Android Central |
- ASUS reveals Nexus 7 conceived at CES, ready four months later
- Voice over LTE reportedly launching in South Korea tomorrow on Samsung Galaxy S3
- MetroPCS turns on voice over LTE ahead of the big players
- Another day, and another leak of the Sony LT30p Xperia T
- Google adds real time traffic data in maps to 130 new U.S. cities, expands global coverage, too
- From the mail bag: Managing two-step authentication for the ROM addict
- Sony Ericsson MW600 Hi-Fi Wireless headset review
- Spotify on the Amazon Kindle Fire
- Scope review - the all-seeing eye of social networks
- No excuses: It's time to turn on two-step authentication
- Jazz: Trump's Journey review - a platformer wrapped in a music history lesson
- Special Verizon Galaxy S3 sales event - Hurry! Ends at 3 p.m. EDT!
- New Orbit review - gritty outer space living minus the oxygen shortage
- Deal of the Day: Incipio SILICRYLIC Hard Shell Case w/ Silicone Core for Galaxy Nexus
- Motorola teases 4G LTE phone; Update: Nothing to see here
- Motorola Droid 4 soak test announced, ICS update incoming?
- How to adjust the call settings on the Galaxy S3
- HTC's July revenues fall 45 percent year-on-year
- GameKlip helps merge your Android phone and a PS3 controller
- Late-night distractions: Jump hurdles with todays Google doodle
- LG bringing QuickMemo feature to Optimus L Series devices
- Galaxy Note 2, Controlling PC with Android device possible? [From the Forums]
| ASUS reveals Nexus 7 conceived at CES, ready four months later Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:46 PM PDT
When the ASUS MeMo 370T appeared, and then swiftly disappeared at CES, rumors suggested that the $250 7-incher had been poached by Google as the basis for its Nexus tablet. Fast forward six months, and we got confirmation at the Google I/O developer conference, with the introduction of the Nexus 7 and its official model number, ME370T. However, its journey from budget ASUS tablet to Google flagship has remained a mystery, until now. Forbes recently sat down with ASUS' execs, where they were given a more thorough breakdown of how the Jelly Bean tablet came to life. Specifically, ASUS UK and Nordic head, Benjamin Yeh, said that the idea of the Nexus 7 was first conceived after a meeting of ASUS and Google bosses at CES in January --
Yeh notes that the average timeframe for bringing this kind of product to market is 6-12 months, making the Nexus 7 a remarkably quick turnaround. However, we should note that ASUS and Google didn't have to go completely back to the drawing board in January -- they already had the MeMo 370T as a template. Elsewhere in the feature, ASUS UK marketing manager John Swatton goes into further detail about the display technologies and battery efficiency of the Nexus 7. ASUS reduced the tablet's weight and thickness, and improved screen quality by incorporating the touch sensor and protective top layer in to the same pane of glass, and also introduced a "full lamination" or "zero-air-gap" method for bonding the LCD to that glass. Sony has employed this method before in phones like the Xperia Arc, and Apple is rumored to be using something similar in the iPhone 5. On battery efficiency, Swatton says ASUS spent a month testing each point on the PCB to check for heat generation, a telltale sign of battery-draining electrical leakage. And on a similar note, NVIDIA's Tegra 3, with its low-powered "ninja core" for background tasks, also helped out here. It's always fascinating to get this kind of insight into the creation of a major product like the Nexus 7, and all the minute details that must be considered along the way. Judging by our own review, as well as initial sales of the tablet, it looks like ASUS and Google's hard work has paid dividends. More: Forbes 
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| Voice over LTE reportedly launching in South Korea tomorrow on Samsung Galaxy S3 Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:12 PM PDT
South Korean carrier SK Telecom will reportedly tomorrow become one of the first in the world to offer a voice over LTE service. While bigger U.S. networks like Verizon are testing the technology, SK Telecom will introduce the "HD voice" service tomorrow and begin selling Samsung Galaxy S3 phones with the feature built in. An update for existing S3 owners on the network is said to be arriving "within the month," and will apparently be featured on most forthcoming LTE phones the carrier will offer. While some may not necessarily see the benefits -- we don't seem to use the phone to call as much as we used to -- it's inevitable that such technology will eventually roll out across LTE markets around the world. Source: Korea IT Times via The Verge 
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| MetroPCS turns on voice over LTE ahead of the big players Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:07 PM PDT
MetroPCS has become the first operator to enable voice over LTE (VoLTE) service, with the LG Connect 4G in and around Dallas, Texas being the first handset to support it. MetroPCS was also the first carrier in the U.S. to offer LTE data services, ahead of the big names like Verizon and AT&T. Granted, the footprint is tiny and the user base is small, but it's still no easy feat to present a new(ish) technology to an established network. Right now, the LG Connect 4G is the only capable device, but Metro says that will change in "the coming weeks" along with more locations. What should users expect? According to Metro, you'll notice clearer calls when in an LTE service area. Since these toys we have are phones, clearer calls is always a good thing. Nice work MetroPCS. Via: Engadget 
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| Another day, and another leak of the Sony LT30p Xperia T Posted: 07 Aug 2012 03:54 PM PDT
The forthcoming Sony LT30p continues to pose for the camera ahead of its expected launch at IFA 2012, in Berlin, later this month. This time around, the folks at Nixanbal have got their hands on one and proceeded to take some pretty good looking shots of the device. By now we're starting to get a pretty good picture of at least what the final units will look like. Just in case you've missed any of the leaked info thus far, the LT30p 'Mint' is expected to be known as the Xperia T come launch. Leaked specs include a 720p display, Snapdragon S4 CPU, 13MP rear camera and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with on screen buttons. It bears a passing resemblance to 2011's Xperia Arc with its curved rear panel too. We know Sony will be showing off their new wares in Berlin, starting with their press conference on Aug 29. Android Central will be on the ground in Germany right through, so keep it locked to the site for all the best from Berlin. Source: Nixanbal via Xperiablog 
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| Google adds real time traffic data in maps to 130 new U.S. cities, expands global coverage, too Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:52 PM PDT
Real time traffic information is a real day saver, and todays news from Google brings the service to a further 130 U.S. cities within Google Maps. These smaller cities such as Kalamazoo, Michigan and Portland, Maine, will now benefit from traffic information and estimated travel times around the arterial routes within the cities. Hit the source link below for more information on which cities have been added. The United States isn't the only place to see expanded coverage either. Panama City, San Jose (Costa Rica) and Bogota all join in for the first time too. Additionally, the coverage is being expanded throughout parts of Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Good work, Google. Source: Google Lat Long Blog 
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| From the mail bag: Managing two-step authentication for the ROM addict Posted: 07 Aug 2012 01:36 PM PDT
Jean15paul writes,
We think it could make a great article, too, Jean15paul. And it goes for users with more than one mobile device as well as flashers and ROM-a-holics. As safe as two-step authentication is, it was clearly designed for folks with one phone, and one computer, who don't like to erase and re-install either one. Unfortunately, this is a hard hurdle to cross. The easy way, and the way I'm lucky enough to be able to do it, is with an old Android phone that's a dedicated authenticator. I reverted my Nexus One back to stock, and installed the authenticator app. I also use an authenticator for Blizzard games, so this worked well for me. I keep the phone charged, and any time I need a code I can start it up and get one -- until the power button goes out again, that is. This way I'm not ever locked out of my Google account, which can happen when flashing ROMS or jumping to a new phone. Of course, that's not a good solution for most folks. If you have an old Android device laying around, I really recommend you try it (as well as printing out your 15 one-time use codes). If you don't have access to another Android phone, which is going to be most of us, things are a little bit rougher. The best solution I can find is to disable two-step authentication from the web (in your Google account settings) before you wipe and flash a new ROM. Once you're satisfied that it's worth keeping for a few days, re-enable it and go through the set-up with application specific passwords again. It's a lot of work, and adds a good bit of time to your set-up every time you flash a ROM. But it's also the best way to guarantee you're not locked out of your Google account. Of course, since it's a pain in the you-know-what, most folks aren't going to do it. Never mind what you know, or what you've heard is best for your online safety, people always like to take the easy way out. With that in mind, I want to share a little nugget of wisdom passed on to me by a teacher about passwords. Long passwords with upper case and lower case letters are very difficult to crack. They are also difficult to remember. To make the remembering part easier, use the first line from a favorite song all in one word. For example, ItsAllRightIfYouLoveMeItsAllRightIfYouDont is a password that probably won't ever get cracked, but is easy for me to remember. It's just a pain to type out on an on-screen keyboard. But it's still better than being hacked. Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch! 
