Android Central

Verizon's Droid DNA to be updated with bug fixes Posted: 11 Feb 2013 04:25 PM PST Verizon's HTC-built Droid DNA will soon be receiving a software update with a few important bug fixes, as the carrier has just posted word on its Droid DNA software support page. The new version 2.04.605.2 710RD comes with a sizeable changelog, including references to fixes for the mobile hotspot function, headset audio quality and Bluetooth -- User can load videos on HuluPlus Improvements to Hotspot connectivity have been made Improvements to Audio Quality for wired headsets and earpieces have been made Bluetooth connectivity and volume level for specific models have been improved Enhanced reliability and stability of the Contacts List have been made Wi-Fi Connectivity has been improved Improvements to default browser for zooming capability have been made Incoming messages display with the correct timestamp Enhanced Recent Apps functionality has been improved We've had first-hand experience of mobile hotspot jankiness on the DNA, so hopefully this update will provide relief for this and other lingering issues with the phone. If previous Verizon updates are any indication, this new DNA firmware should start pushing out in the days ahead. When it does, the update file will weigh in at 103.5MB. Source: Verizon Wireless

Google Play Movies is in the mood for love with a big Valentine's Day sale Posted: 11 Feb 2013 03:34 PM PST If you're a hopeless romantic or a film buff, Google Play has a big Valentine's Day sale going on. Rentals start at just $1.99, and the list is chock full of favorites both old and new. While Star Wars is notably absent from the list, Mrs. Hildenbrand informs me that The Notebook and City of Angels are perfect substitutes, and ones we will be watching this week. Watching the movies you rent or buy is easy. You can use your phone, tablet, or Google TV box with the Google Play Movies app, or visit www.play.google.com/movies from any computer with a modern Internet browser. What can't be helped is that not everyone has access to Google Play Movies. If they aren't available in your country, other avenues exist that can show Hollywood how much you support their world distribution licensing. Check out what's available from the Google Play app on your Android device, or via the web right here. And be sure to enter our Valentine's Day contest to win a Nexus 4 or Nexus 7 to watch movies on for next year's Valentine's Day sale!

Motorola Atrix HD tops user satisfaction poll, 4 of top 5 devices run Android Posted: 11 Feb 2013 02:58 PM PST In a recent device satisfaction survey, OnDevice Research asked 320,000 smart phone users in the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Indonesia how satisfied they were with their current device. Of the 93,825 users asked in the United States, the Motorola Atrix HD came out on top -- followed (in order) by the RAZR M, the HTC Rezound, the Note 2, and finally the iPhone 5. These results are a bit surprising. I spent some time with the Atrix HD and loved it, but would never have expected it to top phones like the Note 2 or iPhone 5, which have a huge following. I'm not suggesting the survey is flawed. I'm suggesting that we're now at a point where most smart phones offer the same compelling features, and price can play an important factor in how happy we are with the phone in our hands. You can easily join in the speculation with me. Hit the source link and have a read, then try to make sense of it all in the comments. Source: On Device Research

Motorola makes Platinum Droid RAZR M officially official Posted: 11 Feb 2013 01:10 PM PST We saw a new color of the Motorola Droid RAZR M pop up for sale on best Buy's website last week, and now Motorola is confirming its existence. The device is the same internally as the original colors of the RAZR M, but externally it's got a shiny new coat of platinum (c'mon, it's silver) paint. The front is still black, but the sides and buttons have been changed. You can pick up the new color of the Droid RAZR M for $49.99 with a 2-year Verizon contract, and it seems to be a Best Buy exclusive at least for now. Motorola says that "quantities are limited," so check the source links if you're interested in picking one of these up. Source: Motorola; Best Buy

Sonos update bringing favorites improvements, new widget for Android app Posted: 11 Feb 2013 12:31 PM PST Sonos is rolling out an update to both its hardware setups and mobile apps to enable new features today. The first part of the update will come to the Sonos base station itself, and will improve the handling of favorites. Users will now be able to add tracks, albums and radio stations to favorites no matter the source. The new favorites can now be accessed from any Sonos Controller in the music menu as well. An update for the Android (and iOS) Sonos Controller app is on the way to take advantage of the new features also. The Android version will receive a new widget that lets users control tracks and playback without launching the app itself, as well as show album art and metadata. The app will also receive universal search available from anywhere in the interface. Both the system and app updates are expected to start rolling out tomorrow, so be on the lookout if you're a Sonos user. Source: Sonos

Nexus 4 wireless charger finally available for $59.99 Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:58 AM PST Google has finally put the Nexus 4's official wireless charger on sale for $59.99, with a five-charger limit. The charger uses the Qi wireless technology, which juices up your phone without having to actually plug in the device. So you put it down to charge, pick it up and go. The tech specs list a 4-hour charging time (for a full charge, we reckon) and a 5Vdc/1.0A output. The picture here looks a little wonky, but it's got a micro USB connection to the included power adapter, which Google says is for the U.S. and Canada only. It's not currently available in the UK. Source: Google Play Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

ebookers hotel-finding app launches for Android Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:23 AM PST New into Google Play is "Hotels by ebookers," which aims to provide users with money saving offers and hotel tips. According to the company, users of the application could save up to 65 percent when browsing for last minute deals - something not to be sniffed at. When looking for a hotel it makes sense to do some research, and the app offers guest reviews and a selection of photographs so you shouldn't find any hidden surprises upon your arrival. Hotels by ebookers is free to download so grab it while it's hot. Highlights include: Save up to 65% off Hotels with exclusive Deals only on mobile, including tonight-only offers Book hotels in thousands of destinations around the world with ebookers Find hotels nearby your current location, perfect for same day bookings Sort hotels by price, distance or value Compare hotels and prices on an interactive map Full hotel details with photos, guest reviews by verified customers, special offers and more Available in English, French, German, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian

Mobile Nations fitness month week 2: Nutrition! Posted: 11 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST Leave a comment below telling us your Fitness Month goals and be entered to win a Withings Wireless Scale! It's February and you know what that means? Mobile Nations Fitness Month! That's when we all get together to get in shape, share tips and tricks and recipes for success, review amazing apps and accessories, give away great prizes, and have a ton of fun! This year we're doing it a little differently, though. We're doing weekly themes, and that means every week you'll have new and exciting challenges, and new chances to win! Week 2: Nutrition! You know the old saying, you are what you eat? It's a cliche because it's true. Food is what gets us going and makes us run. Eating the right foods can improve the way we look and feel, how we handle stress and how we make it through the day. Food is our fuel, and we want to make sure we give our bodies and minds the best fuel possible. As part of fitness month, we'll be reviewing a bunch of great apps and accessories that can help motivate, track, and train us to eat better and smarter.We'll also be doing THREE cool contests! read more

Indian Rides: get ready for the return of Indian Motorcycle Posted: 11 Feb 2013 08:45 AM PST Indian has been around since 1901, and they're getting ready for a re-launch of the Indian Motorcycle brand in 2013 by releasing the Indian Rides app. While the app is branded by Indian, you don't have to be an active motorcycle rider to take a look at this app though, as it has a little something to offer for travelers of any type. Read on past the break for a few quick highlights and screenshots of the app's interface. read more

Is this the HTC One? New image hits Twitter Posted: 11 Feb 2013 06:25 AM PST This morning notorious Twitter leaker Evleaks posted the above image, claiming it is the forthcoming HTC One. The new flagship from HTC, formerly known as the "M7," looks in this render to be an attractive, if unconventional handset -- its shell seems to share a few design similarities with the BlackBerry Z10 and iPhone 5. HTC Sense also seems to have undergone a bit of a transformation, as evidenced by the new icon style and home screen layout. If you've been following the recent M7 leaks, you might recognize this design as being very similar to one of the first leaked images to emerge -- an in-software render also sourced by Evleaks. What's a little perplexing, though, is the apparent lack of any multitasking button, replaced in this shot by HTC's logo. With the Feb. 19 announcement event looming on the horizon we shouldn't have to wait too long to see what HTC has up its sleeve. (And in the meantime, the usual "pinch of salt" advice concerning leaked images applies, despite Evleaks' solid track record in this area.) But if the image is indeed real it, looks to me like HTC could be heading in the right direction. Source: @Evleaks

Monday Brief: BB10 Headquarters, HTC's "One," WP8 vs. WP7, and more! Posted: 11 Feb 2013 05:35 AM PST Mobile Nations Podcast Feed Mobile Nations on iTunes Mobile Nations YouTube Debug 7: Jordan Mechner and Karateka OUYA CEO: 'There will be a new OUYA every year' Editorial: On fragmentation, malware, and clicks HTC M7 coming to market as simply the HTC One? Just picked up a BlackBerry Z10? Start here! There was a lot of love between developers and BlackBerry - Here's a quick summary from BlackBerry Jam Europe Newsflash: Lineups are not the defining factor for hot products Tennis in the Face wants you to lob tennis balls at faces The best webOS apps for exercise HP Pre3 shows up on The Following evasi0n jailbreak for iOS 6 and 6.1 now live, and untethered More on a 5-inch iPhone and Using the iPad mini as a phone Complete Macworld|iWorld 2013 coverage Nokia 41MP Windows Phone could be a Lumia 1000? It's a possibility Portico Windows Phone update rolling out in European markets for unbranded hardware In just 90 days Windows Phone 8 usage outpaced all Windows Phone 7 devices in the US

Deal of the Day: Mobi Desktop Cradle for Samsung Galaxy S3 Posted: 11 Feb 2013 05:15 AM PST The Feb. 11 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Mobi Desktop Cradle for Samsung Galaxy S3. This convenient cradle lets you dock your Galaxy S3 at your desk and charge your device, plus a spare battery at the same time. The USB cable also allows you to sync the device to your PC while the wall charger strictly charges the spare battery. Great design at an affordable price! The Mobi Desktop Cradle is available for just $14.00, over 50% off today only. Backed by our 60-day warranty and fast shipping! Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts

O2 Tracks app offers UK Top 40 playback, for a price Posted: 11 Feb 2013 04:24 AM PST If you follow obscure app-related news, you might remember that Samsung, MusicQubed and the Official Charts Company launched a UK Top 40 app last summer for owners of certain Samsung devices. That promotion's now come to an end, and this time around it's O2 that's partnering with the Charts Company with its own Top 40 app, fittingly dubbed "O2 Tracks." When you first sign up there's a complementary free trial period -- 8 weeks for O2 subscribers, 2 weeks for anyone with another operator. After that, O2 customers can subscribe for £1 per week, while for others it's £5 per month. The music itself is delivered through a bright blue, O2-themed interface, with extra tabs for tawdry "celebrity news and gossip," if you're into that sort of thing. Like the old Samsung app, tracks are downloaded to your device at regular intervals rather than being streamed, so any worries about data usage shouldn't apply here. For what it's worth, O2's app looks relatively well designed and clutter-free, but we doubt it'll be tearing anyone away from the likes of Spotify and Google Play Music anytime soon. In any case, if you want to give it a try, O2 Tracks is available on Google Play at the link above, or for other platforms at the source link down below. Source: O2 Tracks; via: Eurodroid

Fresh LG leaks fuel reports of Korean Optimus G Pro; new L-style phones spotted Posted: 11 Feb 2013 03:44 AM PST We're less than two weeks away from heading off to Barcelona, Spain for Mobile World Congress, and we're starting to see more reports of what LG might have to unveil at the show. Last week we saw leaked images suggesting the Optimus G Pro might make its way to the U+ carrier in LG's native Korea with a tweaked spec sheet, and now fresh leaks suggest the device could be headed to all major Korean operators. read more

Google Now shown off in latest Nexus 4 commercial Posted: 10 Feb 2013 07:18 PM PST Google just aired their latest Android-specific commercial during the Grammys (as well as posted it online), and it's all about the Nexus 4 and Google Now. We've long said that Google Now is the killer feature of Android, and tonight's ad pushes that point home. Weather, train schedules, local guides and translation portions of Google Now all get their time in front of the camera, and the one minute spot ends with a calendar reminder of a hangout where a road warrior spends some time with his son. While we expect Google to pimp out the Nexus 4 a good bit, it appears they also know that Google Now is pretty damn awesome. It's about time they show off both the phone and Google Now a little for everyone who hasn't been able to experience either first hand. The full video is after the break, be sure to check it out. Via: Youtube read more