Monday, August 20, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Tutorial videos for Droid Razr HD leaked, doesn’t giveaway much regarding features

Posted: 19 Aug 2012 12:02 PM PDT

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We pretty much know the launch of the Motorola DROID RAZR HD is just a couple of weeks away, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop covering minor leaks, does it? This time around, we’ve got some tutorial videos from you that have made their way to YouTube. You do get a look at the UI pretty clearly, and some of the in-built apps.

[via Droid-Life]

[Poll] Would you take up a restaurant’s offer for 5% discount if you don’t use your cellphone during the meal?

Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:06 AM PDT

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I came upon a rather interesting story on Mashable where a restaurant in Los Angeles has offered customers a 5% discount if they would check their phones in at the entrance. The first reaction I had was a bit of a laughter at the thought of where we, the human species, have ended up. You know the usual “technology has made us so much more disconnected in person” et cetera et cetera stuff.

Then it hit me: If I were offered that discount, I’m not sure I would take it up. Of course, it’s dependent upon various other factors, but I’m uncertain of whether I would be comfortable sitting some thirty feet away from my phone, unable to hear any notifications. Heck, what would I do in all those awkward moments of silence? Play with my spoon? And what would Instagrammers do with their food? Eat it?

Let’s hear from the rest of you, vote below, and maybe mention in the comments some sort of an explanation for your choice.

Uniquely Android: SwipePad

Posted: 19 Aug 2012 10:29 AM PDT

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Uniquely Android is a series we started last month to shine the spotlight on those apps that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the platform and provide an experience that you wouldn’t find in most other phones. So far, we have featured Plug In Launcher, AirDroid, Shush, Llama and Swiftkey 3.

Thanks to a lot of popular demand, I’ve finally decided to add SwipePad to the Uniquely Android series. The app allows you to create a drawer of sorts, containing any app, shortcut and, with another plugin, even widgets. This drawer can be launched by swiping from any specified region on the edge of the screen while any app is opened. In short, if there’s any app or contact that you use frequently, you could simply add it to the drawer, and launch it from within another app by swiping and releasing at the location you have set for it.

Personally, I must admit that I’m not a big fan of the app, however I won’t for a moment hesitate others from trying it. It definitely ticks the boxes for Uniquely Android, and I could see it being extremely useful on a pre-ICS device. However, with the improved app switching and folders in Android 4.0+, I haven’t found the need for it. Some have said that it has even slowed down their ICS devices, though I never found that to be the case even on a single-core phone.

The main fault I had with it was that I found the swiping to be inconsistent, maybe because I only use a 3.8″ screen device and hence might have a very thin swipe area (I do understand the thickness can be increased, but I still found the experience lacking). Additionally, I found the 4X3 drawer grid a bit too much because I felt like I’m having to pay too much attention to perform the action I want.

What I would have preferred was the ability to perform a multi-touch action, such as a three-finger swipe, to launch the drawer from within the app, or maybe even choose from a set of multi-touch actions to launch an app in a manner similar to the Mac app called BetterTouchTool. I doubt how feasible that would be though, since SwipePad puts a surface over the opened app and effectively prevents the app from getting touch feedback from that region.

You can get SwipePad here, and I’d love the feedback of those users who get the most out of it. Maybe I’m just using it wrong or something, but as of now I’m probably going to be uninstalling it soon.

Excited European soccer season is back? Then you’re going to want to download this app

Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:12 AM PDT

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Every year, millions of people spend their summer counting down the three-odd months of off season for European football. It feels like some kind of forced hibernation until, finally, the various competitions are kicked off and the games come thick and fast. For any fan, the season begins with a whole lot of hope and promise, and tools to keep track of the happenings at each and every ground become priceless.

Unfortunately, so far there’s been no single app that could be defined as a “killer” app to do exactly that. Scoremobile’s been around for a while, but I’ve found it unreliable on several occasions. Eurosport’s there, with decent text play-by-play commentary, but it lacks notifications (at least I couldn’t find it anywhere within the app). This year, though, things are looking good thanks to Live Score Addict, a new app that is a must have for all soccer fans.

It does an excellent job doing the most important part: keeping you informed about what’s happening through notifications for various incidents (such as the start of a match, red cards, goals, half/full time, etc). It provides those notifications faster than any sports app I’ve ever tried. But that’s not all it does. It provides you with live stats from matches, live league standings, and even video highlights (via YouTube). And it does so in a gorgeous way.

There are some things I’d like to see them improve upon, such as allowing us to change refresh frequency based on other factors such as WiFi/Cellular data or battery status. I would also like to see text commentary for at least the big games. But that’s really clutching for straws to find something to point out.

What I would like to know, though, is how the developer intends to monetize it. The app is free and I haven’t seen any ads on it. There’s a lot of content in the app which would have cost quite a bit of money. Heck, the schedule for the English Premier League is copyrighted and distribution rights alone cost over GBP 5000 (almost $8000) prior to VAT. I wouldn’t grudge the developer looking to make money for the app in any way in the future, and I would definitely pay for it, but typically I like to know such things early on. Maybe they’re looking for something less intrusive than apps, maybe looking to sell the app to some interested media corporation or maybe looking to link to content within the app with a media outlet with a revenue sharing deal. Whatever it is, I wish them the best, because that’s what they’ve provided us with.

[Google Play]

Google Play Store gift cards to launch on August 26th?

Posted: 18 Aug 2012 08:11 PM PDT

We have been begging and praying for them for years, but Google Play Store gift cards have yet to reach the store shelves. The long wait is finally ending, hopefully soon, and yet another rumor regarding the anticipated Google Play Store pre-paid cards has come to light… this time attached with an exact release date.

The guys from Android Police have gotten a hold of a picture that leaks information from Target’s internal documents. It informs workers about the Google Play gift cards availability, which should be on August 26th. Until then, the Google Play Store gift card spots will be empty, so you can go imagine where they will be in your nearest Targe store.

Everything seems to be ready now. The Google Play Store is ready to support the gift cards and we have seen at least one person purchase one ahead of time. So what are you waiting for? Start making those back-to-school wishlists!


Posted by at 7:54 AM

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