Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Instagram finally lands on Android
USA TODAY
"We've been working tirelessly to make this new Android app a first-class mobile photo-sharing experience," reads a blog post from Instagram announcing the free app. The app will work with Android devices running the 2.2 operating system or higher.
See all stories on this topic »

USA TODAY
Android 4.0 Forces Samsung To Delay Galaxy Tablets
InformationWeek
The delay, according to a Samsung spokesperson, is because the company needs more time to work on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. That's funny, because Samsung has had access to Ice Cream Sandwich longer than any other hardware maker.
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android hands-on
Engadget
We took instantly to Instagram for Android -- the app offers an experience nearly identical to the iOS version, though the ability to capture and manipulate images on a larger device brought a unique twist to the wildly popular image manipulation ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android is now available
CNET
Android users have been waiting patiently, with repeated promises of an Android version arriving soon. While we knew the Android version of Instagram was coming sooner rather than later, with the release being teased just last month at South by ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram Makes its Android Debut
PCWorld
Until today, Android users had to watch their iOS counterparts with envy or settle for an alternative. By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld Instagram, the popular iPhone camera app that allows you to add funky filters to photos, has finally arrived on Google's ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android Now Available
PC Magazine
"Fast, beautiful photo sharing now for Android," Instagram said. The release comes several weeks after Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom tipped its arrival at last month's SXSW conference in Austin. At the time, the app was not quite ready for primetime, ...
See all stories on this topic »
Almost 3 Percent of Android Devices Running Ice Cream Sandwich
PC Magazine
By Chloe Albanesius Almost 3 percent of Android-based devices are now running the most-recent version of the mobile OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, but Android Gingerbread is still the most popular version. The majority, however, or 63.7 percent, ...
See all stories on this topic »
Ice Cream Sandwich now on whopping 2.9% of Android devices
ZDNet (blog)
By James Kendrick | April 3, 2012, 6:07am PDT Summary: The severe fragmentation of Android is graphically demonstrated in the latest numbers showing OS versions in the installed user base. Ice Cream Sandwich, aka Android 4.x, is the latest and most ...
See all stories on this topic »

ZDNet (blog)
Google isn't trying to save Android tablets but kill Kindle Fire
BetaNews
Hey, Google already formally stated it would produce an Android tablet. The rumormongers have got the reasons wrong, too. Google isn't gunning for Apple but Amazon. The retail giant is by far the biggest competitive threat standing before Android today ...
See all stories on this topic »

BetaNews
Instagram for Android Phones Available Now
ABC News (blog)
The popular photo editing app, which allows you to apply cool filters to photos taken with your phone, is now available for phones that use Google's Android. Instagram has become one of the most popular iPhone applications, with 30 million users after ...
See all stories on this topic »

Blogs5 new results for android
 
ICS reaches 2.9 percent of active Android devices, 63.7 percent still ...
By Richard Lawler
As we check back in on Android's Platform Versions dashboard for the first time since January, we can finally see notable growth in the percentage of.
Engadget
Android Overload: iPhone Outselling All Android Devices ...
By Chris Chavez
In case you're new around here, you have just entered into the world famous Android Overload. This is the one place you can always turn, when you have an.
Android Phone Fans
Oh snap: Instagram for Android is here! — Mobile Technology News
By Kevin C. Tofel
The long wait for Instagram on Android is over. The popular free photo sharing application that launched on Apple iOS devices (and stayed there) is available in Google Play for smartphones running Android 2.2 or better. So get to it, Android ...
GigaOM
Android fragmentation rears its ugly head once again
By Zach Epstein
Google updated its Android version tracker on Monday, revealing that the latest version of its mobile operating system — Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwi.
BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech
30M users later, Instagram arrives on Android | VentureBeat
By Jennifer Van Grove
Seventeen months and 30 million users after Instagram first swept away iPhone owners with its artistic and social photo-perfecting application, the startup is finally releasing a version for Android users.
VentureBeat

Web2 new results for android
 
Instagram - Android Apps on Google Play
Instagram – A beautiful way to share your world. It's fast, free and fun! Pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects to breathe a new life into your mobile ...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram...
Google Will Abandon Android | cek.log
In short order, Google will launch their tablet. And in doing so they will start down the path of abandoning Android. TL;DR The Google tablet will be.
ceklog.kindel.com/2012/03/31/google-will-abandon-android/


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Android Authority

Android Authority


A Critical Analysis of “Android Economics”

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 02:19 AM PDT

android locomotive
There is an analysis being floated around the web, based on figures from Oracle’s lawsuit on Google claiming Java patent infringement by Android. The Guardian has estimated Google’s Android revenues based on these figures, following which Horace Dediu over at Asymco has posted an analysis of Android Economics. Let me start off by saying that the analyses of both the Guardian and Horace Dediu are just plain wrong on many levels.

