Android Community |
- GymPact launches for Android just in time to help with those resolutions
- Flurry claims 50 million Android and iOS device activations during Christmas week
- Temple Run saw 2.5 million downloads Christmas Day
- Hyundai adds Google Maps and Voice Search to BlueLink car options
- Apple’s ‘app store’ false advertising claim against Amazon dismissed
- Sony Xperia “Odin” press image leaks too
- Samsung Galaxy S III sudden death syndrome to be fixed with a firmware update
- HTC may unveil the M7 smartphone during CES
- GameStick console Kickstarter launches as competition for the OUYA
- CTIA will consolidate events making for one “super mobile show” in 2014
- Kia to integrate Google Maps and Places with smartphone connectivity
- Happy New Year from Android Community!
- The top game changing Android devices of 2012
- Falcon Pro Twitter update adds YouTube, mute, and spam options
| GymPact launches for Android just in time to help with those resolutions Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST Coming as what would seem perfect timing for all of those who vowed to get back into the gym this year, the GymPact app is now available in the Google Play Store. The app free to download and aimed at those who need some extra encouragement in getting to the gym and also those who like to be rewarded for following though on their commitment.
GymPact comes with the promise of helping to motivate you to workout with the promise of cash rewards, paid for by non-exercisers. And while we cannot say that will work for everyone, the folks at GymPact said they helped their users succeed on 86% of the workouts they committed to do in 2012. The basic is that you check-in using the GymPact app. In fact the number one listed feature is the ability to check in, and out of your gym. In addition, GymPact allows users to share their workouts and rewards, keep track of and manage week-by-week pacts, see the total workouts and earned rewards and even import GPS-verified activities from RunKeeper. All said and done, by making and sticking to a pact, you may be able to earn a few extra bucks. As you can see from the above image, going to the gym 3 days a week can score you a little over $2. And sure, that is not all that much in terms of cash, but at the very least it will probably pay for a Starbucks every so often. [via GymPact] |
| Flurry claims 50 million Android and iOS device activations during Christmas week Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:33 AM PST Christmas Day and the week immediately following it are obviously always going to be big for new device activations, but today we’re finding out that the final week in December might just have been the biggest on record for iOS and Android. That’s according to analytics firm Flurry, which said today that iOS and Android device activations for Christmas week topped a whopping 50 million. Looks like a bunch of people picked up a shiny new tablet of smartphone in the final week of 2012.
Flurry doesn’t offer a breakdown of how many of those 50 million activations were iOS and how many were Android, but we imagine that there were a significant number of activations for each platform. Of course, this influx of new devices also means a jump in the number of app downloads, with Flurry saying that app downloads across both platforms topped 1.76 billion in the week following Christmas day. That certainly isn’t anything to scoff at, especially when the average for the weeks before Christmas only came in 1.07 billion. That data formed the baseline for the month of December, so the number of app downloads for the final week of the month topped that baseline by 65%. Not bad at all.
Flurry was also kind enough to break down app downloads by country. Unsurprisingly, the US topped the chart, with 604 million app downloads during the holiday week. China came in second, due to the fact that even though Christmas isn’t celebrated in that country, there are still quite a few smartphones and tablets in the hands of consumers there. Other countries that do celebrate Christmas moved up the chart in comparison to non-holiday weeks, which isn’t all that surprising to see. Moving forward, Flurry expects that these one billion download weeks will become the norm. It also expects two billion download weeks to be commonplace in Q4 2013, so the smartphone and tablet markets will continue to grow throughout the year. Be sure to take a few minutes and check out Flurry’s full report, as it makes for an interesting read! |
| Temple Run saw 2.5 million downloads Christmas Day Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:14 AM PST What was the first game you installed on your new smartphone or tablet on Christmas morning? Popular games like Angry Birds? Temple Run maybe? The developers behind the popular runner Temple Run have recently announced that just Christmas day alone their popular mobile game saw over 2.5 million downloads. A record in a single day.
