Android Phone Fans |
- Simple Nexus 4 software mod allows for improved video recording with almost double the bitrate
- Rovio’s HD Games sale brings paid Rovio games at cheap prices for a limited time
- Will Google beat out Apple in enterprise? [POLL]
- Would you want this red HTC Droid DNA?
- Rogers pushing Jelly Bean to HTC One X and more in January
- Nexus 7 dock unboxing video surfaces, gives us our first hands-on look
- Verizon Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update now rolling out
- Google+ for Android upgrade brings massive list of new features, including Photos Sphere, Communnities, profile editing and more
- Motorola ATRIX HD gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- HTC One SV journeys through the FCC
- ASTRO v3 made available at Metago website for legacy lovers
- 11 Bit Studios’ Anomaly Korea launching in time for Christmas, watch a new gameplay trailer now
- Android Overload: Dell quits Android phones to focus on Windows tabs, Sprint offers to buy Clearwire for $2.1 billion, and more
- AT&T and unlocked devices have access to T-Mobile 4G in 5 new markets (CA being a big one)
| Simple Nexus 4 software mod allows for improved video recording with almost double the bitrate Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:15 PM PST
Those crafty software tinkerers over on XDA are at it again, this time introducing a simple hack/mod for the Nexus 4 that dramatically improves the device’s video capabilities. All you need is a rooted Nexus 4 (with an unlocked bootloader) and a root file manager application with access to your system partition. After a quick XML edit, the Nexus 4′s default bitrate of 12mbps can be increased all the way up to 20mbps. Nice. The instructions are relatively straight forward and are as follows:
The jump in quality is said to make for a clearer picture while shooting video, resulting in less noise and artifacts than the default setting. Of course, these newly outputted video files will be a larger in size and, as we all know, the Achilles heel for the Nexus 4 is its lack of storage space. Might have to better manage your media if you plan on using this mod. The original thread can be found on XDA where the dev responsible has even included a handy zip file for the flashing. As always, make sure you back up your ROM before experimenting with hacks like like this. Let us know how you like the results! [XDA] |
| Rovio’s HD Games sale brings paid Rovio games at cheap prices for a limited time Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:44 PM PST If you haven’t gotten enough Angry Birds or simply want to grab an ad-free versions of some of your favorites Rovio has got a deal that you’ll want to take advantage of. You can get titles like Bad Piggies for just $.99. It’s a game which takes a break from that traditional Angry Birds model. You help the pigs design quirky vehicles that they can use to to try and level the playing ground against the wing-equipped birds. You won’t actually be able to attack the birds or anything, but perhaps Rovio’s got some ideas up their sleeves for the future.
You can also get your hands on Angry Birds Star Wars for that same price. This game puts a huge emphasis on putting the fight between the Jedi-led birds and the Sith-lead pigs in the Angry Birds-ified universe of Star Wars. Appearances from characters like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are aplenty as special birds with devastating powers. These epic battles will take place on several planets and environments from the dual trilogy, and Rovio is planning a long string of upgrades to help keep the title fresh for quite some time to come. Amazing Alex and Angry Birds Space will also be $1 each so you’ll want to check those out if you haven’t already. The former of those two is especially interesting as it’s Rovio’s first title outside the Angry Birds universe. It’s quite the interesting casual game so give it a shot in the Play Store for the cost of a tasty, wintry Mcflurry or a night’s worth of foosball. You can find all of those titles and more in the Google Play Store. [via Rovio] |
| Will Google beat out Apple in enterprise? [POLL] Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:49 PM PST With RIM’s Blackberry operating system and line of devices taking a backseat to Android and iOS in the consumer market, many are wondering who will be the company to gain the interest of enterprise. Some predicted RIM would never lose a ton of market share in that category, but they’ve steadily lost a lot of ground (albeit not at nearly the same rate as they did within the consumer market). Apple might have been the obvious answer five years ago, and Microsoft is still positioning themselves for a run at that market, but Android is just as viable a platform as any when it comes to meeting the needs of big business. Security has been one of the major issues that has kept Android back from being the end all, be all operating system in business, but now that Google is beginning to take a more steadfast approach in plugging up the holes we could see more suits looking its way. So, who do I think will win this particular war? My short answer is Google, but bias isn’t a part of that. Let me show you why I think Android could definitely look to dominate business.