First, here’s an overview of Google’s mobile business model for a background to this piece. Now, on to the article.

1. Android Revenue

The whole premise of The Guardian’s article is wrong. The $550 million figure relates not to Android revenue, but to Android revenue related to the two patents in question. Danny Sullivan has posted an overview covering these details and it has been invalidated by Google themselves, so I won’t get into it too much. Now, no one knows what proportion of Android revenue that is, but based on every single analyst estimate, it is in the range of $7 per device. In any case, any numbers thrown around in legal proceedings should be taken with a fistful of salt because Google has every reason to understate the revenue to reduce damages.

2. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) 

Even if you take the $550 million figure into account, the analysis is just plain wrong:

(i) ARPU calculation

Ad revenue is earned everyday, meaning ARPU should be calculated on the average number of active devices in a year, not the number of devices activated in that year. The author takes $400 million in estimated revenue for 2011 and divides that by 240 million active devices for 2011. Even by assuming linear growth in a year, the average number of active devices in a year is (80 million activations at the end of 2010 + 160 million purchases in 2011, means that, ignoring replacements, there were 240 million active devices at the end of 2011, everything divided by two) 120 million, which would cause a huge jump in ARPU as compared to what Mr. Dediu came up with.

(ii) Constant ARPU

This is the worst assumption in the whole article. What is ad revenue based on? Advertisers bidding for keywords. Advertisers bid more when they can reach a larger audience within their target market. Therefore, ARPU has to keep rising in consonance with install base. In addition, currently advertisers are more concerned with users in developed markets. But the growth from APAC is so strong, that ARPU growth from that region will be even faster (especially considering that Android has a 70+% market share here).

Last year, in a testimony to the Congress, Eric Schmidt mentioned that iOS was responsible for two thirds of Google’s mobile revenue. Considering Apple had a head start, it made sense at the time that Apple had a larger install base. Especially when you consider that Apple still has a lead in the tablet space and tablet ARPU is closer to the PC when compared to smartphones.

First of all, this information is too dated to be used in the current context, and more importantly, let me emphasize this – No advertiser cares what platform end users are on, the only thing that matters to is reach & demographics. Therefore, there is no rational explanation for ARPU from iOS devices (as long as we don’t compare smartphones to tablets), as compared to Android, considering that Android’s install base has surpassed that of iOS.


This article, A Critical Analysis of “Android Economics” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Best Android apps for coffee lovers

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 01:13 AM PDT

It’s a lazy Sunday morning. Or just another manic Monday? Either way, thanks to our friendly cup of coffee here, we are still able to write amazing Android stuff for you, day in, day out.

Coffee is probably the next best thing after ice cream and chocolate, at least for us. So it’s mind-boggling to know that it was first discovered by a goat. Yeah, the one with the beard and the horns. In the 9th century, a young boy named Kaldi noticed that his goat acted weird when eating some specific cherries. Turns out, the goat ate coffee cherries. The rest, as they say, is history.

We can’t probably recall the numerous times coffee has helped us pull through endless nights of burning the midnight oil. Oh, dear coffee, what would life be without you? So what could be more fitting than to bring to you the best Android apps for you coffee addicts out there?

Barista Me – Coffee Guide

One of the best Android apps for coffee lovers is Barista Me. We love this app for two simple reasons: first, is that it’s lightweight, and second, is that it’s a master in espresso-based coffee drinks. Essentially, Barista Me gives you access to many espresso recipes with graphics, such as layer guides and other detailed information about each specific drink. Additional features include a multiple choice quiz section that aims to educate users about coffee and extra info about the espresso drinks commonly found in cafés. If you love to learn more about that favorite brew of yours, Barista Me is your app.

My Coffee Card

My Coffee Card is the second best thing that you can get after a free cup of coffee. This Android app will help you manage your own gift cards, help you find the best coffee shops, allow you to pay using your smartphone or tablet, and track the corresponding rewards with your every purchase. That means that you can literally leave your wallet or card at home for a nice cup of coffee by  the beach. My Coffee Card is basically an advanced card manager for Starbucks that will allow you to make mobile payments for that delicious cup of coffee. But what separates the app from the rest is its homescreen widget that lets you see your current balance and reward stars with one touch. It’s also sensitive enough to inform you that you are running out of funds and will need to make a reloading pretty soon. My Coffee Card is fast, intuitive and free.

Starbucks

Of course, we can’t just let this app pass us by. Yes, it is the official app of Starbucks for Android. It’s very similar to the My Coffee Card app we were talking about, minus the homescreen widget. But there’s no doubt that it’s the best and fastest way to pay for your favorite Starbucks espresso or latte. This app also lets you view your balance, view your previous transactions, make payments, reload credits via a credit card, and keep tracks of your Stars through the My Starbucks Rewards Program. But unfortunately, the app is currently limited to U.S. Starbucks cards only. We’re really hoping that they will cover international coffee lovers soon. If you’re anywhere but in the U.S., you can use the My Coffee Card app instead.

Coffee Fix

Coffee Fix is popularly known as the best Starbucks finder for Android devices. We couldn’t agree more. Coffee Fix, previously named Find a Starbucks, is an overhauled app that will guide you to the nearest Starbucks in your neighborhood. Coffee Fix scans your location via 3G or Wi-Fi. It then performs a specific search and will come back with 10 Starbucks joints near you. You can also do searches by tapping a specific location on the map and see if those stores are open 24 hours or if they have drive-through and will accept mobile payments. What more can we say? Coffee Fix is an awesome coffee locator.

London’s Best Coffee

If you are in good old London, then brace yourself for a nice coffee treat. To do that, you’ll need the London’s Best Coffee Android app. Developed by Blue Crow Media, the app is your savior when it comes to looking for the best coffee houses and cafés in the U.K. The London’s Best Coffee app not only guides you to the best artisan coffee in London, but it also tells you the kind of coffee beans and machines each café uses. Pretty cool, huh? Additional features include an interactive map, geo-location services with accurate distances, information on roasteries, and contact information.

New York’s Best Coffee and LA’s Best Coffee

From the same crew who brought you the splendid London’s Best Coffee app, the New York’s Best Coffee and LA’s Best Coffee app, both for Android, land at the 6th spot on our list. Of course, we just couldn’t disappoint our American brethren. Both apps are dedicated Android apps for coffee lovers that live in the Big Apple or in the city of angels, Los Angeles. Both apps have maps for geo-location, detailed information about cafés, additional information regarding roasteries, social media integration, and user ratings.

Coffee GO Launcher Theme

Next in line is the Coffee Go Launcher Theme for Android. Alright, this one is not really that complicated. But you will surely love it because it’s a sexy chocolatey theme for your Android device. What could be better than waking up with this nice coffee-licious theme by ZorillaMobile. As a side note, you will need GO Launcher to install this wonderful theme,  specially made for coffee lovers like you. Oh yes, the interface looks hot.

Java Mixing Guide

Another must-have app for coffee addicts is the Java Mixing Guide app for Android. Essentially, the Java Mixing Guide app will walk you through the basic ingredients of coffee drinks. Now, picking which coffee to drink in a coffee shop isn’t that challenging anymore. This app is also great if you’re planning to brew your own coffee at home. Become a coffee expert with the Java Mixing Guide app for Android.

Coffee Drinks & Cocktails

Make your own delicious coffee recipe with the Coffee Drinks & Cocktails app for Android. Choose your own coffee recipe from five different categories, namely warm, cold, with alcohol, without alcohol, and coffee smoothies. Wow, that’s a lot of possibilities. Even better, the latest version of the app now lets you save your own ingenious coffee recipes. By the way, the app can also show you how to make cocktails. Astonish your friends and impress them with your barista-like skills. Just don’t forget to download the app first.

