Thursday, May 10, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Google Revamps Google+ for iPhone: Android OS Gets Cold Shoulder
PCWorld
By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld May 10, 2012 5:50 AM Google released an overhauled version of its Google+ app for iPhone, but Android users will have to wait "a few weeks," said Vic Gundotra, the company's Senior Vice President.
See all stories on this topic »
Samsung starts Android 4.0 rollout for Galaxy Note, reports say
CNET
Samsung has started to roll out Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) to Galaxy Notes in Europe, according to several reports. News of the rollout originated from Devin Balentina, a Netherlands-based Galaxy Note owner. Balentina, whose tweet was first ...
See all stories on this topic »
Is Facebook's App Center a Win-Win for iPhone, Android Users and Developers?
TIME
And the apps will be accessible through web browsers (on computers) as well as native Facebook apps for Android and iOS devices. But apps that don't meet certain quality standards won't be visible, says Facebook, outlining an intriguing feedback-based ...
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TIME
Oracle's Expert Says Android Ripped Off Java Patents
Wired News
Photo: MartinBowling/Flickr Google's Android operating system infringes on two patents owned by Oracle, according to Stanford professor John Mitchell, an expert witness hired by Oracle in the ongoing court battle over Android and its use of the Java ...
See all stories on this topic »

Wired News
Judge Declines To Rule That Google Pillaged Java
Wired News
By Caleb Garling In the ongoing court battle between Google and Oracle over the Android operating system, a federal judge has declined to rule that Google's use of Java in Android went beyond "fair use" of material copyrighted by Oracle.
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Wired News
PopCap Games CEO: Android Still Too Fragmented, China Helping Company Innovate
PCWorld (blog)
By Michael Kan, IDG News Android's increased fragmentation across hardware devices and OS versions, and its lack of a central app store, have left game developers disappointed with the OS, according to the CEO of "Plants vs.
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Android Developers Never Looked at Sun's Patents, Google's Rubin Testifies
PCWorld
By James Niccolai, IDG News Google's engineers never studied other companies' patents while developing Android for fear of allowing those patents to influence their design decisions, Google's Android chief Andy Rubin testified on the stand Wednesday.
See all stories on this topic »
Facebook app center: Unveiled for Android and Apple devices as well as the Web
WPTV
The center will be available on the Web and on both Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems. It will roll out to users over the next few weeks, according to Brady's post. Facebook will use "a variety of signals, such as user ratings and ...
See all stories on this topic »

WPTV
Google's Android Chief Says Patent Suit Wasn't A Concern
Wall Street Journal
By John Letzing Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--The executive in charge of Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android mobile-phone software at the heart of a legal dispute with Oracle Corp. (ORCL) testified Wednesday that he had no reason to ...
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Sprint: Android 4.0 hitting HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO Design 4G in June
Computerworld (blog)
Good news: You'll be getting the Android 4.0 upgrade next month, according to the carrier. During an interview at the CTIA mobile tech show in New Orleans this week, Sprint VP of Product David Owens casually mentioned the phones' upgrade plans while ...
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Blogs5 new results for android
 
Android Overload: Sensation Camera Super Mod Ported To HTC ...
By Chris Chavez
Looks like we've got a healthy fixin' of the Android Overload for you tonight. There are are so many stories that come past our way, we couldn't possibly.
Android Phone Fans
CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google ...
By Edgar Alvarez
Indirectly or not, the other guys seem to enjoy their time spent with CloudOn's unorthodox delivery of Microsoft Office. Fortunately for you, the service.
Engadget
Google+ puts iOS ahead of Android
By Joe Wilcox
May 9 is, in a way, a watershed day for Android -- and that's not necessarily a good thing. Many developers I communicate with repeatedly say they confront the same quandary: Android or iOS first? Maybe they choose to develop for iOS, only ...
BetaNews
Archos 10.1" 8GB Android Tablet - Woot
He's got a Refurbished Archos 10.1" 8GB Android Tablet and he's taking it upside Buckley's head! He's raining down blow after blow! "This is ridiculous!" If Buckley's not seeing stars, he's probably seeing that 10.1" diagonal screen up close ...
Woot! - One Day, One Deal
Google Maps For Android Gets Google Offers, Business Photos ...
By Frederic Lardinois
With the new Google Offers integration, Android users will now be able to see which nearby stores currently offer deals. This, says Google, includes both offers that can be purchased, as well as "free" offers that are available immediately.
TechCrunch

Web3 new results for android
 
Version 2.1 Now Available « WordPress for Android
The dev team is excited to announce that version 2.1 of WordPress for Android is now available! This release adds some great new features, read on to find out ...
android.wordpress.org/2012/05/08/version-2-1/
Samsung Galaxy S III hardware hands-on | Android Central
The Samsung Galaxy S III is finally here, and we've got all the hands-on coverage you're ...
www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-hands
Verizon getting a blue Motorola Droid RAZR on May 18? | Android ...
We've seen the Motorola Droid RAZR in white, black and purple. Now it looks like Verizon's got a blue version joining the ranks as well.
www.androidcentral.com/verizon-getting-blue-motorola-droid...


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Android Authority


Samsung Galaxy S3 Canada roundup: probable price, availability, and release dates [Updated]

Posted: 10 May 2012 01:06 AM PDT

May 10: Updated with fresh info on the retailers and carriers that will offer the Samsung Galaxy S3 in Canada. Plus, a rumor about the LTE Galaxy S3 using an Exynos chip.