Imangi Studios founder and Temple Run developer Keith Shepherd recently tweeted the news, stating that their game saw huge demand and unprecedented downloads on x-mas morning. Obviously Christmas is one of the biggest days of the year, and million and millions of mobile devices were surely activated. Pretty impressive, and they weren’t even in the top 5. I think Google Maps is still king of that hill. Shepherd goes on to mention that this was actually both Android and iOS combined, but still, the numbers are quite impressive for such a small studio and game to still be having wild success. Temple Run saw over 1 million downloads from Android, it also hit the million download mark on iOS, then Amazon’s App Store also notched in almost 500k downloads too. We all knew games were popular but this just goes to show you how many millions and millions of devices were received and instantly fired up for some gaming on Christmas. Maybe a few more developers should toss their games on the Amazon App Store too, considering those numbers were quite decent too. While 2.5 million sounds like a lot, the game hit the 100 million milestone in August. [via Twitter] |
| Hyundai adds Google Maps and Voice Search to BlueLink car options Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:43 AM PST It looks like auto makers are finally starting to truly come around and use our favorite mobile technology. The features provided stock on vehicles hasn’t moved quite as fast as many expected, but many are now starting to get with the times. From NFC capable door locks, to Google Maps integration drivings about to get a lot easier. Especially in a Hyundai.
Earlier today we reported that Kia has partnered with Google for their Google Maps, which will also add Google Places to their in-dash displays for plenty of useful information. Just a few hours later and now we’re seeing a similar report from Hyundai. Today they’ve just announced their BlueLink services have been integrated with Google Maps, and Google Voice Search. Now we’re not expecting any Android 4.1 Jelly Bean like search functions, although that would be awesome, but Hyundai’s upcoming vehicles will surely enhance in-vehicle search options. As well as mapping and navigation features. Then Hyundai will also take advantage of the “send to car” feature so you can map it on your smartphone or computer, and send it to your car while planning a trip or vacation. Awesome!
Hyundai and Google’s partnership will feature Voice Search, Google Maps, Send to Car, and point of interest. They don’t specifically mention Google Places (like Kia) but most likely that will be integrated into the entire Google Maps platform. Now that Google’s opened up their API we expect to see plenty of news like this in the future. CES should be fun. Obviously BlueLink features hands free, audio streaming, and everything else we’ve been enjoying in our loaded vehicles as of late. |
| Apple’s ‘app store’ false advertising claim against Amazon dismissed Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:31 AM PST Amazon launched their Appstore back in March of 2011 and shortly after, Apple came forward with claims of false advertising. According to Apple, people could end up being confused between the Amazon Appstore and their App Store. And well, previous history aside, it looks like Amazon has taken a small victory in this case.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, Amazon has won dismissal of Apple’s false advertising claim. The ruling comes from U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, who said that she found; "no support for the proposition that Amazon has expressly or impliedly communicated that its Appstore for Android possesses the characteristics and qualities that the public has come to expect from the Apple APP Store and/or Apple products." Part of this decision is likely a result of comments made by both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. Amazon argued that both used the term “app store” to discuss the competition. According to a Reuters report, Steve Jobs once referred to the “four app stores on Android” and Tim Cook mentioned “the number of app stores out there.” Basically, it seems like there was little reason to believe that anyone would confuse the two app stores. Keep in mind, that is not the complete case though and this ruling deals only with the false advertising claim. The other side stems from a November 2011 trademark claim. On this front, Apple is seeking trademark on the ‘app store’ name. |
| Sony Xperia “Odin” press image leaks too Posted: 02 Jan 2013 09:53 AM PST We’ve been hearing quite a bit lately about Sony‘s upcoming flagship smartphones for the earlier part of 2013, and today we’re getting another glance and their latest and greatest. Yesterday the device codenamed “Yuga” leaked to the interwebs and is known as the Xperia Z, and now the very similar Odin has also appeared.
