Android Community |
- ASUS Fonepad: A tablet for taking calls and pictures
- Samsung HomeSync Box streamlines Android on your TV [Hands-on]
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 benchmarks show a speedy tablet
- NVIDIA reveals five Tegra 4 optimized games
- Google’s Andy Rubin shoots down rumors of their own retail stores
- Google Play services v3.0 brings Google+ sign-in and more
- ASUS details UK pricing for the MeMO Pad tablets
- Samsung’s dominance in Android may not be good for Google
- Samsung SCH-I425 ‘Godiva’ FCC filing discovered
- Falcon Pro Twitter app price increased to $132.13
- LG announces “world’s smallest” wireless charger at MWC
- Google Now and Project Glass are potentially the future of Android
- Intel announces dual-core Atom CPU for mobile, quad-core later this year
- Verizon 4G LTE expands throughout Ohio, Missouri, and 4 others
- Hands-on with the new Lenovo A- and S-series tablets: Aiming for the Nexus 7
- Boost Mobile adding more 4G LTE options with the HTC One SV and Force
- Samsung unveils KNOX, an end-to-end solution for BYOD friendly workplaces
- ClockworkMod Superuser app released as an open-source beta
- Sony Xperia Tablet Z hands-on: World’s thinnest tablet
| ASUS Fonepad: A tablet for taking calls and pictures Posted: 26 Feb 2013 11:15 AM PST ASUS unveiled the Fonepad tablet during Mobile World Congress and to put this simply, this is a 7-inch tablet with full-phone support. They are pushing the Fonepad as being for the person that wants the key features from a smartphone and tablet, but only want to carry one device. While one may have some guesses as to what each of those key features would be, ASUS clarifies things by saying the “voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet.”
Anyway, ASUS has recently offered up a promo video for the Fonepad and they are showing the tablet being used to answer a call. Not to mention, they also show the Fonepad being used to capture images. We know, many of you currently make fun of those who use a tablet to make a call or take a picture. Needless to say, this video seems to be saying that it is normal to take a call, or take a picture using the Fonepad. Without getting into whether or not people will actually use the tablet in this way, lets discuss the video. And if we can say so, ASUS almost makes the 7-inch-form-factor-as-your-only-device argument rather compelling. They didn’t try and show how it will fit in your pocket, but they did cover aspects such as the HD IPS display, the voice and data connectivity, how the metallic design is “strong and durable” and how it has “almost 10 hours of battery life.” Putting all that aside, let us ask the obvious — is anyone interested in having a 7-inch tablet as their only device. Speaking personally, I would like to say yes, however I also realize that (in my case) it would not work for the same reason I didn’t get the Galaxy Note II — it will not comfortably fit in my pocket. Aside from the video above, we managed to get a few minutes of hands-on time with the Fonepad at Mobile World Congress, you can check those images right here. Device Info
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| Samsung HomeSync Box streamlines Android on your TV [Hands-on] Posted: 26 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST This weekend Samsung announced another device that will be headed to the market with Android to connect with all their smartphones and tablets. It’s called the Samsung HomeSync media set-top box and today we’ve got a quick hands-on with it. This isn’t Google TV, instead Samsung’s using this to integrate their Android-toting devices deeper into our lives, and living rooms.
The reason for the above statement being your Samsung Galaxy device is needed to control the new Android set-top. The entire HomeSync box is roughly the size of a few small books stacked together, finished in a black brushed aluminum looking plastic shell. They’ve added a pair of USB 3.0 ports, micro-USB, HDMI-out, optical audio for better sound, and of course an Ethernet port. Then under the hood we have some decent specs too. Samsung equipped the HomeSync with a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM, as well as 8GB of storage for apps and games from Google. Then the important part is the 1000GB (1TB) hard drive that’s also included. You’ll be streaming movies in minutes all controlled by that Galaxy S III. We also have WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 on board.
