the Nexus Q from "coming soon" to "in stock" (completely passing over the OMFGWTFBBQ stage we saw with the Nexus 7 models), with the qualifier that the device will be shipping out in three to five business days. With that said, we still haven't received any shipping notice about the Q we have on order, so we're still a little leery of any claims with the word soon in them. With the hearty price tag on the Q, it's a pretty good bet that we won't see the shipping and fulfillment nightmare we saw with the Nexus 7, as folks just aren't lined up to spend three hundred bucks on a cannonball that plays your Google Music. Anyhoo, if you're thinking of picking one of these up, now is your chance while they are in stock and available. Your three Benjamins will get you a solid and well built musical orb with unlimited potential in the right hands. And it makes a sexy lightshow when you reset it. Source: Google Play 
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| Roaming in Europe - the definitive UK network guide Posted: 24 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT
In the past, traveling from the UK to mainland Europe could've landed you with a massive, unforeseen roaming bill. The EU recently imposed roaming price caps on European carriers, though, and as such, the major UK networks have been stepping up with a range of new roaming deals offering everything from inclusive minutes and data to reduced per-minute rates and even unlimited data in certain cases. But there information from each individual carrier is often tricky to track down, and it's not always easy to know which network offers the best rate for your individual needs. That's why we've scoured the 'tubes for all the latest roaming rates and deals from the UK's leading mobile networks, and put them all in one place, along with a little guidance on which network might have the best roaming package for you. If you're making the trip from the UK to Europe this summer, you'll definitely want to check out our definitive UK network roaming guide after the break. 
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| How to set up Face Unlock on your Android phone Posted: 24 Jul 2012 12:54 PM PDT
Security is important these days. Our phones carry our lives, so using security features like Face Unlock can give us peace of mind.As facial recognition software gets more and more sophisticated, it will also become more and more affordable – appearing on many of our electronic devices. While not foolproof – just yet – the Face Unlock feature built into your new Android phone does pretty well. 
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| How to set lock screen and security options on Galaxy S3 Posted: 24 Jul 2012 12:43 PM PDT
With NFC and all your personal information, its time to keep your Galaxy S3 safe from potential thieves and peeping neighbors.It is much more convenient not to use security options on your Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) or other Android phone. However, this is sort of like playing Russian roulette with your data and personal information. Imagine if you lost your phone and someone was able to access everything inside. What would you lose? What would the “ripple effects” be? Could your bank information be compromises? Your credit? In today’s day and age we just can’t take a chance of our sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. Fortunately, the Galaxy S3 offers some easy and powerful built-in tools to help keep you phone, your information and your peace of mind safe and secure. 
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| Nexus 7 display goes dark at boot? Check the auto-brightness Posted: 24 Jul 2012 11:12 AM PDT
This is one of those simple things that'll leave you kicking yourself, but that doesn't make it any less important. Noznarf in our Nexus 7 forums writes:
The fix is simple enough, as dparrothead1 points out. You're not stuck in a bootloop. There's nothing wrong with the display. All you have to do is struggle through the setup and fix the auto brightness in the settings. Nicely done. We've got nearly 1 million members helping members and nearly 2 million posts in our Android Forums. Are you one of them? Join today! 
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| ZTE N880E launches in China with Jelly Bean Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT
ZTE has announced that they have released a new version of their N880E smartphone, and it comes with Jelly Bean (4.1.1) onboard. This is a big step for ZTE and the N880E, as it was just released in May with Gingerbread (2.3). It's also great news for the community in general as it shows that at least one manufacturer has been able to secure a quick turnaround of the Jelly Bean update. The ZTE N880E is a China-only phone that boasts a 4-inch screen, 1GHz processor, 3.2MP camera, 4GB of storage and 512MB RAM. ZTE also announced that other handsets will soon be launched that also come with Android 4.1. It is an auspicious beginning for Jelly Bean and hopefully it foreshadows what's to come with other OEMs. Full press release after the break.