CES is just a few days away so as usual we’re starting to see loads and loads of leaks. We’ll be sorting through all the goods and bringing you anything and everything Android. What you see above is the Sony Xperia Odin, then the Yuga (known as the Xperia Z) on the right. The interesting thing being both are nearly identical, so why not just release one. Both sport Sony’s new WhiteMagic screen technology and are rocking 5-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD displays, Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processors, 2GB of RAM, and 13 megapixel cameras to complete the picture. Oddly the Odin on the left comes in a sleeker and prettier frame. Smaller bezels all around and just looks nicer. The Odin also features the LED notification light on bottom. Sony’s designs are slowly but surely looking better and better. I’m a fan of that Odin at first glance, but worried the corners might be a bit sharp. It’s possible the Odin could drop the 13 megapixel camera for 8 and have a thinner design, but for now we’ll take whatever leaks we get. Sony will be showcasing both of these new flagship smartphones next week in Vegas for CES 2013, and we’ll be their live to get you plenty of hands on pictures and video. Stay tuned for those interested. [via Engadget] |
| Samsung Galaxy S III sudden death syndrome to be fixed with a firmware update Posted: 02 Jan 2013 09:35 AM PST Earlier in the month we mentioned how some Galaxy S III users were reporting a sudden death syndrome. At that time the reports suggested that Samsung was taking good care of those who were having the issue. But moving back to the present day and it looks like a firmware update may be in the works, though, we have yet to see any sort of timeline for a roll-out.
That being said, the details are coming by way of the Dutch site, Tweakers, who have said the update is coming “soon.” Perhaps key here, Samsung stated that this issue should only affect a “very limited number of Galaxy S III models with 16GB.” Simply put, it looks like those with a 32GB Galaxy S III can rest easy. And by the sounds of it, most 16GB Galaxy S III users can probably put this out of their mind also. The devices appeared to be failing somewhere between 150 and 200 days after activation and most reports mentioned that the handsets were dying overnight or after a reboot. The reports also showed a mix of devices running both stock and custom firmware. Regardless though, it is nice to see Samsung reacting quickly to get this taken care of. Otherwise, those with a 16GB Galaxy S III may want to keep an eye out for an update notification in the not-to-distant future. And finally, while we are happy to see Samsung come forward with details about an update, we also hope to see a bit more of an explanation as to what was happening. Of course, the fix is probably more important at this point in time. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 [via The Next Web] |
| HTC may unveil the M7 smartphone during CES Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:52 AM PST We saw some rumored details and leaks for the HTC M7 during the month of December. And well, it looks like the new month has brought some new details. Of course, we should point out — still rumored details. That clarification being made, this latest bit deals with a possible announcement.
The previous rumors were suggesting that HTC was going to wait until Mobile World Congress to unveil the M7, however that announcement may actually be taking place in a few days time. Yup, during CES. Anyway, the details are coming by way of xda user Football, who posted the details under the Football4PDA Twitter handle. Aside from the possibility of HTC announcing the M7 during CES, it was also noted that the handset may have touchscreen buttons as opposed to hardware buttons. Otherwise, touching on the legitimacy of the rumors. In the past we have seen solid details come from this user, however it is important to note where these are coming from — “some indirect information.” That being said, CES is just a few days away so it looks like this is one rumor that will be proven true or false rather quickly. Finally, previous details suggest the HTC M7 will bring feature to include a 4.7-inch 1080p HD display with a pixel resolution of 468, quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2300 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Jelly Bean. [via unwired view] |
| GameStick console Kickstarter launches as competition for the OUYA Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST We have been seeing quite a bit in terms of the OUYA game console lately. And well, it looks like another console is now in the works. One that could potentially be some competition for the OUYA. This new console is called the GameStick and it has recently launched as a Kickstarter project.
