Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Google's Page: Apple's Android Pique 'For Show'
BusinessWeek
Excerpts from our forthcoming magazine story: When you took over as CEO, one of your goals was to take the clear accountability and decision-making of a division like Android and move that out to the rest of the company. How have you done?
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android Nabs 1M Downloads, Prompts iPhone Twitter Spat
PC Magazine
By Angela Moscaritolo The release of Instagram for Android was music to many people's ears, as excited Android users downloaded more than 1 million copies of the popular photo-sharing app in less than 24 hours. The free app was released Tuesday on ...
See all stories on this topic »
SwiftKey 3: This Android keyboard is addictive
CNET
It's a very nice alternative keyboard for Android that's even better than the built-in autocorrecting keyboard in Android or the one on the iPhone. But it's still a keyboard. And it costs $3.99. To replace a product that's baked into every single phone ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android: Fun, but missing some iOS features
Computerworld
The popular image sharing and manipulation app comes to Android, and despite a few quibbles the app's a welcome addition to Google Play. By Ginny Mies PC World - After 18 months as an iPhone exclusive, photo-sharing app Instagram arrived for Android ...
See all stories on this topic »
Review: Instagram app for Android makes you an addict
Los Angeles Times
By Michelle Maltais The Instagram app for Android is my new drug. It makes me frame everything as a potential snapshot to share. Beet sprouts in my garden. Dust bunnies in the hallway. Newspapers obscuring my view. A dead cockroach at work.
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram on Android: Tips for using the instantly popular app
Washington Post (blog)
By Maura Judkis Photo filtering and sharing app Instagram was released on Android Tuesday, and it was snapped up by 1 million users ready to snap retro-looking photos on their phones. Instagram is already hugely popular on the iPhone, with more than 30 ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android gets 1 million downloads
CBS News
(Credit: Instagram/CBS) (CBS News) Instagram, the popular mobile photo-sharing app, has only been available on Android smartphones for one day, but the app has already garnered over 1 million downloads. Instagram launches for Android smartphones ...
See all stories on this topic »

CBS News
Android Security Is a Major Threat: 10 Reasons Why
eWeek
From Android to Symbian and even, in some cases, iOS, operating systems across the mobile market are being targeted by malicious hackers. Users of those operating systems, meanwhile, do little to safeguard themselves from those threats.
See all stories on this topic »

eWeek
Next Issue Android Tablet Newsstand Goes Live
PC Magazine
By Chloe Albanesius Next Issue Media, a joint venture between Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp, and Time Inc., has formally unveiled its Android tablet newsstand, which has been referred to as "Hulu for magazines." The venture will include 32 ...
See all stories on this topic »
Instagram for Android Downloaded More Than 1 Million Times in 24 Hours
Mashable
As expected, the long-awaited Instagram for Android has proved to be a big hit, netting more than 1 million downloads before the app had been out for 24 hours. Stats from Google Play peg the number of downloads between 1 million and 5 million, ...
See all stories on this topic »

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Some iPhone owners aren't happy about Instagram for Android ...
By Michael Crider
Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of Instagram. I see very little value in low-resolution photos with minimal filters posted to an exclusive social network, when.
Android Community
Why Android Won't Ruin Instagram
By The Huffington Post News Editors
The good news is that the only way Android could ruin Instagram is if you let it ruin Instagram for you.
The Huffington Post | Full News Feed
Next Issue Media launches on Android, $15 a month for access to ...
By Joe Pollicino
If you've taken issue with your usual choices for buying magazines on your tablet, be it pay-per-issue or per-subscription, you're not alone. If you'll.
Engadget
Android Tops 50% Market Share in the U.S. [STUDY]
By Todd Wasserman
Android's share of the U.S. smartphone market topped 50% in the U.S. in February for the first time, according to comScore.
Mashable » Tech
Motorola's New WebTop 3.0 Software Transforms Android 4.0 ...
By Chris Chavez
Like your momma always told you, imitation is the best form of flattery. And in this case, it seems Motorola is doing the flattering, taking cues from the.
Android Phone Fans

Web2 new results for android
 
Exclusive: Hands-on with the HTC EVO ONE - Android Life: An ...
Android Life: An Android Community Blog - An Android Community Blog covering major Android devices releases and rumors. Apps · Games · Carriers ...
an.droid-life.com/.../exclusive-hands-on-with-the-htc-evo-one/
Android.GeoFake | Symantec
Remove Android.GeoFake - Symantec Security Response provides comprehensive internet protection expertise to guard against complex threats, information ...
www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?...