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| Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE review Posted: 24 Jul 2012 09:24 AM PDT
The Droid Incredible 4G LTE is a solid phone on Verizon with a ridiculously long name.It's easy to dismiss Verizon's new Droid Incredible 4G LTE. It's easy to look at the specs on paper, glance over at the HTC One line, shake your head and move on. After all, DInc 4G LTE, in addition to having a ridiculously long name that reads more like a spec list than anything else (seriously, Verizon -- stop it), isn't a member of the HTC 2012 Cool Club, whose ranks include the One X, One S and One V. The Incredible (we're going to call it that from here on out -- have we mentioned how ridiculous its full name is?) lives in a sort of middle region. It's an obvious successor to the DInc 2, which we reviewed last year. But for as good as its hardware is, it's missing a few features that would otherwise put it on the top shelf. On the other hand, in shines in a few places where other phones don't as well. So keep on keeping' on for our full Droid Incredible 4G LTE review. 
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| New renders pop up for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:59 AM PDT
It was only a couple of weeks ago that we found photos and a service manual leak for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon. Now some renders have popped up for the second version of one of LG's flagship phones in the United States. The Spectrum 2 will be packing a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.7-inch IPS display, 16GB of storage, 1GB RAM, Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and a 8MP rear-facing camera. Source: TechnoBuffalo 
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| Dungeon Hunter 3 adds multiplayer support Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:23 AM PDT
Gameloft's free fantasy hack-and-slash game, Dungeon Hunter 3, now lets players team up or duke it out online with new co-op and competitive multiplayer modes. As usual, you chose one of multiple standard classes, and defend against waves of monsters for as long as your weapons, armor, and powers will allow you. As with most of Gameloft's free titles, this one's rife with in-app purchases, but I never found them particularly intrusive in the time that I put into Dungeon Hunter 3. To start slaying some dragons with buddies, hit up the download link below. Download: Dungeon Hunter 3 (Free) 
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| Qmadix Xpression Cover case for Galaxy S3 review Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:14 AM PDT
The Qmadix Xpression Cover gives you a way to protect your Galaxy S3 from damage as well as a way to make it more personalized and unique.The Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) is both a beautiful phone and a phone that feels a bit vulnerable to damage if dropped. The challenge with the Galaxy S3 is to find the right combination of protection without adding too much bulk and inhibiting the style of the device. 
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| Onkyo Remote for Android updated for greater compatibility Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:03 AM PDT
Just a quick heads up for those of you with Onkyo receivers that the Onkyo Remote Android application has been updated for improved compatibility with a few models. Here's the breakdown:
You can check out our full look at the Onkyo Android app here. Download: Onkyo Remote for Android 
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| AT&T posts Q2 results: 1.3 M net adds, 5.1 M smartphone sales Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:40 AM PDT
AT&T posted their second quarter 2012 financial results today. 5.1 million smartphones were sold; subtract the 3.7 million iPhone activated, and you should get a pretty clear idea of how many Android devices were sold. There were 1.3 million net subscribers added. Here are the broad strokes. 
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| Deal of the Day: Seidio ACTIVE Case for Galaxy Nexus Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:19 AM PDT
The Seidio ACTIVE Case is available for just $16.95, 43% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy, fast shipping and friendly support. Pick yours up today! 
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| Xperia Go survives ice cream, football and the wheels of a car Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:35 AM PDT With more ruggedized smartphones coming to market comes the opportunity to test them in a variety of visceral and cringeworthy ways. Last year we saw the Sony Xperia Active to head-to-head with a stanley knife and the wheels of a Jeep and live to tell the take, and this year its successor has been put through its paces in a similarly grueling ordeal. German site A1 decided to test the Xperia Go's rugged chassis and IP67 water and dust resistance to its limits by pitting it against an increasingly tough series of challenges -- first strapping the phone to a Check out the video in its entirety above. 
