Android Authority |
- Pinterest Android app finally launched, seems to have been worth the wait
- Sony Xperia Acro S, Xperia Tipo Dual and Xperia Advance arriving soon in U.S.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 finally goes on sale in the UK
- Vivante claims first shipping mobile GPU with OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL 1.1 support
- Pebble Tech shows off Smartwatch UI [Demo video]
- Popular iOS game Ant Raid on its way to Android
- VIZIO’s Co-Star with Google TV has started shipping pre-orders
- Adobe will pull the plug on Flash for Android tomorrow. So long!
- Telus delays ICS update for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 until September
- Canada gets the Motorola Atrix HD LTE via Bell network
| Pinterest Android app finally launched, seems to have been worth the wait Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:31 AM PDT
Launched about two years ago, Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social services in the world and will most likely spread its tentacles even further now that it has gotten into the mobile space. Having been reported as engaging 11.7 million desktop unique users in January 2012, Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp's creation became the third largest social network in the United States by March of this year. Still, Pinterest's real potential seemed to be almost impossible to measure, as the website had been functioning on an invite-only basis until a few weeks ago. Now that those restrictions have fallen it was about time for the social photo sharing service to join Android and Apple's iPads in an attempt to conquer the mobile online universe as well. Pinterest really took its time to design a native Android app for the social sharing service, but now that it's finally out it seems like everything people expected it to be. And when I say people, I mean female mobile users first and foremost, as the social network still seems to be targeted more toward our better halves.
That said, gals (and guys in touch with their feminine sides) owning an Android device running Froyo and up will now be able to pin new content, browse categories, follow other users and repin photos on the go and hassle-free. The app's user interface is elegant, straightforward and easy to use and master. In short, it’s perfect. Better yet, it's free. So hopefully, you'll stop looking for perfection from enthusiasts like us, and be thankful for Pinterest's excellence. Surprisingly enough, Pinterest seems to have really hit an Android home run in a first-at-bat. We can’t say the same about other social networks (you know what I’m talking about), which have needed a long time to design a bug and glitch-free app. Some of them haven't even made it so far. As far as we can tell right now, the Pinterest app is truly glitch-free and supported by any decent Android device, which is surely no small feat. In fact, based on the initial user feedback on Google Play, it seems almost like the first release of the Android Pinterest app is just as functional and "competitive" as version 2.0 on Apple's iPhone. Now that's what I call success and commitment! Has anyone tried out the free app? Is it as smooth and functional as some people seem to think? Do you have anything to complain about? This article, Pinterest Android app finally launched, seems to have been worth the wait , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Sony Xperia Acro S, Xperia Tipo Dual and Xperia Advance arriving soon in U.S. Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:29 AM PDT
Sony seems to be getting more aggressive in the U.S. market. It’s a territory that Sony needs to conquer if it wants to get truly worldwide recognition for its phones. The company is now planning to introduce three more handsets in the U.S. from low- to high-end models: the Sony Xperia Acro S, Sony Xperia Tipo Dual and Sony Xperia Advance. The Sony Xperia Acros S is the high-end handset, featuring Android 4.0, a 4.3-inch LED-backlit HD display, HSPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Sony Music Unlimited, PlayStation Certification, xLOUD entertainment, 1.5GHz dual-core processor (probably Qualcomm S4), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, 12MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, MicroSD, and an IP57 certified case (dust and water resistant). The last feature plays right into a trend I’ve been expecting for a while, with phones becoming “ruggedized” by default instead of rugged handsets becoming an independent niche in the phone market. The Sony Xperia Tipo Dual is a phone that is compatible with another trend I hope to see accelerating in the near future – ability to use dual SIMs in the same phone. It also comes with Android 4.0 out of the box, and features a 800Mhz processor, 512MB of RAM, 3.2-inch HVGA screen, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, 2.9GB of internal memory, a 3.2MP rear camera, MicroSD card support, and a 1,500mAh battery – specs clearly meant to serve the low-end of the market. The Sony Xperia Advance seems to have mid-ranged features, although with one main disadvantage: it comes with Gingerbread out of the box, which is kind of ridiculous having on board almost one year after ICS launched. The good news is that it will get upgraded to Android 4.0 later this year. Here are the specs: 3.5-inch HVGA display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS, 1GHz dual-core NovaThor U8500 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, MicroSD, and a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and 720p video recording. Sony plans to introduce these phones in U.S. stores as unlocked devices, which will only be compatible with AT&T’s 3G network. Since they are not going to be subsidized, I don’t expect them to make a very big splash in the U.S. market, but it’s nice to see Sony is trying to build brand recognition in the region. This article, Sony Xperia Acro S, Xperia Tipo Dual and Xperia Advance arriving soon in U.S. , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 finally goes on sale in the UK Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:18 AM PDT
