Friday, December 14, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

Specs Leak For High-End ZTE Grand S

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:43 PM PST

We already knew ZTE was planning to release a whole series of new phones but we’d yet to hear much about the ZTE Grand S. CNET discovered the device, which will be unveiled next month at CES, will feature a quad-core processor and 5-inch FHD display. The design could be quite interesting as the housing will be purportedly made of ceramic and will be in a “traditional Chinese style.”

ZTE may not have a long history of exciting high-end devices but neither did LG and the Nexus 4 seems to be doing just fine. ZTE’s Grand S announcement is scheduled for 1:30PM Pacific time on Tuesday January 8, 2013.

Source: CNET

The front and back screen YotaPhone makes its debut on YouTube [Video]

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 01:51 PM PST

Remember the YotaPhone that we covered yesterday? Well it’s made its debut on YouTube for all of us to check out it’s dual-screen functionality. This phone definitely has me on the curious side and I’m sure you all would love to see it in action and what the e-ink screen has to offer. The front display holds a 4.3-inch 1,280 x 720 (720P) display, while the rear one can display a full e-ink content which can be used for displaying key information about your every day life such as weather or calendar events.

The YotaPhone is still relatively far from release and is expected around Q3 in Russia. No word whether it’ll make its debut anywhere else. Check out the video after the break!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S III finally getting upgraded to Jelly Bean tomorrow

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 01:39 PM PST

The day has finally come Verizon Galaxy S III users. By tomorrow you should be expecting your device to be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean! Verizon users cane expect the popular Google Now feature as well as several new camera features and enhancements. Also to be included in the update is the all new ISIS mobile payment application that several carriers are lobbying to push. Perhaps this is what Verizon wants their users to use instead of Google Wallet?

Anyone excited about this update? For more information check out the source link!

source: Verizon

Featured Android Game Review: Prehistoric Park [Casual]

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST

If you like games where you build things like cities and roller coasters, than I have a good one for you. It’s called Prehistoric Park, and if you can’t tell by the name, it’s set in the Flinstones era. In this game you create a theme park for the stone age. If only our friendly cavemen could have had theme parks so nice, they probably would never go back to their caves.

This game works much like other builder type games in that you start with a certain amount of money and some land. The beginning tutorial helps you get started by buying your first ride and gives you all the advice to guide you to creating a “Six Flags” type of park for the stone age. It’s not all about rides in that you have to maintain them and you have to make sure your customers are happy with food, drink, and other amenities. You also have to dress up your park with items such as trees, flowers, and temples.

The game was created by Gear Games and is quite creative. The rides are the heart of it and they include the simple such as a Swing, a Wooden Chute, Trampoline, Hedge Maze, and a Stone Chute. As you grow, you will be able to include rides such as Shoot a Mammoth, Whack-A-Dactyl, Hot Geyser, Dino Slide, Ferris Wheel, Snake Rollercoaster, Big Dinomotor, Cave Of Horror, and a Giant Drop Tower. There are over 60 rides in all. For amenities, you can offer your customers a drinking fountain, restrooms, balloon stand, gift store, sushi bar, and so much more. To spruce things up, there are various trees and plants that you can purchase.

The graphics are pretty good, and it’s a lot of fun to watch your patch of grass grow to an amazing theme park. Prehistoric Park is totally Free in the Play Store, but if you want to get ahead quicker you can purchase gold with your own hard-earned cash. Check out their demo video below and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think.

Features

  • You can choose from more than 60 mind boggling attractions and rides: giant wooden swings, trampolines made from mammoth hide, giddy merry-go-rounds, stone slides, extreme rollercoasters, water rapids and even dinomotors powered by real huge dinosaurs to make all these rides run!
  • Decorate your theme park with exotic trees, unique flowers, pagan totems and stone temples.
  • Build snack bars, drinking fountains, balloon stands and restrooms around the park to meet your customers’ needs.
  • Build cozy rest areas and place benches around for your visitors to feel comfortable in your wonderful amusement park.
  • Offer your guests a fruit cocktail, cook them a great kabob and treat them with the first ice cream ever created.
  • Hire workers. They will keep your fun park running and take care of visitors when you are not in the game.
  • Play with your friends and share your achievements! Compete with them to build the best amusement park!

 

Prehistoric_Park_01 Prehistoric_Park_02 Prehistoric_Park_03 Prehistoric_Park_04 Prehistoric_Park_05 Prehistoric_Park_Featured Prehistoric_Park_Splash_Banner

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

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Play Store Download Link

Facebook’s native Android app officially released

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 12:53 PM PST

About three months ago we heard that Facebook was working on a native app for Android, and it’s finally here. No more HTML5 as it has been rebuilt in native code, which will improve speed and performance. The news feed and Timeline will be much faster whether you’re opening the app, looking at photos, or interacting with friends. Photo loading is now optimized and is faster. They also added a new story banner that’s automatically updated and will bubble up the newest stories no matter where you are in the news feed.

This release creates a solid foundation moving forward as they can now continue to tweak it and make it even faster. What I want to know is if they fixed the widget? Just in case you don’t already have it installed on your device, hit the break for download links.

QR Code generator

Play Store Download Link

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note III rumored to sport a 6.3-inch OLED display

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 12:16 PM PST

If you went into a cave three years ago and just came out, you probably would be shocked at the size of some of the displays that smartphones have been sporting. I remember when the DROID X was released and everyone was saying it was huge. Now that same screen size is on the DROID RAZR M (M for micro). Then there was the original Samsung Galaxy Note, which boasted a 5.3-inch display. Of course the follow up, the Galaxy Note II, pushed the envelope a little more at 5.5-inches. What’s next? Is it 6-inch displays? Well it’s not too soon to be talking Galaxy Note III, and the latest rumor is that it will sport a whopping 6.3-inch OLED display. When it comes to 6-inch displays, the Note III won’t be alone as Huawei already confirmed a 6.1-inch offering.

A year and half ago, everyone said the sweet spot was 4-inches. After spending a month or so with the DROID DNA, I now think it’s 5-inches, but as long as people are going to buy them, I see no reason why the manufacturers should slow down. However, at some point doesn’t it have to stop? Are we heading towards the Nexus 7 being a phone?

source: Korea Times

 

Best Launcher apps for Android tablets

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 09:34 AM PST

In November 2012 Android fans were treated to news that Android’s share of the tablet market was growing much faster than previously projected. No doubt there will be many new owners of Android powered tablets once the 2012 holiday season passes. These new owners, or folks who have had a tablet device for a while, may be interested in trying out a new “launcher” for the tablet. For those not familiar with launchers, and I was one of them before I started working on this comparison, the launcher is the basic interface for the device. It controls things like the “grid” where apps are placed, how apps and widgets are accessed, the possibility of creating groups of apps, or automatically rearranging apps on a homescreen.

Readers may have run across references to manufacturers’ interfaces, like Touchwiz or Sense or Motoblur. These are launchers specifically included on devices to replace the stock Android launcher. In my case, I am testing on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, so I already have Samsung’s Touchwiz launcher installed.

For this comparison, I decided to take a look at some of the launchers we have covered here at TalkAndroid during the past year or that may show up at the top of the list when you search the Google Play Store for a launcher.

Action Launcher

Just released, Action Launcher Pro tries to focus on making it easy to quickly access your apps. The key to this effort is an app drawer that slides in from the left hand side of the screen. From the main homescreen, the app drawer can be accessed using the button in the upper left corner or just swipe the screen from left to right. If you have additional homescreens configured, the app drawer can only be called up with the button on those additional screens. The drawer is a scrollable listing of all apps with quick access via an alphabetical key down the side. Just find the app you wan to launch and tap on it. The drawer will slide back out of the way. Interestingly enough, Action Launcher does not use the same app drawer to select apps to be added to the homescreen, opting instead for a more traditional dialog box.

There is also a “covers” feature to improve access to frequent uses of an app, like top web pages for a browser or frequent people for contacts, though I have not been able to get that configured. Action Launcher also has a quick access icon to the Google Play store. Unlike some of the other launchers, it does not appear a dock is available. As you may note from the screenshot above, Action Launcher Pro has a solid bar along the top of the screen. Users can drag and drop icons onto one another to create groups and opening a group enables the ability to modify the name of the group. Action Launcher Pro is available for $3.99 in the Google Play Store. A free, feature-limited edition is not available.

ADW.Launcher

The next launcher to take a look at is ADW.Launcher, which is one of the older launchers available even though updates were on hiatus for a while. As we will see in this review, ADW.Launcher is one of several that share certain core components along with look and feel qualities. When initially installed, ADW.Launcher does a nice job of walking you through some of the basic settings and explaining what they do. Groups can be easily created by dropping one icon on top of another. Unlike some of the other launchers, I have not found any way to rename groups.

At least on an Ice Cream Sandwich device like what I am testing on, trying to drop an icon or widget where one is already located will be prevented. However, long pressing on a widget does provide a drop down menu with options to remove, resize, manage or share. ADW.Launcher does provide a dock along the bottom of the screen to keep favorite apps handy when switching between homescreens. A nice trick to use with the docks is to drag a group onto the dock to have quick access to several apps.

A paid version, ADW.Launcher EX is available for $3.00 with a promise of more special effects and settings to customize your tablet.

Apex Launcher

Apex Launcher is another launcher in the same family as ADW.Launcher based on the appearance. Once installed, you do not get a walkthrough of features and settings. Like ADW.Launcher, you can long press an app icon for some edit options. With Apex Launcher you can also long press on a group for options or to rename the group. Renaming the group can also be accomplished with a careful touch of the name when the group is open.

When moving app icons or widgets around on the screen, Apex Launcher will shift existing icons around to make space. One item I did appreciate was the much more subdued Google Search and Voice Search. Like ADW.Launcher, you can have a dock along the bottom of the screen and groups can reside there.

For more customization and animation options a paid version, Apex Launcher Pro, is available for $3.99.

Chameleon Launcher for Tablets

Fans of a widget focused device will probably like Chameleon Launcher for Tablets as the widgets drive the interface. This concept is so ingrained, Chameleon will not let you have an app icon actually reside on the homescreens, forcing them to a dock along the bottom of the screen. When first started, Chameleon does provide a walkthrough on how to setup the widgets. I did have to figure out on my own that the app dock is scrollable despite the icons at each end, one for the app tray and one to call up the homescreen selector. The dock does not stay on screen though, with each homescreen getting its own dock. Pressing the icon on the left end of the dock, the screen selector/editor, gives users access to configure when the different screens are used, one of the selling features Chameleon cites as a differentiator.

I will add that I probably had more issues with Chameleon that any of the other launchers. Getting widgets to update was difficult at times and app icons would inexplicably disappear from the dock. Chameleon Launcher for Tablets is available for $3.99 with no free testing version available.

Go Launcher HD

Any time I do a search on Google Play for launchers, a name that pops up all over the results is Go Launcher. For tablets, they have developed the Go Launcher HD for Pad version. When initially launched, Go Launcher HD provides a brief overview of some of the features available.

Go Launcher HD provides the ability to drag and drop icons to create groups and they are fairly easy to edit. However, icons will not shift themselves around to make room. When adding an app icon or widget to the homescreen, Go Launcher HD displays a horizontally scrolling list of apps along with top of the screen with alpha selectors. It functions in much the same manner as the Action Launcher app drawer. However, Go Launcher HD uses the standard app drawer when opening an app.

The power of Go Launcher HD lies more in some of the applications that have included in addition to the interface tweaks. One feature Go Launcher HD provides is the ability to create gestures to launch apps. Just hit the pointing hand icon in the top right to bring up the dialog. You can add a new gesture by drawing the gesture and associating it with an app or just draw one of your existing gestures to launch the app previously configured.

On the negative side, the dock is not scrollable as far as I could tell.

Go Launcher HD for Pad is free in the Google Play Store.

Holo Launcher HD

Holo Launcher HD is similar to ADW.Launcher and Apex Launcher in trying to bring a Jelly Bean like experience to non-Jelly Bean devices. Groups, the dock, and edit options are all essentially the same. One small item is the absence of Google Search and Voice Search icons on the homescreen. I did notice on my screen that icon labels were overlapping onto the icons immediately below them. This is not a problem if you can keep the icons separated by a blank row, but if your homescreen is cluttered with icons it can become a distraction. Hopefully this is a problem unique to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 I am using.

Holo Launcher HD is free. A $3.99 Plus version is available that provides additional customization options.

Nova Launcher

Yet another launcher trying to mimic Jelly Bean to some extent, Nova Launcher is pretty much the same as Apex Launcher and Holo Launcher HD. Some improvements from a more standard launcher like Touchwiz, but nothing really paradigm-shifting. Like Apex and Holo, you have the ability to drag and drop to create groups, icons will shift out of the way, and groups can be placed in the dock. One feature I did find useful was the ability to bulk add several apps to a homescreen at once. When you open up the app drawer, which opens full screen, you have a button in the upper right to “Select Multiple.” Tapping that lets you select several apps at once and either save them to the homescreen or create a group for them to go in.

Nova Launcher is free in the Google Play Store and Nova Launcher Prime, their premium version, comes in at only $4.00.

Which is right for you?
Out of the seven launchers I used during the past week, four of them are very similar. ADW.Launcher, Apex Launcher, Holo HD Launcher, and Nova Launcher are all very similar. They use the same round indicator for groups, provide a dock for quick access to favorite apps when shifting between screens, and give users some control over colors, fonts, and other theme qualities. Of these four, only ADW.Launcher can be used on a tablet running anything less than Android 4.0. At least initially, I found myself gravitating to Apex Launcher, though Nova Launcher makes a strong case for itself with features like the bulk app adding.

Action Launcher is new to the game and it shows. In use, I found the app drawer that slides in from the side to be very nice and effective in quickly accessing apps. It would be nice to see that ported over to some of the other launchers. In the alternative, Action Launcher needs to get on the ball in fixing some of the glitches users are finding, allow apps to be pulled from the drawer to the desktop, and implement some other features like a “fixed” dock that other launchers contain. For the time being, unless you really like being on the cutting edge, it is hard to recommend Action Launcher.

Chameleon Launcher takes a unique approach to the interface, opting to focus on the use of widgets. For me, this was very difficult to get used to. For those readers out there who use widgets heavily, this make be a good replacement in order to get the ability to have the screens change depending on certain criteria like time of day or wifi network. I found it to be very limiting. Chameleon Launcher will work on Android 3.2 or better devices, so some users with older tablets can give it a try.

From an interface standpoint, Go Launcher HD is very similar to the ADW/Apex/Holo/Nova launchers. Go Launcher HD differentiates itself through the use of additional features like gestures. Owners of older tablets will be glad to know the minimum requirement for Go Launcher HD is Android 2.2+. A search of the Google Play Store reveals lots of add-ons and themes for Go Launcher HD. Clearly it is a very popular choice amongst users.

The Final Word
If you are looking for a widget-focused launcher, you might want to give Chameleon Launcher a try. Others will find they are pressed to reconsider the paradigm they use when tablet is in hand. Action Launcher is still a bit on the immature side. It possesses a lot of promise, but for now I would have to pass on it while watching for further developments.

That leaves us with the group of ADW.Launcher, Apex Launcher, Go Launcher HD, Holo Launcher HD, and Nova Launcher. Owners of older tablets will be limited to ADW.Launcher or Go Launcher HD. For those users, Go Launcher HD is probably the better choice due to some of the additional apps and whiz-bang features that are included. Users with newer tablets running at least Ice Cream Sandwich can throw the others into the mix. Both Go Launcher HD and Nova Launcher would make good choices for these users.

As you may have noted, most of the launchers are free for a basic version. It should be no problem to download a launcher and give it a try for a week if you are willing to put up with selecting which launcher to use when pressing the home button on your tablet during the testing period. In the meantime, with all these new features available, I’ll be working on figuring out how to use some of the new capabilities to make my tablet experience a little more effective.

Two Samsung phones leaked going through Chinese certification

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 09:27 AM PST

Believe it or not, that picture is not a Galaxy S III. It’s actually Samsung’s new Galaxy Grand Duos, the follow up to the dual-sim touting Galaxy S Duos. Unfortunately, it’s got no compatible 3G with US markets, so it’s likely to stay an international phone. It sports a 4.5 inch, GSIII-esque screen, a 1.2 GHz processor, and the cameras from its bigger brother. There were also leaks of a Galaxy S II Plus, and while it is compatible with GSM signals in the US, it’s nearly identical to the original Galaxy S II. Hopefully we’ll dig up a little more information on these in the next few weeks.

source: Engadget

[Hot Deal] Get the PowerA MOGA gaming controller for FREE today only

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 09:06 AM PST

We recently reviewed the PowerA MOGA  gaming controller for Android phones. It simply is the best gaming controller available with over 30 games already compatible with it. At $49.99 it’s a pretty good price, but how about FREE? As you know, Modern Combat 4 was just released, and in celebration of that, they are allowing you to order the MOGA for FREE. All you have to do is pay the shipping, which amounts to about $5.00 depending on where you live. If that’s not enough, since Modern Combat 4 is MOGA compatible, they are also going to provide you with a code to download the full game for FREE.

So lets sum it up, you get the MOGA gaming controller and Modern Combat 4 for approximately $5.00 in shipping fees. Sounds like an incredible deal, and if you’re looking for a last minute gift idea, this could be it. There is a limit of one per customer so you might want to keep it for yourself. To get this deal, all you have to do is enter SecretSanta at checkout. I just did it so I know it works. The deal will run until midnight PST tonight. I am told they are giving away tons of controllers, but supplies could run out, so I would suggest getting your order in sooner rather than later. Hot the source link to get started and happy gaming!!!

source: PowerA

 

 

Google won’t be developing apps for Windows 8

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:55 AM PST

Last night Google released its long-awaited Google Maps app for its biggest competitor: IOS. However, just because the Mountain View company is developing apps for the “dark side”, doesn’t mean that everyone is going to get in on the Google-goodness. Recently, Google Apps product management director, Clay Bavor, announced that the Google team has no plans to develop apps for Microsoft’s new Windows 8 platform. According to Bavor, Google is very careful with their resources and time, and right now users “are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8." This comes as a hard blow to the already fledgling platform. However, Bavor did leave the door open for reconsideration and said they’d keep an eye on Windows 8′s sales and market performance. As our Editor In Chief, Robert Nazarian, posted earlier this morning, Google is willing to develop apps even for its competition if it means increased revenue and ad sales, but right now, it seems Windows 8 isn’t even worth their time.

Source: SlashGear
Posted by at 6:45 AM

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