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Android Authority

Android Authority


Huawei and ZTE want to ship 100 million smartphones in 2012

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 03:12 AM PDT

zte huawei

Huawei and ZTE, two very popular manufacturers in their own Chinese market, have been relative unknown in the world smartphone arena, until the beginning of this year. After some impressive demonstrations at this year’s Mobile World Congress, both companies are hoping to back up the “talk” with equally impressive sales figures. More precisely, Huawei and ZTE plan to ship a combined 100 million smartphones this year.

This is a huge jump in their shipping targets from 2011, with a shift from 16 million to 60 million for Huawei, and from 11 million to 40 million for ZTE. In the process, the two Chinese giants hope to capture a combined 15% of the world handset market. This large jump in projected volumes can be attributed to the fact that both companies have shifted their attention to the higher end  of the smartphone spectrum, while previously being known only for manufacturing low- to mid-range devices.

Huawei and ZTE have both announced very promising high-end devices this year, and, if they can offer these devices at affordable prices, they may emerge as major competitors to HTC, Samsung, or Motorola. Here’s what they have in store for this year.

Huawei’s high-end devices, the Ascend D Quad and Ascend D Quad  XL (which the Chinese proclaimed “the fastest smartphone in the world”) feature impressive specifications such as:

  • K3V2 quad-core 1.2 Ghz processor/1.5 Ghz (for D Quad XL)
  • Android 4.0
  •  4.5″ capacitive touch screen
  • 1280×720 resolution
  • 1800mAH battery/2500mAH (for D Quad XL)
  • 8GB internal memory, expandable my microSD
  • 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP camera

If the specs aren’t impressive enough, Huawei has also promised that both devices will be 20% to 50% cheaper than other similar phones.

Along the same lines, ZTE announced their own quad-core smartphone at MWC 2012, the ZTE Era, which it dubbed “the quad-core phone for the budget conscious.” ZTE Era specifications include:

  • NVIDIA Quad Core Tegra 3 processor, 1.3 Ghz
  • 4.3″ qHD capacitive touch screen
  • 960×540 resolution
  • Android 4.0
  • 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera
  • 8GB internal storage, expandable via MiscroSD

The specs are a bit of a letdown compared to the other quad-core devices, but the lower specs will likely translate into a much lesser strain on the wallet. ZTE also announced plans to release up to four different Android 4.0 tablets, featuring both dual-core and quad-core processors.

With these devices leading the charge and accompanied by a slew of other devices, the lofty sales expectations announced by the two ambitious Chinese companies seem to be within reach. We’ve seen Huawei and ZTE “talk the talk”, now it’s time for them to “walk the walk.”

What are your thoughts? After the big splash Huawei and ZTE made at MWC, are they going to meet their expectations?


This article, Huawei and ZTE want to ship 100 million smartphones in 2012 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


The Android juggernaut is unstoppable: Accenture research

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:58 AM PDT

android

Based in Ireland, Accenture is one of the largest consulting firms in the world. From time to time, the company releases studies or surveys focusing on technology market and mobile computing, offering precious insights into the evolution of the complex world of technology.

One of Accenture’s most recent presentations took place at MWC (Mobile World Congress) and focused on Android's growth rate compared to Apple's progress over the past few years.

I know what you're thinking, MWC concluded more than a month ago, so why is this guy bringing us such old raggedy news? Well, we here at Android Authority felt it was necessary to let you know that things aren't as dark and gloomy for Android as they might have seemed from two of our latest posts, about in-app purchases and the supposed total revenue of Google's mobile operating system since 2008.

