Android Community |
- Huawei Ascend G700 images leak
- T-Mobile’s new “UNcarrier” plans rolling out March 24th
- Walmart expanding Scan & Go pilot with Android support coming soon
- NCAA March Madness official Android app updated – Live stream all games free
- Apple continues to dominate for smartphone customer satisfaction
- HTC details BlinkFeed in latest promo video
- Google Glass patent filing details an expensive garage door opener
- Huawei Premia 4G smartphone announced for MetroPCS
- AT&T 4G LTE coverage expands in five states
- T-Mobile, MetroPCS regulatory approvals now complete
- Chameleon Launcher for Phones now available in Google Play
- Suretap mobile payment solution hits Android devices on Rogers Wireless
- Android@Home clues surface in Android 4.2.2 update
- Android and Chrome will remain separate says Schmidt
- Google Play Books launches in Mexico
- Google Play Store 4 reportedly leaks with a brand new look
- Google Keep Review
- Dead Trigger 2 hands-on with Project SHIELD
- Google Search now shows up-to-date sports info
- Google Keep official: taking on Evernote as soon as possible
| Huawei Ascend G700 images leak Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:05 AM PDT The specs are still at a minimum, however we are now being given a rather clear look at the Huawei Ascend G700 smartphone. The images are offering a look at the front and back and appear to be the press shots. Huawei has yet to offer any official details on this particular handset and so far what we are seeing is coming by way of leaks.
Basically that is to say that details could change before an official announcement. With that warning out of the way, it is looking like the Ascend G700 will have an HD display, quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Otherwise, the handset is also expected to be available in two models — one with W-CDMA and one with TD-SCDMA support. So far nothing solid in terms of the processor speed. The display has been pegged at 5-inches, however we have yet to see if that claim of HD means 720p or 1080p. We certainly hope for the latter, but suspect it will be the former. Time will tell which way that is going to fall. Given these images appear to be the official press renders, we suspect Huawei will release some details sooner rather than later. Otherwise, while we wait from the official word from Huawei, we will remain on the lookout for anything additional in terms of specs and release plans. Given what we have seen up until this point, it seems more than likely the Ascend G700 will at least be available in China. [via Twitter] |
| T-Mobile’s new “UNcarrier” plans rolling out March 24th Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:04 AM PDT We know there are a lot of changes on the way from the folks at T-Mobile, and today a few details on their new unlimited plans are starting to surface. With the MetroPCS merger still in works, T-Mobile is looking to make big changes. Below are the brand new “UNcarrier” unlimited talk/text plans coming soon to a 3rd party T-Mobile stand near you.
As mentioned above, these are the new unlimited classic plans T-Mobile will be offering at locations throughout the US that aren’t corporate stores. As in these will only be available from Target, Walmart, and other 3rd party brick and mortar locations. Then regular T-Mobile stores will offer something similar, as well as other options. It seems T-Mobile is giving everyone unlimited talk and text, but not data. In this day and age we need less minutes and more data – I do at least. So while these deals will probably be excellent and great for some, others might be paying more for the same simply for the unlimited talk/text. Interestingly enough tethering is free for all data limits (except unlimited data) and the pricing isn’t too bad. Now we just need that 4G LTE to come faster.
Essentially all of T-Mobile’s new UNcarrier Classic Plans will have unlimited talk/text and come with 500MB of data for our smartphones. Then you can add 2GB at a time for just $10 and will go all the way to 12GB options before you pay big for truly unlimited data. If you aren’t paying attention all those include free tethering (except unlimited data) and if you remove tethering T-Mobile now will have an unlimited talk/text/data plan without tether options for just $90. That sure beats anything from the other big carriers currently available today.
This information is being sent to T-Mobile employees and 3rd party locations as we speak, and should be available come March 24th. Not all of the details are available yet, but we’ll know more soon. Some might love these options, and we have a feeling many won’t. What do you guys think? [via TmoNews] |
| Walmart expanding Scan & Go pilot with Android support coming soon Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:12 AM PDT Back in August 2012 Walmart kicked off the “Scan & Go” pilot program. The initial availability was limited to just one location in Bentonville, Arkansas, however Walmart has recently announced an expansion. In short, the program will soon be available in more than 200 stores. This is up from the current count of 70.
