Sunday, July 29, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Android Community Weekly: July 29th, 2012

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 11:09 AM PDT

With the last week of July quickly approaching, we had a rather exciting week of Android news again this past week. As usual we unboxed a few new devices, received tons of juicy news on upcoming phones, and Google even rolled out their brand new Google Fiber Internet and TV service in Kansas City. Read on down past the break for full details.

Back to Google Fiber for a minute. This full 1 gigabit up and down internet service sounds amazing. Simply put, I’d LOVE for Google to bring it to Las Vegas. What’s even better is the $70 per month TV plan includes a free Nexus 7 tablet as your remote. Yes please! Head to our sister site SlashGear for full fiber news.

Next up would have to be the fact that we got our hands-on the brand new Garnet Red Galaxy S III from AT&T. Since we haven’t seen much talk about the phone, which is available today (Sunday) we figured a quick reminder was worth our time. The red looks awesome, and is a nice change of pace for the high-end smartphone market if you ask me.

The Motorola DROID RAZR HD for Verizon leaked again in the FCC, and revealed a 2,350 mAh battery on board for all day battery life. Then Motorola even claimed they’ll start unlocking bootloaders this summer, starting with the PHOTON Q LTE. They mention others will get the same treatment too, but who knows when that will actually happen given their past on this subject.

Then we were lucky enough to enjoy a few days with the fine folks from Qualcomm while taking a look at their brand new quad-core Snapdragon processor. As you can see from the benchmark image above it basically obliterates the competition. Their new Snapdraon S4 Pro quad-core developer tablet had great promise, and we can expect that beast of a processor in smartphones and tablets later this year. HTC and Samsung both said they’ll be updating their flagship devices to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean next month, and we unboxed a few new budget phones from T-Mobile. Hit the timeline of links below to catch up on everything you missed this week in the world of the Android Community!


Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Android, MeeGo Smartphones Hacked, Show NFC Vulnerability
Mobile & Apps
Smartphone payment systems such as Google Wallet allow Android users to use their phones to make payments with their credit cards, making it more comfortable and convenient. Near-Field Communication, or NFC for short, is a short-range wireless ...
See all stories on this topic »

Mobile & Apps
AT&T's Best Android Phone Is Now Just $100
Gizmodo
AT&T's Best Android Phone Is Now Just $100 Good news for anyone who's been sneaking sidelong glances at the HTC One X, one of the best Android phones in general and by far the best available on AT&T. As rumors had foretold, the handset's price has ...
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Will Jelly Bean help Android impress the business world?
TabTimes
We all know the iPad remains the dominant tablet for businesses and many industry professionals alike. In Apple's latest earnings reports they pointed out that adoption of iPad by Fortune 500 companies tripled over the last year. In fact, Good Technologies ...
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TabTimes
HTC kills Android Ice Cream Sandwich for the Desire HD
Digitaltrends.com
The explanation echoed that of Telus but with a key change, as HTC didn't mention Android 4.0 at all, saying: "After extensive testing, we've determined that the current version of HTC Sense with Android provides customers with the best experience on the ...
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Digitaltrends.com
[Weekend Poll] What Is Your Preferred Tablet Screen Size?
Android Police
Back in November - in the early days of true Android tablets - we ran a poll to see what you considered the ideal tablet screen size. The majority (47%) of you said roughly 10"; at the time, that was largely all there was to choose from, so an understandable ...
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Android has a new King [The Manila Times, Philippines]
Equities.com
The S3 has broken the 10 million sales barrier less than half the time it took its predecessor, the Galaxy S2, which interestingly is the bestselling Android handset so far. So does that also mean that the S3 is also the best Android phone in the market? Read on ...
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Power-packed Nexus
Business Standard
If you have ever used any of the numerous entry-level Android tablets in the market, you would know how buggy the user experience can be. But the same operating system combined with a reliable hardware configuration can totally elevate the experience.
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HTC One X Discounted to $100 in Back-to-School Special
eWeek
... of the HTC One X to $100 on Sunday, July 29. Radio Shack is also offering $50 off any Android smartphone priced at $100 or more, which will mean discounts for the HTC Evo 4G LTE, the Samsung Galaxy S III and S II, and the Motorola Droid Razr 4G LTE.
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At Defcon, Hackers Show How To Bypass Android Encryption
All Things Digital
That's because Android uses the same password to decrypt the data on the phone as is used to unlock the device. People tend to use either short PIN numbers, simple patterns or easy-to-remember words. As a result, the encryption is fairly easily broken, ...
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Google Play For Android Updated, Now Available For Download!
TNerd.com
Google Play update for Android is now officially rolling out to all smart devices of the Android ecosystem. The latest release updates the Google Play Store app for Android devices to version 3.7.15 whilst adding performance enhancements and improvements.
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Blogs5 new results for android
 