Back at the MWC, Accenture mobility analyst Lars Kamp presented several interesting charts that speak volumes on the evolution of our favorite mobile operating system. Due to lack of space and my reluctance to bore you with too much statistical data, I am only going to focus on three of those charts.

First of all, what we have below is the shares in the total smartphone market, which, as you can see, has been dominated by Android ever since 2010. Google's operating system runs on half of today's smartphones, while Apple's iOS only powers about 30% of worldwide devices.

The past two years have seen a booming success for Android in terms of market share, and we have no reason to believe that things will change anytime soon. What could change, however, is the placement of the second runner-up, which, right now, is no competition for Android or Apple. We know that Microsoft has big plans to attack the smartphone market and its potential success could transform this two-horse race into a more tight and interesting competition.

The second chart shows the acceleration rate of the number of Android activations per day. This is pretty impressive too and, as far as I'm concerned, is actually more impressive than the first chart, as you can easily see the number of activations per day doubling over 12 short months.

300k new Android devices were activated each day in January 2011 and, while that was impressive enough, in December last year, the number had more than doubled, to a whopping 700k per day. Wow! Just wow!

Last, but not least, I would like to say a couple of words about the graph you can check out below, showing the evolution of Android's code base over a period of three years and a half. Needless to say, this chart gives yet another sample of Android’s greatness, as the operating system's code base has grown from 3.6 million lines to no less than 17.1 million, from August 2008 to February 2012.

This shows the enormous amount of work that Google has undertaken over these past three years and a half, which clearly makes the latest Google OS versions more complex and feature-rich than Apple's iOS. Sure, that can be both a good and a bad thing, but such a discussion would take us all day, so, for the time being, let's focus on the good parts.

Those were the three charts from Accenture's presentation I considered the most important to discuss, but there are a few more that might interest you, so I will post these as well. Enjoy!


This article, The Android juggernaut is unstoppable: Accenture research , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Brightstar deal may see Sony Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U landing in US

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:47 AM PDT

After struggling for much of last year in satiating the public's growing hunger for bigger, better, and faster Android devices, a reenergized Sony Mobile is hoping to turn things around in 2012 with its new line of Xperia devices. It remains to be seen whether the Xperia portfolio can do for Sony what the Galaxy did for Samsung, but expanding the reach of the devices in a hotly contested market is a surefire way to send the signal that Sony's not going down without putting up a fight.

Working with Brightstar, a specialized wireless distributor in the US, the deal will see three new Sony smartphones become available for customers, which include the Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U. Out of the three, the Xperia S is the designated flagship device. But we're not sure if the 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 1280 x 720 resolution in a 4.3-inch screen, and NFC chip would be enough to lure buyers.   The Xperia P and Xperia U, meanwhile, come with 4.0 and 3.-5inch display – respectively. They both have 1GHz dual-core processor inside.

There's no word yet on the network that's expected to carry the Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U in the US of A, let alone a release date and pricing detail. For now, you have to settle with knowing that another one of the company’s devices, the Xperia Ion, will hit the stores in Q2 2012, courtesy of AT&T.

Frankly, the Xperia Ion seems to me a more impressive offering in comparison to the Xperia S. A huge 4.6-inch HD display bolstered by the Bravia engine, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a nice 12MP camera, and 4G LTE connectivity all await you.

It is mindboggling how Sony, as one of the largest electronic manufacturers AND owner of an entertainment empire, is struggling with their Android efforts. Coupled with the PlayStation brand and an extensive back catalog of games, they do have the hardware and content resources to pull off great things. With Kaz Hirai taking the helm at Sony now, we might just see the company experiencing happier times ahead. Go Sony!


This article, Brightstar deal may see Sony Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U landing in US , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC One X coming to Rogers Canada in “the next few weeks”

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT

The HTC One X is, by far, the most exciting Android-based smartphone to launch in April (or May, for that matter, if the Galaxy S3′s release date will be pushed towards summer, as rumors state right now), and the Taiwanese certainly know how to build up the tension and expectations for their upcoming flagship.