For those not familiar with Walmart’s Scan & Go, this is essentially an as-you-go self check-out process. You actually scan the barcode on your items as you add them to your cart. This has the obvious perk of being able to easily keep track of your spending, however it also allows you to bypass the regular register and pay at the self-checkout line. Walmart has said that “more than half of the customers who have tried the “Scan & Go” feature have used it more than once.” While this sounds interesting enough, it is not yet anything that Android users will be able to take advantage of. You see, the Scan & Go program requires the smartphone user to be running an app. As you have likely guessed, that app is currently available only for iOS. There is some good news for Android users, Walmart has promised an Android app is coming. We have yet to learn a specific timeframe, however Walmart has said that it “should be out soon.” In keeping with the growing Scan & Go program, Walmart also has plans to add self-checkout registers in additional stores. At this time self-checkout registers are in about 1,500 stores and the retailer has plans to add those in another 1,000 to 1,500 stores before the end of the year. Of course, while the doubling of the self-checkout registers and the Scan & Go going to 200 stores — those numbers still fall short of the more than 4,000 total Walmart locations. [via SlashGear] |
| NCAA March Madness official Android app updated – Live stream all games free Posted: 21 Mar 2013 09:52 AM PDT Starting again today we get to enjoy some of the best few weeks in all of sports. Of course we’re talking about NCAA Basketball’s March Madness. Just like last year today we’re bringing you the official NCAA March Madness app for Android, and of course you can stream all 67 games free. Well as long as the app supports your cable provider. It’s been redesigned for 2013, looks amazing, and supports nearly every single device I’ve ever owned or reviewed.
Last year the app didn’t support a wide array of devices, and thus we saw lots of angry fans and bad reports in the Play Store. This year however, NCAA 2013 appears to support nearly all devices. For 2013 the official app has been completely redesigned with a new look and feel, offers even more information, and has social deeply integrated. There’s so many social feeds and areas to chat and trash talk, that I think it might be slowing down the app.
NCAA March Madness Live 2013 is actually a pretty amazing app. Aside from being able to watch the games for free even on mobile, there is a ton of tournament info, stats, detailed scoring pages, and of course brackets. It’s all neatly designed, well packaged, and easy to use. Sadly on my Galaxy Nexus here it appears to be a little sluggish while flipping through pages but that’s about my only complaint. Here’s what to expect.
- Live stream all 67 NCAA March Madness Games free As a quickie pro tip you might want to head into channel finder, select your cable provider, and make sure to enable HD channels. The stream even on WiFi doesn’t appear to be that amazing for me, but it’s certainly watchable for mobile. Oh and it works great on Android 4.2.2 and everything else I’ve tried, so at least this time we have support for nearly all Androids. Get the app right this minute on the Google Play Store from the link below, then be sure and follow your favorite teams. I’ll be rooting for my boys here in Vegas at UNLV, then Zaga is on my list too. Enjoy the live stream and let us know how it works for you in the comments below! [via Play Store Link]       |
| Apple continues to dominate for smartphone customer satisfaction Posted: 21 Mar 2013 09:37 AM PDT The latest J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction report has been posted and it is similar to many of the past reports in that one thing has remained the same. The bit that has remained the same is something that Android loyalists may not be all that happy about, but here goes — for the ninth consecutive time, Apple has remained in the top position in terms of smartphone customer satisfaction.
Not to mention, this report has Apple sitting well above the study average. The overall rankings for customer smartphone satisfaction have Apple with 855. The study average, for those wondering, is 796. That means Apple is sitting nearly 60 points higher than the average. Or more specifically, Apple is sitting exactly 60 points higher than Nokia, who is sitting in second. Yes, that means not an Android device in the top two. Samsung does jump in at third with a score of 793. Taking a step back for a moment, lets take a look at what goes into these rankings. The key factors include performance, physical design, features and ease of operation. Anyway, rounding out the top five is Motorola and HTC with 792 and 790 respectively. In addition to the overall rankings, the J.D Power & Associates report also reveals interesting tidbits such as how 17 percent of smartphone users report experiencing a software or device malfunction. It also appears as if social is a big part of the smartphone experience. The report notes that average smartphone users spend 115 minutes per week using social apps. [via SlashGear] |
| HTC details BlinkFeed in latest promo video Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:58 AM PDT While we wait for the availability of the One smartphone, HTC seems to be doing a fairly nice job of keeping the handset fresh in our minds. There is still some discussion on whether the One is coming to Verizon Wireless, however that aside, it seems this release is sort of make or break for Peter Chou.