In other words, those interested in the project will be able to commit some money. The good part here, the GameStick offering has just launched as of today which means those interested have a fairly good shot at getting in on the earlybird side. More on the backing amounts in a moment though, lets get into the device itself. The GameStick (as the name would imply), is a small stick-style device, sort of like a flash drive. The GameStick is HDMI and plugs directly into your television. And other than the stick itself, the only other part is the controller, which is wireless. Given the size and ease of connectivity, this is a device that is not only focused on design, but also on portability. The folks behind the GameStick noted that “when on the move, the two combine into a single unit, putting big screen gaming right into the pocket.” And for those worried about not having enough controllers when playing with friends, rest assured in knowing that the GameStick will compatible with other Bluetooth game controllers. Otherwise, the GameStick will be running Android Jelly Bean, which means lots and lots of free and low-cost games. The GameStick will feature an Armlogic 8726-MX processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash storage, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. The Kickstarter details note that they have identified 200 titles that will “work great” and that they are already working with more than 250 developers to bring more games. Some of the games mentioned include Shadowgun and Dead Trigger, SmashCops, Cannabal and Boulder Dash XL. While there are multiple backing options, we suspect most will want the Earlybird or the GameStick Bundle. These are essentially the same and both offer the GameStick and controller as well as a name check and founders tag. The Earlybird is $69 and limited to the first 250 backers and the GameStick Bundle is $79. Finally, the current estimated delivery time is April 2013. [via Kickstarter] |
| CTIA will consolidate events making for one “super mobile show” in 2014 Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:26 AM PST In previous years we have seen multiple smaller shows during the year from CTIA, The Wireless Association. However moving forward, it looks like things will be changing. A recent announcement from the CTIA mentions plans of consolidation moving forward. In fact, CTIA, The Wireless Association has said that 2014 will bring the CTIA “super mobile show.”
The first of these shows, which will be dubbed CTIA 2014 will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada during the month of September 2014. That being said, 2013 will be a regular year and will still have CTIA hosting the CTIA 2013 and MobileCON 2013 events separately. Of course, there will be talk of the super show during these two events in 2013. CTIA noted that they will have “super show programs” at both events. According to the details we are seeing, this means the CTIA super show will contain a mix of technology and consumer electronics that were found at the CTIA Show and the mobile IT goodies that were previously part of MobileCON. What this sounds like it means for the wireless/mobile geek — another few days of heavy mobile focused coverage every September. While this super show will kick off in 2014, and as previously mentioned, the remainder of 2013 will bring the smaller shows that we have been used to seeing. For example CTIA 2013 will take place in May and MobileCON will take place later in the year, in October. |
| Kia to integrate Google Maps and Places with smartphone connectivity Posted: 02 Jan 2013 06:43 AM PST Kia Motors has announced a new partnership with Google. One that will bring some upgraded UVO services to upcoming Kia automobiles. These upgraded services will begin with the 2014 Kia Sorento and mean Google Maps and Google Places integration.
The 2014 Kia Sorento will first be available for sale during the first quarter of 2013 and otherwise, this integration will also be introduced into other cars in the Kia lineup including the 2014 Forte sedan. When the Google integration will be available aside, lets get into the features that users will be able to enjoy. Right off the bat, this means directions using Maps and points-of-interest using Places. And nicely done, this is not where the integration will stop. In fact, Kia drivers will be able to be able to look up directions or POIs on a smartphone and have those sent to the car using the Send2Car feature. This will be done by using the Smartphone1 UVO app. The one catch here, the Android app is not expected to launch until Q2 2013. We have also yet to learn about the specifics of the app, such as whether it will be smartphone, tablet or both. And perhaps key for some, which versions of Android will be supported. Some of the other in-car features will include hands-free support. This means Kia will allow the user to get directions, control the music and more with only voice commands. Finally, the UVO services also include other goodies such as Parking Minder which will help the driver locate their vehicle (from the phone) and keep track of diagnostics using a phone. The diagnostics will include the ability to set month diagnostic checks and even have this details forwarded directly to the Car Care Web. |
| Happy New Year from Android Community! Posted: 01 Jan 2013 01:18 PM PST We wanted to take a quick moment and drop a hello to everyone this fine Tuesday afternoon. This Tuesday being the first of many fun Android days of 2013. It’s all over folks! 2012 is all over. We hope all of our friends, readers, and partners had an excellent, safe, and fun filled New Years Eve this year.
Happy New Year!!!! Android in 2013 will be extremely exciting. We’ve been taking the past few days to reflect on Android as a whole over the past year. That goes from smartphones, tablets, apps, rumors, predictions and everything else in between. While I’m sure many of you are nursing hangovers, cleaning up party favors, or hanging out with friends and family enjoying a nice lunch we wanted to ring in the new year with a few quick posts. As mentioned above, we’ve taken the past few days to look back at everything 2012 had to offer in the world of Android. So here we wanted to share in one post a few of our round-ups for you all to enjoy. We’ll start with our Android in 2013: Expectations and Predictions. It’s a good read where we wrap up 2012 and discuss many of the things we’re hoping for, and expecting to see from Google and everyone else next year. Then we took a moment to reflect on Android the OS, and where it’s headed as 2013 hits full stride. In 2012 we had over 80 Android device reviews, almost 100 hands-on videos, and plenty of app reviews in between. For a quick look at tons of links, coverage, and our wrap up check out our Android Community Reviews Rundown for 2012. We also focused on Android apps and took a look at the state of Android apps in 2012. Then last but not least, we couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the new year then to wrap up some of the top game changing Android devices of the year. We hope you enjoyed our coverage from 2012 and look forward to serving you here again throughout 2013. The Android Community team will be enjoying the rest of the day to spend with our friends and family, and we hope you all do the same. Don’t worry though. We’ll be back strong tomorrow as we get ready for CES 2013 taking off starting Sunday. Get excited! |
| The top game changing Android devices of 2012 Posted: 01 Jan 2013 12:46 PM PST The holiday fun is over and we’re officially kicking off 2013 with a quick rundown of some of the top smartphones and tablets to rock the past year. There was multiple “flagship” devices that arrived this year from multiple manufacturers but we all know who the true champ was, and that’s Samsung. Read on to see what made the Android Community list.
This was an excellent year for Android. Another strong push showing the mobile world, developers, and manufacturers just how awesome Android and its following really is. As expected Samsung was the clear winner for 2012. They rocked out on all fronts when it comes to smartphones so to start off our list meet the Galaxy S III. Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung’s Galaxy S III was clearly the absolute best seller in the world of Android, or in general for that matter. With more than 30 million sales strong, and more continuing daily it’s safe to say the Galaxy S III was by far the biggest and most successful smartphone to date. It came out early and in the US dropped the quad-core for a dual-core Snapdragon processor and 4G LTE, but it still is rocking out and shows no signs of slowing down. Until the Galaxy S IV rumors start flowing in of course. Thanks to the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display, 2GB of RAM, and Android 4.0 ICS out of the gate this was an awesome smartphone. Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD
In 2013 we expect many manufacturers to take a similar approach and start offering devices that won’t be called the “world’s thinnest” but instead have impressive all-day battery life and beyond. I’ll gladly have an extra millimeter or three in return for 48 hours of heavy usage. Get with the program HTC. Now that Google is at the helm of Motorola we’re all hopeful for a RAZR Nexus. Give me a 4.7-inch 1080p quad-core smartphone with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie and a 3,500 mAh battery and I’ll never complain again. We’re extremely excited to see how Motorola takes their direction in 2013. LG Optimus G
LG’s software is still slightly lacking. With their Optimus UI 3.0 being slightly improved over previous years, they’re still not updating quite as fast as we’d like. No matter how amazing the hardware, Android faithful want timely updates. If LG can get that up to par in 2013 they’ll continue to gain ground in the smartphone wars. Google Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 needs no introduction, no explanation, and no argument as to why you should buy it. For $199 the 16GB Nexus 7 is an absolute steal and the perfect tablet. Get the 3G HSPA+ model for portability if need be. We are excited for the future in this regard as well. While Google’s not known for follow up devices (like a Nexus 7 2) we can expect a similar but greater product sometime around the middle of 2013. Exciting times folks. Exciting times! HTC DROID DNA
Obviously their biggest device of the year was the HTC One X, which deserves a mention, but the DROID DNA marks a new market for Android and has everyone else playing catch up. 2013 will be all about quad-core smartphones with large 1080p HD displays and more, and HTC’s already beat many to the punch. Sadly, as mentioned above, its battery could use some help and hopefully the DNA 2 arrives quickly with a 3,000 mAh battery or more. Look forward to devices from all major carriers trying to match and top the DROID DNA. LG Nexus 4
Sadly this device has been riddled with small issues with the durability of the back, not to mention being sold out everywhere and literally out of reach for hundreds of thousands of potential buyers — it’s still been highly popular. 2013 will be a big year for this device, as we’re not expecting another Nexus smartphone for at least 4-6 months, possibly not until the end of the year. The Nexus 4 obviously gets brownie points for being pure Google. It’ll have the latest and greatest software updates, all the time, and will be on the cutting edge for years to come. Good luck trying to buy one from Google though. Samsung Galaxy Note II
The sheer size of the device will turn some off (me included) but for the millions that have already purchased it, and the original, it’s a clear sign that Samsung shouldn’t slow down. And they aren’t. In fact, there is already rumors of a 6.3-inch Galaxy Note III coming sometime soon this year. We’ll be on the lookout for multiple manufacturers trying to mirror their success. Huawei has a 6.1-inch device, and I’m sure we’ll see plenty more in 2013. Obviously Android had record numbers in 2012, and this year will be even better. It surpassed iOS and Apple as the number one mobile OS in the world, and surely will add to that lead all year long. There was way too many devices to list them all but we wanted to give a few more honorable mentions. The ASUS Transformer Prime was one of the best tablets of the year even though it was released in December of 2011, but had a huge play in the Android tablet scene all year long. The HTC One X+ is worth mentioning simply for the fact that NVIDIA added 4G LTE to their quad-core processor, and we’re expecting huge things from team green in 2013.
Last but not least we again wanted to shout out Motorola’s DROID RAZR M. While it was exclusive to Verizon (and US Cellular) in the US, this 4.3-inch edge-to-edge display rocking dual-core 4G LTE powered smartphone was only $99. Motorola made a great device and now with Google helping out things will only get better. It’s nice to see excellent devices hit the “entry level” pricing we’ve always loved. Expect much, much more of that in 2013. What was your favorite device of 2012? Let us know below. Have a great year everyone and check out a few fun posts below! |
| Falcon Pro Twitter update adds YouTube, mute, and spam options Posted: 01 Jan 2013 12:20 PM PST The new to the scene and already extremely popular Twitter client for Android Falcon Pro received an awesome update just before the new year hit. If you haven’t tried out this increasingly popular Twitter app yet, now would be a great time to check it out. With YouTube API support, full mute features and more read on to find out all the details.
Falcon Pro has been receiving updates and developer support at a very rapid pace, and we have a feeling that will continue deep into 2013. We know there’s tons of Twitter apps, but this is one of the better options. Earlier this month they updated the app with tons of improvements to speed and mainly bug fixes, but today’s update is bringing plenty of new features. Today’s update added tons of features that weren’t “needed” but surely continue to make this one of the better Twitter clients on Android. We now have YouTube API support, they’ve added options to mute those obnoxious #Bieber tweets, or anything else for that matter. Double-tap featured are here, and even a log-out button. Since that was missing originally for some reason. Here’s the full rundown:
Not only do we have better mute options, but there’s full management of said feature from settings. Being able to report spam was also a much requested feature we’re happy to announce is now here. Slider refresh rates just adds polish to the user interface, and we’re expecting much more to arrive soon. You can even vote on what features you want next by heading here and voicing your opinion. It’s 2013 folks, try something new! |
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