Hey there, Canadian tech enthusiasts, how's it going? Are you excited about the Samsung Galaxy S3? Of course you are, as is the entire technology world after finding out yesterday exactly what Sammy's new flagship smartphone is all about!

The Galaxy S3 finally has a full spec sheet next to its name, a confirmed name, a fresh design (which we love, by the way) and even a couple of short appearances in hands-on videos. However, there are still many important details missing from the equation, which is why we're doing our absolute best to inform you on any and every aspect you could be interested in.

We've talked all about the Galaxy S3 in the United States and in Europe and now the time has come to gather around all the things we know, we don't know and we would like to know about the S3 in Canada.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Canadian carriers

Although Samsung Canada was reluctant to name any names of possible carriers from which you'll be able to buy the S3, experience tells us that technology users in the North will have a chance to purchase the phone no matter what their network preferences are.

The Galaxy S2 was put up for sale by Bell Mobility, Telus, and Rogers Wireless last year in Canada and we're almost sure we will see the S3 in the three carriers' offers too.

On the other hand, we have to notice that things are a bit more mysterious here than they are when talking about US availability, which is a bit strange. The Samsung US' registration page for the S3 already has a list of carriers where the phone is expected to show up, as we informed you earlier today, while the similar Canadian registration site doesn't mention anything on this front.

That might well mean that one of the three main carriers will be missing out on the Galaxy S3, or that we will see some surprising new entries on the list (like SaskTel or Wind Mobile). However, that's pure speculation, so, for now, you should just register on Samsung Canada's page and keep your fingers crossed!

[Update May 10] According to Mobile Syrup, the following Canadian carriers have announced so far that they will range the Galaxy S3:

  • Videotron
  • Telus
  • Bell
  • Virgin Mobile
  • SaskTel
  • Wind Mobile
  • Mobilicity
  • Rogers

None of the carriers have indicated a pricing or a precise launch date, and most preferred to use the generic “this summer” instead. Mobile Syrup also rounded up the Canadian retailers that will sell the Galaxy S3:

  • GLENTEL
  • Future Shop
  • Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S3 Canadian hardware versions

There isn't much to say here other than what my colleague Bogdan already told you in his US recap. The Galaxy S3 will most likely be made available in Canada, as in the States, in 3G and 4G LTE versions, with the latter featuring a different processor than the quad-core Exynos.

We have no way to know for sure what chipset will power the LTE Galaxy S3 in Canada, but the best guess right now is that it will be the same dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 featured by HTC's flagship, the One X.

[Update May 10] According to a Google ad banner for Rogers, which says “Samsung Galaxy S III – With 4G LTE & New Exynos Processor”, the Galaxy S3 may come in North America with LTE and an Exynos chip. That would contradict what we’ve heard so far about Samsung’s lack of capability to integrate LTE radio with its Exynos 4 Quad chip. We’ll keep you updated as more details trickle out.

As for other subtle technical variations between the Galaxy S3s carried by different mobile operators in Canada, we have to shamefully admit that we can’t tell exactly how things will shape up. The S2 came in four different flavors and under four different names (the S2 4G, the S2 X, the S2 LTE for Rogers and the S2 LTE for Bell), so there's a chance to see similar branding for the S3.

On the other hand, I certainly hope that Samsung will at least try to keep things more compact this time, because those slightly different versions of the same phone only make things more confusing for the regular Joe.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Canadian availability

The marketing team at Samsung is really doing a great job with keeping the suspense around the S3, even after the phone's unveiling. That's probably the main reason why Sammy officials are still keeping quiet about the phone's release dates.

On the other hand, the S3 is confirmed as coming "this summer" in Canada, as well as the rest of the world, so a May release is clearly out of the question. The most recent rumors, coming from pretty reliable sources, tell us that Samsung's new flagship device might be making its way to North America as soon as June 14.

The date should be taken with a big grain of salt, as it's far from being official, but we're almost sure that Canadians will be enjoying the new Samsung mobile experience by the end of June. Once again, based on recent history involving the S2, we might see the new S3 made available by Bell Mobility first, followed a couple of weeks or months later by Telus and Rogers.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Canadian price

I know that many of you skipped the rest of the article and jumped directly to this section to find out the new phone's price, but unfortunately… we have nothing official to report. Mum's the word at Samsung when talking about release dates and pricing, but we have a couple of rumors here as well.

The Galaxy S3 will most likely go for $199 on a three-year contract, which would be on-par with the phone's suspected price at US carriers for two-year agreements. There's a chance for the phone to go for more though, $299 to be exact.

As far as the unlocked version of the new S3, that also has a good shot of being on-par with the phone's price in the United States (rumored to be around $700).

Wrap-up

Canadian users that want to upgrade to the Galaxy S3 should start saving money by now, and prepare for a "hot" summer beginning. The new Samsung flagship is expected to come to Bell, Telus, and Rogers in a month, a month and a half, tops and, while one or two of those carriers might be in for a delayed launch, you will surely be able to get your grubby hands on an S3 very soon.

There's a good chance that you’ll have both the 3G and 4G LTE versions of the phone at your discretion by the end of June, but this is still something to be confirmed. As far as pricing goes, you should have a couple of hundred bucks ready for the carrier-branded versions of the phone, and as much as $700 for the SIM-free model.

Keep in touch with our website for the next couple of days or so, because we will surely have new and exciting things to report about the Galaxy S3!


