Saturday, August 11, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung DROID Charge updating rolling out soon

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:04 PM PDT

Early last week Verizon started pushing an update out to their popular Samsung DROID Charge but quickly stopped and pulled the update. Today however it appears to have the green light again from Samsung and Verizon, because Verizon has just confirmed it’s on the way. Head down past the break for more details and support documents.

As usual Verizon has just updated their support page with full details and update information. The change log and update looks to be rather large, but seems to be the same as previous versions. For now we aren’t fully sure what the update will bring but Verizon is stating quite a bit.

Below is the update information that states UI tweaks, performance enhancements, call quality improvements and more but sadly they’ve also added more bloatware. Everything listed below was also listed on the update back in March so we’re assuming this is mainly a bug fix update. It also could be preparing the phone for a possible Ice Cream Sandwich update coming soon, but that doesn’t seem likely.

Has your Samsung DROID Charge seen an update? If not we can expect the update to arrive in the next 24-48 hours as they usually do after hitting Verizon’s support page. Charge owners, let us know when you get this and if you notice anything new.

Screen Shot 2012-08-10 at 3.49.54 PM charge-main-540x304
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Droid Charge
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : January 06, 2011
    Release Date : May 16, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.11 Inch
  • Width : 2.66 Inch
  • Depth : 0.46 Inch
  • Weight : 143 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1600 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 280 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.2.x
    Audio Playback:
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Cortex A8 Hummingbird
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 512 MB
    Internal Storage : 2.048 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Droid-Life]


NFL 2012 Preseason Live app for tablets only $20

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 03:37 PM PDT

Who loves Football? For those not in the US I’m talking about the NFL. Preseason is off to a great start. The regular season is almost here and although we love Android, many also love NFL just as we do. For those interesting in following their teams progress and pre-season you can watch every single game live, or on demand with the official NFL app, but it’ll cost ya.

The NFL offers a Preseason Live package for only $20 and you’ll get to see any and every game live, or on demand from any computer or even your favorite Android tablets. Just head to NFL.com/preseason for more details. Sadly we are hearing pretty terrible reports when it comes to the actual Android app, and it is only available for tablets with no smartphone support. You can still watch on a computer though.

For those interested you can get the NFL Preseason Live 2012 app from the Google Play Store. It is a free download but will require a subscription to the $20 Live subscription, but for those die-hard fans this should be perfect. Hopefully the app will work better for some than what we are seeing in the reviews section, because it isn’t looking good. The app was just recently updated and hopefully another is on the way to fix a few pesky bugs.

The season has started off great. Manning is throwing balls again, Rodgers will be amazing as always, and Tebow will continue to be popular simply for taking his shirt off — and that’s all. We can’t comment on the quality of the Android app, but using the service on a computer last year was amazing and I watched every game of my Packers. Head to the links above and enjoy your favorite NFL teams.

As a reminder, Verizon users can get NFL Mobile for awesome content as well.

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New updates for T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide and G2 arrive

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 01:59 PM PDT

Today T-Mobile and HTC are pushing new updates for two phones that are getting on in age. The myTouch 3G Slide and the G2 are both receiving minor updates, despite the fact that both have been around since 2010. True, that was only two short years ago, but two years in smartphone time may as well be an eternity.


Regardless of their age, they have both been updated. Don’t expect to find much of anything in these updates, however, as both only deliver a security patch and improve software stability. Sorry, but there aren’t any of the cool, new features you were hoping for when you read the title.

Both of these updates are only available as RUUs from HTC’s website, so you won’t be receiving any OTA notifications. You can snag the update for the G2 here, while the update for the myTouch 3G Slide can be found here. The pair of updates will delete the personal data from your phone, requiring you to back up your data if you want to keep it, so you’ll be doing a bit of work if you want to install them.

These phones are both showing their age these days, with the G2 still running Android 2.3.4 and the myTouch 3G Slide stuck way back on Android 2.2. Sadly, we probably won’t be hearing too much about future updates for either of these phones, though you never know. After all, with these updates surfacing today, HTC and T-Mobile may look to fix a few more things before they move on from the handsets entirely.

[via Android Police]


Android Community’s gigantic TegraZone Nexus 7 Giveaway!

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 01:32 PM PDT

Welcome back to another fabulous giveaway from Android Community and NVIDIA – this time we’ve got no less than 3 Google Nexus 7 16GB tablets for you, hot off the manufacturing line! What we’re going to ask you to do is get involved in the Android Community forums and represent for your favorite Tegra-toting device or TegraZone game. It’s easy!

We’ve got a total of three brand new Google Nexus 7 tablets (see our full review here) that you’ll be able to get a chance to win by following the following three steps. ALSO NOTE: SlashGear has a similar giveaway going on connected to their own Tegra hub – 3 more Nexus 7 tablets up for grabs there!

It’s quite simple – all you’ve got to do is show your NVIDIA love:

1. Head to [this Android Community forums post] — and if you don’t yet have an account, register here.

2. Comment on your favorite NVIDIA Tegra 2 or Tegra 3 device on the market OR your favorite TegraZone game. These can be games and devices that are out now or will be out soon – and you can find a vast collection of both [here in our Tegra hub] and be sure to say WHY you love or want it!