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| ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity headed to the UK on Aug. 31, £599.99 with dock Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:23 AM PDT
ASUS UK has announced that it'll be bringing its latest tablet, the 1080p-toting Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700) to British shores from Aug. 31, giving Brits the chance to own what we described as the best Android tablet currently on the market. But the opportunity to own one of the coveted tablet/laptop combos won't come cheap -- the RRP is expected to sit at £599.99 (~$930) for the 64GB version with keyboard dock, and ASUS isn't saying whether it plans to release the cheaper 32GB model in the UK. That price point makes for a sizeable mark-up over what you'll pay in the U.S., where the 64GB Infinity sells for $599. Nevertheless, it's more or less in line with the pricing of earlier Transformers, and we're sure UK consumers are (rightly or wrongly) accustomed to paying more for mobile tech in all its forms. For more on the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity, be sure to check out our full review. Source: @AsusUK 
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| Apple wins EU-wide ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7, seeks $2.5bn in damages in U.S. courts Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:50 AM PDT
First up, a court in Dusseldorf, Germany has ruled that while the Galaxy Tab 10.1N doesn't infringe upon Apple's patented designs, but its 7.7-inch sibling wasn't so lucky. As a result, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 has been banned from sale across the EU. This results in a rather bizarre situation in the UK, where Apple was recently ordered to take out ads stating that Samsung didn't copy the iPad's design, yet Sammy is unable to sell its Tab 7.7 because it's copying the iPad's design. Meanwhile in California, court documents reveal exactly how much cash Apple wants from Samsung in damages as part of the ongoing patent war. According to figures unearthed by FOSS Patents, Cupertino is seeking a total of more than $2.5 billion from the Korean company. That's made up of $2.02 for every Samsung product that uses "overscroll bounce," $3.10 for every device that uses a "scrolling API," and $24 for each device found to infringe upon Apple's patented designs or trade dress. Whether Apple gets its way remains to be seen, but whatever happens, we can be sure the patent lawyers will be laughing all the way to the bank. 
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| Vizio's $99 Co-Star Google TV box goes up for pre-order Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:28 AM PDT
Announced almost one full month ago, the $99 Vizio Co-Star Google TV box is now up for pre-order over on the manufacturers website. With the added bonus of OnLive gaming thrown into the bargain, the Co-Star is potentially the steal of the summer at that price. Supporting full HD video, and the full Google TV experience, with a watered down price isn't coming a watered down device. While it isn't as handsome as a Google Nexus Q, it's small and discreet enough to sit nicely in your living room setup. What we still don't know though, is just what is inside the Co-Star. The specs page is decidedly thin and very based on how it's going to fit in with your TV and Video viewing. In any case, to pre-order one for yourselves, hit the source link below. Estimated shipping dates are showing up as August 14. Source: Vizio 
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| Don't mention the Olympics, but SwiftKey has language pack updates for the Olympics Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:18 AM PDT
The Olympic Games kicks off in London in just a few days, and popular keyboard replacement SwiftKey is getting in the mood by launching updated language packs for the Olympics, while making sure not to directly refer to the games so as not to anger the London 2012 brand police. Y'see, organizations not officially sponsoring the games are forbidden from using a number of words in their promotional materials, including Olympics, London, 2012, Olympic Games, or simply 'the games.' So understand that it's merely our own interpretation of SwiftKey's latest announcement that leads us to believe it's launching language pack updates with a variety of new words associated with the London 2012 Olympic Games. Really, the statement below could apply to any major athletic event occurring in
SwiftKey users can update to the latest version of the language pack by finding "SwiftKey" in the app drawer, and heading to "Languages and layouts," where updates for UK and US English should be available. If you're a SwiftKey user, be sure to let us know how you're getting on with this latest update, using the only the IOC-approved remainder of the English language, down in the comments. Source: SwiftKey 
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| UK regulator confirms 4G spectrum auction plans, bidding expected in early 2013 Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:43 AM PDT