This article, Samsung Galaxy S3 Canada roundup: probable price, availability, and release dates [Updated] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung Galaxy S3 in Australia? Availability information roundup [Updated]

Posted: 09 May 2012 11:00 PM PDT

xl_Samsung_GalaxyS3_3

[May 10] Updated with information on the retailers that put up pre-order pages for the Samsung Galaxy S3, as well as the Australian carriers that have put-up registration pages for information on the S3.

While European, Asian, and North American technology lovers are already getting their budgets straight and making plans for the Samsung Galaxy S3, Australians don't have much to be excited for, at least at for now. In an exclusive statement given to the guys at gizmodo.au, Samsung Australia said that there are no plans to make any announcements right now about the phone's availability in "the land down under".

The full statement reads as follows: "Samsung Electronics Australia is pleased there is continued interest about our GALAXY range in Australia, but we have no plans to make any announcements at this time."

While it's pretty difficult to make any safe assumptions based on this short statement, there could only be three possible reasons why Samsung Australia is reluctant to talk about the Galaxy S3's availability.

First off, Sammy's new flagship phone might never come to Aussie tech users, which is the worst-case scenario, but also the least credible. Compared to the US or China, the Australian market might not be a gold mine for Samsung or other smartphone manufacturers, but is still has more potential than several European countries where we are sure that the S3 will be sold.

We remember seeing the Galaxy S2 put up for sale in "exotic" places like Uganda, Yemen, or Lebanon. Also, we've been hearing people in the business saying that Samsung intends to expand in new markets, so there's absolutely no way the S3 won't come to Australia.

The second and most likely reason behind Samsung's statement is that the company simply doesn't know yet when it will be able to offer the phone in Australia. The negotiations between the three major mobile carriers there (Telstra Mobile, Optus, and Vodafone) and Sammy might not be finalized. The Galaxy S3 will definitely come to at least some of these major Australian networks.

Finally, this whole mystery might just be a marketing scheme to build up even more hype around the phone. Last year, the Galaxy S2 was released in Australia way before Canada and the US, and around the same time it arrived in Asia. The S3 has already been confirmed as hitting Asia right after Europe (sometime before June 15) and the flagship phone could well be launched in Australia at the same time.

Just because Samsung tells us today that they have no plans to make announcements at this time it doesn't mean that they won't make an announcement tomorrow or next week, now does it?

All in all, while we are certainly disappointed that we are not able to report clear things about the Galaxy S3′ release date in Australia. Our advice for all Aussie tech users reading us now would be to have a little patience. I know it's hard, but until we know something for sure, there's no reason to panic!

[Update May 10] Australian carriers have put up registration pages to let you know when the Galaxy S3 (or at least any new phone) will be available down-under. Here’s a roundup:

Note that the carriers have been careful to keep it as generic as possible, so they don’t mention the Galaxy S3 anywhere.

Also, if you are willing to pay for an imported Galaxy S3, you might get one from one of the Australian online retailers that put it up for pre-order. So far, we have the following on the list:

  • Mobicity AUS $799, 1 year warranty, blue and white
  • Kogan AUS $789.00, 1 year warranty, blue and white


This article, Samsung Galaxy S3 in Australia? Availability information roundup [Updated] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Rovio posted $106.3 million revenue in 2011, aiming an IPO next year

Posted: 09 May 2012 10:44 PM PDT

angry-birds-land

It's amazing what one huge hit can do for the fortunes of a company. Rovio, the Finnish game developer behind the Angry Birds series, has reported revenues of $106.3 million in 2011, an amazing 963% of the revenue posted in the previous year. Interestingly, Rovio says that 30% of its total revenues came from its ever-expanding consumer products line, which includes anything from clothes and toys, to candy and other merchandise.

By the end of 2011, the company has clocked 648 million total downloads across its game lineup, an impressive figure that has grew since then to reach 1 billion! Rovio announced yesterday that their Angry Birds franchise reached the staggering 1 billion landmark, propelled by the excellent performance of Angry Birds Space.

As for the monthly active users across platform, the number reached 200 million at the end of the year, still behind Zynga's 240 million. Seeing that Angry Birds Space, the latest installment in Rovio’s bird flinging saga, was not included in the count, we expect the numbers to be significantly higher now.

Speaking to Reuters, Rovio chief executive Mikael Hed said that the company "plans to launch several more titles in 2012." Interestingly, a non-Angry Birds title is also in the works. The future looks bright for Rovio, with Hed predicting further growth, stemming from the expanding smartphone market and Rovio’s investment in product development and branding. Aside from coming out with a full-motion animated series featuring all of your favorite temperamental fowls, Rovio has opened Angry Birds-themed theme parks in Finland. And that’s only the beginning of an empire of Angry Birds Lands to be established in the coming years.

Regarding Rovio's plans to go public, the company's head of investor relations, Anders Lindeberg, said that it is "preparing itself and getting ready". An initial public offering might come next year in New York or Hong Kong. Some analysts have valued Rovio's at up to $9 billion valuation, almost surpassing that of Nokia's.

Not bad for a company that was only established in 2003, whose primary product is a game that lets you throw birds at pigs.


This article, Rovio posted $106.3 million revenue in 2011, aiming an IPO next year , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Is it the Wildfire C or the Desire C? HTC Golf images leak again

Posted: 09 May 2012 10:02 PM PDT

Folks, prepare to get your clubs out, as tee time with HTC is almost here.

We're talking, of course, about the HTC Golf, an upcoming low-end offering from the Taiwanese manufacturer that's expected to come later in the year. It was about a month ago that a supposed press image of the HTC Golf was leaked, and now more pictures of the device have surfaced.