It's hard to believe that the sequel to Samsung's 10-inch Android slate, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, has yet to make it to retail stores in the UK – especially knowing that the heavyweight Galaxy Note 10.1 is about to debut in the coming days. Our slight bewilderment aside, it looks like you can order the former from Carphone Warehouse now. The electronics retailer is selling the WiFi model of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for £299.99. Meanwhile, the 3G model is up for grabs for £399.99 – in both cases we’re talking about 16GB versions. They don't currently have stocks of tablets, so expect shipment to commence only on August 22 at the earliest. If you're hoping for some kind of deal, we have juicy details on that. If you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 before September 30, you can get a £50 cash back from Sammy! Simply go to the following Samsung website to complete the claim form (starting from August 30) and snag the sweet offer. Note that the claim has to be made within 30-45 days after the purchase was made and you have to be able to provide the original receipt or invoice. As a refresher, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, and comes with 1GB RAM, microSD card slot, 3MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, and Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. If you're able to get the cashback, £350 for a thin 10.1-inch tablet with 3G connectivity is not a bad proposition. Are you interested? No related posts. This article, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 finally goes on sale in the UK , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Vivante claims first shipping mobile GPU with OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL 1.1 support Posted: 15 Aug 2012 01:08 AM PDT
It seems Vivante may have just beaten Samsung to the punch in terms of releasing a mobile GPU that has support for the latest GPU specifications like OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenCL 1.1. Vivante’s GPUs are usually found in SoC platforms from companies we don’t hear much about, like Freescale and Marvell (which powers the latest Vizio Co-Star Google TV).
The new OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics specification will help developers create mobile games that look a lot more advanced and more similar to what we can see on consoles or PCs. Next-gen GPUs will be able to even surpass consoles in performance, but they also need the necessary graphics features to create amazing looking games with impressive visuals. Vivante GC Core series, starting with GC800 series and higher, will include OpenGL ES 3.0 features such as:
Vivante’s new GPUs will also be built on a unified shader architecture, which should help maintain a similar level of performance for games that are more pixel shader intensive or for the ones that are more vertex shader intensive, with no compromises. The new Vivante GPUs also includes a bunch of new hardware features, such as:
While not as known as Mali or Tegra’s GPUs, it seems Vivante has built some solid products here, that are future proof and seem very competitive with anything else on the market, although we can’t be sure of that until we see some real benchmarks. However, the GPU’s look promising, and I’m glad companies are so aggressive about pushing OpenGL ES 3.0 chips into the market, because there more there are out there, the faster developers will start making games specifically for it. No related posts. This article, Vivante claims first shipping mobile GPU with OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL 1.1 support , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Pebble Tech shows off Smartwatch UI [Demo video] Posted: 15 Aug 2012 12:37 AM PDT
When it comes to attracting attention from Android and iOS users everywhere, it's hard to call the Pebble smartwatch anything other than a massive success. The idea of a smartwatch with its own apps and the ability to connect to a smartphone through Bluetooth is certainly compelling enough. Some of the excitement recently managed to fade a little, though, when the company announced its September launch was being delayed to some undefined point. While an official release date has yet to be settled on, Pebble has recently posted a video demo of the smartphone UI to its Kickstarter page in order to generate some new excitement for the watch's user interface. For those that aren't in the know, the Pebble offers an e-ink screen that can read emails, play music, run special apps, view phone calls and, of course, works as a watch, too. The new UI is meant to not only work quickly, but is supposed to be easy to use, without a sharp learning curve. In order to better test the UI and the capabilities of the smartwatch, Pebble Technology uses an emulator running on an iPhone in addition to a logic board connected to a laptop. The software on the Pebble seems to be very smooth and nearly complete, so hopefully that means that we will see the Pebble smartwatch launch sooner rather than later. What do you think of the smartwatch's UI? Losing faith in Pebble with its latest delay, or still more than excited to get your hands on this watch? This article, Pebble Tech shows off Smartwatch UI [Demo video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Popular iOS game Ant Raid on its way to Android Posted: 14 Aug 2012 11:28 PM PDT
When it comes to games, there is no denying that there are some great titles available for Android, but every once in a while it seems that some of the best-selling titles only make their way over to Apple's iOS. One of the highest-rated strategy games for iOS is Ant Raid, a game that many Android users would love to get their hands on. Luckily, the time for that is coming upon us. The game is on its way to Android in the 4th quarter of 2012 thanks to Herocraft. What's this strategy game all about? Basically the game puts you in control of an ant colony with one goal in mind: surviving and prospering while dealing with other bug-like monsters along the way. This game is nothing short of unique and a welcome addition to any Android gamers' library. For the moment no pricing has been announced for the Android version. What do you think, does Ant Raid interest you? This article, Popular iOS game Ant Raid on its way to Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| VIZIO’s Co-Star with Google TV has started shipping pre-orders Posted: 14 Aug 2012 06:11 PM PDT
Sticking to their original shipping date plans of August 14th, today VIZIO’s much anticipated $99 Google TV set top box has started shipping to the first round of pre-order customers. If you were lucky enough to be in on the first round of pre-orders from VIZIO, you’ll be getting an email notification along with a shipment confirmation in the very near future.