Open and “free”One of the biggest reasons businesses could have their cross-hairs squared on Google’s mobile operating system is due to its openness. Because Android can be had in open source form by anyone who knows how to compile source code, Google’s operating system lends itself well to businesses who need deep customization. We’ve seen Android adapt to everything from televisions and watches to glasses and tablets, so an IT department has to feel comfortable knowing they can do pretty much whatever they want with Android. Realistically speaking, the amount of businesses who will customize Android that deeply is likely so small that they don’t even show a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things, but more control over software and hardware is something that a ton of businesses desire, and Android provides just that. And because Android is open, anyone can take any crop of Android phones and put their own workforce environments on them without help from Google or the OEMs. You can cook up 10 applications for your business right now and install them on all of your employees’ Android phones without having to interface with anyone you don’t want to, and that is a very big deal. Finally, if your business requires employees to use company-issued phones it would be a lot more cost efficient to order 100 or 200 cheap, unlocked Android phones wholesale through an OEM or third party seller compared to having to deal with the premium and perks that comes with interfacing directly with the likes of Apple. It’s secure enough for the military and NASAAs I mentioned before, Google is starting to take security very strongly on the malware side of things. Malware isn’t the only thing to worry about when it comes to security, though. If businesses are wondering if Android can be tight enough to deliver secure mobile computing environments for its customers then they shouldn’t look further than what the United States military is doing with it. There was a time where we couldn’t go a day without hearing about how the United States Army or the Marines were using Android in the field to help with day-to-day operations. Whether it be simple things like training apps and guides to full-on GPS systems for field combat, the military has embraced Android in ways that we never thought they would.
The United States Army regularly holds developer competitions to see who can develop the best and most innovative apps for its soldiers to use to help make life easier, and more serious and critical military applications are said to be worked on behind closed doors all the time. Beyond that, even NASA has employed Android for its space exploration efforts. If you don’t remember, the Nexus S became the first NASA certified smartphone to be used on-board a space shuttle for a launch mission. It wasn’t out scouring mars for aliens or foreign particles, but it helped along in missions to test NASA’s new SPHERES satellites — that’s a very big deal, I’d say. So if Google’s Android is powerful enough to help NASA and the United States military, private businesses surely have no reason to believe it’s not adequate for their own use, right? I would think so. Email is the trump cardThere’s no secret that fans of Microsoft Exchange are a bit underwhelmed by Google’s accommodations. For starters, Android’s Exchange support has never lent itself well to the calendar and tasks part of the equation. This has been an area where Microsoft (duh) and RIM have always shined, and I won’t act like it’s not an important thing to get right. But if we’re talking about Apple vs Google, the latter would appear to have the upper-hand. Both platforms offer your basic, standard built-in push email support for Exchange email, but Google has a leg up on Apple in that it specializes in providing its own very good set of enterprise-focused services for email and calendar.