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| Sony Ericsson MW600 Hi-Fi Wireless headset review Posted: 07 Aug 2012 11:53 AM PDT
With the Sony Ericson MW600 Hi-Fi Wireless headset, you get a Bluetooth headset with an FM radio plus a killer feature.As Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory is fond of saying; “everything is better with Bluetooth.” There are certainly people who will dispute that, but Bluetooth can be a great feature. This particular headset opens up a world of possibilities for your Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) and other Android phones. 
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| Spotify on the Amazon Kindle Fire Posted: 07 Aug 2012 11:23 AM PDT
It's Spotify. You know, for streaming music. And it's on the Amazon Kindle Fire. And you can download it for free here. (And I got a $1 credit after buying it. So, really, it paid me to download. Sweet.) 
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| Scope review - the all-seeing eye of social networks Posted: 07 Aug 2012 10:42 AM PDT
Scope is the current incarnation of a venerable social networking app that gives users quick access to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Instagram. I’ve been registered with SocialScope since its early days on BlackBerry, and was pretty surprised not only by how much it has changed, but also that it is yet again in a closed beta format. 
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| No excuses: It's time to turn on two-step authentication Posted: 07 Aug 2012 08:59 AM PDT
Your Google account holds your e-mail, apps, music, books, documents, cloud storage, credit cards and more. It’s time to protect that stuff with more than a simple password.If you’ve been watching the wider tech world over the past couple of days, you’ll be familiar with the recent misfortune of Wired writer Mat Honan, who succumbed to a devastating hacking attack that annihilated his iCloud, Twitter and Google accounts and locked down several devices in the process. In Honan’s case, the attack was enabled by compromised (yet publicly available) personal info, as well as failures by Amazon and Apple customer support, rather than a traditional brute-force attack or contact with malware. But a crucial part of what allowed the attackers to take down not only his Apple accounts and devices, but also his Gmail and Google stuff, was the fact that he wasn’t using Google’s two-step authentication to protect his account. Stories like these always bring home the importance of basic digital security precautions. And one of the most basic, yet most effective steps you can take to protect your account is turning on two-step. Read on to find out how and why you should do it. 
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| Jazz: Trump's Journey review - a platformer wrapped in a music history lesson Posted: 07 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT
Jazz: Trump’s Journey has found its way into the featured section of Google Play following on a successful launch in the spring. The platformer game puts players in New Orleans around the birth of jazz, following a musician who’s chasing after love. Besides having a sincere and well-written story based on the early life of Louis Armstrong, Jazz: Trump’s Journey has a whimsical cut-out art style and classic soundtrack that suit the setting to a tee. The platforming action itself is equally polished, and has a variety of deep gameplay elements, including hidden items, wall-jumping, and freezing time with jazzy trumpet solos. 
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| Special Verizon Galaxy S3 sales event - Hurry! Ends at 3 p.m. EDT! Posted: 07 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT
As we mentioned yesterday, if you've been waiting on the fences for just the right moment to get your hands on the "red hot" device of the moment - none other than the Galaxy S3 -- then we (in conjunction with Best Buy Mobile Solutions) are very happy to announce that we have the "very best deal that you can find anywhere today". Available in 16GB and 32GB flavors as well as in either Marble White or Pebble Blue from the Verizon network you cannot go wrong with what Phil calls "Hands-down a top-shelf Android smartphone that combines great hardware with cutting-edge software." We are unfortunately not allowed to show you the price as it is "Too Low to Show" but we can tell you that our 16GB offer will save you a very cool 35% and the 32GB an even cooler 38% compared to Verizon's own advertised prices for this amazing phone. One other neat bonus is that thanks to Best Buy Mobile's new "Buy it today, get it today. With FREE store pickup." capability you will not only be able to buy it online quickly and at a super price but even (in most instances) be able to pick it up on the very same day! This offer must end at 3pm ET today and will be limited to the first 100 people who place their order so hurry before someone else gets their hands on your brand new Galaxy S3! 
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| New Orbit review - gritty outer space living minus the oxygen shortage Posted: 07 Aug 2012 07:41 AM PDT
New Orbit: Episode 1 landed precariously on Google Play late last month. The screenshots of minimalistic outer-space fare and gravity-based gameplay weren’t much to look at, but after playing for only a short while, it was easy to get pulled into a gritty story about surviving on the edge of civilization where even air is a precious commodity. New Orbit follows the unlucky journey of a stranded engineer trying simply to find his way back home after his ship was blown up. With little more than an escape shuttle to get around, he has to deal with some of the nastier characters that inhabit the fringes of an intergalactic empire to get back home. 
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| Deal of the Day: Incipio SILICRYLIC Hard Shell Case w/ Silicone Core for Galaxy Nexus Posted: 07 Aug 2012 06:39 AM PDT
The Incipio SYLICRYLIC Hard Shell Case is available for just $16.95, 43% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping. Deal also available in the Canada store Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts! 
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| Motorola teases 4G LTE phone; Update: Nothing to see here Posted: 07 Aug 2012 06:18 AM PDT
Original: Today Motorola's taken to Facebook to tease what seems to be an upcoming smartphone, and it's promising an "big reveal" before the end of the week. Motorola says, "We'll give a clue each day all week and make the big reveal on Friday." The first clue states that the phone has "the power of 4G LTE," which doesn't give too much away. Of course, it's possible that Moto's just engaging in Facebook banter with its fans, We've seen plenty of (Droid) RAZR HD leakage over the past month or so. The device has shown up at the FCC, as well as in a series of leaked images, some of which bear Verizon's 4G LTE branding. From what we can tell, the RAZR HD looks like a cross between the Atrix HD and last year's RAZR MAXX, with the former's 720p display and on-screen buttons, and the latter's chassis style and kevlar back panel. We'll be watching closely later this week for the eventual reveal. Moto fans, are you hoping for a RAZR successor on Verizon this fall? Let us know down in the comments. Source: Motorola on Facebook 
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| Motorola Droid 4 soak test announced, ICS update incoming? Posted: 07 Aug 2012 05:20 AM PDT
We've known for some time that the Motorola Droid 4 is on track to receive an update to Android 4.0 before the end of the third quarter. Now it looks like the long-awaited ICS upgrade could be close at hand, with the news that Motorola is preparing a soak task for the LTE-powered QWERTY slider. According to posts on the Android Central forums, emails are going out to Droid 4 owners on the Motorola Feedback Network asking them to participate in the testing of a "new software release." Though ICS isn't mentioned by name, we'd be surprised if Moto were going to such trouble for another Gingerbread-based firmware revision. There's also no indication of when the soak test will begin, but based on earlier tests, we're probably looking at weeks, rather than months, until the public release is ready. Source: Android Central forums 
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| How to adjust the call settings on the Galaxy S3 Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:31 AM PDT
The Galaxy S3 allows you to adjust pretty much every setting you can think ofThe Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) is one of the most configurable phones available. The good news is that you really don’t have to do anything out of the box and your Galaxy S3 will work fine. But one area that can really be tailored to your personal tastes is in perhaps the most important of all apps -- the Phone app. The Phone app is one of the more robust apps on the Galaxy S3. The Call settings allow you to adjust everything from a call rejection list a personalized EQ setting for better audibility. 
