Android Phone Fans |
- Jelly Bean’s Exclusive Emoji Support Now Available For Ice Cream Sandwich Via Software Mod
- LG Touts Optimus G’s 13MP Camera – Promises “World’s Best Image Quality” [Video]
- Google: 500 Million Android Devices Have Been Activated Globally
- Vizio Co-Star back up for order, shipping October 1
- Zuckerberg promises native Android app as company moves away from HTML5
- Apple-Samsung verdict a ‘wake-up call’ for Google
- Samsung confirms Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update coming in October
- Verizon partners with McAfee to offer Mobile Security app to subscribers
- Google teams with Boingo to offer free WiFi access to Android users
- Google Now should finally be showing updates about your favorite NFL team
- With Galaxy Note 2, Samsung perfecting the ‘phablet’
- Motorola, Intel issue invites to London event September 18th, promise to take us to the edge [VIDEO]
- Sprint Nexus devices now getting Android 4.1 (for real this time)
- Get a Sprint, Verizon or AT&T 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 from Amazon for just $99 [DEALS]
- Sony Xperia V features sensor-on-lens display technology
| Jelly Bean’s Exclusive Emoji Support Now Available For Ice Cream Sandwich Via Software Mod Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:39 PM PDT
A few days ago, we gave you guys a list of popular emoji icons you can summon via keyboard commands on your Jelly Bean running device. As a Jelly Bean-only feature, those on earlier versions of Android were left out in the cold.
Good news for those running a rooted Ice Cream Sandwich device, a moderator over on XDA has put together a handy zip file that, once flashed, will finally bring support for all those cute little Android emoji’s once reserved soley for Jelly Bean (and iOS). Now you can finally see what you’ve been missing and proves once again — where there’s root, there’s a way. Hit up the source link for full instructions. [XDA]
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| LG Touts Optimus G’s 13MP Camera – Promises “World’s Best Image Quality” [Video] Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:04 PM PDT
I guess the quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor isn’t the only thing the upcoming LG Optimus G has going for it. The South Korean manufacturer took to YouTube yesterday to upload a quick video touting the Optimus G’s 13MP camera, delivering what LG believes will be the “world’s best image quality.” There’s a lot of technicals behind it, but if you’re curious to see the tech behind LG’s claims, check out the video below. Have to say, I’m glad to see companies step up their smartphone camera game. As an owner of the Galaxy Nexus with arguably one of the world’s worst cameras (okay, it really isn’t that bad), I do get jealous of how amazing my buddy’s HTC One X can deliver bright, crystal clear images. Guess that’s one less area of concern when it comes to LG’s upcoming flagship. In case you’ve forgotten, variants of the Optimus G are rumored to arrive stateside later this year with the Sprint bound LG Eclipse leaked all over the place. Now if only LG could somehow prove themselves with timely software updates, we’ll have another big Android contender here in the states.
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| Google: 500 Million Android Devices Have Been Activated Globally Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:02 PM PDT
As expectations grow for Apple’s next generation iPhone, Google is attempting to take away some of that spot light announcing today that Android activations have officially hit 500 million globally. Google’s Hugo Barra revealed the news via Google+, mentioning again that 1.3 million Android devices are activated each and every day. In other news — Google’s Jelly Bean statue has returned to the Google plex after the last version melted with the heat. This new and improved Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean statue now features a traditional green Android head, matching more closely the offiical Jelly Bean mascot we’ve all come to love. How are you liking the new look?
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| Vizio Co-Star back up for order, shipping October 1 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:33 PM PDT
While we’re keeping an eye on the Vizio Co-Star’s availability, those interested in picking one up can once again do so. Still dubbed a pre-order, the Google TV box is back on sale for $99.99. The shipping date now reads as October 1st, so just about two weeks later than they were shipping yesterday. It looks like availability is evening out. Remember, the Co-Star is only available via Vizio’s site. [via GTVSource]
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| Zuckerberg promises native Android app as company moves away from HTML5 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:57 PM PDT
In recent months we’ve heard of Mark Zuckerberg’s disappointment in Facebook’s Android app has been no secret. In fact, just to drive the point home to his team of developers, he forced them to switch from iOS to Android just to see how poorly the app performs. Now Zuck is acknowledging that the company’s decision to go with HTML5 early on resulted in a subpar experience and “burnt two years” of development. At TechCrunch Disrupt, the Facebook founder says the social network will debut a native version of the app for Android soon, but added “it will be ready when it’s ready.” The app will ditch HTML5 completely and build off of the infrastructure of the iOS version of Facebook. Facebook for Android has improved in recent months, and has come along way since early version, but it continues to earn complaints from Android users everywhere. Going native, Zuckerberg hopes (and we do), will finally bring us the Facebook app we deserve. [via TheVerge]
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| Apple-Samsung verdict a ‘wake-up call’ for Google Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:50 PM PDT
In a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, Google’s vice president of corporate development David Lawee said that the results of the landmark infringement trial between Apple and Samsung served to change the company’s view on tech patents. Lawee said of Google, “We weren’t patenting things as aggressively as we should have been. We didn’t believe rounded corners were patentable.” The last sentiment is an obvious jab at Apple design patents that scored the Cupertino-based company victory over Samsung. Samsung had argued that things as simple and rectangles with rounded corners we such commonplace elements in the mobile industry that Apple’s patents pertaining to such aesthetics should be ruled invalid. Google seems to agree with that claim. Lawee continued to say that the results of the trial served as a “wake-up call,” forcing the company to become a bit more agressive in the intellectual property space. Some would argue that Google has been quite aggressive in acquiring new patents through the buyout of Motorola and Nortel’s IP portfolio, both of which occurred long before the court reach a decision in the case. Lawee seems to be implying, however, that the company now will be more likely to leverage those patents. [via AllThingsD]
