Android apps for working away from the office USA TODAY You may already be using your Android phone or tablet as much as you can to manage your time and get things done. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan. As soon as you take time off from the office and start to relax, urgent work-related ... See all stories on this topic »
Hands On With Lenovo's New Android Tablets PC Magazine BERLIN - All the top PC makers were at IFA this week to unveil their Windows 8 lineups, and it seemed like they were all working from the same playbook. There was an all-in-one, a tablet, a tablet/laptop hybrid, and probably an ultrabook for good measure. See all stories on this topic »
The Surface tablet by Microsoft gulfnews.com Many journalists are lauding the yet-to-be-released Microsoft Surface as the new 'iPad killer', and based on leaked information, the Sony Xperia tab is all set to alter Android-based tablets as we know them. Operating systems (OS). Apple reportedly ... See all stories on this topic »
Big Fish Unlimited makes a splash on Android by streaming games ... By David Hinkle Big Fish Games is adding new games to the app each week and promises players can resume play between devices – if you start a game on your Android device, you can pick up where you left off on your PC through the cloud. Right now Big ... Joystiq
Uniquely Android: Unified Remote By Raveesh Bhalla Uniquely Android is a series we started last month to shine the spotlight on those apps that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the platform and provide an experience that you wouldn't find in most other phones. So far, we have ... Android Phone Fans
HTC Thunderbolt misses promised Android 4.0 update, still coming By Edgar Cervantes HTC Thunderbolt users must have been pretty ecstatic upon finding out the first Verizon 4G LTE phone would get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) by the end of August. Such excitement quickly started fading as we started reaching ... Android Phone Fans
Does being able to root make or break Android? | PhoneDog So, Android . The mobile operating system from Google. The OS that, without much warning, started steamrolling its way into the minds and homes of people all over the world. Android has indeed taken the mobile industry by storm, and for all ... PhoneDog.com - Latest videos,...
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We don't usually see a lot of fuss surrounding the launch of entry-level or mid-range phones, but for some reason Verizon seems to have built some hype around the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Stellar.
Oddly, both Verizon and Samsung are still hush-hush on the subject, never having formally confirmed the Stellar. Still, it's very hard to believe that all these rumors have been false, so we're ready to bet we'll be seeing the fresh new handheld up for grabs starting next week at $100 on-contract.
September 6 (next Thursday) is the day you want to circle in your calendars if you're interested in the Stellar. Engadget has a bunch of internal docs listing different details about the phone, but aside from this ETA, there's not much we didn't already know.
That "starter mode" is shortly detailed in one of the documents, being described as a "new, simple way to interact Access apps and control device settings with ease." In other words, a little something to help those of you not very skilled in technology learn a couple of things.
In fact, tech novices might well be the phone's main focus, as its spec sheet barely makes it hold its own in the mid-range niche. The dual-core 1.2 GHz CPU, running of Android 4.0 ICS, 4G LTE speeds and 4-inch capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixels resolution are undoubtedly the Stellar's main strong points spec-wise.
Then again, the 768 MB of RAM, 4 GB of on-board storage and 3.15 MP rear-facing camera are not that hot and will certainly drive away a fair amount of users focused only on raw speed and performance. The Stellar is not the thinnest or lightest fellow around either, weighing in at 133 grams and measuring 12.7 mm in depth.
The rest of the features are pretty standard for a mid-range handheld and include a 1.3 MP front-facing webcam, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and microSD support. The battery's capacity is basically the only technical detail still kept under wraps, but we wouldn't get our hopes very high.
So, who will be looking to Verizon stores come September 6 for the Stellar? Anyone?
Premium notebook brand Moleskine has announced the launch of its Android app, which will be an exclusive for the Samsung Galaxy Note, at least for a few months before being available to the general Android population. Update: the Moleskine app will come pre-installed with the Note II and Note 10.1.
The app will run alongside the stock S-Note app, which likewise comes with the Galaxy Note, although the Moleskine app will focus more on style. The Moleskine app will be geared toward the creative crowd and will have what may be considered a more relaxed look and feel.
