Android not vital to Galaxy's future China Post Reuters--Samsung Electronics is the world's largest smartphone manufacturer and biggest user of Google's Android operating system. Samsung's meteoric rise — in the first quarter of 2011 it shipped fewer smartphones than Apple, Nokia or Research in ... See all stories on this topic »
The Android OS News Steven Troughton-Smith has gotten his hands on one of the two early Android prototypes - the Google 'Sooner'. The Sooner is the BlackBerry-esque Google phone, which was supposed to be released first, followed by the much more advanced Google Dream (yup ... See all stories on this topic »
Verizon hard-selling 4G Android phones over iPhone: CNN Report By Raveesh Bhalla While the matter of choosing between an Android phone or an iPhone is a case of personal choice, with a significant number of people preferring each. Android Phone Fans
HBO GO App Available For Android - Business Insider By Steve Kovach HBO finally updated its popular HBO GO app on Android this weekend to support more Android phones. The app lets you stream full episodes of HBO shows if you already subscribe to the network through your cable or satellite provider. Business Insider
See one of Google's first Android builds on the 2007 Sooner phone ... By Adi Robertson Before the iPhone made touchscreens nearly mandatory for smartphones, Google was designing its own phone and OS, neither of which bore much resemblance to the Android platform we know today.... The Verge - All Posts
Great Photo Apps for Android - A Beautiful Mess By elsiecake Hey everyone! Each time I post my favorite iPhone apps I get comments asking for Android tips. My pal Sarah from Arrow & Apple Photography creates the most beautiful photos with her Android phone, so I invited her to share... A Beautiful Mess
Repeater for Android | Southgate Amateur Radio News The latest version of Repeater for Android and Playbook by ZBM2 Software now includes repeater information for the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Norway, Spain and Australia, with more countries soon. Southgate Amateur Radio News RSS Feed
Over the past few years, smartphones have become an extension of our lives. Some of us have even considered our smartphone as our personal data assistant that helps us in organizing our work and personal lives. Smartphones these days are no longer being used just for communication purposes, but rather they have completely evolved their role into something big while still being pocketable.
With the help of the Google Play Store, staying organized has become easier and rewarding. There are tons of apps that can help us in our daily lives. Here are some of them to keep you attuned with your day-to-day activities.
One of the most popular note taking applications is Evernote. Available both on desktop and mobile platforms, nothing beats this killer app when it comes to keeping important notes and other personal data. With Evernote, users stay organized all the time, as they can create notes and mash it up with some pictures using their phone's camera.
The most notable feature that Evernote is known for is its synchronization. If you're working from your PC and an idea comes to mind, make a note through the Evernote program. That way, you can access that data any time on your mobile device.
Another handy little feature that Evernote offers is the ability to categorize your notes by tagging them and being able to place them inside a folder for easy reference. The only downside to Evernote is that it requires you to have a data network plan or Internet connection as there is no other way to access your notes offline.
ColorNote is quite popular among many Android users; it’s already received a whopping 5 million downloads. What makes ColorNote the prime choice of many uses is that the app is brimming with a variety of features, from color-coding notes to calendar integration.
ColorNote is not your ordinary note taking application but rather takes organization to a whole new level. It transforms your phone into a colorful bulletin board or a refrigerator wall where you can pin important notes, events, or anything else that comes into your mind.
The app also lets you toggle an alarm for each note to help you sort out your day-to-day activities. Aside from that, it also has a password protection feature that keeps away unwanted intruders from taking a peek at some of your private notes.
Another useful application that helps you stay organized is Taskos. Providing users with an easy-to-use interface and voice recognition, Taskos is not your ordinary To-Do list application.
Stay organized just by speaking to your mobile device and let Taskos do all of the speech-to-text translation. With Taskos, users can add, edit, delete tasks, share them with friends, write notes, and configure alarms, and so much more.
Share tasks through SMS, email or full Google Task sync straight from your phone. You can also add widgets on your phone to easily keep on track of the tasks for the day.
One interesting feature that sets Taskos apart from the competition is its ability to auto-complete names from your phone book and call them directly from the application itself.
Here's another app that has reached the 1 millionth mark, becoming one of the most sought apps on the Google Play Store. Introducing Jorte, a calendar application that is designed to be simple, practical, and smart for your everyday needs.