Whether or not Chou will step down remains to be seen, but for now HTC has been sharing talk of the software related features. In fact, they have recently posted another BlinkFeed teaser video. The video does a decent job at showing what BlinkFeed is and what it can offer. In this case HTC is comparing BlinkFeed to a real-life situation. For those not as familiar with BlinkFeed, it is basically a widget that summarizes your feeds. HTC describes it as being “all your favorite content streamed live onto one screen.” As HTC describes in the above video, BlinkFeed would be like everyone around you telling you a bit of news or information. In that respect, BlinkFeed sounds like a winner. Almost like having people tell you everything, but without actually having to deal with them in real life. Of course, while BlinkFeed seems like a nice option to have, it isn’t an entirely new concept either. The real key here will be whether or not HTC can convince the average user that BlinkFeed is something they need to have. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 |
| Google Glass patent filing details an expensive garage door opener Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:20 AM PDT Google seems to be revealing more and more in terms of what we can expect from Glass. It was back in February when they offered up the “How It Feels (through Glass)” video and a bit more recently, we were given a look at some of the third party apps that will be available. Those included Evernote and Path, however as of today we are talking patents.
Well, patents and possibility. It seems Google is looking to have you be able to do things such as open your garage door or control your refrigerator using Glass. Keep in mind, these are still only patent filings at this point and so far, we have yet to get a solid look at how those will actually work. Anyway, the USPTO (US Patent & Trademark Office) filing is for “wearable computer with superimposed controls and instructions for external devices.” While that sounds a bit generic, it does make a bit more sense when you also take these sketches into consideration. Basically, Google looks to have you open your garage door using Glass. From what we see in the filing, this would include looking at a code on the actual door. The code could be RFID, QR or other, but the key here is that once recognized, you will then get a set of controls. Using the garage door example and it would be as simple as opening the door.
The other example is a refrigerator. This one seems like it could be a bit more involved. You can get a few ideas of use from the sketch which shows things such as managing a grocery list and also controlling the temperature. Anyway, this is all obviously still a good ways out, but it does seem interesting nonetheless. So how about it, anyone interested in opening their garage door with Google Glass? Or is this just another neat, but gimmicky potential use case. [via Engadget] |
| Huawei Premia 4G smartphone announced for MetroPCS Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:31 AM PDT It appears to be business as usual for MetroPCS as they have announced their latest smartphone offering. The latest handset to join the lineup is the Huawei Premia 4G. The handset arrives in traditional MetroPCS fashion, which is really just to say that it is a contract-free device and eligible for the unlimited talk, text and data plans which start at $40 per month.
The Premia 4G, as implied by the name, is an LTE device. The specs include a 4.0-inch (800 x 480) display with Corning Gorilla Glass, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 1650 mAh battery and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with flash. The Premia 4G is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Those considering a purchase should know that the Premia 4G is priced at $149. The handset can be found online and also with MetroPCS retail stores. It can also be purchased with the pay monthly, ‘SmartPay” option for those who prefer to break that $149 down into several monthly payments. Otherwise, the plans are priced at $40, $50 and $60 per month and all offer unlimited talk, text and data. The catch is that some of the plans have limits on the amount of 4G LTE data. The $40 plan includes 500MB of 4G data and the $50 plan includes 2.5GB of 4G data per month. Additionally, MetroPCS customers can add-on a Rhapsody Unlimited account for just $5 per month. [via MetroPCS] |
| AT&T 4G LTE coverage expands in five states Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:08 AM PDT AT&T has flipped the 4G LTE switch for several additional markets. This latest includes select cities in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and Tennessee. Some of this latest LTE announcement is for new coverage and some is simply expanding upon existing coverage. Beginning first with Alabama, this includes an expansion in and around Mobile.
