Friday, June 22, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Finally, a Hot Android Phone: Galaxy S III Is Hard to Get
Businessweek
Looking to buy a Samsung Galaxy S III in the U.S.? You do have a choice among five different carriers, but you'll either be waiting for your phone or paying more ...
See all stories on this topic »
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Teased for Galaxy Nexus
PCWorld
A slip reveals a likely update, and other expectations (and speculation) for the Google IO event.
See all stories on this topic »
Google Slips Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Details
InformationWeek
Google accidentally spilled some beans about Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ahead of its official Google I/O debut. Here's what Google's slip-up says about the next ...
See all stories on this topic »
Flipboard Releases Android App
PC Magazine
As promised, Flipboard today launched an Android version of its news reader, and confirmed its partnership with Google+ and YouTube.
See all stories on this topic »
Flipboard arrives on Android
CNET
The popular news-reader app, hitherto iOS-only, can now be had on Android phones and on Kindle Fire and Nook tablets. Plus: Hooking up with Google+ and ...
See all stories on this topic »
Jelly Bean is only Android 4.1? How the innovation curve makes it ...
Computerworld (blog)
If Jelly Bean is really just Android 4.1, and that's disappointing, then maybe it's time to reflect on how far mobile computing has come.
See all stories on this topic »
Flipboard, Another Apple Darling, Expands to Android
New York Times (blog)
Yet another app that was exclusive to Apple's mobile devices is expanding to Google's Android platform and elsewhere. What's unusual about the company ...
See all stories on this topic »

New York Times (blog)
Flipboard Arrives for Android With Google+ and YouTube
PCWorld
Flipboard is now available for Android. The app, which aggregates content in a magazine-like format, also integrates content from Google+ and YouTube, a...
See all stories on this topic »
Troops' Android Devices Put In Virtual Security 'Bubble'
InformationWeek
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awards $21.4 million contract to security software firm Invincea to protect Android-based smartphones and tablets ...
See all stories on this topic »
Flipboard Arrives for Android
ABC News
Flipboard, the popular social aggregation app for the iPad, is coming to Android.
See all stories on this topic »

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Flipboard Officially Launches On Android, Adds Google+, YouTube ...
By Sarah Perez
The Android public launch comes barely a month after Flipboard debuted its official Android beta and limited Android rollout as a preloaded app on the just-released Samsung Galaxy S III. However, it's been just a little longer since Flipboard's ...
TechCrunch » android
Flipboard Comes to Android
By Todd Wasserman
Flipboard, the popular iPhone/iPad news-reading app, is now available for Android.
Mashable » Tech
Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx Android 4.0 update incoming - Engadget
By Mat Smith
Looking likely to sneak through in time for Motorola's Q2 deadline, Verizon has published support documents covering an Ice Cream Sandwich update for.
Engadget
Flipboard launches on Android phones, no plans for a tablet app ...
By Ryan Kim
Flipboard, Apple's 2010 iPad app of the year, is finally launching on Android phones worldwide and will also be available on the Kindle Fire and on Nook tablets. The personalized news magazine app will also incorporate Google+ and ...
GigaOM
Flipboard Is Now Officially Available For Android – Expands To New ...
By Chris Chavez
Got room for one more news reader app on your homescreen? Good, because the insanely sought after Flipboard is now officially available for Android devices.
Android Phone Fans

Web2 new results for android
 
Developer Support | Android Developers
Quicknav Quicknav. Design · Develop · Distribute. Android Sites. Android.com; Android Developers; Android Open Source Project. Support. Developer Support ...
developer.android.com/support.html
Exploring the SDK | Android Developers
The Android SDK is composed of modular packages that you can download separately using the Android SDK Manager. For example, when the SDK Tools are ...
developer.android.com/sdk/exploring.html


Tip: Use a minus sign (-) in front of terms in your query that you want to exclude. Learn more.

Delete this alert.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.