After being finally put on sale in select European countries yesterday, the 4.7-inch beast might be coming to North America as well in the following couple of weeks. Yeah, it's still "might" and "could", because HTC's officials are, for some reason, putting off the official release date announcement for USA and Canada as much as possible.

In an announcement concerning the expansion of its LTE network, Rogers Canada let it slip (was it a slip, really?) yesterday that it will offer the HTC One X for sale in just a "few short weeks", which almost certainly means that the smartphone will be hitting the Canadian market by the end of April after all.

Unfortunately, the loose lipped guys at Rogers haven't mentioned a thing about the pricing of the One X, so we're still unsure of how popular could the handheld become in the True North. In US, early rumors pointed towards a $599 price tag (with no contract, of course), which could easily make this one of the most successful 2012 Android-based smartphones.

If you've been living under a rock lately and you don't know much about the One X, you can check out all the details on our website. We had an unboxing article last week on the site, where the list of features is also available, and if you want to get a taste of what the One X can do in terms of taking photos, here is a short, but very interesting comparison between HTC's future flagship and Apple's iPhone 4S.

Oh, one more thing, before I forget. The HTC One X at Rogers Canada will be made available with 4G LTE connectivity, which means that it won't be powered by an Nvidia quad-core processor (Nvidia chips don't support LTE speeds), but a dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset.

Don't worry, though, because it seems that, after all, Qualcomm S4 "Krait" processors might just be as snappy, if not snappier, than quad-core chips.

Any Canadians reading us? What are your thoughts on the HTC One X?


This article, HTC One X coming to Rogers Canada in “the next few weeks” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Photo filters galore: Instagram for Android is live

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:21 AM PDT

 

instagram for android

Instagram is a photo filter and sharing app that allows you to change the look and feel of a picture taken on your smartphone and share it with your friends. Customizations include changing the colors, mood, borders, and tonality of the photo, which you can post for all to see on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or FourSquare. The makers of Instagram also promise Flickr support to come soon.

The wildly popular photo filter app, which has thus far been an iOS exclusive, is now available for Android. First presented at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Instagram has certainly taken its time with the Android release, but it has been well worth the wait. Available for Android versions  2.2 and above, the app has been specifically tweaked to suit Android, including functionality for the three capacitive button strip on Android 4.0. Instagram developers have put in a lot of time and effort into this, instead of taking the easy path and simply port the iPhone app.

Instagram already boasts over 27 million registered iOS users and will only gain in popularity with the Android release. The app has already gathered over 430,000 sign-ups before its official launch.

If you want to join the vintage-filter craze or just want to see what’s all the fuss about, download Instagram from Android from the Google Play Store here.

instagram for android 1


This article, Photo filters galore: Instagram for Android is live , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


The F-word (the other one) doesn’t scare all Android developers

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 09:35 AM PDT

android fragmentation boogie monster

Android fragmentation is a huge problem. Or at least, that's what we all think after listening to technology experts, web developers, game developers, and simple technology geeks, all talking about fragmentation as if were a nuclear war or a shattering earthquake.

Pretty much every discussion and debate regarding Android's strong and weak points right now starts with what most people think is the operating system's first downside, fragmentation. But is fragmentation such a dramatic issue in reality, at least from the app developers’ point of view? Isn't Android’s own F-word just a nuisance that gets blown to enormous proportions due to exaggerations and opinions based on second-hand experience or no experience at all?

Todd Hooper, a well-known and recognized developer and entrepreneur, posted a very interesting article on TheNextWeb yesterday, surprisingly stating that Android fragmentation is not a very dramatic issue. Zipline Games' CEO told TNW's readers the story behind the making and developing of Wolf Toss, a very popular mobile game, currently doing very well, both on Apple's Appstore  and on Google’s Play Store.

Why fragmentation is not such a huge problem for developers

Todd Hooper starts his "confessions" by admitting that he was, at first, terrified about offering Android support, due to all the horror stories he heard about fragmentation. The scenario seemed to be confirmed by reality immediately after Wolf Toss' Android release, when many users complained about bugs and resolution issues.

