Saturday, November 17, 2012

Android Central

Android Central


Markers updated to version 1.1, brings new features and more of the smooth

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:34 PM PST

Markers

Markers is one of my favorite apps. I'm definitely not an artist, but I have a ball doodling and scratching an image or two on my tablet. It's fun, and keeps me occupied. Today Markers gets a pretty significant update, chock full of new features, and just as important, changes to make it even smoother on large screen devices like the Samsung Nexus 10. Here's the official change log.

  •  You can now set the background color! Press and hold on a color in the palette to choose an opaque background, and long-press the checkerboard to go back to transparent.
  • 10 undo steps.
  • Retains color & tool selections between launches.
  • Much smoother and more responsive on devices with large displays.

To make things even better, Markers is entirely open-source. The source code has been updated as well, grab it here.

Markers was already one of the smoothest digital sketchpads available, and today's update makes it even better. If you like to doodle, especially on a tablet, check it out.

Via +Markers



Samsung seeks details of Apple's HTC patent settlement

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:03 PM PST

Android Central

In an effort to stop Apple from imposing a sales ban on their products in the U.S., Samsung is seeking to have Apple disclose the terms of their patent settlement with HTC. The grounds for the court request are that the patents in question may be related to those that Apple had claimed were infringed upon by Samsung - in particular, user experience patents which Apple had previously refused to license to anyone. If they turned around and licensed these patents to HTC, Apple will have a hard time convincing courts that the $1 billion in compensation isn't enough to keep them happy. 

Though a sales ban is seeming increasingly unlikely for this particular case, Apple and Samsung will be duking it out in courts well into 2014, and the outcome of this request could easily set the stage for patent disputes to come. 

It's great to see that Apple may be put in a position where they have to license their more ridiculous patents more freely, but one still has to wonder what made Apple ease up and accept a settlement with HTC in the first place. Any ideas? Maybe Tim Cook wants to relax Apple's image a bit, or maybe just save on legal fees? 

Via: Reuters 



Announcing the winners of the Million Member Giveaway

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 03:41 PM PST

1,000,000 members

Our gigantic Million Member Giveaway has wrapped up, and it's time to announce the lucky winners. We want to thank everyone for entering, but more importantly we want to thank you for participating every day. Without folks like you we couldn't be the best Android site on the planet. 

Without further ado, here's your winners list!

Grand Prize: paul-c won a Samsung Galaxy S3, case, screen protector and car charger & 16GB Google Nexus 7 combo pack.

First Prize Winners: jude526 and cyanogen-man will each receive a $100 ShopAndroid.com coupon code.

Second Prize Winners: will each receive a $50.00 Google Play Gift Card:

Third Prize Winners: Each of the following members will receive a Lloyd T-shirt from ShopAndroid.com:

Active member prize pack: Congrats to digital slacker on his new Samsung Chromebook, a $100 ShopAndroid.com coupon code, a $50 Google Play gift card, and a Lloyd T-shirt from ShopAndroid.com.

Attention Winners:

To claim your prize, please send an email address -- from the address you have on file -- to cory.streater@androidcentral.com. Please include all shipping information.

Thanks again to everyone for making this the best and fastest growing Android Community on the web, and cheers to another million!



Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 get an official ClockWorkMod recovery

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 03:11 PM PST

CWM

Koush has released the official builds of ClockWorkMod recovery for the LG Nexus 4 and the Samsung Nexus 10 this afternoon, giving us all a quick and easy way to back everything up and flash bleeding-edge stuff and try to break out new Nexus devices.

You'll find them in the usual places -- the ClockWorkMod site and ROM Manager, but for now Koush is suggesting everyone skip the ROM Manager route and flash by hand. 

Because I can't seem to listen to instruction or reason, I had to try the ROM Manager method, and sure enough it doesn't work. If you are as thick-headed as I am and try, you just need to flash the stock recovery back into place and boot into it once to fix your non-booting Nexus 4. Flashing or booting from fastboot works a treat though. 

Now we have root and recovery for the N4, let's see how bad we can break stuff!

Source: +Koushik Dutta. 



Pit might against magic in upcoming Dragon Slayer game

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 02:55 PM PST

Android Central

Today Glu announced their next free-to-play game, Dragon Slayer. It's shaping up to incorporate a lot of Infinity Blade's one-on-one dueling format, except instead of wielding steel, players cast a variety of spells to subdue all manner of menacing dragons. Details are scarce for the time being, but you can count on upgradeable equipment and in-app purchases being in the mix somewhere. Plus, as you can tell, the graphics are pretty slick. 

What do you guys think of the trailer below? Glu has been publishing a lot of the duel-style games lately, including Blood and Glory: Legend and Death Dome... Any favorites, or is the freemium model an instant turn-off? Either way, expect to see Dragon Slayer in Google Play next week. 

read more



Kobo Arc now available in Canada and the UK, France from Monday

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 01:56 PM PST

Android Central

Perhaps a little late to the party, but arriving nevertheless, eReader maker Kobo has brought their latest creation to market today. The Kobo Arc, based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich -- with a Jelly Bean update already in the works -- is on sale today in Canada and the UK, and will arrive in France starting Monday. In the UK the Arc is exclusive to high street retailer WHSmiths -- available online only until November 21 -- and will cost £160 or £190 for the 16GB or 32GB versions respectively. In Canada these two run for $200 and $250 Canadian. 

Differentiating from the competition somewhat though, there is a 64GB version of the Arc too. This one doesn't seem to be up for sale in the UK just yet, but in Canada costs just $300 Canadian. 

We first saw the Kobo Arc back at IFA 2012 in Berlin, and while running in direct competition with the Amazon Kindle Fire and even Google's own Nexus 7, there is a lot of potential appeal for a casual tablet user. The custom Kobo UI, known as Tapestries, aims to provide a content focused experience. And, unlike the Amazon offerings, the Arc runs 'regular' Android, and as such has full access to the Google suite of applications and the Google Play Store. Full press release can be found after the break. 

read more



Nexus 4 Dot Live Wallpaper brings the back of the Nexus 4 to your wallpaper

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 01:19 PM PST

Android Central

The simplest things in life often bring us the most pleasure, and this one sits somewhere in that category. One of the defining features of the new LG Nexus 4, is of course the pattern on the rear. Paying homage to the original Nexus One live wallpaper pattern, caught in the right light it's a pleasure to look at. Not content with limiting to the rear of Google's latest baby, there's now a live wallpaper that attempts to bring the effect to the front. 

Simply known as Nexus 4 Dot Live Wallpaper, it's available for free download from the Google Play store now. There's a bunch of advertisements to deal with, but only in the settings menu. There's a few different settings to customize, namely color, size of the dots and the speed of the animations. Our personal preference is for small white dots -- the closest resemblance to the actual pattern on the Nexus 4. Click on past the break to see how it looks in a couple of other colors, or head on over to the Play Store and snag yourselves a copy.

read more



Nexus 4 gets rooted, we feign surprise

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:52 AM PST

Android Central

It's a Nexus. It's got an unlockable bootloader. So it was only a matter of time before someone worked out how to plug root access and superuser into Google and LG's new baby. We've been here before, folks.

In addition to a working root method from AddictiveTips's HQRaja (via XDA), there's also now a working version of ClockworkMod custom recovery for the device. This expands upon stock recovery with a bunch of new features for advanced users.

Nexus phones are Google's developer devices, so they're supposed to be easy to crack open and fiddle with. So if you're looking to run rooted apps, or even tinker with the phone's system software, this Nexus is as good as any other. AOSP support for the Nexus 4 has yet to arrive, unfortunately, but we imagine Google will be publishing the code sooner rather than later.

Source: AddictiveTips via XDA

More: How to unlock the Nexus 4's bootloader, Nexus 4 forums



HTC Desire C coming to RadioShack No-Contract Wireless for $119.99

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 11:29 AM PST

HTC Desire C

RadioShack is adding to its lineup of entry-level devices that it offers on its self-branded prepaid wireless service today with the HTC Desire C. This pint-sized HTC handset may carry the Desire name, but it looks very much like the One series of devices from HTC in 2012. The internals are decidedly low-end, however. The Desire C has a 3.5-inch 320x480 (HVGA) display, a 600MHz processor and 512MB of RAM -- all running with Android 4.0 and Sense on top.

The 'Shack offers the Desire C for $119.99 on its no-contract prepaid service with monthly payments of $50 for unlimited calls, texts and data (first 1GB at full speed) or $60 for the same and 2.5GB of full-speed data. Both prices include a subscription to the Muve Music service, which offers both streaming and downloads of a wide music selection on the device. 

Source: RadioShack



Droid DNA and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 09:45 AM PST

Droid DNA and Galaxy Note 2.

They're both big, for sure - but the waistline is where things really show

What a difference a half-inch can make. So in one hand we've got the new Verizon Droid DNA. A 5-inch display that's taller than most phones, but retains the slim waistline. And in the other hand we've got the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It's 5.5 inches diagonally. And while it's even taller than the DNA -- by about a centimeter -- it's the extra width of the Galaxy Note 2 that really separates the two phones. 

The Droid DNA still feels like a relatively traditional Android smartphone in your hand. A big one, sure. But HTC's new design, with the battery sandwiched between the PCB and the display, keeps it feeling slim, when, in fact it's actually 0.33 mm thicker than the Note 2. 

But it's that difference in width that sends the Note 2 over the top. Again, it's a full centimeter difference. And what the Note 2 makes up for in size it lacks in resolution, still sporting a 720p display, whereas the DNA is a full 1080p. That'll likely change in the next generation. But for now, the DNA takes it in pixels per inch, and it's definitely apparent.

read more



Spark socket to turn your phone into a light switch and make bulbs app-friendly

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 09:08 AM PST

Android Central

A fresh Kickstarter project is aiming to provide smartphone-friendly home lighting through a socket accessory.  The Wi-Fi-enabled Spark goes right into normal light sockets, then your light bulb goes into the Spark. Once that's done, users will be able to set flashing rules for notifications, fade-in for alarms, and otherwise remotely control your home lighting. 

Spark isn't alone in trying to bring home lighting to Android, though. Lifx recently wrapped up funding for their smart light bulb, which includes a wide range of color options and the same degree of programmability. Of course, when a Lifx Bulb burns out, you're out $70, while Spark seems like it will weather the test of time a little bit better, plus there are APIs available for developers to plug their apps into Spark. My only worry is that the added bulk in the socket might not be practical for all lamps. 

Spark is only a few days into its Kickstarter campaign and still has a ways to go to meet its $250,000 goal, though they've already sold out of the early bird special. You can still back them and preorder on for $59, though. Any takers? Would you rather Spark or Lifx? Are there other solid smart home lighting solutions out there?

read more



ZTE Warp Sequent hands on

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 08:29 AM PST

ZTE Warp Sequent.

We dropped by the Hammerstein Ballroom here in New York last night for Pepcom's annual Wine and Dine Demo, which promised a first look at some this holiday season's hottest gadgets. And while there aren't many surprises for the big manufacturers left to spring in terms of new devices, it was a nice chance to spend some quality time with the smaller, tighter operations who have shifted their focus on the growing prepaid market.

Case in point: ZTE, the Chinese manufacturer who has focused mainly on the entry-level, prepaid market here in the States. Their hottest seller, the ZTE Warp, recently underwent a nice little refresh in the ZTE Warp Sequent, which is on sale now at Boost Mobile. The Warp Sequent is undoubtedly entry level, but for $200 up front and unlimited plans starting at $55/month, it's a nice option for those who want to keep their cellular bills to a minimum. 

read more



Samsung and Apple allowed to add new products to patent lawsuits

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 07:54 AM PST

Android Central

Both Apple and Samsung have been granted requests to add additional devices to their respective patent claims against one another by a federal judge recently. This means that Samsung can claim patent infringement by the iPhone 5, while Apple can target Galaxy Note, the Galaxy S3, and Jelly Bean useon the Galaxy Nexus. 

Though Samsung suffered a significant blow over the summer against Apple, CEO JK Shin is still digging in his heels and vowing not to settle their patent disputes. This next round isn't even due to reach trial until 2014, and at time of filing, included iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch models, versus 19 Samsung devices. 

It's a little disheartening to hear that we're still going to be dealing with the same patent disputes more than a year from now, but at this point we should probably all be used to it. Will Apple and Samsung ever get out of this legal grappling? Samsung hasn't been shy about applying some pressure from the supplier relationship angle, but I can only see that antagonizing Apple into getting more aggressive in the courtroom rather than pushing them into settling. 

Via: Bloomberg



Samsung Galaxy Camera now available from AT&T

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:44 AM PST

Android Central

As promised, today sees the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Camera in the U.S., where it's now available to buy from AT&T. The Android-powered point-and-shoot camera features a 16-megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor with 21X optical zoom, and runs Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) out of the box, along with Samsung's own customizations. At $499, it's not the cheapest point-and-shoot around, but it is backed up by Samsung's latest smartphone tech, similar to what's found in the Galaxy S3.

In addition to Wifi, the Galaxy Camera supports AT&T's 4G (HSPA+) network, and the carrier's offering the following plans for use with the camera -- though the device is also available to buy with no commitment. 

  • AT&T Mobile Share: $10 to share between 1 GB and 20GB
  • AT&T DataConnect 250MB: $15 for 250MB
  • AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB
  • AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

If you're interested in picking up a Galaxy Camera on launch day, you'll find more details over at the source link.

Source: Galaxy Camera on AT&T



Deal of the Day: Musubo MUMMY for Samsung Galaxy S3

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 06:21 AM PST

Deal of the Day The Nov. 16 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Musubo MUMMY for Samsung Galaxy S3. The beauty of simplicity and tranquility echoes through Musubo's Mummy Case for the Galaxy S3. Ultra-durable soft-touch TPU material absorbs life's daily impacts while complimenting your device with a stunning, precision fit design. Includes folding video stand for on-the-go entertainment and comes in black, purple, red and white.

The Musubo MUMMY Case is available for just $19.00, 46% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!



AT&T lights up a load of new LTE locales

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:26 AM PST

AT&T LTE

OK, folks. Been waiting for AT&T in your neck of the woods? Peep this list of cities that officially went live today:

  • Mobile, Ala.
  • Jonesboro, Ark.
  • Pensacola, Fla.
  • South Bend and  Mishawaka, Ind.
  • Saratoga/Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Eugene, Ore.
  • Corvallis, Ore.
  • Portland, Ore.
  • Greenville, S.C.
  • Columbia, S.C.
  • Charleston, S.C.
  • El Paso, Texas

Also, AT&T has expanded its LTE coverage in Fairfield County, Conn., as well as downriver Wayne and Monroe near Detroit. AT&T says its LTE coverage has doubled in 2012 and is now in 103 markets, with more to come this year.

Today's launch comes on the heels of other cities going live this week, including Minneapolis/St. Paul, Provo-Orem, Utah; Denver; Anne Arundel County in Maryland; Daytona Beach; York, Penn.; Tacoma, Wash.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Louisville, Ken.

AT&T earlier this month announced that it plans to spend some $14 billion on its network over the next three years.



Google Play Music matching service now live in Europe

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 05:10 AM PST

Android Central

Following Monday's Google Play Music launch in Europe, Google's music matching service has been enabled for European users. Similar to iTunes Match, the new service works through the existing Google Music Manager app, crunching your music collection and matching it to stuff already on Google's servers. This bypasses the tedious process of directly uploading music, which until now has been a necessary evil for anyone wanting to move their existing library over to Google's streaming service.

The whole process is designed to be transparent to users, so the only difference you should notice is that the music manager app completes its work significantly more quickly than before. Google Play Music now includes libraries from all the major labels, but if you have any music that's not in Google's collection, you'll still be able to upload that as before.

Right now the scan and match service is only available in Europe, though a U.S. launch is expected soon.



AT&T's HTC One X+ and One VX available today

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:48 AM PST

HTC One X+ and One VX

Just a quick reminder that the HTC One X+ and One VX are available as of today on AT&T. The One X+ is the souped-up version of its 2012 flagship phone, with a 4.7-inch 720p display and a Tegra 3 quad-core processor running at 1.7 GHz. The VX is more on the mid-range side of things, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a look. It's got a 4.5-inch qHD display and a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Both sport HTC's excellent ImageSense camera system.

The One X+ runs $199 on contract, and the One VX is $49.

More: Win an HTC One X+ from Android Central and AT&T



Android Central 116: The Google Play debacle; Verizon's DNA

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:08 AM PST

Podcast MP3 URL: 
http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/acpc116.mp3

Thing 1: The Google Play debacle

Thing 2: The Verizon Droid DNA

Thing 3: Other stuff



O2 UK's Nexus 4 reportedly SIM-unlocked

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 03:43 AM PST

Android Central

If you live in the UK and weren't lucky enough to bag yourself a Nexus 4 from the Google Play Store, there might be a way -- albeit an expensive way -- to get your hands on an unlocked 16GB model. As we reported a few weeks back, O2 scored a month-long exclusivity period, meaning it's the only carrier able to directly sell the Nexus 4 in the UK until mid-December. (Carphone Warehouse has the new Nexus too, though officially they're not offering it SIM-free.)

Today we're seeing reports from members on the Android Central forums, corroborated by similar posts from other forums, indicating that Nexus 4s sold by O2 are in fact SIM-unlocked, despite the carrier's protestations to the contrary. Android Central forum member tomjdavies writes -- 

I got my Nexus 4 from O2 today. They were adamant in-store that it was locked to O2 but I made them put my Vodafone sim in it - and it worked, much to my joy ha. I paid £399.99 plus £10 for a pay as you go SIM.

Similar reports from XDA suggest this isn't an isolated incident, and that despite what O2 store staff are telling customers, at least some of its Nexus 4 stock is unlocked. That means if you're willing to cough up the £400 (plus £10 top-up) asking price, you could walk away with an unlocked Nexus 4, weeks before it's available again on the Google Play Store. Nevertheless, we'd advise caution until there's official confirmation that all O2 Nexus 4s are sold without a network lock.

In the meantime, we've reached out to O2 for any official comment, and will keep you updated on any new information you provide. If you've picked up a Nexus 4 from O2 in the past few days, be sure to hit the comments and let us know if it's SIM-locked.

Source: Android Central forums, XDA



Issues tracking your UK Nexus delivery online? Here's why

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 03:36 AM PST

Android Central

If, like me, you're eagerly awaiting the delivery of your new Nexus 4 or Nexus 10 to a UK address, you'll no doubt have encountered some issues tracking the package online. Google sent out a TNT consignment number with every shipping email, along with a handy hyperlink to track that item online. But, tracking those numbers seems to bring up either an error or a completely different package belonging to someone else. Frustrating? Absolutely. But, the good news is it's an easy fix. 

The "TNT # ..." number provided to you by Google isn't the consignment number of the package as they would have you believe. This number is in fact your customer reference number. This can be used to track the package too though, so don't fret. On the tracking page on the TNT website, ensure that the "Reference Number" box is checked and not the "Consignment Number" box. Click track, and it should bring up all you need to know. 

More: Nexus 4 Forums, Nexus 10 Forums



Morning news roundup: November 16, 2012

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 01:59 AM PST

Chamelon Nexus 10

SjyDrive  Twitter

Good morning! While you were resting your eyes, we here at Android Central kept an eye on the Internet for you, so we could bring you up to speed on everything that happened while you slept. That's just what we do, and we love doing it. Here's what you might have missed.

Software and updates

SkyDrive gets a big update

Chameleon Launcher slashes price to $3.99

Pandora 4.0 rolls out

See your media in-line with Twitter's latest update

Devices

Boost gets the Titanium Galaxy S 2

16GB Nexus 10 sells out

Odds & ends

Verizon still kicking out more LTE

Google Now is PopSci's Innovation of the Year

RIM's game-port-a-thon is a good way for Android developers to make some extra bucks



Pandora rolls out version 4.0 update with a new feature set

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 10:28 PM PST

Pandora

We got a look at the press images of a new update to Pandora -- version 4.0 -- a couple weeks ago, and now it has finally gone live for everyone to get their hands on. The app got a pretty substantial UI facelift in the previous update, and now this one brings extra features to fill out the entire experience. After linking the app to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, you can share the current playlist or song directly to each network. On the listening side, you can create and manage your different playlists, and add variety to current ones.

You can also now create a "music profile" for yourself, making a central repository for everything you do in Pandora. You can browse and follow other users' music profiles in what's being called the "music feed" as well. The update has just gone live in the Play Store, and you can grab a download at the link above.



Verizon continues to roll out 4G LTE with several new markets

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 09:19 PM PST

Android Central

The Verizon 4G LTE rollout continues again today with several new markets going live across the country. Customers in  the following markets should be seeing LTE go live today:

  • Ironwood, Michigan
  • Galesburg, Illinois
  • Wheeling, West Virginia
  • St. Clairesville, Ohio
  • Louisa, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George and Charles City counties in Virginia

At this point it's surprising that Verizon is still finding places that don't yet have LTE, given how many markets we see go live every single week.

Source: Verizon (2) (3) (4)



Droid DNA goodness, 4.2 upgrade Bluetooth issues [From the Forums]

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 08:42 PM PST

From the Forums

While you get yourself caught up on the blog posts from today, don't forget that in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about as well. 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 over 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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