Android Authority

Android Authority


AT&T officially confirms delayed release of Samsung Galaxy S3

Posted: 22 Jun 2012 03:10 AM PDT

Well, it hasn’t been a good week for Samsung Galaxy S3 fans in North America. It all started with Samsung announcing that the Canadian release of the device will be delayed to June 27, with T-Mobile and Sprint also confirming a few days back a delay in the release of the device, other than in certain cases. The delay is, of course, for the same reason – issues with “overwhelming demand” and limited supply.

Yesterday, there was a report that stated that AT&T may be joining the bandwagon as well, and we now have official confirmation of the same. According to a statement received by The Verge, due to supply constraints, some AT&T customers that have pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S3 will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the highly anticipated device. Customers who will face this delay will receive confirmation via email and text. The good news is AT&T promises that the device should arrive no later than Monday, June 25. Just one more weekend before you can show off Samsung’s “latest and greatest” to friends, colleagues, and family.

As for those who haven’t pre-ordered the device before June 21, but are planning to do so now, they will have to wait a further 10 business days before the order can be fulfilled. And even that is dependent on availability of stock.

Some of you will, of course, be receiving the Galaxy S3 soon, if you haven’t got it already. But for the unlucky ones who have to wait a little longer, you know how the saying goes. Patience is a virtue. My only question is, with the incredible hype surrounding the launch of the Galaxy S3 and the amazing reception the device has received, did Samsung really not prepare for the “overwhelming demand” that was guaranteed to happen?

What are your thoughts? Are you one of the unlucky folks who have to wait it out for a while longer? Let us know in the comments section below.


This article, AT&T officially confirms delayed release of Samsung Galaxy S3 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Mindomo: Creating mind maps and organizing ideas easily

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT

Brainstorming is a great way to exercise your brain cells, allowing you to generate some crazy ideas that you would never have imagined. If you feel that you have way too many ideas, you should try mind mapping. It may sound like a strange idea, but there’s an application that can definitely help you organize your thoughts.

Mindomo is an online mind mapping service for Android that lets users map out their ideas, create thoughts and even share their mind maps with colleagues or with the public to help other users accomplish their targeted goals as quickly as possible.

The app itself offers numerous mind mapping options that you can tinker with. Mindomo is a complete package, as it offers various tools to help you sort out your thoughts and document them with tools such as notes creation, attaching multimedia content, customizing backgrounds, changing themes, adding icons, comments, tasks, and adding hyperlinks just to name a few. All of these preset tools are very helpful in visualizing your goals in a clutter-free environment.

There are numerous mind mapping applications found on the Google Play Store that are teeming with all sorts of features and exclusive options. Mindomo happens to be one of the best mind mapping applications of all time with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive line of tools that users can take the advantage of.

In order for Mindomo to function properly you need to have a user account. Getting an account is simple and Mindomo doesn't charge you a single penny. Even if you don't have an account, you can still create mind maps and save them locally on your phone.

When it comes to creating mind maps, Mindomo still shares the same concept those in other similar applications. You still start with a single idea in the center, before you can branch out to add descriptions or even create smaller ideas.

There are various tools and options that will help users with their mind mapping. The toolbar found on the left side will help users create notes, add images, insert media, hyperlinks, specify details, and other basic editing tools. The toolbar found on the top will help users change the current mind map theme, set the tile settings, add subtopics or floating topics, and change the map layout.

Long-pressing a tile will let you do basic editing functions like cut, copy, and paste. Navigation is a breeze, as the app will let you zoom in and out quickly through pinch-to-zoom functionality. Created mind maps are automatically synced online. If you don't want the app to hog your mobile data plan, make sure that you configure it to sync only on Wi-Fi mode.

Mindomo is great not just for brainstorming ideas but also for education, information gathering, business plans, setting up goals, and other related information that you need to organize and structure.

Grab your free copy of Mindomo from the Google Play Store.