The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean powered box supports up to 8 different devices to download, upload, share, and control content for the device. When we say uploading and downloading that is because you can use that 1000GB for storage, as well as offloading content to your Galaxy smartphone or tablet. Then of course the HomeSync has all those cloud storage and streaming capabilities. Samsung will bundle their own cloud storage and streaming options with the box. Things like AllShare Cast will easily pair and work with the HomeSync, and you’ll be enjoying content on the big screen with ease. Browsing the Google Play Store was a breeze, but streaming 1080p video over the crippled WiFi here in Spain during MWC wasn’t very optimal. We have a feeling enjoying this at home will be a pleasant experience. Hopefully the price is right, and we’ll report back when we hear pricing closer to the April launch date.                Device Info
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 benchmarks show a speedy tablet Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:36 AM PST When Samsung announced their new Galaxy Note 8.0 back a few days ago, we only received a brief moment of hands-on time with the new tablet. Today however while roaming the Mobile World Congress halls we couldn’t help but stop by for a second look and to run some benchmarks. We wanted to see what this 8-inch tablet that also doubles as a phone could do with that quad-core processor under the hood.
The Note 8.0 rocks a 1280 x 800 resolution display, Samsung’s 1.6 GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 processor with 2GB of RAM, and of course Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean should help things out too. Just as we expected, it scored quite well in benchmarks. While it didn’t top some smartphones with the new Qualcomm 600 series, it holds its own rather well. In Quadrant as shown above, the Note 8.0 scored 6,848 overall, with a CPU score of 14,608, memory score of 5,386, I/O of 11,035, and 2D/3D of 1,000/2,211. Compared to the slower 1.4 GHz Note 10.1 we saw a pretty big increase in performance. Don’t forget this little slate also sports HSPA+ speeds for making phone calls with it as an oversized phone.
Then just for kicks we also ran SunSpider to test browser performance. The new Note 8.0 completed the test in 1,021.7ms, and for those who know Sunspider lower is better. As a comparison the iPad mini took 1,600 ms or so. Giving the Note 8.0 a clear lead by nearly 1/4 the time. Obviously benchmarks only tell a part of the story, and we’ll need more hands-on time with the tablet to give a full impression. However our hands-on posted below was a seamless experience and each time we’ve handled the tablet it’s smooth as butter. Stay tuned for more coverage from MWC and we’ll be reviewing the Note 8.0 as soon as possible. Device Info
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| NVIDIA reveals five Tegra 4 optimized games Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:15 AM PST NVIDIA recently shared details on the Tegra 4 optimized version of Zombie Driver and as of today they have announced an additional five Tegra 4 optimized game titles. These latest five include Burn Zombie Burn, Carie: Blood Mansion, RPG CODEX, Dead on Arrival 2 and RU Golf. NVIDIA hasn’t offered anything in terms of a timeline of when these games can be expected to arrive — however without a release date for the Tegra 4, a release date for the games suddenly seems a bit less important.
At this point it is simply nice to know that NVIDIA will have Tegra 4 optimized games available at launch. With that, lets dive in with the first of the five, Burn Zombie Burn, which can be seen in the above image. This one comes by way of Tick Tock Games and is described as being fast-paced and with console-quality action. Basically, this one will have you fighting the zombies. In Carie: Blood Mansion you will be guiding Carie through some “bloody battles” with “high-res textures, enhanced physics simulations and optimized fire and smoke effects.” Tegra users will even get a bonus in the form of an exclusive map. Next up we have RPG CODEX from Devclan and Playbean. This one will have you fighting “monstrous enemies in search of an ancient document after a war in heaven.” Or perhaps key here, it was said that the “already impressive graphics get a console-like boost with the real-time dynamic shadows and HDR lighting.” Next up is Dead on Arrival 2 which comes by way of N3V Games. This is a first time on mobile for this game and users can expect custom built blasters as well as “high-resolution models and PhysX, for full-bore map destruction and even bigger explosions.” Finally, we have RU Golf from Nutgee. This one is a follow-up to the Tegra 3 optimized version that we saw last year and will bring goodies to include “dynamic specular lighting, soft shadows, and bloom and lens flare effects.” [via NVIDIA Blog] |
| Google’s Andy Rubin shoots down rumors of their own retail stores Posted: 26 Feb 2013 10:08 AM PST Sadness! Recently we’ve been hearing a flurry of reports and rumors that good old Google will be opening up their own retail stores to compete with the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft in the real world. Reports suggested Google had multiple plans and they’d be opening retail stores before the end of 2013 for their devices, and Project Glass.
Google’s chief Andy Rubin didn’t just deny the rumors, he went as far as to say that Google actually doesn’t even need a retail presence. Claiming that the power of the internet, word of mouth, and of course their Play Store is plenty. While we’d agree word of mouth with Android is a strong force, I think some still want to be able to touch and test devices. He thinks otherwise.
My first reaction was “these things, these things” they are the bread and butter of Android, although mainly just for us enthusiasts, but if more people were able to use them in the real world it certainly wouldn’t hurt. I know everyone that tries my stock Nexus devices usually enjoys it over their TouchWiz and Senseified smartphones. It’s not just about phones either, it’s the entire Google experience. Sadly I guess that retail presence isn’t needed yet. Could we still see storefronts? Absolutely! When asked directly regarding actual retail stores Rubin stated that they had “no plans, and nothing to announce.” Original rumors suggested it was to help get Google’s Project Glass in the wild and let people try and use something they’ll actually be wearing on their faces. For now we’ll just have to wait and see. My dream of walking into colorful Google retail stores and playing ping pong with old Android tablets will have to wait a little longer. [via AllthingsD] |
| Google Play services v3.0 brings Google+ sign-in and more Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:18 AM PST Google has recently announced the v3.0 release of the Google Play Services. And while some of this may be more developer oriented, these changes and new features will filter down towards the end user. In fact, some of these new features sound like they will make things a bit easier and more convenient for the end user. Just to begin with, Google Play Services v3.0 brings Google+ Sign-In and over-the-air app downloads from a website.
Aside from simply being able to sign in with your account, Google+ Sign-In will bring perks to include having your account profile automatically filled with information from your existing Google+ account. This account information can include not only your personal details, but also tie in with other stuff such as current friends and circles. Otherwise, some of the other aspects that will come as a result are said to include more interactive posts, increased app activity and Google+ analytics (for app developers). Of course, the main point for the end user here is being able to sign in with, and use your Google+ account profiles. The other interesting aspect for the end user will come in with the over-the-air app downloads. This will first need to be set up by the developer, however it would mean an easier start up process for the user. Google uses Fitbit (among others) to describe this and you can get a good idea of this from the video below. Putting it simply though, you buy a Fitbit and naturally head to the Fitbit website to create an account and get the process started. The next step would be to grab your Android device and head to the Play Store to download and install the Fitbit app. Well, with the over-the-air app downloads the developer can have the app sent to your device during the account creation process. In addition to the Google+ Sign-In, the Google Play Services v3.0 update also brought an updated Google Maps Android API. This brings the API up to version 2 and Google notes that it includes fixes for “more than 20 bugs, including half of the top 10 issues filed in the Google Maps API issue tracker.” Of these 20 fixes, some include improvements to map rendering as well as the behavior of markers and info windows. [via Android Developers Blog] |
| ASUS details UK pricing for the MeMO Pad tablets Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:25 AM PST Having recently unveiled the 7-inch and 10-inch models of the MeMO Pad tablet, ASUS has come forward with some release details for those in the UK. The details include pricing and release dates and it looks like the first to arrive will be the larger of the two tablets. Specifically, we are talking about the 7-inch MeMO Pad ME172V and the 10.1-inch MeMO Pad ME301T tablets.
In the case of the 10.1-inch MeMO Pad ME301T, ASUS has said this model will be available beginning from March 7th. This one will be priced at £249 (inc VAT) and initially be available in midnight blue with “more colors to follow.” The 10.1-inch MeMO Pad will be available for purchase by way of Currys, PC World and Tesco. We should also mention that pre-orders are already available online by way of Amazon as well as the previously mentioned retailers. Moving over to the 7-inch MeMO Pad ME172V and we have a tablet that will be arriving in mid-April. The7-inch MeMO Pad will be priced at £129 (inc VAT) and will be available in titanium grey and found with a “range of retailers.” The release details were fairly vague on this model, however ASUS has said that additional details will be announced as they get closer to the launch. Otherwise, an interesting tidbit on the MeMO Pad name is what it stands for — “My Mobile. My Moment.” And according to ASUS, the name is pronounced as “meemo.” The 10.1-inch MeMO Pad ME301T will have a display resolution of 1280 x 800, an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and 16GB of internal storage while the 7-inch MeMO Pad ME172V will have a display resolution of 1024 x 600, 1GHz processor and 16GB of internal storage. Both will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. |
| Samsung’s dominance in Android may not be good for Google Posted: 26 Feb 2013 08:02 AM PST Last year Samsung shipped a little more than 215 million smartphones. Of that number, the overwhelming majority were running Android. Just for comparison, Apple shipped just shy of 137 million. This means Samsung is holding a 39.6 percent stake in the global smartphone market and Apple is holding a 25.1 percent stake. They key here, while this is good for Apple as they are the only manufacturer offering an iOS device, Samsung makes up just one piece of the Android puzzle.
With a quick thought, some may think that Samsung having such great success would be good news for Google, and Android in general. That however, may not be the case. In fact, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Samsung may be causing Google to worry. The report notes that “inside Google, concerns about Samsung are discussed openly.” Given Samsung has such as high percentage of the Android market at the moment, they could try and renegotiate their arrangement with Google. One of the potential items here is if Samsung were to try and renegotiate for an additional share of the revenue. It was said that “Samsung in the past has received more than 10% of such revenue.” This side could be bad news for Google, however the success of Samsung could also lead to bad news for other manufacturers working with Android. You see, Samsung could eventually decide to negotiate for other perks. Rajeev Chand, a managing director at boutique investment bank Rutberg & Co. believes that Samsung could try and get “better versions of Android software before other manufacturers.” This is where the Motorola acquisition could come into play. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the acquisition of Motorola Mobility could serve as a “kind of insurance policy against a manufacturer such as Samsung gaining too much power over Android.” Of course, at the moment Google hasn’t said anything publicly that would suggest they are trying to push Samsung out the door. Still, this does give an interesting take on how the success of one (Samsung) may not always mean success for everyone (Google and Android). [via WSJ] |
| Samsung SCH-I425 ‘Godiva’ FCC filing discovered Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST While we have yet to see anything official come from Verizon Wireless or Samsung, it looks like the Stratosphere III has recently made an appearance with the FCC. Of course, we should point out that calling it the Stratosphere III is a bit of speculation. What we do know is that this handset is sporting a model number of SCH-I425 and a codename of Godiva. The FCC filing suggests an announcement is coming soon.
Touching on the SCH-I425 model number is where the name speculation comes into play. You see, the original Stratosphere was SCH-I405 and the Stratosphere II was the SCH-I415. Hence the SCH-I425 being the Stratosphere III. This handset was previously spotted in the GLBenchmark database and has also been seen in some in-the-wild style images. As for this FCC filing, it just adds further evidence of handset that is destined for Verizon Wireless. The filing shows approval for CDMA and LTE as well as future support for AWS networks. Otherwise, the details were at a minimum. The filing did however show that the SCH-I425 would have NFC and support for roaming on GSM networks. All said and done, it seems like just a matter of time before we get the official word from Verizon Wireless or Samsung. Needless to say, with the hype surrounding the upcoming Galaxy S IV announcement, we are not expecting either party to make all that big of a deal surrounding a mid-range offering such as the Stratosphere III. [via Engadget] |
| Falcon Pro Twitter app price increased to $132.13 Posted: 26 Feb 2013 07:01 AM PST The Falcon Pro app recently reached the 100k user token limit enforced by Twitter. This means bad news for those who may have been considering a purchase, but perhaps more important here — it also places the developer in a bit of a sticky situation. You see, the developer wants to keep the app available for current users, but also needs a way to discourage new users from making the purchase.
The simple solution would be to close shop (similar to what we saw with Tweet Lanes), however there is apparently still work to be done on the app. In fact, a recent Tweet coming from the Falcon Pro account noted that the updates will continue if for no other reason than the developer wants to keep using it as his main client and he doesn’t want to use an outdated app. Reasoning aside, that seems to be good news for current users. Of course, this doesn’t solve the problem of new users. You see, they could just let the downloads continue, however that will eventually just bring bad reviews and low stars because well, that person downloaded an app that could not be used. That being the case, the developer has chosen a unique route — raise the price to insanity levels. As of now Falcon Pro is priced at $132.13.
That should be enough to keep new users from downloading the app, and at the same time keep it available for current users. That is not where this ends though, the developer has posted some details in regards to a petition and also a request. The petition is to try and get Twitter to raise the token limit for the app and the request is for those no longer using the app to release the access token so other users can get access. [via Google Play] |
| LG announces “world’s smallest” wireless charger at MWC Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:25 AM PST LG has taken a step back from smartphone announcements and unveiled a new wireless charger. The charger is the LG WCP-300 and is being touted as the world’s smallest measuring in at just 6.9cm in diameter. Perhaps more important than size though, the LG WCP-300 has been Qi certified by the Wireless Power Consortium.
Basically, this means the charger will work with all devices that support the Qi standard. In the case of LG, they are offering the Nexus 4 and Spectrum 2 which both have out-of-the-box wireless charging support. Otherwise, LG has said that despite the small size of the WCP-300, the charging area is 1.7 times wider than their previous generation charger. This model charger uses a standard 5-pin microUSB cable which according to LG, means it will be able to provide the “highest level of charging performance and user convenience.” LG seems to be really pushing the size factor though, noting that this charger is “no larger than a typical beverage coaster.” Given the size comments, it seems the manufacturer is intending for the charger to be used while at home and on the road. LG has yet to offer anything in terms of a release date or price, however we can only hope that this will end up a bit lower in price as compared to the Nexus 4 wireless charger available from the Google Play Store. Otherwise, while LG hasn’t said much in terms of future plans, given some of the comments such as how “wireless charging is the holy grail of smartphone user convenience” — we suspect that this will not be the last of its kind to be announced. [via LG] |
| Google Now and Project Glass are potentially the future of Android Posted: 25 Feb 2013 04:59 PM PST Google Now has been one of our favorite features in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and I’m pretty sure we’re not alone in that thinking either. Google’s continued to update and improve both the feature in general, as well as all the backend services. However, today our very own Chris Davies and sister site SlashGear sat down with Google’s Matias Duarte to talk Google Now, Project Glass, and more.
SlashGear enjoyed a few moments to sit down with Duarte to talk about Google Now. The end result being that it along with Google‘s upcoming Project Glass not only share the same DNA and have tons in common, but both very well could end up being the future of Android as a whole. Obviously that’s getting ahead of ourselves as smartphones will play a daily role in our lives for a long, long time – but the thought certainly is an interesting one that has our minds wandering. For those that don’t know, Matias Duarte came over to the green side of Android and Google after originally being an integral part of HP’s WebOS. Duarte’s main focus is to improve Android and the look, as well as support a design-led attitude out of the product development teams. Duarte currently has been spending most of his time and focus on Google Now, and it certainly shows. This feature is slowly but surely becoming front and center, and the bread and butter of Android.
When asked whether Google Now is in grooming to be the new Android homescreen, Duarte stated he feels "it has the potential to be." Even mentioning it’s the first place he goes when using his Android smartphone or tablet. "For me, Google Now is the place I go to all the time, and that's why it was so important for us not to create a new location to bring assistance, but to go to the place where people were going to start searching the web, or searching their phone, with Google, and make that the place where these assisted cards could appear" he explained.
The above comments are what also bring us into the image you see above, that being Project Glass. Google’s new augmented reality headset is also being led by the same principal, and in essence is exactly what Duarte stated above. Saying Now speaks to the very future of what we all consider a computer interface. We won’t have start screens, or panels and pages to flip through on Google Glass. Everything will be futuristic in a sense thanks to Google Now and voice actions and beyond. Google Now and Project Glass differ from traditional search results because while it calls upon the same engine, it takes a much more definitive stance on delivering us the answer. Instead of the traditional Google where we get a range of answers in multiple links, now they’re focusing on the right answer — a much bigger task. In the end Google Now, Project Glass, and eventually Android will all fit into and enhance our daily lives and routines, rather than demand our full undivided attention. The entire interview and round table with Google’s own Matias Duarte by SlashGear is extremely exciting, and certainly worth the read. Head to the via below and enjoy more pictures, quotes, and everything else he had to say. [via SlashGear] |
| Intel announces dual-core Atom CPU for mobile, quad-core later this year Posted: 25 Feb 2013 04:05 PM PST Intel has been making some pretty steady progress with their mobile processor lineup, and now some recent rumors have been confirmed. Today at MWC 2013 Intel has announced they’ll soon be debuting their new Intel Atom dual-core processors, formally known as Clovertrail+. If the ASUS FonePad rocking a dual-core ATOM wasn’t enough, Intel’s now made it official.
Intel has not only confirmed new dual-core Atom processors will be taking the market by storm, but they also plan to release their much improved quad-core variants later this year – yet still be early enough to hopefully compete with the others. The new dual-core Atom is built on a 32nm processor fabrication and will be reaching speeds topping 2.0 GHz. They’ve also confirmed 1.6GHz, and 1.2GHz flavors and all models will feature Hyperthreading, and GMA GPU’s clocked at 533MHz. Intel hopes for good GPU performance, although it might not top NVIDIA, they should handle most gaming needs, HD video playback, and more. Then Intel also confirmed their new chipset will support cameras up to 16 megapixels, 1080p resolution and higher display support, and much more. Interestingly enough Intel wants to skip the current 28nm processor fabrication powering most Cortex-A15 processors, and jump right to 22nm for their quad-core chipsets. If they can manage this they might have a serious competitor to the others by the end of the year. We’ve already seen a few phones from Lenovo and Motorola, but we can also expect partners to include ASUS (obviously) and ZTE in the coming months. It looks like between the Samsung Octa-core, NVIDIA’s Tegra 4, Snapdragon 600 and 800, and now Intel things will be getting uber competitive this year. Stay tuned! [via Intel] |
| Verizon 4G LTE expands throughout Ohio, Missouri, and 4 others Posted: 25 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST Today the folks from Verizon Wireless have announced that as usual they are working hard to expand their ever growing 4G LTE network across the US. Today they’ve confirmed 6 states to receive massive expansions throughout. Their rollout is leading up to matching their 3G coverage across the US and today they are one step closer with huge updates.
Verizon has continued to update and update their network with improvements across the board, and no ones been able to match their 4G LTE rollout. Even AT&T is far far behind, but has been making huge improvements to their network. Today Verizon announced Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have all received massive expansions. For those in these select regions, you can expect 4G LTE to be expanded or enabled throughout the region. While not all locations will receive the faster speeds, all major areas should be included. Missouri and Connecticut both receiving the largest updates with over 15 cities throughout Missouri, and around 9 for Connecticut. Verizon has also stated that since most major cities in Ohio and others have already been covered, these updates are to more rural areas, as well as major highways and other parts of the country to offer a complete blanket of blazing fast 4G LTE. Verizon is showing no signs of slowing down and at this pace both AT&T, and newcomers like T-Mobile have some serious catching up to do. Did your city get coverage added? Let us know if you’re seeing faster speeds. [via Droid-Life] |
| Hands-on with the new Lenovo A- and S-series tablets: Aiming for the Nexus 7 Posted: 25 Feb 2013 02:29 PM PST Today here in Barcelona, the folks from Lenovo have announced a trio of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean powered tablets to take on the market. More importantly, Lenovo wants to take on Google’s own Nexus 7 with two aggressively designed and priced 7-inch tablets in their new A-series. Then we have a new Lenovo S-6000 10.1-inch tablet also coming soon. Check out all the pictures and specs below.
The names leave a little to be desired, and the specs could be slightly better too. However the new Lenovo A-1000 and A-3000 are both aimed at the Nexus 7, and are fun little 7-inch Jelly Bean slates. With Google rumored to have a second-gen Nexus 7 in the works these might be too late, however for those on a budget you’ll want to check them both out. The Lenovo A-1000 offers a 7-inch 1024×600 resolution display, as well as a MediaTek 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. While both of those specs are lower than the Nexus 7′s HD display and quad-core processor, Lenovo promises it will “undoubtedly” be cheaper too. It also offers micro-SD support, 1GB of RAM, and 4 or 16GB of storage. Add on Dolby digital stereo speakers and Lenovo will be promoting this as a “Pocket Studio” tablet. We’ll report back when we know more details on pricing.
Unlike the A-1000, the A-3000 aims for a slightly more expensive crowd but still wants to compete in the Nexus 7 price range. Unlike the cheaper brother this model will come with a 5 megapixel camera on the rear, as well as a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor to beef up performance. The A-3000 rocks a 7-inch 1024×600 resolution, a faster MediaTek quad-core, 1GB of RAM, and also supports Micro-SD (which the Nexus 7 does not) and will have an optional dual-SIM HSPA+ model. The A-3000 is about 11mm thick, weighs just 340 grams, and will support micro-SD cards up to 64GB of storage. Aside from the low resolution this could be a pretty good alternative to the Nexus 7. It also offers Dolby Digital surround sound stereo speakers. Interested?
Last but not least, pictured above is the new Lenovo S-6000 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 resolution tablet. This is more friendly for the HD crowd, but again rocks the relatively unknown MediaTek quad-core processor at 1.2 GHz. The screen is an IPS display so should have great colors, but certainly be no Nexus 10. One thing that it does have going for it is a streamlined and thin profile. Being just 8.6mm thin it’s one of the thinner and lighter 10-inch tablets around. The S-6000 also runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with a few of Lenovo’s tweaks, and supports a front VGA and 5 megapixel rear camera for photography and video chat. Lenovo claims the S-6000 will last over 8 hours with hardcore usage, will offer a WiFi and HSPA+ model, and will also be pricing this slate aggressively. Sadly all of them have a slightly cheap feeling in general, but we’ll reserve judgement for a full review. Lenovo hasn’t revealed full pricing or launch dates of these slates, but they are expected to arrive in Q2 this year. We’ll certainly update as soon as we learn more.                           |
| Boost Mobile adding more 4G LTE options with the HTC One SV and Force Posted: 25 Feb 2013 01:56 PM PST Boost Mobile has announced the upcoming availability of the HTC One SV and Boost Force smartphones. The handset are both arriving with support for the 4G LTE network and will be available shortly. Although neither are running Jelly Bean, they both have a decent set of specs otherwise. Not to mention, the pricing seems fair given the specs and the fact these are pre-paid.
Lets dive in with the HTC One SV (seen above). This handset features a 4.3-inch WVGA Super LCD-2 display and is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor at 1.2GHz. The One SV will also bring Beats Audio integration, NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, a 1.6 megapixel front-facing camera that is capable of capturing 720p video and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera that can record at 1080p.
Next up is the Boost Force (seen above). This one sports a 4-inch display and dual-core 1.5GHz processor along with Wi-Fi, GPS, a front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Both handsets will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and have access to the Google Play Store. The HTC One SV will be priced at $299.99, the Boost Force will be priced at $199.99 and both will be available beginning on March 7. Those interested in either will be able to make the purchase at Boost Mobile retail stores, by way of the Boost Mobile website or with select independent Boost Mobile retailers. These devices are both pre-paid and eligible for use with the Android Monthly Unlimited plan with shrinkage. This plan begins at $55 per month and drops $5 per month with on-time payments. The plan will eventually drop of $40 per month and includes unlimited nationwide talk, messaging and data. |
| Samsung unveils KNOX, an end-to-end solution for BYOD friendly workplaces Posted: 25 Feb 2013 01:20 PM PST Samsung has talked about BYOD (bring your own device) before and already have the SAFE for Enterprise program which has always been touted as offering “solutions that include the necessary security and feature enhancements suitable for business use.” Coming out of Mobile World Congress however, it seems Samsung has taken the BYOD offerings a step further by adding some additional layers of security. The new program is called KNOX and this one is said to be the “comprehensive mobile solution” for work and play.
Or in simpler terms, Samsung KNOX will offer what is called a ‘container solution’ that separates work and play on your smartphone. Samsung has said that this will be easily accessible from an icon on the home screen. The KNOX icon (container) will feature applications and solutions that users need for work. Some of the apps will include email, contacts, calendar, file sharing, collaboration, a browser and more. Perhaps key for IT departments though, the KNOX container will present these in a secure environment and keep the personal and work side completely separate. In addition to being designed to give the IT department and users what they want, Samsung also made sure this will work for the developers as well. According to details provided, Samsung KNOX will be able to allow existing Android apps to “gain enterprise integration and validated, robust security with zero change to the application source code.” Basically, Samsung appears to be presenting KNOX as an end-to-end solution that is easy for all sides to integrate. While all this sounds interesting enough, Samsung has yet to offer some of the key details such as exactly when it will be available and what costs will be involved. What we have seen is that KNOX will be “commercially available in selected Samsung GALAXY devices” beginning in the second quarter. One would have to believe that this means some of the more popular devices such as the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III will be involved. Then again, maybe this is something we will see more of when the Galaxy S IV is announced on March 14. [via Samsung Tomorrow] |
| ClockworkMod Superuser app released as an open-source beta Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:45 PM PST Koushik Dutta has released his latest app. We suspect many will be familiar with that name, he is associated with ClockworkMod and also recently released Carbon. On Carbon, he is responsible for the backup app, not the Twitter app. We can put that bit aside though because this latest app deals with the ClockworkMod side. The app is called ClockworkMod Superuser and it has been released as beta 0.
The app is available by way of his Google+ page and can be downloaded and used for free. In fact, one of the main points about the app is that he wanted it to be free. Another point mentioned includes that he released this app with the intent to have it available as an open-source app. For now we would say this is something that the more advanced user would look for as it is a bit more than installing a simple APK file. On the flip side though, we suspect that if you knew and/or were excited about a new superuser app being released — you likely understand (or are willing to learn) what you will need to do in order to make it work. That said, lets get into the features of the app. Some of the main points include the app having proper support for multi-user, which was introduced in Android 4.2. The app brings features to include logging (including per app logging) and notifications with the ability to customize them. Other features include PIN protection, the ability to adjust the request timeout times and the ability to handle concurrent su requests properly. This app will also go above in terms of making it clear when an app is root. The notes list the app as having a “pretty” user interface. More specifically, Dutta has said that Superuser will work on both a smartphone and tablet and that the tablet mode looks “fairly decent.” Finally, while no timeline was given as to when, it was said that “eventually there will be an installation/upgrade process in just the APK itself.” [via Google+] |
| Sony Xperia Tablet Z hands-on: World’s thinnest tablet Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:14 PM PST Sony is ready to take on the Android tablet market again with their new and improved Xperia Tablet Z. Claiming it’s the “world’s thinnest 10.1-inch tablet” it offers some top tier specs all in a sleek and lightweight design. Their previous tablets haven’t been too popular, but Sony hopes to shake things up with the all new Z. It’s only 6.9mm thin, has a quad-core processor, and will control your TV with ease. Read on for our full hands-on.
Everything about this tablet is unique and built of top quality materials. The design language is unique and different, the slate is IP55 certified and completely water resistant, it’s the thinnest 10-inch tablet, and only comes in at 495 grams. Sony’s certainly stepped up their game and possibly set the bar for upcoming Jelly Bean tablets — but will you buy it? The Sony Xperia Z specs include that 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 (yes 1200) “Realty Bravia Engine Display” that offers exceptional colors and contrast. Under the hood for power is a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, and it will come in 16GB ($500) and 32GB ($600) storage configurations. The display isn’t as crisp or vibrant as the iPad or Samsung’s Nexus 10, but it’s still pretty impressive all around. The video below will give you a better idea of what to expect with this sleek slate. One important thing aside from the specs listed above, is the details with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (and the upcoming update to 4.2) as well as the IR blaster. Using InfraRed you’ll be able to completely control the entire home theater from your Xperia Tablet Z. Not just Sony devices either, but anything that they’ve got populated in their remote app. They also have a widget for quick TV controls while browsing the web and more.
As you can see, it’s extremely thin and rather lightweight in the hand. Sony’s done a great job making it feel more durable than previous Sony tablets without having that cheap feeling. Then as the video above mentioned we have HDMI-out, MHL, NFC capabilities, and of course a decent camera on back for those random photo moments too. Again the Xperia Z will be available in Q2 of this year starting at $499 for the 16GB WiFi model, then they’ll also offer 32GB and an HSPA+ variant. It will be PlayStation certified, and should work wonderfully with their RemotePlay app for streaming PS4 games. We’ll give it a thorough rundown in a full review once it arrives later this year. Who’s interested?                     Device Info
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