The app’s pages will be ivory-colored, reminiscent of how Moleskine’s oil-resistant paper looks. The app will also have a digital “pocket” like the ones found at the back cover of Moleskine notebooks.
I was first introduced to Moleskine when I first started writing freelance. I got my first taste of a Moleskine notebook care of Moleskine enthusiast Armand Frasco of Moleskinerie.com. I could say that more than just notebooks, there is a certain culture that revolves around Moleskines. Hopefully, the app will convey the same image. I, for one, am excited to get the Android version.
This is starting to get crazy. And ridiculous. Amazon has scheduled a special unveiling event for September 6, and, even with a few days to go, we still have no idea what the Kindle Fire makers will bring to the public attention.
We know that we are in for a treat, we know that at least one Kindle Fire 2 tablet is to be unveiled, but rumors keep contradicting one another on the gadget(s)' specs and features, starting with the display diagonal size.
We've been reporting on "inside" reports, leaks and speculations on the matter ever since last spring, and pretty much each one said a different thing. We've had people saying there'll be only one new 7-incher unveiled, a 7- and a 10-incher, just a 10-incher, two 7-inchers and even a 10-, two 7- and one 8.9-inchers.
The latest rumor is that Amazon has temporarily put on hold its 10-inch tablet plans and will look to focus on resisting the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini challenges. And as legit as that sounds… wait for it… it seems that not one, but two new 7-inch Kindle Fires are coming.
CNETis the source of this new report, so that's one solid reason to buy the story. Then again, the rumor mill is grinding again after the testimony of an unnamed "person" who has supposedly "seen the products", so I think that coin flipping scenario can be brought back on the table.
Assuming that the "person" is not bluffing though, let's see what "he" has to say about the two tablets. The first of the duo will only be a "slightly revamped version of the original tablet" with a new user interface and a lower pricing point than the first Kindle Fire (possibly $150).
That doesn't sound very exciting, but the second 7-incher does. This should supposedly come with a faster processor, a camera (probably a front-facing one matching Nexus 7's), physical volume controls, an HDMI port and larger storage capacity (still non-expandable though).
CNET's source has no intel on this puppy's pricing, which will probably depend on the exact upgrades Amazon is planning. If this version of the Fire 2 were to come with a quad-core CPU, that, alongside the HDMI connection, camera and higher storage, will surely raise the bar to at least $250.
As far as branding goes, the publication also has nothing to report just yet, so we don’t know if the two tablets will get different names or they’ll be called something like the Fire 2 and the Fire 2 Pro. Finally, Amazon’s 10-incher is still expected to come sooner or later, but for the time being the Nexus 7 menace is much more important than the temptation to go after the iPads.
All in all, I’m still not sure whether this report is more trustworthy than others that are saying very different things, but fortunately we shouldn’t bother with speculations and assumptions for much longer. September 6 is around the corner and rumors will finally stop then.
What do you think? How many new tablets will Amazon unveil, when and how will these be specced?
HTC has had a surprisingly discreet IFA, only unveiling one not very impressive smartphone in Berlin. Still, we know that the Taiwanese are onto something and it's only a matter of time until we'll be seeing it announced.
But what about that Galaxy Note competitor we've been hearing about ever since April? Well, that also dropped off the radar for a while, only to pop up again in a benchmark in July and in a Digitimes report some weeks ago. Neither rumor was particularly trustworthy, but there usually isn’t any smoke without a fire in the tech world, is it? And if you needed an additional reason to believe in the existence of HTC's phablet, here are two awfully blurry pics leaked by Phone Forum HK.
The photos show off a pretty massive HTC phone, so there's a good shot this is in fact that 5-incher we've all been waiting for. The red colored aluminum touches along its sides are clearly design elements that scream Verizon (aka Big Red), so that's yet another hint at this big guy's identity.
Unfortunately, we can't pick up many other things from the pics, aside from a not surprising Beats Audio logo, what looks like a non-removable battery cover, and a pretty impressively thin and slim profile for such a big fellow.
If this actually proves to be the same device as the "6435LVW", chances are that it'll in fact be coming soon with a 1080p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon MSM8960 S4 processor, an Adreno 320 GPU, as well as LTE and HSPA+ radios.
Sure, we can even hope to see the "phablet" packing one of the new quad-core S4 Pro chipsets that we crave so much for, but before anything we should wait and have this officially unveiled. Or even confirmed, because right now this seems more like an alien than a phone. Many believe in it, some have even saw it, but there's no solid proof to confirm its existence.
Who here believes in the existence of a Verizon-bound HTC phablet? And who’s excited about it?
Those of you who are more into conserving their finances than having the absolute best pieces of technology at their disposal might remember a little guy going by the name of Kyocera Rise. The entry-level phone was first leaked more than a month ago, popping by again at the beginning of August with a rumored release date for both Sprint and Virgin Mobile.
One of Kyocera's most decent offerings in a while "rose" right on cue at Sprint, and, also on schedule, the phone is now available through Virgin Mobile. The Rise is this time around up for grabs for a slightly higher price, but you'll be glad to know you don't have to sign up any kind of contract up front to be able to buy it.
The "texty beast", as Virgin calls it (pretty clever, eh?), is obviously not a high-end gadget (not even high-end-ish), but has a decent shot at drawing the attention of certain groups of people that have started to not have that many options. In fact, it's certainly not a coincidence that Virgin has made the Rise available right before the school year starts, with students of all ages being bound to get drawn by it.
And what's there not to like if you're a "texty fanatic"? The Rise has a sleek and very functional slide-out QWERTY keyboard, it's elegant and portable and, while it doesn't pack much raw power, it can get the job done with some light browsing, multimedia playing and gaming.
The Kyocera Rise, available only online for the time being at $99.99, can be coupled with Virgin Mobile's very lucrative unlimited prepaid plans, starting at $35 monthly. You can get more details at this link, where you can also check if Virgin "has you covered".
And to be sure you’re going to make as informed a decision as possible, here’s a quick rundown of all of the phone’s specs and features:
3.5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 320 pixels resolution and 165 ppi pixel density
Alongside the introduction of Galaxy Note 2, Samsung has announced the availability of a new Software Development Kit for the S Pen. The S Pen SDK 2.2 should help developers bring several features found on the Galaxy Note 2 to other S Pen-touting devices, the original Note included. The updated SDK contains new UX scenario, context awareness, and expanded drawing tools.
Of note is the tool that allows apps to recognize the S Pen even when there's no physical contact between the stylus and the screen. In other words, you can simply hover the pen over the device to trigger certain actions.
Available only for the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 10.1 is the ability the launch preset features when the S Pen is detached or when the earphone is attached. As for the expanded doodling tools, a new calligraphy brush has been added to the list of pen input, and there are new color filling features, 33 image effects, an improved UI, and more.
With Samsung doing its part by releasing the new S Pen SDK, the ball is now on the devs' court to try and create some more advanced apps for the Note series.
Motorola has scheduled two press events this month and Bloomberg is reporting that one of the devices will feature an “edge-to-edge screen.” Both of the invites sent out to media hinted at a new display, so this latest reports sounds plausible. On September 5th Motorola will hold an...
There are a fair number of rumored HTC devices making headlines these days and now we have a couple pictures to add to all the confusion. The two blurry images depict a black HTC device with red accents along the side, a red ring around the camera lens, a Beats Audio logo and sticker on the [...]
Current checkout systems seem ancient when we consider how far we have advanced in technology. Isn’t it time to start using these tools to make shopping simpler? No customer likes waiting in line for a cashier to ring up dozens (sometimes hundreds) of items, and this is what Walmart is said to be fixing with Scan and Go.
This app will allow users to simply scan products as they shop. The customer would then be able to come up to the register and simply pay for the products at a self-serving kiosk. Not only would this make it easier and faster for both the customer and the cashier, but it would alleviate part of the $12 million Wal-Mart pays cashiers (all over the country) per second.
There is no mention of having any mobile payment system embedded in the app, but it would be convenient if Wal-Mart offers a way to use credit cards to pay for products within the app. And if they don’t trust customers’ intentions (they likely don’t), they could simply have an employee look over the products and digital receipt at the exit.
Employees are said to be testing the system as we speak, so we should start seeing those lines getting shorter relatively soon. These tests are being done with iPhone apps at the moment, but we have no doubt they will release an Android app once the system is ready to roll out.
For now, let’s wait while we wait (in line). But we are curious to hear what you guys think of this system. How do you see these systems developing as we adopt current technology?
HTC Thunderbolt users must have been pretty ecstatic upon finding out the first Verizon 4G LTE phone would get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) by the end of August. Such excitement quickly started fading as we started reaching the end of the month, though. And doubt turned into anger when the month ended – clearly, HTC couldn’t fulfill its promise.
Fortunately, HTC is not ignoring the situation, as the guys from Droid-Life noticed. HTC has reached out to Thunderbolt users via their Facebook page, letting them know the update is still coming:
You will notice that HTC mentions they are “working with Verizon” to bring the update. This could very well mean that everything is ready to go from HTC’s side (official ROMs have been leaking, after all), but Verizon is delaying the OTA update. Sadly, this wouldn’t surprise us.
Verizon is known to take its sweet time with updates, even those for the Galaxy Nexus, which should get updates on time. The only option is to wait and see when it all gets worked out, guys. Hopefully September brings ice creamy days for you.
Those looking to get an affordable handset from Sprint this month may want to take a look at this one. The Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE has just been leaked, and is said to be a mid-tier device coming to Sprint this month.
Samsung may not be feeling very “victorious” after its recent defeat against Apple, but it is nice to see they are staying strong. This little guy comes very well-specced for an affordable Android smartphone, offering a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It does have its downsides, though. It only has a 480x800p display, meaning the screen should be rather small.
The reason behind the rumored September release is due to the nature of the leaked document. It is a September promotions document that states representatives will earn $3 for every Galaxy Victory sold. And well… if there are no Galaxy Victory smartphones being sold during September, it would make no sense to include it.
As always, we should keep n eyebrow raised and take any leaks and rumors with a grain of salt. Especially since we have seen no announcements or rumors regarding this device, but Samsung could very well have this one tightly hidden. We shall wait and see.
Rumors of a larger Amazon device (8.9-10 inches) have been circling the internet, and we even had a leaked image that was claimed to be the one. If the latest rumors are to be believed, though, Amazon will not be launching a 10-inch tablet this time around.
Instead, there will be two 7-inch devices being announced. One of them will be a slightly improved version of the current Kindle Fire, while the second will come as a significant upgrade.
We have no clue why Amazon decided not to expand its reach to the 10-inch market, but they may simply be trying to avoid high risks. With the Nexus 7 and other affordable 7-inch tablets around, it can not be easy to be Amazon at this point.
The Kindle Fire’s success was mainly due to the tablet’s price, which was considered to be stunningly affordable then. The tablet’s low price-point meant the customer had to sacrifice certain features, though. Lower specs, the exclusion of cameras and the Amazon UI were just some of them. Current tablets offer some of the best specs for the same $200 price.
This is why Amazon is making some changes. According to CNET’s sources, this tablet will include a camera. But what might be even more exciting is that it is also expected to launch with a price lower than that of the original Kindle Fire.
These improvements, along with the ones we don’t know about yet, should definitely entice some customers to purchase a brand new Kindle Fire. As always, we should take these rumors with a grain of salt. Your best bet is to wait until next week’s press conference to find out what Amazon has for us. We will be there, so stay tuned!
Anti-theft apps have proven to be very helpful, but they don’t always stop people from keeping your expensive devices. LG has taken it upon itself to find the best solution to keep your device from ending in someone else’s pocket, and they display the “mind-blowing” technique in their latest ad from the Netherlands. Thieves just have to take some balls to the face!
