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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST
There has been some concern over AdBlock Plus and how automatically redirects your phone’s proxy to a localhost to block ads. This led to a bigger issue of a large security hole inside of the Android operating system. Even if a smartphone isn’t rooted, apps could use this security bug for phishing. The developer of AdBlock Plus proposed a few resolutions for the issue that would both fix the security hole, and also allow the AdBlock Plus app to keep working.
 Unfortunately for AdBlock, Google has created it’s own solution that renders the AdBlock Plus app ineffective. They’ve created a patch that is included with the Android 4.2.2 update that fixes the large security hole. The fix prevents AdBlock, or any app, from automatically redirecting the phone’s proxy to a localhost, meaning users who use AdBlock will have to manually redirect their proxy for each of their internet connections. For app developers, this is great news because many felt that AdBlock Plus was a threat to their funding. This was an increasingly big issue for smaller app developers. For many users however, this is a loss, especially when there are those pop-up ads or other intrusive ads that interfere with day-to-day operations. Obviously, for many users, the process of manually configuring proxies would be too complicated and too much of a hassle. The AdBlock developer, however, says that there’s not much else they can do at the moment until Google releases the API for its next update. All AdBlock can do is try to make the process of manual configuration more simple and easy for its users. [via Google] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 10:53 AM PST
After 17 years of being with Sony, Sony Mobile’s Chief Marketing Officer, Steve Walker, is leaving the company to pursue new challenges. Steve Walker has been instrumental to Sony’s success throughout the years, with one of his major accomplishments being the rebranding of Sony’s mobile division from Sony Ericsson to Sony Mobile in February 2012.
 Walker’s last project will be the launch of the Sony Xperia Z. It’s a bit poetic, with the launch of Sony’s game-changing flagship device comes the departure of its chief marketing officer. Walker believes that the launch of the Xperia Z, along with the global marketing campaign which he headed, will bring Sony to its next chapter. He also feels like with its next chapter, it is only natural that he pursues his own next chapter as well. Walker’s position will be taken over by Jacob Sten, who is currently the head of Sony Mobile’s newly-created product marketing department. Dennis van Schie, Corporate Vice President of Sony Mobile, says that the structural changes that are happening inside of Sony Mobile right now will help support the ‘One Sony’ global operating model that will help the company progress to the next level. Steve Walker will leave the company at the end of March, and he did not mention where he’d be heading to next. But with the anticipated success of the Sony Xperia Z, and the creation of Sony’s global marketing campaign, there’s no doubt that he’ll be heading somewhere big. [via Marketing Magazine] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 10:48 AM PST
The developers from Ubuntu have been busy lately building an all new Ubuntu Phone OS that aims to take Android and other smartphones to a new level. Their entire UI is completely different full of gesture-based on screen actions. We’ve covered it plenty in the past and even got some hands-on time with their new OS. For those that don’t want to wait, read on for more details on this new 3rd party app mimicking the OS.
 The developers at XDA have been busy coming up with a similar gesture-based solution, and it appears to work rather well. Just like in Ubuntu Phone OS you simply gesture the quick apps menu on the left side by simply sliding your finger into the screen. From there you can quickly and effectively launch apps with ease. Pretty neat right? This is an app based on the Ubuntu Phone OS side bar, you don’t have to wait for Ubuntu’s OS to get access to this neat feature and the side-panel. While this is only one of many features of the OS, it’s nice to see a 3rd party app available already to try it out. I’m loving it! Their video is shown using MIUI’s home launcher, but it should work with almost all ROM’s and devices. The app is currently called Ubuntu Phone Experience but was removed from the Play Store. We’re assuming the Ubuntu in the name had something to do with that. The app is readily available from the XDA link above, and below, and is pretty impressive. They’ll let you adjust the side-bar to show recent apps, select apps of your choice, change the opacity of the side-bar and much more. There’s a premium version to unlock more features and unlimited apps in the side-bar, but the free version is pretty awesome for this initial release. Give it a try today! Download: Ubuntu Phone Experience       [via XDA] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 10:01 AM PST
As of right now, Gradiente Electronica can legally sell their Android smartphone with the “iPhone” name. A court decision was made that ruled that Apple doesn’t have exclusive rights to the “iPhone” trademark in Brazil. The reason for this is because Gradiente Electronica actually registered the iPhone name way back in the year 2000, 7 years before Apple claimed it.
 Gradiente Electronica’s Android device is called the iPhone Neo One and they had just released it in December 2012. Apple feels that they can use that against them in an appeal, because Gradiente didn’t release a product with the “iPhone” name until 12 years after they had registered it. Things could also turn on Apple if Gradiente decides to sue for exclusive rights to the “iPhone” name themselves. Gradiente had stated before that they’re open to discussing the issue with Apple if Apple wanted. They’re not opposed to any agreements. However, if Gradiente does sue Apple for exclusive rights to the “iPhone” trademark, that would result from Apple not being able to sell any of their iPhone products (iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, etc) in the country of Brazil. Despite a possible lawsuit from Gradiente, Apple will continue to pursue an appeal. There’s a good chance that they may be approved for an appeal, and that will result in another long, trademark battle between the two companies. It feels like Apple should have its own law firm considering how many legal battles they’ve entered into just this past year. [via SlashGear] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:43 AM PST
The race for who is the best cloud storage option around has never been tighter. Some of the popular options here on Android are Dropbox and Box.net, with Google Drive still in there somewhere. Today Box is back offering more incentive for users to go their route, by delivering new users 50GB of cloud storage absolutely free. You can never have too much so read on for more details.
 This isn’t the first time we’ve seen awesome deals like this from Box, but now that it’s back and available for basically anyone we figured it was worth mentioning. Previously Box was giving 50GB to all LG and Sony smartphone users that downloaded and signed up with the mobile app, but today it is for any new customer. Basically just head to the sign up page and register an account and you’ll receive 50GB of free cloud storage. That is certainly more than Dropbox offers new customers. For those diehard Dropbox users, we’re with ya, but it never hurts to have another option and extra storage for when you’re in need. It only takes a few minutes so I’d hurry and get it done. Their Android app was recently updated and improved, and now allows uploads of to 250mb sizes at a time, previously it was only a 100mb limit. They’ve continued to update and improve their app, they offer large file uploads, and now you’ll get 50GB of free storage. Can’t beat that right? Head to the Google Play Store and get the Android app and enjoy that free space. |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:31 AM PST
Opera has just reached its 300 million user mark today and in celebration of reaching that milestone, they’re also transitioning to the WebKit engine for both their Android and iOS apps. They will also be adopting Chromium for all of its upcoming browsers for smartphones and computers alike. By adopting both WebKit and Chromium, they hope to grab a “bigger piece of the pie in the smartphone market”.
 Opera believes that working with the open source communities is the smartest move right now instead of just developing their own rendering engine further. With WebKit and Chromium already well established, Opera feels that those two will help it go a long way in bringing its product to the next level. Opera has already submitted their first set of patches that will improve their “multi-column layout”. Opera will be showing off a preview of their new browser at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The browser, codenamed “ICE”, is a result of Opera’s experimentation with WebKit so far. Opera was able to take advantage of WebKit’s resources to bring new features and user-friendly solutions to their browser that they hope will generate a lot of buzz. They feel that their new web browser for Android is nearly ready for prime time and good enough to show off. With 300 million already being an amazing milestone, Opera feels like WebKit and Chromium would be its best bet in bringing the browser to an even further milestone. It will get rid of the old “back” and “forward” buttons and implement new gesture features to navigate through webpages. With Opera demoing their new browser at MWC in a couple of weeks, Android Community will show you a hands-on demonstration of what the new browser is capable of. Stay tuned. [via SlashGear] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:07 AM PST
The Slacker Radio has recently been updated and while we are fans of the new look and new design, we will offer the warning up front — if you are really loving your currently installed version of the app, you may want to hold off on this update. While the core features of the app seem to have remained the same, the look and feel has been given a complete overhaul. You can get a look at that in the image below, even the app icon has undergone a dramatic change.
