Sunday, February 17, 2013

Android Authority




Posted: 14 Feb 2013 01:55 AM PST
securityandroidA new report, which looks at the security threat that mobile devices pose to corporate networks, has some good news and some bad news for smartphone users. More and more business smartphones are representing a convergence of personal and corporate needs. This means that corporates face the new challenge of keeping up with the proliferation of mobile devices while trying to impose some form of control with regards to malware and security.
First the good news for worried business managers (and, in fact, every smartphone user). At the moment the majority of mobile threats are still largely mischief-ware in the sense that they are used to earn money through the unauthorized sending of premium messages or by stealing potentially useful personal information. They aren’t as yet overly malicious. Most mobile attacks use the classic tactics of scams, spam and phishing. These attacks work on iOS, Android and in fact any device that can receive email and access the web. From the criminals point of view these attacks are easy to deploy, but they should also be easy to spot and most users using common sense won’t be affected.
However, campaigns waged against mobile devices are becoming more active. Cyber-criminals are increasingly using botnets (or malnets as the report calls them) as the backbone of their operations. In 2012  nearly two thirds of all web-based attacks employed a botnet.
Blue Coat - Targeting Android graph
Blue Coat Systems 2013 Mobile Malware Report
The report, which was published by Blue Coat Security Labs, goes on to say that the freedoms enjoyed by Android users, in that there are dozens of app markets available and a large diversity of Android powered devices, means that cyber-criminals have a greater success rate targeting Android compared to other smartphone platforms. In the July-September 2012 quarter alone, the company saw a 600 percent increase in Android malware when compared to the same period in 2011.
The best thing for Android users, both private and corporate, is to only download apps from trusted sources and stay vigilant when visiting web sites using your smartphone. If an offer is to good to be true, it normally isn’t true!!! It is also worth running an anti-virus app on your phone, check out our review of the best anti-virus apps for 2013.
Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:50 AM PST
tetris_blitz
There's only so much innovation you can bring to a classical video game until ripping it from its roots, disappointing the franchise's fans or boring the heck out of the gaming world. Or all three at once.
So, with that in mind, can Electronic Arts put a new spin on the almost three-decade-old Tetris, keep things fresh and at the same time interesting? The American developers certainly seem to think so, as they've just announced the launch of Tetris Blitz for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.
We don't have a very clear ETA just yet, but we know the game "will be available later this spring" in Google Play, so it shouldn't be long now. We also know Tetris Blitz will be "the first-ever freemium Tetris title".
Now, is that a good or bad thing? It depends of course on a lot of variables, starting with what kind of in-app purchases we're talking about. There are freemiums and freemiums, and, while they're usually heavily bashed by most gamers, if you know how to keep things casual for light players you have a winner.
Tetris
Hardcore gamers don't really mind spending an extra buck to reach glory and top the weekly leaderboards or unlock "bonus levels". Then again, if you make a longer than 5-minute gaming session a living hell without the purchasing of special skills, you can forget about it.
But let's leave speculations aside for a second, hope for the best and focus on what we know. For instance, it seems that EA's "innovative new twist on the world famous puzzle game" will be the turning of Tetris from a marathon into a sprint (hence the "Blitz" name).
You'll have just two minutes to clear as many lines and rack up as many points as possible. There'll be special multipliers, power-ups and an elusive Frenzy Mode for the most skilled, as well as the classic score boosters through clearing multiple lines back-to-back.
Power-ups will be refreshed every week (kudos for that), while Tetris Blitz will also offer an alternative "Drag and Place" control option in addition to the classic "Swipe" way. In a nutshell, "Tetris Blitz wraps all of the best elements of the iconic Tetris game inside a bite-sized, frenzied experience that is perfect for smartphones and tablets.", according to Nick Earl, Senior VP and GM of EA's All Play label.
Hmm, sounds intriguing, but for some reason I'm not yet sold on the idea. Are you?
Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:07 AM PST
how-i-android-nexus-4-intro
If you’ve ever wondered how the guys at Android Authority put together their Android phones and tablets, here is the chance. In this new segment, How I Android, a member of the team will show you how their phone helps them in everyday tasks, big or small. Also, as is seen in this first segment dealing with the Nexus 4, I’ll present to you some of the ways I’ve taken advantage of the newest features in Jelly Bean 4.2. It’s a great way of seeing your favorite operating system in a different light – and it can give you some ideas about how to change your own setup, too!
The video is down below and lists off a number of different apps that I use because they just make my life easier. See them in action in the video and check out those apps below it!

Nova Launcher 
nova launcher
One of the most popular Jelly Bean replacement launchers is Nova, and its popularity, in my opinion, is well warranted. It’s no secret that I love stock Android more than any third party UI, and the appeal of Nova for me is that it doesn’t add anything to the already great formula of Jelly Bean’s UI. Instead, it takes the elements and just puts options in. Instead of the standard 5 screens, I can remove and add as many as I want. Having multiple docks for icons allows for the icons to come off of the homescreens and tidily hidden out of view. These are just a couple of the many options that are available in Nova.
ActivePhoto Widget ($1.99)
how-i-android-nexus-4-activephoto
Sure, you can put a picture or pictures of people on your homescreens, but why not put that widget to work? ActivePhoto takes its name seriously as it allows for just this kind of function. Selected an appropriate size, find your picture (or pictures, as multiple will result in a slideshow), and tell the app what to do when you press on the widget. These functions pertain to the contact, so pick if touching the picture will make a call, open a new text, or open their quick contact popup (which is what I do). It’s a great way of getting a picture of someone important on your screen, as well as giving you an easy way of connecting with them.
DashClock Widget
dashclock widget for android 4.2
We just did a review of this widget recently, and I checked it out after seeing how nice it was. Inevitably, it came to replace the stock clock on my homescreens and lockscreen. DashClock takes the design of the stock JB clock and elegantly puts some extra information in. You can have quick information like unread text messages, the number of unread e-mails you have, even the time of your next alarm clock on there. It fulfills one of my main criteria for phone customization – functional simplicity.
gReader
greader
The last widget found on my homescreens is my gReader widget, which gives me a scrollable look at the last 50 stories from Android Authority. There are so many different RSS feed readers out there and they all have great features. I didn’t need all of that, however, and believe me when I say I’ve tried almost all of them. gReader, with a free version, gets right down to the stories and the design makes the sea of text easy on the eyes. It might not have a very elaborate name, but don’t be fooled – this is a pretty awesome reader. To get widgets, though, you have to fork over some money. It was worth it, I think.
MinimalWall
minimalwallsmall
(BONUS: click for the full wallpaper!)
Here’s a bonus for you – you might have seen some interesting wallpapers on all of my Nexus devices, comprising of a simple colored background and a few words, usually some sort of inspirational or motivational reminder (focus.). Those wallpapers come from MinimalWall, a website dedicated to simplifying your life by changing up your desktop background. They have pages upon pages of different wallpapers just like the one you see in my video presentation, and I’m sure they’ll bring a little more functional simplicity to your Android device.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 11:56 PM PST
ouya
Was there any possible way we could get more excited about OUYA, the upcoming Android-based console, after hearing about the incredible Kickstarter support and after having that unbelievably low $99 price point confirmed?
Sure there was. Just take a look at the obscenely long list of games supposedly supported by the console. And now, just to bump the hype with one extra level, we have OUYA's CEO, Julie Uhrman, making some very bold claims.
According to Uhrman, the first-gen console will be "the best Tegra 3 device on the market". Now, it's obvious the game industry veteran is not exactly the most objective person to evaluate her baby’s power and potential, but her claims don't exactly come out of thin air.
ouya-2
Instead, she is basing that on the very tight partnership between her company and NVIDIA. The Tegra 3 makers have apparently had "multiple people on their team dedicated to OUYA's account", which should have definitely helped in pushing the limits of the quad-core chip.
As a reminder, the $99 console is set to use a 1.7 GHz Tegra 3 T33 SoC, but, unlike regular phones or tablets powered by the same platform, it won't have to worry about battery life. That will obviously allow the joint team of OUYA and NVIDIA developers to squeeze out a lot of extra oomph from the chip, which can only make us that more excited about the device.
Before wrapping up, we have to give it up to NVIDIA one more time for this extended support to the project, seeing as the Santa Clara-based company has its own Android-based console in the works. Granted, Shield will most likely step things up a notch compared with the $99 gaming device (both in performance and pricing), but a less visionary company might have still seen OUYA as the enemy.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 11:17 PM PST
galaxy-note-2
If you own the Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2 on Sprint, get ready to receive a bundle of software update surprise from the carrier. No, we're obviously not talking about the latest flavor of Jelly Bean, as these are more of minor updates for the two handsets.
Owners of the Galaxy S3 can look forward to the L710VPMA6 update, which will bring the following to the device: enhanced Voicemail application, support for 3-digit SMS, and a fix for the Calendar sync issues.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Note 2 will be getting the L900VPAMA7 update, which will improve the security of the phone. It's likely a fix for the Exynos exploit.
Sprint have begun rolling out the updates for the two devices via OTA. Seeing that they are being pushed out in phases, you may not see the update notification right away. It won't hurt to manually check for the update on your phone every now and then. Feel free to drop a note below if you’ve received the new firmware.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 11:02 PM PST
banner-galaxy-s3-vs-xperia-v
We’ve seen a lot of new letters in the Xperia alphabet lately. We previously reviewed some of them, such as the Sony Xperia J, Xperia T, and the Xperia TX. Recently, the Sony Xperia V LT25i came along to join the group. The Xperia V does more than improve Sony’s alphabet letter count. This exciting edition is Sony’s 4G LTE-capable, dust-proof, and water-resistant phone.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 continues to sit in the clouds as one of the most popular Android smartphones, reaching 20 million in global sales just a hundred days after initial release. Its current sales have topped 40 million despite the ongoing patent wars.

Does the Galaxy S3 need to worry about the Xperia V’s appearance into the scene? Is the Sony phone amazing enough — in word and in deed — to cause the Galaxy S3 to squirm in its seat of honor? Let’s find out in this comparison review. You can also skip to our comparison video at the end of this article.
(NOTE: In this comparison, the pebble blue model of the international variant of the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 is compared with the Sony Xperia V LT25i.)

Physical Build and Design

Dimensions and Weight

Galaxy S3Xperia V
Length136.6 mm (5.38 in)129 mm (5.08 in)
Width70.6 mm (2.78 in)65 mm (2.56 in)
Thickness8.6 mm (0.34 in)10.7 mm (0.42 in)
Weight133 g (4.69 oz)120 g (4.23 oz)

The Galaxy S3 and the Xperia V are portable phones. However, I find the Xperia V more portable because of its smaller design and lighter weight. The Xperia V’s whole screen is more accessible to my thumb than the Galaxy S3′s. In addition, the Xperia V has a sturdier build with an Ingress Protection code of IP55 and IP57, which means that dust can’t easily enter its internal parts. The phone is also resistant to low-pressure water sprays and can survive immersion under 1 meter of fresh water for up to half an hour.

Front


Both phones sport different faces: a polished pebble-like front on the Galaxy S3 and a minimalistic industrial design on the Xperia V.

True to its minimalist roots, the Xperia V’s front is all glossy black. Its silver frame protrudes a bit at the bottom side of the phone, giving the Xperia V a narrow chin. There are no physical buttons here; navigation is done through onscreen buttons.

In contrast, the Galaxy S3 has a glossy blue chassis with a brushed metal design. Unlike the Xperia V, this phone uses a physical Home button flanked by the Menu and Back capacitive buttons. The front screen is accented by a blue frame.
All front elements on the Xperia V and Galaxy S3 are found on the top bezel: front camera, earphone piece, logo, light sensors, and notification light.

Sides

The sides of the Galaxy S3 stay consistent with its all-blue design. The sides are protected by a blue plastic frame meeting the phone’s polycarbonate blue-black back cover. The sides are curved and smooth, making the Galaxy S3 comfortable to hold.
In contrast, you’ll find three layers on the Xperia V: a black frame around the touch panel, a silver frame that protects the phone’s body, and the white back cover. I’m not too fond of the silver frame because it lacks a premium feel and the metallic coating looks like something that will peel off in time.
Both phones have the same standard buttons and ports, although these are situated differently on each phone.

On the top side is the headphone jack.

The Galaxy S3 has its Volume keys on the left side. The same side on the Xperia V has its Micro USB port and dock pogo pins.

The Power button sits alone on the Galaxy S3′s right side; the Xperia V’s own right side is a bit busier with the Volume keys and the Power button.

The Galaxy S3′s bottom side has its Micro USB port and microphone hole, while the Xperia V’s own bottom side only has the mic hole.

The Xperia V’s ports are covered by a flap, protecting the phone from dust and water. Added protection is a good thing, but you have to pay the price of having to open those flaps before plugging in your Micro USB cable or headphones. And, if those flaps break, you lose the dust and water-resistant protection of your phone. On the Galaxy S3, the ports are readily accessible not only to you but also to dust and liquids.

Back


The Galaxy S3 has a polycarbonate blue-black back cover with brushed metal design while the Xperia V has a white pearl-like back. Both covers have one thing in common — they are removable. The batteries on both phones are also removable. This means that you can use third-party back covers and replace the batteries on both phones.

Sony deserves some credit for the Xperia V’s removable back, considering that this is a dust and water-resistant phone. When you remove the back cover, you’ll find rubber edging designed to prevent liquid or dust from reaching the battery, microSD card, and SIM compartments.

You’ll see the same elements on both phone’s backs, although they are arranged differently. The Galaxy S3 has the camera flash, rear camera, and the speaker grille aligned horizontally on the top portion of its back cover.

In contrast, all these elements are arranged vertically on the Xperia V. From top to bottom, you can find the rear camera and a small hole for the microphone, the LED flash, the Xperia logo in silver, the tiny hole for the water sensor that Sony uses to measure if the limit for safe operation has been exceeded, and the speaker grille.

The Xperia V’s back also curves slightly towards the center, which makes the phone feel like it is hugging my hand. The Galaxy S3′s back, in contrast, is flat and smooth.

Screen and Display

  • Galaxy S3
    • 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED
    • 720×1280 HD resolution
    • 306 ppi
    • Corning Gorilla Glass 2
  • Xperia V
    • 4.3-inch TFT LCD
    • 720×1280 HD resolution
    • 342 ppi
    • Scratch-resistant glass

The Galaxy S3′s screen is half an inch wider than the Xperia V’s but both phones have the same screen resolution. The Xperia V, however, has a higher pixel density. On paper, the Xperia V’s display is sharper and more vivid than the Galaxy S3′s, in real life, I could hardly tell which one is sharper.
The HD Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S3 produces vibrant and saturated images. Some may find the display too saturated, but I find the Galaxy S3′s screen okay. In contrast, the Xperia V uses a TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with Sony’s BRAVIA Engine. This screen produces bright and vibrant images, but they were not as saturated as those on the Galaxy S3. You can disable the BRAVIA Engine, but doing so will render subdued and realistic colors.

