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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 11:37 AM PST
Next week down in Houston the NBA will be holding their annual NBA All-Star game where the biggest and best from all sides come for the ultimate game. While we won’t discuss whether the All-Star game should stay or go, for those looking for more details they’ve released the official app to the Play Store. This comes direct from the NBA and is actually pretty impressive.
 We wouldn’t call it a swoosh in regards to the app, but it’s pretty close. So far it has one of the better designs and layouts I’ve seen lately for an official sports app, although we’re hearing some are struggling to play video. The official NBA All-Star 2013 app for Android will give you all the details and highlights for the big game. The interface is smooth and clean, sort of follows Google’s Holo guidelines, and seems to work on just about every device imaginable. What’s even better is the app is free and available on all carriers. Something I hope and pray happens with NFL Mobile, currently only for Verizon customers. It’s the best NFL app hands down, but many can’t enjoy it like this NBA app. So for all you NBA fans that can’t make it to Houston, get the NBA All-Star app to get info, scores, highlights, pictures, and of course tons of video. They even have Charles Barkley (turrible, just turrible) front and center in a few features videos. You can predict the final score, and even vote for the MVP and other various awards they’ll be handing out to all the players. Lebron will be dropping another 25 points. Who wants to bet? Get the app from the link below and enjoy the big game guys.    [via NBA All-Star] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 11:24 AM PST
Coming by way of a recent OnDevice Research survey, it looks like the Galaxy Note II has bested the iPhone 5 in terms of user satisfaction. And while it is interesting to see the phone that may complain about being big and clunky top the iPhone, we should point out that the fact that it was a close victory. If that wasn’t enough for Android fans though, the Galaxy Note II was in fourth with the iPhone 5 in fifth, which really just goes to show that there are still three other devices to discuss.
 Yes, they are all Android devices. The top 5 actually went as follows; Motorola Atrix HD, Motorola Droid RAZR M, HTC Rezound 4G, Samsung Galaxy Note II and Apple iPhone 5. As you can see from the graphic below, the Galaxy Note II had 8.26 with the iPhone 5 having 8.23. Like we mentioned earlier, a close victory for the Note II. This survey included 93,825 users from the US, however the US was just one of five countries that were surveyed.  The complete survey actually took data from 320,000 users spread across six countries including the UK, France, Germany, Japan and Indonesia. Just to be fair and look at data outside the US market, the UK had the HTC One X in the top position and followed by the iPhone 5, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III Mini and Galaxy S III taking spots two through five respectively. This being the case, the iPhone topped the Note II. The interesting part in the UK, the Galaxy S III Mini topped the Galaxy S III. The UK specific data accounted for information from 52,140 users.  While there could be various theories for the way each phone ranks, OnDevice has suggested two factors that may have played a role — 4G availability and pricing. Otherwise, looking back to the US portion of the survey, those same 93,825 users were asked about manufacturer satisfaction and things looked a bit different. In this case Apple took top honors with 7.72 percent and was closely followed by Google and Motorola with 7.68 and 7.49 respectively. The interesting part here, while the Galaxy Note II scored well in terms of device satisfaction, Samsung was ranked in 13th with 6.15 percent. [via The Next Web] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:46 AM PST
Today Google Now is in the news more than once. After Google launched their new TV ad spot showcasing the impressive Google Now feature in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, now we’re seeing a back-end update. We have great news for all those Basketball fans around the country. After the sports cards initially only supported a select few pro sports, we can now confirm college teams like NCAA Basketball are available.
 Google has slowly improved and update what their Now app offers, and today it appears that you can now add NCAA College Basketball teams to your sports cards. This means you’ll get live updates, score alerts, and end of game stats for your favorite college basketball team. Being in Vegas I’ll be following the Rebels, but I won’t keep my hopes up. This comes at the perfect time, as the NCAA Basketball race for the top spot is really heating up. The way Illinois beats Indiana sure was exciting, and now you’ll be able to get scores and upset alerts right from Google with ease. This comes just in time for NCAA March Madness, which is set to kick of shortly. This is one of my favorite times of the year, even though I don’t follow the NBA much. Who’s with me? For now this appears to only be NCAA Basketball teams, and there’s no signs of any women’s teams. Then we also aren’t seeing any smaller division teams, and only the bigger names are available at the moment. As long as we get College Football support by the time next season rolls around, we’ll be happy. This is certainly a good sign. Keep up the good work Google! [via AndroidPolice] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:28 AM PST
While nothing can be considered confirmed until we hear direct from HTC, it does look like another bit of evidence supporting the HTC One name has been revealed. For those needing a bit of a refresher, the HTC One is the handset that up until very recently, had been called the HTC M7. In fact, the new name came late last week and otherwise, we had only heard one bit from one source.