However, what initially looked like a problem caused by Android's very diverse, complex, and "fragmented" world, turned out to be an issue simply caused by… insufficient QA (quality assurance) testing.

There were indeed a bunch of device-specific bugs, but the vast majority of issues were, in fact, caused by "classic software engineering" flaws. After fixing bugs that really had nothing to do with the fragmentation of Android or the diversity of Android devices, the guys at Zipline Games reached the conclusion that they simply didn't pay enough attention to these gadgets.

Just to pause Todd Hooper's confession for a moment, and to shortly give my two cents on the issue, I think that this is, in fact, one of the issues that most mobile development companies encounter right now. The Android world is clearly very vast and extremely diverse, but you don't need to test each device separately in order to make a game run on it smoothly. What you have to do, though, is target a specific set of devices, each of these being similar or identical in most terms with a bunch of other gadgets. More specifically, you don't have to test an app on two, three, or ten smartphones that run stock Gingerbread and sport the same exact screen, you only have to test it (and thoroughly, if I might add) on one of them.

That being said, I would like to end this article with a quote from Todd Hooper's post, which, I feel, perfectly summarizes the "issue": "The idea that Android fragmentation is an insurmountable issue for developers is overblown (…) A little extra complexity for Android is worth your time as a developer." Or, in other words, Android is tougher than iOS in terms of offering support for apps, but in the long-haul, it pays off to take some time for more thorough testing.

What do you guys think, is Todd Hooper right and has fragmentation been simply blown out of proportions lately? Hit us with a comment below and tell us your opinion!


This article, The F-word (the other one) doesn’t scare all Android developers , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Video Walkthrough: Create your own Samsung Galaxy S3

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 08:20 AM PDT

 

galaxy s3 renderThe Samsung Galaxy S3 has done a very good job of staying hidden, with not even a whisper of what its specifications, design, or release date will be. This has resulted in an endless swirl of rumors and speculations, with “leaked” specifications and “press release” renders of the smartphone, every other week.

While a lot of the rumors on the specifications might be as close to the truth as possible, people have often been way off-base with the design renders being released. Most have been very easy to identify as fake, even if their creators invested a considerable amount of time and effort into making them.

Well, if you’ve ever wondered about how easy or difficult creating such a render would be, we have the answer for you. Wayne Drescher Jr, of WJD Designs, decided to show exactly how easy it is to create a fake render with enough time and some Photoshop know-how. He did this with minimal effort, simply by mixing and matching elements to create what could potentially be released as the “real” thing. Definitely not the most credible render we’ve seen so far, but a good guideline nevertheless.

You can watch the video here, courtesy of WJD Designs.

What are your thoughts? Are you going to attempt to create a render of the Galaxy S3 (replace with your favorite device) as well? Send us your designs if you are.


This article, Video Walkthrough: Create your own Samsung Galaxy S3 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC EVO One pictured in first press shot, to be unveiled on Wednesday

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 08:01 AM PDT

HTC's One series of smartphones has already hit Europe (well, at least some select European countries), but Americans are still drooling over the One S, One V and, especially, the One X.

While initially it was supposed to be an AT&T exclusive, the One X will most likely have a Sprint special version as well, called the EVO One (and also a Verizon edition, most likely called One XL, but that’s a discussion for another time). Our own Bogdan reported on the EVO One news a couple of days back, based on a few rumors around the web that the smartphone will be unveiled this week, and it seems that tomorrow is the big day.

However, despite the fact that the official announcement is still 24 hours away, we managed to get our hands on a first press shot of the HTC EVO One, thanks to our good friends at PocketNow. The EVO One is pictured between AT&T's One X and T-Mobile's One S (the photo at the beginning of the article) and, even though you might get the feeling that you are looking at the same phone multiplied by three, there are, of course, some subtle differences between them.

The One S will be sporting a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 pixels resolution screen and will be powered by a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. With HSPA+42 connectivity, the S is more compact than the X and the EVO One, but then again, it comes with a slightly poorer screen.

