Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Android distribution numbers updated for Dec: Gingerbread can’t be stopped, Jelly Bean hits 6.7%

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:17 PM PST

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It’s that time again folks. Google has just updated their Android distribution numbers over on the Android Developers website and now we can see just how well things are going when it comes to the Android’s “F word” (fragmentation). While today’s numbers might sound bleak for some of you out there, things are definitely picking up steam for Jelly Bean. Here’s where we’re at when it comes to the percentage of devices currently available and the Android versions they’re running:

December 2012

  • Jelly Bean: 6.7%
  • Ice Cream Sandwich 27.5%
  • Gingerbread: 50.8%

November 2012

  • Jelly Bean: 2.7%
  • Ice Cream Sandwich: 25.8%
  • 54.2%

December 2011

  • Gingerbread: 50.6%
  • Froyo: 35.3%
  • Eclair: 9.6%

Okay, so let’s face it. Until Google does something crazy, it doesn’t look like Gingerbread is going away anytime soon (not until the hardware it’s running on goes out). In fact, if you compare this year’s Gingerbread numbers with December of 2011′s (50.6%), it looks like Gingerbread hasn’t really dropped much at all. What does this tell you? For one, more device are still launching everyday with the now ancient firmware, and secondly, a good amount of devices with Gingerbread aren’t making the jump to Ice Cream Sandwich.

As we all know, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was the “rebirth” of Android. Matias Duarte and team did an amazing job at finally unifying the OS across phones and tablets, while making Android look as good as it felt. While this sounds great for those with devices running Android 4.0, this most certainly didn’t help with fragmentation (ie: Android’s reputation). ICS was such a huge upgrade that, in a way, Google made it extremely difficult for aging hardware to make the jump. Taking a look back at Dec. 2011, Froyo accounted for over 40% of the Android distribution pie, whereas today, it’s almost completely fallen off the map at a measly 10%.

So, here’s my question: Do you think it’s Google’s responsibility to get that Gingerbread number down, and ICS/Jelly Bean up? If so, what do you think can be done to finally kill off the formidable Gingerdead Man? Maybe Google should come up with an “ICS Lite” with a few of Android 4.0′s more intensive apps removed? Or does Gingerbread conquering the Android pie not even matter in the grand scheme of things?

 

New SwiftKey feature: Flow Through Space – Swipe entire sentences without lifting a finger [VIDEO]

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:44 PM PST

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While SwiftKey Flow is nearing a public releases and is sure to convert a few of the diehard Swype fans out there, it seems those folks at SwiftKey don’t know how to stop. In fact, one could even say SwiftKey’s only real competition is quickly turning into… themselves. Revealed on their YouTube channel today is an all new feature from SwiftKey Flow — “Flow Through Space.”

What does that mean exactly? Well, it appears as if users can forget about tapping their spacebar, when swiping with Flow. Now, it’s possible to swipe entire sentences without ever having to lift a finger. It’s unclear from the video if this will be a feature inside SwiftKey Flow, or possibly an upgrade or separate app altogether? One thing is certain — SwiftKey is on a whole ‘nother level. Wow.

Check out the video below and let me know if you guys think Flow Through Space could make life on your smartphone easier.

Review: nGroove universal CD slot mount [VIDEO]

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:26 PM PST

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It’s been a long time coming, but after fumbling around for countless years with my phone between my legs, I finally felt it was time to pony-up and buy a car mount. Why did it take me so long? Well, with so many car mounts on the market, my issue with car mounts has long been that they either obstruct my view when driving (suction cup mounts), or they take my eyes way off the road (DC mounts).

A few days ago, a friend of mine turned me onto a type of car mount I never knew existed — the Mountek nGroove universal CD slot mount. This mount utilizes the space left over from an ancient form of media: the CD player. Simply slide the mount into your dusty old CD player, and you’re good to go. The nGroove keeps your phone right along side the rest of your car’s controls, the spot where it’s most convenient. Let’s do a quick review, shall we?

Build Quality

Overall, the build quality is nice. Nothing too premium here, but I suppose it’s more about function over form. The plastic used to form the mount is rough, and feels durable enough, and attaches very firmly into the CD slot. When it comes to the arms of the mount, you wont want to get too rough with ‘em (really, why would you?) and are lined with a cheap foam used to hug your device and hold it in place. The more you squeeze, the more it locks into place. Overtime, I can see the foam becoming deflated, possibly losing some of it’s hold in the process but that’s just me worrying. Also, rotating the mount is rather lax, and I also worry it can loosen over time. The best part about quality of the mount is that nothing rattles — not a screw, hinge, arm, nothing — ensuring a quiet drive to wherever you’re going.

Form Factor

Probably the biggest issue I had with the mount is it isn’t the prettiest way to mount your phone. A huge screw juts out from the top or bottom of the mount (depending on orientation) and it’s so big it can even slightly obstruct view from your radio or nav unit. Not to mention — it’s just a huge screw staring at you in the face. Always there. I can’t help by wonder if there was some other way Mountek could have streamlined this a bit more, possibly even place the screw hidden behind the rest of the mount (see pictures).

Execution

Of course, a mount is only as good as it can hold onto your device and the nGroove does a great job with that. Whether you have a case on your phone, a phablet, or a tiny-phone, the nGroove will keep it in place and easily accessible while driving. Once secured, you wont have to worry about the mount slipping out from the CD player, and it’s rather difficult to remove your device without first pressing on the release mechanism along the top of the mount. I found that you could even mount your phone completely upside down, provided you lock the arms tight enough on you device. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it is possible (see pic below). The only real negative I could find was that there isn’t much tilt in the mount, meaning it’s pretty much going to be facing directly out from the CD player in your dash. While it is possible to rotate your device 180 degrees into landscape mode, heavier devices like the Note 2 will continue rotating with the forces of gravity if you ever come across a bumpy road.

Value

At $25, I was more than pleased with the nGroove universal CD slot mount. While it’s not exactly the prettiest (or cheapest) mount you’ll come across, it’s the wonderful combination of a unique, universal design, as well optimal placement that make this one a winner. Although certainly not for everyone, it’s definitely worth a buy for anyone who has been looking for a quality mount and no longer using their car’s CD player. Still, I feel like a $15 price point would have been a bit more fitting, but again, it’s hard to beat that CD slot design. Whether for yourself, or as a gift this holiday season, you can find the nGroove by Mountek via the link below.

[Amazon]

Foodster wants to be your new favorite foodie app

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 02:31 PM PST

Being the culinary inept person that I am, I’m not a huge fan of foodie apps. I’m more likely to take a Hot Pocket or two out of the freezer and stuff it into the microwave for dinner out of fear that I’ll royally destroy even the most basic of recipes. That said, this new app for Android made me want to get more excited about food just by looking at it.

It’s called Foodster, and developer Matthew Reilly had a hard time selling me on the idea that this app wasn’t made with the help of some nice corporate funding or a large team of developers. Foodster puts more than 10,000 recipes from your favorite sources into your pocket, and it allows you to do it in a way that integrates with your life.

Aside from your typical recipe search, Foodster allows you to keep and maintain shopping lists, as well as get recipes based on the odd crop of ingredients you might not have any obvious use for.

Recipes, shopping lists and folders can be synced across as many different devices as you want, too, so you can browse your favorites in bed at night on your phone, then bring them up on your tablet for easy viewing when you’re ready to make that breakfast masterpiece in the morning.

There’s more to come in version two, and Reilly gives us a sneak peak at what to expect ahead of time: support for Android 2.2 and higher will be added, a free, ad-supported version will be available, and “hipster filters” will allow people to find recipes for those who aren’t particularly interested in being the carnivorous beasts that humans can be.

For now you’ll have to pay $2.49 to experience Foodster in all its glory, but if you can’t bring yourself to give up a morning Starbucks coffee for this app then stay tuned for the free version. Find Foodster in the Google Play Store.

The SMS turns 20: Do you still text? [POLL]

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:35 PM PST

Believe it or not, on this day in 1992 the first text arrived on Richard Jarvis’ cellphone. The rest, as they say, is history. The SMS became a modern day telegraph line connecting millions in the space of 160 characters. In its rise to prominence it has changed the way we use phones to communicate and shaped the way we socialize, but are we entering a post-SMS era?

The numbers don’t lie. According to AllThingsD, while people still send trillions of texts a year, overall SMS traffic is down as smartphone users turn to replacements such as email and direct messaging services such as iMessage and Skype. Social media has become an ever larger part of the way we communicate with Twitter and Facebook offering yet another alternative.

But for many, the text still reigns. I don’t have any data to back it up, but I would reckon that text messaging makes up the majority of my daily communications (outside of work). It is still the most convenient way to get in touch with practically anyone. You don’t have to worry about having a compatible phone or app. Everyone knows how to text (even my mom gets it at this point). And even if somedays I find myself emailing more or tooling around on Facebook, the text is still my preferred method of getting in touch.

So I post the question to you, readers. Are you still texting? More? Less? Are you using other apps to stay in touch with friends and family? Sound off in the poll and comments below.

Canadian Galaxy S3 units now receiving Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:30 PM PST

Our friends up north may have been stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich for quite a while, but Samsung’s finally granting them entry into the modern day as folks in Canada are now starting to receive Android 4.1.1. Specifically, those on Rogers, Bell, Telus and Sasktel will all soon be able to download the juicy firmware upgrade and gain access to all the great features that Android 4.1.1 brings.

While most or all of these carriers might opt to employ a staggered process for this particular roll-out Samsung has also made the upgrade available on-demand via Samsung’s Kies software for desktops. If you can’t seem to find it available for download via your phone’s settings menu then you’re always welcome to go that route.

Aside from the usual Google Now, expanded notifications and all the other standard Android features you can expect the following Samsung-specific changes:

- Better performance (Project Butter)
- Reorganized settings menu
- 2 Home screen modes
- New Notifications bar
- Sizable Pop-up play screen

Let us know if you’re able to get to your new candy right away, and be sure to let us know how things are once you’ve had some time to play around with it. Now… go!

[via SamMobile]

Gmail update finally adds pinch-to-zoom and swipe gestures [VIDEO]

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:34 PM PST

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Wow… I almost thought this day would never come. Since back in the “G1 days,” there was always one particular Google app that bugged me: Gmail. Why? Well, a complete lack of pinch-to-zoom in the when viewing emails is why. Where 3rd party email apps handled this “feature” with no problem, the Gmail team seemed to put zooming on the back burner. Here we are, almost 4 years later, and in an update that just landed in the Google Play Store — Gmail has finally added pinch-to-zoom (Android 4.0+). Thank you, Google. Thank you.

The strangest part about the update is the fact that Gmail’s most notable new feature isn’t even enabled by default. So, when millions of people all around the world update their Gmail app, most will be completely unaware of this new change. The one feature that could change their life forever. But, for the millions of people that read our fine blog, simply jump into your Gmail app, press Menu > Settings > General Settings > Auto-fit messages. Now, enjoy troublesome-free, email viewing.

Also added in today’s update was the ability to swipe messages either right or left to archive or delete. Works pretty much in the same way as swiping notifications away in the notification area. Snazzy. This can further be customized in Gmail’s settings to only delete (in either direction) or turn off altogether. I feel like my whole life has just been upgraded. Hit up the Play Store to update your Gmail app right now.

[Google Play]

Jelly Bean for Motorola DROID RAZR HD and DROID RAZR MAXX HD now rolling out

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:16 AM PST

A couple more Android devices have been added to the Jelly Bean family today, thankfully. Motorola has officially announced the beginning of the roll-out process for its latest Verizon Wireless phones, the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD.

The devices originally launched with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Motorola promised everyone that getting Android updates out faster would be a primary concern going forward and that promise is certainly being lived up to.

The roll-out will happen in multiple phases, as you’d imagine, so don’t fret too much when you go to check for the upgrade in the notifications menu.

It might be a week or two, or maybe even three, before your phone gets the upgrade so it’s best to suspend your anxiety and just let it come to you. Other methods of getting the upgrade may eventually pop up, though, so if you can’t wait and Motorola isn’t pushing it to you as fast as you’d like you can always check out AndroidForums.com to see what your options are.

Motorola’s user interface got a bit de-bloated following Google’s purchase of the OEM. Whether or not that was a direct result of the acquisition is another story for another day, but should you read Motorola’s upgrade page you’ll find that its Jelly Bean highlights read more like a Nexus phone than it does a MOTOBLUR phone these days.

That’s a great sign of things to come, and we’re sure those of you owning these particular devices couldn’t be any more happy. Google Now, on-board speech-to-text, expanded notifications, improved Android Beam and more are all being touted as the main features this update brings so Motorola’s letting its own customization take a backseat to allow the more vanilla features of Jelly Bean to shine. Be sure to head to its site for more information.

[via Google+]

Google: Nexus 4 on sale today at 12 noon PST in Canada

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:54 AM PST

Canadian Android lovers miffed at their neighbors south of the border can rest assured. The Great White North is next up for the Nexus 4, with the Android 4.2 flagship going on sale later today at 12 noon PST via the Google Play Store. Google began informing those that signed up for notifications about the device’s availability this morning.

Those hopeful to pick up the handset will need to act quick, as high demand has forced a stock shortage that currently sees the US version of the device delayed for five to six weeks. It is unclear if the same shipping delays will apply to Canadian orders, but it wouldn’t be surprising.

The Nexus 4 is priced at $309 with 8GB of storage and $359 with 16GB. The handset, which is manufactured by LG, carries a 4.7-inch HD display and quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.

[Thanks, Justin!]

Judge says Motorola patent claims won’t score injunction against Microsoft

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:41 AM PST

As part of an ongoing legal  dispute, Judge James Robart has ruled that Motorola will not be able to seek an injunction against certain Microsoft products based on the Google-owned company’s standards-based patents. The decision comes as a major blow to the strength of Moto’s patent portfolio, but all is not completely lost.

Judge Robart’s order doesn’t completely dismiss Motorola’s patents, and the company should still be able to collect licensing fees from Microsoft. How much that will amount to was the subject of a two-week bench trial in which Motorola and Google have sought up to $4 billion in fees per year.

The sticking point for Judge Robart was Motorola’s use of the H.264 standard as part of their patent. It is Robart’s belief that standards-based patents should come with certain limits, one being the use of RAND (Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory) pricing when seeking damages and fees. The RAND restrictions combined with Robart’s finding that Microsoft caused no irreparable harm inevitably means a smaller payday for Motorola.

But the ruling could stretch beyond the Seattle courtroom where a final decision on such a payday is being mulled. Given the limited number of cases dealing with standards-based patents and the growing number of infringement claims, judges around the world could look to Robart’s decision for guidance when ruling on similar matters. The outcome certainly does’t look favorable for Google and company.

[via ArsTechnica]

Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 2 root obtained

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:11 AM PST

One of the things we always look forward to when a device launches is a root method. While a bootloader unlock method is even more desirable, root is just as important as setting our devices free if we so choose. That’s why many were excited to see that Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 had been rooted in less than a week.

The method was published over this past weekend, and while it hit a bumpy road early on the development community seems to have ironed out the issues and provided a stable root method. The method requires Odin as you’ll be flashing a rooted stock firmware image. We’re told this method doesn’t require you to wipe your phone’s data, either, so this should be safe for those who don’t want have to re-download all their apps and reapply all their settings.

Root access will give Verizon Note 2 owners the ability to do things like make backups, freeze unwanted apps and manipulate system-level files that they might not otherwise be able to access. Unfortunately there’s no full custom recovery or a bootloader unlock method just yet, but you can rest assured that the community will be looking into its options to help fully unlock the device.

non-encrypted bootloaders were leaked for Galaxy Note 2 units which came locked for other carriers, and while we won’t get our hopes up for the same happening with Verizon’s version of the device it’s nice knowing that there’s a chance. We’ll be sure to keep our ears close to the street on development of this device, but you can also do so by visiting the Verizon version’s All Things Root section over at AndroidForums.com. Head to the source link for the files and instructions you’ll be needing to get started.

[XDA via AndroidForums.com]

Report: LG to debut first CPU at CES 2013, mobile version soon to follow

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST

After licensing ARM Cortex-A9 and ARM Cortex-A15 technology back in 2011, LG’s plans for home-brewed processors are finally coming to fruition. A report from the Korea Times claims that LG will debut their new chips at CES 2013.

The milestone marks LG’s first foray into the fabless chip industry, a sector the company hopes to become a major player in. The Korean firm will not handle the production of the chips, which will first be used to power web-connected televisions. Their H13 processor will be produced in Taiwain using TSMC’s 28-nanometer technology.

A mobile version of the chip is said to be nearing the final stages of development, and will also be manufactured by TSMC. It is unclear if we will see the processor on display at CES alongside the H13 chip.

Google employee seemingly confirms Key Lime Pie name with clever drawing

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:22 AM PST

There hasn’t been much resistance to the belief that Key Lime Pie would be the name for the next major version of Android, but we may have just gotten confirmation for those who might still be iffy about it. A Google employee by the name of Manu Cornet took the time to draw out a a graphic showing the “evolution of Android,” of sorts. The graphic depicts the growth and evolution cycle of an Android robot that isn’t unlike the classic “monkey to man” depiction we see for the human race.

Obviously, the Android robot (whose name is The Bugdroid, in case you still haven’t heard) doesn’t change much in appearance over time. The most recent step in the evolution timeline has the little guy chomping on some delicious key lime pie, though. While this might not be hard confirmation it at least shows that the name is popular enough around the Mountain View offices to warrant time spent on this great illustration.

The graphic cleverly tells the story of how Android started off small and rough, but has since triumphantly developed into a big, bold and confident operating system. Some folks point out that the Android didn’t start to get “fully erect” (ie, lose its hunchback) until Ice Cream Sandwich. This would coincide with the point of the evolution of man timeline where the subject becomes a being far superior to the monkey it started off as.

That sort of connection suggests this particular Google employee believes Android started really coming into its own with Ice Cream Sandwich, and we’d be hard-pressed to disagree. Perhaps we’re reading a bit too much into this thing, though, so we’ll stop right there.

The only question is how big of a leap are we going to see from 4.2 in terms of its version number, and when can we expect it? Well, much of the world is still awaiting Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean so I guess it’s not wise to get too far ahead of ourselves here. Take a nice, long look at the graphic for yourself above.

[Google+]

XBMC for Android now available in beta form

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:57 AM PST

XBMC, the popular open source media player and streaming service, is finally available for Android as part of the latest update to the platform. After an announcement earlier this year, XBMC 12 (FRODO) Beta 2 launched last night giving Android users access to the service for the first time (we won’t count the XBMC Remote app, useful though it may be).

It is important to note that you will need a fairly new (and powerful) Android smartphone to run the app. If your device isn’t supported you will receive a warning message when trying to launch the app. Sadly, the changes to Android 4.2 make this version of XBMC incompatible with the latest Nexus devices or any device running a build of the latest version of Jelly Bean. A fix is promised as part of Beta 3.

The update to XBMC includes other goodies, such as support for Xbox 360 controllers, audio tweaks, and other various bug fixes. The latest version can be downloaded directly from the XBMC website.

[via XBMC]

 

 

Benchmark suggests 7-inch Galaxy Note is in the works

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:52 AM PST

The Samsung Galaxy Note line seems to be coming full circle for Samsung. It started off as a 5.3 inch smartphone, that was then accompanied by a 10 inch tablet, the original Galaxy Note was handily superseded by the 5.5 inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and now it appears the OEM could be looking to introduce an option inside the middle of the pack, size wise.

A new NenaMark benchmark result shows information about one Samsung GT-N5100, a 7 inch tablet that would definitely appear to be a Note device. The structure of its model number is quite similar to the other phones and tablets released in this series so far so there’s no reason to believe otherwise.

According to the benchmark the GT-N5100 will house 720p HD resolution (surprised? me neither) and a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with a Mali-400MP GPU. It would appear that the chipset will be the same Exynos 4412 that’s inside the Note 2 based on those specs. Sure, a Cortex-A15 chipset would be nice but the Exynos 4 series is still a beast of an experience. It’ll also run Android 4.1.2 out of the box, apparently, but this could always change once the device launches.

Introducing a 7 inch tablet with S Pen functionality is a very smart move for Samsung. Everyday, more and more people are finding value in the less cumbersome 7 inch form factor. It’s already seen as the perfect size for a book-reading device, and it sounds like Samsung thinks people could find the size perfect for those who want it to be a note-taking and creative device, too.

It would be an absolute surprise to see this device coming out at any point before Christmas, but you never know for sure. I’d personally bet money on seeing an unveil at one of the big early 2013 events such as CES or Mobile World Congress and slated for a Spring release.

We can’t say for sure if this will end up being a device worth holding out for in lieu of affordable options like the Kindle Fire or the Nexus 7, but that S Pen functionality could be the X factor many of you need to save those pennies for Samsung’s next relatively smallish offering.

[NenaMark via NotebookItalia, thanks Lau!]
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