AT&T has said that the Mobile areas should now be seeing LTE in I-10 immediately east of Spanish Fort to the Florida state line, HWY 59 corridor from I-10 to the beach including Loxley, Foley and Gulf Shores, HWY 180 from Fort Morgan to Gulf Shores and East from HWY 59 to Orange Beach Boulevard. Moving onto Connecticut and we have another expansion. This time dealing with the Waterbury area. The LTE coverage should now include parts of Cheshire, Meriden, Prospect, Waterbury and Wolcott. Next up with have three new areas which include Sebring, Florida; Athens, Ohio and Dyersburg and Ripley, Tennessee. This latest LTE coverage comes in addition to an expansion for the Bowling Green, Ohio area which was announced a few days back, on March 18. And for those who may have missed it, AT&T also announced some expansions for select cities in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia back on March 14. Simply put, plenty of new LTE coverage has been coming from AT&T. [via AT&T] |
| T-Mobile, MetroPCS regulatory approvals now complete Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:45 AM PDT T-Mobile and MetroPCS received the FCC approval back on March 12 which meant that the necessary approvals for a merger were almost complete. Basically, once the FCC offered their approval we still needed word from the Committee on Foreign Investment. Well, approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment as well as the MetroPCS stockholders. As of today however, MetroPCS has offered a bit of a status update.
In short, the Committee on Foreign Investment has offered the necessary approval. The Committee on Foreign Investment approval arrived on March 20 and was accompanied by details stating that “there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction and that it has therefore concluded its review.” Basically, this means that the merger has received all necessary regulatory approvals and now only needs the approval from the stockholders. The stockholder meeting is set for April 12, 2013. Of course, as we have seen in the past, MetroPCS is recommending that all stockholders approve the merger with T-Mobile. A statement from the MetroPCS board has asked that “stockholders vote their shares FOR all of the proposals relating to the proposed combination with T-Mobile by returning the GREEN proxy card they will receive in due course with a “FOR” vote for all proposals.” The carrier has even gone as far as saying that “there is no assurance that MetroPCS will be able to deliver the same or better stockholder value.” All the that aside though, we do have to wonder what, if any effect the March 26 T-Mobile event will have on the decision of the stockholders. For those who may have missed the bit about the upcoming T-Mobile event, that is believed to be bringing the end of subsidies and contracts as well as the introduction of new plans. [via MetroPCS] |
| Chameleon Launcher for Phones now available in Google Play Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:23 AM PDT Chameleon originally came to light by way of Kickstarter and as an alternative launcher for tablets. As of today however, the launcher is now publicly available for any and all that want to use it, and also available for tablets as well as smartphones. Yes, Chameleon Launcher for Phones has officially landed in the Google Play Store. No real surprises here, however we do have the breakdown of features, versions and prices.
On that note, those searching for Chameleon in the Google Play Store will be greeted with a few search results. The two that that you should focus on first and foremost are Chameleon Launcher and/or Chameleon Launcher for Phones. These apps are priced at $3.99 and $2.91 respectively. Those who are first time Chameleon users will only need to choose one of these two apps. If you plan to run Chameleon only on a smartphone you can opt for the ‘for Phones’ version and pay $2.91. Those looking to run Chameleon on a tablet and smartphone will want the ‘Chameleon Launcher’ app for $3.99 as this will allow you to run the launcher on the smaller and larger screens. Aside from which version you need, the features are pretty much the same across the board. Chameleon is a launcher replacement app. That is to say you will be giving your device a complete new look. And Chameleon does offer a unique style. The app takes advantage of widgets and has options for the calendar and clock as well as weather, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more. There is also a news reader widget available. Some other perks of Chameleon include a somewhat real-time flow of information which comes courtesy of the widgets. Chameleon also has the option to create a mini App Tray that gives quick access to the apps that you want and/or need. That all being said, those looking for Chameleon Launcher (for tablets and smartphones) can use this link and those looking for Chameleon Launcher for Phones can use this link. |
| Suretap mobile payment solution hits Android devices on Rogers Wireless Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:31 AM PDT Canadian Android users on the Rogers Communications network now have a new mobile payment solution to choose from. Rogers Communications announced that it had certified suretap on its network for Android devices. With the certification on the network credential issuers such as banks, loyalty, and reward programs can now develop mobile payment solutions for Android devices on the network.