Unlike the stock calendar pre-installed in your smartphone, Jorte is something different. In short, Jorte is a calendar application with an attitude that is worth every cent.
Jorte's UI is pretty slick though it’s got a default pink palette that might not suit everyone. The good news is that Jorte is fully customizable, down to the bare essentials. Viewing events could never get easier as Jorte offers different viewing options, as well as highlighting important data like phone numbers for easy reference. The app can also be controlled using Google Voice and can interact directly with Google Maps. Other features include synchronization over the web and widgets that help you monitor your day-to-day tasks.
We all know that time is the most valuable and irreplaceable resource that we should never waste. And it seems that most of us just waste our time on doing unproductive tasks. Luckily for us, an application known as Yast – Time Tracker is here to keep tabs on every second of our lives.
Yast is an easy to use time tracker application that makes it easy for you to track your working hours. Yast offers various clocks for the different projects you’re currently working on. Simply clock in or out of your project with just a single click and Yast keeps a record of your time. There is also a desktop client of the same name that can also be used to synchronize your work records through your phone.
Your projects can be arranged in different nested groups for easy accessing and organizing when your project gets bigger. If you feel that you have lost track of time, then Yast can organize and keep track of your projects.
For those of you who have problems keeping your New Year’s resolutions or can't stick with your routine, then Habit Streak might be the application for you. The Habit Streak application resolves anybody’s problem when it comes to setting goals and tracking progress.
Habit Streak is simple to use. All you need to do is to report all the things you want to do for a specific duration. For example, if you want to brush your teeth everyday without missing a single routine then all you need to do is write it down in the application, set the number of days, and you're good to go. If you do miss an activity (e.g., forgetting to exercise once a week), then Habit Streak will automatically prompt you to perform the said activity or update you on your success. Habit Streak also supports building several chains at once if you have multiple activities.
For those of you who always have problems when it comes to money management, here's an application that will help you with your monetary woes. Droid Wallet, developed by William Bruno, is a handy application that helps you keep track of your financial activities.
Big or small, Droid Wallet covers everything and the app is fully customizable. You can manage all your expenses and income on a separate list for easy referencing. Users can also categorize and customize their expenses or income by transaction type or date.
Another feature of Droid Wallet is that you can add budgets to keep track of your spending. This is especially important if you are a budget-conscious buyer. Budgets can be set up in weekly or monthly formats to help you save money. The app also supports different currencies and password protection. You can also backup your information in the form of a CSV spreadsheet.
One of the best ways to stay organized is keeping your files organized, and Dropbox is the easiest way to do it. Dropbox has already received many awards and acclaims praising its easy-to-use interface.
Dropbox basically acts as your personal storage that enables you to bring all of your photos, documents, and videos almost anywhere you go. If you’d had problems in the past with regards to little memory space on your phone, then Dropbox is the right application for you.
To get the most out of Dropbox, users need to install the Dropbox client on their computer. Any file that they save in their Dropbox folder will automatically be synced to all computers, Android devices, and even to Dropbox's cloud storage.
Read all of your important files or flip through pictures that you want to share with friends on the go. If you accidentally leave your phone in a taxi cab, then rest assured that your files are perfectly safe in Dropbox's folders.
If you're tired of unwanted files cluttering your phone's SD card or just want to stay organized with your personal files then Astro File Manager is the right app for the job. Keep your files organized with Astro File Manager's advanced searching algorithm that filters files in any format. Browse and sort all of your pictures, videos, music and documents and place them in a single folder for easy access.
Aside from that, Astro File Manager also features a task manager that helps you manage unwanted rogue applications running in the background.
Other features of Astro File Manager include application backup, Bluetooth transferring, a ZIP/TAR downloader, an application manager, a task manager, and so much more. Astro File Manager is considered to be the Swiss knife of file explorer apps, thanks to its numerous features.
If you love browsing the Internet with your smartphone, then you already know the hassles of switching from one tab to another. Luckily for us, Pulse changes everything as the application mashes all of your favorite websites and transforms them into an artistic and colorful mosaic. To read an article, all you need to do is to tap on the site and see a clean version of the whole story.