If you didn’t get in on the initial pre-order extravaganza, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for Google’s second generation TV set top box. It seems VIZIO is still listing the Co-Star as temporarily sold out on their website. Be sure to let us know when you get your shipment notification. Let the refreshing and frantic mail checking and rechecking begin! No related posts. This article, VIZIO’s Co-Star with Google TV has started shipping pre-orders , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Adobe will pull the plug on Flash for Android tomorrow. So long! Posted: 14 Aug 2012 02:22 PM PDT
It's the early 2000s, and the Internet is a place that is quickly evolving. One of the standards that leads the pack for online video and gaming is the technology known as Adobe Flash. The sky is the limit and the future seems bright for the technology. Fast-forward to today and the scene has dramatically changed. After years of boasting that it would bring its rich multimedia experience to the mobile and PC world alike, Adobe announced last year that it would be stopping development of Flash for mobile devices. The company has bowed down in defeat, realizing that HTML5 had quickly turned into the format that will lead the mobile world into the future. Back in June, Adobe made it clear that they would be pulling the plug on Adobe Flash for Android on August 15th of this year, and the day has finally come. Starting tomorrow, Adobe will block new installs of Flash on Android, essentially removing its presence from the mobile world. How did this change happen? Some will argue that the standard failed because Adobe could never get Apple to stand behind it with iOS. Equally as devastating, Adobe had opportunities to turn their mobile position around with Android, but never really effectively marketed its integration features with Google's popular mobile OS. It's strange to think that Flash is basically dead, even if it technically stills exists and is supported in the PC world. Without a strategy to move forward and support the mobile world, Adobe has more than likely put the final nail in the coffin for their media standard. What do you think of HTML5 so far? Will you miss Flash, going forward? This article, Adobe will pull the plug on Flash for Android tomorrow. So long! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Telus delays ICS update for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 until September Posted: 14 Aug 2012 02:07 PM PDT
Owners of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 may want to read the news sitting down, for Telus has once again bailed out on its initial promise to bring Android 4.0 ICS to the two tablets. The carrier has just updated the ICS upgrade schedule for the umpteenth time, bringing along the not so thrilling news. The new schedule now puts the ICS update for both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 on track for a September release. You know the signs are not really encouraging when the carrier doesn't put a specific date and instead just planks down a month. But hey, we have our reasons to be skeptical.
Back in June, Telus said that the ICS update for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was to come in late July. Meanwhile, the old schedule put the update for the Galaxy Tab 8.9 in August. What's even disconcerting is the fact that the "Testing Status" for the two tablets hasn't changed a jot. You'll still see the same "OEM not yet submitted" entry. As for the LG Optimus LTE, the handset can expect to get ICS as early as August 20. By the way, the update has just hit the Optimus LTE on Bell. We're sure you're quite disappointed with the latest delay in getting Ice Cream Sandwich on the device. Go ahead and let your feelings and frustrations be known in the comments below. This article, Telus delays ICS update for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 until September , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Canada gets the Motorola Atrix HD LTE via Bell network Posted: 14 Aug 2012 02:04 PM PDT
Most of us originally expected the Motorola Atrix HD LTE to hit Canada through Bell on August 2, only to discover that the launch was pushed back to the 21st of August. Shortly after that, the date was changed again, this time to August 14th, a bit earlier than the original delayed date. The day has come (for good this time), and the Atrix HD LTE is finally here. Better late than never, right? The Atrix HD LTE is one of the most attractive, and powerful, Motorola smartphones on the market right now. Here is a run-down of the features and specs:
If you don’t want to commit to a contract, you can get your hands on the new Motorola smartphone for $599.95. For those looking for a contract deal, a 3-year commitment and $49.95 is all it takes to bring the Motorola Atrix HD LTE home. This article, Canada gets the Motorola Atrix HD LTE via Bell network , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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