Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Google Alert - android

News9 new results for android
 
Android's new ally against the iPhone: Ubuntu
CNET
Strong sales of the iPhone 4S are putting renewed pressure on Android to innovate. Ubuntu for Android could give the platform a key capability iPhone is still missing. by Jason Hiner May 1, 2012 4:00 AM PDT Follow @jasonhiner Last year was a long time ...
See all stories on this topic »
RIM offers BlackBerry 10 tools to lure developers
Chicago Tribune
Aiming to reverse huge market-share losses to Apple Inc and Google Inc's Android, RIM is essentially starting from scratch with its next-generation BlackBerry 10 devices. The new platform will be compatible with few of the apps available for its ...
See all stories on this topic »
Oracle, Google Trial Heads to Jury
PCWorld
Oracle sued Google about two years ago, arguing that its Android software infringes Java patents and copyrights that Oracle acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems. Google denies any wrongdoing, saying it built a "clean room" version of Java.
See all stories on this topic »
Android Apps Slurp Excessive Data
InformationWeek
Nearly half of leading Android apps access more types of data than they require, finds a new security study. By Mathew J. Schwartz InformationWeek More than one-third of Android apps request "excessive permissions," giving them access to more data than ...
See all stories on this topic »
Is a Smartphone in Amazon's Hardware Future?
Wired News
By Roberto Baldwin Currently, the Kindle app runs on iOS and Android. Could an Amazon Kindle smartphone be in the future? Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired For answers, we might look to Facebook, which along with Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, ...
See all stories on this topic »
Android's dead! Wait a minute...
Computerworld (blog)
By JR Raphael (@jr_raphael) I don't know if you've noticed, but the latest trend around the Web seems to be proclaiming the pending death of Android. I'm sure you've seen some of the stuff floating around out there: The platform has plateaued!
See all stories on this topic »
The end of Android as we know it
InfoWorld
By Galen Gruman | InfoWorld Android devices account for more than half of the smartphones sold or at least shipped; sales figures are, to say the least, suspect. Yet a growing number of signs indicates that Android has peaked as a platform and will do ...
See all stories on this topic »
LG denies it is leaving Windows Phone
Washington Post
"At the moment, LG is primarily focusing on developing Android-equipped smartphones," the company said in a statement sent to The Washington Post. "Contrary to what some articles have said, LG is not giving up on Windows Phones.
See all stories on this topic »
Ahead of the Bell: Research in Motion CEO to speak
The Seattle Times
The new CEO of struggling BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. will make his first major speech Tuesday amid the company's difficulties competing with flashier, consumer-oriented phones such as Apple's iPhone and models that run Google's Android ...
See all stories on this topic »

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Android Overload: Xperia Play Receives 4.0.2 Software Update ...
By Chris Chavez
Looks like we've got a healthy fixin' of the Android Overload for you here tonight. These are all the stories form throughout our day that didn't make it.
Android Phone Fans
Steve Wozniak prefers Windows Phone more than Android ...
By Gene Ryan Briones
Apple co-founder and award-winning computer engineer Steve Wozniak is no doubt one of the most influential people in the tech industry. That means that whatever he says, or does, can actually mean big - really big. So when "The Woz" [...]
Ubergizmo
KegDroid Android Serves Beer With a Google+ Login [VIDEO]
By Emily Price
KegDroid is a pint-sized Android that dispenses pints of beer using an Android tablet –specifically a Motorola Xoom -- as its controls.
Mashable » Social Media
Android Tablet Fails - Business Insider
By Kevin Smith
Android is a mobile operating system, owned by Google. Android Inc. was the startup company that developed the initial Android OS. Google acquired the company in July 2005, and many of the original Android Inc. founders work... More » ...
Business Insider
LG dumps Windows Phone for Android
By Dan Graziano
One of the original launch partners of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system is calling a quits. LG said during its earnings call last week that the.
BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech

Web1 new result for android
 
Kindle Fire now #1 Android tablet, Google control over Android ...
Statistics from comScore show that the Kindle FIre is now the most popular Android tablet. The arrival of low-cost tablets with Ice Cream Sandwich could ...
arstechnica.com/.../amazons-kindle-fire-now-the-1-android-ta...


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Android Authority

Android Authority


The source code of Android on the Galaxy Nexus deemed “trade secret” by Google

Posted: 01 May 2012 02:16 AM PDT


I'm sure that most of our readers already know that Apple and Google are (and will continue to be for a while) involved in a number of lawsuits pertaining to various patents that one company or the other is supposedly breaking. What many might not know is that, in a number of cases, Apple has requested to learn information about Google's services and software just so they can sue the search giant for supposedly breaking other patents after analyzing the data.