The mobile payment solution uses secure SIM card access and a NFC-enabled smartphone. Using the set up Rogers users can now use their smartphone to securely make payments using their mobile device at thousands of locations that support MasterCard PayPass and Visa payWave. Rogers certified three different Android NFC-enabled smartphones as suretap mobile payment ready. Those Android devices include the LG Optimus G, Samsung GALAXY S III, and the Note II. These devices are certified as ready to support mobile payment applications that accept both MasterCard and Visa credit cards. Rogers says that hundreds of thousands of suretap mobile payment ready devices are being used by Canadians right now. Suretap supports purchases of up to $50. [via USA Today] |
| Android@Home clues surface in Android 4.2.2 update Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:11 AM PDT We haven’t heard much about Google’s plans for Android-powered home automation since 2011. In May 2011 at Google’s I/O Conference, Google talked about its plans for home automation via what it called Android@Home. That vision never materialized in the form of real products.
It would be easy to assume that Google had simply changed its mind on the future of Android@Home. However, hints that Google may still be working on its home automation plans have surfaced in system configuration files for the Android 4.2.2 update. These hints have led to some speculation that Google may again talk about its plans for Android@Home at its I/O conference this year. Products for Android-based, automation could be a big deal. Over the last year or so a number of automated thermostats have become popular in the technology market that allow users to control their home heating and cooling system right from their smartphone. Way back in 2011 during the conference unveiling Android@Home, a wirelessly controllable LED lightbulb from a company called LightingScience had been promised by the end of the year, but that product never materialized. That probably wasn’t a bad thing considering the high price of LED bulbs has only now starting to come down to the point where your typical consumer would consider buying them. One of the big problems in home automation at this point is that there is a wide variety of standards and manufacturers and much the hardware doesn’t work together. Having unified Android@Home platform that multiple manufacturers can use to make devices that work together could be huge for the home automation market. We’ll have to wait until Google I/O kicks off this year to see what Google has in mind, if anything. [via USA Today] |
| Android and Chrome will remain separate says Schmidt Posted: 21 Mar 2013 04:55 AM PDT This has been a big month for Android loyalists with some significant changes happening at Google. About a week ago, we learned that Android kingpin Andy Rubin had stepped down from his role leading Android. Google announced that Rubin would be replaced by Sundar Pichai as the head of Android.
Pichai was overseeing the Chrome web browser and other applications at Google such as Drive and Gmail. Some began to wonder if Chrome and Android might be combined. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said this week that the Chrome and Android operating systems will remain separate products. However, Schmidt did say that the two products could share more “commonality” between them. It remains unclear exactly what Rubin will be doing at Google moving forward. Rubin’s future role within Google is reportedly undefined this moment. Schmidt also cleared up any rumors about is possibly leaving Google. These rumors were triggered by Schmidt’s plan to sell 42% of his Google stake. He said simply, “Google is my home.” He also added that he has no plans to take a government job. [via Reuters] |
| Google Play Books launches in Mexico Posted: 21 Mar 2013 04:44 AM PDT Android fans who live in the United States have had access to the wide variety of content on Google Play for a long time. That content includes movies, music, magazines, and books. However, Android users in Mexico and some other locations haven’t had access to the full gamut of content that we take for granted here in the US.
That has changed for Mexican Android users starting this week with access to Google Play Books becoming available in Mexico. Mexican Android fans have access to apps and ebooks now. Books are available in local currency and local titles are available as well. Google says that Mexican publishing firms that are offering digital books via Google Play Books in Mexico include Random House Mondadori and Planeta. Shoppers can also buy best-selling novels from other countries as well. As with the Google Play store in other countries, Mexican buyers will be able to access their new digital content on multiple devices. Readers can buy a book using their Android smartphone and read it on their tablet or computer. Earlier this month reports began circulating that Google is working on a Play News feature that would reportedly offer newspapers and subscriptions the method similar to how it offers magazines right now. That service has not been officially confirmed. [via SlashGear] |
| Google Play Store 4 reportedly leaks with a brand new look Posted: 20 Mar 2013 04:37 PM PDT Today we received a few neat little treats from Google. First they launched their new app Google Keep, and now we’re seeing what looks to be a brand new version of the Google Play Store. While everyone is currently on Play Store version 3.10.14 or so, the folks from Droid-Life reportedly have the brand new version that’s coming soon. They received an apk listed as version 4.0.16 and it’s showing a brand new Play Store.