Google Apps for Business– which provides things like Gmail and Google Calendar for businesses — is a fantastic platform to migrate to and has proven to be a mainstay for many small and medium-sized businesses. Google’s still the little guy up against the likes of Exchange and IBM’s Lotus, but like Android the open nature of the platform means it can scale to the needs of a lot of different businesses (and at a fraction of the cost, no less). Apple simply doesn’t have anything like that in their arsenal, and that could be detrimental to their efforts in trying to sway enterprise. Even if you aren’t a fan of Android’s built-in Exchange support or looking to switch your company over to Google Apps, there are still a lot of nice solutions — such as Nitrodesk’s Touchdown — that can deliver everything you need. Enterprise won’t flock to Android nearly as hastily as consumers did simply due to the volatile and risky nature of switching up the communications aspect of any business, but when it’s all said and done I feel like Google has the tools — not only with Android, but with the powerful platform that is Google Apps — to emerge victorious. |
| Would you want this red HTC Droid DNA? Posted: 14 Dec 2012 12:58 PM PST
Check this out. We’re looking at a special edition HTC Droid DNA made for Verizon employees in a special red color scheme. And it’s very red, indeed. Each handset is numbered and stamped “Verizon Employee Limited Edition,” and that’s exactly why regular customers won’t be able to get their hands on one. But would you want one? It’s the same great phone, which reviewed and named quite possibly HTC’s best Android device ever, only with a new paint job. Personally, it’s a bit loud for me. But it might just be someone else’s cup of tea. [via DroidLife] |
| Rogers pushing Jelly Bean to HTC One X and more in January Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:35 AM PST
Rogers has updated the release schedule for the Android 4.1 upgrade for several of their top-teir handsets, including the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy Note. January is the month to watch if you own either of those handsets or the Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE, Motorola RAZR HD, and Sony Xperia T. The adjusted schedule comes shortly after Rogers pushed the Jelly Bean update to their Samsung Galaxy S3. For a complete list of handsets and the updated timeline, hit up the source link below. [via Rogers | Thanks, Jeff!] |
| Nexus 7 dock unboxing video surfaces, gives us our first hands-on look Posted: 14 Dec 2012 10:30 AM PST That Nexus 7 dock that appeared on ASUS’ Japanese website has surfaced in a YouTube unboxing video, giving us yet another indication that the accessory could soon be available for purchase. The video gives us our first look at the retail packaging for dock as well as a quick look around the unit, which features both microUSB and 3.5mm speaker ports. Overall the dock features a rather minimalist design, but if you have been hankering for a nice and cozy place to set your Nexus 7, it should make a great bedside companion. The video implies that the accessory is hitting Japanese retailers this week, which means a trip to the Google Play Store might not be far behind. |
| Verizon Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update now rolling out Posted: 14 Dec 2012 10:10 AM PST Today seems to be Jelly Bean day for a lot of people. After AT&T’s Motorola ATRIX HD received the illustrious upgrade, Verizon has finally delivered the OTA to users of its Samsung Galaxy S3. It promised us it’d be here tomorrow, but many were still holding their breath and saying they wouldn’t believe it until they saw it due to the unpredictability that can come with wide-scale roll-outs. Well, you better be believing it now as we’ve gotten a string of reports in our inbox letting us know that the update is beginning to show up. Some folks are getting notifications that an upgrade is ready, but some of you might need to force the upgrade to initiate in the phone’s settings menu. And if that doesn’t do anything for you then a healthy glass of “wait” is in order as it could be due to Verizon employing a staggered process, meaning your device could be waiting as long as 3 weeks.
Most people will get it sooner rather than later, though, so don’t let that little disclaimer scare you too much. If you don’t remember, this upgrade will bring things like Google Now, Project Butter, new notifications, new camera effects and more. ISIS support will also be added so you can make mobile payments using your NFC phone at supported locations within (currently limited) supported markets. Folks might not like that fact considering Google Wallet still isn’t supported, but Verizon’s stance is that Google’s app is not permitted to use the secure element required to make Google Wallet work, and that apps can only gain authorization through an approval process that may or may not be as straightforward to go through as Verizon makes it seem. Whatever the case may be, though, you’re still getting Jelly Bean so there’s a lot to celebrate today. Hit your phone’s settings menu right now to see if there’s a nice holiday treat waiting for you. |
| Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:18 AM PST Google+ for Android is already a great application, but the software giant has made things even better in a very big upgrade rolling out to the Google Play Store today. When I say very big, I’m saying that this may end up being the biggest single upgrade to Google+ for Android we’ll ever see. There’s a lot to cover so let’s just dive right in, shall we? For AndroidTopping the list of changes is support for the newly launched Communities feature. You’ll now be able to partake in discussion regarding your favorite interests while you’re on the go. This feature was introduced for desktops about a week ago, and we knew it wouldn’t take Google long to get us into the fray of things on mobile. Another nice change is the ability to completely edit your profile on the go. You’ll be able to edit things like your name, your occupation and other fields that make it easier for people to stalk you. Google also mentions an easier way to author stuff, and subtle notices whenever there are new things to read on your timeline. Neato.
