Android Phone Fans |
- New data showing Windows 8 beating Android in web traffic, but how?
- Hands-On: HaxSync fills your phone book with high-res contact photos quickly and easily [VIDEO]
- The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-Earth for Android now available
- Apple earns long-gestating rounded rectangle patent, should other tablet makers be concerned?
- Google House View: funny concept hits home for the privacy-concerned [VIDEO]
- Google Play Music and Video come to Google TV for more countries November 13th
- Humble Bundle for Android 4 now available, pay what you want for 6 great indie games
- Verizon now saying 4G LTE rollout will be complete by mid-2013
- GroupMe 4.0 for Android brings overhauled experience
- Motorola Electrify M available today from US Cellular, in stores tomorrow
- Samsung Galaxy Express comes to AT&T November 16th
- In Q3, Samsung Galaxy S3 best-selling smartphone in the world
- Jelly Bean arrives for Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
- Android Overload: Nexus 4 & Nexus 10 fall behind iPhone 5 & iPad in benchmarks, Qualcomm makes $4.87 billion in Q4, and more
- Angry Birds Star Wars is now officially available in the Google Play Store
| New data showing Windows 8 beating Android in web traffic, but how? Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:10 PM PST
If this latest data from internet traffic analytics firm StatCounter is to be believed, it appears that over the weekend the 2 week old Windows 8 somehow managed to overtake Android in total amount of web traffic. If you feel like someone’s fed you crazy pills, you’re not the only one. Keep in mind, this data represents both desktop and mobile devices (including tablets), but with the sheer amount of Android devices on the market, how could this even be possible? This could have something to do with the fact that people spend more time at home surfing the web on their Windows 8 desktops than when out and about on their Android devices. We also don’t know if StatCounter’s data is also accounting for Windows 8 release candidates that launched back in June. but even then, the data is still a bit puzzling. Any idea what this could mean? Also, what happened the first few days of November that caused Android web traffic to drop so suddenly?
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| Hands-On: HaxSync fills your phone book with high-res contact photos quickly and easily [VIDEO] Posted: 08 Nov 2012 04:14 PM PST
Now, I don’t know if it’s just my OCD talking, but when it comes to my Android device, one thing that really gets under my skin is a blurry contact pic. You know the images you’ve set for your friends and family on your phone? Yeah, those. Most of us have set them on a device long ago, and since then, they’ve been forever synced to Google’s cloud. Sure, you can manually set each individual pic by taking a picture of every single person in your phone book, but then again, you also have Halo 4 to complete. Not to mention that when these contact images sync with Google’s server (pre-Jelly Bean), it’s going to squeeze that image down to the size of a postage stamp, and blow it up every time that person calls you. Sounds like a silly thing to worry about, I’m sure, but it bugs me to no end and I’m sure it bugs some of you too. Not too long ago, Google attempted to combat this “problem” by automatically incorporating high res Google+ profile pics directly into your contacts. There’s only one problem — your contact actually has to be on Google+ (and let’s be honest, no one is using that thing). For Jelly Bean devices, Google has finally squashed this issue, but therein lies the problem: you’ll need to actually be running Android 4.1+ and according to Google’s latest stats, most of you aren’t. Of course, you could always go the official Facebook route to sync contact images, but even then the pics aren’t that high res and a bug in the application will add every single acquaintance from your friends list onto your device. So, unless you wanted that one person you used to go to middle school with in your phone book, the official Facebook app isn’t a viable option. Does this mean that some of us are forever doomed to an existence of muddy friends and pixelated family members? Not at all. There’s always HaxSync. HaxSync is an application in the Google Play Store that works much the same way that the official Facebook app was supposed to work. It takes high resolution 720×720 photos of your friend’s Facebook profile pics and syncs them to your phone. Simple, yes. But that’s not all. HaxSync can also sync calendar events, notify you of friends birthdays, and display their Facebook status updates straight from your phone book. It’s pure genius. To further illustrate how well HaxSync works, here’s a before and after of my ex-gf, Chasity. I don’t talk to her anymore because she’s a lying $#%@&, but she’s still my friend on Facebook. I know, that’s just how the world works.
Before and After In the before image, she was a muddied image of her nieces from an official Facebook sync gone wrong. The image is so blurry, that might not even be her nieces at all. Who knows. The after, however, is leaps and bounds better. There she is at the top of some random hotel in Vegas, in search of a baby daddy and apparently imitating a duck. Now, there’s the Chass I know. HaxSync just saw an update today that aside from bugfixes and performance enhancements, adds a handy setup wizard upon installation and the ability to sync your Facebook contact pics over your Google account. Awesome. Oh, and for the 2.7% of you guys on Jelly Bean, there is now a separate app from the developer that fixes a few problems caused by Google’s new app encryption. While stock Jelly Bean finally syncs high-res photos (thanks, Gmail team!) you still gotta go through the pain of manually applying them to everyone in your phone book. C’mon, ain’t nobody got time for that. [Play Store Link: HaxSync | Jelly Bean Workaround]
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| The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-Earth for Android now available Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:49 PM PST If you’re feeling the need to jump into Tolkien’s world of elves, dwarves, wizards and goblins then a new game is awaiting you in the Google Play Store. It’s called The Hobbit: Kingdom of Middle-Earth and it’s a massively-multiplayer strategy action game that’ll have you forming alliances with fellow leaders tasked with the need to help Bilbo, Gandalf and the rest of the gang fight a goblin resistance which threatens Middle-Earth. The game’s core mechanic is city-building, and you must build these cities up to help against the goblin army. You play as either an elf or a dwarf, and the two races must set aside their pretty differences and come together to strike against a common foe.
The game’s description does mention that the “rift between Elves and Dwarves runs deep.” We’re not sure if that hints at some sort of gameplay dynamic or if it’s foresight into what’s to come from future updates, but it has our attention nonetheless. Heroes like Legolas and Thorin can lead your troops into battle to give you that extra edge you need to take down the goblins. It sounds like a pretty deep game that has already gotten some pretty nice reviews on the Google Play Store. Be sure to download it for free here, and hopefully we’ll bump into each other in Middle-Earth as we face whatever interesting and scary challenges await us. Read on for full press details.
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| Apple earns long-gestating rounded rectangle patent, should other tablet makers be concerned? Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:45 PM PST
So there you have it folks. Apple has officially been awarded the patent for a rounded rectangle, as first demonstrated by the original iPad. This can’t be real life. One of several key elements to Apple’s revolutionary tablet design, it’s a shape that Apple has defended rigorously in courtrooms around the globe. But will their new patent only serve to increase the company’s thirst for the blood of other tablet makers? We can’t say for sure at this point, but given the track record we’re working with we don’t see how Apple won’t attempt to use a patent for a shape that has existed since before the very technology it now defines (and in fictional depictions of such technology from yesteryear’s sci-fi) in their favor. The real question is, should Samsung, Motorola, and other Google partners feel overly concerned? Probably no more than they have been in light of previous legal action from Apple. While the patent was approved — we still don’t quite understand how the US Patent and Trademark Office went ahead with this one — it still remains a hard one to justify in courtrooms. Yes, Apple’s patent for the rounded rectangle may create new ground for legal action, but it won’t create any less trouble for attorneys on both sides of the court. Or judges for that matter. Unless your name happens to be Judge Lucy Koh. Then the answer is quite obvious: Apple always wins. [via Gizmodo]
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| Google House View: funny concept hits home for the privacy-concerned [VIDEO] Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:43 PM PST NSFW: There is a bit of cursing and slightly explicit material in this post. It seems Google is everywhere nowadays. The tech giant has dibs on all our information, owning some of the most popular services in the world – like Gmail, Android, Chrome/Chromium OS, Google TV, Google Maps, Google Search (of course) and soon they will even have self-driven Google cars taking you everywhere. All of this information is used to make your life easier and improve advertising, but just how far can Google go before raising some major privacy concerns? This video from thekloons takes Google’s omnipresence to make a funny, but worrisome video of how far things could get if Google continues to grow at this rate. The video displays a theoretical feature called “House View,” which would allow anyone to see inside of houses with pictures taken by a little Google robot.
We may be giggling right now, but there might come a point when privacy does become a concern. One of the best features of Android 4.2 is Photo Sphere, bringing us the ability to take 360-degree pictures and uploading them to Google Maps. These immersive images would then be available for the world to see on Street View. Pretty Nifty, right? No doubt, it would be fun to share our experiences with friends and family in full detail. Hell, you can even put your room in Street View… or uncaring visitors could do it for you.
On the other hand, this can be a great feature we don’t want to let go of. You can share your hiking adventures better, or check out museums and historic landmarks more interactively. Users can take advantage of Photo Sphere to expand a business, by letting others see the premises. How about making your house available in Google Maps Street View if you have it for sale? The possibilities are endless, but there definitely needs to be some privacy control. With all of this in mind – how do you guys feel about the new Photo Sphere features in Android 4.2? Would you mind having 360-degree images of your house online? Would it be too hard for Google to monitor and curate appropriate Photo Spheres? You can go ahead and participate in our poll or sound off in the comments with your own opinions!
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| Google Play Music and Video come to Google TV for more countries November 13th Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:59 AM PST When Google originally announced the movies and music sections of its content store would be headed for Google TV devices many were displeased to learn that the US would be the only region included. It seems the US is always the starting ground for Google (it’s their home country, after all) but others tend to be invited in no time. This instance was no different as Google, via Google+, has announced the addition of support for more countries. Those in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and Australia will soon be able to rent and buy movies and TV, as well as buy music for playback through their Google TV devices.
The service won’t be available until November 13th — the landing date for the new line of Nexus devices headed our way — but it’s nice to know that more of our friends will finally be able to enjoy the finer things in digital life. The odd thing is that some of these countries still don’t support Google Music on smartphones and tablets. We’ve heard that the UK will be getting the service in full starting November 13th before, but haven’t been able to dig up such confirmation for others. Perhaps those services will finally be opening up to folks inhabiting those places — one can dream, no? Regardless, there’s the news that should make many of you happy. We’re less than a week away from November 13th so just mark it on your calendar or keep it in the back of your mind for safe-keeping. [via Google+]
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| Humble Bundle for Android 4 now available, pay what you want for 6 great indie games Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST
The folks at Humble Bundle have just launched their fourth collection for Android devices. This time around the pay-what-you-want package features six great games from developers such as Omni Systems, Kloonigames, and more. If you aren’t familiar with the Humble Bundle model, buyers are asked to pay as much or as little as they want with the ability to decide how much of that payment goes towards the developers, Humble, and a selection of charities. Always curating some of the best Android has to offer, the latest bundle will be available for two weeks only and includes Crayon Physics Deluxe, Eufloria, Splice, Superbrothers Sword & Sorcery EP, and Waking Mars. Those choosing to pay higher than the average amount will also be treated to Amanita Design’s Machinarium. It’s a great opportunity to get your hands on some of the best indie games available for Android at a great price (and a few that are only available for the first time as part of Humble’s offer). And you can guarantee you are supporting the developers who take time to craft such experiences. In just the few hours since the latest Bundle has launched, the games have already pulled in over $20,000 (though the number is skyrocketing quickly). The average purchase is just a little over $5, which is small bucks to pay for what will amount to hours of entertainment. So go over and grab this awesome collection before time runs out!
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| Verizon now saying 4G LTE rollout will be complete by mid-2013 Posted: 08 Nov 2012 10:04 AM PST While other carriers are still attempting to reach the milestone of 100 markets with 4G LTE, Verizon is already on its way to completing its network. Big Red’s original estimation was that the company would complete its aggressive 4G LTE rollout by the end of 2013. “Complete” would be pretty much blanketing its current 3G coverage (hint: it’s a lot) with 4G.
That in itself was an ambitious goal, but it seems Verizon is doing so well that the company may have underestimated its own capabilities. Fran Shammo, Verizon’s CFO, spoke to media this morning and told everyone that the company is now aiming to complete the network by mid-2013. If we assume a 12 month scale from January 1st, 2013 on Big Red’s original goal, then that means a whole half a year has been shaved off the end of Verizon’s timeline. It’s an impressive feat for the carrier to be able to stretch its expectations when most companies would likely face delays of varying lengths. Verizon’s coffers are filled to the brim, though, and they’re throwing a crap ton of money at advancing its network. The focus on building its 4G LTE network out in a timely fashion is important because the company has committed to putting 4G LTE inside all its smartphones and tablets from the beginning of 2012. Sprint and AT&T seem to be doing the same in that regard, and while their rollout efforts are admirable it doesn’t seem like anyone will be able to catch up to Verizon at this break-neck pace. [via Fierce Wireless]
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| GroupMe 4.0 for Android brings overhauled experience Posted: 08 Nov 2012 09:10 AM PST GroupMe has emerged as a premier group chat experience for several different reasons. For one, it’s dead simple to use and we like simple. Secondly, it introduces unique ways for people to start groups and find other groups to join. Well, the experience has just gotten even better with the unveiling of version 4.0 today.
GroupMe is touting a “completely redesigned look and feel,” which includes more focus on the chats themselves, bigger photos in chats, the ability to share your location or destination with a small map inside the chat, a new way to switch between conversations, bigger avatars to identify group members, the ability to send a DM to a user by tapping their avatar anywhere it appears within the app, and more. More new features include the ability to invite people to a group with a link, faster performance, and the ability to rejoin groups that you’ve left. There’s a catch for those of us who prefer to do our bidding on Android instead of iOS, though — it’s not quite ready in stable form yet. You can still give it a shot with this public beta, though, so if you really want to check out the new changes early GroupMe is not boxing you out. You’ll need to have a GroupMe account ahead of time, but if you don’t have one then all you need to do is download and use the current Play Store app with your phone and you’re good to go for the beta. Head here for download and installation instructions and let us know how things are treating you in the comments section below! [via GroupMe]
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| Motorola Electrify M available today from US Cellular, in stores tomorrow Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:56 AM PST
The Motorola Electrify M for US Cellular is now available for purchase online. The handset will be in US Cellular’s retail stores tomorrow. The Android 4.0 device is essentially the regional carrier’s version of the Motorola Droid RAZR M, which recently launched for Verizon, and features an edge-to-edge qHD display measuring 4.3 inches, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU, and features such as an 8MP camera, NFC, and 4g LTE support. Speaking of 4G LTE, pricing for the handset gets a little wonky depending on your coverage area. In areas where US Cellular offers 4G LTE services the phone is priced at $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. For non-4G markets the phone is priced at $149 after the same $100 mail-in rebate. While we haven’t had time to go hands-on with the Electrify M, if it’s anything like the Droid RAZR M (and it is a lot like that phone), it offers one of the better smartphone experiences you will get at the $100 price point. Solid build quality, great features, and a well-implemented Android experience. If you plan on picking the Electrify M up today or tomorrow, head over to Android Forums to join the discussion.
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| Samsung Galaxy Express comes to AT&T November 16th Posted: 08 Nov 2012 07:32 AM PST The month of November just keeps on for AT&T and Samsung. With devices like the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 on their way you would think the Samsung party would soon come to a halt, but alas another new devices has been announced. Ma Bell has announced forthcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy Express, a mid-range smartphone that should appeal to those not looking to pay the $200-300 for a Samsung Galaxy S3 or a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It’ll cost you $100 after a new two-year contract and any rebates to walk away with the package, and the specs actually get pretty close to what the Samsung Galaxy S3 is offering.
You can look forward to a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (likely of the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 variety), a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 5 megapixel rear camera, a front-facing camera, a 2,000mAh battery, Android 4.0, LTE, NFC and more. You can also expect TouchWiz, though we’re not sure to what extent. Samsung has done well to offer a variety of devices for a wide range of budgets, and this latest offering is one of the most powerful mid-range priced devices we’ve seen yet. Just a year ago a device like this would be considered top-of-the-line, cutting edge hardware so it’s interesting to see how far that side of the smartphone has come. The 16th of November is a Friday so you’ll have plenty of time to play with it on the weekend should you decide to buy one. Read on for full press details.
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| In Q3, Samsung Galaxy S3 best-selling smartphone in the world Posted: 08 Nov 2012 07:13 AM PST
Samsung was able to take advantage of the release of a new iPhone in order to take the title of world’s best-selling smartphone for Q3 of 2012. The Samsung Galaxy S3 sold 18 million units for the quarter in comparison to the iPhone 4S, which moved 16.2 million. This equates to a 10.7 percent share of the global smartphone market for the GS3 compared to the 9.7 percent of the iPhone 4S. While I hate to burst the bubble of fellow Android enthusiasts, however, it’s worth diving deeper into the statistics. Taking into account the 6 million iPhone 5 handsets sold in Q3 (the phone was only available for a few weeks during that time period), Apple’s two latest iPhone models account for over 22 million units sold. Customers waiting for the new iPhone held off on buying the model preceding it, which led to lower figures for each individual model. Had no new iPhone been released, it is hard to say how the figures would have compared with the Galaxy S3. We might just have to wait for the Q4 results to get a better idea of the GS3′s long-term success (and Strategy Analysts, the source of the data, anticipates Apple will reclaim the lead). But as it stands, there is nothing wrong if Samsung should choose to gloat about their flagship phone’s success. On paper, at least, it is the best-selling smartphone in the world.
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| Jelly Bean arrives for Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:34 AM PST
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the latest device from the manufacturer to get a taste of Android 4.1. News has spread from Germany where owners of the tablet are said to be receiving Jelly Bean as an over-the-air update, but there are no indications that the new software is available in other regions just yet. After downloading and installing the 300MB update file the Note 10.1 reaches software version N8000XXBLJ9, which includes numerous enhancements as part of the Jelly Bean experience, including Google Now and Project Butter. The latter should make the user experience on the quad-core tablet smoother than ever. The Galaxy Note 10.1, the S-Pen-toting big brother to the Galaxy Note smartphone, launched with Ice Cream Sandwich toward the end of the summer. All things considered it was a quick turnaround time for the slate’s Android 4.1 upgrade. Now that the update has commenced, it should likely reach other regions over the next few weeks. If you have already seen it outside of Germany, be sure to let us know. [via SamMobile]
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:39 AM PST
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| Angry Birds Star Wars is now officially available in the Google Play Store Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:09 AM PST
In a sequel that’s sure to breathe new life into the franchise, Angry Birds Star Wars is now officially available in the Google Play Store. Developer Rovio held a Google Hangout earlier this evening and announced the good news and quite honestly, I couldn’t be more hyped. A wonderful mixture of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars universe, melded with Angry Birds, somehow it just all works. I’m actually going to put down Halo 4 for a minute to give it a spin and will report back in the morning with a hands-on video. You guys can give it a spin by downloading it in the Play Store in either the free, or the $3 for the HD version. May the fowl be with you.
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