We’re not really sure what to make of this leak, especially considering the Play Store doesn’t ever leak out until it’s actually ready for prime-time. The version reportedly received by DL clearly isn’t ready for mass consumption, and has a few issues and doesn’t fully work. That being said, that could be a sign this is indeed the real deal and Google’s backend isn’t up and running for it yet. This is a brand new look we haven’t seen from Google. Not just a slight change like the Store has undergone over the past months. They’ve completely changed everything and given the UI an overhaul and brought it more in line with their Holo design guidelines. Everything is simple and clean, the font has changed, and all the colors have too. Each category has a bigger header and the colors match as usual, but it has a grainy look and isn’t completely filled in. Take that as you will. If this is indeed real, we’re loving the new look. All the icons are larger, everything is all about content and looks much cleaner. All the apps are listed with a similar look and feel as Google Now cards when you head to the “My Apps” section, and as you see above the icons are clearly larger. There’s big icons, large magazine photos and album artwork everywhere to grab your attention.
We won’t go over everything as for now this doesn’t appear to be confirmed. It looks pretty legit, but we’ll reserve judgement until we hear or see more details. For a full rundown hit the source link below and see what Droid-Life has to say about it. What do you guys think? Could this be an early look at where Google’s headed with 5.0 Key Lime Pie? [via Droid-Life] |
| Posted: 20 Mar 2013 03:56 PM PDT After initially leaking and then being removed, today Google pulled the trigger on their new note-taking app Google Keep. Just like many of their current services like Google Now, Google Keep aims to be a deeply integrated and do-it-all app for all your note-taking and daily tasks. With integration into your account and Google Drive (get started here) Google Keep looks to take on Evernote, Any.DO and more.
There really isn’t a ton of things to say here when it comes to Google Keep. This is an app to take notes, record tasks, make journal entries if you will, and a few other things. Google explains it by saying “Keep captures quick notes and saves them safely in the cloud for easy access wherever you are.” The user interface is extremely polished and clean, like many things from Google, and for an initial release this is certainly a good start. Keep is dead simple to understand, but still manages to be aesthetically pleasing. We’re digging it! The entire UI is simple, sleek, and basic. As we mentioned above, however, it’s in a good way. Essentially with Google Keep you’ll be recording tasks or jotting down notes in a variety of ways. For this initial release it offers note-taking via regular text entry, dictated text with voice, recorded sound (with dictation), and of course photos if they want to take on Evernote and the others. Then of course we have tasks and checklists, but this first launch doesn’t appear to offer any video uploading options. Only pictures. We’d also like to be able to use images from gallery, not just taking a new photo. Initially we really like what we see, but until they add additional options that Evernote offers we still see it reigning king of this segment. Evernote offers everything that Keep does but also allows for written notes with skitch, sound, video, images, and you can even search images, scan barcodes, or even business cards and save them. There’s a lot of catching up for Google, if they do intend to go that route. With Keep you can add photos to any note, but so far automatic photo uploads or images from the gallery things seem a bit unclear. Then there doesn’t appear to be alerts or notifications. If you want to set a deadline for a note or a task with a reminder, we’ll probably be waiting for that feature. On the other hand, you do get lock screen and homescreen widget support which is awesome, and of course the UI is great. Pro tip: For adding notes quickly without unlocking your device use the lock screen widget (on devices running Android 4.2+)
As you see in the image above, the top row has a few simple icons for quickly taking a note to Keep for later. With a single click from here (or the widget) you can type a note, create a list with the checkmark, use dictation to record audio and take notes, then of course add an image. It really is dead simple, sleek, and easy to use. Obviously once you’re done all of these notes are near instantly saved to the cloud for instant viewing across all your devices whether it be smartphone, on a laptop, PC, or tablet. It’s what you’re able to do with the notes and options once taken that are limited. Don’t worry though, Google probably has plenty of additional features up their sleeves and coming soon. Get it right now from the Google Play Store! Google Keep looks great so far, but we have to ask. Will this be replacing Evernote or other note-taking apps for you?    |
| Dead Trigger 2 hands-on with Project SHIELD Posted: 20 Mar 2013 02:43 PM PDT Here at the annual GTC GPU Technology Conference the folks from NVIDIA are showing off tons of awesome Tegra 4 supported games running on their new Project SHIELD game console. While we got a quick glance on the big screen during CES this year, today we were able to get our own hands-on and see Dead Trigger 2 in action on SHIELD. For fans of the original, and everyone for that matter, take a peek at the quick video below.