This new set pictures of the alleged HTC Golf, whose name is yet to be made official, show the black version of the phone, different from the silver model we saw last month. But worry not, the sleek look characteristic to HTC’s new design philosophy is still present.

We’re talking about a low-end phone, so the specs will be a rather basic affair. Supposedly, the phone will come with a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 480 resolution, a single-core processor clocking lower than 1GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, 5MP rear camera, a front camera, microSD card slot, Beats Audio enhancement, and a complementary 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage. Like the other phones that HTC released this year, the HTC Golf will come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4.

Now, things get rather interesting when it comes to the name of this new HTC device. Initially, the rumor mill suggested that the device will be officially called the HTC Wildfire C, with Golf being merely its codename. Now, new reports say that the phone will be named the Desire C. So what happened? Inaccurate reports or a change of plans at HTC? Anyway, given the possible name change, we might just see HTC improving some aspects of the phone's specs, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it.

It’s always good to see how even the low-end Android devices become amazingly capable. And, whether the Golf will be known as the Wildfire C or Desire C, we're sure that it will come with a sweet, sweet price that will be even more pocket friendly than the HTC One V.


This article, Is it the Wildfire C or the Desire C? HTC Golf images leak again , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Best Android apps for science lovers

Posted: 09 May 2012 09:00 PM PDT

If you like to dork out, you know that science isn’t just limited to physics or chemistry. With several other branches, science attempts to explain our world and show us how things work. Science wasn’t just that subject you had to struggle through in school–it’s something all around us. If you’re the type of mind who wants to absorb more information about things smaller than the human eye can see or about the galaxy that’s far beyond the reach of our telescopes, you’ll be thrilled to find the Google Play Store stocked full of apps for you. There are thousands of science facts for you to learn and more than you can share with your children, family, and friends. Rediscover science through the best Android apps for science lovers like you.

New Scientist

We have heard a lot about the super genius scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. It’s kind of tiring to hear their names and contributions over and over again, but what is great to hear is news about new scientific discoveries and new inventions. New Scientist brings all of these fresh new stuff to your Android device for your convenience. You don’t have to search for the very latest science and technology news because this app does it all for you.

WolframAlpha

As science has so many branches and fields, people may think that no app could possibly contain all of that information. WolframAlpha makes the impossible a reality. It’s even compared to the super computer that you see in Star Trek. That’s no exaggeration because based on the 25 years of development led by Stephen Wolfram, WolframAlpha could probably answer almost all your scientific queries. This app has a huge collection of algorithms and data, allowing it to compute mathematical problems and provide answers to users.

WolframAlpha can give you answers to your problems in statistics, physics, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, life sciences, and several other science fields. Part of WolframAlpha is even used by Siri, the famous intelligent personal assistant for iPhone users.

SkEye Planetarium | Astronomy

If you like gazing at the stars but are not very familiar with your constellations, SkEye can help you out. SkEye can guide you exactly where the stars and planets are located in the sky. It is an advanced planetarium and it’s an excellent reference if you have no idea about what you’re looking at. The great thing about this app is that it can actually be used as “Push To” guide for a telescope just by simply attaching it to the optical tube assembly (OTA).

SkEye features a real time Alt-Azimuth, equatorial grid and coordinates, Messier objects, New General Catalogue (NGC) of Nebulae and Cluster of Stars, and solar objects. Developers will soon be adding more deep sky objects, satellites, and asteroids. It also has a search feature where an arrow guides you through your search. SkEye is free to download from the Google Play Store.

NASA (APOD) Lite Live Wall

Pictures of the heavenly bodies are just breathtaking. NASA (APOD) gives you daily random NASA Astronomy pictures that will surely make your day. These rare pictures of the cosmos pulled from the NASA (APOD) photo archive will become your phone’s live wallpaper, if your phone supports them–and they come with descriptions. It’s like getting a daily space update with great photos through this app. You can rate each image, which increases the chance that you’ll be seeing them again. If you like daily space pictures on your phone, this app is the way to go. You don’t need to spend a cent because it’s totally free.

Sky Map

Another app that’s very useful for stargazing is Google’s own Sky Map app. This app is an official Google app, developed to help users learn more about what they are seeing in the night sky. You just need to launch Sky Map and point your phones camera to a certain part of the sky. Using GPS and compass data, Sky Map will tell you what star or constellation you’re looking at. It also provides you an option to search for a certain heavenly body. Just type in the name and it will tell you the position of that object based on your time zone and position. Sky Map is free to download from the Google Play Store.

Star Chart

The night sky really seems to be a point of interest for many people which is why apps that serve as stargazing guides are such hot sellers. Star Chart claims to be the best-selling astronomy app for smart phones world wide, which could be justified by its numerous features. What’s unique about this app is that, aside from identifying the heavenly bodies for you, Star Chart also gives you the distance and brightness of the object that you are looking at.

Star Chart also has several other features, like a powerful zoom feature that lets you take a closer look at the objects in the sky with intuitive finger gestures. You can also view the sky on the other side of the earth and you can even determine the exact location of the stars and planet even in day light. All of these features are powered by GPS technology. With how powerful Star Chart is, you’ll need to pay a small fee to download this app.

Earth’s Greatest Mysteries

If you like reading about ancient civilizations or if you are wondering how on earth the seven wonders of the world came about, then you should try Earth’s Greatest Mysteries. About a hundred mysterious accounts have been compiled in this app for you to read, anytime you like. You can discover more about ancient civilizations that you may have not heard about or about strange artifacts and unknown ancient technology. Enjoy reading about these mysteries on Earth’s Greatest Mysteries, available for free on the Google Play Store.