The HTC EVO One is said to be based on the One X, but it is obvious from the press release shot that the devices don’t share the same chassis. There are a few similarities though. Both the EVO One and HTC One X (heading to AT&T) feature a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor compared to the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor available in the international release. As we’ve found out, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. Both devices also feature similar cameras with HTC’s ImageSense technology and are both 4G LTE capable. But that is where the similarity ends.

The EVO is rumored to feature a 4.7″ AMOLED screen compared to the One X’s Super LCD2 display. AMOLED is generally accepted to be the superior technology, but whether this difference will make a huge difference on the smartphone is yet to be seen.  Another advantage the EVO One has is the availability of a microSD slot, a feature that is (glaringly) missing on the One X. While I am appreciative of the 25GB Dropbox storage for free on the One X, leaving out microSD support is still an oversight. But the biggest difference, and advantage, for me, is the much larger 2650 mAH battery housed in the EVO One (HTC One X has as an 1800mAH battery).According to rumors, the EVO One might also have a kickstand fitted below its camera.

(Rumored) Specifications of the EVO One include:

  • 4.7″ 720p AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
  • 1.5 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor
  • 16GB internal memory, expandable via microSD card
  •   8 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
  • 2650 mAH battery
  • Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0
  • Beats Audio
  • LTE

Getting back to our leaked photo today, we can't say much about this upcoming EVO One, other than the fact that it looks pretty similar (albeit boxier) as the One X, but it appears that the EVO One will be rocking an all-black, classic and mysterious look.

There has to be also said that, as far as we can tell from the pic, the EVO One might not be bulkier than the One X, even though it will feature a considerably larger battery.

As I already mentioned, the EVO One will most likely be officially introduced to the public on Wednesday (that's tomorrow, if you're still a bit sleepy and haven’t yet checked your calendar), and, according to Pocket Now, will be hitting Sprint's shelves on June 6.

Both these pieces of information, as well as the photo itself, haven't yet been officially confirmed by anyone at HTC or Sprint, so, for the time being, you shouldn't get overly excited about the prospect of yet another cool phone coming to Sprint. Stay tuned on our website during the following hours or so to find out exactly how much truth lies behind this story!


This article, HTC EVO One pictured in first press shot, to be unveiled on Wednesday , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Would you want Android to have user profiles?

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 07:36 AM PDT

android profile

As our mobile technology becomes more and more impressive and feature-rich, we allow more and more people to “try out” these features, play games, browse the web, and so on. Whether at home or at work, giving your device to someone else provides them access to all of your saved profiles, Twitter client, Facebook account, and so on. Wouldn’t it be better if you could switch to a vanilla environment for “Guests” with a quick tap? Or if people could build separate user profiles on a single device?

When a work colleague sees you have a fun new application or gadget, the first things they always ask is “how did you get that”, followed by “is it good?”, which is then followed by “let me have a go!”. If not, they often switch on the puppy eyes to trick you into offering them a go so they seem a little more polite. Whilst I, for one, have no issue with passing my tech around to trusted people for them to enjoy, I am thereby giving them access to my Twitter, Google+, and eBay accounts, as well as access to other tools I use.

Guest Mode?

It is moments such as the aforementioned that would make having some sort of “Guest Mode” a beautiful and very useful feature. Try not to think about Guest mode on computers, which involves logging out and in again, the computer reloading a tonne of software, and so on. On Android tablets I am sure this could be accomplished with a few taps, and then switching to a “clean slate” homescreen and a limited app drawer. Once the owner has his or her device returned, he or she can revert to their own profile with a password. It would give me a great deal of comfort to know that people don’t have the ability to check my PayPal balance or publish silly tweets when I let them play with my tablet or phone.

Such a feature would be even better if you could set up individual profiles for people, and save their user data, home screen applications, and so on, accordingly. A “quick switch” feature like this may require a lot of computational power to pull off in a seamless transition, but the devices we have today are certainly up to it.