This article, Mindomo: Creating mind maps and organizing ideas easily , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


SoShare: So you have photos and videos, so share them on your social network

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT

We can find a lot of awesome and useful features on Android phones.  One of the best features available to us is interactivity, especially that of being able to communicate with our friends and family even when we’re away from our computers.

With everyone being addicted to social networking sites such as Facebook, people want to keep the world updated on what they’re doing, where they’re doing it, and whom they’re doing it with. Imagine just how many status updates are made by the second. And, since a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, thousands of pictures are being uploaded and shared on Facebook and other social sites by the minute.

Staying true to the phrase, “[show] pictures or it didn’t happen,” people just love viewing others’ pictures and commenting on them. The mobile app developers at Gyre certainly realized that being able to keep everyone updated on important moments through pictures was one of the main things that pulled users to social networking sites like Facebook, and so Gyre created SoShare.

Your friends and family that you’ve shared your files with can leave comments on your files. Easily share your favorite moments, whether they’re a collection of photos or videos.

You can also create custom groups for you and your friends so you can add , access, and manage your files from the SoShare website. Enjoy all these features using SoShare. It’s just like bringing Facebook into your phone without your having to sacrifice the quality of your videos and photos when you share them with the people that matter.

In addition to sharing files with friends in custom groups, you can also share your pictures, videos, or any file you want to share by using your friends’ email addresses. The sharing doesn’t begin and end on your phone–you can add more files using the SoShare website (www.soshareit.com).

Don't worry about the app’s security, since all your file-sharing activities and file-sharing with your friends on the network can be monitored from the app's homescreen. You can view the list of shared content in chronological order. You can also view the files that have been shared by your friends.

Comment on your own file by tapping the + button. You can also choose your network connection type (either Wi-Fi or cellular data / mobile data network) by tapping the menu button in the top-left corner on the side pane that houses your SoShare Profile. That way, by restricting syncing only when the phone is on a Wi-Fi network, you won’t incur extra charges on your mobile data plan.

Interacting and sharing files with your friends has never been easier. Don’t miss out on SoShare so you can easily share important moments easily..

Download SoShare for free from the Google Play Store.


This article, SoShare: So you have photos and videos, so share them on your social network , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


[Poll] Windows Phone 8 features – are you impressed?

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:34 PM PDT

After unveiling Microsoft Surface a few days ago, the company's first Windows-based tablet, Microsoft on Thursday introduced Windows Phone 8 during the Windows Phone 8 Summit event. Alongside the recently announced iOS 6, WP8 will the main adversary of Android Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. That's why we're going to take a look at the main 8 features of WP8, as presented by Microsoft's engineers and see what this next-gen mobile platform will have to offer.

After that, we invite you to answer our newest poll – are you impressed with Windows Phone 8?

Before we delve into the main Windows Phone 8 features, you'll have to know that there's a big difference between Microsoft's mobile OS and the competition. The company has developed a Shared Windows Core comprised of certain components including the kernel, networking support, file system, multimedia, graphics support and others, which will be similar for various Windows-based devices, whether notebooks and destops, tablets or smartphones. In other words, Microsoft’s mobile and desktop operating system are a lot more intertwined than Android and Chrome or iOS 6 and OS X.

With Shared Windows Core, Microsoft hopes to offer similar experiences for end-users, developers and hardware makers alike, allowing them to make a smooth, easy transition from a Windows 8 device to a WP8 device. With that in mind, let's take a look of what WP8 will have to offer!

Latest and Greatest Hardware

Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones have been optimized to support only devices ready to abide to a strict Microsoft hardware cookbook. By imposing certain restraints on OEMs when it comes to hardware choices, Microsoft tried to make sure upcoming WP smartphones would be upgradeable to future software versions and prevent the kind of software fragmentation seen in the Android ecosystem. That meant, among other things, that OEMs were only able to use single-core processors on their WP7 or WP7.5 smartphones and offer only one kind of display resolution.

Starting with WP8, Microsoft will support dual- and multi-core chipsets, therefore future WP8 devices will probably be similar to current Android and iOS devices when it comes to hardware choices. Moreover, Microsoft will offer support for two additional resolutions, 1280 x 768 and 1280 x 720, in addition to the default 800 x 480. Old and new apps will work on any kind of display, no matter whether developers adapt their graphics to support the higher resolutions or not

Finally, WP8 will support memory upgrades via microSD cards, a feature plenty of WP users are probably looking forward to.

Internet Explorer 10

Microsoft is going to have a new mobile browser version on future WP8 devices. Internet Explorer 10 is supposed to offer better JavaScript performance and HTML5 support than its predecessor. In addition to the promised speed, IE10 is going to come with a SmartScreen anti-phishing feature crow-sourced from "millions of Window PCs to block malicious websites in real-time."

Microsoft says the browser is faster than similar products from competing devices including the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One X and the iPhone 4S.

Native Code: Killer Games

Windows 8 and WP8 will share a common platform which developers will be able to use in order to create various apps that would work out-of-the-box on both operating systems. The feature will be all the more important for game developers which will be able to sell their creations to both Windows 8 and WP8 device owners. The native code feature will certainly help Microsoft increase the number of applications available in its WP digital store, as well as decrease the workload for developers interested in bringing their iOS and Android products to Microsoft's platforms.

Both Windows 8 and WP8 will support DirectX and common gaming drivers, which means, at least in theory, that graphics-rich apps and games should work flawlessly both on PCs and on phones.

Better Sharing with NFC

WP8 will come with NFC support, but the technology will not be used only to enable mobile payments (more on that later) but to let users share stuff between their devices thanks to near field communication tech. NFC support will allow app developers to add another layer of interactivity to their apps and users will only have to tap their devices to initiate apps and games or share content with others.

The Most Complete Wallet Experience

Microsoft seems to believe that it can do mobile payment a lot better than everyone else in the game and the company is ready to work with carriers to support various mobile payment solutions.

WP8 will support credit and debit cards, loyalty and membership cards and it will keep a history of your saved deals in an attempt to replace your physical wallet. Moreover, the wallet will offer third-party apps integration and it will deal with WP8 apps and in-apps purchases. The Wallet Hub will be available on all WP8 device henceforward, but it's will be up to carriers to provide secure SIMs that will enable actual NFC-based mobile payment functions. ISIS support is coming in 2013, although Microsoft is not willing to share more details at this time on the matter

Nokia Map Technology

Just like Apple did a few weeks ago for iOS 6, Microsoft has announced its own mapping application for its next-gen mobile OS. Unsurprisingly, the map app will be provided by Nokia. The WP8 maps app will support global NAVTEQ Map data, offline maps and turn-by-turn directions, while developers will get a "map control" feature that will let them integrate offline WP8 maps in their apps. In case you were wondering, 3D maps support will not be available at this time.

Windows Phone 8 for Business

Apparently Microsoft is aware that WP handsets are not popular in the enterprise environment, and that's why the company plans to bring several business features to WP8 including encryption and secure boot, LOB (line of business) app deployment and device management support. Its suite of Office apps should also come in handy to business users.

The Start Screen

"The sexiest thing in Windows Phone 8" is the Start screen according to Microsoft's WP guru Joe Belfiore, the engineer that unveiled WP8 on stage during the media event. The company decided to change the Start screen in WP8 and offer users and even better overall experience. The Start screen, that uses the live tile-based Metro UI, has been redesigned to accommodate even more tiles. How did Microsoft pull it off? Users will be able customize the size of the tiles and personalize the Start screen in order to better accommodate their needs.

Other undisclosed features

Belfiore made it clear that there are plenty of other features we won't see at this time, so in case WP8 sounds interesting, you'll have to wait for the company to ship it. The bad news for existing WP7 and WP7.5 device owners is that they won't be able to upgrade to WP8 when it's finally launched. Instead they're going to be able to upgrade to WP7.8, an OS version that will bring them only certain features from WP8.