The latest of these requests, made by Apple as part of the motion for preliminary injunction against the latest Google smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is by far the most interesting of them all. Apple has requested to learn the differences — if any — between the open source Android code available at https://android.googlesource.com/platform/manifest and the source code for the Android version on the Galaxy Nexus. Even more interesting was Google's reason for not being able to share that information: “Although Google releases some versions of Android through the Android Open Source Project, the internal functionality of Android running on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is Google’s trade secret.”

Google lawyers made it clear that this is the same way that the iPhone source code was treated in a previous iPhone antitrust case (quoting the official ruling: "because the iPhone source code is a trade secret, plaintiffs have the burden to establish that it is both relevant and necessary.”). But to some, Google's answer has revealed a bit more about the relatively open nature of the Android OS.

The OS should be the same with all Android smartphones, right? Wrong, as it seems that Samsung has received a secret version of Android to use on the Galaxy Nexus. Just imagine how far Google could go down this path with the biggest company they've every acquired, Motorola. It looks like the dissatisfaction of some Android manufacturers regarding the Google-Motorola merger is based on solid facts, and not just a product of their paranoid business heads.

What is your take on this? Is Google holding back major improvements in the OS for implementation on their Nexus smartphones? Or is a legal move without any real-world implications? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!


This article, The source code of Android on the Galaxy Nexus deemed “trade secret” by Google , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Launch of Max Payne for Android postponed

Posted: 01 May 2012 01:50 AM PDT

Max Payne

The fans of Max Payne have to wait for some more time, as Rockstar Games has postponed the launch of its Android version by at least a week. The iOS version of the action game arrived on schedule on April 12 and was lauded for its touchscreen controls and faithful adherence to the original game mechanics. The Android version, however, was supposed to be released last weekend but Rockstar Games has decided to delay it to later this week citing as a reason the need for final testing, according to an official tweet.

"Some last testing required to make sure we can get Max Payne Mobile on as many Android devices as possible – thx for your patience!" said a follow-up tweet.

Since there are thousands of hardware, screen size, and software combinations available on the market, it is almost impossible to cater to every model. As a result, Android developers always cite testing as their most laborious aspect of app creation. It seems that Rockstar is making all efforts to avoid multiple updates in the future.

Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published for PCs by Gathering of Developers in July 2001. Later in the year, ports were created for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and the GameBoy Advance (GBA) were published by Rockstar Games. The game was re-released on April 29, 2009 as a downloadable game in the Xbox Originals program for the Xbox 360.

Since it was developed on a far less powerful platform, Max Payne for Android differs greatly from the PC versions and its Xbox and PS2 ports: instead of a 3D shooter, the game is based on sprite graphics and is shown from an isometric perspective. However, the gameplay features have remained very similar to the original, aside of the perspective change, including the use of polygonal graphics for the characters. The story also remained the same as in the PC and console versions, though some levels from the original are omitted. The game still features quite a large part of the original’s graphic novel sections, complete with some of the voice-overs.

Max Payne received very positive reviews and was praised for its exciting gunplay and use of noir storytelling devices. Critically acclaimed, the game won a large number of accolades, including the BAFTA Award. As of 2011, the Max Payne game franchise has sold over 7.5 million copies. On April 6, 2012, the game was announced for Android and iOS titled as Max Payne Mobile.


This article, Launch of Max Payne for Android postponed , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


2,400 pings in an hour? So, that’s where I lost my bandwidth… [Infographic]

Posted: 01 May 2012 01:12 AM PDT

So, you think that your grandma who you only see once a year at Christmas is talkative?

Here's a thing about the apps on your Android smartphones that you don't know – they're even chattier!  Did you know that there are some Android apps that ping the network up to 2,400 times in an hour? We didn't, until we saw the Infographic made by Seven Networks. For all the talk about how smartphones are bandwidth-hungry, it might be hard to fathom how a simple ping from an app can cause network congestion and signal loss, but the data speaks for itself.

According to Seven Networks head of marketing Isabelle Dumont, most Android users are not even aware that the apps are sending those network signals. "Wireless signaling is a tricky topic because oftentimes it's hidden, happening in the background without any user knowledge. But it's growing bigger by the minute, as more users download more connected applications."

She continued by saying that if the constant pinging of the network trend continues, it could ultimately lead to 25 trillion signaling events per hour.

Although the Infographic focuses on Android apps, Seven Networks said that the same issues can be found in apps on other platforms, such as iOS and Windows Phone, especially apps that "tend to be always-on, checking for content updates on a frequent basis, even if there is no content update to be delivered."