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| HTC's July revenues fall 45 percent year-on-year Posted: 07 Aug 2012 03:40 AM PDT
HTC has announced its unaudited July 2012 revenues, following the company's difficult second quarter. Last month HTC's unaudited consolidate revenues were NT$25 billion (~$835 million), down 45 percent from July 2011, and down some NT$5 billion (~$168 million) from the company's reported May revenues. The fall in revenues can in part be attributed to the disruption in sales caused by the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III (S3). That phone arrived in the U.S. in July across all major carriers following a strong European launch. Financially speaking, 2012 has been a difficult year for HTC. The company experienced a 35% year-on-year fall in revenues in Q1, followed by a 57.8 percent drop in Q2 due to weaker than expected sales of its HTC One series. Last month HTC closed its South Korean offices following difficulties competing with Samsung in its own back yard. Source: HTC 
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| GameKlip helps merge your Android phone and a PS3 controller Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:15 AM PDT Using a Playstation 3 SixAxis controller with an Android device is nothing new. There have been methods around for a long old time on pairing the two devices for some all out Android gaming action. An app even exists in the Play Store nowadays to make the process even simpler. One aspect remains largely unchanged however, the phone is usually having to lie flat on a surface, or be propped up against something while you're playing. And that's not great. We saw not all that long ago, a home-made solution designed for a Galaxy Note. It worked like a charm, but making stuff isn't for everyone. That's where GameKlip comes in, with their solution for a variety of Android phones. The GameKlip is simply a clip that allows you to secure your phone to the top of the your SixAxis controller for some gaming fun. Oh, and as an added bonus, if you own a Samsung Galaxy S 3, it seems that you can use a GameKlip with a wired connection out of the box. No rooting, no third party apps, just plug and play. It should be easy enough to try out on other phones too, since essentially all you need is a USB OTG cable, and the USB cable that came with your PS3 controller. Says the official website:
The GameKlip is available in wired ($23.00 / £15.99) and wireless ($15.00 / £10.49) play versions, and note that no software is included, it's just the clip. If your phone is lucky enough to work with a wired connection out of the box, then fantastic! For the rest of you, the old ways of connecting will still be required. Custom fitted for individual phones, the below are supported by GameKlip:
And, there's one more thing. The guy behind all this is working on a version for 7-inch tablets. That, we'd love to see. Pre-orders are open now, and there is international shipping available. So, if this is something that appeals, head over to the source link below for the full rundown. Source: GameKlip via Pocket Gamer 
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| Late-night distractions: Jump hurdles with todays Google doodle Posted: 06 Aug 2012 11:27 PM PDT
Head to Google's homepage on your computer and check out today's Olympic-themed doodle, the hurdler. Mash the right and left arrow keys to run, tap the spacebar to jump. Go forth and waste time. 
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| LG bringing QuickMemo feature to Optimus L Series devices Posted: 06 Aug 2012 10:42 PM PDT LG has been busy making folks aware of their new QuickMemo feature for the past little while with the first U.S. device getting it being the LG Viper 4G LTE. Now, they're rolling out what is a maintenance release upgrade for the Optimus L7, L5 and L3 that will add it to those devices as well. To accompany the release, LG will also be running a new commercial to highlight the feature. In case you're unaware of QuickMemo, it allows folks write using their fingers on captured screen images that can then be shared with others via text, chat, or email. The video above gives off a good demo of it in action, although it starts off rather annoyingly. LG has noted they'll be rolling out the update globally come the end of Q3. If you're looking for the full press release, you'll find it below. 
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| Galaxy Note 2, Controlling PC with Android device possible? [From the Forums] Posted: 06 Aug 2012 06:50 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.
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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