 As of today though, we are seeing another mention of the HTC One name. We cannot go as far as saying this confirms the name, however it does add a bit of credibility to the earlier report. Basically, as of today the HTC One name has been spotted in a USProf (User Agent Profile) listing. The details from this filing are on the simpler side — we see the name of the handset along with the vendor and screen resolution.  The vendor is HTC Corporation and the display resolution also sounds familiar based on previous rumors — 1920 x 1080. The HTC One (M7) rumors continue to mount and while we will continue to pay attention to them, we are anxious to see February 19 arrive so HTC can have their event and we can get a look at something official. Rumors surrounding the release dates have varied a bit here and there, however it looks like the availability will begin as early as March 8. The one catch, as we often see with a global release — users in some markets and with some carriers will ultimately have to wait a bit longer as compared to everyone else. For example, the HTC One is expected to arrive with various US carriers, however there has been some question as to what will happen with Verizon Wireless. [via TechKiddy] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:19 AM PST
For those watching the Grammy Awards this weekend, or happened to be trolling Google’s Twitter account you may have seen the companies latest TV commercial. While Google doesn’t put ad spots on TV much this weekend they aired their brand new Nexus 4 commercial and shared it with the world. Most of the focus however, was with their impressive Google Now feature.
 Google Now was the star of the show, and has literally become one of the bright lights of Android over the past few years. We’ve said it countless times in the past, but Google Now slowly but surely became one of our favorite features throughout 2012. The commercial is simply titled “Live in the Now” and Google is highlighting just how impressive their Siri competitor really is. Google Now is more than just voice-search, for those following Android it is becoming the center of our daily lives. From telling you your schedule for Soccer practice, checking the weather, hitting the latest transit station on-time to catch the subway, suggesting nearly restaurants and more. Google Now does it all, and this commercial illustrates that very well using their latest Nexus 4 smartphone. “No matter where you are in the world, Nexus 4 with Google Now gives you just the right information at just the right time.”It will update you on flight status, show you nearby photo-friendly spots, remind you of calender events or friends birthdays from Google+ and so much more. Google’s been turning Now into one of their best features, and we can’t wait to see how it improves with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. We have a feeling Google Now will continue to be a focal point of Android moving forward. Thoughts on Google’s latest TV commercial? |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:11 AM PST
For all those that love the outdoors or like to keep track of their activities and daily exercise, the Nike FuelBand has been a popular accessory and product thanks to the mobile features included. The FuelBand for those who don’t know nicely syncs to your iOS device of choice to easily track and monitor everything you can imagine. We’ve all been under the impression an Android version was coming, but sadly that isn’t the case.
 Today it came to light thanks to the official Nike account on Twitter, confirming the news that they aren’t focused on Android one bit. In a quick reply the @NikeSupport account stated “We’re not working on an Android app.” Something that I’m sure many won’t be too pleased to hear. Not only is it sad to hear they aren’t building an app to sync to their product for the number one mobile OS in the world, but last year there was multiple reports and seemingly confirmations that they were indeed doing just that — preparing an Android app for a Summer 2012 release. The folks from Droid-life stumbled on this tweet, and sadly it appears to confirm what we were hoping was false. Many buyers purchased the FuelBand with the impression that an Android app was in the works. For now however, all those buyers will have to resort to syncing and plugging into an actual PC, instead of wirelessly syncing data to our Android devices with ease. They have a Nike+ Running app, but we’re very curious as to why they scrapped the same for their FuelBand. Bad move Nike! [via @NikeSupport] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 09:57 AM PST
Silence for Android has recently been updated. For those unfamiliar, Silence is an app that will allow you to automate certain processes. I have been using Silence for a while now and was happy to see that the app has been updated. But more important, that this update arrived as more than a small bug fixer and instead brought some new features — including one that will make it a bit easier and a bit quicker to set a schedule based on your calendar.