British telecommunications regulator Ofcom has confirmed its plans for the auction of 800MHz and 2600MHz spectrum for deployment of 4G LTE services in the UK. In a statement published today, Ofcom said it expected the auction process to begin before the end of this year, with the bidding process getting underway by early 2013. It added that it anticipated that the first 4G services on these newly-auctioned bands should start being rolled out before the end of next year. 4G services on these frequencies should see some 98 percent of the UK population being covered by LTE in the next five years, as winning bidders will be legally required to meet certain minimum coverage levels by 2017. Ofcom has also decided that consumers interests are best served by having four strong players in the 4G world, and as such it's set aside a minimum amount of spectrum for a fourth player in addition to O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere (Orange + T-Mobile). This spot is widely expected to be filled by the smallest major network provider, Three (Hutchison 3G UK), but Ofcom isn't ruling out the possibility of a new entrant taking this spot. For its part, Everything Everywhere still plans to attempt 4G roll-out on its existing 1800MHz spectrum before the year's out. If successful, it'd give Orange and T-Mobile UK up to a year's head-start on other networks, which would have to wait for the early 2013 auction process to complete before deploying 4G on 800MHz and 2600MHz. The perennially delayed 4G auction process, originally intended to begin in 2009, has seen the UK fall by the wayside as countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. already have fully functional 4G LTE networks. At this stage we'll just cross our fingers and hope that the auction process isn't subject to any further delays, which might push 4G network roll-out further into 2014. Source: Ofcom 
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| Three UK sees average monthly data usage more than double in 12 months Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:00 AM PDT
Here's a fun fact for a Tuesday morning, Three UK has shared their customers average monthly data usage. How much would you say -- 500MB? 750MB? Not even close. In just a year Three has seen average data usage more than double, and it now sits at 1.1GB of data per month. Further still, 95% of Three's smartphone customers use data on a daily basis. 12 months ago, the average was just 450MB. But, Three carries some of the best contract deals in the UK, offering truly unlimited data for the same as, or less than their competitors tiered data plans. The network has always been marketed as being "built for the internet," and it seems to be ringing true. An interesting point to think about though, is how this could translate across the rest of the UK carriers. Many current contract deals on other networks, see data capped at 1GB. Three customers with an unlimited deal will naturally be less concerned about using data -- myself, I use about 7GB a month -- but it goes to reinforce what we pretty well know already. Data usage is on the up, and voice calls and text message allowances are less important than they used to be. And, all this without LTE in the UK just yet. Source: Three Blog 
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| Google helping out newcomers with Nexus 7 getting started video Posted: 24 Jul 2012 12:35 AM PDT For many, the Nexus 7 could be a first foray into the world of Android. Google hasn't forgotten about those people, so they've gone and posted a quick getting started video to help guide through the process of setting up the tablet. While not providing compelling viewing for the more experienced -- many of the Android Central readers -- we should remember that we were all new once. It's a nice touch to see Google ensuring that all types of user are catered for. We'll take a guess that we haven't seen the last of these educational type videos either. Something to note too -- the Nexus 7 in the video has clearly had its bootloader unlocked. Then again, it is a Nexus, after all. 
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| Late-night poll: Have you ever pirated an Android app? Posted: 23 Jul 2012 10:45 PM PDT
Madfinger Games has caused quite a stir in the Android community today, when they blamed "unbelievably high" piracy rates for changing the cost of Dead Trigger from $0.99 to free. They give no solid figures, other than "soooo giant" and many are questioning their reasoning. We're not going to discuss that here tonight, but Phil has a few thoughtful questions about the lack of numbers if you want to go down that rabbit hole and join the discussion. We want to talk about piracy and Android. I've said before, a big part of the reason people steal apps is because they have no choice. When you see all the reviews about great apps on Android, and they aren't available in your country, you have no other option many times. Of course, some folks just steal apps because they don't want to pay for them. Piracy happens, it's just not a good thing for developers. So, here we are, 100-percent anonymous. Have you ever pirated an Android app? The poll's below -- you know what to do. 
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