Pulse also supports offline synchronization that loads your news stories and saves them on your phone for accessing later.
Users can also save stories for later reading across all platforms and the saved stories can also be synced directly with Instapaper. You can also share a story via Facebook or Twitter in just a matter of two easy taps. Pulse can also be integrated with Google Reader, allowing you to import your RSS feed to the application.
With this list of some of the 10 most powerful organizing apps on the Google Play Store, what are you waiting for? Download some of these great apps and start organizing your life. If you’ve got an organizing app that you love but it didn’t make our list, share it with us in the comments section.
We are all still spinning from the rumor whirlwind that prefaced the eventual release of the Samsung Galaxy S3. But, the technology world waits for no man, and it is time to hop aboard the rumor train once again. The focus of our attention this time is another eagerly awaited Samsung product, the Galaxy Note 10.1.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 was first seen at MWC 2012 but the release was delayed until June and further information suggested that Samsung is yet to set a release date and unsurprisingly, will not confirm the hardware or the design of the tablet. So the device seen at this year’s MWC event might not be anything close to what the final product will be.
According to a Nenmark2 benchmark test result spotted by GSMArena, the Samsung GT-8010 (Galaxy Note 10.1) will house a 1.4 Ghz processor and achieved an impressive 58.8 fps. This suggests that the “re-designed” Galaxy Note 10.1 could house the same quad-core Exynos 4412 processor that powers the Samsung Galaxy S3. This is certainly believable with the Galaxy Tab 7.7 sporting the same dual-core 1.4 Ghz Exynos processor as the Galaxy Note “phablet, scoring 44 fps and 48 fps respectively.
With Samsung moving its Galaxy Tab 2 series to the mid-to-low range of the price spectrum, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is set to take over as Samsung’s high-end tablet offering. Looking to compete with the iPad 3 and the powerful ASUS Transformer Infinity series with the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, it is certainly conceivable that Samsung is taking its time to produce the best tablet possible. To compete in the burgeoning Android tablet market at this point requires that they bring their ‘A’ game, which is to say, they must use a quad-core processor.
Of course, this is just an unconfirmed rumor (here we go again) so what the device will officially be packing is yet to be known or confirmed.
What are your thoughts? Are you excited about the Galaxy Note 10.1? Would you prefer the device to house a quad-core processor? Let’s be serious. Of course it will. Anything less would be a boldly stupid mistake on Samsung’s part, and, if you’ve been paying attention, then you know they aren’t a stupid company. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was officially announced two days back. By now, heart rates have begun to slowly go down and the world is catching its breathe again. Not helped by the overwhelming hype in the build-up to the final release, there have been some mixed reactions to the device, with the biggest gripe being the lack of the (hoped for) 12MP camera. Despite the disappointment of some users, no one can deny that, hyped or not, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the best Android devices available at the moment.
With its impressive specifications, we all expected Samsung’s latest flagship device to be powerful. Initial benchmark test results, conducted by Anandtech, certainly point towards the Galaxy S3 being one of the most powerful smartphones available now. Let’s take a look at some of these results. All images are courtesy of Anandtech.
Sunspider Javascript Benchmark
The Sunspider Benchmark is a Javascript benchmark that tests the core JS language only, and not other browser APIs. It compares different versions of the same browser and different browsers to each other. Lower is better.
BrowserMark
BrowserMark is another benchmark test that measures browser performance on mobile devices, by measuring device performance in Javascript and HTML rendering. Higher is better.
As you can see from the results above, the Samsung Galaxy S3 significantly outperforms every other high-end device available. The large difference is likely because of the browser code and the Android 4.0.4 OS. Therefore, the performance boost is owed more to the firmware, rather the Exynos 4 Quad processor.
Vellamo
Vellamo is an Android benchmark test developed by the Qualcomm Innovation Center that tests the important aspects of mobile web experience including rendering, Javascript, user experience, and networking. Higher is better.
With the exception of the US version of the HTC One X powered by Qualcomm’s own Snapdragon S4 processor, The Galaxy S3 again outperforms competition by a large margin.
GLBenchmark
The GLBenchmark tests the quality and performance of the OpenGL ES implementation, and covers gaming, navigation, and user experience. Higher is better.