But since there are more Android apps that rely on advertising to make money, more data and signaling traffic is generated by Android devices. Additionally, unlike Apple’s iOS, which exerts stricter control over what apps can run in the background, any Android app can run in the background and "take advantage of all services and APIs available on the operating system and the device."

After checking out the Infographic above, you may not have to wonder anymore where all that battery juice and bandwidth seem to be going every day.


This article, 2,400 pings in an hour? So, that’s where I lost my bandwidth… [Infographic] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


LG bids Windows Phone adieu, plans to focus on Android [Update: Denied]

Posted: 01 May 2012 12:50 AM PDT

Bloomberg

With Windows Phone failing to make a dent in the smartphone market, at least in its pre-Nokia Lumia 900 days, some phone manufacturers are getting uncomfortable with the special relationship between Microsoft and Nokia. One supporter of the platform is even going so far as to stop releasing Windows Phone altogether.

LG Electronics, South Korea's second largest phone manufacturer and a loyal supporter of Microsoft's Windows Phone from the beginning, told Korea Herald that they are not going to release any Windows Phone in the near future. Claiming that the company hasn't reaped any financial benefits from partnering with Microsoft, the spokesperson said that "the total unit of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure.” The Windows Phone woes, we’re assuming, contributed to LG’s painful failure to make money over the last seven quarters. But it’s not all bad news for LG, because in Q1 2012 the company has finally got back in the black territory.

Despite the break up, LG plans to maintain its good standing with Microsoft and the Koreans will still "continue research and development efforts" on Microsoft's mobile operating system.  We're not sure what this implies, but given that Steve Ballmer is apparently scheduled to visit Seoul on May 22 for a tech conference, it’s likely that LG’s double talk is just a way to get some attention from Microsoft's top guy.

With Windows Phone device development on hold, the spokesperson said that LG will focus on developing Android smartphones, which seems to be where the money's at for a lot of manufacturers, with Samsung raking in top dollars and HTC expecting to make a return to profit in the next quarter.

In any case, we still think that the more is the merrier when it comes to mobile platform competition and how it fosters innovation. Regardless of LG's not-so-memorable contribution to Windows Phone's roster of handsets, the company's decision to abandon ship will be a blow to Microsoft, though the jury's still out on whether it's just a minor or major one.

On the up side, this means we'll get more LG handsets of the Android flavor this year. Any particular model you’re looking forward to the most?

[Update] According to Pocket Lint, a LG spokesperson dismissed Korea Herald’s report as speculation:

“None of it is true. Korea Herald is showing its speculative side again,” a spokesman for the company in Korea exclusively told Pocket-lint before adding, “We are still on board with Windows Phone, but right now, we’re focusing on Android because that’s where the demand is.”

So, what is it: mind games or unsubstantiated rumor?


This article, LG bids Windows Phone adieu, plans to focus on Android [Update: Denied] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


New Samsung Galaxy S3 image supposedly leaked. May 3, come already!

Posted: 01 May 2012 12:30 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s3 hype

The whole world is waiting with bated breath for the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3. There have been countless rumors about Samsung’s “Next Galaxy” and the rumor-train doesn’t seem to be slowing down, even though we’re only three days away from the official launch. But three days is a long time in the tech world, and we can certainly expect to hear a few more rumors along the way. Let’s take a look at the latest.

As you can see from the image above, a new image of the purported Samsung Galaxy S3 has been “leaked”, complete with a scale to judge the size of the device. This leak is courtesy of an anonymous tipster who sent the image to Know Your Mobile.

As you can see from the image above, the device will supposedly feature a 4.8″ display and a physical menu button, both attributes which are expected in the next Galaxy. The leak consists just of one image and doesn’t give away any information on the hardware housed inside. I almost missed the physical button from the image above, but increasing the brightness helps. The image below is courtesy of Pocket Lint.

Unfortunately, it looks too much like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for my liking, which makes me think that the above image is just another fake. I am positive that the Galaxy S3 isn’t a  new rendition of an older device with a physical button slapped on. If I am wrong, I’m sure that a lot of you will be very disappointed. The flood of leaks and speculation has brought too much hype on the device, and now Samsung has some truly high expectations to live up to.

What are your thoughts? Fake image or the real deal? If it is the real device, how happy or disappointed will you be? Let us know in the comments section below.


This article, New Samsung Galaxy S3 image supposedly leaked. May 3, come already! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


T-Mobile Android 4.0 update schedule leaked, finally some good news for T-Mo users

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 11:50 PM PDT

tmobile girl

T-Mobile customers desperately waiting for ICS updates on their Android-based devices might have gotten enraged a couple of days back, but now have reasons to rejoice. An update schedule for three of T-Mo's frontrunners has been leaked by tmonews.com. While neither of the trio will be updated to Android 4.0 in the next days or so, all three gadgets are set to be running Ice Cream Sandwich in the not so distant future.