 The Silence app is currently sitting at version 2.0.1 where it remains available for free and for devices running Android 2.1 or later. The few catches with that, the free version is ad-supported, however those looking to ditch the ads can buy the Silence Unlocker (a separate) app for $1.99. On the subject of the version, while Silence will run on devices back to 2.1, some of the features require 2.3 Gingerbread or even 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  With those details out of the way, lets get into the more exciting part — the new features that have come along with 2.0. Current Silence users will likely notice the new look and feel. The layout is described as being simple and intuitive and it is hard to disagree with that. In fact, while there are other automation types of apps available, Silence is nice because it is easy to use. The app launches and to get started you tap the “Add New Event” button. From here it gives the options to create an event from scratch or to use an existing calendar event. We think you get the point about it being easy. The Use an Existing Calendar Event option deals with a new feature of Silence 2.0 (and requires Ice Cream Sandwich). This is listed as being integration with Google Calendar and really just means that you can now choose an existing calendar event to schedule a process. If you click to use an existing calendar event you will be prompted to choose which calendar (assuming you have multiple) and then to find the specific event. Regardless of which path you choose — calendar event or add new event, you will have the same toggles available. These include everything from ringers and notifications, media, alarms, airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Mobile Data. The Mobile Data toggle is another new feature in this version and is noted as being in beta. This toggle also requires Gingerbread or later. Other new additions in Silence 2.0 include support for repeating events “until” a certain date and being able to toggle media and alarm volumes with the ability to set specific volume levels for each sound toggle. Basically, Silence 2.0 has added new features and has arrived with a new look and feel. If you are already using Silence, this seems like a worthy update. If you are still considering this app, v2.0 seems like like a good time to check it out. You can find Silence for Android in the Google Play Store by following this link.    |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 08:37 AM PST
The HTC One, which was previously known as the HTC M7, has shown up in yet another image leak. This latest arrives in render form and while we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the pic, we can say that it has a few things going for it. For example, this image of the HTC One matches with an image that leaked about a month ago. The other key item here, the source of the leak is @evleaks and they have proven reliable in the past.
 This pic is a bit different as compared to the last, mainly because it is showing a display. Well, a display that is not entirely black anyway. That does not necessarily offer much new in terms of detail, however it does offer a look at the back and home buttons which sit towards the bottom on opposite sides of the HTC logo. Otherwise, the image is showing the front-facing camera as well as the earpiece, microphone and sensors. The display also shows a look that matches what we have seen in terms of previous Sense 5 leaks, notably with the simplified clock and weather widget sitting on top. There is also the February 19th date, which goes back to when we expect HTC to come forward with an official announcement. Finally, assuming this is a real-deal render and the previously rumored specs prove to be accurate — you would be looking at a handset with a 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2300 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and Jelly Bean with Sense 5. The one part that still seems a mystery at this point is the camera, specifically that HTC has teased a new camera experience in 2013. |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 08:04 AM PST
Huawei Ascend P2 leaks are not all that surprising at this point. After all, we have seen several including some in image form in the recent weeks. It looks like we now have one additional to check out before an official announcement. This latest is coming by way of the Chinese language cnBeta.com website and is showing the water-resistant aspect of the device.
 In addition to the image, we also have some details in terms of the certification. Based on the details we are seeing, the Ascend P2 will have the IP54 certification which means it will be dust- and water-resistant. This is opposed to the IP67 certification which means the device would be dust- and water-proof. Just for comparison sake, the Ascend D2 has the IP67 certification. With the IP54 certification, Ascend P2 users will not have to worry about splashes and even some rain, however a submersion in water will not be possible without worry of damage. Otherwise, aside from the image and the certification details, we are still looking toward earlier rumors for the specs. The Ascend P2 should arrive with a 4.7-inch display at 1080p, quad-core 1.8GHz processor and running Jelly Bean. Remaining (still rumored) specs look to include 2GB of RAM, 8/16GB of internal storage space, a 3000 mAh battery and 13 megapixel rear-facing camera. Specs and details aside, we are still looking toward Mobile World Congress for an official announcement. The conference will take place towards the end of this month and Android Community will be on site. [via Unwired View] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 07:26 AM PST
Details about the ASUS MeMO Pad tablet have been surfacing here and there lately. In the recent past we saw a few retail product listings and press images for the MeMO Pad 10. As of today though, it looks like ASUS has officially unveiled the tablet. The key here, while the MeMO Pad 10 has been unveiled, it looks as if that has only been for one market.
 Basically, ASUS was showing off the MeMO Pad 10 during the recent Thailand Mobile Expo. We are also expecting the company to have the MeMO Pad 10 on display during Mobile World Congress which will take place later this month. Maybe at that time we will get a bit more detail in terms of a global release schedule. In the meantime though, the specs have been confirmed and the pricing (for Thailand) has been announced. The MeMO Pad 10 is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and with features to include a 10.1-inch WXGA display, quad-core 1.2GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Basically, the MeMO Pad 10 arrived just as we had suspected based on previous reveals. What we have for the pricing is THB 10,900, which is roughly $360 in terms of US dollars. Otherwise, the tablet is sporting the model number of ME301T and will be available in various colors to include white, blue and pink. In the end, a price around $360 doesn’t seem all that horrible, however it may be a bit on the high side given the current crop of competition. [via GSM Arena] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 06:55 AM PST
The court cases seem to be siding with Samsung as of late. We recently commented as Apple lost in their effort to overturn the Galaxy Nexus sales ban. Basically, at this point the fights between Samsung and Apple just happen to be part of the norm in the tech world. The thing is, it seems that this may not have ever happened had someone else been in charge at Apple.
 This latest round of details are coming by way of Reuters, who are reporting based on people familiar with the matter. The main point here, it seems Tim Cook was opposed to suing Samsung. His reasoning is said to be due to the relationship that Apple and Samsung have in terms of parts. Samsung actually plays a rather big role in terms of the iPad and iPhone and Apple purchased around $8 billion in parts last year. The interesting part here, while we see many Android and iOS users taking sides and seemingly drawing lines, the two companies are not that heated. It is said that “the business reality is that the temperature isn’t that high” and basically, it is the users playing this up because “it shows a kind of drama.” Nonetheless, there are some issues between the two companies. In fact, it is looking like Apple may be switching to TSMC when it comes to processors. The memory on the other hand, analyst reports have shown that Apple may not be able to replace Samsung given their current dominance in that area. In hind site, some of this actually makes quite a bit of sense. For one, many are familiar with the stance that Steve Jobs took, the whole “thermonuclear” war bit and all. Tim Cook on the other hand seems to take a different approach and has been known to comment about how competition is good because it can make everyone better. All said and done, we are a bit curious as to how things between Apple and Samsung would be had the lawsuits never begun. [via SlashGear] |
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Posted: 11 Feb 2013 06:20 AM PST
We had seen some earlier rumors suggesting that the Galaxy S IV was going to support wireless charing. The one catch, we hadn’t heard all that much since, that is, until now. This does come with one distinction though, this is not another Galaxy S IV rumor, but instead details on a recently discovered FCC filing. The filing comes by way of Samsung and is showing a Qi wireless charging pad.
 Taking those earlier rumors into consideration and this may be a nice accessory. The charging pad is showing as model number EAD-W10EWE, and while there was not all that much revealed in terms of specs and details, this filing just goes to give some hope for fans of both Samsung and wireless charging. The filing did reveal some pics though — giving us a good look at the top and bottom as well as the charging cable and interior. One other interesting tidbit from the filing included the user manual, which is really just a page in length. The manual shows how to plug in the charger, where to place the phone on the charging pad and offers a bit of detail in terms of the LED indicators. For those who are curious; green blinking will be charging, green solid will be charged and red (solid or blinking) will be an error message.  While one would assume that the FCC filing means this charging pad it on its way to a retail release, we have yet to see anything direct from Samsung. Basically, this means we now have another Samsung related product to keep an eye out for. We would hope to see Samsung make an announcement sooner rather than later, but maybe this will come as a Galaxy S IV accessory.     [via Engadget] |
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