Android Authority |
- Woot Check: Stay on top of your daily deals, all in one place
- Rogers Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note arriving soon
- Nexus 4 design flaws revealed by internal shot, battery might be easily replaceable after all
- The Nexus business model and why retail stores will never be able to compete
- Oppo Finder gets official Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean upgrade, sort of
- Telus: Our 4G LTE network covers 61% of the Canadian population
- Android 4.2 Transformation Pack brings even more exciting new features to the Galaxy Nexus
- Samsung to completely overhaul their brand, show off their new identity at CES
- Upcoming Boost Mobile ad claims to allow activation of Sprint phones
- Researchers unveil Android’s vulnerability to ‘SMSishing’
| Woot Check: Stay on top of your daily deals, all in one place Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:37 AM PST
Regardless of your geek/nerd/dork/techie status, we can all agree on one thing: saving money is great. Daily deal site Woot! became popular offering one item at a great price each day, but as its reach grew, so did its offerings. With sites like Woot, Tech.Woot, Home.Woot, and Sport.Woot all offering their own deals each day, staying on top of everything can become a daunting task. Fortunately, GT Media’s own Woot Check has simplified the process, all from the palm of your hand. Hopping straight into Woot Check, you’ll notice right off the bat how easy it is to navigate around. A simple swipe left or right takes to over to a different Woot column, and every new Woot column is both conveniently color-coded and labeled up top. A refresh button up at the top allows you to manually refresh the deal, so if the clock has just struck twelve and you’re itching to see what new item is for sale, you’ve got the option to. Also up top is the item description button (looks like a piece of paper), so you can read the hilarious stories the Woot folks write up for each item. The last button up top, (and perhaps the most important), is the menu button. Hitting the menu button gives you three options: Comments, Share, and Preferences. Comments is exactly what it sounds like: reading the comments on any item’s page. The downside is that the comments don’t exist within the app, and you’ll actually be redirected to an external web page in your browser. (Kind of a pain.) Share is fairly straightforward, giving you a list of places you can share this Woot deal, like Facebook, Gmail, or Google+, to name a few. Preferences is where you can really take control of the Woot Check experience and fiddle with what you don’t like. Here you can enable or disable background notifications, turn sounds on and off, and change the change the Woot-Off refresh interval. If there’s a particular Woot site you’re passionate about, you can enable only specific notifications, but a generic, catch-all notification is enabled by default and covers all the Woot sites listed. Other than that, the preferences are bare. As I mentioned in my video review, Woot Check is a “minion” of Woot, which means you could be redirected to a different page (in your browser) before you can purchase anything. I’ve been assured that this is just so the developers get a small cut for referring you to Woot, (and they say helps pay for further development), but I figured it best to make this clear upfront so no one feels jolted. (In my experience with it, the external site redirects to Woot so quickly, you probably won’t even notice.) Overall, I’m very pleased with Woot Check. It offers a streamlined, Holo-friendly Woot experience, alerts you to new deals with notifications (should you choose), and does it all for free. Pros:
Cons:
Woot Check is completely, absolutely free and works with all devices running Android 2.1 and above. Related Posts |
| Rogers Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note arriving soon Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:17 AM PST
Users of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note under Rogers are no doubt itching to get their hands on an official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. Even though version 4.2 is already out, version 4.1 is still sought after by many, thanks to the sheer number of new features and performance enhancements that it brings to the table. So what’s the story on the Rogers Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note? According to the official OS upgrade schedule posted on the Rogers Community Forums, Jelly Bean is set to arrive some time in “Late November” for the Galaxy S3. Meanwhile, Galaxy Note users have to wait until “Late December” for the chance to finally upgrade to Jelly Bean. In short, there’s going to be a wait of several more weeks for owners of both devices. Those who don’t want to wait that long can resort to performing unofficial upgrades on their own. But as the saying goes, nothing beats the real thing. If you own either of these phones, your only hope now is for Rogers to fix the release dates, which are still subject to change, to be much closer to the present. Related Posts |