Ourcast: Community-driven weather forecast app for Android
By Carl Parker
In this app review, we take a look into Ourcast, a community-driven weather forecast app for Android.
Android Authority
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean factory images for Galaxy Nexus and Nexus ...
By Dante D'Orazio
Being part of the Nexus program has its perks — one of which is that Google provides factory images allowing advanced users to return their phones back to out-of-box condition. It may have...
The Verge - All Posts
HTC Rezound getting its long-awaited Android 4.0 update on Sunday?
By Phone Arena
A leaked document listing Verizon's software updates for the week shows that the HTC Rezound will be getting its long awaited Android 4.0 update on Sunday; HTC had been discussing updating the device since March...
PhoneArena - News
Casio launches V-T500 rugged Android tablet - Liliputing
By Lee
Casio is no stranger to mobile computing devices, and V-T500 rugged Android tablet carries on the tradition. It's a ten-inch tablet that's aimed at users in demanding work environments where drop protection (up to one meter) and moisture and ...
Liliputing
Featured: Security Loophole discovered in NFC powered Android ...
By Alexander Maxham
According to principal research Analyst at Accuvant, Charlie Miller, there is a potential security loophole in the way NFC uses Android Beam found in.
Android Headlines


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Android Authority

Android Authority


BBC Olympics: Bringing the Olympic games to your Android device

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 03:00 AM PDT

BBC is one of the best news channels that keeps us abreast of all the important events around the globe, from local news up to the events of international significance. With the London Olympics now in motion, BBC also prepared something for Android users–the BBC Olympics app for Android–to keep them updated on the important happenings of this long-awaited international event.

The app lets you stream videos of the Olympic games right to your Android live or on demand, along with news updates, commentaries, and interviews from BBC journalists themselves.  It’s

Get exclusive Olympics news fast and easy through the app, so you won’t need to miss out on spectacular Olympic moments and highlights free of charge. It would make things easier, particularly for die-hard fans who want to keep track of their favorite athletes.

Upon launching the app, you are instantly welcomed by a neat and clean interface, intuitive and user friendly, not to mention classy yet simple with the yellow and black color combination.

When you tap the Menu icon on the upper right of the screen, it then reveals to you all the underlying options. The Menu contains starting points for your close monitoring of the Olympics coverage from BBC, so from the Menu, you can go to the schedule of games, live broadcasts, news on all sports, medal winners, a special section for the U.K. team, BBC’s coverage of the games, and more.

Aside from providing you with news to digest, the app also includes several extra perks for you to enjoy. For instance, you may opt to read about the top stories during the Olympic games, read daily text commentaries by BBC journalists, or watch video highlights of the games.

You can watch the Olympics live with up to 24 live video streams on either 3G or Wi-Fi connection. It’s also worth mentioning that the app includes relevant Olympic contents for every Olympic event, and information on competing countries and every participating athlete.

If you find interesting stuff — news and feature stories, videos, or game results — you can easily share them via popular social networks or email. Judging from the features and the interface of this app, it does make quite an impression especially with the fact that it’s developed just for such a short, though big, Olympic event.

On the other hand, upon reviewing this app, I noticed a few flaws that could potentially sour the moods of some users. Based on Flash instead of HTML 5, the BBC Olympics app sometimes plays videos erratically, or not at all in some instances (can dampen a fan’s Olympic spirit, you know), but considering that it’s dedicated to that one event (i.e., the Olympics), it’s quite a handy app and a must-have for fans of the Olympic games.

The games have begun, but if you have not done so as yet, download BBC Olympics free from the Google Play Store, and let the Olympic games begin on your Android device.


This article, BBC Olympics: Bringing the Olympic games to your Android device , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Simplify Wi-Fi Manager: Simplifies management of Wi-Fi and mobile network connections on Android

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 11:00 PM PDT

An easier way of connecting to the Internet is now available for Android devices. Armed with an Internet connection management interface, the Simplify Wi-Fi Manager app makes it easier for you to connect to the best network anywhere. Be it a Wi-Fi connection or cellular data connection, the app provides you ease by automatically switching to the available connections.

The app has built-in Zero Touch and Eco Surf technologies, making it not only a great connectivity companion but also an eco-friendly app. Zero Touch remembers your connection preference at a certain place, so every time you’re there, it automatically connects to the Internet without the need for extra fiddling.

Eco Surf, on the other hand, eliminates unnecessary networks and allows you to connect to the Internet on the first try. Do you want to check for Wi-Fi hotspots near your location? Simplify’s Discovery toggle will be of great help in showing such places via Google Map.

Topping it all is the app’s Drag to Connect feature which allows you to drag any available network in order to connect to the Internet. This will save you time in switching from mobile data to Wi-Fi. With this feature, everything happens in a single place.

Simplify is not the only app of its kind. In fact, several apps off the same type, like WiFi Booster Easy Connect, are available on the Google Play Store. What makes Simplify unique and interesting is the fact that it’s one of the most comprehensive apps of its type. It offers a simple interface matched with handy options for free.

With Simplify, you don’t need to worry about fiddling with options to manage your Internet connectivity. With a tap on your preferred connection, everything will be as smooth as butter.

If you want instant Wi-Fi profile sharing with your friends on Facebook, all you need to do is to tap your phone against your friend’s phone using NFC Beam and you’ll be able to securely transmit your Wi-Fi settings. This will save you time writing down or reading your passwords aloud when sharing your connection settings.

Simplify’s amazing feature, Circular Dial, provides users direct view of and access to all connectivity toggles of their device. Toggles, such as Offline, Always On, Wi-Fi- Only, Eco Surf, and Discovery, are all presented on the Simplify homescreen widget. This way, you don’t need to shift to different menus and tap on many buttons to select your connectivity choice. In fact, once you set up your connectivity preference, you will need no more than the Simplify widget to get the best connection for you.

Feeling hyped up to try this app? Visit the Google Play Store and install Simplify Smart Wi-Fi Manager app for free. Connecting to the Internet will be a breeze.


This article, Simplify Wi-Fi Manager: Simplifies management of Wi-Fi and mobile network connections on Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


SandroProxy: Increasing your privacy and security when Web browsing on Android

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 10:00 PM PDT

Whether we’re on a trip, at work, or even at home, Web browsing has become a part of our daily life. Mobile phones have allowed us to keep connected to the Internet wherever we go. Browsing, however, has a few perils. You could come across harmful malware or viruses that could damage your device, or worse, steal your log-in credentials. It’s only natural for us to seek something that could improve our browsing security and data protection. The more crucial our data are, the more reason we need to tighten their security. Let’s take some time to check out a new Android app for privacy and security when Web browsing.

SandroProxy, a free app developed by XDA Developers member SandroBSupp, is here to help you achieve tighter browser security. It is simple and easy to use since it’s based on the WebScarab Project, patterned from a plug-in architecture that focuses mostly on security.

Once you open SandroProxy, you will see three tabs namely Log, Data, and Apps. On top of these tabs are icons such as the Play arrow, Wrench, and Information icon. The Play arrow, as the name implies, starts the proxy service. The Wrench opens the settings, while the Information icon processes a request for user permission, which then allows you to view your network information. The Log tab is responsible for tracking all relevant actions you do and making sure that they are displayed properly on screen.

You also don’t need to worry even if your phone is not yet rooted since SandroProxy doesn’t require it. All you need to do is to hit the Play button and the app will serve as an SSL MITM proxy (Secure Socket Layer Man-In- the -Middle-proxy). Your HTTP/HTTPS requests will be redirected through a web server, making your sent and received data invisible and, thus, protected.

If your phone is rooted, on the other hand, you will be given the chance to access a transparent proxy, a network layer proxy which, in turn, redirects the traffic needed by your phone for proxy identification. The only traffic that this proxy modifies are those which are absolutely necessary for proxy identification and authorization.

Understanding the process of networking will be an advantage in using this app, but this doesn’t mean beginners can’t access SandroProxy. They might, at first, have a hard time understanding the concepts involved in the app, but they sure would not have a problem in accessing its basic services.

SandroProxy is a free app but comes with ads. Nevertheless, the app proves to be a very reliable tool for protecting your browsing data. If you’re concerned with your privacy while browsing the Internet and want to take your phone’s privacy to the next level, then SandroProxy is worth checking out.


This article, SandroProxy: Increasing your privacy and security when Web browsing on Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Ourcast: Community-driven weather forecast app for Android

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 09:00 PM PDT

It’s always wonderful to spend time with your loved one but a mild drizzle can definitely spoil the moment. If you’ve been in situations when you’re forced to delay or cancel important appointments because of bad weather, then you might want to check out this new weather forecast app for Android. With the Ourcast app available on both Android and iOS devices, you’re already a step ahead of  unpredictable weather changes.

Never fall prey to inconvenient weather changes again. Simply download the app from the Google Play Store and check your area’s weather forecast and prepare yourself for potential rain, sun, or clouds.

One great thing about Ourcast is that it doesn’t only provide you with weekly or daily weather forecasts, it also provides 10-minute split forecasts for the next two hours, making it easier to track whether or not a drizzle could turn into a downpour. With this, you don’t need to worry about being caught in a heavy rain while on your way home or to an important event.

The app is also equipped with an interactive map, which helps you track weather conditions in certain places. For instance, if you’re on vacation but want to check how the weather is at home, all you need to do is to locate the area on the app’s interactive map. The selected region’s weather condition, complete with graphic indicators, will appear on your phone screen.

This app encourages interactivity among users through its crowdsourcing tools. It lets you post weather-based status updates anonymously or through your Facebook profile. This way, you’ll be able to help other Ourcast users who are looking for the latest weather updates in a certain place.

For you to track the weather conditions of a certain location, all you have to do is to tap the Forecast button at the top of your phone screen. If you want to check on the weather forecast for the last 10 minutes, you just need to tap the left or right arrow keys and the information you want will appear on the screen.

Aside from the app’s interactive map, Ourcast also offers another easy way of looking into the weather updates of a location. Ourcast has its built-in search utility which allows you to go directly to the location of your choice. You can also bookmark your favorite location and share weather information with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, and email.

Ourcast pulls the latest weather information from Wunderground.com. You can get by-the-minute reports on temperature, precipitation levels, and rain changes, including the relevant icon for the interpretations.

The app has an Ourcast community, which allows users to interact and share their weather experiences with other Ourcast users. With the app’s community, you can verify weather information directly from people living in the same area.

With the Ourcast app, bad weather conditions will be a worry no more.


This article, Ourcast: Community-driven weather forecast app for Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Google may deliver broadband for cheap to your area

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT

 

google-fiber

On the heels of the successful release of the much hailed Nexus 7, comes exciting news from Google: cheaper gigabit broadband coupled with TV. This may not seem like much, but to be honest, in the monopolized realm of US ISP’s, it’s big news. Google just launched its first rollout in the Midwest region and is using an old marketing trick of growing their customer base.

Remember the old Gmail and Google Wave invite?  They plan to use the same idea for this new service in order for it to “go viral”. Google is asking potential customers to tell their neighborhood (Google calls it a fiberhood) so as to minimize visits to your fiberhood and maximize customer base. This results in savings to the customer and thus potential profit to Google. The other great thing about Google’s network is its sturdy and reliable infrastructure: they build their own stuff. Instead of the usual rental broadband equipment (which can go stale in a matter of months) in this fast-paced industry, Google is making its own network on its own production merits, as it were. This can only spell success down the road.

An additional good item to note: Wi-Fi and TV set tops will probably get quick releases because they are Google-made  equipment on the home network. This is unlike the slow release syndrome we’ve seen from smartphone manufacturers.

Overall, this appears to be a giant leap of calculated risk on Google’s part, since they will be going up against other tech companies like Comcast and AT&T. Unlike those two, they will not be relying on the traditional buyout of lower end providers to extend their network, and possibly using dated hardware, and outdated field equipment to deliver promised gigabit speeds. If you are interested to know more details about the HDTV side, you can read up on Google Fiber TV.

If your city is selected, would you be a Google missionary so as to get gigabit goodness on all of your devices? Let us know in the comments below.

 

No related posts.


This article, Google may deliver broadband for cheap to your area , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


New and fresh Android apps of the week (July 28 issue)

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT

The Google Play Store never sleeps.  Android app developers hardly sleep, too.  They are always busy in their kitchens, cooking up the best and newest Android apps to help you with your various life needs — whether to satisfy your craving for entertainment, to find information fast, to tickle your funny bone, to give you your RDA of adrenaline, or to help you learn something new or develop your skills.

In this post, we feature some of the newest Android apps this week, fresh from the developers’ kitchens.  They’re so fresh you can smell the scent of Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, and other delicious treats.

In this July 28 issue of our weekly roundup of the best new and fresh Android apps of the week, you’ll find an app for recording your voice in freestyle, an app for recording and interpreting dreams, a colorful live wallpaper honoring Android’s greatest version yet (Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), an app for you who are about to get married and do not want to make it nightmarish, a racing game that puts you behind the steering wheel of a truck being pursued by zombies, a photo sharing app for exchanging private photos with your contacts, a defense-type game that puts you inside a knight’s shining armor, a video streaming app for watching videos of weird science projects and experiments, a popup storybook of a classic fairytale involving a lost glass slipper, an addictive word puzzle game, an app for those who go bonkers if ever they can’t access their favorite social networks or sites, and an app for exchanging funny faces with people you send messages to.

Go ahead, check these apps out.

FreeStyle Recorder HDA FREE

If you dream of becoming a world class singer, you need the necessary tools. The first thing, naturally, is your voice. You can’t just sing acapella all the time, so the next best tool is an appropriate beat to sing your ballads to. If you only have the dream and the voice, you’re going to need some help. That’s where FreeStyle Recorder HDA Free comes in.

The app allows you to record your voice and lay it over beats. Unfortunately, the free version only lets you load and record up to 60 seconds of your instrumental. You can purchase the full one to best enjoy the app’s features.

When you load the app, you’ll instantly see its interface. It’s not particularly attractive, and it has a lot going on. The background is textured which makes reading the tiny font difficult. A lot of features, however, are crammed into one page. If you’ve got big fingers like I do, or if your device’s screen is particularly small, using the FreeStyle Recorder HDA Free app might be a little difficult.

If you don’t have an instrumental, you can purchase one from the Beats Store. Unfortunately the text explaining the beats is very small and it needs a bit of squinting to read it. You can check the available Beats and get a preview of what they sound like. Once you’ve found the one you like, you can pay using your PayPal account or your credit card.


Dream Lobby

Sigmund Freud once theorized that your dreams meant something, that they might suggest some inner struggle. A lot of modern pop psychology books claim to have a more accurate way of interpreting your dreams than Freud’s dream dictionary, but there’s really no telling. If you believe that your dreams might be telling you something, you can start a dream journal.

If you don’t want to rummage through your bed stand for your dream journal and turn on the lamp  every time you wake up just to record your latest dream, you can record them on your Android device. Dream Lobby is a dream journal app that lets you easily store your dream entries. Give your dream entry a title and then write about it. Try to remember all the details of your dream and when you’re done, you can indicate if it was a Recurring Dream, a Lucid Dream.

Do you feel that your dream is particularly significant? Set it to Public if you’d like other Dream Lobby users to read and try to interpret your dream. Who knows? Maybe someone will be able to decode your dreams and let you in on what your subconscious is trying to tell you. If you’d rather keep it to yourself, you can just set  it to Private.

You can also try your hand at interpreting other people’s dreams. Take a look at someone else’s dream, rate it and give your interpretation.


Jelly Belly Jelly Beans Jar

Jelly Bean is all you ever hear about nowadays. Though this live wallpaper may not be the Android 4.1 that everyone seems to be going gaga over, it’s certainly something people with a sweet tooth would love to have on their devices.

Imagine colorful bouncy beans filling your screen and moving with every tilt of your device. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans Jar is certainly a tongue twister but it’s also a great way to express your love for these delicious little sweets.

Everyone has her or his favorite flavors. If you’re not fond of a huge rainbow of flavors littering your screen, you can fiddle with the settings and select the flavors for the jelly beans. Maybe you’re an Apple Pie a la Cold Stone type of person, or perhaps you prefer the Birthday Cake Remix. Have fun selecting your favorite flavor from the extensive list of jelly bean flavors in the settings menu to best represent your taste. For maximum color, you can select all of the flavors, from A to W.

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans Jar also lets you select the appropriate background for your jelly beans. If that isn’t enough for you, you can even select the strength of the gravity affecting the jelly beans. Have fun watching those beans moving around on your home screen and, if you have friends who are as crazy over sweets as you are, challenge them to identify all the flavors on your screen.


MerryMarry

You’ve been dating for forever and now you’ve finally decided to tie the knot. Congratulations! Unfortunately, weddings aren’t as hassle-free as Hollywood portrays them. There’s the planning, the haggling, the negotiating. By the time the Big Day comes around, there are a hundred cameras taking pictures. Combing your Facebook newsfeed for them will take a lot of time, but as they say, there’s an app for everything.

Use your Android device and get MerryMarry to help you invite people, sort your wedding, and build your wedding album with your friends.

You’ll need to give the app access to your Facebook account. If you’ve indicated who you’re in a relationship with, the app will display it on its home screen. If you have not indicated who you’re in a relationship with, you can tap on the area where your fiance’s picture should be and you can select from your Facebook friends. (Sorry, Alvin, I had to borrow you for this one!)

You can then click on “Start Your Wedding” to indicate when your wedding will be, the time, and where it will be held. You can also set your cover photo and if your shot isn’t artistic enough, you can add effects to it. You will need to purchase the appropriate Aviary Effects packs, however.

MerryMarry also lets you add a Gift Registry. You can choose from malls such as Michael C. Fina, Belk, Kohls, Target, and a whole lot more. Once everything is ready, you can share your Wedding Invitation to your Facebook wall.

Your Wedding feed is where you can create a wedding album with friends so you can consolidate all the precious memories. For easier managing, MerryMarry also lets you view your guest list and conveniently sorts if the guest is yours or your partner’s.


Dead Racing – Zombies

Oh no! The city has been overrun by zombies. You have to drive as far as possible with the Dead Racing – Zombies app. This game is a driving zombie game app for your Android device.

Your task will be to drive your truck through a zombie infested city. Along the way, you will need to avoid obstacles. Hitting an obstacle will lower your truck’s health. If you consume all your health, you will lose your truck and it’s game over. You will need to control your truck and avoid the obstacle in your path. You can steer your truck by tilting your device left and right. Zombies will also be waiting for you on the road. Run them over with your truck and earn more points.

Along the way you can also collect power-ups. Collect the wrench to increase your trucks’ health. Grab the weapon power-up to increase your weapon’s ammo. You can use your weapons by tapping the right side of the screen with your right thumb.

The game also lets you do missions. Completing missions will let you accumulate points. Earn enough points and you will unlock more trucks, weapons, and unlock new tracks.


NixPic

We take pictures to capture and remember important moments in our life. That is why your phone has a camera so you can capture all your special moments everywhere you go. Your Android smartphone also allows you to share your pictures with your loved ones. But, if you want to share your pictures while preserving the privacy of your photos, use the NixPic app to share your pictures safely with your friends.

To begin sharing your photos, just launch the app and you will be greeted with the app’s simple to use interface. The app only has three buttons: the received images, the camera, and the invite button. To take a picture, just tap the camera button and you will directed to your phone’s camera app. After taking your picture, you will be presented with a list of contacts with whom you want to share your picture. Your contacts should have NixPic installed so they can receive your images. You can also send your image together with an SMS message to invite your contacts to use this app.

Your sent images will now be sent and viewed via the app. Once you open the image, you will only have 3 seconds to view the image. After 3 seconds, the image will automatically disappear, leaving no trace of the picture. You can use this app to share private photos while keeping your images safe. The app’s concept in sharing images looks unique and interesting but the time allotted for viewing the image seems short. The 3-second time limit is not enough to study photos with lots of details. Nevertheless, the app can be useful when sharing private pictures, such as your profile pictures, with your contacts.


Crashers in the Castle

Defend the castle gates from enemies with the Crashers in the Castle app. This game lets you become a royal knight and defend the castle from invaders.

Before going out to the battlefield, you will need to choose your knight. The game will allow you to choose 4 knights. Don’t worry about choosing the best knight. The heroes are all the same except the color of their armor. The developer could have made each knight unique by giving them special abilities such as higher HP or faster speed.

You will also need to visit the weapon shop before taking your hero out to battle. The shop will let you choose 4 weapons: sword, scalibur, hatchet, and a hammer. Each weapon has a limited number of strikes. For each weapon bought, you will be allowed to use the weapon for about 10 strikes. You should buy an adequate number of weapons before going out to the battlefield. You don’t want to end up using a wooden stick to ward off your enemies.

Once you have equipped your hero, it’s time to go to the battlefield and kill your enemies. You will be required to kill a number of enemies to complete a round. Also keep a close watch on your health. Once it is used up, your knight will die and the invader will conquer your castle. You can control your hero with the virtual buttons that will appear on the screen during the fight.


Weird Science

Get your daily dose of science videos with the Weird Science app. This app lets you view videos about science on your Android device. With this app you will learn science facts, perform science experiments at home, and make your own do-it-yourself projects.

Just like the famous video streaming app YouTube, this app will let you watch science videos right on your Android device. You can watch videos on how to make your own periscope, create a huge ice cube, and how to create your own dry ice cream. Choose a video from the list and tap on it to play the video. You will also need an active Internet connection to play your videos.

Since the app is still in its early stage, you can only choose a limited number of videos in the app. It would be cool if the app offered a variety of videos to watch. When the number of videos increase, a categories tab and a search bar would also perfect feature additions to the app.


Cinderella 3D Popup Fairy Lite

Everybody knows the story of Cinderella, the poor girl who was maltreated by her stepmother and stepsisters but was later blessed with the chance to meet and dance with the prince, thanks to her fairy godmother's help. This fairytale had always been one of the stories that is never forgotten to be shared to children.

Relive the story of Cinderella with Cinderella 3D Popup Fairy Lite. This app doesn't only tell the wonderful story of Cinderella but also allows interactivity with the user. It comes in a pop-up story book style with great-looking full HD graphics. When you tilt your Android device to the side, the book also tilts correspondingly, making it seem like it's a real book.

You can opt to have the story read to you and your kid or you can read the story yourself. You get to participate in helping Cinderella do some chores, making you feel like you are part of the story. Cinderella 3D Popup Fairy Lite is great for kids for it allows them to touch some items in the story which will certainly hold their attention.