Mobo Technology News

If you pride yourself on being tech savvy, you should always be updated with all the latest technological breakthroughs and inventions. Mobo Technology News can keep you on top of the news by providing you with news about the newest technological developments or newest applications for existing technology from 200 sources.

Mobo Technology News also allows you to keep in touch with the developers of these new technologies through Facebook and Twitter. Aside from that. Mobo Technology News also has a real-time widget with a gallery containing photos of the most recent technological developments. If you don’t want to read them all, there is an option to create your own news channel. You can choose your sources about certain topics and be updated on only the things that you care about. If you want the top technological developments streamed to your phone, try Mobo Technology for free.

Funny Facts Free 8000+

If you get bored reading long articles or spending hours on the Internet trying to dig up trivia, don’t despair. You can still get best science tidbits with Funny Facts Free 8000+. This app can give you over 8000 funny and crazy facts about science and several other categories. You will surely be entertained with what you will be discovering through this app. It comes with a high quality text-to-speech feature which allows the app to read all the funny facts out loud to you and your friends. You can manage your favorite facts and be surprised by choosing random ones. If you want to learn in a fun way, try Funny Facts Free 8000+.

RealCalc Scientific Calculator

Whether you’re a math major, a physics major, a high school student, or just someone who needs a high-powered calculator without the bulk, RealCalc Scientific Calculator is here to save the day. In case you forgot to bring your scientific calculator with you, RealCalc Scientific Calculator can work things out for you. It’s the number one scientific calculator for Android and it works just like the real thing, not to mention that it also looks like one. You get to compute all those equations, Android style. Download RealCalc Scientific for your Android phone today. Who knows, you might need it some time.

Those were the best Android Apps for science lovers. If you would like to know more about whatever science field you are interested in, there is an Android app for you. Try these apps and enjoy science in a different way. If your favorite science app didn’t make it on our list, share it with us in the comments section.


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


Samsung SPH-L710 aka Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S3 spotted

Posted: 09 May 2012 02:16 PM PDT

 Leaked Photo of S3

We've covered everything you could ever possibly want to know about the Samsung Galaxy S3 and its expected availability in the US. As more information trickles in from various sources, it's time for an update of which carrier in the country is likely to become the first to offer the stunning flagship phone. Last week, rumors were already abundant on how Sprint was apparently very keen on releasing a variant of Samsung Galaxy S3 way before the others. While we don't know yet whether that will materialize, there are now reports confirming the phone making its way to Sprint, along with the  ordered specs.

Pocketnow was first to spot Sprint's alleged version of the Samsung Galaxy S3. There's still no picture or video of the phone in the wild, but what they did find was the User Agent Profile of the phone, which apparently goes by the Samsung SPH-L710 model. If this is accurate, then the Samsung Galaxy S3 for Sprint will come with the following specs: a dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor, 16GB internal memory, microSD card slot, and Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Sprint S3 L710

The possibility of there being a couple of variants of the phone in the US has been widely speculated and reported before. The LTE dual-core version is reserved for Sprint, AT&T and Verizon – while the LTE quad-core version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to run on T-Mobile.

Unfortunately, this is all we've got so far on Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S3. There's still no solid release date or price information that we can share, except for the oft-repeated "USA in June" announcement Samsung had in one of its slides during the phone's introduction in London. We're still clinging to the hope that it will arrive for less than $299 on-contract, but it's probably more wishful thinking from our end. Stay locked into AndroidAuthority as details on this exciting bit of news develops!


This article, Samsung SPH-L710 aka Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S3 spotted , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Google Play vs. Windows Phone Marketplace

Posted: 09 May 2012 01:11 PM PDT

Apps, apps, and more apps! It takes more than just a fancy device sporting an incredible HD display, a great camera, and amazing processing capabilities to make a phone truly “smart”. Honestly, it’s all about the apps. An “app market” is a one-stop shop for getting games and other Internet applications such as Google+, Angry Birds, and more. It's easy to say that without app markets, your smartphone might as well just be called a dumbphone. Here’s the rub: The Android Market (Google Play) entered the game after Apple did, and the Windows App Market was not even released until one year after Google broke ground. We compare both markets to see how they stack up to one another.

Developers


Software Development Kit

It turns out that although Android owns more than 50% of the total market share, developers still favor creating apps for Apple’s iOS platform. But in this case, we have cropped iOS out of the picture. So which market do developers favor now?

Membership Cost

Before you can even build an application for either market, both Google and Microsoft require that developers cough up some cash. For Windows Phone developers, Microsoft asks for $99 per year. And, if said developer wants to submit more than 100 free apps, Microsoft asks for $19.99 for each submission after that. Google, on the other hand, is asking for a $25 membership fee to keep “spammy” developers out of their market. However, $25 is not too much to ask for as a one-time investment.

SDK and Language

The Windows Phone SDK is comprised of multiple parts including Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone, XNA Game Studio, and others. In addition to having the SDK, Microsoft suggests that you be familiar with Microsoft .NET Framework and C++ or Visual Basic. The Android SDK is available for Windows, Mac and even Linux, unlike the Windows Phone SDK being Windows only. Furthermore, most all Android apps are written in Java. But C/C++ apps are not forbidden from the market either.

Downloads and Fragmentation

The main source of developers not liking the Android platform is it’s seemingly inherent fragmentation. The Android platform is very staggered between builds and that makes it difficult for developers to make an app that works on all versions of Android. But that anger didn’t stop Windows Phone from going down the exact same path. With Windows Phone 8 on the way, rumor has it that Microsoft will only be releasing WP8 to the latest devices that are released in 2012. Therefore, this will leave developers stuck in between two different versions of Windows Phone. This could create a sticky situation and a possible opportunity for market share, should Android solve its ongoing fragmentation.