Coffee

The Coffee Android app is no simple app for caffeine addicts. Surprisingly, it’s the only coffee-related app in Google Play with a consistent 5-star score. There must be a reason why. Not to be mistaken with the Coffee Guide app, the Coffee app delivers one-click access to a list of the best coffee shops and cafés near you. One notable feature is its single screen feature that displays all important information in one place. The result – faster searches, more accurate information, and more coffee time. Sounds good? Other nice features include map locations, distance information, directions and navigation, traffic info, street views, compass feature, zoom in and out functionality, social media integration, reviews, and ratings. Definitely, this app is one that we would highly recommend.

 

So here you have it, you coffee maniacs, the best apps for coffee and everything related. Next time you need to go into a caffeine-inducted rampage or just to chill out on a Saturday morning, just fire up your Android and let it guide you to your favorite brew.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.


This article, Best Android apps for coffee lovers , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


FX Photo Editor: Feature-rich photo editor for rich photo effects

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:20 PM PDT

Are you fond of editing your photos on the go? There are a lot of Android apps dedicated to photo editing. If you are a beginner or even if you have tried several photo-editing apps, there’s this app that you might want to give a try. It’s called FX Photo Editor, which allows you to edit photos quickly by providing you with more than a hundred preset effects to choose from. It also has several other new additional features making it a great photo-editing package that you can use for free.

FX Photo Editor is created by JellyBus, Inc. to help photo-editing fanatics to do some quick photo tweaking on their Android devices. This app is not only very handy and effective in editing photos but is also very simple to use with its user-friendly interface. Also, it has new features like the option to move to SD card, as well as some improvements to sharing.

Using FX Photo Editor

Upon opening the app, you will immediately see several on-screen controls on the right of the screen that will allow you to load or take a photo and you will also see the User manual and Settings.

If you decide to import a picture from your gallery, the app will let you choose from three resolution sizes, namely Fast, Normal, and Pro. On the bottom of the screen you will also see controls that will allow you to take a picture, share, save, crop and add effects to your photo.

If you want to edit a photo, there are four categories that you can choose from. You can either Crop or Rotate the photo, adjust Brightness and Contrast by tweaking the Exposure, Adjust Color and White Balance, or play with the saturation and brightness by using the Curves and Histogram options.You also have the options to add borders, vignetting effects and different textures to your image.

The aforementioned features of this app will be useful if you have time to explore and tweak your photo, but the most handy highlight of this app is that it allows you to quickly edit your photos by applying presets.

The app provides you with over a hundred presets to choose from. When you tap the FX Studio menu, you will be given different presets such as HDR, Art, Grunge, Professional, and Black & White. Those are the presets available in the free version of the app, but you get more presets to choose from if you buy the paid version of the app.

Selecting a preset is not the last step, the app will allow you to further tweak your image based on the preset that you choose. For example, if you choose the Color Splash preset, you can adjust the hue of the image as you desire it to be.

This app will really come in very handy especially if you are a beginner because it allows you to do quick and easy photo-editing. FX Photo Editor is free on the Google Play Store, but if you wish to have more presets and a higher resolution you can also buy the pro version.

What photo-editing apps do you use on your Android phone? How do they compare to FX Photo Editor?


This article, FX Photo Editor: Feature-rich photo editor for rich photo effects , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Android bound to dethrone the iPad and take over the tablet market, as it did with the smartphone market

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:03 PM PDT

ipad market share
According to a recent blog post by stock market analyst Reggie Middleton (apparently an expert that also predicted the major financial crisis in Greece), Apple's iPad will lose the tablet market crown in favor of Android tablets. A better phrasing of the same idea: Apple's iOS will soon be dethroned by Google's Android as the leading tablet OS. Currently sitting at only 10% behind the iPad, the Android tablet market share should be bigger than that of the iPad by the end of Q2 2012. Android is bound to take over the tablet market, as it did with the smartphone market a few years back.

While the original article (as well as a slew of other articles around the same theme) is centered around margin compression and other financial stuff, there are a few ideas that even geeks such as myself can see trough. Middleton claims that most of the media, as well as financial analysts are under total Apple mind control and are thus unwilling (afraid was the actual word used by Middleton) to spill a single word against Apple, or their products (note: we call these people Apple fanboys).

Case in point, a recent comparison article posted by CNET gave the tablet crown to the new iPad when compared against the ASUS Transformer Prime, something heavily contradicted by comments made by owners of the Transformer Prime. This is just one example out of the number of biased new iPad reviews that have popped out. In addition, the report in question claims that, according to several analysts, the new iPad wasn't even close to duplicating the massive iPad 2 and iPad 1 sales.

Another thing that stroked my interest was the fact that Apple is spending more money for the various components inside the new, third generation iPad, as you can see in the chart below.

ipad components price

Considering the fact that Samsung, a major player in Android tablet manufactures the two most important components inside the new iPad (the retina display and the A5X CPU), doesn't it make sense for the iPad will soon be dethroned? Even more, how can a single tablet maker stand up to an array of Android tablet OEMs that already provide a high degree of diversity in their hardware offers? Apple could not do that with their iPhone, they won't be able to accomplish that with the iPad. It's not about who gets first into the market, it's about who plays better on the long run. As it turns out, Android has a better business model than the closed iOS ecosystem.

Although Android had arguably a slow start in the tablet area (many critics feel that Android 3.0 Honeycomb was unable to provide the experience users were looking for in a tablet), as the tablet and smartphone versions of Android have converged into Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, by the end of 2012, it is likely that the main attraction of all iPad models (the number and quality of apps available) will be matched by ICS tablets. Hardware-wise, before the fourth iPad generation comes out (probably in Q1 2013), we're bound to see a number Android tablets that will trash the new iPad in all conceivable sectors: be it price-performance ratio, raw performance, form factor, and maybe even display quality.

What do you guys think about this? Are there any Apple fanboys among the readers of this Android blog who are willing to contradict these expectations? Feel free to do so in the comment section below!


This article, Android bound to dethrone the iPad and take over the tablet market, as it did with the smartphone market , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Battery breakthrough: scientists use a DVD burner to create graphene supercapacitors

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 02:56 PM PDT

Smartphone-Battery-Life

When it comes to the raw computing power they are able to harness, smartphones have definitely come a long way over the last few years. While the software was able (to a certain extent) to keep up with the hardware advancements, one very important smartphone component is basically the same as it was when the first smartphones started rolling out: the battery.

A pain in a very sensitive place for both manufacturers and users, Li-Ion batteries take up more space than all other components but are still unable to provide decent autonomy. Although you can always make them bigger (as seen on the Droid RAZR Maxx or the new iPad), you can only go up to certain point before design will suffer.

Fortunately, it looks like a team of researchers led by UCLA's Richard Kaner was able to create graphene supercapacitors that are able to discharge three times more watts per cm3 when compared to current lithium-ion batteries.

graphene supercapacitors

The most interesting part is that the researchers were able to produce these graphene supercapacitors with a simple LightScribe DVD writer, priced at only $50. It turns out that if you put a graphite oxide film on a blank DVD, you can then use the laser inside a DVD burner to turn the graphite oxide into graphene, the most conductive material known to man. Use a couple of slices of graphene, place an electrolyte in the middle, and the end result will be a supercapacitor. I'm not sure you should try this at home if you're not a world renowned scientist, though.

The laser scribed graphene (LSG) has a number of very interesting physical properties. You can find them all here, but it's worth mentioning that the LSG supercapacitor is highly flexible, should provide up to three times the autonomy of a Li-Ion battery and suffers no degradation over 1000 discharge cycles. So far, we have no idea when this technology will become available, but is sure seems promising.


This article, Battery breakthrough: scientists use a DVD burner to create graphene supercapacitors , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung rumored to sell the upcoming Exynos 4412 SoC to other OEMs

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:35 PM PDT


As fans of the Galaxy S series are fully aware, Samsung is soon to release a new variant of the Exynos SoC (system on a chip), namely the 4412, expected to be first seen in action on the Samsung Galaxy S3. Although it’s no news that Samsung will build the chip in-house (as they have done so for most of their flagship smartphones since the original Galaxy S), sources quoted by Digitimes claim that Samsung might sell the Exynos 4412 to other OEMs, thus engaging in direct competition with the other SoC manufacturers.

While the exact Exynos 4412 specs are yet to be announced, it is estimated that the new SoC from Samsung will be built using the 32nm manufacturing process and will feature a quad-core processor based on the ARM Cortex A9 (the same architecture behind the Tegra 3 CPU, but Nvidia uses a 40nm process) clocked somewhere between 1.5 – 1.8 GHz. As for the GPU, rumors claim that the Exynos 4412 SoC will feature an ARM Mali-T604. In addition, the 4412 will also feature integrated LTE and WCDMA radios. Please keep in mind that these are only rumored specs.

While the Exynos 4412 will definitely be a worthy competitor to the SoCs currently offered by Nvidia (Tegra 3) and Qualcomm (Snapdragon S4), the Digitimes’ report claims that it might also be the first SoC to end up in smartphones and tablets not manufactured by Samsung. Although it will definitely be nice to see even more heat being added on top of an already competitive SoC market, this idea does seem a little far fetched. I'm seriously hoping that Digitimes got this one right but, I'd advise against holding your breath waiting for a HTC smartphone based on the Exynos 4412.

Any of you willing to contradict my subjective train of thought? Feel free to do so in the comment section below.


This article, Samsung rumored to sell the upcoming Exynos 4412 SoC to other OEMs , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung Electronics spins off Samsung Display, which will merge with Samsung OLED….Confused yet?

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:45 PM PDT

samsung lcd display

Samsung has announced on February 14 its plans to spin-off its LCD Display division, saying that it would make a final decision in about three months, pending shareholder approval. This news doesn’t come as much of a surprise after Samsung reported a loss of around $665 million, even after boasting LCD TV sales of around $20.1 billion in 2011.

In a far speedier decision making process than its initial three month plan, Samsung today announced the creation of Samsung Display, a spin-off of its display business, that will begin operations from April 3. If you’re unsure about what spin-off entails, it basically means that a parent company (Samsung Electronics) creates another company (Samsung Display) that operates independently of the parent company, with its own executives(CEO, COO, CFO, etc.) and staff. Samsung Display will still be 100% owned by Samsung, but this move makes sense from a business and operational standpoint.

Donggun Park, the previous head of the Samsung Electronics LCD business and new CEO of Samsung Display, stated that he was hoping to make Samsung Display a well-respected company, through continuous efforts to supply a large variety of customized products and to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Samsung Display is already a large entity by itself with over 20,000 employees and 5 manufacturing units, but the business will likely get even bigger with plans of a merger with Samsung Mobile Display, its OLED production operation, on July 1. While the plans envision two separate LCD and OLED divisions, the company will eventually shift its main focus to OLED  manufacturing, as OLEDs displace LCDs as the primary display technology in consumer electronics. This is only natural, considering that Samsung has been one of the biggest advocates and road openers for the implementation of OLED in mobile and media applications.

Here’s to hoping that Samsung Display achieves its goal of “being the very best in the display market.”


This article, Samsung Electronics spins off Samsung Display, which will merge with Samsung OLED….Confused yet? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Android 101: An Introduction. Helping you get started with Android

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:01 PM PDT

It was during an interview at the Web 2.0 summit last year, that Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, famously declared "You don't need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone, but I think you do to use an Android phone."

I've used an Android device ever since it was first released in 2008, with the Google G1. Right from the first start-up, I've found the OS to be intuitive and very easy to use and navigate. Since then, there has been a multitude of changes to the User Interface, with OEMs adding their own skins and platforms on top of Google’s stock creation. This did make things a little complicated, requiring you to learn a whole new interface, especially when switching manufacturers, but nothing a few extra minutes with the phone couldn't fix.

After basking in my "computer scientist"-like intelligence for a while, I realized that, while not difficult, getting an Android device set up does take a few minutes, especially if you have to deal with all the syncing options and other phone and display settings.

So, here we present you a quick guide to help you get your Android device up and running. This video is especially helpful if you are getting started with an Android phone for the first time. After a quick introduction about the few hundred millions  computer scientists out there (I know, I just can't seem to let that go), the video goes on to present a few important topics such as:

  • Using the navigation keys
  • Syncing email and social networking
  • Creating and managing your contacts
  • Using your camera
  • Call logs and messaging
  • Saving battery life
  • Working through settings
  • Ringtones and apps
  • Security and updates

You can watch the video, courtesy of AndroidWorkBench, here:

The video is very informative and will make it very easy for any new Android user to figure their way around the OS. Of course, the video may feel a little dated, considering the shift from the (shown) four capacitive button strip to the three button strip you will see on any current and future ICS device.

On a personal note, I would have also preferred if the video featured a voice over providing a running commentary or, at the least, any kind of background music, as the 17-minute long video started to feel a little tedious by the end.  But, this is a good first step and will hopefully help people overcome any fears about Android OS.