Samsung also squeezed some of its display features into the Galaxy S3. For example, you’ll find Smart Stay, an eye detector that keeps the screen on while you’re looking at your phone. There’s Smart Rotation, which scans your face and adjusts the screen’s orientation accordingly. These features use the Galaxy S3′s front camera and need adequate lighting to function.

Processing Power

Galaxy S3Xperia V
ChipsetSamsung Exynos 4412Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960
CPUquad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait
GPUMali-400MPAdreno 225
RAM1 GB1 GB
Internal Memory16, 32, 64 GB8 GB
External Memoryup to 64 GBup to 32 GB

Some people think that quad-core processors are always faster than dual-core processors. One shouldn’t judge a processor by its numbers; optimization should instead be the basis for performance. Even a well-optimized dual-core processor can match a fast quad-core device. One concrete example is the Nexus 10.
A quad-core processor powers the Galaxy S3 and a dual-core processor on the Xperia V. Although both phones differ in the number of cores, the Galaxy S3 and Xperia V performed equally well when we browsed the Web, launched apps, and played HD games. Although I noticed some jitter while scrolling through the Xperia V’s homescreen and App Drawer, it didn’t bother me at all.

For storage, though, the Xperia V is quite limited with only 8 GB of internal storage, but it does have a slot for a microSD card for up to 32 GB additional space. In contrast, the Galaxy S3 has more storage capacity options and can take up to 64 GB of additional space via microSD expansion.

Benchmarks

We did some standard benchmark tests on both phones and got these results:
Galaxy S3Xperia V
Quadrant54615661
AnTuTu1568911075
CF-Bench132249580
Vellamo Mobile Benchmark HTML514172047
Vellamo Mobile Benchmark Metal557608
Geekbench 214891631
Linpack for Android Single Thread (in MFLOPS)54.937150.509
Linpack for Android Multi-thread (in MFLOPS)460.838286.361
GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD C24Z16 Offscreen (in fps)1512
Nenamark 1 (in fps)60.060.1
Nenamark 2 (in fps)58.860.0
An3DBench76637362
SunSpider 0.9.1 JavaScript (in ms; lower is better)2036.81165.6
BrowserMark 2.018813092
Google V8 Benchmark Suite17441467
The benchmark tests yielded varying results, although the Galaxy S3 bested the Sony phone in most tests. This means that even if the Xperia V has dual-core processing power, it can still outperform the quad-core phone in some areas.

Battery Life

Both phones use a Li-ion battery with different capacities: 2,100 mAh on the Galaxy S3 and a 1,700 mAh battery on the Xperia V. In theory, the Galaxy S3 should last longer than the Xperia V.
I did an informal battery test to compare the battery life. The test involved enabling battery hungry features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and maximum screen brightness. I also kept the screen on and turned on all sync options. Then, I played a hi-def YouTube video for an hour and then browsed the Internet for another hour.
From a full charge, the Galaxy S3′s battery went down to 61% while the Xperia V’s went down to 48%. You can clearly determine which phone would black out if I went with the test for 2 more hours.

Connectivity

Each phone requires a Micro-SIM card for mobile network connectivity. The SIM trays are underneath the back covers. The Xperia V’s SIM tray, though, is curiously beneath the microSD card slot; you’ll need to pull out the caddy with a fingernail.

Both phones can connect to the Web via 2G, 3G, or Wi-Fi connections. The Xperia V, however, can also connect to 4G LTE, supporting the following LTE bands:
  • LTE 850 MHz (B5)
  • LTE 1800 MHz (B3)
  • LTE 2100 MHz (B1)
  • LTE 2600 MHz (B7)
Other variants of the Xperia V support other LTE bands, which means owners of the handset can enjoy flexible 4G LTE compatibility. The international Galaxy S3 doesn’t support 4G connection, however some of its variants do (e.g., the GT-I9305).
The Galaxy S3 and Xperia V have the same connectivity features as those on most high-end smartphones, such as:
  • Bluetooth
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • NFC
  • DLNA
  • Syncing screen to an HDTV
  • Standard Micro USB port for transferring files

Camera


Both phones’ Camera apps are flexible and easy to use. I particularly like how these Camera apps let you scale down images or videos to be captured. Both Camera apps have essential features for photoholics such as:
  • 5 white balance presets
  • Selection of photo effects
  • Different ISO values
  • Exposure values
  • Geotagging
  • Image stabilization
In addition to those essential features, each Camera app has unique features to make it better than the other. On the Galaxy S3, for example, you’ll find these:
  • Burst Shot — captures multiple pictures with one tap of the Shutter button
  • Best Photo — selects the perfect photo from a series of Burst Shot images
  • Best Face — lets you select a set of pre-captured images
  • Share Shot — shoot images and share them instantly via Wi-Fi Direct
  • Voice enabled controls — control the camera using your voice
Meanwhile, the Xperia V has the following camera features:
  • Quick launch — set a predefined action when launching the camera from the lockscreen
  • Focus mode — select a method on how to focus when taking pictures
  • Smile Shutter — smile to activate shutter; choose between small, average, or big smiles
The Galaxy S3 has an 8-megapixel camera with a CMOS sensor. The Xperia V, in contrast, has a 13-megapixel camera, coupled with a Sony Exmor-R sensor. But, then again, higher-megapixel cameras don’t necessarily produce better images. Megapixels never indicate photo quality. Rather, image quality highly depends on the camera’s sensors.
Let’s compare some photos captured by the Galaxy S3 and the Xperia V.


In the shots above, I prefer the image from the Galaxy S3. The image is sharper and more vibrant than the image captured by the Xperia V.


For indoor shots like those above, the Xperia V’s photo’s colors were more subdued than the Galaxy S3′s image.


In low-light settings, the Xperia V produced a brighter yet noisier image.
Camera performance on both phones were actually fast in bright settings. In low-light conditions, though, it took time for both cameras to focus and capture an image.
For video chatting and vanity shots, the Galaxy S3 has a 1.9-megapixel front camera while the Xperia V has a VGA front camera. Let’s see how these two front cameras fared.


The Galaxy S3 produced an acceptable image while the Xperia V’s was a bit blurry and fuzzy, and the colors weren’t accurate.


In low-light settings, the Galaxy S3 still produced an acceptable shot while the Xperia V’s own shot was very subdued and noisy.
Both phones can record 1080p Full HD videos. The Xperia V’s autofocus, however, is rather slow. The Xperia’s camcorder produced blurry videos when I moved from one spot to another.

Media Playback


You can watch videos through the Galaxy S3′s Video Player app and the Xperia V’s Movies app. Both video players are simple and can play 1080p Full HD videos without breaking a sweat. I also like the unique interface of both video player apps.

The Video Player app on the Galaxy S3 displays video thumbnails on a grid. The thumbnails are not static; they play previews of the videos. The Galaxy S3′s video player also allows you to take snapshots of the video you’re watching or, with the help of the Pop-up Play feature, to multitask while watching your video.

Meanwhile, the Movies app on the Xperia V displays a preview of the video that you last watched, as well as the time remaining. Viewing a video will display an image thumbnail and a brief description about the video (if available) from Gracenote. It actually feels like I’m in the cinema when watching videos through this app.
You can also find simple video players in each phone’s photo album/gallery app.

For music playback, the Galaxy S3 comes with the Music Player app while the Xperia V has the WALKMAN app. Both apps group your music according to songs, playlist, artist, albums, and more. They both have 5-band equalizers and equalizer presets to refine audio quality.

The Xperia V, however, has even more features that enhance your music experience:
  • ClearAudio+ — instantly enhances your music
  • Surround sound (VPT) — uses surround sound types for listening via headphones
  • Clear stereo — reduces crosstalk between headphone channels to reproduce original stereo sounds
  • Clear Phase — adjusts sound quality of internal speaker
  • xLOUD — increases sound intensity from loudspeaker
  • Dynamic normaliser — uniforms volume levels between songs or videos
  • Visualizer — displays a visual visualizer on the screen
The sound quality of both phones’ loudspeakers is good. The Xperia V’s sound output, however, is louder compared to the Galaxy S3′s, but distortion was also more evident. I recommend using headphones for listening to music on both phones.

Software


When it was first released, the Galaxy S3 ran on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It then received its Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update that brought additional goodies.
Meanwhile, the Xperia V is still running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sony is currently pushing the Android 4.1.2 update for this phone in select countries. Each phone runs on Android, with its respective custom OEM skin giving it a unique look, as well as a set of unique features: the Touchwiz Nature UX on the Galaxy S3 and Timescape UI on the Xperia V. Let’s take a glimpse at the look and feel of both phones’ interfaces.

Lockscreen


Right from the Galaxy S3′s lockscreen, you instantly get a taste of the nature-inspired TouchWiz UI. Tapping the lockscreen shows you ripple effects. To unlock the phone, just swipe anywhere. For easy access, you can place several app shortcuts here and you can launch the app by dragging its shortcut across the screen. The notification menu can be accessed even when the phone is locked.
The Xperia V’s lockscreen is a lot simpler. You get a slider with buttons for unlocking the phone and for Quick Launch. Just drag the lock icon towards the unlock icon to unlock the phone. Drag the Quick launch icon to the opposite side of the slider to perform the predefined Quick Launch Camera action. You can also swipe the Digital Clock widget leftwards to reveal the music player on the lockscreen. The notification menu is inaccessible from the lockscreen.

Homescreen


On the homescreens of both phones, you can group your favorite contacts, place widgets, or decorate the screen with the background of your choice. Homescreen layout is similar on both phones: status bar at the top edge of the screen and App Dock bar below.
The App Dock contains 4 app shortcuts and one button for the App Drawer. The location of the App Drawer button, however, differs on both phones: it’s in the middle of the Xperia V’s App Dock while the Galaxy S3 has it on the rightmost side.
The Xperia V gives you only 5 homescreen pages to play with, but the Galaxy S3 gives you two more (for a total of 7). You also get a cool flipping animation when you navigate through the Galaxy S3′s homescreens.

Multitasking

Android is quite flexible at multitasking, and custom OEM skins often add to the basic functions that barebones Android provides.

On the Galaxy S3, you have the following:
  • Recent Apps menu — long tap Home button to open menu; swipe left/right to remove apps or tap to switch between apps; contains toggle buttons for task manager, Google Now, and delete all recent apps
  • Multi Window — open two apps simultaneously by splitting the screen; long tap Back key to open Multi Window bar
  • Pop-up Play — plays and overlays video on a floating mini video player
  • Page buddy — a special home screen page appears when connecting earphones, while docked, or when the phone is set to roaming

Meanwhile, the Xperia V has the following:
  • Recent Apps menu — tap Recent App virtual button to open menu; swipe left/right to remove apps or tap to switch between apps
  • Small Apps — overlays a small app or widgets on the screen; calculator, timer, note, and voice recorder small apps installed by default
  • Smart Connect — instantly performs predefined actions when connecting earphones or charging the phone

Notifications


The Notification Shade is a common heritage on every Android phone, but it can vary in design and in how notifications are managed.
The Galaxy S3 has taken on the style of the Jelly Bean Notification Shade with some TouchWiz UI modifications. This notification menu has toggle buttons for most accessed Settings options. You can change the order and choices of toggle buttons on the Settings menu. A brightness slider is also present here. Notifications are grouped according to app. You can expand a notification to view more details by swiping the notification downwards with two fingers; swipe upwards to collapse. Some notifications are actionable, allowing you to perform actions right on the menu. To remove notifications, either swipe left or right or tap the Clear button to remove all notifications.
Things are much simpler on the Xperia V. The Notification Shade has toggle buttons for sounds, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile data connection, and a shortcut for the Settings menu. You cannot change or add toggle buttons. Notifications are also grouped according to app, but you cannot expand or collapse notifications. Notifications are also not actionable. Gestures for dismissing notifications are similar to those for the Galaxy S3.

App Drawer


Your apps in the Galaxy S3 and Xperia V are stored inside the App Drawer. By default, your apps are arranged on a 5×4 grid. You can also customize the look and arrangement of apps in the App Drawer.
The only major difference between the two App Drawers is that the Xperia V doesn’t have a dedicated tab for Widgets inside the App Drawer. You also cannot hide apps or display downloaded apps; the Galaxy S3 is capable of those.

Widgets


On the Galaxy S3, you can find widgets inside the App Drawer. Hold down on a widget and drop it on any empty spot on the homescreen.
On the Xperia V, there is no Widgets tab inside the App drawer. Instead, access the list of widgets by tapping on an empty spot on the homescreen and then tapping the plus button at the upper-right corner. You’ll be shown a list of widgets and app shortcuts.

Personalization

Both the Galaxy S3 and Xperia V inherit the personalization features of stock Android, plus a few extras thrown in.

The Galaxy S3 has the following features:
  • Two homescreen modes
  • Changing the font style
  • 4 screen modes
  • Motion gestures
  • Changing or rearranging toggle buttons on the Notification Shade

Meanwhile, the Xperia V has the following:
  • Applying themes
  • Customizing keyboard layout and adding additional keys
  • Enhancing photos and videos with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
  • Changing keyboard layout and skins

Keyboard

Both keyboards have the essential core features such as multilingual support, word prediction, auto correction, voice-to-text, and gesture typing.

Although having similar features, the Galaxy S3′s keyboard is definitely smarter than the Xperia V’s because of advanced Text Prediction. This feature studies the way you type. You can even log-in to your Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail accounts and let the app study your word use. With smarter prediction, tap- or swipe-typing becomes quicker on the Galaxy S3.

Meanwhile, the Xperia’s keyboard focuses more on style and suiting the taste of the user. The keyboard has the Personalization wizard that helps you through a series of steps for customizing the keyboard. You can set which buttons to add on the keyboard, select a keyboard layout, and select keyboard skins.

Search


Since the Galaxy S3 runs Jelly Bean, this phone uses Google Now as its default search app. This search app is now smarter because it automatically flashes reminders or alerts. Results are displayed on flashcards. You can also use Google’s voice search to search for terms, launch an app, call a contact, set reminders, and more. You also get a voice-activated assistant called S Voice.
Meanwhile, the Xperia V uses Google Search as its default search app but it’s not as smart as Google Now. You can also use voice commands such as that for getting directions, calling contacts, and doing a web search. The Xperia V doesn’t have a voice-activated assistant.

Security


The Galaxy S3 and the Xperia V have inherited the same security features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Samsung, however, has added a few more security measures of its own, such as:
  • Motion unlock
  • Face and Voice unlock
  • remote controls via SamsungDive

Updating Process


Updating the Galaxy S3 can be done in two ways: via Samsung Kies or over-the-air. I updated my Galaxy S3 from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean easily over-the air.
Meanwhile, the Xperia V prompts you when an update becomes available, but to be able to install system updates, you need to connect the phone to a computer on which the Windows-exclusive PC Companion software must be installed. And, I find this rather frustrating, especially since I use a Linux machine for work.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in 16-, 32-, and 64-gigabyte models variants in select countries for about US$550, US$680, and US$800 respectively. Meanwhile, the Xperia V is available through some mobile carriers at an estimated price range of about US$500 to US$600.

Video Review

Check out our comparison video for the Galaxy S3 and Xperia V.

Conclusion

Both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Xperia V are excellent and well-crafted phones. Both have distinct designs that can certainly compete with the hottest smartphones on the market. I was impressed by the hardware and performance on both phones. Each phone, however, has unique features that are worth pointing out.
With media consumption in mind, I like the Xperia V for its WALKMAN and Movies app. The music player contains tons of features that let me tune and personalize my phone according to my music taste and preference. I particularly like the cinema-like theme on its video player. More importantly, you get 4G LTE capability, plus protection from dust and water, all in a small and portable phone.
Owing to its quad-core processor, the Galaxy S3 is perfect for multitasking. This beast is perfect for power users and mobile gamers. It is also ideal for those who frequently need multitasking features. I also like the smoothness and features of Jelly Bean, plus the convenience of Google Now and the voice assistant S Voice.
At the end of the day, you will need to choose which phone provides the best balance of performance and features suited to your intended use for it. Which phone is best for you? Is it the popular and powerful Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300? Or the water-resistant and LTE-capable Xperia V LT25i? Tell us by voting in the polls and leaving a comment below.
(with contributions from Elmer Montejo and Carl Parker)
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:58 PM PST

NVIDIA has just posted their fiscal Q4 2013 financial results. Translation: Their calendar ends on January 27th, not December 31st. So how are the numbers? They’re good, but not great. Revenues topped $1.1 billion, roughly 8% lower than the previous quarter; profits were only around $174 million. What really hurts is NVIDIA’s guidance about the future. They say that they’re only going to hit $940 million in revenue in the current quarter. Analysts were expecting a hair over $1 billion.
But let’s forget about the money for a second and let’s talk about NVIDIA’s products. Tegra 3 powered tablets are helping NVIDIA, but they’re not really winning any contracts with handset vendors. The company’s CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, said he expects that to change later this year when NVIDIA’s first 4G LTE modem happens. Here’s the exact quote:
“We’ll have some phone success this year, but we don’t expect to have a whole lot of phone design wins until we engage the market with LTE.”
If you’re a company that makes phones, you don’t want to waste time testing a totally new modem. There’s a reason that Qualcomm is kicking ass and taking names right now. People are comfortable with their chips. They know they work. Operators have certified their parts. NVIDIA has a lot to prove here.
Will Tegra 4 turn things around? That remains to be seen. Earlier this month we covered a rumor out of Taiwan that said just one company has signed up to use the Tegra 4, Toshiba. If true, that means this is going to be an incredibly difficult year for NVIDIA.
And what about Shield? That’s an extremely polarizing product. Some people can’t wait to buy one, but this writer fails to see the point of Shield existing. We already have mobile gaming devices. They’re called smartphones.
And they’re only going to get better with time as chips improve.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:28 PM PST
IPHONE-Neo-One-600Brazil
A few days ago we told you that the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) will rule against Apple in an iPhone-related trademark case in the country, and it looks like the ruling is now official.
The Brazilian IPHONE – a trademark registered in 2000 by IGB Eletronica SA and awarded in 2008 to the company – is the victor, with INPI denying Apple's request to register the iPhone name in the region.
Obviously Apple is appealing the decision, arguing that the Brazilian Android maker has failed to produce any hardware under the IPHONE brand – according to local law, a company has five years to make use of any awarded trademark.
IGB only announced an IPHONE smartphone (the Neo One, which we talked about a few months ago) in late December 2012, “weeks before the deadline,” with the handset being available in Brazil only from the maker's website and from one other location, a shipping center in Sao Paulo, according to the Wall Street Journal.
What will happen next? INPI will evaluate Apple's objection in the following 60 days and issue another ruling.
Should IGB win again, Apple may be in for another trademark-based lawsuit that will most likely result in the iPhone maker paying a few millions to the IPHONE trademark holder in Brazil. It's nothing new really, as we've seen this same scenario happen in China recently, with a local company being paid $60 million for the iPad name.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:15 PM PST
Gunslugs Back in the 90′s, everyone had at least one 2D shooter game. They were fun, they packed a lot of action, and it was something to do when you had a friend over to play video games. Titles like Contra and Gunstar Heroes were quite popular back then. It is now possible to relive those memories of button mashing, bullet dodging fun with a game called Gunslugs. It’s a game in the Google Play Store that you can pick up for $1.49. As usual, if you’d rather watch than read, we’ve posted our video review at the bottom.

Menus and Game Play

The menu system is quite simple. You select options from the title screen and from there you can check out the various options. They include Objectives, Controls, Music+Effects, and an option to connect a Bluetooth controller for two player mode. One neat feature is the ability to move the on-screen game controls to wherever you want them to be for an optimal gaming experience.
Gunslugs itself features a rudimentary story line about how you need to stop the Black Duck Army from taking over the world. If you’ve played one of these 2D shooters in the past, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Level after level you’ll be destroying the bad guys and saving everyone. Nothing overly complicated.
Once in game, you jump, shoot, fly (sometimes), and walk your way through each level. Each round has a few objectives to complete, but it’s usually destroying a building. There are buildings you can get into that offer secrets like mini games, new weapons, ammo refills, and health regeneration. They appear pretty frequently but most require a certain number of coins.
At the end of the level, you helicopter out to safety before beginning the next stage. As OrangePixel states in their game description, Gunslugs is action packed. Bad guys are shooting at you before the level even starts, which makes Gunslugs all the more challenging.

Graphics

OrangePixel seems to be emulating the 2D shooters of old and Gunslugs emulates this experience very well. That includes the graphics. They are definitely about as old school as you can get. Any older, and this game would’ve been displayed in text form. This isn’t a bad thing, though, as the game’s graphics help promote the nostalgic feel of Gunslugs in comparison to the games it is trying to emulate.
Bullets fired by either side are the same color, size, and shape. So sometimes it’s very hard to tell which ones are yours and which ones are theirs. Also, explosions aren’t very well defined and it’s easy to think you made it far enough away but still get caught in the blast. These elements don’t make the game annoying, but more challenging. Running from all explosions is a very good idea.
It’s no Contra, but the graphics suit the purpose of the game and aren’t so bad once you get used to them. However, it would have been nice to see something a little more detailed.

Replay Value

Gunslugs seems to do very well with replay value. Each level is relatively short and doesn’t take long to complete. This makes playing them a short endeavor that helps keep the game from being boring when you have to replay a level after dying. There are also unlockable characters, various weapons, and tools you can find in game that help each level be unique.
Nothing helps the replay value in Gunslugs more than its random level generator. According to OrangePixel, no two game sessions will ever be the same. So you can pick this up, get a few levels in and finally die. Play it again, and all the levels are different. This is a really awesome feature that helps keeps gamers engaged. Every time you play it, it’s like the first time you play it.
Between the unlockable characters, the various in-game items, and the random level generator, Gunslugs manages to stay fresh long after similar games would get boring.

Gunslugs Overall Value

There are a million ways to spend $1.49 that would be worse than Gunslugs. It’s action packed from start to finish with a myriad of weapons, items, and mini games to keep players immersed. The music and sound effects are circa 1990′s and, combined with the graphics, really helps add a nostalgic feel to the game.
Obviously, if you’re not into 2D shooters, then you won’t like this game. After all, it’s a 2D shooter. If you are into these types of games, then there is definitely a good case to be made to at least try it out. With its constant mayhem, you’re literally never left just standing there wondering what to do. Really, who could ask for more in a video game?
If you’d like to grab it up, you can find it in the Google Play Store here.
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:05 PM PST
Nexus 4
Hey, hey! Last, but not least, the Nexus 4 joins every other Nexus device with Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39) finally starting to roll out now. How do you get it? Well, it doesn’t matter if you’re unrooted stock or rooted stock. You might be one of the lucky ones and can easily go to Settings, About, and Check Now for an update. If that doesn’t work, and you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty, you can always download the official update and use the ADB sideload method.
How to flash an official Nexus update with ADB sideload:
  1. First you’ll need to have the Android SDK installed and working.
  2. Download Android 4.2.2 OTA for the Nexus 4 from Google’s servers.
  3. Go to Developer options on your Nexus device. Enable USB Debugging.
  4. Plug your Nexus device into your computer with your USB cable.
  5. Open a command prompt (cmd) or terminal and make sure ADB is working with ‘adb devices’.
  6. Once ADB is connected and working, type ‘adb reboot recovery’
  7. You’ll see an Android with an exclamation mark.
  8. Press Volume Up and Power at the same time to enter the stock recovery menu.
  9. Select Apply update from ADB on your Nexus device.
  10.  Type ‘adb sideload filename.zip’ into the command prompt or terminal on your computer.
    i.e adb sideload c:\downloads\de8b8d101614.signed-occam-JDQ39-from-JOP40D.de8b8d10.zip
  11. Sit, back, relax, and watch the update install.
  12. If everything worked as intended, you should then be prompted to reboot your device,
  13. Do so by using the Volume Up and Down keys to select Reboot System and proceed by hitting the Power button.
  14. Your device should reboot.
  15. Congrats! You now have Android 4.2.2!

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