Work and Home Profiles

It’s easy to set your phone’s alert mode between “Work” and “Normal”, but how about the device as a whole? Wouldn’t it be nice for the device to alter its appearance, homescreen, and running applications based upon whether you are at home or at work? Adding in geolocation would make such a feature even sweeter. When you arrive or leave work, your phone switches profiles for you automatically.

Separate panes to keep work and home separate

Slightly off topic, but have you tried using different panes on your homescreen for work and home? It’s a good strategy to help you focus on your work and not become distracted by that bright blue Facebook icon. Likewise, when you get home, you can browse Twitter comfortably without having to see the Email widget on the work pane nagging you to do some work from home. Remember to keep work and home separate!

Final Thoughts

I think that, if done well, this feature could one day integrate into Android quite nicely. Having the ability to instantly switch to “guest mode”, would make letting people play around with your device a lot easier and safer. What do you all think?

PS: The Chameleon overlay, which we covered a while ago, provides some of the features I described in this article, including geolocation-based profiles, multiple user profiles, instant user profile switching, and more, all while looking awesome. But Chameleon is currently a work in progress and we can’t tell if it will ever make it to an Android device.

No related posts.


This article, Would you want Android to have user profiles? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC Rezound 4G for $49.99 with a Verizon contract, Droid Incredible 4G to launch soon?

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 06:54 AM PDT

Yo, deal hunters, bargain lovers, listen up! If you haven't yet got your hands on a 4G LTE high-end Android smartphone and your favorite carrier around the block is Verizon, Big Red has a special offer waiting for you right now.

The 4G LTE HTC Rezound, one of the coolest Android handsets of these past months, goes for a mere $49.99 with a two-year contract. That's about as low as a smartphone of this kind can go for at the moment and it's what Amazon Wireless charges for the Rezound as well.

I know, I know, you're all probably waiting either for the Samsung Galaxy S III or for the HTC One X (or maybe even the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL), and the Rezound will clearly not be a match for any of these three gadgets, in terms of processing power or looks. On the other hand, you should look at it this way. Are you on a tight budget? Do you only want to spend a few bucks and have a cool and snappy smartphone on your hands?

If your answers are yes, you can't possibly make a better choice right now than go for Verizon's HTC Rezound. I mean, aside from the unbelievable connectivity speeds you get, the smartphone is also cool-looking, sports a 4.3-inch full HD screen, and features a dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor.

You got your download speed, your nice looks, your high performance level, a great screen and don't forget about the 8 MP rear-facing camera with auto-focus and dual-LED flash! Sure, the 4.3-incher still runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and this might make you a bit uncomfortable, but, on the other hand, the guys at HTC have promised an Ice Cream Sandwich update really soon.

Like I said, the $49.99 price tag is for a two-year Verizon contract only, so if you don't want to tie yourself to such a contract right now, you'll still have to pay big bucks for this smartphone (more exactly, the current full retail price $649.99).

Just a special deal or is it more to it than that?

Leaving aside for a moment this pretty great deal from Verizon, we should also say a couple of things about what this kind of offer could mean in the long haul. What am I talking about? Well, usually, when a large carrier like Big Red puts one of its flagships on such a sweet sale, it only means one thing: a new high-end smartphone will be released soon enough.

Our guess is that the HTC Droid Incredible 4G will be finally making its way towards the market. The follow-up to the Droid Incredible and Droid Incredible 2 has been making short appearances in leaks and speculations of all sorts for a while, both under the Incredible 4G name, and a codename, the Fireball.

As you might expect, the future Incredible 4G does not yet have a full official spec sheet, but if we were to listen to speculations, the HTC smartphone should come with a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, and a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.

So, how about it? Will you be picking up a discounted HTC Rezound, will you be waiting for a Droid Incredible 4G, or are your eyes set on an HTC One X, a Samsung Galaxy S3, or a Huawei Ascend D Quad XL? Hit us back with a comment and let us know!


This article, HTC Rezound 4G for $49.99 with a Verizon contract, Droid Incredible 4G to launch soon? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.