We have no actual release date for WP8 at this time, but we do know that Nokia, Samsung, HTC, and Huawei are among the OEMs that will launch WP8 handsets this fall.

POLL

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


This article, [Poll] Windows Phone 8 features – are you impressed? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus [video]

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT

After initially choosing Android over IOS, one must then decide which Android phone suits them the most. Whittling down your choice can be tedious, as you will be presented with a large number of phones from a large number of manufacturers. Looking to pick up a high-end Android handset manufactured by Samsung? You’ll be faced with purchasing one of Sammy’s three recent creations- the Galaxy Nexus, the Galaxy S2, or the Galaxy S3.

Today we will be pitting the flagship Galaxy Nexus against the spec-heavy Galaxy S3. Now, it is a given that the GS3 is a newer, more powerful phone than the Galaxy Nexus. But, for all you Android lovers who may need to purchase something a little cheaper, or may not have the time to wait for the GS3′s release, we will be giving you a full comparison to help ease your decision.

Hardware

Let’s start off by comparing these two devices’ internals.

Galaxy Nexus

  • 4.65″ Super AMOLED touchscreen, with 720×1280 resolution and 316 pixels per inch
  • Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video
  • 1.3 MP front facing camera with 720p video
  • 1750mAh battery

Galaxy S3

  • 4.8″ Super AMOLED touchscreen, with 720×1280 resolution and 306 pixels per inch
  •  Quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video
  • 1.9MP front facing camera with 720p video
  • 2100 mAh battery

Specs aside, each device is built extremely well and feels strong. The Galaxy Nexus features a curved glass screen, which is very sleek and sexy. Removal of each devices’ backplate reveals SIM card slots, and on the Galaxy S3 a micro SD slot capable of housing 64GB of additional memory!

Software

Each device currently runs Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich. The Galaxy Nexus runs an un-modified (vanilla) version of Android, meaning there are no carrier or manufacturer “skins” or overlays. The GS3 is running Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay, which has benefits as well as downfalls. All of the functionality of pure Android exists in the GS3, but, for many owners who wish to have a vanilla or ‘pure’ operating system, due to the bloating and unnecessary features included, will either love or be slightly frustrated with what Samsung has done here.

Nonetheless, the additional features that come preloaded on the GS3 are very sought after, and serve their purpose well. Features such as S-Voice, Smart Stay, task management, power saver, and the many in-app options make Touchwiz more than bearable, even for Android purists.  Icons, menus, and toggles are all skinned differently for the GS3, but are still located in the areas as the Galaxy Nexus.

Some functionality is robbed by TouchWiz, such as master brightness control, meaning brightness is basically set on a per-app basis on the Galaxy S3. The Galaxy Nexus’ notification bar also makes for easier navigating to often used settings. Folders are created easier on the Galaxy Nexus as well.

With the Galaxy Nexus being a Google Nexus phone, developer support has and will always be extremely strong. In fact, many of the Galaxy S3′s most intuitive features have been ported over for use on the Galaxy Nexus. See our article on the Galaxy S3 add-on pack for the Nexus here. The Galaxy S3 is also receiving large amounts of developer support as well, including ROM’s that are built off of vanilla Android (AOKP). You can view our own video on how to root the Galaxy S3 here.

Display

Each device bears the same type of display. The Galaxy S3′s is slightly bigger and constructed using Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, while the Galaxy Nexus uses Oleophobic coating for protection of its curved glass display.

Comparison images prove that there is little to no difference in quality.

Camera 

Having 8MP, the Galaxy S3 obviously takes the cake in this category, but let’s not write off the Galaxy Nexus’ 5MP camera just yet. The Galaxy Nexus has the same intuitive features as the GS3. Features like zero shutter lag, which enable you take photos quickly and precisely, are a very nice touch, and will likely please snap happy owners. It also has the ability to record video and take photos at the same time. Each device also features face unlock capabilities, and the GS3 uses it’s front facing camera to detect if the user is viewing the screen or not, via its Smart Stay functionality. This enables the device to keep the display live when you are looking at it.

Here are a few sample photos taken using each camera.

Speed and performance

I would bargain to say that the 1.2GHZ dual core CPU within the Galaxy Nexus would support most users daily needs. It is very nice to have quad core processing in the palm of your hand, though. The Galaxy Nexus has a generally stable overclock speed of 1.4GHZ, while the GS3 can reach stable clock speeds of 1.8GHZ. Here are some screenshots from each device. In all honesty, both are very responsive, stable devices. But I have never, ever, in my life – touched and flicked my way through a device as incredibly responsive as the S3. The thing is absolutely insatiable, a true speed demon. That being said, if you’ve never used one, there is no basis for comparison. Check out the benchmarks below!

Benchmarks

O

On the left is the Galaxy S3, with the Galaxy Nexus on the right

Battery Life

Battery life is obviously better sustained by the Galaxy S3 with its 2100mAh battery, although extended batteries are available for each phone. The Galaxy S3 can last up to 24 hours with its stock battery, while the Galaxy Nexus only lasts around 12-14 with normal use.  The power saver feature within the Galaxy S3 will easily provide hours upon hours of heavy use. Honestly, I was blown away by the battery life of the Galaxy S3. For such a powerful device, it really knows how to last.

Video

Wrap up

Each device is a Samsung powerhouse with its own advantages. The Galaxy Nexus, being a bit older, is a much cheaper alternative to the Galaxy S3, and still stands up to many of its features. Since the Galaxy Nexus is a ‘pure Google device’, and essentially a developer magnet, means that it has a ton of life left to live, and features a near identical display to the Galaxy S3, too.

On the other hand, it is hard to resist the quad-core, 4.8 inch beast of a phone that is the Samsung Galaxy S3. It is, in all likelihood, the best Android smartphone ever devised, and is likely to receive a ton of developer support from all the major devs.

And how about you – will it be the Google/Developer phone – the Galaxy Nexus – or the Spec-heavy Galaxy S3?   Will any Galaxy Nexus owners be making the switch to the GS3?  Leave us a comment stating your choice!

 


This article, Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus [video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 releasing in the UK tomorrow

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:05 PM PDT

With the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 set to release soon, the Galaxy Tab series, with its latest iterations, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 7.7 have been relegated to a low-to-mid-range series. Be that as it may, some consumers are more than happy with a dual-core processor device which is enough to meet their basic everyday needs of checking email, surfing the net, video chatting, and watching the occasional movie. Let’s be blunt, that’s all most of us use our tablets for anyway.

Anyone in the UK looking for a mid-range 10″ tablet now has another option available for their consideration: The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1″ will be available from tomorrow, June 22. As a quick recap, here are the specifications of the device:

  • 10.1-inch WXGA PLS TFT display
  • Dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor
  • Android 4.0 out of the box
  • 8/16/32GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
  • 1GB RAM
  • 3.2MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
  • 7,000mAh battery

Clove UK has the listed the 16GB WiFi-only model, with the WiFI + 3G version requiring an additional investment, again for a device with 16GB internal storage.

While the device is decidedly mid-range, the good thing is that it comes with Android 4.0 out of the box, an update which is not yet available for the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 owner. The price tag could be a deciding factor as well.

What are your thoughts? Will you be picking up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, or are you holding out for another option? Let us know in the comments section below.

 


This article, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 releasing in the UK tomorrow , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


App Annie for Google Play now available. “Game of Phones” shows current state of the mobile app market [Infographic]

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:59 PM PDT

Both iOS and Android developers should be familiar with App Annie, that provides app-store analytics and market intelligence for both platforms. App Annie, yesterday, announced the launch of its free and premium product suites for the Google Play Store. With this, app developers will now be able to track their iOS and Android apps on a single cross-platform dashboard, which will be a huge help since a lot of developers create apps for both platforms simultaneously.

App Annie for Google Play products include:

  • Analytics for Google Play: that tracks all the commercial data of an app including downloads, revenue, rankings, reviews, etc.
  • Store Stats for Google Play: which shows you current app store rankings for analysis, monitoring, and trend-spotting.
  • Intelligence for Google Play: which provides advanced market intelligence for the app stores. This is App Annie’s premium, enterprise-grade service.

Over 13,000 developers use App Annie to keep a track of their apps with detailed information about downloads, revenue, in-app purchase data, ranking, and app trend analysis. We can only expect this number to increase further with the service now available to Android developers as well.

You can find out more about App Annie for Google Play, and sign up for the free service, at their website here.

To showcase the depth and detail achieved by App Annie Analytics, the company designed an infographic, aptly titled “Game of Phones.” This infographic features key trends between the Android and iOS platforms, including platform revenue and international download and revenue patterns. Let’s take a look.

What are your thoughts? Are you an Android app developer? Will you be using App Annie to keep track of application data? If you’ve used App Annie before, let us know your experience in the comments section below.

 


This article, App Annie for Google Play now available. “Game of Phones” shows current state of the mobile app market [Infographic] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


AMD and Intel reveal the direction of CPU development

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:39 PM PDT

The humble central processing unit (CPU) has been powering our computing devices for decades and the changes and innovations seen over the years have been nothing but astounding. But the big CPU companies aren’t resting on their laurels. Recently AMD and Intel have made announcements which give us a tantalizing taste of what could be to come. First up, AMD has announced that it will start including ARM Cortex-A5 CPUs inside of its x86 APUs (Accelerated Processing Units). AMD coined the term APU for a single piece of silicon - known as system-on-a-chip (SoC) - which contain more than just a CPU. The current AMD APUs contain an x86-based CPU plus an integrated GPU. Now from 2013 those same APUs will include an ARM CPU. The ARM Cortex CPU is being added, not as a general purpose processing unit, but in order to support advanced security functions.

By including the ARM CPU, AMD can integrate ARM’s TrustZone technology - the world's most broadly-adopted mobile security ecosystem. The TrustZone  technology is currently used in a large number of applications including secure payment, digital rights management (DRM), enterprise and web-based services.

“As technology becomes more important to our everyday lives, security needs to be present in every single device. The challenge that the industry faces is how to make this a reality,” said Ian Drew, executive vice president, strategy, ARM.

Also the inclusion of the ARM CPU for security purposes is only just the start. AMD have also announced that it is to be a founding member of the Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) Foundation along with ARM, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek Inc., and Texas Instruments (TI). The Foundation aims to define and promote an open, standards-based approach to heterogeneous computing. The idea being to create a simple programming model which allows developers to tap into the different capabilities found in modern CPUs, GPUs and APUs.

What have Intel been up to?

While AMD and ARM have been forging alliances, Intel has been talking about the brain, more specifically about  neuromorphic  chip designs that use lateral spin valves (LSV) and memristors to create massively parallel processing units that sift through data in a similar way as our brains do. The idea is that the combination of LSVs and memristors can mimic the synapse and neurons of our brain and introduce a whole new realm of computing. The other advantage of this approach is a dramatic decrease in power consumption. Intel’s researchers reckon that neuromorphic designs can achieve 15X-300X lower computation energy compared to state of art CMOS designs.

But don’t hold your breath, Intel’s plans are just research papers at the moment. Someday we may see these, but for now they are relegated to imaginative plans.


This article, AMD and Intel reveal the direction of CPU development , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Founder of CyanogenMod decides not to use the Linaro code optimization for stock Android

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:25 PM PDT

A few weeks ago we saw some interesting stock Android code optimization, done by the Linaro team, an organization that works on optimization software for the ARM architecture (Linux, ARM, etc). Their optimization improved Android’s browser performance in Sunspider by 30%, which is a healthy improvement, and they also improved CPU performance for 3D tasks by up to 100% in certain scenarios.

