Tuesday, September 18, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

HTC’s rumored 5-inch One X 5 revealed in leaked press shots

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT

We previously saw HTC’s elusive 5-inch Galaxy Note II competitor earlier this month in a set of leaked photos. And, just this weekend we heard about the device’s impressive specs, which include Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor. Today, however, we’ve stumbled upon actual press renders of the alleged handset, leading us to believe that an official announcement is inevitable.

The device will purportedly be known as the One X 5, though it’s entirely possible we could see Verizon’s exclusive Droid branding on the phone before it arrives. The Taiwanese manufacturer’s newest handset is expected to feature a 5-inch display with full 1080p resolution, equating to a retina-soothing 480ppi. There’s no word on a release date, but HTC does have an event planned for this Wednesday in New York City, and we’ll be there to bring you all the latest.

Source: Engadget

 

AnTuTu benchmark database reveals Quad Core Asus Padfone 2

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:36 PM PDT

 

It wasn’t that long ago that we caught mention of the Asus Padfone 2 from a leaked slideshow. Now, instead of seeing a few bullet points on a slide, we can allegedly see benchmark results of the not-yet-announced Padfone 2. It was originally assumed that we’d see the successor to the original Padfone in late 2013. However, with these benchmark results, its release may be sooner than we think. The shot of the benchmark results reveal the Padfone 2 name, the device running on Android 4.0.4 (another key it may release sooner rather than later), and a quad core 1512 MHz processor. Of course with only a benchmark screen capture, the price and release information are not known. However, we’ll keep you updated on what appears to be a beast of a multifunctional device.

source:  Tablet News

 

LG flaunts Pocket Photo, claiming smallest mobile printer

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 11:47 AM PDT

In a segment that may be slowly dying, LG thinks there may still be room for more. Enter their latest in mobile photo printing devices, the Pocket Photo. LG is claiming their mobile printer is the smallest of its kind measuring just 2.8 x 4.7 x 0.9-inches. Photos from a compatible device are transferred to the Pocket Photo via NFC coupled with an Android app. Filters can be applied to the pictures through said Android app, however it’s unknown at this time just how robust the feature is. This micro-printer will be hitting Korean stores for $169 (USD), although there’s no word on a release outside of Korea.

source:  LG

 

 

Shazam app update expands tagging for TV shows to be universal

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT

Stalwart music tagging app Shazam continues to move into areas beyond music. You may have noticed the Shazam logo showing up on TV shows or during commercials. That was a sign that app users could use Shazam to get additional information about the show. Shazam is now expanding that capability to enable users to tag any show on any network. Using Shazam, users can pull up information about a TV show's cast, what they are tweeting about, IMDB and Wikipedia entries, and more. The app also enables users to tweet out or share via Facebook.

This expansion of the Shazam app will enable it to compete with similar apps like IntoNow or GetGlue. All of these apps are trying to capitalize on viewers who are using their phones or tablets to get to more in-depth information about the TV shows they are watching without being so difficult to use that it results in distraction.

As of now, the new feature is limited to the U.S. Other apps like GetGlue and IntoNow may also have a slight edge for users who are interested in "check-in" type information, especially if they want to know if any of their friends are watching the same show.

Interested in giving the newly expanded Shazam a try with your favorite TV show? Use one of the download links below to grab it.

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Google Play Download Link

New universal root method promises to root most ICS and Jelly Bean devices

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT

XDA member Bin4ry recently posted his new root method that should be compatible with most ICS and Jelly Bean devices. He said in his post:

I made a small script which is able to root ICS/JB phones. It uses a remount timing issue in Androids "adb restore" service.
So normally it should work on nearly all ICS/JB devices, for some it won't but the idea may work in a slightly modded version

It has been tested on the Nexus 7 as well as newer Sony Xperia devices.