| Nexus 4 design flaws revealed by internal shot, battery might be easily replaceable after all Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:15 AM PST  Credit: @nerdtalker, Anandtech LG and Google's Nexus 4 is all everyone's talking about lately, but, with so many great things going for it, it was only a matter of time until people started finding the 4.7-incher some faults. After all, you can't make a quad-core super-phone with Android 4.2 on board available for $300 and not sacrifice something, right? But while we already knew about the lack of 4G LTE speeds, microSD support and the non-removable battery, one major concern that seems to only arise now refers to a possible mediocre build quality. The guys over at XDA Developers analyzed an internal shot of the Nexus 4 and found that design flaws overwhelm the strong points. Though it is obviously far too early to give out any build quality verdict – with the phone still not being up for grabs – the observations seem to be mostly valid, so let's dig in. Out of the four design minuses noticed by XDA, the biggest cause for concern is probably the "lack of impact zones", meaning that the Nexus 4, as it is built, might be more fragile than the average smartphone. It's definitely not recommended to drop your mobile device (that is, if you don't have Darcy LaCouvee's bizarre hobbies), but if the Nexus 4 does happen to slip your hands, impacts might alter the "physical structure of the board, causing components to come loose". Oh, well, you can always protect the phone with a case, right?  Credit: @nerdtalker, Anandtech Another design flaw that XDA found is the using of spring antenna connections, which can easily cause signal losses on the long haul. This is an issue that won't be noticeable firsthand, but that might plague Nexus 4 users once the phone will age or after an unfortunate drop or impact due to warping of back plates and loss of tensions between them and the board. The using of tape instead of structure and shielding might be another thing to make the Nexus 4's internals look a bit cheap, being messy and leaving residue on components. This is definitely another reason for concern on the long run, especially if the tape comes off. The fourth and last design minus noticed by XDA is one we already knew about – the non-removable battery. The phone's robustness can definitely be affected if you try to change the battery, but hey, that is to be expected. After all, Google and LG don't want you to take it off, so why would they make it easy for you? Then again, as one Reddit user found, the Nexus 4's battery might not be impossible to replace after all, requiring the simple use of a screwdriver and some basic handy work. Of course, the fragility issue stands, not to mention that it'll be very difficult to find a spare battery for the phone. Still, it is nice to hear that, come an emergency situation when, say, your battery is fried and your warranty void, you might just be able to do something to save the day. Happy to hear that? How about the supposed design flaws found by XDA, are they really reason for concern? Do you think that LG will do something about those before the Nexus 4 will see the light of day? Related Posts |
| The Nexus business model and why retail stores will never be able to compete Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:05 AM PST
Google unveiled a couple of new Nexus devices last week. Are they any good? I honestly can’t say since I haven’t played with them, but on paper they sound amazing. Take the Nexus 4 for example: 1280 x 768 resolution screen, quad core 1.5 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera … it’s a total beast. How then is Google selling the 16 GB model for just $349? Easy, Google isn’t making any money on the hardware. In case you haven’t noticed by now, Google is an advertising company. During the third quarter of 2012, 94% of their revenue came from ads. In other words, Google’s in the business of showing you little blue links for Viagra. They make compelling services that are addictive and charge nothing for them because at the end of the day it’s the ads that are displayed within those services that make the company money. This isn’t a radically new idea. Businesses have always had “loss leaders”, otherwise known as goods or services that are sold at break even or even worse just to make money on the customer some other way. Bars give people peanuts and pretzels because it makes them thirstier, so they buy more drinks. Same idea at restaurants. They hardly make anything selling you dinner, but they’ll recommend that you and your date enjoy a bottle of wine with your meal that has a 500% markup. And we all know about electronics stores that use high pressure scare tactics to make you buy an insurance policy for your new gadget, because that’s a huge profit center for them. Talking about electronics stores, the Spanish retailer Phone House has recently said that they’re not going to sell the Nexus 4 because LG wants them to price it at 599 EUR. Meanwhile, Google is selling the Nexus 4 in Spain for 350 EUR online. How is this possible? It’s obvious, and I hate that I have to point this out, but here it goes: Phone House has to lease stores. They have to pay people to remodel those stores. They have to pay people to work in those stores. They need to hire a team of people to meticulously manage the inventory. I could go on, but I’ll stop. Google meanwhile will gladly sell you a Nexus 4 for 350 EUR because they don’t have any overhead. I can’t confirm this, but I’m pretty sure that whenever someone orders a Nexus 4 from Google’s website, it leaves a warehouse in South Korea and goes to wherever it needs to go. Why is Nexus hardware so cheap? Because providing a compelling retail experience is so damn expensive. And if you’re in the business of retail, you make money only once, when you sell things. Why do you think stores hate it so much when you touch and play with a product on their shelves and then go home and buy said product off Amazon? The Nexus business model is, like Google, extremely disruptive. It’s bound to piss people off, but that’s progress for you. Will Samsung ever copy the Nexus business model? Of course not. All those Galaxy ads that you see plastered across cities around the world cost money. The Galaxy S3 at 500 EUR incorporates those additional costs. Do you honestly think Google is going to spend anywhere near the amount of money Samsung spends on advertising the new Nexus devices? No. The sad reality is that most people honestly couldn’t care less about any of these issues. The Nexus 4 provides the best Android experience on the fact of the planet, but people buy whatever their local store tells them is the best. Why do people go to stores? Because they want someone to make a decision for them and they want somewhere to go in case they need help with something. Related Posts |
| Oppo Finder gets official Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean upgrade, sort of Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:47 AM PST
What was once “the world’s thinnest smartphone” is now one of the world’s thinnest smartphones with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. The Oppo Finder from Oppo Mobile, which was first announced in China and made available for pre-order back in June of this year, comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, an 8MP camera, a 1.5GHz processor, and 1GB of RAM inside a casing that measures only 6.65mm thick. Oppo Mobile has just released a “preview” version of the Jelly Bean update, which gives the Finder improvements in overall performance, as well as a number of nifty new features. The new software is not without problems, however. Apparently, it’s only a demo version of what is supposed to be the finished product, and it brings with it a number of issues that have yet to be fixed. These include problems with crashing apps and a few wireless connectivity concerns. Among the numerous bugs is also the lack of OTA software upgrade support. So the whole upgrade procedure needs to be done manually. It isn’t for everyone. Except, of course, those who are truly eager to poke around at Jelly Bean now, and will know exactly what to do with a zipped version of the software upgrade, which is already available for download. Related Posts |
| Telus: Our 4G LTE network covers 61% of the Canadian population Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:28 AM PST
Telus has some good news to share for folks who need a blazing fast mobile Internet connection in their lives, the kind that only LTE can provide. Although it wasn't the first to offer 4G LTE wireless service, the carrier has been aggressively expanding its LTE network coverage in the country. The latest expansions see Telus' 4G LTE network covering 61% of the Canadian population. That’s roughly 20 million happy Canadians. For Telus subscribers who live in Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, and Cumberland – you'll be glad to hear that the LTE service has gone live in those cities. But the expansion won't stop across the Ottawa region, as "more than 65 percent of Ontario residents are expected to have access" to the high-speed wireless Internet access by the end of the year. The 4G LTE switch has also been turned on in Newmarket and Aurora. If you own any of the latest 4G devices on Telus, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One X, the Samsung Rugby LTE, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE – you should be seeing those LTE signal bars on the device when you're in the neighborhood. Did you get 4G LTE yet in your area? Related Posts |
| Android 4.2 Transformation Pack brings even more exciting new features to the Galaxy Nexus Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:09 AM PST
With the release of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean just days away, there doesn't seem to be much to do other than wait and get the new tasty treats… when we'll get them. However, if you are dying to try out some of the new JB features beforehand, a number of independent devs are working around the clock to make them available. Gnufabio made the first step in porting the 4.2 keyboard and clock to 4.0 and 4.1 devices, garner took things up a notch by making the new camera app available, although only for the Galaxy Nexus, and now we have a much more complete goodies pack, again just for the GNex. Tommrazek01, an XDA Developer Forum senior member, is the brilliant mind behind the Android 4.2 Transformation Pack, which brings the following upgrades and new functions to all Galaxy Nexuses, regardless of their on-board ROM:
 It's hard to not get excited after browsing that list of goodies, but before getting carried away try to remember that flashing this mod comes with all the usual risks, including the possibility of bricking your device (unlikely) and voiding your warranty (guaranteed). Of course, if you're already running a custom ROM on your Galaxy Nexus, you shouldn't worry about your warranty anymore, so you might as well go ahead and give this a quick try. Or you can wait it out for a week or two and get the official "Transformation Pack", including not only these tasty treats, but a whole bunch of others, too. Your choice. Related Posts |
| Samsung to completely overhaul their brand, show off their new identity at CES Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:33 AM PST
According to the Australian website Channel News, Samsung is in the process of overhauling their brand. The familiar Samsung logo written in blue (or white) letters will soon disappear. What’s going to replace it? We’ll find out at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, which is set to kick off on January 8th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scott Bedbury, who used to be in charge of Nike’s advertising, is said to be the father of Samsung’s new identity. Sources who have spoken with Channel News say that the South Korean handset maker’s advertising will soon focus less on devices and more on people’s lifestyles. They also say that Samsung employees who need more business cards printed have been denied their requests because the new logo is so close to launching. Is it wise for the company to do be doing this right now? Android powered three out of every four smartphones that shipped last quarter. The company that’s most closely linked to the success of Android is of course Samsung. They’re on top of the world, so everyone is paying attention to them. This is the perfect time to reboot people’s perceptions. We do have some questions though: Will Samsung be launching new smartphones and tablets at CES or will they just unveil their new logo? Will they stop diluting the “Galaxy” brand? Will the company’s TouchWiz user interface be tweaked to better support the company’s new image or is it going to continue being “nature” inspired? In time we’ll get all the answers we need, obviously. Right now we’re just excited to be hearing that we’re soon going to see something new and exciting. Walk down any street in any major city and chances are you’ll bump into a Samsung ad. To have a former Nike guy in charge of those ads going forward sounds highly promising. Related Posts |
| Upcoming Boost Mobile ad claims to allow activation of Sprint phones Posted: 04 Nov 2012 10:00 PM PST
XDA-Developers Member jewfish posted a teaser thread about Boost Mobile and a possible future promotion. It would allow Sprint customers to flash their phones to Boost Mobile’s service, which Boost would help with. This would allow those interested to switch their phones to Boost or buy a Sprint phone and have it activated on Boost. Upon request, jewfish provided me with a photo of the future promotion. The one above has seen some Photoshop action, but the unaltered one can be found here. There are some troubling things about the photo, though. For instance, one would think that Boost Mobile would want to put the more capable Sprint phones in the picture. Phones such as the HTC EVO 3D, Samsung Epic 4G Touch, or other WiMAX enabled devices that would work well on Boost’s WiMAX 4G network. If true, what are the benefits of Boost Mobile’s promotion?The important thing is the legality and the price. There are a variety of methods out there to switch CDMA devices to other carriers. Some of them are perfectly legal and okay. Others, however, are not legal. Not every guide tells you which is which. With this promotion you can be sure you’re not going to get in trouble for doing something wrong. Additionally, the services out there that will do it for you would go extinct. These methods are usually completely legal, but can run anywhere from $25-$50 to flash your phone to Boost Mobile. This is only a rumor right now, so of course there is the usual amount of skepticism. However, if it does pan out, things could get a lot more exciting for Boost Mobile customers who want Sprint phones or Sprint customers who want a change. Do you think this will actually happen? Let us know in the comments. Related Posts |
| Researchers unveil Android’s vulnerability to ‘SMSishing’ Posted: 04 Nov 2012 04:32 PM PST
Mobile security researches at NC State University have revealed a new vulnerability in the popular Android platform, including Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean, that makes these Android versions susceptible to SMSishing – or the act of phishing through SMS messages. Google has confirmed this vulnerability and plans to address it in the future releases of Android. Xuxian Jiang’s research team at NC State uncovered that if an infected app is downloaded by an Android user, the attacking program can camouflage itself by making it “appear that the user has received an SMS, or text, message from someone on the phone's contact list or from trusted banks”. This fake message can make users give away their personal information including passwords for user accounts. The team is still waiting for an official fix from Google to be out before it publishes the details of the vulnerability. In the mean time, Android users are urged to pay close attention to the apps they download and the SMS messages they receive, especially from unknown sources. So, all you ethical hackers and geeks out there, are you listening? This seems like a potential opportunity to show some of your talents and fix this up for the vast amount of Android users that can be affected by this. It is time to earn some good Kharma by burning some midnight oil! So get set and go and save the world! Also, don’t forget to spread the word – tell us if you have received anything like this! Related Posts |
Changing carriers but keeping your device with CDMA devices can be troublesome. On GSM, it’s relatively easy and requires only that you get your unlock code. Then pop in a SIM card and you’re done. With CDMA, it requires reprogramming the phone. Not all ways of doing so are legal either. Boost Mobile may be helping Sprint customers with that sometime in the near future.
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Authority To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment