Saturday, October 20, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


New and fresh Android apps of the week (October 20 issue)

Posted: 20 Oct 2012 03:00 AM PDT

The days fly by quickly, especially among busy bees like us here at Android Authority.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily living, we stumble upon new gems for our Android phones and tablets, new and fresh apps with great potential for solving many of our daily lives’ problems great and small.

This third week of October, we share with you some of the new and fresh Android apps on the Google Play Store.  In this post, find out more about an app for

  • estimating how much you’d need spend if you lived in another place;
  • scheduling sending of SMS messages;
  • wiping your phone usage history and protecting your privacy;
  • relaxing your brain by listening to tunes;
  • locking down apps just by dialing;
  • creating collages quickly;
  • finding out where or with whom to hang out;
  • keeping tabs on your alcohol intake;
  • ensuring that you wake up without snoozing the alarm clock;
  • visualizing your movie and photo shoots;
  • calling for help during emergencies;
  • autolocking your device, depending on where it is kept;
  • telling time just by shaking your phone;
  • encrypting and decrypting the messages you send or receive; and
  • managing and organizing files.

Check out these new Android apps and let us know what you think of them.

Cost of Living

Before migrating to another country, you must know that place’s living conditions. You should check if the place is conducive for living and if it is right for your budget. SHARAMOBi’s Cost of Living app gives you an idea of how much you will spend in a certain country. You will be able to see the estimated cost of products, how much you will spend for meals, the estimated cost of restaurants, cost of clothes and apparel, and more. The app supports US Dollar, PHP, and EUR currencies. It also contains a wide selection of countries in its database and even allows you compare prices between countries. Get the ad-free Cost of Living app for about US$2.00 from the Google Play Store.


Auto SMS Sender

Are you the type of person who wants to be the first to greet a friend happy birthday through text but you keep falling asleep when the clock strikes 12? How about repeatedly sending reminders to your friends? With DRC INFOTECH’s Auto SMS Sender, you won’t need to touch your phone in order to send a message. All you need to do is to type your message, indicate the recipient, set the time that you want your message to be sent, and let the app do the rest. You can do important things while letting your phone send your messages for you. Get the ad-free Auto SMS Sender app for free from the Google Play Store.


History Eraser & Privacy App

We store a lot of confidential information on our Android phones. Instead of just keeping that information on our handsets, it is better that we clear that data, such as the browser history, so it can’t be accessed by prying eyes. You can use Micropile’s History Eraser & Privacy App so you can erase confidential information from your Android handset. Aside from erasing your browsing history, you can also erase your SMS messages, Google Play Store history, search history, clipboard, Gmail history, and video, photo, and map history. Just mark the data you want to clear out and tap the Protect Now! button. Instantly erase confidential data with the History Eraser & Privacy App, available for free from the Google Play Store.


Social BrainGym

After a long work week, it’s good to find some time to relax. The Social BrainGym by Social BrainGym lets your brain relax by letting you listen to relaxing tunes. There are 4 music packages in the app which you’ll need to download first before you can listen to them. It’s also advised to play the music in a quiet room or use the app with a headphones. If you’re tired at work, just close your eyes and listen to the relaxing tune. You can download the Social BrainGym app for about a dollar from the Google Play Store.


Dial and Lock

If you’re worried that your friends will access your personal stuff when they borrow your phone, worry no more. You can protect your personal stuff with jacksrow’s Dial and Lock app. This app allows you to quickly lock an application by using your phone’s dialer. You will only need to type in a special code assigned to a particular app to lock or unlock it. When your friends want to borrow your phone to make a call, use this app to block your messages or your private pictures in the gallery. Start blocking your apps now with the ad-free Dial and Lock app, available absolutely free from the Google Play Store.


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Sony Nexus X was a clever fake, guy who did it confesses

Posted: 20 Oct 2012 02:42 AM PDT

Sony nexus X fake

From time to time, as a tech blogger, you are confronted with a dilemma. Cover an unsubstantiated rumor/leak or let it pass? Sure, you strive to offer only accurate information, but what if you dismiss something as fake, and that report turns out to be real? It can be a tough call to make, and from time to time, you are bound to make mistakes.

A week ago, the internet went ablaze when two pics popped up on Picasa, that allegedly showed the "Sony Nexus X". We covered the story, because the thing looked so damned real. But after a more thorough inspection, some called it fake.

As it turns out, the Sony Nexus X was a fake, a highly elaborated one, created by Ti Kawamoto, a graphic designer that wanted to see how tech sites would react to it, but also to spur the discussion around a Sony-made Nexus device. Well, the hoaxer got what he wanted – hundreds of sites picked up the story, and readers flocked to express their excitement over the Sony Nexus X.

Yesterday, Kawamato came out and acknowledged that he was behind the two images. To avoid the telltale signs that remain when an image is manipulated in Photoshop, he build the alleged Nexus from scratch in a 3D modeling program. He then shot the images displayed on his monitor with a Galaxy Nexus, to ensure realism and convincing EXIF data. It all took about seven hours to complete, and the result (apart of some inconsistencies) turned out remarkably well.

Kawamoto presents his workflow and a timeline of the spread of the story in a neat infographic on a Tumblr page. He goes on to lay down the conclusions of his actions, covering a "a range of topics including tech journalism, entrepreneurship, innovation, and philosophy". Yep, philosophy. Give it a read if you have a few minutes.

Were you convinced of the veracity of the Nexus X? Are you bummed that it turned out to be a fake?

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Jelly Bean heading to O2’s Galaxy S3, Vodafone to push the update out Monday

Posted: 20 Oct 2012 01:27 AM PDT

When it comes to that buttery smooth Jelly Bean update for the Samsung Galaxy S3, those in the UK fare better than American folks who may not get the update until 2013. Three has jump started the race to bring Android 4.1 to Galaxy S3 owners in the UK, where the update has been pushed out for a couple of days. Now, more carriers have announced when customers can expect to frantically check their phone for signs of jelly.

O2 subscribers have reasons to be cheerful, since they can already move their Galaxy S3 up to Jelly Bean since yesterday. The following was posted on O2's community forum:

“From tomorrow, 19th October ’12, you’ll be able to upgrade to the much awaited 4.1 Jelly Bean update over Wi-Fi or via Kies.”

Sounds great, right? Not quite.  Looking at the comments from the thread, it seems the update is still nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, those on Vodafone don't have to feel left out for too long, as the software upgrade to Jelly Bean will be released on Monday in batches. The announcement was made on Vodafone's support forum as well. This leaves Orange and T-Mobile as the odd two out. Hopefully we'll hear more from the two carriers in the coming days about their Jelly Bean plan.

Any Galaxy S3 owners on Three and O2 want to share how the Jelly Bean update is coming along?

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    Verizon is preparing to roll out Ice Cream Sandwich update for LG Spectrum

    Posted: 20 Oct 2012 01:12 AM PDT

    LG-Spectrum-ics

    Remember that promise that an LG official made about the Ice Cream Sandwich update heading for the Spectrum really soon? That was hinted back in July. Just when most folks are about to lose faith in humanity Verizon and LG, out pops the announcement that the long awaited software upgrade to Android 4.0 for the LG Spectrum is now ready to be served.

    While the actual date hasn't been mentioned, Verizon's website has been updated with details of the new firmware, as well as how to get it for the device. It's bound to arrive in the coming days.

    Similar to the freshly released ICS firmware for the LG Lucid 4G, the VS920ZV7 software upgrade for the LG Spectrum also brings features like a customizable lock screen, a new launch bar, recent apps window, enhanced notification panel, data usage monitoring, power saver function, and other improvements.

    When it’s finally rolled out, you should see a notification on your Spectrum for the new software, which you can then download and install. Otherwise, you can also use the Upgrade Assistant Tool on your PC.

    Verizon certainly has been a roll in the last few days with its software upgrades. Are you thrilled that you're finally getting ICS on the LG Spectrum? Sound off in the comments below.

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      Mozilla opens Firefox mobile app marketplace for public testing

      Posted: 19 Oct 2012 08:01 PM PDT

      Mozila is joining in on the app marketplace race. But instead of going the Amazon, Google and Apple route offering native apps, Mozilla is focusing on mobile web. Firefox for Android now features an online marketplace of mobile web apps for user testing.

      Mozilla has just launched the Aurora version of its Firefox for Android, and this release comes with the Firefox Marketplace. This service is not different from Google’s Web Store for Chrome, although Firefox Marketplace is meant for mobile devices. At present, all apps in the marketplace are free, as Mozilla is still working on a payment system for premium apps and subscriptions.

      The release is meant for early adopters, though, as it’s not yet ready for a wider audience. “Our goal is to collect as much real-life feedback as possible about the Marketplace's design, usability, performance, reliability, and content,” says Mozilla’s Bill Walker in the announcement. Meanwhile, for developers, “Firefox Marketplace also offers APIs for app submission, payments, and app discovery.”

      Apps run on full-screen mode, and can be pinned to the home screen. Sure, they’re not exactly full-fledged native apps, but running mobile apps as HTML5 is one alternative that developers pursue for better cross-platform compatibility, and to mitigate strict app store application processes.

      Check out marketplace.mozilla.org from your Firefox mobile browser. Apps are still limited, but Mozilla is hoping early adopters can provide feedback so they can improve the user experience.

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      T-Mobile: No more 200MB data plans, 2GB is the new minimum

      Posted: 19 Oct 2012 07:39 PM PDT

      T-Mobile

      Mobile carriers are moving away from their legacy data plans in an effort to promote more usage (and perhaps charging a higher base fee for data). T-Mobile, for one, is changing its minimum data plan. While you can previously subscribe to a 200MB bucket for $10, the minimum is now the Unlimited Plus data plan, which starts at $20. This change was effected last October 10, 2012.

      But don’t fret, the $20 bucket pricing gets you 2 GB of data allocation, which can be used toward mobile surfing, multimedia, and a whole slew of online services. If you’re already on the 200MB data plan, you can keep it, but you will have to pay full retail price for a phone upgrade if and when decide to renew your contract.

      If you’re already an avid mobile surfer, then going for the higher $20 plan makes sense, since there’s less likelihood of going over your plan and paying per-megabyte charges. That’s 10 times the data allocation for just twice the cost.

      Is anyone still satisfied with a 200MB data cap, or is T-Mobile right in setting a 2GB monthly minimum for data connections?

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      Bell gives Galaxy Nexus “end of life” sentence

      Posted: 19 Oct 2012 05:20 PM PDT

      galaxy nexus jelly bean

      It appears that Bell is already preparing for the next Nexus device. Bell has officially stated that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has reached "end of life" status. This means that retailers are ordered to sell their remaining inventory because they will not be receiving any new devices.

      This comes as a bit of a surprise seeing as the Galaxy Nexus is still a rather popular phone. However, it has certainly seen plenty of love and has actually managed to outlast most smartphones seeing it was released almost a year ago. While the termination is a little early, it does make sense seeing as a new Nexus device is imminent.

      In the meantime, Bell employees are being told to push the HTC One S and the LG Optimus LTE instead.

      It does make you wonder why this news comes before the next Nexus has even been announced. Perhaps Bell has already lined up a proper release date for the new flagship phone. Seeing as they were the first carrier in North America to carry the Galaxy Nexus, it makes sense that they would be one of the first to receive the sequel as well. Does Bell know something we don't? Probably.

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        T-Mobile product event also scheduled for Oct. 29th, it’s going to be a busy day

        Posted: 19 Oct 2012 02:56 PM PDT

        T-Mobile

        October 29th is shaping up to be a pretty important day for mobile news. On the east coast, Google is preparing a press conference that will more than likely focus on the Nexus 4 and other rumored Nexus devices. On the west coast, Microsoft will hold its Windows Phone 8 release event. Now it seems T-Mobile is joining the party by announcing its own press event scheduled for the evening of the 29th.

        What can we expect from the T-Mobile event? It is hard to say for sure. Considering we already know that the carrier has several Windows Phone devices on the way, part of the show will likely focus on Windows Phone 8 hardware like the HTC 8x and Nokia Lumia 822. It is also possible we could hear about a few new Android smartphones as well. You can always cross your fingers and hope that a Nexus announcement makes its way to T-Mobile, though I wouldn’t bet on it.

        Whatever happens, Android Authority will be sure to report on it. Any guesses as to what T-Mobile has up its shelves?

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          French hacker collects 500,000 Euros with malware app, targets Android mostly

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 02:29 PM PDT

          android malware

          We often talk about malware in the mobile space, and most reports out there usually paint Google's mobile OS as an easier target for individuals that want to take advantage of security flaws in mobile devices to make money off of unsuspecting smartphone and tablet users.

          The following story is no different, although it's not exactly known how many Android users were affected by the malware apps that we're going to talk about.

          A French 20-year-old hacker from Amiens has been arrested for collecting around 500,000 Euros from 17,000 "clients" in under two years.

          The hacker, who didn't have any formal training but who was "described by prosecutors as extremely smart," designed apps that looked like original apps from other developers and then offered them for download free of charge.

          Once downloaded, the malware apps would send SMS text messages in the background to a number set up by the hacker without the owner of the phone knowing what was happening. He also obtained via the same apps sign in credentials for gaming and gambling sites used by the victims.

          While the BBC article that details the story doesn't offer details on what mobile operating sytems were more prone to such attacks, it does say that "smartphones that use Google software were the most susceptible."

          His motivation wasn’t apparently pure greed though,”but rather a love of computers and an ambition to be a software developer.”

          We have recently learned that Android 4.2 may include additional security features that would stop such malware apps from sending text messages to premium numbers, or at least warn the user that such an SMS message is about to be sent. However, not all Android devices will be updated to Android 4.2, which means that hackers like this guy in Amiens, France, will be still able to target the Android ecosystem with similar malicious apps.

          Have you been the victim of such malware apps?

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          32GB Nexus 7 now in stock at Staples

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 01:53 PM PDT

          After countless rumors and no official word from Google, it appears that the 32GB Nexus 7 is now a reality. It appears that the device is now currently in stock at Staples. They are not yet on sale though and there is no indication when they will be. The reason Google has stayed so quiet about the upgraded memory capacity is undoubtedly due to the Android event scheduled for October 29th, where we will mostly like receive an official announcement.

          The device appears to be exactly the same but with a higher storage capacity. In fact, the rumored price is set to be $250. That’s right, that’s the exact price that Google originally sold the 16GB model for. This clearly suggests that the 32GB model is set to phase out the 16GB model. Or perhaps Google will drop the price of the 16gb model and phase out the 8gb model.

          Regardless, this could annoy some customers, especially those who bought the 16GB model at launch. What do you think about this move? If you bought a 16GB model, are you upset that you will soon be able to get double the storage capacity for the exact same price?

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          Nexus 4 once again shows it front side and back side

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 11:46 AM PDT

          We have already seen the Nexus 4 from every conceivable angle and we know most of its specs, but we still have 10 days of waiting before Google announces the device on October 29th. The leaks are still flowing in, but it’s mostly a rehash of things we have known for [...]

          Visit our site to read the full article.


          Top 10 Android app updates: Swype, Glympse, Crackle

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 11:06 AM PDT

          Welcome back to the return of our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most upgraded apps for the week. I've found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, and not focus on which apps have the most [...]

          Visit our site to read the full article.


          Could Google still announce the Nexus 10 this month?

          Posted: 19 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT

          Several industry analysts believe Google and Samsung are working on a Nexus 10 tablet, but there have been conflicting reports about when the device will be unveiled. Some think it will come this year and others are pointing at the first half of next year. According to some recently leaked...

          Visit our site to read the full article.