If the leaked document proves to be accurate, the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Amaze 4G will be getting a nice touch of ICS on June 16, while the Samsung Galaxy S2 will go to the next software level on May 14.

That's right, the S2 should provide you T-Mobile customers with a nice tasty scoop of Ice Cream Sandwich in just a couple of weeks. That should come as a huge surprise for T-Mo users, especially because Sammy didn't give out any details about the carrier's upgrade plans a few days back and we all thought the worst at the time.

As for the HTC Sensation 4G and Amaze 4G adopters, they will have to wait an additional month, but things could have been even worse. On the other hand, we are talking about a leaked "internal document”, and, even though it does come from a trusted source, it should be taken with a grain of salt or two.

The bad part of the report is that the schedule doesn't mention any gadget besides the trio, which might mean that T-Mobile is not thinking of updating any other handheld to ICS in the near future. If that turns out to be true, myTouch 4G or T-Mobile G2x users should be pretty pissed!

The internal document also provides insight on some future phones to be released by T-Mobile, but none of them sounds the least bit exciting on paper. The Huawei Astro should be the first to hit the market, on May 9, followed by a Huawei Buddy, a Huawei Phoenix, and a new version of the Samsung Gravity TXT, all set to be released on July 11.

The Samsung Cacao T159 should be made available on August 1, while the Samsung Apex Q might see the light of day at the middle of the same month. The Astro, Buddy, Phoenix, and Cacao are all set to target low-end or mid-range tech users and shouldn't come with many innovative features. As for the Apex Q, the device is still wrapped in complete mystery, but will most likely not be a high-end phone either.

It's pretty obvious that the single most interesting part of our report today is the almost confirmed ICS update for the Galaxy S2, HTC Sensation, and the Amaze, so that's what I want to ask you about. Do you think that this leak could prove accurate? Are you excited about the upgrades?


This article, T-Mobile Android 4.0 update schedule leaked, finally some good news for T-Mo users , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Best Android apps to help you get in shape and have a sexy body

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 09:00 PM PDT

Are you looking to build some muscle, beef up your biceps, and shape up your abs? Or, maybe you are looking to reduce that extra body fat, bring down your cholesterol level, and get your body in shape? If your answer is yes to any or all of these, then why not let your Android device help you out? Below is a compilation of the 10 must-have apps that can help you get in-depth fitness advice and guide you towards gaining a fit and healthy body.

Workout Trainer

If you don't have time to go to the gym and would rather settle for exercise at home, then get your personal trainer with Workout Trainer. This app provides workout training with the help of training guidelines from expert coaches. The training comes with images, audio, and videos that provide you with complete guidance for performing a certain exercise. A very handy feature of this app is that it provides users with a fitness consultation wizard to deliver custom training according to user specific needs.

You can also add a home screen widget for checking out new kinds of exercises every day. Workout Trainer also has a sharing feature that enables users to share their workouts via email and social media websites. Workout Trainer also utilizes advice from its users and recommends community-based workouts. All tracked data is synced with the Skimble website, which allows you to keep an eye on your workout progress and sync workout data via an Android, iPad, or iPhone device.

Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal

There comes a time when all of us end up looking for ways to lose weight. Even people who want to achieve the perfect muscle-bound body eventually face the grim reality that it is easier to gain weight than to lose it.  Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal is a calorie-counting app that provides information for calorie value of thousands of foods.

Other than caloric value, you can also get information regarding fat, fiber, sugar, cholesterol, and other nutritional information about food. This helps users find out the caloric content of their daily diet and, in turn, to consume fewer calories than their daily consumption requirement so they can maintain a healthy balanced diet.

This app remembers your favorite food entries and synchronizes your data online for easy access via your computer or cellphone. The food database is updated daily and you can even create custom foods to track nutritional values. Furthermore, Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal also provides 350 exercises, coordination with friends, goal customization options, and more.

How To Lose Weight

While one can make all kind of diet plans and calorie charts, not everyone has the right knowledge regarding weight loss. Furthermore, weight loss can also result in weaknesses and loss of essential nutrients in the body. The best advice can only be acquired from a certified expert. How To Lose Weight does exactly what its name suggests by providing users with in-depth information about losing weight.