What are your thoughts on the video? Did you, or anyone you know, ever find Android to be difficult in any way? Let us know in the comments section below.


This article, Android 101: An Introduction. Helping you get started with Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Deal alert: Buy the Verizon Galaxy Nexus and you get free extended battery and back cover!

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:58 AM PDT

Verizon-Galaxy-Nexus

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is not yet here, and it might be a while before we get to see Sammy's future flagship up for sale, so for the time being, the Galaxy Nexus is still the number one Android Ice Cream Sandwich on the market (at least until the HTC One X lands).

If you haven't yet purchased the Galaxy Nexus, either because you were a bit phased by its not-so-affordable price or because you were far from impressed by its mediocre battery life, Samsung Direct now has a deal that you shouldn't miss for the life of it.

For any Verizon branded Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE purchased through the online store, you get a free extended battery bundle, in other words a 2100 mAh extended battery and a cool-looking black cover. The whole shenanigan would cost you these days about 30-35 bucks, if you were to buy the power pack separately from the smartphone.

The Samsung Direct deal runs through May 10 or while supplies last (or in other words, most definitely not up until May 10), and the free gift will be automatically added to any order placed  on Sammy's website, starting today.

Remember, the Galaxy Nexus still goes for $299.99, with a 24-month contract (either individual or shared), or a whopping $799.99, if you choose to set yourself free from carrier obligations and limitations. That means that, despite of this pretty awesome deal, you will still have to pay big bucks for this great 4.65-inch Android 4.0 device.

Samsung galaxy nexus extended battery pack

On the other hand, you should know that Amazon is currently offering the Galaxy Nexus for $99.99 with a two-year contract (only new clients or a new line added to an already existent family account), so all in all, you might be getting a better deal on Amazon, than you would with the Samsung Direct promotion.

Amazon is also selling the 16 GB I9250 Galaxy Nexus for $489.99 with no contract, so you should think long and hard before getting this awesome phone. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can save a lot of cash with the right offer.

While I'm sure I don't need to remind you the smartphone's features and spec sheet, if you're thinking of getting the Galaxy Nexus, but you are still unsure that this is the best handheld for you, you can check out our own comprehensive review and you will find out all there is to know about this cool gadget.


This article, Deal alert: Buy the Verizon Galaxy Nexus and you get free extended battery and back cover! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Leak: release dates of Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus LTE and LG Viper LTE revealed

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:12 AM PDT

Sprint-Galaxy-Nexus-LTE

Quick, what does it mean for Sprint to be the nation’s third largest carrier?

Does it mean that phone manufacturers would choose the two bigger networks over it to showcase their flagship devices? Check.

Does it mean that new smartphones that are coming out are lagging behind several months from the competitors? Check.

Case in point, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which has been a staple device for Verizon since December 2011, is only expected to land on Sprint in April. If the information is accurate, this would make it a good five months after the debut of Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon.

According to a leaked document that details the launch date of various smartphones at Walmart-owned Sam’s Club, the Galaxy Nexus will be preceded by the LG Viper.  The retailer  will start selling the Viper on April 15, to be swiftly followed by the unleashing of the Galaxy Nexus on April 22. Both phones will fit in nicely with Sprint’s newly born 4G LTE network. Sadly, the leak didn't mention anything about pricing.

Surely, you know all the deets about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus by now. Google's almost “old” flagship device sports a 4.65-inch super AMOLED HD screen with 1280 x 720 resolution, and it was the first smartphone to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is expected to come with a 1.5GHz processor.

As for the LG Viper, it’s a mid-end Android smartphone, at best, that boasts a 4-inch WVGA display with 800 x 480 resolution. The phone's 1.2GHz dual-core processor should keep it future-proof for the rest of the year, along with the phone's NFC and DNLA features.

To be fair to Sprint, the Galaxy Nexus is yet to be introduced on AT&T, as well. Since the unlocked global variant of the phone works fine on AT&T, this doesn't seem to concern Android enthusiasts all that much. Besides, AT&T does have the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket HD, which does a good job of replacing the Galaxy Nexus.

Sprint subscribers will now face the tough decision of whether to grab the Galaxy Nexus or hold on a little bit longer for the HTC EVO One and Samsung Galaxy S3. Who says life as an Android geek is easy?


This article, Leak: release dates of Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus LTE and LG Viper LTE revealed , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.