 As you see, the new Slacker Radio icon is orange, however once opened, the change jumps out. The app opens to what you see below — aside from the blue, things are simple and easy to navigate. You can start by searching (using text or voice), or by clicking one of the four options. These options include Genre Stations, My Music, Specialty Stations and News/Talk/Sports and should all sound familiar for current Slacker users.  The key here, they are all seemingly easier to navigate to with this update. Once inside any of those sections you will still have your familiar categories and aside from the different colors, things will seem pretty familiar. The main change in design seems to come in with that first launch screen. Otherwise, looking at the Google Play Store listing for the Slacker app and things remain somewhat of a mystery as to where this is going.  The ‘what’s new’ section simply notes that “this is the initial release of the new, redesigned Slacker Radio v4.0.” Simple and to the point, but we do wonder where things will go from here. All said and done, as things stand, we have to say that Slacker appears to have done something really nice with the app. Though, it was a bit shocking on that first launch. In addition to the Android app, the Slacker Radio website has also been updated.       [via Google Play Store] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 08:30 AM PST
Talk of the Motorola X-Phone seems to be picking up lately. Things began with simple rumors about the phone being worked on to supposed confirmations coming from a job listing and talk of specific features and a possible launch date. On that note, it looks like the X-Phone hype machine has recently kicked into overdrive and we are now hearing comments calling the handset a “real breakthrough, a game changer.”
 The comment comes by way of SmartHouse who are reporting based on unnamed Telstra sources. Aside from the comment about the X-Phone as being a breakthrough and game changer, it was also said to be one that will “put pressure on Samsung and Apple.” Setting aside some of the hype for a moment — lets look at this statement for a moment and while doing so, keep in mind that rumors are suggesting that Google and Motorola will officially announce the phone during Google I/O in mid-May. Based on that, any phone that is expected to be announced several months out could be considered a game changer and one that will put pressure on others. On that logic, some may say that the yet-to-be announced Samsung Galaxy S IV could put some pressure on Apple. Getting back to this latest round of X-Phone chatter and we are also seeing a statement that is said to have come from a Motorola source. This one is a bit simpler and notes that Google has been working on this device for a long time. Nothing shocking in that respect, but here is where the hype begins again. The comment goes on to mention how the handset will have “software features and capabilities that are not available on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or Apple iPhone.” Again, we are talking about a next-generation phone and a next-generation version of Android, believed to be Key Lime Pie. As with any new major release of an operating system — we would only expect it to have some new and exciting features. In the end we certainly don’t mean to take away any of the Motorola X-Phone excitement, however we are trying to look at this with a bit more down to earth take. Still, we would be lying if we were to say that we were not excited. [via phoneArena] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 08:00 AM PST
Previous rumors suggested that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy S IV with an S Pen, however it is now looking like that will not be happening. Keep in mind though, similar to the details suggesting the S Pen would be included, this latest round has yet to be confirmed by anyone at Samsung. Basically, it seems we are now debunking previous rumors.
 This latest is coming by way of the Korean language ddaily who are reporting that the Galaxy S IV will debut with looks similar to the current Galaxy S III. In fact, this report has suggested that the Galaxy S IV will retain the same physical home button and two capacitive buttons that the Galaxy S III has. The key to this latest report though, while the report is suggesting no S Pen, it is still looking like the handset will have the “non-contact gesture” support. This seems to be where the confusion about the S Pen came into play with earlier reports thinking the contact-free gesture support was intended for the stylus. On the flip side though, we are not entirely sure what this will mean for users. Some have suggested that this will be similar to what Sony has on the Xperia Sola. Basically, that the display will be able to detect fingers from a small distance as opposed to needing them directly on the display to register. Speaking of the display, earlier rumors have it looking like the Galaxy S IV will debut with a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display. Other specs are said to include an 8-core Exynos 5 Octa processor, Mail-T678 graphics, 2GB of RAM, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Unlike HTC who has already confirmed the date for their next event, we have yet to see anything from Samsung. Rumors however are calling for an announcement in mid-March with a release beginning in early-April. [via SamMobile] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:23 AM PST
Continuing with the teasing, HTC has posted a countdown timer as a lead to their February 19 event. The clock, which is currently sitting at a little over 6 days is also highlighting something else that have recently learned. Something dealing with the name of the device we suspect will be announced. If you pay attention to the timer, the final number 1 is always highlighted in green.
 This just goes to give a bit further evidence to the recent reports about the HTC M7 actually being the HTC One. What would be really interesting is if HTC released a special limited edition color of the HTC One in that green. Of course, perhaps better than hoping to see a limited edition color — we should hope that HTC really nails it with this device. After all, with all this teasing, not to mention the abundance of rumors, HTC seems to be sitting on a dangerous edge. The key here, while we have talked quite a bit about the HTC M7, now the HTC One — the only part that has been confirmed is that HTC is having an event on February 19. Well, that and the event will actually be taking place in both New York and London. Otherwise, YouTube user gaurav2328 has spliced a bit of the imagery from behind the countdown timer into a video. You can take a look at that below, however it is just brief looks. You can also see those same pieces in the actual countdown timer, just watch and look for the flashing when the final digit in the seconds reaches a one. Aside from the HTC teasing and the event, the details for the phone are still unconfirmed. Based on previous rumors however, we are expecting the HTC One to launch 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. [via HTC] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:53 AM PST
The latest Gartner report has been released, this time focusing on smartphone sales for the fourth quarter of 2012. Diving right in, the report notes the quarter as breaking records. In fact, Gartner is reporting that Q4 2012 smartphone sales were up 38.3 percent as compared to Q4 2011. Or in actual numbers for the quarter, Q4 2012 saw smartphone sales of 207.7 million. Anyway, given some of the other recent smartphone sales reports we have seen — we suspect you can guess which companies are on the top of the list.
 The tops were Samsung and Apple, who when combined accounted for 52 percent of the market. That number has also increased from the previous quarter when it was sitting at 46.4 percent. Samsung did however take the number one position, not only for smartphone sales, but also for overall mobile phone sales. Coincidentally, feature phone sales were said to have remained week during the fourth quarter. They accounted for 264.4 million units, which was down 19.3 percent year-over-year. Samsung numbers were shown to be 64.5 million for smartphone sales during the fourth quarter and 384.6 million for all mobile phone sales during 2012 as a whole. Looking at this year-over-year and we see an increase of 85.3 percent for smartphone sales going from Q4 2011 to Q4 2012. Apple sales were said to reach 43.5 million for the fourth quarter which was up 22.6 percent from the same quarter in the previous year. As a year in total Apple had 130 million smartphone sales. Huawei managed to break into the top three (for the first time) and had 27.2 million in smartphone sales for the year. This is up 73.8 percent year-over-year. Stepping back from the companies and looking at Android for a moment. This report shows Samsung as having 42.5 percent of the Android market globally. The interesting part here, the next vendor in line has just a 6 percent share. The key here, while this sounds good for Samsung, Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner noted that the Galaxy brand is now “nearly a synonym for Android phones in consumers’ mind share." [via SlashGear] |
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Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:19 AM PST
A short while back we saw Samsung announce the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in garnet red and as today, it looks like another Galaxy branded tablet is going red. The latest is the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE and Samsung will have the red model available just in time for Valentine’s Day. The garnet red Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE will be available beginning on February 14. The one catch, as of now it has only been announced for one market.
 You may have already guessed, but that one market is Korea. Aside from the new exterior coloring, the specs and features of the tablet remain the same. Basically, the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE will still have the 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, microSD card slot, 7000 mAh battery, 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Other goodies include LTE connectivity along with the S Pen, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and Jelly Bean. Aside from the announcement and soon-to-be release in Korea, Samsung has also said that this color will eventually roll-out globally. The one part they have yet to clarify, which additional markets would be getting the color. Needless to say, we suspect Samsung will have this tablet on display during Mobile World Congress and may even have some additional release details to share when that time comes. Finally, those who may have been on the fence about a Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet purchase and were somehow convinced because of the garnet red color announcement, you may also want to check out our previous hands-on and review with the tablet.
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:20 PM PST
LG has officially revealed the design of the Korean variant of the Optimus G Pro. The 5.5-inch phablet will feature a curved glass display and from the looks of it, it will also feature a glittery back side similar to that of the Nexus 4. The curved glass display was added by LG to create what they call the “2.5D” effect. The device looks noticeably different from the Japanese variant of the phone, especially on the back casing.
 Other than the 5.5-inch Full HD display, and the increased 3,140 mAH battery, the Korean variant of the LG Optimus G Pro should have the same specs as the Japanese variant. The specs include a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 32GB built-in storage, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. LG is speculated to have upped the screen size of the LG Optimus G Pro because they wanted the device to compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy Note II. By making a device similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note II, LG hopes to sway more consumers to buy their devices, considering how Samsung seems to be monopolizing the Android marketplace there. The device is also speculated to launch by the end of this month. The released date was rumored to be pushed up because LG feared that the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S IV may dramatically hurt the sales of the LG Optimus G Pro. By releasing the device ahead of schedule, LG is hoping to get a head start on sales before the Samsung Galaxy S IV is able to dominate the marketplace. [via Korean Newswire] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:49 PM PST
Here’s a little boost of nostalgia for you all. You can now watch episodes of Pokemon, arguably one of the most popular cartoon shows of the late 90′s, straight from your Android device. The Pokemon TV app lets you stream free episodes from the series straight to your device. It doesn’t have the complete series, but there are enough episodes to help you kill time and also find your inner child.
 The Pokemon TV app updates its selection of episodes weekly, but we’re not sure whether the older episodes will be phased out, or remain in the app. The app also features movies, trailers, and specials from the beloved series that you can watch to your heart’s content. What I would love to see is an official Pokemon game released for Android devices. Pokemon should definitely follow the examples of Square Enix and re-release their old games to the Android devices. That would be a trip down memory lane for everyone. Pokemon did state that it intended on releasing a Pokemon game for both iOS and Android, however we have yet to see proof of that. The Pokemon TV app is available on both Android smartphones and tablets, and it features a user-friendly interface for navigating through the many seasons of Pokemon. The promotional video above shows the app in action, and gives you a preview of what you can expect from it. The app is available now from the Google Play store. [via Google Play] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:33 PM PST
The Nexus 4 has been making its way to a variety of Canadian carriers, and it looks like Virgin Mobile Canada is next in line to receive the device. The smartphone has already made its way to Videotron, WIND Mobile, and Fido. Virgin Mobile Canada didn’t release an official date on when they’ll sell the device, but they do have a sign-up page if you want to be notified once the Nexus 4 is released.
 The Nexus 4 is the latest Nexus smartphone device from Google, and it packs quite an impressive spec sheet for such a small price tag. The specs include a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display, 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 8/16GB built-in memory, 2GB of RAM, 8MP rear-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, and a penta-band radio. The device should also receive the Android 4.2.2 update pretty soon. What’s strange to me is why would people buy a Nexus 4 from a carrier when it’s being sold so cheap through the Google Play store. Though it’s understandable that some people don’t want to pay the $299 or $349 price tag (not including tax or shipping) and would rather pay a subsidized fee for their phone. There’s no word from Virgin Mobile on what the device will cost when it’s release, but we can’t imagine it’d be more than $200. Otherwise it would make more sense just to buy the device straight from Google without needing to lock yourself into another contract.
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:57 PM PST
While we thought that Android 4.2.2 would only include some bug fixes and improvements to performance, it also comes with some nifty features as well. The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update should be available through OTA for those of you who own a GSM Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi), and/or a Nexus 10. You can see the list of new features right after this jump.
 One feature that’s included with the Android 4.2.2 update the new notification for app downloads. It will show you the percentage of the app downloaded as well as the estimated time before your app completes downloading. The new app download notification “uses a moving average that is weights 1:1 with the most recent 500ms sample,” if you want to get technical about it.  Another feature is an adjustment to toggles in the quick settings menu. If you long press the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi squares, you can toggle them on and off. Normally, with other power controls, you just have to press on the square to toggle the setting on/off, but this is still progress. There’s still a strange learning curve when it comes to the toggles. While you have to long press the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth squares to toggle them, you only need to single press the Airplane Mode to toggle it. Pressing on the 3G/4G toggle will only take you to the settings screen.  The last feature we know about is some new sound effects that have been added to the Android 4.2.2 update. There will now be a new sound effect for Wireless Charging, which previously made no sound effect at all. There will also be a new low battery sound effect, which is much more pleasant compared old sound effect that used to play. Stay tuned while we find additional details for the Android 4.2.2 update. Until then, you can check out the timeline below to see what we’ve gathered so far. [via Android Police] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:08 PM PST
The kernel source for the Sony Xperia Z has been released nearly a month before the actual device is speculated to launch. This is great news for the open source developer community and it earns Sony some brownie points in the eyes of Android users. Sony has an impressive track record of releasing source code for its developers immediately upon the release of its devices.
 Sony one-ups most manufacturers, like Samsung, by releasing kernel sources that are complete, compilable, and actually working. There’s not much you can do with the Sony Xperia Z kernel at the moment, but you can see what the device will be like when it launches. Sony is setting a good example of what what an OEM should do, and hopefully other companies will follow its lead. The Sony Xperia Z is Sony’s 2013 flagship phone, and it’s hoping that their device will make them just as much of a competitor as Samsung in the Android marketplace. The Sony Xperia Z has a 5-inch Full HD display, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 16GB built-in memory with a microSD card slot for expandable storage, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear-facing camera, 2.2MP front-facing camera, 2,330 mAh battery, and will be running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The Xperia Z received a lot of hype at CES for its beautiful form factor, great specs, and ability to survive in water. The device is rumored to be released by the end of this month in UK, and to the rest of the world sometime in March. It will be available in black, white, and purple. [via XDA-Developers] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:14 PM PST
Motorola Solutions has created a device dubbed the AME 2000 Secure Mobile Solution that will provide federal agencies with secure voice and data communications. The AME 2000 is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Android device that has updated software and hardware that will provide encrypted voice and data communications through both public and private wireless networks.
 The AME 2000 uses a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to provide secure data transfer between the device and various data networks including Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G LTE. It also features end-to-end AES 256/NSA Suite B encryption for voice and messaging services between AME-equipped devices as well as Security Enhanced Android (SEAndroid) to provide security policy controls so that processes can’t be bypassed or hacked by viruses. Brenda Harold, corporate VP of Global ASTRO Products and Solutions in Motorola Solutions, INC. says that it’s critical that devices used by the federal government are “augmented with solutions to ensure security and confidentiality”. Paul Mueller, VP of the U.S. Federal Government Markets Division in Motorola Solutions, INC. also states, that “secure mobility is among the U.S. government’s top technology priorities”. Motorola Solutions wanted to create a device that would provide the security that the federal government needs while also providing a device that is user-friendly. According to their press release, that’s why they chose Android as their operating system. Android powers hundreds of million devices in over 190 countries, thus making it the largest installed mobile operating system in the world. [via Motorola] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:01 PM PST
Foursquare users, you have an Android app update ready and waiting. The update is available in the expected location, that is to say the Google Play Store. Perhaps more important though — the changes that have been included. Foursquare has noted how this update brings “three big changes” and should in general, make it easier to find the best stuff around you.
 Breaking these changes down a bit further and we have updates to the Explore tab, the ability to quickly see if any of your friends happen to be checked in nearby and quicker access to your to-do list. Beginning first with the changes with the Explore tab. Users will now see this at the top of the home screen and from here will be able to tap the search bar and begin typing what you happen to be looking for. Or alternatively, what you happen to be craving in terms of food. In addition to searching, the app also allows for browsing of categories and checking the top pics in an area using the “Best Nearby” option. Next up is the improvements to finding friends. This will come in the form of a map that will show not only nearby friends, but also places that Foursquare thinks you will like. Furthermore, on the topic of friends, the nearby friends option is now sitting on top of the stream. As for those to-do lists, this is now easily accessible from the left hand drawer and can be found by tapping the icon in the top left or by swiping to the right. The left hand drawer also gives quick access to other goodies such as your profile and history as well as settings and more. In addition to these bigger changes in the Foursquare for Android app, users will also notice some other smaller changes. For example, the check in button is now on the bottom left and the process to add friends has been simplified. Finally, while these changes all seem worthy enough, the team at Foursquare is continuing to tease of future updates noting that “an even better personalized map on your home screen” is coming. [via Foursquare Blog] |
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Posted: 12 Feb 2013 01:36 PM PST
A new benchmark has leaked that is supposedly for the Samsung Galaxy S IV. The model number on the benchmark is SHV-E300S, which is the same model number as the previously tipped Korean Samsung Galaxy S IV. What’s surprising is that it looks like the S IV won’t be carrying an Exynos 5 Octa processor like the rumors have said, and instead will carry a Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor.
 The benchmark says that the Korean variant of the Samsung Galaxy S IV will have a 1.9GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 processor, Adreno 320 GPU, and will be running on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean. The benchmark could just be a fabrication because we don’t see why Samsung would stick a Qualcomm chip inside its flagship smartphone, especially since they’ve got everyone hyped up on their 8-core Exynos 5 Octa processor. The rumored specs of the Samsung Galaxy S IV say that device should have a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display, Exynos 5 Octa CPU, Mali-T678 GPU (8-core), 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It’s highly unlikely that Samsung would choose a Qualcomm processor over its Exynos processors for its flagship smartphone, so we’re going to classify this as a rumor. We should be getting the full details of the device on March 15th when Samsung announces it at their Mobile Unpacked event. [via SamMobile] |
Sunday, February 17, 2013
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