The app comes with a hundred articles from personal trainers and dietitians. More than 5 articles are added per week and the article topics range from diet, fitness, healthy recipes, and exercise plans. The aim of this app is not just to help users lose weight but to help them lose it in a healthy way, without compromising their health. It answers some of the major questions such as how many calories and how much weight you should lose, what diet products to use, and the crash dieting plans that can help you quickly lose weight.

Daily Ab Workout Free

While many of us want to get those block-like six packs, not everyone is willing to go through a tough workout routine to acquire them. In fact, many 5-minute daily workout plans can easily get you good looking abs, with minimum effort. The only thing you need is some good guidance.

Daily Ab Workout Free provides 5- to 10-minute daily ab exercises for both men and women. The demonstrated exercises are performed by professional trainers that guide you through the various ab exercises that’ll get you strong and muscular abs.

Unlike other fitness exercises, this app focuses only on the abs, with training videos and a timer. Daily Ab Workout also has a pro version worth US$0.99 which provides an ad-free interface, landscape mode for the app and more workouts than the free version. So, if you want good-looking abs with just a 5- or 10-minute workout that you can easily perform at home, then try Daily Ab Workout.

Full Body Circuit Trainer Free

If you want a more vigorous workout routine that involves the entire body, then this app can serve as your personal trainer. Unlike the apps mentioned above, Full Body Circuit Trainer is more focused towards building strong muscles and a healthier body by means of undergoing a tough exercise routine. The app can be helpful for people who regularly go to the gym but are unable to frequently seek advice from an expert trainer.

Full Body Circuit Trainer has both a free and a paid version. The paid version costs US$0.99 and provides an ad-free interface, with a 9-week workout program. The app layout provides a start and end point picture, along with instructions to execute the exercise. A particular routine can easily be completed in about 15 minutes with the help of this app. As the application provides tougher workout plans, at least dumbbells are needed to perform the exercises shown.

Accupedo – Pedometer Widget

When it comes to healthy activities, there is nothing like a nice walk. Walking not only can help you get rid of excess fat and protect you from killer diseases but also freshen up your mood. There’s nothing like a good walk in the park. Accuepedo meter has been specifically designed to monitor your daily walking activity. This widget works from your Home Screen and uses intelligent 3D motion recognition algorithms to log your walking activities.

A great feature of this app is that it works regardless of its position. It can even track your walking activity from your purse, bag, or pocket. Its display modes can be set to provide information regarding distance, calories, and trip time. The walking log auto-resets at midnight. The Accupedo – Pedometer Widget provides power saving options to ensure that you don't run into battery drain issues, along with step counts, walking time, step distance, body weight, daily goal, and other measurement options.

runtastic

While Accupedo has been designed for tracking your walking activities, runtastic is a complete package to track sporting activities. With this app you can track your cycling, running, and other sporting activities with the help of GPS. The GPS tracks your activities and the app takes into account factors such as time, distance, speed, calories, altitude, and other variables to show you the extent of your activity.

You can even use runtastic to map your gym activities and also gain information on previous sessions of sporting activities. You can also set goals, analyze time laps, get information via charts, add manual exercise entries and share your progress via Facebook and Twitter. Your workout details are saved on the runtastic website, which allows you to gain further analysis and advice via the runtastic community. You can even select training plans to analyze your body stats.

Runtastic serves as an app that can be adjusted to provide you with details regarding literally any kind of sporting activity, particularly vigorous activities.

CardioTrainer

When thinking of fitness activities, we often neglect one of the most important parts of our body that ensures the health of our entire bodily system: the heart. CardioTrainer is a Google Health partner app that provides heart rate monitoring, heart rate records, and information about fat burn areas.

While the app is named as CardioTrainer, it does a lot more than monitoring the heart. CardioTrainer can also be used for weight loss and in tracking fitness activities via GPS. It provides a pedometer, calorie information, music player, voice output, high score count, and friend activity data. The pro version of CardioTrainer also provides advanced level interval training up to 20 levels, with new modules that are added periodically. CardioTrainer Pro currently costs US$9.99, however, the developer has stated that the price will rise as new modules are added. While many features of this app can also be acquired from other fitness applications, the heart-related information is quite unique and is ideal for athletes.

WebMD

WebMD is an app that focuses on providing users with health-related information. As the name suggests, it's like having a doctor inside your Android device. It contains a symptom checker that allows you to choose the part of the body you’re having problems with. This enables identifying possible symptoms for a disease.

Users can also search for detailed information about drugs and available treatment options. WebMD’s pill identification tool helps you identify the drugs that are prescribed to you according to the shape, color and other visible identifiers of the pill.

This tool can be quite handy in case you forget the name of your prescribed pill or forget your prescription at home, as you can identify drugs according to available indicators. WebMD also provides first aid information and medical guidance that is available even if you are not connected to the Internet. Furthermore, you can find doctors, hospitals, and drug stores nearby.

Aerobic Weider Six A6W

Aerobic Weider Six A6W provides a 42-day exercise plan with 6 exercises every day. The application displays the exercise that you are performing and the exercise cycle. It also supports text to speech function which offers custom language and accent options. To use this function, you will be required to download and install voices such as the IVONA Text-to-Speech HQ. The app has a read phone state feature that pauses the workout in case of an incoming call.

It must be noted that Aerobic Weider Six A6W is ad-supported and some users have complained of annoying ads that ruined their experience of the app. The exercises shown in the app are easy to begin with and become tougher as you proceed further. Aerobic Weider Six A6Q particularly provides exercises for a flat belly and abs. The developer recommends that you should consult your trainer before performing any of the mentioned exercises as Aerobic Weider Six A6W does not serve as a personal trainer.

Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, what makes Aerobic Weider Six A6W really worth using is the simplicity of instructions that allow you to perform the available exercises.

With any or all of these 10 apps, you can easily get in shape and revitalize your body today.  What Android apps do you employ to help you stay sexy and in good shape?


This article, Best Android apps to help you get in shape and have a sexy body , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Want to upgrade your Acer Iconia Tab A500 to ICS? There’s an app for that

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 09:32 AM PDT

With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich being rolled out for Acer Iconia Tab A500 and A100 this week, Acer has taken the initiative to release an app that will make the upgrade process faster and a tad easier for Acer owners.

The Iconia Tab Update Enhancement app, which you can download on Acer's website and Google Play, is designed to make sure that the experience of downloading and installing the Ice Cream Sandwich update for your tablets will run as smooth as possible.  Fun as it is to frantically check for the update manually through the system's settings, you'll have a better chance of getting the ICS update faster via the app. However, do note that it is only compatible for the Iconia Tab A500 for now.

If you're in the US and Latin America, you probably already got the ICS update notification, as it was supposed to roll out last week. Meanwhile, those in Canada are expected to get the ICS only on May 3. Still, it doesn't hurt to try and install the app on your tabs. Once you receive the update, which we heard won't come with the Face Unlock feature, it's recommended to keep the Iconia Tab Update Enhancement app. You see, the app is also designed to handle security patches, fixes, and future updates for your Iconia Tab.

We should pat Acer on the back for being mighty proactive in delivering Ice Cream Sandwich for Tab owners and hopefully other manufacturers will take note of this.

As for our readers, have you received the Ice Cream Sandwich update on your Acer Iconia Tab A500 or A100 yet? Share your experience in the comments below.


This article, Want to upgrade your Acer Iconia Tab A500 to ICS? There's an app for that , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Best retro photo apps for Android

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 09:00 AM PDT

Rummaging through your parent’s albums, or your own childhood pictures, can be a great trip down memory lane. A picture truly speaks a thousand words when it’s been hidden away and subjected to the natural process of aging.

With how popular the vintage feel is nowadays, to combat the crispness and vividness of digital cameras with images that will never go old, it’s no surprise that teenagers and young adults are scrambling for old-school cameras. But, if you can’t find an old-school camera in your vicinity, or you can’t be arsed to hunt one down, then do a quick search in the Google Play Store and be surprised at the number of camera apps packing filters that’ll give your photo the aged look that you want. Whether it’s just part and parcel of the camera app, or the main function of the camera app, getting a retro look for your photos is on everyone’s mind.

We’ve put together a list of some of the top 10 retro photo apps, in no particular order, for your Android device.

Roidizer

If you long to capture life’s precious moments using a Polaroid camera you don’t have to scour the internet for one. Download Roidizer for your Android device today and take pictures with Polaroid effects. You can even add text to the bottom of your Polaroid shots using any of the 6 different fonts Roidizer has to offer to make the picture even more personal. Choose from any of the 10 different films for your picture and the auto-focus option to exercise some creativity. Of course, when you’re done, feel free to share your Roidizer photos through your social network sites like Facebook and Twitter. The best part is, Roidizer is free and ad-free, ready to be downloaded to your Android device today.

Unfortunately it isn’t possible to revisit a photo to edit its effects once it’s been saved so make sure that you’ve got a picture that you’d like to keep forever.

PicsArt

PicsArt may be well-known for adding clipart to your images, but it also packs a lot of fun retro magic effects. You’ve got Stenciler, Cartoonizer, Sketcher, and Orton, but for those of you who love aged retro look, you get Lomo and Vintage.

PicsArt also has effects like Cross Process, HDR, Fattal, Pencil, Holgaart, Watercolor, Sketcher, Contours, Comic, Neon, and more. Listing all of them here could take forever, but that’s just how powerful PicsArt is. You won’t have to content yourself with just a handful of effects when you can have way more than you could ever dream of.

Add a personal touch to your vintaged shots by drawing on it using any of PicsArt’s brushes and styles. Once you’re done, share it to your Facebook wall, Flickr, Picasa, Dropbox, Foursquare, Tumblr, Blogger, and WordPress–or you can send photos by SMS and email. Zoom, crop and edit your way through your photos and achieve the look that you want.

Download PicsArt for free from the Google Play Store today.

FxCamera

If you’ve ever aspired to have your face in Warhol style, FxCamera makes that possible. Not only that, FxCamera packs retro filters like ToyCam, Polandroid, Fisheye, and Symmetricam. Of course, it also packs a Normal mode, but that’s rather standard. We’re going for the hip retro look after all.

Make your moments more poignant with any of FxCamera’s effects. Photos will always turn out vivid and clear. FxCamera’s icons and button designs could use a little work, but the navigation is straightforward and the ads it has are unobtrusive. If you’re hoping to snap photos quickly to hold on to a special moment, FxCamera has been reported by users to launch quickly and its menu is intuitive, allowing you to easily switch modes. No more stumbling around, figuring out how to make things work with this app. Take it with you around the city and snap photos of buildings for a touch of creative anachronism in your life.

Fotolr Photo Studio

With 22 functions often used in image processing and almost all the photo editing functions and photo effects that you could want, Fotolr Photo Studio is a must-have for your Android device. But, most importantly, Fotolr Photo Studio packs a mean punch with its Effects options.

You can choose Normal, Black and White, Lomo and more, to get the look that you want. There’s a whole lot to choose from that you’d have to try them for yourself to see. You can go for an additional touch by adding text. If you want to see how different your edited image is now from your original one, tap the A|B button to compare the two. You can save your Fotolr Photo Studio images to your Fotolr albums, documents or even share them through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and Weibo. Fotolr Photo Studio has an easy to understand user interface that users will have no trouble figuring out.

To start editing your photos to give them that gorgeous vintage look, download  Fotolr Photo Studio from the Google Play Store today.

Little Photo

Don’t let this app’s name fool you. Little Photo is a powerful Android app that lets you add film and retouch effects to your photos. Little Photo offers you over 70 different effects and tools to choose from to get that perfect vintage look you’re aiming for. If your Android device doesn’t come with a camera button, don’t worry. You won’t have to resort to tapping your screen, and shaking your camera, to snap your shot; simply use your device’s Volume keys to take a picture.

Little Photo currently does not support cropping and the menu may be a little strange to scroll through. Once you get used to it, snapping beautiful vintage photos is easy. After you’ve snapped your perfect shot and adjusted your chosen effect’s intensity to your liking, the photos are saved to your phone’s SD card.  You can also share your photos directly with Picasa, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites if you want to show off your gorgeous vintage images.

If you’d like to unlock more of Little Photo’s functions, you can purchase the Little Photo Plugin from the Google Play Store today.

Vignette

Vignette is aptly named because it is packing 76 customizable photo effects and 57 frames you can use in any combination to achieve retro and vintage looks. If you’re aiming to mimic LOMO, Diana, Holga, or toy camera styles, Vignette can do that, too, as well as the classic Polaroid look. Vignette also gives you other effects such as cross-process, duotone, charcoal, tilt-shift, photo-booth, double-exposure effects, and much more.

But, Vignette isn’t just for giving your photos that aged look. It’s also a full-featured camera application. You can take pictures with your camera’s full resolution, complete with effects if you get the paid version. Use the digital 10x zoom for those hard-to-reach places and you can even geotag photos. For more creative shots, use the time-lapse and steady-shot modes.

If your Android device is running on Android 4.0+, Vignette can be launched from the lockscreen so you won’t have to waste another moment unlocking your device and rummaging through your apps.

Retro Camera

Like it says on the tin, Retro Camera for your Android device will give you instant nostalgia. Why print out your photos and wait for them to age when you could be snapping away right now? Retro Camera packs 5 different cameras for each filter and 5 sets of vintage vignetting with effects like film scratch, black and white and cross processing. There’s almost no lag between taking your shot and getting your finished product. This app however may not be the best for snapping the quick shot, but if you’ve got all the time in the world, Retro Camera for your Android device will be perfect if you’re expressing your inner artist.

Retro Camera unfortunately can only use your device’s rear camera rather than both your rear and front-facing cameras. There doesn’t seem to be a zooming option, as well, and the ads Retro Camera supports may end up in users accidentally redirecting themselves through the ads.

Lomo Camera

The Lomo Camera app for your Android device is straight forward and simple. As a fully functional emulator of a lomo camera, it packs 6 completely different filters based on real ones, such as Lomo, Paper, Rusty, Dreams, Polaroid, and Film. With its simple layout, Lomo Camera packs the right effects to help you produce a masterpiece by being subtle and not over the top.

Users have described Lomo Camera’s effects almost as realistic as the real thing. Some users, however, may find Lomo Camera too simple and lacking in effects. But, for those of you who’d like a straightforward, no-frills retro-style camera app, Lomo Camera is definitely one of the must-haves. Lomo Camera may have compatibility issues with some Android devices, leading the app to force close or to a black screen. This issue may be resolved in future updates.

Pixlr-o-Matic

Pixlr-o-Matic is a fun and easy application that allows you to add fun retro effects to your photos in a snap. It also allows you to transform your photos into cool-looking vintage images by adding any of its effects, overlays, and borders. You can choose from over 100 effects, 280 overlays, and almost 200 different borders. If you don’t have any subjects to snap a retro photo of, simply select a photo from your photo gallery to edit and age.

If your picture isn’t look vintage enough, slap on a color overlay to adjust the mood and add some lighting effects to enhance or create some drama. If you’re feeling random, tap on the randomizer option to see what Pixlr-o-Matic can do for you.When you’re done and pleased with your image, export your finished image back to your gallery. Or, if you’re excited, share your vintage piece with your friends on Facebook to make them envious.

Download Pixlr-o-Matic for free for your Android device today.

Pudding Camera

The Pudding Camera app may have a cute name, but this app gives you a number of different types of films for your photos. Choose from Basic, Vintage Brown, Vintage Blue, Vignetting, Dazzle, Mono, Noir, and Vivid. If you’re afraid that your pictures will be disorganized and impossible to search through, worry no longer as Pudding Camera arranges your photos in your gallery by date.

Pudding Camera also makes it extremely easy to share your photos with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and through e-mail. If you’re running on Ice Cream Sandwich, Pudding Camera’s got ICS support so you won’t have to worry about incompatibility issues. Unfortunately, Pudding Camera has yet to install the option to allow you to decide where to save your photos and may have issues uploading your pictures to Facebook. These issues, however, may be resolved in future updates.

If you’d like to taste how sweet the Pudding Camera is, download it for free for your Android device.

We hope that one of these apps caught your retro fancy. If your favorite didn’t make it on the list, feel free to share it with us in the comments section.


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


MIT creates glare-free, self cleaning super glass, to be used on smartphone screens in the future

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 08:34 AM PDT

While mobile phones and technology in general has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, sending users on paths that was the stuff of dreams a while back, there are still many serious problems that smartphone manufacturers have to address. Smartphone screens, while significantly sturdier and brighter than a few years ago, are still a pretty big hassle for users to use in direct sunlight and they are also fingerprint and dirt magnets.

Fortunately, scientists are working on a type of glass that could prove a boon for smartphone manufacturers and that could enter production in a few short years. The “super glass”, developed by researchers at MIT, virtually eliminates light reflections and is at the same time waterproof and resistant to dust, mud, and dirt.

Based on surface nanotextures that feature an array of conical structures, the "multifunctional" glass, as MIT calls it (though we prefer "super glass"), is self-cleaning and resists fogging and glare. In other words, it’s every tech geek’s dream, as it could open a whole sea of possibilities and be used in any "natural" environment imaginable.

As you can see from the short video clip below, the glass surface causes water droplets to bounce right off, like tiny rubber balls, and pulls dust where the beads bounce off. I know, that sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie directed by James Cameron, but MIT assures us that the glass is as real as it gets and it could be used soon enough to manufacture not only smartphones, tablets and computer screens, but also better solar panels and even car windshields or building windows.

For now, the biggest hurdle in the way of the glass becoming a staple in manufacturing smartphone screens is related to money. Unfortunately, it seems that the manufacturing costs for the super glass are pretty high and could well hinder the material's large scale production.

On the other hand, research is still early and there's hope for finding an inexpensive manufacturing process in the near future. If the bright minds at MIT will manage to solve this issue too, we can only imagine the sky being the limit for the applications of this material.

How about it, guys? How cool would a smartphone with a completely glare-free, water repellent, and self-cleaning surface be? How much would you be willing to pay for such a gadget? Hit us back with a comment and let us know!


This article, MIT creates glare-free, self cleaning super glass, to be used on smartphone screens in the future , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.