3. Sit back and cross your fingers!

This giveaway starts on Friday, August 10th, 2012 and runs until Friday, August 17th at midnight. We’ll pick a collection of our favorite entries and from that set we’ll choose three winners at random – we’ll announce the winners on Monday, August 20th in the forums and right here in this original giveaway post!

Competition is open to residents of the US only, over the age of 18. One entry per person. Family members of NVIDIA, ASUS, Google, and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified Android Community forum post; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized.

The winners will be contacted by an Android Community/SlashGear staff member IN THE FORUMS upon being selected and will be expected to respond to that staff member; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected.

Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners agree that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to Android Community, SlashGear, and NVIDIA.

Each of the three prize packs consist of a pack including one Google Nexus 7 tablet, and that’s it! There are no other alternative for prize winners unless this prizes become unavailable, in which case Android Community reserves the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value.

Giveaway provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizes provided by NVIDIA. Any questions regarding this giveaway should be directed to giveaway [AT] slashgear.com.


Samsung Galaxy S III black color option coming soon

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:58 AM PDT

This week the folks at Samsung have caused a little disturbance for those who don’t like the current color options for the Galaxy S III smartphone. For some unknown reason Samsung decided against the traditional black color, and only have a Marble White, Pebble Blue, and Garnet Red flavor. However Samsung’s Facebook showed off a black model, and now retails could be confirming the news.

The Facebook photo linked to above clearly showed black during Samsung’s Olympics coverage. Many spotted a few screens showing either a black model, or a poorly photoshopped blue smartphone. However the image above, and now Carphone Warehouse’s inventory listing could prove otherwise.

Above is a screenshot from the online retailer Carphone Warehouse, clearly showing a Galaxy S III black color option. Now this could be old, but on initial launch their system only showed blue and white according to Android Police. This leads us to believe Samsung is set to start shipping black versions of the Galaxy S III. This also matches previous reports that “multiple” color options will be available this fall.

Pretty odd for people to get all fired up over the color of their smartphone, but I know many wanted the regular plain Jane black color option, and didn’t get it. If Samsung does plan to offer different colors, we expect them to make a formal announcement at IFA 2012 August 29 and on in Berlin, Germany. We’ll be their live too so stay tuned for all the details.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : May 03, 2012
    Release Date : May 29, 2012
    Also Known As : The Next Galaxy, SGSIII
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.77 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 133 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4 Quad
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Google Alert - android

News9 new results for android
 
Four Android Phones Shipped For Every iPhone Sold, But Malware Also On The ...
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According to research by IDC, there were four Android handsets sold for every iPhone for the second quarter of 2012, up from a ratio of 2.5:1 for the same period last year. Spearheading this Android revolution is Samsung, who are currently dominating ...
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HTC Promises Android 4.0 Updates
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According to statistics released in June by research firm comScore, China-based HTC is in sixth place in the U.S. market with just 6.4 percent share, up slightly from 6.0 percent in March. HTC is faring even more poorly in the global market, according ...
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Sci-Tech Today
Android this week: Custom ROM updates; Census app outed; AirPlay for Android
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Fans of custom Android software should be happier this week thanks to a centralized service created for developers. Called OTA Update Center, it gives the creators of custom ROMs a place to store their software; helpful because without the service ...
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GigaOM
President Obama releases its organizing app for Android, raises privacy concerns
The Droid Guy
President Obama's campaign after releasing their iPhone app last week, has successfully released its Android app too. The Android app has been released as promised; POLITICO was informed by a campaign official. Both the iOS and Android versions are ...
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The Droid Guy
Microsoft Outlook.com Doesn't Play Well With Android Mobile
PCWorld
This was all done on a Verizon Samsung Android Charge phone using the standard software load and connecting to Outlook.com Preview. Microsoft engineers checked out this issue and a spokesperson came back with this response: The issues you are ...
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NFL Preseason Live for Android Tablets Fails More than the Dolphins
Gotta Be Mobile
I was shocked to discover that the NFL delivered a feature rich iPad app capable of streaming the 20120 NFL Preseason live to the iPad at a reasonable price, but I was even more shocked to discover the NFL also offers the NFL Preseason Live android app ...
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Gotta Be Mobile
Android Jelly Bean 4.1 gels well
Zee News
The new kid on the block is Jelly Bean (Android v4.1) that introduces a shinning, smooth interface, an offline voice type option, new Camera app, a new and improved notifications bar, Google Now, a voice search (phew) and a lot more. We've got some ...
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Zee News
How to Use Your Android Tablet as a Secondary Display
PCWorld
To use your Android tablet as a secondary PC display, you need a few things aside from the tablet and PC apps. First, you need a compatible tablet running Android 3.01 or newer (or a smartphone running Android 2.2 or newer) and Windows XP (32-bit) or ...
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Can the ASUS Google Nexus 7 tablet replace your Apple iPad?
ABC15.com (KNXV-TV)
The Nexus 7 runs Google's newest version of Android, 4.1. It's also known by it's code name, Jelly Bean . If you've used Ice Cream Sandwich (version 4.0) then it'll look familiar. Android keeps getting better and Jelly Bean simply improves upon Android ...
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ABC15.com (KNXV-TV)

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Apple details 2010 presentation to Samsung on Android patent ...
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As the battle between Samsung and Apple closed out another week in US District Court, lawyers for the latter focused its argument on evidence and.
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By Andrea Smith
The Google Translate app for Android lets you take a picture of text and translate it into the language of your choice.
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A new report shows what smart phone shoppers covet when it comes to purchasing a new device. It turns out Apple and Android shoppers have a different set of priorities.
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By Cory Gunther
Welcome back to another fabulous giveaway from Android Community and NVIDIA - this time we've got no less than 3 Google Nexus 7 16GB tablets for you, hot off.
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Web1 new result for android
 
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Download Android programs from Softonic. Free software downloads.
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Android Authority

Android Authority


Google improves mobile search UI with card-based interface reminiscent of Google Now

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:36 PM PDT

So far, the new Google Now feature in Android has received a lot of positive feedback from users, saying it’s very useful, and also that the card style answers look very good. Google is moving to replicate the same functionality and user experience on its mobile site, such that accessing from any compatible smartphone or tablet will make the mobile site look like the Google Now cards in Jelly Bean.

This move will make (some?) answers richer, more beautiful, and more interactive. It should be easier for the users to get the information they need at a glance. Some of the answers that include this new cards-style interface include finance, currency conversion, unit conversion, dictionary definitions, local time lookup, and holiday and sunrise times. And, of course, these include weather and flights cards, as well.

These cards pull the information from the Knowledge Graph, which is the latest evolution of Google search. Knowledge Graph better understands the context of your questions and search queries that you input on the search box. But this new Google Now cards style system is not just about understanding the information being asked, but it is also about presenting it to the user in a way that is easy and quick to read, which means you waste less time in looking further for that particular piece of information.

Google’s AI and algorithms are getting smarter, and the big G wants to provide people with more direct answers to their questions, rather than just a list of blue links. Google’s new cards style search is just the first step in that direction. For now, these changes will only come to smartphones and tablets, and are only available for the English version of Google.com. Google promises to bring the new UI to the desktop and other languages as soon as possible.

google-now-cards weather Sunrise - Mobile Time - Mobile Dictionary - Mobile UnitConversion - Mobile CurrencyConversion - Mobile Finance - Mobile


This article, Google improves mobile search UI with card-based interface reminiscent of Google Now , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Nokia poll says QWERTY keyboards still rule

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:10 PM PDT

Nokia has run an online poll on their official blog, asking people whether they prefer a QWERTY keyboard, a touchscreen, a number keypad, or voice control as their favorite way of controlling their device. The data may seem surprising at first, considering how many of us today cannot imagine using anything but a touchscreen as our preferred input method. But when you realize where this is coming from, it’s not so surprising anymore. It is, in fact, expected.

Nokia’s data shows that the majority of users prefer QWERTY keyboards —  almost half of the online respondents on their site, at 48.64%. The touchscreen-loving people make up a pretty distant 34.69%, while  number keypad and voice control get 8.91% and 7.75%, respectively.

Let’s take this with a grain of salt. I think this data may not be very relevant for either today’s markets nor future smarphone users. Look where the data is coming from: Nokia’s official blog. It’s a company that, so far, has not yet mastered the touchscreen phone. Nokia still sells a lot of phones with either a QWERTY keyboard (they used to have some really popular devices with it) and the number keypad.

It’s quite expected that Nokia fans and users — the vast majority of them who aren’t used to Nokia selling and promoting touchscreen phones — would say they prefer QWERTY over touchscreens, because that’s all they know coming from Nokia. It’s almost like RIM doing a poll right now for their users and asking them if they prefer using a keyboard or a touchscreen. I think we all know what the majority of them would say.

There is an inherent problem with doing polls like these for your own customers (and make no mistake, both Nokia and RIM have been asking their users questions like these for years). When the rules of the market change, and “something else” is the future of the market, the vast majority of your users, if asked, would still say they prefer the old way of doing things. At least this is the case in the first few years after the rules start changing.

It’s human nature to dislike change, and in the beginning, only the “early adopters” get on board.

This is why both Nokia and RIM have been blind for years about the fact that neither Symbian nor the BlackBerry OS were good enough for the new age of the touchscreens. Most of their customers are still telling them that they want to keep doing things the same way, and to change nothing. But look where that has gotten both Nokia and RIM. They’re almost to the point of bankruptcy. That’s because sooner or later, the new way of doing things will start chipping away at the old way of doing things, and people move on.

So are there people out there that still prefer QWERTY keyboards? Definitely. Does Nokia’s poll represent the whole market currently, or more importantly the future of the market? Definitely not.

The future of phones is in touchscreens, and that should’ve been obvious to all phone manufacturers from the day the iPhone came out. Android entering the scene only accelerated this trend greatly. Plus, as time goes by — and as virtual keyboards become better and better — more QWERTY keyboard lovers will start switching to touchscreen phones. It’s inevitable.

Image credit: QWERTY keyboard / Shutterstock


This article, Nokia poll says QWERTY keyboards still rule , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Huawei’s quad-core MediaPad 10 FHD tablet passes FCC scrutiny

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 07:36 PM PDT

Hoping to elevate the brand to new heights, Huawei has steadily upped its game this year by cranking up the specs on its upcoming phones and tablets. The Chinese manufacturer is also taking a leaf out of Samsung's playbook as it moves towards developing its own SoC, the result of which can be seen in the MediaPad 10 FHD tablet.

While the company has revealed last month that the MediaPad 10 FHD will available in August for less than $500, we don't know for sure if it's meant only for the Chinese market or whether it will be a global release. But thanks to a recent FCC filing, as reported by Engadget, we now know that a U.S. entrance may not be too far behind.

Huawei's powerful and thin tablet was recently spotted at the FCC for the usual inspection and approval process. And yes, the slate passed with flying colors. You know what this means, don't you? Better start saving some dough if you want to get your mitts on Huawei's new tablet offering.

The MediaPad 10 FHD houses a quad-core K3V2 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and an impressive 10-inch IPS Full HD display (1920 x 1200 resolution). Other noteworthy specs include a 2GB of RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable storage via microSD, 8MP rear camera, and 1.3MP front-facing camera.  Huawei will release a WiFi-only model and another one with LTE as well. The tablet will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Great specs aside, we do wonder if folks still have reservations about plunking down $500 for a Huawei device. What do you think?


This article, Huawei's quad-core MediaPad 10 FHD tablet passes FCC scrutiny , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Is Google aiming for a UI makeover with a radial-style Android menu?

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 07:24 PM PDT

A mobile OS like Android that runs on smartphones and tablets doesn’t exactly have the luxury of  a big display like its PC counterparts. As such, a menu bar that permanently sits either on top of bottom of the display can really rob users of their precious screen real estate. This is something that has apparently been lingering on Google's mind, as well.

Patent Bolt has gotten a hold of a number of patent applications that Google has submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office, which involves the use of a radial-style menu for the Android browser and Chrome. Forget about the old way of looking for the menu button on top of an application. In the future, you can easily activate a pop-up menu by making a swipe gesture from the edge of the device's screen.

The thing is, we don't have to wait for the patents to be granted to see the concept being turned into reality, since Google has already implemented the radial menu option, albeit hidden, behind settings. You can activate the radial-style menu only when running Android's native browser app (not Chrome, by the way). Simply go to Settings, Labs, and tick Quick Controls.

Since its current implementation is limited only to one app, it will be interesting to see whether Google is actually planning a somewhat grander system-wide application of the pie menu.

There are more detailed explanations and pictures of the submitted patents at Patent Bolt for those interested. What do you think of the radial-style menu? Will you miss having a menu option visible at all time? Or is the radial menu the way of the future?


This article, Is Google aiming for a UI makeover with a radial-style Android menu? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Next-gen Kindle devices finally on their way soon?

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 07:04 PM PDT

A refresh of the Kindle line-up is nearly upon us, and it’s about time. With the arrival of Google’s Nexus 7, the Kindle Fire is truly in need of an upgrade. Many people had hoped that July would bring news of a next-gen Kindle Fire offering. But with July long gone, now it seems that all hope rests on an August launch.

How close are we? Amazon recently started giving out massive discounts on the 10-inch Kindle DX reader and Kindle accessories. The shipping times on the $99 ad-supported Kindle Touch also increased to 8 to 9 days. Looking at the evidence, Amazon seems to be working to clear out its inventory. Whenever a company does this, it’s only a matter of time before a new product launch. If rumors are to be believed, we could be seeing new Kindle devices announced as early as next week.

What do you hope to see in a new Kindle Fire, or even the rest of the next-gen Kindle line for that matter? Could a 10-inch Kindle Fire be on its way as well?

 


This article, Next-gen Kindle devices finally on their way soon? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Sprint giving away free ZTE Optik Tablet with new smartphone purchase

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 06:57 PM PDT

Let’s face it: keeping up with the latest technology is expensive. For those on a strict budget, having a decent tablet and smartphone isn’t always easy. According to a trusted source reporting to Techno Buffalo, a new deal is coming to Sprint that gives consumers a way to get a free ZTE Optik tablet with the purchase of a new smartphone.

What’s the catch? In order to qualify, you will need to sign for two-year contracts tied to both devices. But what’s great is that any smartphone offered through Sprint will qualify. If you’re planning on getting a new Sprint smartphone, this deal is hard to beat, even if the ZTE Optik isn’t the best tablet around. The ZTE Optik features a 7-inch 1280×800 display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB storage, a 4,000 mAh battery, 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera and Android 3.2 Honeycomb.

While the ZTE Optik isn’t going to blow away most tablets out on the market, it’s hard to beat the price of free, and the ZTE Optik is really one of the few tablets Sprint has to offer. If the source proves correct, the promotion will start on August 12th and will run through September 30th.


This article, Sprint giving away free ZTE Optik Tablet with new smartphone purchase , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Websnap: Capturing screenshots of full or partial webpages

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT

Taking snapshots on your phone has never been easier, thanks to the Ice Cream Sandwich update. While others still choose to use the traditional ICS-native method of capturing screenshots, others have resorted to using apps. One such application dedicated only to capturing screenshots is Websnap, developed by Web2mine. Basically, the app makes capturing selected parts of a web page easy..

Websnap comes with a built-in browser that will let you explore and capture any part of a webpage instantly. The app also supports User Agent (UA) String selection, to help you quickly switch between mobile and desktop layouts of the current website. The UI is pretty slick and navigation is a breeze, thanks to its easy-to-use controls and pinch-to-zoom gestures which let you manage all of your snapshots with ease.

All of these mentioned features can be accessed from Websnap's dynamic homescreen widget that not only sports the captured view of your website but also configures the app to automatically capture and update shots at pre-defined user intervals.

On the app's main screen, you can find all of your captured items in a list view. Tapping on an image thumbnail will let you preview the shots you have taken, while long-pressing on an item triggers batch selection mode so that you can easily manage and remove unwanted items from your list.

Capturing a screenshot can be done using the camera icon found in the top-right corner and feeding it a webpage’s address. Once the webpage loads completely, you can hit the camera icon found at the bottom to save that image.

On the other hand, if you want to capture only a specific part of a page, you can hit the Inc. Zoom button, zoom in to the portion of the web page, and capture it using the camera icon.

The app’s live widget is definitely going to please anyone who is into the latest news and updates from their subscribed websites without having to mash the refresh button. The widget is fully configurable to perform various tasks such as refreshing the widget content, loading the URL using the app, or sharing the link using a compatible application.

When it comes to customization, you can choose to toggle JavaScript loading, auto-update intervals, and update through WiFi only. Aside from that, you can also set the preferred screen alignment, and scale type of your captured screenshot.

In a nutshell, WebSnap is a great alternative when it comes to taking snapshots of important webpages that you want to share in an instant. What's even better is that the app can take specific portions of the webpages.

WebSnap is available for free in the Google Play Store and requires Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread or higher to run.


This article, Websnap: Capturing screenshots of full or partial webpages , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


New and fresh Android apps of the week (August 10 issue)

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT

For as long as we live, we never run out of things to do.  And, for as long as there are things to do, Android app developers never run out of ideas for apps to help us do them.

In this August 10 issue of our weekly roundup of the best new and fresh Android apps, say hello to some of the newest and interesting Android apps on the Google Play Store.  In this post, you’ll know more about

  • a clock widget that actually makes ticking sounds,
  • a database of nutritional info (especially sugar) for food,
  • a collection of Galaxy S3-inspired dandelion wallpapers,
  • a chat app that lets you exchange audio messages with chat pals,
  • a voice memo app,
  • an app to stay updated about the bills in the U.S. Congress and to vote for pending bills,
  • a damage tracker for those crazy about the World of Warcraft trading card game,
  • a photo album organizer,
  • a bucket…for stuff…,
  • an instructional manual for close combat,
  • a radio alarm clock,
  • a secure note-taking app,
  • ring tones from famous classic video games,
  • customizing your phone’s LED notification lights’ colors, and
  • a bulletin-board-style task organizer.

Go ahead, feel the love that app developers have showered your Android with.

Ticking Clock

Every Android device has a default clock widget that tells the time. But, all these virtual clocks have one thing in common–they don’t tick. Some people find it pleasurable to the clock tick. Sometimes, it may help them get to sleep. If you want a more realistic virtual clock, use the Ticking Clock widget on your Android device. As the name suggests, this is a virtual clock that makes a ticking sound every second.

You will be able to customize your ticking clock. You can change the design of the clock, choose a ticking sound type, adjust the sound level, and many more. You can also find the option to automatically turn off the volume if you are opening another app. The app also features an option to keep ticking even if your phone sleeps. After you have made your desired settings, add the clock to your homescreen and you have yourself a ticking clock.


NutriFact :: Sugar

Sugar is one of the important substances that our bodies need. Sugar fuels the body so it can function well. Running low on sugar is like running out of car fuel in the middle of nowhere. That’s why it is important to fill one’s stomach with proper food throughout the day. But, for some people, sugar-rich food should be taken in moderation. People who have diabetes or who plan to lose some weight need to control and watch the food that they take in. The NutriFact :: Sugar app can help app can help you control your sugar intake by letting you know how much sugar is hidden inside your food.

The app works like a food sugar directory on your Android device. The app contains a record of sugar contents of all possible foods that you eat everyday. Just type in the name of the food on the search bar and the app will automatically display a list of food items. Tapping on the food’s name will show you its specific sugar details such as the total sugar, sucrose, glucose, and fructose content. You can also filter the search by specifying a category and sorting the list to either ascending or descending based on sugar content.

The NutriFact :: Sugar app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. It displays ads at the bottom of the screen, but won’t bother you when using the app. We ran the app through security software and found no threats or the presence of push notification ads. The same developer also has food directories for vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, calories, and many more.


Galaxy S3 Dandelion

Dandelion wallpapers have become popular since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3. If you want to make your homescreen look like that on the Galaxy S3, you can set a picture of dandelions on your Android homescreen. You can get high-definition dandelion images with the Galaxy S3 Dandelion app. This app features a selection of dandelion images that you can use as wallpaper on your Android device.

Launching the app will let you browse a collection of dandelion images. Once you have made your choice, just tap on the image and set it as background on your Android device. Your chosen image will automatically appear on your homescreen.

Aside from dandelion images, the app also allows you to view other wallpapers such as pictures of Android, fireworks, abstract art, cute animals, and many more. Just choose an image from the list and instantly set it as wallpaper via the app.

Although the app features a variety of images, it doesn’t have the option to resize the chosen image or select only a part of the image to be displayed. The app is also ad-supported, but the ads only appear at the top of the screen and won’t disturb your view.


Jet

The usual chat application lets you have a conversation with someone online. Usually, you get to talk to chat buddies online by typing your message in the app. But, with the Jet app, you can now send audio files to your chat buddies. No need to type long messages. Just use this app and speak your message to your friends. It’s not only convenient but also makes your message more personal by letting your buddies hear your voice.

Before you can send your audio messages, you will need to create a Jet account. You can create an account via the app. Once done, you can now begin chatting and meet new friends online. You can type your messages on the text box provided. If you want to speak your message, just tap the Speak button to create an audio file. To listen to other audio files, just tap the “Spoken message, tap to listen” message and listen to audio files generated by other users.

Jet can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. The free version comes with ads that appear at the top of the screen. There is also a premium version that lets you use the app without the ads.


GT Voice Notes & Alarms

Most Android devices have a default app that allows you to create notes and important reminders. But, if you want to do it hassle-free, you can use the GT Voice Notes & Alarms app to create reminders by recording your voice.

Unlike the usual note app, the GT Voice Notes & Alarms app allows you to save important reminders by recording your voice. No need to type long series of text for your reminders. Just open the app and say what you need to say. You can record your voice for your grocery list, the birthday present that you need to buy, and other stuff that you need to remember. You can also use this app to record important lectures or while your instructors gives out instructions for projects or assignments.

The app also allows you to place widgets on your homescreen. You can easily view and listen to your reminders without the need to open the app from the app drawer.

The GT Voice Notes & Alarms app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. Since this is a free app, expect ads appearing on the app’s screen. But, you don’t need to worry about the ads because they will only appear above the screen and will not hinder you from using the app. We also found no security threats or push notification ads while testing the app.


Citizen Vote

Are you aware of your laws? We may not have time to check law books but it’s certainly important be aware of them. Citizen Vote is an Android application dedicated to increase public understanding of the 112th Congress of the United States. This app also allows public voting on these laws.

Citizen Vote has a simple and neat interface. The text is black against a white background and links you can access are in red. You can search for bills alphabetically. At the bottom of the screen, Citizen Vote lets you Like bills, Share them with your friends on various social networks, and even Comment on them if you have something to say.

The app could be improved by allowing zooming in on the text. If have a small Android device screen, then you might find yourself squinting at the text. I tried to see if the text would expand in landscape mode; unfortunately, it didn’t. The app may be enjoyed best on devices with much larger screens such as the Galaxy Note or tablets.

Not a single ad was seen on Citizen Vote and it didn’t ping on AirPush Detector’s radar either.

Download Citizen Vote today and be familiar with the 112th Congress of the United States.


WoW TCG Damage

If you’re crazy over card games, you’ll be familiar with how it can be such a hassle to track damage. There’s good news for people who play the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Introducing the WoW TCG Damage app. Developed by GhostCat, this app not only helps you track your own damage but your opponent’s damage, as well. Do away with the old paper and pencil!

Next time you play with your friend, just launch Wow TCG Damage. You can select your character on the bottom portion. The top option is reserved for your opponent’s character. A red icon in the upper-right corner of your respective portions will indicate how much life your character has. Whenever damage is inflicted, you can score it by tapping the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or X damage buttons. If you heal, you can track that too with 1, 2 and X.

Actions will be recorded in the space between the two portions. That way you can easily track what’s going on in the game. To see the full log, tap the space between your portion and the opponent’s to bring it up. When you’re done playing, you can choose a new opponent or a new round.

While playing with the app, we found no ads on the app’s interface, nor did it pop up in AirPush Detector. Expect to have uninterrupted fun next time you sit down for a card game with your friends.


One Life One Album


One Life One Album lets you put your pictures of that special event in one album.  I found it particularly easy to start putting together pictures. Put one picture on one page and write a caption under it. You can enhance the page’s feel by changing its signature background. If those signature backgrounds aren’t enough for you, you can purchase more through the app. It’s easy to switch between Viewing mode and Editing mode. If you see an eye on the top bar, that means you’re in Viewing mode. Tap it to change it into a pair of scissors and enter into Editing mode.

Name the album anything you want and when you’re done, share it with your friends and family over e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter. You can make another album when you’re done. In the upper-right corner of the screen, tap the Bookmark icon and create a new chapter in your life.

One of the downsides of this app is that if you delete a photo from your mobile device, the image will also be deleted from the album. The developers are aware of this problem and are already working to keep your images safe with you forever. I also personally had trouble sharing my album with Facebook and with Twitter. The app seems to hang and doesn’t do anything. The app, however, does not force close so I can hit the Back button and go back to my albums.


Stuff Buckets

What in the world are Stuff Buckets? Naturally they’re buckets of stuff, but what kind of stuff? That’s up to you to decide. Stuff Buckets is a not a To-Do list, nor is it a notepad. It’s, in fact, a lightweight organizer that emphasizes brevity and efficiency. When you first launch the app, you won’t see anything. That’s okay. Tap the Menu button to get started. Make a bucket for just about anything.

In my case, I made a bucket for the things I need to work on for Android Authority. You could make a bucket about things you want to do in your lifetime, or for short-term goals, or even for things you need to do for a class.

Once have your bucket, fill it up with things. They can be a phrase or a word. Long-press on any of your bucket stuff and you’ll have the option of deleting it, editing it, or attaching a picture to it. That picture can be anything you want. You can e-mail your Buckets to your friends and let them know what stuff’s in your bucket.

Stuff Buckets is extremely simple to use. Navigating around the app is intuitive and the user interface is simple and easy on the eyes. There is not a single ad on its white-on-black interface. We tested it with the AirPush Detector and it was not detected, which means you can enjoy Stuff Buckets without having to receive ads on your notification bar.


USMC Close Combat Manual FREE

It’s important to be able to defend ourselves. In this day and age, there’s no telling what could happen around the corner. You might get your phone snatched, your pocket picked, or even worse. Learn how to defend yourself with the USMC Close Combat Manual FREE.

If you’re aspiring to be a marine, you’ll definitely find USMC Close Combat Manual FREE useful. This app, developed by Ben Haker, gives you access to the U.S. Marine Corps Close Combat Training Manual on your Android device.

Launching the app gives you the United States Marine Corps seal and the tabs for Overview, Chapters, Trivia and Reference below. You can browse through the different chapters such as the Fundamentals of Close Combat. The text is black against a white background and is easy to read. If you still find it too small, pinch to zoom. Chapters are accompanied by pictures so you can get an idea of how to go about the steps.

Unfortunately, certain chapters, as well as the Trivia section, are not available in the free version. You’ll have to buy the full version on the Google Play Store. The developer has promised to release more free features in the future, but for now, you can access a few key chapters.

Ads appear at the bottom of the screen but are largely non-obtrusive. For those of you who are worried about push notifications, USMC Close Combat Manual FREE did not register on AirPush Detector.


Radio-Alarm FREE

Some people are just really hard to wake. No matter how loud the alarm clock is or how hard you hit them with a frying pan, they just won’t budge. There are people who get used to how their alarm clocks sound, so they become immune to the alarm clock’s supposed “waking” power. What they need to do is to change their alarm tones everyday to at least give them a tiny ray of hope that they’ll wake when the alarm goes off.

One probably effective way to wake somebody up is to have the alarm clock play radio tunes, giving you assurance that the tune you will be hearing is always different from the last one you set it to play. This is what Radio-Alarm FREE is good at.

The app allows you to choose which music stream to play as an alarm tone. The loudness of the tone can also be customized.  You can even set the alarm volume to play in ascending loudness instead of at full blast. You can also set to repeat the alarm, most especially when you are one of those people who love to snooze their alarms.

Radio-Alarm FREE, as its name suggests, can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. Get it now and do away with the days when you have to rush your morning routines just because you woke up really late despite having an alarm. Be an early riser with this alarm app.


Secure Note

Have a ton of things to jot down but don’t want people snooping around your personal and confidential notes? Secure Note is just the app for you. With this app, you won’t have to worry about some of your friends’ “accidentally” seeing your plans or whatnot written down on your Android device.

Secure Note allows you to restrict access to your private notes by letting you set a password for the app. You can also encrypt your notes and have them saved to your SD card for added protection, especially if your notes are very confidential and top secret.

The app is very easy to use. Once you open the app, it directly takes you to the note editor without confusing you as to where to go or what menu to tap on.

Although most of us put screen locks or screen patterns on our devices, adding extra protection to things we deem important is recommended. It wouldn’t hurt to put layers and layers of security over your possessions, especially when these possessions are ultra important. Download Secure Note today and reinforce the security on your personal notes.


Video Game Tones

Remember playing iconic games of yesteryear such as Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man, and Pokemon? You may still be playing these games through emulators or through old game consoles that you have kept running up until now, or you may have dreamt of being given the chance to relive the good ‘ol gaming days. If you can’t sate your hunger for these old games yet, we suggest you get Video Game Tones to fill in that void as of the moment.

Background music and sounds you’ve heard from the old games you’ve played can now be downloaded and set as your ringtone, alarm, or notification sounds. The app houses 75 cool tones that’ll surely make you feel nostalgic of the days you played with your N64, Gamecube, Atari, or Sega consoles. Relive the awesome games of not so long ago through the tones this app gives you.

Aside from downloading video game tones, the app also has other categories you can choose from. You can download tones from popular TV shows and movies, popular music, jazz, and even hip-hop. Your alert tones will certainly be more fun and appealing to hear especially if they are tones of well-known games or TV themes. Download Video Game Tones today and impress your friends everyday with a different message alert tone or ringtone.


Light Manager – LED Settings

Spruce up your device with different LED lights for actions that need your attention. Light Manager – LED Settings lets you assign a certain color for a certain event your phone has like when you receive an SMS, your LED blinks its red color and when you receive an e-mail, it blinks a pretty pink hue.

