Android Central |
- The HTC Sense 5 app drawer: Making simple complicated
- HTC Droid DNA gets a taste of Sense 5
- Humble Bundle 5 adds three more games to the list
- FCC Approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger
- HTC responds to reported European HTC One delay
- Reviewing Humble Bundle 5: Dungeon Defenders Second Wave
- British carrier, retailer remind us they'll sell the Galaxy S4
- DoubleTwist launches Magic Radio streaming service, we go hands on
- HTC One retail unboxing
- Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant adds location sharing and hands-free texting
- AT&T confirms Jelly Bean pushing to the Xperia TL
- Deal of the Day: Cruzerlite Clone Army Skin Case for LG Nexus 4
- Sony Xperia Z review
- Chinese 'Samsung Galaxy S4' appears in leaked video footage
- Google Glass apps demoed at SXSW
| The HTC Sense 5 app drawer: Making simple complicated Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:44 PM PDT
If there's one feature of HTC's new Sense 5 that's taken us extra time to get used to, it's the new app drawer. HTC's attempt to simplify things has, in fact, made them more complicated. That's partly due to the new home screen scheme, with BlinkFeed anchored to the far left at all times (even if you never use it). It's also partly due to the app drawer itself. That's not to say it's without some interesting new features. But they almost seem forced together in a way that makes sense once you're familiar with them. Good luck explaining all this to a first-time Android user, though. We'll explain. 
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| HTC Droid DNA gets a taste of Sense 5 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:17 PM PDT
If you've got an HTC Droid DNA, and are feeling a bit left out seeing all this Sense 5 talk about the HTC One, you might want to take a good look at this one. Using a software dump from the HTC One, Sense 5 has been ported over to the DNA, and folks are saying good thing about it. There are a few bugs (some camera stuff and MMS for Verizon users isn't working) but most of the features (including BlinkFeed) are up and running. In addition, the features you expect from any custom ROM, like proper root and busybox, are included and good to go in the latest version. Of course you'll need to have a DNA that's rooted (or running a software version that can still be rooted) and unlocked with a custom recovery in place. This may be the only way you'll ever get to experience Sense 5 on the DNA (this is Verizon we're dealing with, after all), so it's definitely worth looking at. Hit the source links below for all the information you need. Source: XDA-Developers; via: Android Central forums 
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| Humble Bundle 5 adds three more games to the list Posted: 12 Mar 2013 01:49 PM PDT
The Humble Bundle 5 has been out for a few days now, and after raising over $1 million in donations, the bundle is growing with three more games. The updated bundle adds the following three games, which were part of Humble Bundle 4:
The titles are part of the "locked" portion of the bundle, which can be accessed by donating more than that average of previous donations. At the time of writing, the average sits at just $6.67. If you were to donate that amount or more, you'd receive nine DRM-free games in total. That's a heck of a deal and worth a look even if you just want a couple of them. If you haven't seen, we've been reviewing the games in Humble Bundle 5 and they've got quite the lineup here. You can learn more about the Humble Bundle 5 at the source link below. Source: Humble Bundle 
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| FCC Approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger Posted: 12 Mar 2013 01:05 PM PDT
A very important piece of the T-Mobile/MetroPCS puzzle has fallen into place today: getting the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. Citing increase in competition and the consumer benefits, the merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS now has the FCC's official blessing. With this formality out of the way, the shareholders will now vote on March 28th to make this marriage a reality. T-Mobile's previously proposed merger with AT&T was withdrawn from the FCC before approval, after meeting opposition from the Department of Justice. The DOJ feared that the elimination of the smaller, more budget-friendly T-Mobile would leave too little competition in the mobile marketplace for the much larger AT&T. With the 4 billion dollars T-Mobile received from its breakup with AT&T, and now the potential merger with MetroPCS, things are going to get interesting between the big GSM carriers. What will AT&T do in response to a larger, more resourceful T-Mobile? What will happen to existing MetroPCS customers post-merger? Come speculate with us in the forums. Source: FCC 
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| HTC responds to reported European HTC One delay Posted: 12 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PDT
UK retailer Clove Technology is reporting that the flagship HTC One's European launch has been held back to Mar. 29, two weeks later than Clove's expected date of Mar. 15. Though HTC has not publicly announced a specific release date for the phone in any territory, Clove insists it's been "officially informed by HTC UK." We've reached out to HTC, which has provided us with this statement on HTC One availability --
That's almost exactly what we were told around the launch event in February, so it appears little has changed from the manufacturer's perspective. So we'll have to wait and see when the HTC One eventually becomes available in Europe, but we imagine that wait shouldn't be a long one. O2 Germany, for example, is already shipping the HTC One on contract, so we wouldn't discount the possibility of devices showing up for sale elsewhere before the month's end. Specific details on U.S. availability are still unavailable -- we suspect we'll be waiting on announcements from individual carriers. Source: Clove 
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| Reviewing Humble Bundle 5: Dungeon Defenders Second Wave Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:59 AM PDT
Dungeon Defenders has been out on Android for some time now. The latest update, "Second Wave" is available in the Play Store but also as part of the Humble Bundle 5 as one of the two games received for donating over the average amount. It's a big download, but there's a lot of content in this game to warrant the size. If you purchase it through Humble Bundle, you'll be receiving all available DLC (downloadable content) included as well which adds even more gameplay. Stick around after the break for a quick refresher on the Dungeon Defenders series with a look at the Second Wave update. 
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| British carrier, retailer remind us they'll sell the Galaxy S4 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:30 AM PDT
EE is playing its cards a little closer to its chest by merely tweeting one of Samsung's promotional posts. Honestly, though, we'd be amazed if the Galaxy S4 wasn't available across every major UK network and retailer on launch day. That's the way things tend to roll out with any major handset in the UK. Sit tight. We'll know more about the Galaxy S4 and when it'll be launching around the world after Samsung's NYC event on Thursday evening. 
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| DoubleTwist launches Magic Radio streaming service, we go hands on Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT
doubleTwist needs little introduction really. Charting over 10 million downloads from the Google Play Store, it's without question one of the finest and most popular music players available on the Android platform. The ability to interact with Apple's iTunes and Airplay services provides a path many iTunes users rely upon to manage their music on their Android device with minimal fuss. Besides the iTunes integration, doubleTwist also offers -- albeit via in-app purchases -- a range of add-ons such as full podcast support, an equalizer and high quality artwork. Today, doubleTwist launches their latest add-on package, Magic Radio, their answer to a music streaming service. Subscriptions to Magic Radio cost just $3.99 per month through Google Wallet and come with a 7 day free trial, so you get a good chance to put it through its paces before committing your money. But, the music streaming space already has some heavy hitters with the like of Sony, Spotify and Rdio all having their own offerings. Does Magic Radio have enough to provide a compelling experience? We've been playing with it for a few days now, and the tl;dr version is this; It's really good. Well designed, well executed and pretty good value for money. However, the Magic Radio approach may not be for everyone. So, click on past the break and we'll take a look. 
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| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:59 AM PDT
One downside to being the dude who's dead set against unboxings is that you occasionally find your self taking a phone out of a box and filming it for all the world to see. But seeing as how we're now in possession of an actual retail unit, box and all, of the new HTC One, we thought we'd give you a look-see. So after the break is a brief HTC One unboxing -- again, an actual retail unit -- for those who are into that sort of thing. Mazel tov. 
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| Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant adds location sharing and hands-free texting Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:30 AM PDT
Nuance has announced a handful of new features to their Dragon Mobile Assistant app, which launched just last fall. In addition to the usual stuff, like updating Facebook and Twitter, finding businesses, booking calendar appointments, and getting directions, Dragon Mobile Assistant can now share GPS coordinates with trusted contacts. 
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| AT&T confirms Jelly Bean pushing to the Xperia TL Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:44 AM PDT
AT&T this morning confirmed what we've known for a couple weeks now -- Android 4.1.2 is pushing to the Sony Xperia TL. Noted is the addition of AT&T DriveMode, which at 25 mph can shut down features of your phone that could be distracting while driving and automatically reply to texts, e-mails and calls, saying that you're driving and are more responsible than your friends and won't be picking up the phone while your hands are on the wheel. (At least that's how we envision it.) There's also a new camera interface, data usage calculator and improved power management. If you've yet to get the update, head into the settings menu to get the ball rolling. Source: AT&T 
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| Deal of the Day: Cruzerlite Clone Army Skin Case for LG Nexus 4 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:13 AM PDT
The Cruzerlite Clone Army Skin Case is available for just $6.00, 70% off today only. Grab yours while supplies last! Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts 
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| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:03 AM PDT
Sony bets big on a 5-incher for the European market. But is the Xperia Z the high-end handset it needs?Don’t count out Sony Mobile. Sure, the Japanese giant’s smartphone arm may be an irrelevance in the U.S. market right now, for reasons we won’t get into here. But it’s made steady progress in Europe and the UK, where it’s now number two in Android market share behind Samsung. Admittedly, much of that has been down to Sony’s numerous entry-level and mid-range devices like the Xperia Tipo and Xperia U, rather than its high-end stuff. That’s because Sony has lacked a kick-ass flagship smartphone for far too long. Last year neither the Xperia S nor Xperia T thrilled us enough to recommend them over the Samsung and HTC competition. The former arrived running the dated Android 2.3 Gingerbread, while the latter suffered from dismal battery life and ran ICS in a Jelly Bean-aspiring world. So with a new year comes a new Sony phone, the Xperia Z. If nothing else, the manufacturer’s rapid turnover of high-end handsets has allowed it to finally catch up in the spec war. This new Xperia is fitted with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, a 1080p display and a 13-megapixel camera with Sony’s fancy new Exmor RS sensor tech. Oh, and it’s also fully water-resistant. But make no mistake, the Xperia Z is about to be born into a world of ferocious competition, with Samsung keen to hold onto its Android dominance, and HTC pulling no punches with its new HTC One. Once again Sony has the advantage of bringing a product to market first -- so can it deliver? Find out in our full review of the Xperia Z. 
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| Chinese 'Samsung Galaxy S4' appears in leaked video footage Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:23 AM PDT Yesterday we saw screenshots allegedly from a dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S4 variant destined for the China Unicom carrier. Today we're getting an even closer look at the handset in question, courtesy of a leaked video that's come to light on the same Chinese forum, 52Samsung. The footage gives us a brief hardware tour, confirming the presence of a removable back cover and battery, microSD support and -- on this model at least -- dual SIM capabilities. Just as we saw in yesterday's leaked images, the device looks a lot like a larger Galaxy S3, and appears to be running a re-vamped version of Samsung's TouchWiz Nature UX -- although things don't appear to have changed significantly on the software side. Check out the leaked footage above, and as always, remember Samsung's history of putting out several versions of upcoming products to keep its true intentions secret. Whatever form the Galaxy S4 eventually takes, we won't have long to wait to see the finished article. We'll be live in New York City this Thursday with full coverage of the announcement event. Thanks @android_indian! 
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| Google Glass apps demoed at SXSW Posted: 11 Mar 2013 08:26 PM PDT
Today we got a first look at some of the apps for Google's upcoming Glass. Many developers were in attendance, where Timothy Jordan explained the goal of the Glass experience: provide timely content and functionality that integrates into the user's daily life, while being careful not to get in the way with obtrusive features (the thing is attached to your head, after all). First up was The New York Times app, shown delivering a headline with accompanying image and author's name. If a user wants the full story, it's only a tap away from being read aloud by Glass. The app even has a built-in breaking news system, letting users literally see the news as it happens. Or as it is written, anyway. Of course this wouldn't be a proper Google product without Gmail. Incoming messages appear as an email subject line and picture of the sender. After opening an email, users can use voice dictation to reply to their messages. This seems like a great idea for Twitter-sized emails, but it's still yet to be seen how useful this will be once you get beyond a few paragraphs. Evernote was on board, along with Skitch. These apps were shown handling some quick editing and sharing of pictures that were taken with Glass. Also among the 3rd-party app support was Path, the social network for close friends and family. Functionality was a little limited, which might be a good thing here. Make comments and emoticons, and share cards with other Path users. It's great to see outside app developers supporting Glass at this stage in the game. One of the things discussed at this demo was app design. Many Android tablet apps have long been criticized for simply using an inefficient smartphone design. With Glass being such a unique platform, this could be a fresh start for a completely new experience - one with apps designed to make the most out of everything Glass has to offer. Source: Engadget 
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