Thursday, August 16, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Android 4.0: The ultimate guide (plus cheat sheet)
Computerworld
With the release of Android 4.0, a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), late last year, Google ushered in a new era for its mobile OS. Android 4.0 gives the platform a unique visual identity and a long-overdue coat of polish. It introduces a host of powerful ...
See all stories on this topic »
Google upgrades Android maps as Apple battle looms
CBS News
To highlight what it sees as a competitive advantage, Google is offering its latest improvements only on devices running its Android operating software. They include models from Samsung Electronics Co., HTC Corp., Sony Corp. and Google's Motorola ...
See all stories on this topic »
Android is winning - if you're writing apps for China. Elsewhere, though…
The Guardian (blog)
If Android is winning (to quote Techcrunch, which managed to read the Gartner release on smartphone share and see the big 68% for the share of Android phones shipped), then howcome American developers still aren't battering down the doors to develop ...
See all stories on this topic »

The Guardian (blog)
Fujitsu's Android-Powered Stylistic M532 Tablet Is Ready for Abuse
PC Magazine
The M532 will run on Google's Android 4.0 mobile operating system, a bit of a departure from the company's current lineup of predominantly Windows-powered slates. Inside, the tablet features a lot of familiar components, but the M532 looks to ...
See all stories on this topic »
Google+ apps for Android, iOS updated with Hangouts tweaks
CNET
The search giant yesterday offered up an update to Android-based devices, adding, most notably, support for joining Hangouts on Air from handsets. Unveiled last September, Hangouts on Air allows users to stream video chats with people around the world.
See all stories on this topic »
Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side
Engadget
"Samsung has been a leader in Android tablets and their commitment to education technology is underscored by preloading Kno's digital textbook app in the new GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet," said Don Morrison, Vice President of Business Development, and ...
See all stories on this topic »
Humble Bundle 3 Released for Android, OS X, Windows, Linux
PC Magazine
All games in this Humble Bundle are compatible with Android, Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. On their own, these games and their soundtracks would cost $52, but as with previous Humble Bundle collections, you can name your own price. Purchasers can ...
See all stories on this topic »
Xiaomi MI2 quad-core Android smartphone announced
CNET
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's latest handset, the Xiaomi MI2 (小米手机2), will come loaded with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, the APQ8064. It's the first smartphone in the world to use this chipset and will run Android 4.1 (Jelly ...
See all stories on this topic »

CNET
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean "confirmed" for the Samsung Galaxy S2
Ubergizmo
A week ago we reported that according to SamMobile, rumor had it that the Samsung Galaxy S2 among other Samsung devices would be receiving the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. Well the folks at SamMobile are back again and this time according to one ...
See all stories on this topic »

Ubergizmo
Better Browsing on Your Android Smartphone
All Things Digital
I installed Firefox and Chrome on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android smartphone, and though still in beta (testing) mode, Firefox loaded Web pages faster than the smartphone's default browser, and includes some nice extras, such as Do Not Track for extra ...
See all stories on this topic »

All Things Digital

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Humble Bundle for Android (and PC, Mac, and Linux) bundles Bit ...
By JC Fletcher
Haven't bought Bit.Trip Beat in a while? Now you can buy it again, this time on Android! It's part of the Humble Bundle for Android 3, along with Fieldrunners, SpaceChem, Uplink, and � for purchases above the average price � Spirits.
Joystiq
Grab 5 Great Android Games for Whatever Price You Want
By Chelsea Stark
The Humble Android Bundle is releasing five great games in one pay-what-you-can bundle.
Mashable!
How to Build an Android: The True Story of Philip K. Dick's Robotic ...
By Mark Frauenfelder
Two people are chiefly responsible for making the Philip K. Dick android head: David Hanson, a sculptor/animatronic artist who makes lifelike rubber heads, and Andrew Olney, a software engineer who worked on natural language tutorial ...
Boing Boing
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ROM for Samsung Galaxy S3 leaked ...
By Edwin Kee
If you happen to own the Samsung Galaxy S3 and cannot wait for the official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to arrive, then you might want to take your chances with a leaked ROM � which obviously, is not official, [...]
Ubergizmo
Android evolves and so must you - O'Reilly Radar
By Rachel Roumeliotis
Chris recently wrapped up his work on Meebo for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry which was recently acquired by Google. I got a chance to talk to him at OSCON this summer about Android development. Key points from our full discussion ...
O'Reilly Radar - Insight, analysis,...

Web2 new results for android
 
Pinterest - Android Apps on Google Play
Discover, collect, and share inspiration Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their ...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pinterest
Oh, How Pinteresting!, Introducing Pinterest for Android, iPad and ...
Android owners have been very vocal with their requests for an app � every product announcement we've recently made has resulted in the question "What ...
blog.pinterest.com/.../introducing-pinterest-for-android-ipad-a...


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

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

Android Authority

Android Authority


Xiaomi launches China’s most hotly anticipated Mi2 MIUI smartphone

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:56 AM PDT

(Photo credit: Xiaomi / CNET)

China is the world’s biggest mobile phone market, with a billion users, and with 35% of Chinese accessing the Internet exclusively through mobile devices. But while Apple is making inroads into the Chinese market with their latest iPhone and new iPad, there’s another strong contender in the smartphone scene: Xiaomi. The company, dubbed China’s iPhone, has just launched version two of its hotly anticipated smartphone release.

Xiaomi launched the Mi-One at about this time last year, initially with a limited release. Demand quickly outpaced supply, and Xiaomi had to make subsequent releases in batches, but that still did not satisfy the Chinese smartphone users’ craving for a quality device sold at a reasonable price. With their second release, Xiaomi is upping the ante, with specs found to be superior to the Samsung Galaxy S III — at least based on benchmarks — and with a tiered model setup, so that users have a choice.

Xiaomi Mi2

The Xiaomi Mi2 — yes, I’ve always thought it would be named the “me too” — comes with the following specs:

  • 1.7 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
  • Adreno 320 GPU
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB internal storage
  • 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen at 1280×720 pixel resolution
  • 8 megapixel rear camera (with upgraded F/2.0 lens)
  • 2 megapixel front camera
  • HDMI-compatible USB port
  • HSPA+ connectivity up to 42 Mbps

The Xiaomi Mi-Two will run the company’s MIUI v4 skin of Jelly Bean. The Mi2′s USB port will let users connect the phone to a compatible television set, for an improved multimedia experience. The best thing about the Mi2 is the price. Xiaomi will sell the phone for 1,999 RMB or about $314.

Xiaomi 1S

The company also announced a mid-range model, which will launch on August 23. The Xiaomi 1S will be powered by a dual-core Snapdragon processor running at 1.7 GHz. Xiaomi plans to offer this as an in-between model to the MiOne and Mi2. The 1S will sell for 1,499 RMB ($235). The company had also reduced the price of the MiOne to 1,299 RMB ($204).

Xiaomi had recently wrapped up a $216 million Series-B funding, reports The Next Web, resulting in a $4 billion market valuation. While not as large as Apple, the company is often compared to its Cupertino, CA counterpart due to the way it marries hardware and software and due to its corporate culture. The company hopes the capital infusion will help it improve production in order to meet the foreseen demand.

Is the Xiaomi Mi2 worth the $314? Xiaomi claims that the Mi2 reportedly beat out the Samsung Galaxy S3 in benchmark tests. And given tight integration between hardware and software, the Mi2 might give the Galaxy S3 a run for its money, considering the price.

Xiaomi is mainly targeting the Chinese market, but who knows if the smartphone will be popular internationally, as well?


This article, Xiaomi launches China’s most hotly anticipated Mi2 MIUI smartphone , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


New rumors: Droid Razr HD to come with 8MP camera, no Maxx version with super battery

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:05 AM PDT

We've been hearing about Motorola's follow-up(s) to the Droid Razr and Razr Maxx for many months now, with rumors and leaks sometimes contradicting one another. We've had quite the controversy on what processor will power the new Razr HD, but also about the upcoming flagship's rear-facing shooter. Two very different sets of "leaked" pics have also helped increase the confusion, though it was pretty obvious they were from different pre-production stages.

In another dazzling turn of events, a report surfaced on the web a few days ago, saying that, aside from the Razr HD, Moto will also release a Razr Maxx HD with a mammoth battery. That surely made us ecstatic, especially that the source of the rumor almost guaranteed that both phones will see the light of day at the exact same time – the first-generation Razr and Razr Maxx were released three months apart.

Before that report could even sink in though, another one came to shatter our hopes and dreams. According to a Phone Arena tipster, there has never been a Razr Maxx HD version planned, so not only it won't come in October, it will never come period.

Instead, Motorola will try to make everyone happy by boosting the original Razr's battery capacity from a rather modest 1,780mAh to a more decent 2,530mAh, according to the same "tipster". That's still way behind the Razr Maxx's "juice", which rocked a 3,300mAh battery, but it might actually bring the best of two worlds. We could see a 2,530mAh battery able to power a phone for a full day's "work", while at the same time keep the bulkiness level of the gadget at a minimum.

On the other hand, if Moto really wants to appease everyone in terms of battery life with only one device, it really has to do one more thing. Make that Razr HD's battery a removable one, therefore allowing users to always keep a spare.

Moving on from this entire battery controversy, we should tell you that Phone Arena's anonymous source has one more bad news for all of us who are excited about the Razr HD. It therefore seems that Moto's upcoming flagship will only come with an 8MP rear-facing camera, and not that 13MP shooter that earlier reports seemed to point towards.

Other than that, the tipster has no more surprises for us, "confirming" that the Razr HD will in fact feature a Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, a 4.6-inch HD display with ColorBoost technology, a microSD card slot and the running of Android 4.0 ICS upon launch with a Jelly Bean update scheduled for later. As for the phone's release, the exact date is of course still unknown, but it should happen sometime in late October or early November at the latest.

Anyone (still) excited about the Droid Razr HD? Would you be willing to compromise on the autonomy if the battery were to be user removable? How about the rear-facing camera? Is an 8MP sensor too low for a late 2012 phone?


This article, New rumors: Droid Razr HD to come with 8MP camera, no Maxx version with super battery , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Galaxy S3 Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean I9300XXDLG4 test firmware available [Download]

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 01:52 AM PDT

There's no doubt about it, the Galaxy S3 Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update is coming soon. Yesterday we heard that Samsung may release the update on August 29, which also happens to be the Galaxy Note 2 announcement day, and we also saw a video of a Galaxy S3 handset running a leaked Jelly Bean test firmware.

Now Sam Mobile reports that the I9300XXDLG4 firmware is available to anyone interested in testing Jelly Bean on their Galaxy S3 handset, and provides installation instructions.

Version I9300XXDLG4 is based on Jelly Bean and has a July 31 2012 build date, but since this is a pre-release ROM it's not exactly advisable to install it on your device. While the publication does not provide download links, it does say that "you can find the firmware by OPEN Europe in the download section." However, xda-developers has already posted up download links for the build on their forums (see Source links at the end of this post.)

More importantly, flashing instructions have also been provided, but we'll double down on Sam Mobile's warning and remind you that it's better to wait for the official Jelly Bean roll out than to experiment with a leaked version. With that in mind, here's what you need to know about installing build I9300XXDLG4 on your Galaxy S3:

  • Make sure to have an ORIGINAL rom before attempting to flash. (could brick if not)
  • Unzip the file
  • Open Odin 1.85
  • Restart phone in download mode (Home+power+vol down)
  • Connect phone and wait until you get a yellow sign in Odin
  • Add CODE_I9300XXDLG4_11164_REV00_eng_mid_noship.tar.md5 to PDA
  • Make sure re-partition NOT ticked
  • Start flash, sit back an wait a few minutes.
  • Once the phone have booted, you'll probably get into a boot loop.
  • Remove the battery and put it back again.
  • Boot into recovery mode (Home+power+vol up)
  • Choose to wipe/factory reset. (THIS WILL ERASE ALL OF YOUR DATA!)
  • Reboot. and you are good to go! (hopefully)

And here are "a few visible changes" that you can expect from your Galaxy S3 running Jelly Bean:

  • A new clock (in line with JB vanilla) in the notification bar.
  • A function called "Dormant mode"
  • Google Now is accessed by touching the Google Search widget
  • A couple of new Live Wallpapers
  • "Palm swipe" lets you take a screenshot
  • Reboot into "safe mode" (maybe just in test release)

We'll be back with more details on the Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean upgrade in the near future, so remember to bookmark us and follow us


This article, Galaxy S3 Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean I9300XXDLG4 test firmware available [Download] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC CEO e-mail: We need to kill bureaucracy

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 12:45 AM PDT

Since last year, things haven’t been going so well for HTC, and it keeps getting worse with them losing both sales and market value, in addition to forced withdrawal from certain countries. In an e-mail to HTC’s board and its employee, the CEO of HTC, Peter Chou, said that bureaucracy is what’s hurting the company, by making them slow to react to competitors.

"We have people in meeting and talking all the time but without decision, strategic direction or sense of urgency," Chou wrote to HTC's workers, Chairwoman Cher Wang and the board of directors in an e-mail obtained by Bloomberg News. "Bureaucracy crept in without clear ownership. We agreed to do something but we either didn't do it or executed it poorly."

Even though the smartphone market has been growing, HTC has been losing a lot of market share, and it’s getting tougher to compete with companies that can operate on larger scales.

The HTC CEO says that the company needs to continue building on its culture, using committed employees and customer relationships. By culture, I assume he’s referring to the culture of innovation they used to have back in 2010 and before. But once they started growing by 93% in 2010, and then by 67% in 2011, they started leaning a lot less on innovation. There was a lot more on selling multiple versions of the same phone everywhere. That’s why their sales dropped by 31% in the first half of this year.

But HTC’s CEO is hoping for a comeback later this year and early next year, with new best-in-class products:

"Don't let the processes, rules and norms to impact our important goals," he wrote. "Of course we have to follow certain rules and criteria but don't let small things kill the major goals."

“The industry's best rating" for HTC's One X handset is evidence the company has the best products, Chou believes. “There are also strong products in the pipeline for this year and early next year“, Chou wrote without naming them.

At the end of his e-mail he reassures his employees that the challenges are just short term, and asks them to kill the bureaucracy in the company, while focusing harder on hero innovations.

"Please make sure that we kill bureaucracy. Stay firm with the heroic innovations and make them even bigger and deliver them."


This article, HTC CEO e-mail: We need to kill bureaucracy , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


US Cellular unveils Alcatel One Touch Premiere

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 12:45 AM PDT

Although we've seen Alcatel capable of coming up with something more than low specced dirt-cheap smartphones in the past, the French company's focus remains to "provide customers with devices at prices affordable on any budget".

On that note, US Cellular has just unveiled the Alcatel OneTouch Premiere, a 2.8-inch Gingerbread-based phone equipped with a non-slider full QWERTY keyboard. The Premiere is already up for grabs over at USC's official website, going for $29.99 with a new two-year carrier agreement. The offer includes a $50 mail-in rebate, so you'll have to be ready to actually pay $79.99 upfront.

However, if that feels a bit steep for such a low-ender, you have to know that US Cellular's "applicable smartphone data plans" start at $20 a month, which is well below the usually required plans of the more "dominant" carriers in the US, like Verizon, AT&T or Sprint.

The OT Premiere is obviously not what you would call a phone with a lot of "oomph", but it does have a pretty interesting "personality”. Come to think of it, this could be an attractive (and much cheaper) alternative for RIM's BlackBerries. The 2.8-incher is clearly designed with students and businessmen in mind, with a focus on functionality, messaging and social networking.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with no ICS upgrade planned just yet, the Premiere comes with a bunch of pre-loaded apps, including Accuweather, Amazon Audible and Amazon Shopping. There's no mention anywhere on USC's website about the phone's processor, RAM or on-board storage space (which is usually not a very good sign), but the carrier does throw in a free 2 GB memory card to sweeten the deal.

Other features include a pretty modest 2 MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth and a 1,300 mAh Li-Ion battery supposedly capable of running for up to 5 hours talk time.

Sporting a QVGA touchscreen with 320 x 240 pixels resolution, the Alcatel One Touch Premiere is not exactly a looker, weighing in at 4.3 ounces and measuring 0.5 inches in thickness. Then again, you have to keep in mind that Alcatel and USC have compromised on the phone's power and looks with a noble target in mind – keeping the price down and the functionality up.

Did they make the cut? Is anyone actually thinking of buying the OT Premiere? Is it worth the effort of signing up to a new two-year contract on USC? Let us know in the comments below.

 

No related posts.


This article, US Cellular unveils Alcatel One Touch Premiere , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Intel questioned in Samsung vs. Apple trial

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Another day, another round of volleys today between Samsung and Apple occurred as the tech world watched and listened to  the “Williams”. At the end of the day, Intel found itself an accomplice to Apple’s accused sins. The crew in Cupertino has unexpectedly pulled Intel into the brawl, based on testimony from Tim Williams about Samsung’s ’941 and ’516 patents.

The gist is this: Intel makes a baseband processor -it deals packet transmission and power regulation for data channels on cellular devices- that it has its own separate patents for. It uses them freely in whatever way it wishes, as it should, and as William Lee pointed out, that includes selling to Apple for inclusion in their products.

Lee has a good point that Apple didn’t design or manufacture the baseband processor, and William does as well, regarding his assertion that both the iPhone 4 and 3G models infringe on the aforementioned patents. The problem lies in what happened after this all occurred. Lee went on to take part in some thinly-veiled character assassination, making Williams reveal he had netted around a cool $1 million testifying for previous cases regarding this type of testimony.

Motorola and HTC were also shown to be Williams prior clients, as it were, as he took the stand against Apple. It’s worth mentioning here this is standard practice and payout for major witnesses in an epic trial such as this one.

This ongoing saga has all the makings of a tech soap opera. Do you think Apple still has the upper hand with today’s revelations? Will Samsung come out of this trial swinging with “patent truth” on their side? Sound off in the comments below!


This article, Intel questioned in Samsung vs. Apple trial , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


L8 SmarLight update: now accepting orders, 2 new sensors [Kickstarter]

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:17 PM PDT

It’s always great to see the fruits of entrepreneurship, especially if the product or service is deemed interesting and viable by the public. Over at Kickstarter, not everyone succeeds in financing their projects through crowd funding. But those that do often have interesting ideas or artistic works.

One of these is the L8 SmartLight, which we featured a month ago. The device is bascially an independent notification lamp that gives visual cues for any programmed event on your smartphone, such as a social media update, SMS, missed call or email. L8 is programmable, and you can get it to display different patterns or colors depending on the trigger event.

The project was able to secure more than 200% of its required funding, and the creators got in touch with us for an update. The L8 SmartLight team is already accepting orders directly from the www.l8smartlight.com website, and because the team exceeded their target funding, ther’e adding in new features.

Buyers get an added bonus over the original design plans. The L8 now includes support for accelerometer and ambient noise sensors. This means you can program the SmartLight to light up or display certain patterns and colors when it is triggered by movement or noise. This has several applications, including accessibility — a big help to hearing-impaired individuals who would benefit from visual cues. Then again, it can also be used for fun, as the L8 can react to ambient music or movement.

The L8 SmartLight team is offering potential buyers the ability to test various patterns and colors through its simul8tor. L8 has also introduced its “open design” page, which encourages users to create accessories for their smartlight. Preorders for one unit or more can be made through the L8 SmartLight website, and the team targets to ship their first batch by December 2012.


This article, L8 SmarLight update: now accepting orders, 2 new sensors [Kickstarter] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Ubi is a speech-powered plug-and-play internet device for your home [Kickstarter]

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 08:29 PM PDT

Speech recognition seems to have taken off after Apple launched SIRI with the iPhone 4S. Other platforms have followed suit, such as Nuance’s own Nina (Nuance powers SIRI), as well as Angel Labs’ Lexee, both of which we recently wrote about. Kickstarter seems to be rife with all sorts of innovative projects, and one of them is also banking on the potential of speech-controlled interfaces.

Ubi is basically an internet device meant for the home. The device is powered by Andriod and connects to your home network via Wi-Fi. What’s different with Ubi relative to most other Android devices is the lack of a touchscreen. Ubi works purely through voice.

As the Kickstarter profile says, “just plug it in, talk to it and it’ll help you connect with your world.”

Ubi gives homeowners access to email, weather, schedules, and just about any information by talking to the device. The creators have planned a few major apps and functionalities, although users are free to maximize Ubi’s features as they please:

  • Voice-enabled Internet search
  • Speakerphone
  • Indicator light (light changing based on events, e.g. weather, stock, email)
  • Home speaker system with sound piping
  • Virtual assistant (audio calendar, feed reader, podcast etc)
  • Voice memos
  • Alarm clock
  • Intercom system
  • Baby monitor
  • Noise pollution monitor
  • Controlling the climate of your home perfectly (through web enabled thermostats like Nest)

Ubi can likewise be used in homes that require greater accessibility, such as for the visually-impaired. As such, blindness should not be a constraint against using a capable Android device.

Apart from the speech interface, though, Ubi can likewise be configured and controlled via a Web UI. Ubi can be monitored remotely, and can even be shut down from the web.

The Kickstarter financing seeks contributions of at least $1 for early-bird access to the device once ready. $149 gets you an early backer privilege (you get to enjoy one of the first 100 Ubi unites). Regular backer price is $189 for a single Ubi. Other backer contribution packages are also available, like the $6,000 distributor pack, which gets you 50 Ubis (for a price of $120 each).

The project has a target financing of $36,000. As of this writing, Ubi has already reached $34,529 in pledges, so it’s very likely that the project will be funded well in excess of its target. The developers plan to ship Ubi by early 2013.


This article, Ubi is a speech-powered plug-and-play internet device for your home [Kickstarter] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Lexee lets developers incorporate SIRI-like speech control to any app

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:55 PM PDT

(Photo credit: Microphone / Shutterstock)

Speech control has been lauded as one of the Apple iPhone 4S’ selling points when it launched in October 2011. Similar platforms on other OSes, such as Android, have popped up, promising the same kind of support for natural language commands. True enough, even Nuance — which powers SIRI — has launched its own Nina platform for Android earlier this month. It seems speech-powered interfaces are becoming popular, and platform developers want to replicate the popularity of SIRI on the iPhone.

A company called Angel Labs has recently launched a platform called Lexee, which lets app developers incorporate speech control into just about any application. Currently focusing on the enterprise market, Lexee “goes beyond the usual voice assistant” and actually lets businesses “talk” to their customers through an interactive voice interface.

In a statement to Android Authority, an Angel Labs representative said there are two factors that differentiate Lexee from other offerings like SIRI and Nuance Nina.

  • Analytics: businesses can track the effectiveness of their mobile apps and discover trends in customer behavior.
  • Easy SDK: Lexee offers a Web-based "point and click" application that does not require any coding background, creating the easiest mobile SDK available.

Lexee is targeted toward developers, and so users might not exactly realize the benefit just yet. But with platforms enabling greater support for voice control, we might soon see various consumer-oriented applications that you can control through normal conversations.

Check out the demo below.

Show full PR text
NEW YORK, NY — (Marketwire) — 08/13/12 — SpeechTEK Conference Booth #609 – Angel, a leading provider of cloud-based Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions and division of MicroStrategy® Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR), today unveiled Lexee, a new self-service solution that voice activates any mobile application. A product of Angel Labs, a new division within the company dedicated to developing forward-thinking solutions to empower organizations to provide a better customer experience, Angel also introduced Lexee, a software development kit (SDK), backed by Angel’s Caller First Analytics that enables businesses and developers to easily build and deploy fully conversational mobile voice applications as well as measure their effectiveness in real time. With Lexee, businesses gain an entirely new channel to engage their customer base and create a more personalized customer experience (CX).

“There’s no argument — mobile is the next platform for today’s businesses — and it’s critical for them to figure out how to be accessible to their customers on this platform,” said Dave Rennyson, president of Angel. “Lexee goes beyond the usual voice assistant and empowers businesses to have a conversation with their customers. By voice activating mobile applications with Angel Lexee, businesses can open up an entirely new channel to interact with their customers, creating a more personalized customer experience.”

“A mobile customer experience strategy will not be successful if businesses are unable to track its effectiveness,” said Daniel Hong, Lead Analyst of Customer Experience and Interaction at Ovum. “As interactions between customers and businesses on smart devices evolve and become more complex, providing tailored multimodal customer support is essential. Businesses need to create the right pathways for customers to obtain information and conduct transactions; but they also need to understand the effectiveness and performance of these pathways in order to optimize the overall customer experience.”

With over one billion mobile applications being downloaded each month, Lexee from Angel Labs enables all businesses to quickly provide a voice activated iOS or Android mobile solution to their customers, track the impact of their mobile solutions with analytics and empower their users to be more productive and flexible on-the-go. For example, Angel’s Lexee is incorporated in a new Salesforce.com mobile application, which allows users to verbally request information and reports to be pulled from their Salesforce.com account. Rather than search for information manually, Lexee enables mobile applications to perform tasks and execute transactions such as updating sales information or quickly pulling reports, all by voice commands.


This article, Lexee lets developers incorporate SIRI-like speech control to any app , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Get a $15 discount off the 16GB Nexus 7 at Staples [Good deal]

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 04:42 PM PDT

Despite the onslaught of new tablets that have been introduced in the past weeks, where some even come with free accessories, we understand if your heart is set on the Google Nexus 7 tablet due to a certain price advantage and its quad-core awesomeness. If you're merely waiting for a good deal to come your way, here's an offer you don't want to miss out.

The folks at Droid Life have come upon a coupon code that will shave off $15 from the original $250 price of the 16GB Nexus 7 on Staples. Combined with the free shipping promotion that the Staples are offering for orders over $45, this makes the deal even harder to pass. You can use the money you save save  to purchase a case or two for the slate.

The coupon code to use to get the $15 discount on the 16GB model of the tablet is “99618.” But sadly, the Nexus 7 is now listed as out of stock. We're not sure how long the code will last or when Staples plans to restock the tablet on its website, but it's worth a minute of your time to check back every now and then.

Any takers? Do share with the rest of our readers if you see the Nexus 7 back on stock or know of other sweet deals.


This article, Get a $15 discount off the 16GB Nexus 7 at Staples [Good deal] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.