Cinderella 3D Popup Fairy Lite can be downloaded for free but it doesn't tell the full story. Download the pro version of this app so you and your child can witness the rest of the story of Cinderella in 3D.


Word Soup Free

People who love word puzzles will definitely hit it off with Word Soup Free. It is a word search game you can readily play on your Android device anytime, anywhere. Word Soup Free is not limited to just a number of puzzles.  You can download different categories using either a data or Wi-Fi connection. Download various puzzle categories, from aliens to butterflies, food to sports, and even companies to holidays.

Word Soup Free also allows you to play with a random opponent in a timed match. Battle against each other as you strive to search all the words in a shorter span of time to win against your opponent. And, if you are not really comfortable playing with strangers, you can invite a buddy to compete with instead.

Word Soup Free is one word game app that you'll have a hard time parting with. It is highly addictive. Get it now and compete with others to see who reigns supreme in this word search game.


Facebook Withdrawal

From the app's name alone, you'd probably think this just some gimmick or something not worth wasting time on. Believe it or not, this app may actually come in handy for people who are having difficulties pulling themselves out of Facebook or other websites.

Facebook Withdrawal is an app with a mission. The mission to keep you sane if ever you have to go by a day or two without any Internet connection. It may sound a bit absurd but this app intends to help you cope in times when accessing the Internet is just plain impossible and you’re starting to feel withdrawal symptoms.

This app provides screenshots of various websites for you to view. If you are that addicted to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, or other websites and you think you can't survive without taking even just a glimpse of them, then this app is a gift from the heavens.

Facebook Withdrawal can be your buddy especially when you are in a place where Internet connectivity is scarce. With this app, you'll get to see your most beloved websites even when you are offline, making sure that you'll get by just fine.


SMS Rage Faces

We see rage faces all over the internet: on 9GAG, Facebook, Tumblr, and even Twitter. They definitely are fun to look at, most especially when they are coupled with text that will certainly make you burst into fits of laughter. Now, you can send these rage faces to your friends not only through the use of the Internet but also through SMS.

SMS Rage Faces makes almost all of your conversations livelier and funnier with its collection of over 1,400 faces. You just need to tap on the face of your choice, choose your sharing method (through SMS, Facebook, or Twitter) and voila, you'll have your recipient laughing like crazy. The app also groups the faces according to categories, making it easier for you to browse and choose the face that you want to use.

You also have the freedom to save faces in your gallery for later use. Save faces you want to send using SMS in case you won't be connected to the Internet. What's more, you get to send in an e-mail to the developers if the app is missing your favorite face.

SMS Rage Faces is downloadable for free.


Which of these apps did you try on your Android phone or tablet?  Let us know about it by joining our poll below or leaving a comment.

(with contributions from Alvin Ybañez, Dan Evans, and Elmer Montejo)

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


This article, New and fresh Android apps of the week (July 28 issue) , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Hackers can exploit NFC, Chrome browser to take over your Android phone

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 01:11 PM PDT

Despite Google's valiant attempt to make Android a safer playground for its users by introducing the anti-malware Bouncer service last February, which helps scan apps on Google Play Store for malware and keep them out, experts are still finding security loopholes that can wreak havoc on your Android device.

The first threat we’re going to talk about today comes from the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature on certain Android devices, which is becoming more ubiquitous these days. Though the technology was already used in older phones like the Google Nexus S, released back in 2010, newer devices like Samsung's Galaxy S3 seem to be finding more uses for it, as NFC is being promoted beyond wireless payment – such as for transferring pictures and other files.

Charlie Miller, a consultant from security firm Accuvant, has recently demonstrated how easy it is to push through malicious code to an Android device. He did it with the help of a device as small as a postage stamp, also known as an NFC tag, by placing it within close proximity to where people would be using their NFC-equipped device the most. This enables the code to be beamed over to the handset, thus allowing hackers to gain full control of the device.

So what you can do to avoid the worst from happening? When it comes to NFC, enabling the feature in combination with Android Beam on your device does leave you with no choice but to accept any incoming transfer – malicious or not. There is currently no mechanism in place where you can select to approve or reject the transfer from other NFC devices. This is obviously something that Google and manufacturers need to address.

The second threat is a security flaw that was found in Google's Chrome browser for Android. Demonstrating it back in February, Miller, alongside Crowdstrike's Georg Wicherski, used a piece of software to infect the device through the loophole. The flaw has since been fixed by Google, and those who have updated the browser to its latest version should be relatively safe from such attacks.

 


This article, Hackers can exploit NFC, Chrome browser to take over your Android phone , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Patent smackdown: Apple teams up with Microsoft to bid against Google and Android OEMs for Kodak’s patents

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 09:08 AM PDT

The patent arms race is reaching a feeding-frenzy stage. Over the past months, we've witnessed a series of high profile legal spats between the technology companies that make our beloved gadgets. A quick recap of the most visible battles includes the Oracle vs Google trial, the Samsung vs Apple global conflagration, the Microsoft vs Motorola case that caused the ban of all Motorola devices in Germany, and the Apple vs HTC debacle, which affected the availability of the One X and the EVO 4G LTE in the USA.

Tech corporations are suing each other like madmen, but unfortunately, their actions mostly affect consumers. We get fewer products on the market, and the products that are available are made dumber. The war is likely to continue for the foreseeable future and the players are accruing weapons at a staggering rate.

A new stash of patents is about to be sold to the highest bidder. On Monday, the patent portfolio of Eastman Kodak, the legendary photography company, will be sold in an auction. Two major forces emerge as potential winners – on one side, Apple allied with Microsoft and patent troll aggregation firm Intellectual Ventures. On the other side, Google got together with the biggest Android OEMs – Samsung, HTC, and LG – along with a patent troll of its own, the RPX Corporation.

The two consortiums will try to win the battle over Eastman Kodak's 1100 patents, most related to photographic technology. Kodak has a great deal of intellectual property that could prove essential for anyone manufacturing a product that incorporates a digital camera. According to WSJ, alliances are still made and broken, and the situation is still in flux.

As a reminder, it wouldn't be the first time Google would square off with the Apple-Microsoft team – last year, Google lost the auction for Nortel's patent trove, which eventually went to the Apple-Microsoft consortium for $4.5 billion. It's unclear how valuable Kodak's portfolio is, but experts seem to agree that it is far less valuable than Nortel's stash.

We'll keep you posted on any new developments next week.


This article, Patent smackdown: Apple teams up with Microsoft to bid against Google and Android OEMs for Kodak's patents , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Samsung updates ChatON with Olympic buddy feature, tells the latest on London 2012 games

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 08:50 AM PDT

Who needs real life friends when you have all your virtual buddies online and available to chat with 24/7, right? If you're rather partial to Samsung's ChatON instant messaging app, the phone maker has just updated the app with more features and bug fixes.

The first thing you probably notice when you load the app is the new ChatON logo, but the other changes do go beyond skin deep. Being one of the major sponsors of the 2012 Summer Olympics, it's only natural for the company to try and bring the excitement over to customers. Hence, you can now befriend an Olympic buddy on ChatON to get the latest on the epic competition.

From checking for daily schedules, and seeing which country is on top on the medal tables, to getting breaking news when Michael Phelps breaks yet another world record – leave it all to your Olympic buddy to bring them to you.

If you're running ChatON on a phone, here's what else you can expect to see on the new version:

  • Walkie-talkie
  • Skin/Bubble download
  • Typing status
  • Edit buddy’s name
  • Image zoom-in/out

And here's the rest of the change log for tablet owners:

  • Animation Emoticons
  • Buddy Suggestion
  • Send documents
  • App Lock

Samsung's ChatON doesn't discriminate when it comes to people's choice of mobile platforms. The app works on iOS and BlackBerry devices as well, so feel free to share the Olympic excitement with all your Android and non-Android buddies. Get the app now from Google Play Store.


This article, Samsung updates ChatON with Olympic buddy feature, tells the latest on London 2012 games , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Colorful (back) pictures of Sony Xperia J leaked

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT

We first learnt and got a glimpse of the Sony Xperia J – known also as the ST26i – about two weeks ago. If the first round of leaked pictures of the J wasn't good enough in satisfying your Xperia craving, we have more photos of Sony's upcoming mid-range phone out in the open.

Bringing the goodies this time is ePrice, where several pictures of the phone – albeit only its backside – has been posted there. But no biggie, since we've already seen what the front of the Xperia J looks like anyway.

EpriceIt looks like the Xperia J will come in white, pink and black colors. It might be the lighting, but the phone appears to have a soft, matte finish on the back.  As previously noted, Sony has finally shed the green liquid energy ball that adorns its past phones, as we now see a much cleaner look on the back.

Specs-wise, the Sony Xperia J comes with a 4-inch display of 854 x480 resolution, single-core 1GHz MSM7627A processor, and possibly a 5MP rear camera with LED flash. This time around, it looks like there won't be any dedicated camera button. The mid-ranger is expected to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

If the specs of the Xperia J fail to take your breath away, your best bet is to go with the Sony Xperia Mint. We suspect all these new crops of Xperia phones will all be officially announced on August 29 just before IFA 2012 starts.


This article, Colorful (back) pictures of Sony Xperia J leaked , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.