You read that right! LG has decided to make this humorous commercial featuring a soccer player that unexpectedly kicks a ball to people’s faces right ater they pick up an LG phone. People would be minding their own business while strolling through the park. Upon finding the device and picking it up, BOOM! “It came out of nowhere!”
So if you have some mad soccer skills, you might as well free your device from a few megabytes. And make sure to dodge next time you find a phone, some people won’t even wait for an old lady to try and call the owner.
LGs not the only one getting a lot of news today: there were quite a few Samsung related posts coming through. But that’s gotta happen when you’ve got so many devices, right?
Firstly, the T-Mobile Galaxy Tab 10.1 is finally getting ICS. Users, launch Kies now to get your hands on it.
As with most Samsung devices, those who purchase the Galaxy Note II or the Galaxy Camera would get 50 GB Dropbox space. Whether the offer would be extended to those in the US remains a mystery, as AT&T and Verizon had previously opted out of it so as to not pick up the tab for it.
The Galaxy Pocket Duos, a low-end, dual SIM phone, is now official.
Who says procrastination isn’t good for you? First we got the news in our inbox for the LG Intuition 4G, which Engadget believes could release as soon as September 6th. I was busy writing other stuff, so I put it off for a while.
Then Droid Dog got press snaps of the Escape (P870). Still busy writing other stuff, so just kept the tab open as a reminder to get to it once I’m done with other stuff.
I thought I might as well as wait and see if a T-Mobile related news is on the way, but it’s towards the end of my shift and nothing yet. Easiest post I’ve ever written.
I hate Google Play. I can’t remember the last time I discovered an app just browsing it that I wanted to throw my money at. Heck I can’t remember the last time I stumbled across a free app that was worth downloading, and much of that is to do with the kind of apps that I see on the home page that are said to be “trending”.
The big issue for me is, my tastes are extremely different from the majority of the other Indian Android users. For some reason, only crap apps seem to be popular. It might be a case of Android smartphones being dirt cheap over here, and appealing to a demographic that tends to love downloading stuff that are either
(a) have some pornographic nature (there are 3 of them in the screenshot)
(b) offer features that don’t really work, but are named to attract downloads like the “fingerprint unlock” in the screenshot
(c) promise to make your device iPhone-ish.
It’s a similar thing over at Twitter, where I hate the local trends they show me. However, I can just change the settings over there to show me what’s trending in San Francisco, since I like to keep up with the buzz of Silicon Valley. I wish I could do the same on Play, too. It’s a little thing, and I’m sure you could make that happen really quickly.
We just got a an update from the Sony Xperia Product Blog on our Google Reader list, where the writer mentions his favorite features from the company’s latest devices. Typically, I ignore most of the stuff since it’s the usual PR stuff. However, one line caught my eye: James Bond handset of choice in Skyfall, the latest movie of the series, will be the Xperia T.
James Bond’s gadgets are probably only behind Batman’s and Iron Man’s in terms of awesomeness, so its good to see him using an Android device. And if Nokia could sell a few 5800 through the product placement in Dark Knight then I’m certain Sony would get a few Ts off the shelves, too.
The unfortunate truth is that manufacturer skins are here to stay. If the beauty of ICS or Jelly Bean couldn’t put an end to them, nothing will. While I don’t mind certain aspects of some of the skins, some additions seems just pointless. Take, for example, the latest iteration of Emotion UI from Huawei, which has decided to get rid of the app drawer completely.
Apps are added to the home screens itself, from where they can be deleted or moved around. Widgets are added in the pre-ICS way of long-pressing an empty area on one of the home screens and selecting from a list. A lot of stuff that Huawei has done with their skin points to an aim to make the handset as easy to use as possible to a first-time Android user. But does removing the app drawer really make it any easier to a user? I’d say it doesn’t, and in my opinion it makes it worse.
Once you install a ton of apps, it can be easy to forget which home screen you pinned it to. At those moments, its just so much easier to just open up the drawer and scroll through an alphabetically sorted list. Personally, I’m against paginations in the drawer too as it just slows me down way too much, and I still use the vertical scroll option in Apex on my phone. But hey, I’ve got no design degree so I could be wrong.
Personally, I’ve got no beef against skins unless they (a) significantly slow down updates or (b) significantly alter the vanilla Android experience. Huawei falls into the later in this category, unfortunately, though I must admit I’m glad that they’ve included a “profiles” feature which allows you to change a bunch of settings together based on, well, profiles such as driving or outdoors. As the writer of the source article on The Verge mentions, profiles were popular on feature phones but never really took off on smartphones.
I’ve never understood why, especially considering the popularity of apps such as Tasker and Llama. While The Verge mentions that currently they tested Emotions UI without automatic profiles, it seems like it would be added by the time of production. Hopefully it’s done as well as Llama, which I’ve highlighted in the Uniquely Android series.
Update: I previously incorrectly mentioned the deal is available on an upgrade to the Note 2. It is available on an upgrade to the original Note, or the Galaxy S III.
Here’s a not-so-bad deal for all our UK based readers who are planning to upgrade to either the Samsung Galaxy S III or the Note 2: if you trade in your old device, Sammy will throw in a Galaxy Tab 2, worth GPB 299 (or $475 based on the current exchange rate). Unfortunately, as with all these deals, some gloss is removed on reading the terms and conditions. The deal is offered to only those with either the Galaxy S II or the iPhone 4 or 4S, while the rest will have to cough up some additional dough to get the Tab 2.
If you were to ask me, I’d suggest selling your device on Craigslist or something, and picking up the GBP 159 Google Nexus 7 instead. I’m pretty certain you’d be left with some additional cash.
We all know the story: Apple launched a holy war on Samsung for violating their trade dress and design/software patents — and won. A jury in the US ruled in favor of Apple last week, causing widespread panic and general angst among the Android community. Never one to rest on their laurels, Apple is now going after a few of Samsung’s newer devices (read: competition), alleging that Samsung’s Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy Note 10.1 infringe on their ’721, ’604, and ’647. These how-the-hell-did-they-get-granted patents deal with slide-to-unlock, universal search, and clickable links inside of emails, text messages, etc. (which you may remember caused “the great banning of HTC devices” a few weeks back).
It’s official. Apple hates competition and they wont rest until their competition is dumbed down enough to claim some soft of sick victory. Somebody, please. Make this all stop and let’s get back to innovating.
Images of a a mysterious new HTC device have just popped up in a Chinese forum and you know what? It looks damn sexy. We really don’t have much to go on other than a few blurry images, so we’ll just speculate for now. We’ve heard rumors HTC could be working on an appox 5-inch Galaxy Note challenger and judging by what we can see in these images — this might be it.
You’ll see red colored aluminum accents along the side (hinting at a possible Verizon release), and the 3 capacitive key combo along the bottom. The back looks very similar to the HTC One X, so we wouldn’t expect a removable battery or SD card slot. In fact, this could simply be a CDMA version of the One X for all we know. After a GLbenchmark appeared not too long ago showing HTC’s plans for a device with a 1080p display, there’s been some speculation that this could be that device but I wouldn’t hold my breath. 1080p on a 5-inch device just doesn’t sound practical.
After showing the world they can make a smartphone with a “Razr“ thin profile, Motorola is now looking to release a device that has a razor thin bezel to match. Seems Bloomberg has it on good authority that Motorola is gearing up to introduce the world to their all new device at their September 5th event and will reportedly feature an edge-to-edge display. This would make it a quite the head turner among Android devices (and iPhones) plagued with large bezels. Per the usual with Motorola, it’s being whispered the device will also be headed to Verizon Wireless.
No word on the display size of said device, but without a single (worthy) Galaxy Note challenger in the world of Android, I’d hope for something close to 5-inches. What do you guys think of a phone with a bezel-less display? Is that feature you would actually look for in an upcoming device?