AADC

According to the Android.com developer website, “Users downloaded more than 2.4 billion apps in Q3 2011 alone”. Furthermore, Google recently beefed up the Android Market into “Google Play”, a books, music, movies, and apps hub that reaches hundreds of millions of users in over 130 countries.

Number of apps


Android Apps on the Market

 

AppBrain, a website for finding the best Android apps, tabulates the number of apps currently in the Google Play Store. At the time of the writing this article, the website claims that there were just over 430,000 apps in total. Furthermore, over 311,000 of those apps were free. That's just about 72% of all of Google Play apps that are free.

 

WPAAC

On the other hand, Windows Phone Applist reports that there are currently 80,000 apps in the Windows App Market. Although this is a low number compared to that of Google Play’s 430,000 apps, this is a huge increase in apps for a market that was launched just over 2 years ago.

Microsoft’s Cloud vs. Google's Cloud


If you own multiple devices, syncing all of your apps, music, and books would become a very tedious job. That is why both Google and Microsoft offer "cloud services". SkyDrive (Microsoft's cloud) has a robust initial offering of 7GB for your important files on all of your devices with apps for Windows, Mac, Windows Phone and even iPhone or iPad. If you were to purchase an app on your iPhone, it would show up on your iPad as well. However, SkyDrive is lacking one feature that I find very useful.

Instead of just storing your data online for you, Google took it one step further. When you visit Google Play, you can see all of your music, books, apps, and movies on any Internet connected device. Furthermore, you can even install apps to any of your devices directly from the desktop store. For example, after you find an app that you want, simply hit the install button and choose your device. Then, as long as your device is connected to the Internet, the download will begin automatically. Furthermore, Google Docs was recently re-named as Google Drive. Google Drive, similar to that of SkyDrive, comes with apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android. In addition, Google Drive offers you 5GB of total storage space between files, email, and Picasa photos.

User Interface


Google Play

The current design of Google Play has come a long way. With a few updates and the most recent name change to Google Play, I feel that Google has really done a nice job with the current design. With big and bold pictures, a feature of Ice Cream Sandwich, it is easy to find the best apps without having too much in your face. In addition, the new design takes advantage of the ‘sideways swiping’ feature found in most other Google apps. Swipe the whole screen left and right to find different categories and the top app lists (Top Free, Popular Apps, etc.)

Windows App Market

The Windows Phone App Marketplace has followed Windows Phone’s widely hailed “Metro” style user interface in the recent 7.5 Mango update. In addition, Windows and Google use similar categories to sort their apps. The only main difference between the two markets is that Google has chosen to use big and vibrant pictures to represent new and featured apps, books, movies, and music.

Although many people could argue that "ads" are just annoying, the makers behind the health app RunKeeper would disagree. After becoming featured in the Android Market, the app saw a significant increase in downloads. Finally, Lightbox was a featured app during the holiday season of 2011 and received the lions share of an estimated 1 billion plus downloads during that time period.

Content Management Client


It is no secret that Microsoft has been in the program and application business ever since it started. Furthermore, Microsoft had already been working on the Zune platform long before Windows Phone came into the picture. Therefore, the Zune Software is in use for Windows Phone users. The program can be used on your Windows PC and comes pre-loaded with access to a horde of music and videos. It also has the ability to move around media between your phone and computer. Finally, it can also install new software updates to your device.

On the other hand, Google created an online marketplace similar to the Chrome Web Store. Along with Google Play, previously known as Android Market, they have re-introduced their cloud management client. First used as an online music player, Google Play now allows you to manage all of your music, apps, books, and even movies. Furthermore, by visiting Google Play on any Internet connected device, you can play all of your music just like on iTunes. You can also read all of your books, and manage your movies and apps between your Android devices directly from the Google Play website. Finally, as mentioned before…

Re-Cap


As you can see, both markets are similar in a lot of ways. Due to the fact that Google’s market has been around longer, they have a substantially larger selection of apps. Microsoft on the other hand, has an advantage with the desktop client; they had the Zune series around to develop and implement at the right time. In the category of developers, Android has more users on their platform which would easily attract more developers. Microsoft has taken the route of paying developers to develop apps on their platform.

Which app store is your favorite? Is it about having more apps, or fewer apps of a higher quality? Let us know in the comments and poll below!

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


This article, Google Play vs. Windows Phone Marketplace , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Best Android apps for improving memory

Posted: 09 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT

Technically, the brain isn’t a muscle, but if you don’t use it, your brain gradually turns to mush. It starts with your swearing that you know a word or a name and that it’s at the tip of your tongue. Over the years, you start forgetting things and the rest is pretty depressing. Though retaining a sharp mind and a keen brain is partly because of our diet, engaging our brains in regular mental exercise helps, as well. We may not quite be in our old age, but there’s no harm in starting as early as now. We’ve put together a list of  10 brain exercisers and memory games to keep you on your toes and to make sure that your brain won’t get rusty.

Memory Trainer

Memory Trainer works out your spatial and working memory, focus, chunking, and concentration skills. It even improves your concentration. Track your progress with the help of a graph and aim to perform better than the last time. Memory Trainer lets you choose a workout session. Each session is short but fun, which makes improving your memory feel like less of a chore. Some games ask you to find certain objects but be careful of what it’s asking for exactly. You might just be overlooking tiny details. If you need to do something else while you’re in the middle of a game, Memory Trainer lets you pick up where you left off. Memory Trainer looks simple but it’s actually fun and challenging. If your brain was a muscle, Memory Trainer sufficiently helps you exercise it. Some users have complained that the app force closes on their devices but simply reinstalling Memory Trainer fixes that problem.

Fruits Memory Game

The classic childhood game can now be played on your Android device. Good for any age, train your memory by trying to find all the pairs of fruits. Each fruit is rendered in gorgeous 3D, ranging from the traditional apple to orange, cherries, blueberries and more. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the game, you’ll have to match the pairs of fruits but all the fruits are obscured by large question marks. To top it off, the order of the fruits have been jumbled. Your goal is to “turn over” each question mark and guess where the orange’s twin is located. The game is won once you’ve found all the fruits pairs. Fruits Memory Game looks and sounds deceptively simple but you’ll find your time consumed just by playing it. To confirm that you’re touching the screen, Fruits Memory Game provides you with haptic feedback. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you can turn vibration off. Fruits Memory Game also comes with sounds to go with their vivid fruit icons.

Brain Workout

Brain Workout is an app that promises to sharpen your brain with 4 games. These games are geared to train your brain, analyze your memory, concentration, reaction and accuracy abilities. You can track your performance and see your improvement each time you play through a handy graph. If you’re feeling competitive, you can compare scores with your friends. If that doesn’t satisfy your competitive streak, you can even post your scores on the global scoreboard and compare your results with other players.  The developer promises to add even more areas of your brain for Brain Workout to sharpen in future releases so keep your eyes open for that! When you launch Brain Workout, simply tap on the area of your brain you’d like to workout. Who said that improving your memory had to be boring? Brain Workout’s games are fun and challenging. Download this free app from the Google Play Store today.

Memory :)

Here’s another memory game that’s slightly harder than the Fruits Memory Game. Where Fruits Memory Game made you match fruit pairs, Memory Smiles has you pairing off matching smiles. It’s more difficult because instead of different shaped fruits, Memory Smiles’ icons are different colored smileys. They all have the same basic shape, a circle, so you’ll have to exercise your attention to detail to tell them apart and remember where all the smileys are. Some users have complained that the faces are too much alike which makes it boring and difficult to play. Pick all the different smileys out in a 6 x 6 grid. With six levels of complexity, Memory Smiles will have you smiling all day. Share this game with your family and you’ll have a lot of fun helping each other out. Download Memory Smiles is available for free from the Google Play store. Start flexing your memory muscles with this app today.

Word Breaker Full

Growing up, we’re constantly bombarded. A number of those we’ll retain because we use them frequently use them in daily interactions but more complicated words get shoved to the very backs of our minds. We’ll probably never use them in our assignments, much less in regular conversation, so over time we tend to forget them. Unless you’re a writer, those words will just gather dust. With this app, you’ll be breaking out all those unused words! Word Breaker isn’t just one game; it’s all your favorite games rolled into one! Play Scrabble, Words with Friends, Jamble, Upwords, Wordsmith, Wordstone,Words by Post, Crossword Puzzles and more! If you remember a word but you don’t remember exactly what it means, Word Breaker also comes with in-app word definitions and if you’re trying to beat the clock, your word searches will be conducted at lightning speed. Next to each word you search, you’ll see just how much that word is worth so you can plot for your ultimate attack. If you use words regularly, not only will you be able to remember them better but you’ll also be adding new words to your vocabulary.

Visual Memory

Packed with 25 levels, is your visual memory up to the challenge? Like it says on the tin, Visual Memory is geared to do just that. It starts off slow and easy but as you progress, the game’s difficulty increases. Level 1 starts harmlessly enough. You have three seconds to touch the new ball. Against a black background, a stark white circle stands out and all on its lonesome. The moment you touch the ball, you are presented with level 2. A second white circle appears and that should be what you’re touching.  On level 3, a third ball appears, on level 4, a fourth one until you find yourself both racing through the levels and struggling to remember which ball is the new one. If you make a mistake, the white circle you tap turns red and you lose the game. Visual Memory is simple, straight forward and loads of fun. Better keep those eyes open and be as attentive as possible.

Improve Your Memory

Compared to the apps we’ve featured already, Improve Your Memory isn’t a game. Instead, it’s an e-book. Improve Your Memory gives you tips and pointers to make the most out of your memory. You’ll be taught how to use memory functions and 3 little known but simple ways to boost your brain with diet. Improve Your Memory also gives you steps to prevent memory loss and the three things you should not do when you attempt to sharpen your mind. With 6 bullet-proof strategies to improve your memory through mnemonics and other techniques as well as how-to’s on acing an exam, how often to practice memorization and how to beat absentmindedness, Improve Your Memory makes sure that you won’t be dull or slow. This app is helpful not just for older people who want to stay sharp, not just professionals who feel like stress is eating at their memory capacity, but also for young adults who want to build a strong and healthy mind as early as now.

Training Memory – Game

With the techniques you learned from Improve Your Memory, it’s time to jump back into games. With Training Memory – Game you and your children can increase your brain power and improve your memory. This memory game has three difficulty levels. Instead of matching paired shapes, Training Memory – Game challenges you to do more complicated things such as clicking on numbers in ascending order. The catch is that after a few seconds, the numbers disappear. Try to remember those numbers in order as try to complete each level. As you progress through each level, more numbers appear. You won’t just be memorizing, you’ll also be exercising your mathematical and organizational skills. Training Memory – Game is suitable for players of all ages, from your children with a grasp of numbers and math to your grandparents who want new and more challenging ways to pass the time. Take Training Memory – Game with you and you won’t only keep your retention skills sharp but also your math skills.