The onscreen GLBenchmark results are v-sync (vertical synchronization) limited, i.e. the performance matches the refresh rate of the screen (if an image is refreshed 60 times a second, the game won’t perform above 60FPS) and therefore the benchmark results in this case are inconclusive. But in the off-screen tests, the Galaxy S3 outperforms the competition again, including the iPhone 4S, which was the previous leader in the GPU arena.
Basemark ES 2.0
The Basemark ES 2.0 benchmark is another test used for checking graphics performance of mobile hardware and is specifically designed to to benchmark OpenGL ES 2.0 hardware. Higher is better.
Both benchmark tests above are v-sync limited as well, but the Samsung Galaxy S3 still manages to pull slightly ahead in the Taiji test.
Conclusion
As expected, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the best Android devices available at the moment, and the long wait for the device was certainly worth it.
What are your thoughts? Are you surprised at the exceptional Galaxy S3 benchmark tests results? Let us know in the comments section below.
SMS Popup is the one stop app for, well, SMS popups. As soon as you get a text message, SMS Popup creates a well placed popup dialog. You can view the message in your inbox or reply to the message directly, without leaving whatever it was you were doing. SMS Popup also specializes in customization of notifications, sounds, vibrations, and LED settings. Furthermore, the app even takes care of marking the message as “read” after you reply to it.
Without a doubt, the functionality of SMS Popup is extremely useful. In addition, the developers have just added an update with bug fixes, the ability to view and reply to multiple messages, and a user interface makeover. The latter part of the update brings a “Holo” styled theme and full support for Ice Cream Sandwich. Download “SMS Popup from Google Play for free here.
It’s safe to say that, now that manufacturers are beginning to push out Ice Cream Sandwich devices, the developers are following through and updating and creating apps with Ice Cream Sandwich in mind. Now that we are all living through an Android “update”, how do you think the three sides are handling it (Google, Manufacturers, Developers)? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Samsung has released the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 last month for an almost Kindle Fire-like price of $250 for the 8GB model. Since the Tab 2 7.0 comes with a microSD card slot, the storage shouldn't put off buyers, given that the tablet does come with a snappy 1GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. But what happened to the bigger Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which has been reportedly delayed to receive a quad-core processor upgrade?
It seems that the plan to fit the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 with a faster processor has been shelved by Samsung. The tablet is now up on two different online stores and it still packs a dual-core processor. You can now pre-order the 16GB model of Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 on Amazon and Office Depot for $399. While the latter said the tablet will be shipped out on May 11, Amazon lists it at a slightly later date of May 13.
Although the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is only an incremental update over last year's model, it is by no means an unattractive tablet. The 10.1-inch screen comes with a 1280 x 800 resolution, which makes the tablet serve its purpose well as a couch companion, as you browse for the latest news on Android Authority. Granted, it's no Galaxy Note 10.1, but that one seems to be perennially delayed, with endless design changes rumored. We think the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 would make a worthy stopgap tablet until the big one comes along later in the year.
Want to get your weekly fix of Game of Thrones while you're out and about, so that you won't miss yet another major character being killed off? This is where the HBO Go app would come in really handy. Pleasing the Android crowds even more is the news that HBO has updated its HBO Go and Max Go apps by making them compatible with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphones. Aside from the ICS support, the updates also include some performance enhancements and bug fixes.
While the update is welcomed by owners of smartphones running ICS with HBO subscription — since HBO doesn't offer an a la carte option — it seems HBO isn't yet ready to bring tablet support, even for those that tout ICS. This has been a cause of frustration for many Android tablet owners who wonder why HBO is discriminating their choice of (tablet) lifestyle, given the fact that the app works on Apple’s iPad.
To be fair, it seems making HBO Go available on Android involves more than just taking care of the software side of things. According to HBO senior vice president of digital platforms Alison Moore, bringing Android tablet support will involve HBO working with providers like Comcast to provide authentication, which sounds like a lot of paperwork.
Anyway, if Android tablet owners continue to speak up on the matter, we're sure HBO will get the message and make the apps compatible with Android tablets too. In the meantime, check out this list of apps you can use to stream video and the likes.
OMGPOP recently took over Google Play and the App Store with its smash hit “Draw Something”. The social drawing game received over 10 million downloads on Google Play alone in just a few weeks.