Its assumed at the time of this writing that everyone thought that CyanogenMod will soon adopt this optimized code. But apparently, Steve Kondik, the founder of CyanogenMod (now working at Samsung) decided against it. Here’s his reasoning:

“Patch Set 1: I would prefer that you didn’t submit this

I think I am just going to make an executive decision here and say that we aren’t going with GCC 4.7.

AOSP master is moving to GCC 4.6, which is a step in the right direction and is much more stable. If we want to work with a new toolchain, this is a better choice.”

He’s basically saying that the stock Android is barely moving to the GCC 4.6 toolchain, which is a lot more tested and mature, while Linaro is on the bleeding edge with the GCC 4.7 toolchain, which could break compatibility and create some issues for developers. Steve thinks it’s better to stick with the toolchain Google is using right now to maintain full compatibility and not break things.

This doesn’t mean that CM won’t use the code optimization Linaro came up with in the future. Even Google might use them when they are moving to the GCC 4.7 toolchain, maybe with Android 5.0 this fall. But this also signifies a bit of change in strategy for the CM team. CM is now more focused on compatibility across many more devices than in the beginning, when they only had to worry about a handful of them.

The good part is that this will make it easier for those developers who are building custom ROM’s on top of CM ROM’s, so if you want to go with other ROM’s you’ll still benefit from whatever CM9 has, plus all the bleeding edge tech being added by the custom ROM developers for those specific ROM’s.

What do you think of this development? Do you think it could affect CM in the long run? Let us know your thoughts below.


This article, Founder of CyanogenMod decides not to use the Linaro code optimization for stock Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


SmartShift Lockscreen: Auto lockscreen personalization according to time or circumstance

Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT

The Android home screen not only displays application shortcuts and widgets but also represents the user’s tastes and preferences. In the past few years, manufacturers have also tried to impose their own vision of what a home screen should look and feel like. Some users love them, others hate them, and a select number of users just don’t have anything to say about it.

As a user, you may already have decided to inject your personal touch into your Android experience by downloading famous home screen launchers such as GO Launcher Pro, Launcher Pro, or ADX Launcher. The method is easy, but for some Android junkies, these homescreens aren’t quite personal enough.

If you're really into customization and you believe that personalization is an art, there is one Android application for you. In our opinion, the app is fantastic and definitely a must-try for everyone.

SmartShift Lockscreen is straightforward and is dedicated to changing the appearance of your Android lockscreen, depending on the factors affecting it, like the current location and what time it is.

SmartShift Lockscreen is smart enough to understand what you are doing, whether you’re at home or at work. For example, if you're at home relaxing, SmartShift Lockscreen might show you your video collection and display Facebook and Twitter updates. Plug in your headphones and it’ll automatically show your music widget.

If you leave the house, the app will switch off your Wi-Fi connection. About to go for a drive? The app will bring you traffic updates, as well as weather information. Sounds pretty futuristic, if you ask me.

The app is not limited to just changing your Android device's lockscreen but can also perform a variety of things. You can set up profiles and can change the app's settings, depending on your location and other factor. The app certainly lives up to its name as a smart application.

SmartShift Lockscreen also lets you fully customize your own lock screen by adding your personal choice of widgets, as well as other social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. Not only that, it also allows you to tweak colors to match your current wallpaper and so much more.

The app also comes with built-in themes for making customization much easier. There is also the option of downloading more themes if you’re still not satisfied with how your homescreen look.

SmartShift Lockscreen revolutionizes the way we interact with our phones’ lockscreen. Instead of traditionally using it purely for locking and unlocking our home screen, SmartShift Lockscreen makes it smart enough to perform application roles.

If you're tired of your plain lockscreen that is limited to just locking your phone, then why not add a little bit of drama with SmartShift Lockscreen? You can download SmartShift Locksccreen from the Google Play Store for a relatively small price.


This article, SmartShift Lockscreen: Auto lockscreen personalization according to time or circumstance , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.