Instructions

  1. Download file and extract it
  2. Double click the RunMe.bat and follow instructions

As always, if you want more information or to jump in on the conversation, hit up the source link.

source: xda

Google snaps up award-winning iOS photo app Snapseed, attempts to take on Instagram and Facebook

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:52 AM PDT

It’s been a while since we’ve heard mention of the photo-editing app Snapseed for Android. Even then, it was only demoed for possible release on select Android tablets. It now appears that the award-winning photo editing app will make its way to the Android masses, however a timeline hasn’t been announced. This awesome app comes by way of Google’s acquisition of Nik Software, the German developer of Snapseed. While they acquired a few other photo apps developed by Nik in the deal, make no mistake, Snapseed was their true target.

As mentioned, Snapseed is an award-winning iOS photo app which retails for $4.99. It took home honors of “iPad App of The Year” in 2011 due in part to its robust editing features. Google is no doubt looking to integrate their new acquisition in with Google+ which would instantly make it a competitor to Instagram and Facebook in terms of photo-editing capabilities via the Google+ mobile app. What do you think of the acquisition? We can all think of times in the past when such acquisitions didn’t go quite as planned.

source:  The Verge

Kindle Fire HD shows its guts in iFixit teardown

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:34 AM PDT

Who doesn’t like a nice teardown every now and then? Our friends at iFixit just did one on the Kindle Fire HD and found it to be as easy to repair as the Nexus 7. Based on a scale of 1 to 10, iFixit gave it a 7. Other notables were that the rear case was easy to open, the design is simplistic with fewer components, and the LCD and front glass will need to be replaced together since they are fused together. Hopefully you will never have to do this yourself, but if you find yourself in need or maybe the geek in you is just curious, hit the source link to find out more.

source: ifixit

 

Motorola DROID RAZR M review: small but large and cheap but powerful

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:10 AM PDT

Recently Motorola unveiled three new members of the RAZR family. The DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR HD MAXX are nice editions, but it’s rare that the highlight of an event such as this would be the budget phone. The DROID RAZR M is much smaller than the original RAZR, but packs the same 4.3-inch display since it’s edge to edge. That’s not even the best part. The best part of it is that it’s priced at $99 on contract. Can the DROID RAZR M compete with the big boys? Hit the break to find out and you can also check out our initial hands on review.

Design

I always expect a nice build from Motorola, and the DROID RAZR M doesn’t disappoint. You won’t find anything cutting edge here, as it’s a simple basic design, but it’s very solid. The display is Corning Gorilla Glass and most of the back is Dupont Kevlar fiber. Just like past RAZR phones, it has a nanocoating that acts as a water-repellent. You also won’t find a lot of plastic like other phones as the frame is made of aluminum. It’s shocking at how great the build is for $99.

As I mentioned, the display is edge to edge, which means that Motorola was able to pack a 4.3-inch display into a small body. Phones continue to get bigger and bigger, but there’s still a lot of people who prefer something a little smaller. The DROID RAZR M will satisfy everyone in that category and might even convince a few fans of bigger displays to go a tad smaller.

Let’s talk size. The DROID RAZR M is 4.82-inches by 2.04-inches and 8.4mm thick. Here are the sizes of some past and current phones with either the same size or smaller display.

  • DROID X – 4.3-inch display – 5.02-inches x 2.58-inches x 9.9mm
  • DROID Incredible 4G LTE – 4.0-inch display – 4.82-inches x 2.04-inches x 11.7mm
  • DROID RAZR – 4.3-inch display – 5.15-inches x 2.72-inches x 7.1mm
  • DROID RAZR MAXX – 4.3-inch display – 5.15-inches x 2.72-inches x 8.99mm
  • HTC Rezound – 4.3-inch display – 5.08-inches x 2.58-inches x 13.7mm
  • HTC Rhyme – 3.7-inch display – 4.69-inches x 2.39-inches x 11mm
  • HTC One S – 4.3-inch display – 5.15-inches x 2.56-inches x 7.8mm
  • Samsung Galaxy S II (i9300) – 4.3-inch display – 4.93-inches x 2.60-inches x 8.5mm
  • iPhone 5 – 4.0-inch display – 4.87-inches x 2.30-inches x 7.6mm
  • iPhone 4S – 3.5-inch display – 4.5-inches x 2.31-inches x 9.3mm