4 Powerful Memory Techniques

If you’re still looking for ways to improve your memory, here’s another app geared for that. Promising to boost your memory in only 15 minutes, these 4 Powerful Memory Techniques also includes the world’s first online Memory Gymnasium to test just how improved your memory has gotten. Developed by Australian Memory Champion Tansen Ali, memorizer of the Yellow Pages Phone Directory, you’ll learn how to retain large bodies of information. You won’t just be remembering things in the order you learned them but randomly. You’ll be able to improve your concentration and increase creativity. Swipe from right to left to turn the ebook’s pages. Kick memory loss to the curb using this app. Using 4 Powerful Memory Techniques, you can also watch videos for a better understanding of the techniques you’re learning. When you feel ready, the online memory gymnasium is a good place to test what you’ve learned. Start improving your memory with these techniques. 4 Powerful Memory Techniques is available for free from the Google Play Store.

Crystal Memory

Yet another memory game, you ask? Why yes, but you could also say this game is the hardest in the bunch. In Fruits Memory Game, you had distinctively shaped fruits. In Memory Smiles, you had differently colored smileys with their unique ways of smiling. The objects in Crystal Memory are literally crystals with only their colors to tell them apart. That means that your mind will have to work harder to find differences between the crystals. Each crystal is rendered in a color that’s easy on the eyes so you’ll have to use them as markers to complete the game. If you want to spice things up, Crystal Memory lets you choose a theme that you like. Pick icons for the Weather, Christmas, Harry Potter, Jazz instruments, Food, Heart flags, bugs and, of course, the ever classic fruits. You and your kids will have fun playing with Crystal Memory. Download this app for your Android device today!

What are your waiting for? Sharpen your mind and improve your memory today. If your favorite memory improvement app didn’t make it to our list, share it with us in the comments section.


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


Flipboard Samsung Galaxy S3 exclusive no more – dev hacks it, liberates it for all Androids

Posted: 09 May 2012 08:34 AM PDT

flipboard galaxy s3

So much for the Flipboard app exclusivity on the Samsung Galaxy S3. Barely a week after the big announcement, one member of XDA-developers forum that goes by the nickname Valcho, has managed to extract the APK file of the social news magazine app out from the Samsung Galaxy S3 – making it available to install on other Android devices several weeks before its official outing.

Since the particular APK was probably made specifically to run on the Samsung Galaxy S3, we can expect that the app itself wont run perfectly. From what we can see from the feedback so far, it appears Flipboard works great on many Android phones and tablets, with the widget functioning well, too.

Oh exclusives, you tease us so.

According to the large numbers of people that have tried it and downloaded it, it is said to be running very well on smartphones like the Sony Xperia Arc, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S2, Galaxy S, and even on the old Samsung Galaxy Spica.  There are also reports of the Flipboard app working on Android tablets like the Sony Tablet S, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and the Kindle Fire. This basically tells us that the Flipboard app isn't designed to run solely on ICS devices, but also Gingerbread, Honeycomb and possibly other, more antiquated iterations of our beloved platform.

Check out the thread to download the 2.3MB APK file and let us know how it works on your particular device.


This article, Flipboard Samsung Galaxy S3 exclusive no more – dev hacks it, liberates it for all Androids , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


T-Mobile’s latest ad mocks speed of AT&T’s iPhone 4S as slow

Posted: 09 May 2012 08:14 AM PDT

It looks like T-Mobile has decided to take a swipe at AT&T and the iPhone 4S in their latest ad campaign, which isn't really an original concept.

The ad begins with a fairly dim witted looking guy cruising slowly on a motorbike, meant to represent the iPhone on AT&T’s network. Along comes a motorbike at breakneck speed (yes, that’s the 4G one), with a hot lady at the helm, and she rips by in the blink of an eye. All the while, T-Mobile asks the viewer to contemplate the answer to the question: "If this is the speed of the iPhone 4S on AT&T, what does 4G speed on T-Mobile look like?"

If pictures are worth a thousand words and videos are worth a million, it would take me months to write this post, so just check out the commercial below.

The ad isn't the only thing that T-Mobile has prepared for CTIA. T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm was one of the keynote speakers at the event, along with the CEO’s from the other three major carriers (AT&T's Ralph de la Vega included), to explain the carrier's new strategy. Humm said that the failed acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T has really damaged its reputation, and it is something that T-Mobile is now trying to fix. The ultimate goal is to provide an affordable service that is "still on the cutting edge of tech". With 80% of T-Mobile's new customers opting for smartphones, the monthly data usage per customer has increased from 25MB in 2009 to 760MB in 2012.

Since de la Vega was there, he got to defend AT&T's portrayal in the ad later on by saying that it's not fair to judge the network's speed based on the performance of one device and that AT&T does have a fast LTE network.

Getting back to T-Mobile and the iPhone for a second, we'll get a better view on the full extent of T-Mobile's losses for not having Apple's gem of a phone in its lineup during the company's earnings call on Thursday. T-Mobile is apparently working on making the iPhone compatible with the carrier's HSPA network. So there's still some hope left that you'll see the iPhone 5 – or whatever it'll be named as – running on T-Mobile later in the year.

No related posts.


This article, T-Mobile's latest ad mocks speed of AT&T's iPhone 4S as slow , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.