However, the game has one drawback – it requires you to actually draw! Those of us who are not artists (meaning, we couldn’t draw a stickman to save our life) or don’t have a Galaxy Note stylus, are left “drawing” “pictures” that are nearly impossible for our friends to understand.
But worry not! Draw Something Assistant by Scoompa will fix all your drawing problems. More specifically, after you chose your word in Draw Something, simply switch over to Draw Something Assistant by pushing the home button and finding the app or using your app switcher. Once you are in the Assistant app, type what image you are looking for into the search bar. After you find a good image, you can crop, rotate and zoom in on the image as you please. Finally, hit the “Launch Draw Something” button and shake your phone to get your image to show up under the blank canvas in Draw Something.
Now that you have a semi-transparent look at what you want to draw, you’ll be able to finally send your friends some good-looking drawings for them to guess.
The assistant is free on Google Play and should help rekindle your addiction to OMGPOP’s #1 hit, Draw Something. Download “Draw Something Assistant” for free from Google Play here.
Yes, boys and girls, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is finally here! And it’s ready to play with a wide range of new accessories designed for what could be the most powerful smartphone ever.
So far, we only have rumors about the S3's availability in some important markets, including the US, but we do know that you'll certainly dig (most of its) accessories.
AllShare Cast Dongle
First off, there's the AllShare Cast Dongle, which is, by far, the most interesting Galaxy S3 accessory. The dongle (or hub, we're still unsure how Sammy will market it) will turn the S3 into a multimedia beast, as it will enable you to connect the phone to your TV, wirelessly. It supports Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity, as well as 1080p output, and the guys at Pocket-Lint are reporting "really good video and audio quality" both for the live camera and for running movies.
The S Pebble
Another accessory that sounds exciting on paper, but is still pretty much shrouded in mystery, is the S Pebble. Introduced as the "perfect music companion", it appears to be nothing more than an MP3 player (pictured below). Why would you need an MP3 player to go with your phone? Well, the S Pebble is designed to replace your phone when carrying a smartphone isn’t an option, such as when out jogging or doing housework. Think of it as a iPod nano replacement, one that connects directly to the Galaxy S3 and has a claimed battery of 17 hours. If the price is right, the S Pebble could be a pretty sweet deal for many users. For the time being, though, we can’t help but praise this accessory’s cool and unique design.
Battery Charger Stand and Wireless Charging kit
The battery charger stand and wireless charging kit might not sound spectacular, but are certainly cool. Anything wireless is cool, especially if it helps your phone remain fully juiced at all times. Wireless charging is still in its infancy, but will catch on, as more and more manufacturers are planning to make it a part of their devices. No cords, no wires, no hassle. Nice.
Unfortunately, the stock Galaxy S3 will not include wireless charging support. You will need to buy a separate backplate that contains all the needed tech.
C Pen
Next up, the C Pen is a capacitive stylus pen "exclusively optimized" for the Galaxy S3's screen, which features a 3 mm rubberized tip and an aluminum body that matches the S3′s sleek design. We haven't had a chance to play around with it, but we hear that it's pretty much like the Galaxy Note's S pen, which is certainly a good thing.
Docks
The Premium Audio Dock, Desktop Dock, and Universal Vehicle Dock should cover all your needs and desires in terms of keeping the S3 docked and cozy on your desk or on your vehicle’s dashboard. Each of the three has its own set of original features and functions, with the first two playing music and charging the S3, while the third is perfect for mounting the phone in your vehicle, in either portrait or landscape mode.
Covers
Samsung previewed a series of covers (a "flip cover", "protective cover" and "slim cover") to keep your phone safe in "difficult" environments and to protect it against bumps and bruises.
HDMI adapter
Finally, Sammy mentioned a S3-specific HDMI adapter, whatever that means.
These are pretty much all the Galaxy S3 accessories officially announced as coming our way "soon". As you’d expect, we have no release dates or prices for any of the products mentioned above. This information will probably come when the S3 is launched.
We’ll keep this list updated with more accessories to help you get the most out of your experience with the new Sammy flagship.
What do you guys thing about the Galaxy S3 accessories? Do you think you'll end up buying any of them? Why? Why not?
