Sunday, December 23, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Android and augmented reality make this model TARDIS bigger on the inside

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST

Chances are, you know a Doctor Who fan. Greg Kumparak, formerly of Tech Crunch is also a (pretty big) Doctor Who fan, and decided to get a little crafty and build his own TARDIS. As explained in the video above, a TARDIS is a vehicle to drive you through space and time, that just happens to look like a 1960s era British police call box. Greg's looks pretty authentic after a nice paint job.

But here's the thing about a TARDIS. They are bigger on the inside. While that is easy enough to accomplish with the magic of television, it took a different kind of magic to make it happen in the real world. That's where Android comes in. Using augmented reality, Greg can open the TARDIS door and point his Nexus camera at a freaky black and white pattern. Thanks to the Qualcomm augmented reality framework, Greg built an app to display the interior of his TARDIS as it should be on his screen. Very cool.

This just might be the best use of augmented reality ever. Be sure to watch the video, and hit the source link to read a little about how it was constructed.

Source: GK's blog

HTC One VX unboxing and video walkthrough

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 01:19 PM PST

HTC One VX

Behold, the HTC One VX on AT&T. More than a One V, less than a One X, and dancing right around the noble One S without giving it as much as a mention in its already convoluted name. We've gone hands-on with the One VX a couple times since it was announced in early October, and it's now available for purchase, having missed its original launch date by a few weeks.

So what, exactly, is the One VX? In a single sentence, it borrows bits and pieces from the entire HTC One line for a mid-range smartphone that as of now is exclusive to AT&T.

Physically speaking, it's a tad smaller than the One X, but less of a curvy box and more of a sleek and sexy One S. The back is done in the same white polycarbonate shell as AT&T's original One X. (Remember that the One X+ moved to a soft-touch coating.) And the One S is more svelte than the One VX, about 2 mm slimmer, with different curves, and it's a tad shorter and narrower, too. The One VX its between the One S and One X in screen size, too, at 4.5 inches. And while it only has a 540x960 qHD resolution, the move to Super LCD 2 from AMOLED makes a noticeable difference.

Our full review is on the way. For now, hit the break for our HTC One VX unboxing and video walkthrough.

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Last chance: Win a 32GB Nexus 7 3G and a $25 gift card

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST

Nexus 7

Here it is, folks. The fifth day in our five-day Nexus 7 and Google Play Gift Card giveaway, courtesy of the fine folks at Google. We've already had four days of entries, and this here's your last chance. As a reminder, you'll be entering to win a free 32GB Nexus 7 3G (that's the one with optional GSM cellular service), plus a $25 Google Play Gift Card to get you started with apps, movies, movies or books.

To enter, hit up this thread in our forums for instructions. Good luck, and we'll announce the winners Monday morning.

The week in international Android news - Dec. 22, 2012

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 05:09 AM PST

Android Central

As things wind down for the holidays, and the torrent of international Android news temporarily slows to a trickle, there's just enough time for one last weekly round-up. And despite the incoming festivities, there's been plenty of interesting pre-Christmas news.

The week started with news of a serious security vulnerability in certain Samsung phones, which could allow a rogue app to take complete control of affected handsets. The was exploit discovered in kernel code for phones running Samsung's Exynos CPU, meaning it affects devices like the international Galaxy S3 and S2, as well as all Galaxy Note 2 models. It's a bg deal, and Samsung has acknowledged its existence, saying it's working to deliver a fix "as quickly as possible."

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Light Flow updated to support 62 more apps, multiple calendars

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 08:24 PM PST

LED Notification

Light Flow, a popular app to control notification LED's and sounds, has added support for a whole host of new apps today. In total, 62 new apps can now have their notification sound, vibration and LED flashing controlled including some notable apps like Falcon Pro. The app now also supports Ice Cream Sandwich users with multiple calendars, as well as the ability to swipe away calendar notifications to clear the LED flashing. As is usually the case, several different bugs have been squashed in this update -- from black screen and color issues on the Nexus 4 to translations for Turkish and Arabic.

You can get a list of all 62 apps added, as well as the complete list of all apps supported, at the source link below. If you haven't given Light Flow a look, it's well worth your $2.49 to buy it. There's also a free version with limited app support if you just want to give it a test drive.

More: Light Flow Changelog

Times Square Official Ball app updated to ring in 2013

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 06:12 PM PST

Times Square Ball app

The official Times Square Ball app has just been updated to help you count down to 2013. Not everyone has a chance to be in Times Square for the new year, but at least with this app everyone can (assuming device compatibility) get part of the experience. It's not the smoothest or flashiest thing ever, but the app serves its purpose. You get a nice countdown to the new year, a livestream viewer of Times Square (you can watch the 2012 party currently) and you can even upload a photo to be shown on the big screen if you're lucky.

Sound interesting? You can grab a download for free at the Play Store link above. It probably doesn't do you much good over 10 days out from the party, but you'll have it installed and ready to go for New Years Eve. 
Posted by at 6:40 AM

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