As you can see, Motorola is on the cutting edge (no pun intended) with the DROID RAZR M and it’s edge to edge display. Even the HTC Rhyme and the iPhone 4s, which sport half-inch smaller displays can’t compete. The iPhone 5, which has a 4-inch display, is also bigger. Although it’s thinner, I would rather have the larger screen with a little extra thickness.

As far as ports and buttons go, the right side top has the power button followed by the volume rocker just below that. The left side sports the LTE SIM slot and the microSD slot (both below a pop out cover) as well as the microUSB port towards the bottom. The top has the microphone jack.

As far as colors, it’s available in both black and white.

I can’t stress enough how solid of a phone the DROID RAZR M is, especially at this price point. Motorola seems to be the king at getting a lot of stuff into a small area. Last year it was the 33oomAh battery and this year it’s the 4.3-inch display.

 

Hardware

The DROID RAZR M features a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, microSD for up to 32GB of additional storage, 8MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, NFC, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.0

Performance

The DROID RAZR M performs as well as some of the best phones thanks to the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Since Motorola’s UI is closer to stock Android than any other phone other than a Nexus, it’s pretty smooth. I can’t even imagine what Jelly Bean is going to do for this phone. You guys already know that I’m not a fan of benchmarks, but I did run the obligatory AnTuTu, which came in at 6751. That’s right up there with the AT&T HTC One X, which scored 6772 and the T-Mobile HTC One S, which scored 6993. It blew away the DROID Incredible 4G LTE and the DROID RAZR MAXX, which came in at 5996 and 6006 respectively.

You will find complaints about the display on most of the other tech blogs. It’s a qHD (960 x 540), but it’s PenTile. I know as soon as readers see PenTile they go screaming, but seriously folks, this is not the DROID Bionic. The display is very nice and I personally think the color is better than my everyday Galaxy Nexus. I know a lot reviewers claim to see all kinds of pixelations, and I don’t say they”re wrong, but I just don’t have the eyes for that. Unless you are an abolute connoisseur of displays, you won’t have any complaints.

Battery

Although the DROID RAZR M is small, it packs a 2000mAh battery. That’s right up there with all the high end phones currently available, other than the DROID RAZR MAXX. I ran my usual video rundown test in which I turn up the display to 2/3′s, and I was able to get 8 hours and 50 minutes. That’s while connected to 4G LTE the entire time with GPS enabled. In comparing it to other phones, the AT&T HTC One X was only able to get 7 hours, and it wasn’t even connected to 4G LTE. The DROID Incredible 4G LTE was closer as it turned off at 7 hours and 45 minutes while connected to LTE. Last but not least it destroyed the Atrix HD, which only came in at 4 hours and 45 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with this performance.

Software

So far I really haven’t give you any negatives, but here’s one to get things started – Ice Cream Sandwich is onboard. I know that’s not a disaster, but it’s a little disappointing based on Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside’s comments at the event saying that updates are important. I thought they were going to make a splash and tell us Jelly Bean was onboard, but they only promised that the update would happen by year’s end. All in all, Motorola’s version of Ice Cream Sandwich is by far the best as compared to other manufacturers. It’s the closest thing to stock. The only change I see is the elimination of the live icons we saw in the Atrix HD. I’m not sure why they were so short-lived, but I can’t say that I’m missing them.

You still get the gorgeous ring widget that gives you the time, weather, battery, and data usage at a quick glance. Just like past Motorola phones, Smart Actions is included, which lets you customize all your settings depending on your needs. If there is one disappointment, it’s the fact that for whatever reason, they didn’t incorporate NFC tags into it. I suspect we might get that feature in the Jelly Bean update.