Not all Android devices support LED notifications, so make sure your phone or tablet can meet this requirement. The Samsung Galaxy S3 for sure is one qualified device for this app, so if you own one, having this will surely be a delight.

Light Manager – LED Settings gives you free rein on configuring which LED color is assigned to a particular event. You have a lot of colors to choose from: red, cyan, white, green, yellow, blue, and a lot more. If you don’t really like the preset colors and want to have say, a lighter hue of the green color, you can always create a custom color.

To top it all, this app is absolutely free. You get to dress your device with colorful LED light notifications in exchange for nada.


Trello

Having tons and tons of projects and other things to do may sometimes leave you scatterbrained and disorganized. Although there are great organizer apps in the Google Play Store, some are just limited to letting you store your agenda and plans but don’t allow you to put more details about a certain project. With that, Fog Creek Software has developed a better app for all your organizing needs.

Trello is not your normal, everyday organizer. It has the basics of an organizer, but has a bit more mixed in. If, for example, you are scheduling a major home repair project and under that project is a whole litany of sub-projects. You don’t want to be making lots and lots of other entries in your organizer when you can just put them in one place.

Trello allows you to make a board where all your other tasks are housed. The boards serve as the main projects while the cards are tasks related to the said project. So, for example, the board will have Major House Repair as the heading and maybe tasks like installing new faucet, putting new wallpaper, and remodeling living room may be placed on the cards.

Another plus to this app is its ability to let you create collaborative projects that involve other people. As long as they have an account at trello.com, you can include them in a project and they will see the tasks that need to be done. You can also assign colored tag labels to your cards for easier identification and sorting.


Which of these new and fresh Android apps of the week did you try on your phone/tablet?  Let us know by voting in the poll 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 (August 10 issue) , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Formvote: Poll app for Android for easily creating polls your friends can vote in

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Everyday, we are faced with a lot of choices. We need to choose what to wear, what to eat for lunch, where to go next, and all other choices that need to be made. When faced with a lot of choices, it’s very difficult to make up your mind and choose the best option. The task would be easier if we knew the ideas of our friends and relatives and use those as basis in making your choice. But, thanks to Formvote, you can now easily ask the opinion of others and easily choose the best option.

You can ask the public which dress you should wear to your ball or which restaurant you should treat your friends to on a Friday night. What’s even better is that the official Formvote app is now available on your Android devices. You can now post your question and ask for help from your friends while on the go.

Before throwing questions to your friends, you will need to log-in to your Formvote account. If you haven’t created one, you can create a new account via the app. Just tap the Sign Up button. Make sure you also have an active Internet connection to create an account and to be able to use the app.

Once you have logged in to your Formvote account, you will be directed to the app’s main interface. Here you can see the public posts of Formvote users. You can scroll through the post feed and scan various posts from Formvote users. Along with every post, you can also find choices for you to choose from. To make a choice, just tap on the chosen choice and your vote will be automatically added. Take note that you can only choose one choice for every post so you need to choose carefully. You can also find the buttons below the screen to filter public posts or the posts made by your friends.

You can also start making your own posts within the app. To create your post, just tap the Formvote icon in the upper-right portion of the screen. There you will be allowed to post your own question and identify the number of choices for that question. You can even add a picture to your own post or attach an individual picture to the choices. Once done, you can post your question to Formvote and see how the people will answer. You won’t be allowed to vote on your own post. Only other Formvote users will be allowed to do so. You can also see the number of votes beside each choice.

You can also find buttons on top of the screen. The buttons above will allow you to view friend invites, read your messages, check for current notifications, and view your favorite posts. Tapping your profile picture in the upper-left portion of the screen will allow you to access your profile page and the settings menu. Your profile page will let you view your current posts within the app. Accessing the settings menu will also allow you to change your credentials such as your personal information and password.

You also don’t need to worry about ads because I didn’t find one while using this app. In my testing, the app’s performance was good and it ran smoothly. I did, however, face a force close error when attaching my profile pics on the app. Nevertheless, the app worked well and was able to publish my Formvote posts.

The Formvote app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. What do you think of the Formvote app? Let us know in the comments.


This article, Formvote: Poll app for Android for easily creating polls your friends can vote in , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Android HIFI app transforms your Android device into an Airplay receiver

Posted: 10 Aug 2012 12:01 PM PDT

While some consumers might feel that Apple and Android devices should never mix, there is actually quite a few of us out there that do. Unfortunately, Apple makes it hard to play nice with their products by using proprietary formats such as the streaming protocol AirPlay.

If you’ve dreamed of streaming video and audio from your Apple device to your Android phone or tablet, the new Android HIFI app offers an easy solution. The new app was created by an XDA Developers member and turns your Android devices into Airplay receivers.

The app is pretty basic and only allows streaming from a single source at the moment. HIFI doesn’t work for those with Airplay speaker docs or car stereo systems either. While it does have some limitations, it is certainly a good start and likely to improve with time and further development.

Best of all, the app is totally free and available now through Google Play.


This article, Android HIFI app transforms your Android device into an Airplay receiver , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.