Going further, you’ll now get the opportunity to save full-sized backups of your photos with up to 5GB of free storage space to help with that. The standard photo uploading sizes will continue to be unlimited with a price tag of $0.00 so those who don’t care to use Google+ in that way can go on about their business. Staying with the theme of photos, users will now be able to post and view Photo Spheres straight from their mobile devices. Kudos to Google for allowing us to take in 360 degrees of beautiful spherical scenes without having to move over to the desktop to do so. Oh, and you won’t even need Android 4.2 to view them — users on Froyo and higher will be able to enjoy them just as well as anyone else (though the creation aspect of it is still exclusive to those on the latest version of Android). Finally, we’ll be able to adorn our posts with some cheeky emoticons, view animated GIFs, get birthday reminders and get access to a new lock-screen widget (which would likely be an Android 4.2 exclusive feature, though we can’t say for sure right now). For the webAllow me to direct your attention to the next attraction — events. You’ll be able to send messages to individual guests through the events screen on the web, invite people to an event by copying its URL and sending it through whichever communications channel you like, and guests opting to head to the hot party of the weekend can note if they’re bringing others along. Finally, you can now duplicate previous events just in case you happen to be throwing similar or identical events every week, month or year. For Hangouts, Google has lowered the bandwidth requirement to participate in 10-way video chatting: you now only need 150 KB to hang. Also, Hangouts on Air will now get rid of the video square on the bottom of the main video feed if you’re the only one in the Hangout. The upgrade isn’t out as of the time of this writing but Google ensures us we’ll be knee deep in all these new features by the end of the day. You’ll be looking for version 3.3 so be on the lookout for it in the Google Play Store throughout the day. [Update]: Looks like it’s live in the Play Store right now. Go and get it! [via Google] |
| Motorola ATRIX HD gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:11 AM PST Owners of the Motorola ATRIX HD need not wait any longer to step into the most recent major version of Android as AT&T has delivered exciting news this morning. The device has been stepped up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in what will be an over-the-air upgrade process. It’ll feature Google Now, expandable and rich notifications, Project Butter and more of the great enhancements Google introduced between Ice Cream Sandwich and the first Jelly Bean build.
This would make the Motorola ATRIX HD AT&T’s fourth Jelly Bean phone, with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X+ preceding it. More devices are expected to receive Jelly Bean soon, as well, including the original HTC One X and the LG Optimus G, though there’s no solid timeline to hang on to. It’s recommended you connect to a WiFi network before trying to apply this upgrade, of course, but once you hit the settings menu and check for the firmware under About Phone you should be on your way to basking under the sun in a sea of sweet jelly bean goodness. [via AT&T] |
| HTC One SV journeys through the FCC Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:46 AM PST
The HTC One SV has popped up in an FCC filing, begging the question as to whether or not we could see the phone in North America. HTC announced the One SV for the UK and other European locales earlier this week, but there have been no indications that the phone will launch in the US. A similar handset, the HTC One VX, is already available from AT&T, though the two devices are not clones of each other. One possible destination for the One SV is a regional carrier or pay-as-you-go service provider. The handset was approved for use on WCDMA bands II and V as well as GSM bands 850 and 1900. Despite carrying the necessary hardware in its UK version, the report shows no mention of LTE. [via WirelessGoodness] |
| ASTRO v3 made available at Metago website for legacy lovers Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:25 AM PST Metago promised a much-improved user experience when it introduced ASTRO v4 some time ago. A redesigned user interface, great new features and a new icon all came together to form what should ultimately translate into a better experience for most people, but Metago understands people may not be particularly fond of the new direction ASTRO has taken. People aren’t being resistant just for the sake of change, though. Some seem to have issues with bugs and stability, and others might be unhappy with a few features ASTRO decided to omit in version 4.
The company has taken a bold step that many others probably wouldn’t and decided to accommodate those who preferred the classic ASTRO experience — it’s made version 3 available for download on its website at no charge. The company acknowledged the aforementioned sentiment regarding issues some users are having difficulty coping with and have assured us that Metago would continue to hammer out the kinks and introduce the features that would make people want to accept version 4 with open arms. Metago says version 4 is already starting to stabilize after many bug fixes have been pushed to the Play Store so be sure to give it another shot if you haven’t in a while. What’s more is that a convenient list of new functions and new ways to perform certain actions in ASTRO v4 is provided for those who are having trouble adapting to the new user interface. That list can be had on the very same download page that ASTRO v3 is being provided on. Folks should be warned that ASTRO v3 will get no further development so if you decide to download it you do so knowing that any bugs you experience are going to be there forever (though there aren’t many big ones that we can think of). All development resources are being poured into ASTRO v4 so get that version if you want the latest and greatest. Metago has great things planned for ASTRO starting this January, and we’re expecting to see what’s on tap for the longest reigning file manager on Android starting at CES. PS: Metago warns that if you want ASTRO v3 to install properly you may need to uninstall ASTRO v4 before installation. Be sure to take care of that through your favorite method if you happen to run into any problems. [via Metago] |
| 11 Bit Studios’ Anomaly Korea launching in time for Christmas, watch a new gameplay trailer now Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:53 AM PST
Anomaly Korea, the followup to the award-winning tower offense title Anomaly Warzone Earth, will hit the Google Play Store in time for Christmas. The game builds on the original with 12 new missions, new powerups and special units, and the new Art of War mode. To coincide with the announcement, 11 bit studios has released a fresh gameplay trailer showing off their latest creation. We had a chance to preview Anomaly Korea and can say what you see is what you get. Sharp graphics, intense man-vs-machine battles, and explosions aplenty. It’s not necessarily the way I would have chosen to ring in the holidays, but it’s an appreciated gift nonetheless. Fans of the original will definitely want to check out Anomaly Korea. Newcomers to the series still have some time to brush up on the first installment before the latest touches down. An exact date for release wasn’t given, but expect Anomaly Korea to drop sometime in the next week or so.
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| Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:59 AM PST
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| AT&T and unlocked devices have access to T-Mobile 4G in 5 new markets (CA being a big one) Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:34 PM PST
Excuse me while I do my happy dance for a second (queue Flashdance dance sequence). Great news for those who love T-Mobile’s low monthly rates, but wish unlocked phones from AT&T or other parts of the world worked on their network. Tonight, T-Mobile has officially flipped the 4G switch on for their 1900MHz network in 5 new markets around the US — my home area of southern California being one of them. Here’s the other 4 markets lit up as well:
What does this mean to you? Well, where normally AT&T and unlocked devices from other parts of the world would only get 2G speeds on T-Mobile, suddenly find themselves capable of 4G speeds. Found a good deal on an unlocked quad-core Samsung Galaxy S3? Activate it on T-Mobile. Have an HTC One X+ but hate paying up the wazoo for AT&T service? Activate it on T-Mobile. And for those keeping count, T-Mobile now covers 100 million people in the US with their enhanced 4G HSPA+ network, making the #4 largest carrier in the US a viable option for those feeling like they’re paying too much on AT&T. As for me, I’ll be picking up Verizon’s HTC Droid DNA and loading it up with my T-Mobile SIM for super quick HSPA+ data speeds at half the monthly rate. Woot! |
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