Dead Trigger launched for Android last year from the developers at MadFinger Games, and brought first-person-zombie shooters to a whole new level for mobile. We’re expecting Dead Trigger 2 with the power of NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 4 to do the exact same thing again here in 2013. Obviously the graphics will be amazing, but playing this shooter on SHIELD will make the experience even better. Dead Trigger 2 is still about shooting zombies, but as you can see in our hands-on with the demo below you’ll be facing some massively large zombies. Not your average walking dead right here! This zombie is tossing cars from the street your way as you fight to a turret to fill the zombie with some bullets and eventually take him down. Having dedicated controls should really come in handy. ShadowGun and Dead Trigger are two of the better games to showcase mobile gaming and graphics for Android, which you can clearly see above in our quick video. Then those same developers will probably be among one of the first to release a Tegra 4 game – that being Dead Trigger 2. We were prying for additional details regarding a possible release date, but left with no such info. Previous reports has it slated for Q2, so sometime soon. We have a feeling a ShadowGun 2 might be in the works too, but we won’t know until MadFinger or NVIDIA makes it official. Who’s excited for SHIELD and Dead Trigger 2? Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network Device Connectivity
|
| Google Search now shows up-to-date sports info Posted: 20 Mar 2013 01:51 PM PDT Google has just announced a new feature that should get all of you sports fans excited. Google search will now provide up to date information on all of your favorite sports, including up-to-date scores, statistics and more. Sports fans have been asking for this feature for quite a while, and Google has been listening. Sports stats are available for viewing through the PC, tablets, and smartphones.
If you’re looking for the latest scores on your favorite teams, Google search will display the information in the form of a card. It will provide the scores from all of the quarters, the total score, and scores from previous games. It will also display information on where the game took place, and which division your team is in. There is also a drop-down menu that shows the scores and schedules of your favorite team’s previous games. Google now also displays an organized schedule of leagues and upcoming games. A simple search for “NBA” will show you which teams will be playing each other today, and what times their games will start. Google is also offering a March Madness bonus that shows you how well your NCAA team is currently doing in the league. The stats are shown in a tournament style layout. This new sports-search function has yet to make its way to Google Now, but it shouldn’t be too long now before your device is able to retrieve up-to-date sports information without you having to perform a search. Google also already has the upcoming season of Major League Baseball prepped and ready to go. So if you’re not watching the game, be glad to know that Google will keep you up-to-speed. [via Google] |
| Google Keep official: taking on Evernote as soon as possible Posted: 20 Mar 2013 01:48 PM PDT Today Google Keep has been revealed as the company’s first attempt to create a fully-integrated note-taking system for all your smart devices. With Google Keep, you’ll be able to quickly write down ideas on your Android smartphone, access them on-the-go with your smartphone or tablet, and grab them back at home with your desktop computer. Starting with voice transcription built-in (as it is with most Android devices and their apps these days), you’ll find Google Keep working with Google Drive to keep all of your clippings, ideas, and bits and pieces safe wherever you go!
With Google Keep you’ve got a system that’s built-in to Android, this allowing Google to compete on a level that’s basically dominant when it comes to all other note-taking systems. With connectivity with Google Drive and the rest of the Google apps right out of the box, you’ll find this system to instantly be one you’ll feel obligated to check out. And if you’re working with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean or higher, you’ll find it showing up real quick. With Android 4.2 Jelly Bean or higher, you’ll be able to add your own lock screen widget to start the fun right from the get-go. If you want to check this app out on anything lower than that version of Android, you’ll have to do so with the understanding that you might not get every feature available to the highest grade system. You’ll also need at least Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich to begin – grab the app on the [Google Play app store] now to begin your journey!
Google Keep will allow you to do the following things:
Sound like an awesome time to you? Let us know how you like it and we’ll be rolling out our own hands-on experience for you soon! And remember, as with all Google apps, everything is free! |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment