Android Phone Fans |
- Hands-on: Pioneer AppRadio at CES 2013 [VIDEO]
- Hands-on: ARCHOS 97 Titanium HD and 80 Titanium tablets [VIDEO]
- Chameleon for phones shown off on video
- Google launches beta channel for Chrome for Android
- Hands-on: Galaxy S3 Element Case
- Hands-on: Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 [VIDEO]
- Cookoo smart watch coming soon to Android
- Angry Birds Space gets Pig Dipper update
- HMDX Jam Speakers blast with impressive variety
- Hands-on: ASUS Qube with Google TV at CES 2012 [VIDEO]
- MetroPCS delivers simpler 4G LTE plans
- GameStick Kickstarter project faces legal action, but don’t worry
- Archos announces Titanium line of Android tablets
- Play Store website gets Roboto font, and all developers can now respond to individual reviews
- Retailer updates Nexus 7 dock expectancy to January 16th
| Hands-on: Pioneer AppRadio at CES 2013 [VIDEO] Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:03 PM PST Android has taken ahold of the mobile market. It’s emerging on smart TVs (though it still has a way to go). The next frontier could be in-car entertainment, and Pioneer is offering an intriguing solution for bridging your car stereo with your smartphone. Unlike some devices we have seen in the past, AppRadio doesn’t put Android into the dash. Rather, it creates an easy-to-use link with the device you already own. When paired via Bluetooth by way of an Android app, AppRadio can be controlled either using the in-dash unit’s touchscreen or your smartphone’s screen. Considering the radio is meant to be operated while driving, we suspect controlling directly from a phone isn’t recommended — unless a passenger is doing it. In order to cut down on distractions the radio won’t allow access to your phone’s notifications. Overall build quality was slightly lacking. The touchscreen display was pretty low resolution and had trouble registering anything but the most deliberate gestures. Still, the screen is capacitive and supports multi-touch. The head unit will be fine for navigation, radio, and other simple apps, but don’t look to it as the centerpiece of a high-end in-car video experience. What, exactly, is next for Android and automobiles remains to be seen, but AppRadio is an intriguing concept. Right now, though, it needs a little bit of fine tuning and a better focus. Key for the car experience is paring down what Android offers to the basics, providing useful services without creating unneeded distractions on the road.
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| Hands-on: ARCHOS 97 Titanium HD and 80 Titanium tablets [VIDEO] Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:27 PM PST
Announced earlier today, we rushed over to Archos’ booth at CES 2013 to try out their new line of Titanium tablets. A low-priced alternative to the iPad, the Archos 80 Titanium ($170) and 97 Titanium ($250) were the most intriguing to us simply because of the higher-end specs housed inside a sleek aluminum case. In fact, the rep we spoke separated the tabs further calling them their “Platinum” line. We gave these bad boys a spin and you can check out our hands-on video down below. Featuring higher-end build quality and materials than you’re used to from Archos, the 97 Platinum HD tab was the model I was most smitten with. I found the 4:3 form factor easier to hold in the hand, and the 2048×1536 Super IPS display was unlike anything I’ve seen on an Android tablet — ever. Both tabs feature “generic” quad-core processors with Mali graphics, 2GB of RAM and 2MP cameras outfitted on the front and back of the tabs. In our short time with the tablets, things moved nice and smooth thanks to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and apps opened up nice and snappy. Also included is a full range of ports (micro USB, HDMI) and memory expansion slot, for those with huge media libraries.
We also gave the Archos 70 and 101 Titanium a spin, but found the dual-core Rockchip processor putting a damper on the Android experience. Still for that price point ($120-$200), it could make a great tablet for the kiddies (or adults on a budget). For our readers, you guys are going to wanna stick with the Platinum 80 and 97 HD for sure. You can see more of the tablets in our gallery below.                     |
| Chameleon for phones shown off on video Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:46 PM PST While Chameleon for Android tablets has captured our attention well enough, Teknision — the developers behind this interesting home-screen replacement — feels like phones deserve a bit of love too. The launcher makes use of every inch of screen real estate through the use of information-filled widgets and a great degree of customization and flexibility. The developers have finally shown the phone version off on video, giving us a glimpse of the experience as it would be on a Nexus 4 and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2. Things feel largely the same compared to tablets, albeit a bit compressed to make up for the relative lack of screen real estate. The experience looks just as smooth as it always has so there’s not much to worry about. On top of it all, some new folder management features have been added to the experience for both phones and tablets, so even if you already have Chameleon on your tablet you’ll want to watch the entire video to see all the new goods. Fast forward to about the 1:50 mark if you only care about what it looks like on the smaller slate a phone provides. [via Chameleon] |
| Google launches beta channel for Chrome for Android Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:16 PM PST Google has finally launched a beta channel for its own Android web browser, Google Chrome. The beta, now available in the Google Play Store, will be updated more frequently with the latest work-in-progress features for users to try out before they’re ready to go stable. You’ll have to note that betas are not promised to be perfect, so while this is a great way to test new features you might also encounter some bugs and rough edges.
Google says Chrome for Android beta now has all the same optimization and speed that its desktop browsers have, including improvements to the Octane performance benchmark. The changes will bring an improvement of about 25-30%. The update also includes native support for CSS Filters. Head here to get an idea of what’s now possible for developers to do in their websites and web apps. It’s wise to keep both the stable and beta browsers installed if you’re planning on keeping up with the times. Chances are the betas will be just fine for most people — I haven’t had a problem rocking the beta channel on my desktop — but there’s always a degree of uncertainty that must be taken into consideration. You can grab the beta version of Chrome for Android — for both phones and tablets — in the Google Play Store. [via Google] |
| Hands-on: Galaxy S3 Element Case Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:01 PM PST Accessory makers flock to the iPhone for virtue of simplicity: more people using fewer models. The much more fragmented Android device portfolio means accessory makers have to pick and choose which phones and tablets to support, each coming with risk depending on volume. But if you’re going to choose one sure shot phone for which to produce an accessory? You’re best bet is probably the Samsung Galaxy series and that’s exactly what they’ve done with the Galaxy S3 Element Case, named Atom. The Galaxy S3 Element Case is the first non-iPhone case produced by the company and hopefully it won’t be the last. This thing is slick on a number of levels. First of all it does the obvious – protects your phone – but boy oh boy doe sit look good in the process. The company also funneled the sound from the rear speaker to the front of the case, allowing users to have a front facing speaker. This makes too much sense and I’ve been a proponent of front facing speakers on mobile devices forever. It’s the main reason I commended the otherwise uncommendable Casio G’zone Commando. But for some reason manufacturers don’t make this a standard feature, probably due to the complications of internals. The front facing speaker lets you watch video with much greater ease, preventing the need to cup your hand around the speaker or bring your face frustratingly close to the screen when watching Youtube to hear what’s happening. Call it a small point, but it makes showing/sharing videos with a couple people around much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, as pointed out by MrGizmoto in the Youtube comments, the orientation of the kickstand muzzles the speaker into the resting surface which kind of defeats the purpose. Regardless, the Galaxy S3 Element Case is gorgeous and actually improves the aesthetics of an already great looking device. Throw in protection and speaker orientation and you’ve got an absolute winner. Now, if you’re listening, will you guys make some cases for other Android phones? We’re waiting anxiously. |
| Hands-on: Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 [VIDEO] Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:45 PM PST Panasonic announced a new ruggedized tablet designed for workforce applications and was ready to show it off at CES 2013. The Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 will take just about everything life throws at it with a nearly indestructible design. The slate packs a 7-inch display, dual-core TI OMAP processing, 16GB of internal storage, and a 13MP camera. All of it combines with Android Ice Cream Sandwich to provide a stable platform for a variety of uses in the field. For example, shipping and courier services could use the tablet as a mobile interface for gather signatures for packages, tracking routes, and keeping an inventory of items to deliver. It’s not the sort of thing aimed at the average consumer, but the whopping $1,200 price tag probably made that clear. One of the coolest features of the Toughpad JT-B1 is the ability to customize hardware button functions through an included app. This is perfect for the sort of workforce applications Panasonic is targeting. Not every job might require a dedicated camera key, so why waste an otherwise perfectly useful hardware button? Panasonic also showed off their older 10-inch model, which features a lot of the same functionality and is equally durable. A Windows 8 option was also present. Overall the lineup provided a pretty solid feel and experience. While these sorts of tablets aren’t for everyone, we wouldn’t mind seeing a more consumer-minded version. It would make a great option for folks with active lifestyles or the outdoor adventuring types. |
| Cookoo smart watch coming soon to Android Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:33 PM PST The Dick Tracy smartwatch era has been an up-and-coming generation for decades, never hitting realization beyond the adoption of a select few. There are a number of contributions, but I can’t help but think that in many ways, they’re trying too hard to do too much. When I first saw the Cookoo watch at CES, first and foremost I thought it looked great as a watch. Just a watch.
Simple and stylish, the Cookoo smartwatch looks great, and in an era where smartphones tell the time leaving watches as fashion statements, looking great is arguably the most important feature. So where does the “smart” fit in? With simple notifications that alert you when you’ve got e-mails, text messages, Facebook messages, and more. But once again, Cookoo keeps it simple, providing you with the notifications in a stylish manner and otherwise getting out of your way.
The result is a great looking watch with fun/brihgt colors that also add value with notifications and alerts. And that’s the formula for success: not trying to do too much, just being an attractive watch with some basic but helpful mobile integration and functionality. Apple was onto something with the iPod nano watch but for some reason that was nixed, leaving a hole in the market waiting to be filled. The name “Cookoo” is obviously a reference to the famous clocks but the company also incorporates their name into a packaging gimmick of sorts- the watches come in a birdhouse.
Crack open the birdhouse and not only do you get your watch, but you also get a functional birdhouse that you can actually put in a tree right before you hug it.
I’ve got two main gripes about Cookoo:
Hopefully we’ll see Cookoo get Android compatability soon, because while the smartwatch reality has yet to hit the mainstream, the Cookoo watch is something I can get behind.          |
| Angry Birds Space gets Pig Dipper update Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:17 PM PST Ready for some new Angry Birds Space levels? Rovio has released an update for the game in the Google Play Store called “Pig Dipper.” An obvious play on the name of the most popular constellation there is, this update brings the birds and pigs to an entirely new galaxy filled with water-filled planets. Strange aquatic life — like over-sized jelly fish bug-eyed ducks — roam the lands, and the pigs won’t have to worry about their inability to swim as they have boats to keep them afloat.
The new levels introduce a new element of physics for those looking to foil the plans of these evil pigs in some creative ways. The update also includes three new power-ups: Flock of Birds, Space Egg and Pig Puffer. We imagine that last one might inflate a pig to the point that it explodes, but whether or not delicious bacon, ribs and pork chops fly everywhere remains to be seen. Rovio also makes sure to note that the Ice Bird and Pig Puffer react quite interestingly when they hit water, so give it a shot and see what happens You can find a free version of Angry Birds Space in the Google Play Store, of course, but don’t go into that expecting not to run into some ads. For an ad-free version that costs $.99 be sure to park it right here. |
| HMDX Jam Speakers blast with impressive variety Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:16 PM PST I was pretty pessimistic upon first entering the HMDX booth at CES 2013. Their line of speakers, branded “Jam”, gave me an immediate impression that the company was piggy backing off the success of Jawbone’s Jambox. Surely these were the same dime a dozen speakers made cheaply, found throughout the huge conference’s show floor. It didn’t take long to figure out I grossly underestimated the product line.
Their basic speaker, the “Jam”, retails for about $50 and is a small desktop speaker that can fit in the palm of your hand as seen above. Connect via bluetooth, crank the volume up to high, and you’re suddenly blown away by a loud and vibrant sound. The little Jam speaker packs an incredibly powerful punch considering it’s size and price, something for which I wasn’t really prepared. A nice added feature of the Jam speaker is the ability to play two simultaneously: connect one via bluetooth and then you can pair a second speaker with the first, doubling the sound and filling the room. Unfortunately you can’t pair more than two but this is something we may see in the future. It’d be great to fill a huge room or party or even use for retail stores and/or businesses. And this was just the start of it. Branching off the Jam speaker is a set of speakers designed for different circumstances. My personal favorite: the Jam XT.
This is exactly like the basic Jam speaker with two exceptions. First, it’s exterior is a water-resistant rubber material that is more durable. Second, it’s got a clip for attaching to your belt or carabiner, making it perfect for hiking or other adventures where you’re on the go.
It would be nice if the Jam XT was waterproof, but that’s a quality reserved for only the Jam Splash, which they’re marketing as a shower speaker of sorts.
Affixed with a hanging string and suction cups you could easily make this your goto speaker for bathroom tunes, but it’s probably my least favorite of the Jam offerings. Probably because the concept seems very 1990s to me for some reason and I just don’t see this as the most practical thing in the world. I’d much prefer they waterproof the XT and offer a suction cup for shower use. But I digress. The XT will cost $70 and the Splash will cost $80.
The Jam Party, costing $120 and seen above, gives you the old school boom box feel to perfection. The handle collapses in and the kickstand closes up, allowing you to either carry it around, keep the retro look, or make it more of a sleek box. But “sleek” is a bit misleading of a term: these things are all LOUD in more ways than one. The entire series has vibrant colors scream that scream with personality. The Jam Fusion is the most different of all of them: they’re headphones. They’re pretty stylish looking and they fold up nicely although I haven’t been able to test the sound quality.
The Jam Fusion will retail for $90. HMDX announced a couple other products but they above are by far my favorites. The company definitely has something here with the Jam speakers and in the past 4 months they’ve risen to become one of the best selling speakers on the market. When these products become available in the coming months, look for the HMDX Jam speakers to start dominating the market.                      |
| Hands-on: ASUS Qube with Google TV at CES 2012 [VIDEO] Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:14 PM PST
A Nexus Q replacement it is not, but the ASUS Qube offers an interesting take on the Android-based Google TV. We had a chance to check out the new hardware at ASUS’ suite in the Trump Tower here in Las Vegas as part of CES, and while the user interface might take some getting used to the Qube would be right at home in our living rooms. Priced at $130 for a launch later in Q1, the Qube is a bit more expensive than its closest rival, the Vizio Co-Star. Both devices feature similar hardware and include a two-sided remote with touchpad and TV controls on the front and a full QWERTY keyboard on the rear. Where ASUS differentiates their product is in the unique user interface that translates the cube theme to Google TV’s navigation menu.
You still have access to everything you expect, including enhanced TV listings, the Google Play Store, apps such as Netflix, and the ability to search your channel guide (in this case, the Qube even offers voice search via the remote). Want to watch “The Simpsons?” Just ask.
The ASUS Qube takes a bold approach to a stale Google TV platform, so give it credit for that at the very least. But we suspect once users get accustomed to the experience it could rank as one of the best Google TV boxes on the market. More coverage at GTVSource.com |
| MetroPCS delivers simpler 4G LTE plans Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:48 PM PST MetroPCS has just announced new rate plans for its 4G LTE customers. The purpose of the plans is to make things less confusing for customers to get what they want and need out of their wireless service. A $60 all you can eat plan for voice, texting and data is available for those who need all 4G all the time, but cheaper options exist for those who want unlimited 4G but don’t need to use much throughout a certain period.
You can pay $50 to get unlimited everything, but with data slowing down after 2.5GB, and $40 for unlimited everything with data being throttled after 500MB. It’s great that MetroPCS isn’t forcing its throttling on customers who need more, and giving customers cheaper options if they don’t necessarily need a ton of high-speed data. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S3, LG Motion 4G, LG Connect 4G and more are all available with these plans at some pretty nice prices. Head to MetroPCS’ website to check out the selection, and bask in the glory of having some awesome 4G smartphone plans without having to pay inflated costs. |
| GameStick Kickstarter project faces legal action, but don’t worry Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:44 AM PST Playjam, the folks responsible for the GameStick — a portable gaming console+controller which recently passed its funding goal on Kickstarter — just gave thousands of backers everywhere a scare. The project’s Kickstarter page was pulled from the crowd-funding service, and the initial explanation by GameStick was that it was an intellectual property dispute that forced their hand. Playjam says it has 30 days to get the project back up on Kickstarter before it will be forced to cancel and give up all of the pledges it’s earned. The initial email led folks to believe that the GameStick’s design itself was infringing, but thankfully that is not the case.
The intellectual property being referred to was because of a game that was exposed in the project’s promotional video. The news was confirmed in a second email by GameStick, reassuring us that the product’s design is not in danger of being targeted by any patent and IP owners. We imagine the only thing that has to happen is a simple edit of the video, and since that doesn’t take a lifetime then this issue should blow over fairly quickly.
The GameStick is one of Kickstarter’s most popular items, reaching its funding goal of $100,000 in just about 30 hours. The project has since raised about $270,000, and the folks at Playjam recently set up some stretch goals in case the project got any more popular. If the project reaches $320,000 the GameStick will come in black. Hitting $450,000 will bring the product in another color that will be decided by the community. Finally, the team will be adding a microSD card slot if it can reach $560,000. As it stands the project would have been funded in just about three weeks, but with this setback we’re not sure if the timer will simply pick up where it left off or if Playjam will have to give up the time. We’ll be on the lookout for more updates from the team as this situation develops, but at the very least just know that the likelihood of the GameStick being cancelled is very low. |
| Archos announces Titanium line of Android tablets Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:52 AM PST Our friends at Archos decided to wait a bit after all the CES madness has died down to announce its latest line of tablets. The Archos Titanium line comes in 7 inch, 8 inch, 9.7 inch and 10.1 inch flavors for $119, $169, $249 and $199, respectively. The 9.7 inch version costs more than the 10.1 inch version due to its very nice 2048 x 1536 resolution. The resolution for the other versions weren’t mentioned just yet, but all of them will be HD IPS displays
All the tablets feature a 1.6GHz dual-core processor with a quad-core GPU backing that up. These things are made out of metal, but they’re not necessarily made out of titanium. The aluminum chassis it comes in doesn’t sound like a bad deal, though, and should make for a nice weight and sleek design. As with most of the devices we’ve seen this week Archos hasn’t announced a release date just yet, but we would be surprised to see it come any later than the first half of the year. Read on for full press details.
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| Play Store website gets Roboto font, and all developers can now respond to individual reviews Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:04 AM PST
The Google Play Store has received some changes that users and developers alike will surely appreciate. For starters, the Play Store website is now doused with the Roboto font Google introduced in Android 4.0. It’s not a huge change, but the result is a subtle, elegant look that our eyes are quite attracted to. Most people shouldn’t have any issues seeing this on modern web browsers so head to the Play Store and check it out for yourself. On a more functional note, Google has rolled out the ability to respond to user reviews to all developers. The feature was only available to top developers previously, but this “beta” of sorts has ended and all developers can now offer a much deeper level of support. Developers have been wishing for this feature ever since Android’s existence. No longer will developers have to break down and cry when a user leaves a 1-star review for a feature they don’t know how to use or an unusual bug that is encountered — they can respond directly and not have to worry about whether or not a user knows how to use the report submitting and developer email functions properly. Developers can find the features in their developer console, so give it a try and start responding to some of those pesky 1-star voters.
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| Retailer updates Nexus 7 dock expectancy to January 16th Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:58 AM PST B&H Photo was supposed to ship the official dock for the ASUS Nexus 7 starting today, so we decided to check up on that estimation. Can’t say we’re surprised that the original date has been pushed back a tad — the retailer is now saying the docks will ship January 16th. That’s not much of a delay compared to the 10th, but considering Google nor ASUS has made any date official then it’s not wise to put much stock into anything a third party says.
Still, we believe the wait won’t be long at all. The Verge has heard (from the typical “trusted source,” of course) that the dock will ship within two weeks, and has confirmed the $40 price tag we’ve been hearing will hold up. Folks in the UK will be unhappy to hear that the rumored price in those parts of the world is £79 — for a dock that does little more than cradle and charge a Nexus 7, as well as delivers its tunes through a set of small speakers, that seems a bit steep. Don’t curse the name of ASUS or Google just yet, though, as it’s not wise to spill too many emotions before it’s all official. We’ll keep our eye on B&H’s shipping estimates as it seems to be the only reliable retailer with any semblance of an idea of when this thing is shipping. Even the Google Play Store is devoid of any information regarding the dock, but it clearly exists and we are closer than we’ve ever been to seeing it arrive. |
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