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| Samsung confirms Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update coming in October Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:32 PM PDT
The Samsung Galaxy S3 launched about a month shy of the official announcement of Android 4.1, and while a few months have passed since Google introduced the latest update to their mobile OS, not many more will before Jelly Been is available for the Korean manufacturers flagship smartphone. CNET confirmed today that the update to Android 4.1 would be ready for deployment to the Galaxy S3 in October, though a more specific date was not named. October is likely when to expect the update to arrive for GS3 handsets not locked to a carrier network, which likely means a loner wait for those who opted to purchase the device subsidized through a service contract. It should also be noted that the news pertains to the UK, so the timeline in other areas of the world may differ. The 4G version of the phone will launch in the UK with Jelly Bean out of the box. It’s unclear if an updated version of the phone is headed elsewhere. [via CNET]
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| Verizon partners with McAfee to offer Mobile Security app to subscribers Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:56 AM PDT
Plenty of data reaffirms the growing problem with malware on the Android platform, an issue that will no doubt continue to threaten the well-being of our smartphones and tablets. Verizon is looking to nip the problem in the bud with the introduction of their new Mobile Security app by way of McAfee. But the app should do more than merely accomplish the dubious task of keeping devices free of viruses and suspect apps, it will also enable users with the ability to track, lock, and remotely wipe a lost or stolen handset. The app, which operates on Android 2.1 devices and higher, will come with two tiers of service offered. Mobile Security Basic comes free of charge and offers full McAfee antivirus protection as well as the protection from malicious websites attempting to infect smartphones. For $1.99 a month, additional protection is enabled by way of McAfee App Alert, which allows users to track exactly what sort of data apps are accessing and transmitting. The extra fee also enables the previously mentioned tracking features courtesy of Asurion. We are skeptical about the need to pay a company like McAfee to protect a device, especially when the same company is the one issuing the reports that conjure up fear of malware in the first place. Ultimately, the ability to protect your device comes down to being conscious of what is being downloaded and installed from third-party sources, but with the evolving landscape a little extra protection probably couldn’t hurt (especially if it is being offered free). For more info, head over to the press release linked below.
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| Google teams with Boingo to offer free WiFi access to Android users Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:22 AM PDT
As a promotional tie-in with Google Play, Boingo will offer free access to its 4,000 WiFi hotspots located across the United States to Android users throughout September. The promotion extends any Android device as well your laptop, so it should take some of the burden off of your data plan should you find yourself traveling through an area with active WiFi coverage provided by Boingo. The kicker, as this is a Google promotional offer an all, is that iPhone and iPad users will find themselves out of luck. And there’s no way around that. But if chances are that won’t really affect the majority of our readers much, so feel free to enjoy the all-access WiFi while it lasts.
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| Google Now should finally be showing updates about your favorite NFL team Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT When Google first launched Google Now they didn’t add support for NFL teams. This was largely due in part to the fact that the NFL season hadn’t even kicked off yet. Well, a few weeks ago they were supposed to have NFL support ready for NFL pre-season and that seemed to be wonky for most people as their favorite sports teams simply weren’t being added to Google Now.
It looks like all of that is fixed, though, as users have reportedly started to see Google Now alerts following the first week of action in the NFL. This couldn’t come soon enough for yours truly — I’m a big Packer fan, and I might need to miss a portion of the game against the Bears this Thursday. Having up-to-the-second score alerts will be a big deal for many. If you can’t get Google Now to learn your team do a few searches about them and see if it doesn’t pick it up in no time. Don’t forget to play the all new Football Beast, the weekly pick-em game where you can win up to $7000 worth of prizes. And be sure to keep up with your team’s schedule using the Football Schedule app in the Google Play Store. [via Droid-Life]
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| With Galaxy Note 2, Samsung perfecting the ‘phablet’ Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:00 AM PDT
If you would have told me a year ago that one of Samsung’s most successful devices would be a phone/tablet hybrid in excess of 5 inches in screen size that utilized a stylus as a main means of interacting with the handset, I would have probably asked for a hit of whatever you were smoking. While the trend towards larger, higher resolution displays was obvious, it seemed unlikely that users would gravitate towards a device that would be hard to operate with one hand. And the whole stylus thing? That was supposed to have died off with the Palm Pilot years ago. But we all know the story. The seemingly implausible success of the Samsung Galaxy Note was real, and a new category of devices was born: the phablet. Now, Samsung is pushing the envelope once again with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, a phone that improves on some overlooked flaws of the original while enhancing the stylus experience to a point where it is no longer a gimmick, but a natural extension of the way we interact with our mobile devices. Natural might be the most appropriate term, as the new Note gets a heavy dose of the nature-inspired design language of the Samsung Galaxy S3. And it works. While the phone sports a larger 5.5-inch display size, it’s proportioned with a 16:9 aspect ratio. A curvy body, small bezel, and glossy finish manage to create a device footprint that somehow both feels and looks smaller than the original. And speaking of the 16:9 display, it looks great. Samsung has utilized the latest generation of Super AMOLED technology to provide a hi-def viewing experience sans PenTile technology.
And while we could continue to rattle off the obvious upgrades such as a quad-core Exynos chipset, the real improvement comes with a re-calibrated stylus, which expands its Wacom roots to completely change the way we interact with a phone. The old stylus could hover, triggering a cursor that would allow you to interact with the original Note without actually touching the screen, but the new stylus can hover from a greater distance, making the feature far more usable. Not only that, but Samsung has come up with some clever ways to make the tool almost indisposable, from previewing video to navigating around the device or on the web. Everything we have seen of the Note 2 thus far has impressed, and impressed in a way that the first iteration didn’t. The previous model had us at times asking, “Why would anyone use this?” The sequel begs a different question. Why is this not the way we always interact with our smartphones? Once we have a chance to spend a bit more time with the Galaxy Note 2 we’ll offer a full review, but the small taste Samsung has already given us has us mighty excited for what is to come.
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| Motorola, Intel issue invites to London event September 18th, promise to take us to the edge [VIDEO] Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:35 AM PDT We’ve just received invitations to attend a London event where Motorola and Intel will combine to let them take us “to the edge.” They’ve also uploaded a teaser video to YouTube with the title “Let us take you to the edge.” It blurts messages of edge-to-edge speed and power with imagery of ferocious ocean waves and the startling takeoff of a race car. This is no doubt teasing Intel’s Medfield chipset, and with Motorola they’re likely to unveil a new smartphone with the chipset inside. Well… the smartphone may not be “new” to most of us, but it’ll be new to the folks over in Europe. We’re expecting Motorola and Intel to announce a variant of the Motorola RAZR M or one of the base 2012 RAZR devices with Intel’s Medfield technology instead of the usual Snapdragon S4 processor. We imagine they could only do this for Europe due possible LTE compatibility issues. New mobile chipset vendors tend to be late to the LTE game so it wouldn’t surprise us if that is the case. Motorola’s banking a partnership with perhaps the biggest name in embedded technology, whether it be mobile or otherwise, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what’s to come of it. Watch the short 17 second teaser above, and be sure to circle back on September 18th when the two combine in London to unveil it all.
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| Sprint Nexus devices now getting Android 4.1 (for real this time) Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:03 AM PDT After a false start led us to believe Sprint would be launching Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G last week, Sprint has finally pushed the update for the Google devices. It’s being sent out via an over-the-air process, and it sounds like it will be a staggered process so you may not see it right away (though we understand many have already).
It took a bit of time, but it’s better late than never. And there’s at least one more carrier who we’re still waiting on to catch up — let’s see if you can figure out who that is in the comments section below. Go ahead and check for the upgrade on your Sprint Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G right now. [Sprint]
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| Get a Sprint, Verizon or AT&T 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 from Amazon for just $99 [DEALS] Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT
It you were looking for a good deal on the Samsung Galaxy S3 Amazon has some sweet nothings to whisper into your ear. They’re offering the summer-launched device for just $99 for those on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T. Note that this is the 16GB version of the device for each carrier so think wisely before taking advantage. This offer is also available to new customers only — those looking to upgrade or add a line will need to add another $50 to that price. Verizon users will go here, Sprint users will go here, and AT&T users will mosey on over here.
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| Sony Xperia V features sensor-on-lens display technology Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:55 AM PDT Sony has announced that its Xperia V smartphone will feature “sensor-on-lens” display technology. To put it simply from the get go, sensor-on-lens will combine the dual layer of glass that usually makes up the touch sensor and the protective lens into one.
This means that instead of using the three layers of glass usually combined to make standard displays, Sony will only be using two layers of glass. They say that the reduced amount of glue and material on top of the actual display will make for better image quality and a true “direct touch” experience. They say it makes it feel like you’re touching the image itself since it moves the image plane closer to you. Also, a lighter and thinner build is achieved thanks to the change. While we can’t speak on the whole “feel like you’re touching the image” feeling they claim to have made, we can’t imagine something like this won’t be welcome by anyone who decides to purchase the Sony Xperia V. Head to Sony’s blog for more details.
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