As far as home screens go, you will only start with one out of the box, and you can manually add to that one at time up to seven. Motorola makes it easy for novice users, by giving the ability to add predefined template themes such as Amazon, Media, and Mobile Office. If you’re already familiar and comfortable with Android, you can simply add blank pages and fill them up with whatever your heart desires.

As far as bloatware, Verizon just inked a deal with Amazon so you will see a healthy dose of Amazon apps which include Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon MP3, and the Appstore. Unfortunately you can’t hide or uninstall any of them. Other bloatware include Audible, Color, Emergency Alerts, Facebook, IMDB, My Verizon Mobile, NFL Mobile, Quickoffice, Slacker Radio, Viewdini, VZ Navigator, and Zappos. Again, you can’t hide or uninstall these apps, which is something new for Motorola as in the past, they allowed you to either hide or uninstall most of the bloatware.

Camera

If there is one complaint I’ve had with Motorola phones, it’s the camera. For whatever reason, Motorola has always lacked in this area. Samsung and HTC continue to lead in this department, and unfortunately the DROID RAZR M doesn’t change anything. If you’re taking still images outdoors, things will be okay with the 8MP lens, but when you get into lower light situations as well as anything that involves movement, things go down hill. Movement is especially a concern because of the slower shutter speed. In my example photos below, the last one depicts my son kissing my wife. I got lucky on the timing. He was actually supposed to be looking at me, but he turned his head and the shutter was so slow it took the picture right when he was kissing her. Unfortunately the result wasn’t so good.

The front-facing camera is a little disappointing based on the fact that it’s VGA, but I would never stay away from this phone based on that. This is a $99 phone and every spec can’t be high end. If there is one area that is acceptable to cut back on, it’s the front-facing camera. It’s rarely used and if you do use it, it will get the job done.

Closing

I think Motorola and Verizon Wireless might have a hit on their hands. Generally when you walk into a Verizon store and you see a smartphone for $99, it’s at least 9 months old. That’s not the case with the DROID RAZR M, and it features specs that are comparable with the big boys. The only real negative on the specs is the rear camera and the front-facing camera. The front-facing camera is a non issue to me since it’s rarely used, but if you rate the quality of the main camera as high on your list, you might have to consider something else like the DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE. Still, if you consider the battery life, the processor, and the build quality, you won’t find a better deal.

Earlier in the year, Motorola gave us a phone with a battery that was light years ahead of anything else and this year they did the same with the edge to edge display. I’ve spoken to many people who don’t like the bigger phones that are available nowadays, and Motorola answered with something truly innovative. Up to this point nobody else has. If you’re a Verizon customer and you want something compact, but substantial, than the DROID RAZR M is for you. It will be the best $99 you ever spent.

 

 

Featured Play Store Newbie: Pirateville – The Enchanted Box [Gaming-Casual]

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:54 AM PDT

There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of hidden object games as of late. It’s just a matter of picking what theme floats your boat. Nevosoft just released another one called Pirateville: The Enchanted Box, which is about a Pirate named Sharpshooter Jack. One day he found a mysterious ancient box, but it was locked. There has to be something important or valuable in it right? As he tries to figure out the secret behind this box, he will meet with spirits and become a psychic as well as escape from prison and learn his destiny. It’s up to you to figure out what’s inside the box. If you love hidden object games as well as some mystery and romance, this game will be right up your alley.

Features:

  • An incredible story of pirates, treasure and an ancient curse
  • Sixty-five challenging levels
  • Colorful locations and interesting quests
  • Challenging mini games
  • Amazing graphics and music

Pirateville: The Enchanted Box is Free so you have nothing to lose. Take a look at the quick demo video below and hit up one of the download links to get started.

 

Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_01 Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_02 Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_03 Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_04 Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_05 Pirateville-The_Enchanted_Box_Splash_Banner

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

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Play Store Download Link

Quick Rant: Android Portable Media Players Are Not Just A Waste Of Consumers’ Time And Money, But A Waste Of Time And Money From Android Manufacturers As Well

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:40 AM PDT

 

As Android continues to grow as the preferred ecosystem among people worldwide, we are seeing an explosion of innovative and impressive devices. I’m not talking about an explosion of just smartphones either. We are seeing an explosion of devices designed to improve your TV, full-fledged gaming systems, innovative tablets and even a nifty camera or two. Now while those type of Android devices are impressive and all, there’s a type of Android device that I failed to mention and for good reason— Android portable media players or PMPs for short. Android PMPs are neither innovative nor impressive– compared to other Android counterparts. Generally speaking, Android manufacturers generate buzz and excitement for various products, yet consumers never hear anything about PMPs and see any real excitement or reason to talk about them. Knowing there’s no real push or excitement for PMPs, is it really important for Android fanatics or even the average consumer to go out and buy a PMP? More importantly, is it important for manufacturing giants like Samsung to continue churning out PMPs, despite there being no major push or excitement these devices? I will respectfully say no to both questions.

In the interest of full disclosure— even though I am an editor of this great Android website and have a great deal of passion for the Android ecosystem, I’m by no means an Android fanboy. I own numerous Apple products including an iPod Touch for my commutes on the New York City Subway or for use when working out. I love technology as a whole— but when it comes to having my personal media player on the go— music, video, pictures and gaming for example— I would rather use an Apple iPod Touch before using an Android PMP, without hesitation. The Apple iPod Touch has set the standard when it comes to managing a consumer’s personal media, while giving the same consumers items like an impressive display, abundant number of applications and plenty of accessories for starters. Android PMPs on the other hand often feature uninspired designs, horrendous features (i.e. lackluster displays or Gingerbread) and few, if any accessories available. Simply put, Android PMPs are a waste of money and resources for consumers and manufacturers and that’s why the average consumer should not even bother with Android PMPs. I’m sure many of you are interested in seeing my reasoning for my strong claim, so go ahead and jump past the break to see my thoughts in greater detail.

 

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way— Android PMPs don’t really offer anything too compelling to the average consumer, unlike Apple’s iPod Touch. First thing’s first— like any Android product, there’s a couple of options available when it comes to PMPs. For now, the most notable PMPs at this time are Samsung’s Galaxy Player line and Sony’s Walkman Z, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Sony’s Walkman Z has great music management software and a 4.3-inch display as the most notable features. The Walkman Z also harks back to the the good ol’ days of the original Walkman where quality sound is emphasized, while allowing you to hold and organize all those albums and mixes you might have in a simplified and efficient manner.

 

The Galaxy Player line from Samsung is another offering with a couple of strengths at this time. As of this writing, Samsung has developed several variations of the Galaxy Player ranging from 3.6-inches to a whopping 5.8-inches. While the Galaxy Players aren’t really known for quality sound or perfect music management, there’s still the ability to play back media with ease. Oh and it helps that both the general designs are fairly acceptable, while the operating system software is fairly straightforward and user-friendly.

It’s certainly good that there’s a few Android options available which caters to different types of consumers, but it doesn’t mean they’re the best options available for people on the go. Take the Walkman Z for example. It has an acceptable dual-core Tegra 2 chip powering the device, yet it has a mediocre display and worse, Gingerbread 2.3 operating the device. This is a major negative because Gingerbread 2.3 is a dated OS and hinders the device’s overall potential. What’s worse about this is that the newer Ice Cream Sandwich would offer an enhanced multimedia experience for the Walkman Z, as it does for other Android devices. Moreover, it doesn’t help the cost of the device is steep— in fact, unacceptable. At the time of this writing, the 16GB Walkman Z is priced at $279.99, while a new 5th-generation 32GB iPod Touch will be priced at $299 or a 16GB iPod Nano will run about $150. The Walkman F800 will essentially be the Walkman Z with Android 4.0, yet the device has yet to be released to the masses. So for now— the Walkman Z is the best Sony PMP available.

Don’t forget about Samsung either– it has a history of churning out products just for the fun of it. At this time, the Galaxy 5.0 is the most recent Samsung PMP on the market right now, but it too features Gingerbread 2.3, coupled with items such as a lackluster single-core processor. Unlike Sony which did a good job of marketing the Walkman Z as a solid alternative to the iPod, the Galaxy Player line seems to go through an identity crisis. Besides playing music and video, what is it that is noteworthy about this Galaxy Player? Is it the fact you can run most Android apps on it? Is it the fact there’s a microSD slot available? Is it the built-in FM tuner? Perhaps the upcoming Galaxy Player 5.8 will generate some excitement in the PMP world— especially with its attractive design, but let’s just hope the 5.8-inch size and questionable display resolution doesn’t turn too many people off.

 

 

The Apple iPod Touch on the other hand, has a simple and straightforward formula that has worked since the original iPod: give consumers a simple and straightforward way to use and consumer media and give them the accessories they want to compliment the PMP. The iPod Touch models have a simplified design that’s not too big or not too small, has an intuitive music and video interface, incredible sound management thanks to optimized equalizer options and a significantly bigger application store for those who like to do more with their devices like play games or stream music. In addition, Apple has numerous partners to ensure iPod Touch models can be used not just in your pockets. From 1st generation to 4th generation models, there are a number of docks and connectors available, as well as armbands and cases for those who like to workout like me. The newly-released 5th generation iPod Touch will use a new connector, but there will be converter adapter accessories to allow the newly released model to work with legacy accessories. And at the very least, you can bet that lots of new accessories will arrive for the new iPod within weeks of its release.

 

 

 

You’ll be hard-pressed to argue the same for Android PMPs in general. One of my biggest complaints of Android PMPs are the lack of accessories available, compared to those available for the iPod Touch. The most notable accessories currently available for most Android PMPs are some sort of audio-in or HDMI cable– maybe a DLNA dongle or wired external speaker as well. But generally speaking, there are so little types of accessories available for Android PMPs. There are no real partnerships between Android manufacturers and the manufacturers of accessories out there. You can find plenty alarm clock docks or even specialized armbands and cases among other things for all iPod touch devices. Heck, Apple even has partnerships with major companies such as Nike which has developed fine products such as one of my favorite accessories imaginable— the Nike+ Fuelband accessory. Android manufacturers don’t seem to put the same type of effort in creating a compelling PMP nor do they try to develop and/or cultivate relationships with other product brands in order to enhance the value and purpose of the PMP. The point is Android manufacturers don’t seem to put much effort into PMPs as they do smartphones or tablets, so why should a consumer bother spending his or her hard-earned cash into a device with ultimately no support? Apple has it right where it not only offers a straightforward, yet complete media player for the average consumer, but also welcomes numerous addons for the same product— making it a complete product as in addition to being a complete media player. That’s the bigger picture.

So here’s the bottom line of my rant: if you want an Android-based PMP, stick with using your Android smartphone or tablet instead of wasting money for a separate Android PMP. There’s much more time, energy and support for smartphones as they have transformed into a de facto entertainment hub. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S III has numerous updates being pushed to the smartphone in addition to a gorgeous display. HTC smartphones have a certain Beats Audio influence, so you know that music and video will sound and look better compared to the competition. Android devices have turned into devices that go beyond just the absolute basics. We play our video games, we look at video and listen to our music in greater quality than we’ve ever seen before. After all, when we buy our devices, we expect to get maximized potential which includes consuming our personal media. The same cannot be said for Android PMPs as consumers are paying a premium cost for an average product. Simply put, as of right now, Android PMPs stink and the manufacturers of these horrendous devices need to go back to the drawing board if they plan on releasing more devices to consumers. This is something all Android owners worldwide should think about.
Posted by at 6:00 AM

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