Android Community |
- Temple Run: Oz now available for Android [Hands-On]
- Samsung 5.9-inch device rumored as the Galaxy Note III
- HTC revenues continue to drop, now showing a 3 year low
- Beats Electronics drops details on Project Daisy music streaming service
- HTC One “dual-membrane” microphones should improve audio recording quality
- Samsung Galaxy S4 alleged screenshots leak
- Samsung to add Smart Scroll and Smart Pause features with Android 4.2.1
- Google’s Play Store turns 1 – celebrates with massive sale all week long
- Would a free iPhone 6 kill Android?
- Google Picasa albums now redirecting to Google+
- Opera’s webkit based browser launches in beta, we go hands-on
- Samsung Galaxy S4 will reportedly stick to plastic body for design
- Humble Bundle for Android 5 brings six games and five soundtracks
- Verizon Galaxy S III update to 4.1.2 rolling out now
| Temple Run: Oz now available for Android [Hands-On] Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PST Temple Run 2 launched back in late-January and almost immediately began setting records. In fact, it was said to have broken mobile gaming records by topping the 50 million download mark in just 13 days time. Since the release Temple Run 2 has gotten the bug fixing and performance enhancing update, however as of today it looks like we have another Temple Run game to play. This latest is Temple Run: Oz and follows in the path of the Brave edition in that it is a Disney release.
Another point that is similar to Temple Run: Brave, this game is not free. The price is $0.99, which we would consider fair, however when compared to Temple Run 2 which is free, we suspect only the die-hard fans will be willing to shell out the money. One point worth noting, early adopters will get a bonus for buying today — 1500 coins for free. Just to clarify this, $0.99 is what you would normally spend to get 1500 coins in the game.
Temple Run: Oz brings game play that will be familiar and comfortable. That is to say, this is another Temple Run release which comes in the endless runner style. The graphics look really nice (on a Galaxy S III) and the game play is as smooth as one would hope for. Some of the perks with the Oz release tie in with that movie. Yes, for those not keeping up with Disney movie releases, this Temple Run game comes a reminder to go and see Oz the Great and Powerful in theaters.
Back to the features though, they include scenery that was inspired by the movie as well as the option to explore different locations within Oz and flying in a hot air ballon to collect coins. Players will also be able to compete in the weekly challenges. Basically, Temple Run: Oz will have you outrunning the flying monkeys. Anyway, aside from the $0.99 purchase price we also point out the Temple Run: Oz has launched at v1.0.1 and with support for devices running Android 2.2 or later. [via Google Play Store]      |
| Samsung 5.9-inch device rumored as the Galaxy Note III Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PST There’s been all sorts of rumors lately regarding what Samsung will be offering the Android world this year, and now we have one more to add to the list. With the Galaxy S4 announcement just over a week away, today we’re now seeing reports of an unknown Samsung Galaxy device rocking a 5.9-inch screen. Could this be the alleged Galaxy Note III?
According to reports surfacing from the Korean Times who spoke with an anonymous Samsung official, the company is preparing a 5.9-inch phablet for later this year. And yes he used the term phablet. Instantly that makes us think Galaxy Note – considering that flagship device basically set the tone for that market segment. This could be the rumored Note III, or a completely different device but anything is possible. In years past Samsung’s been tossing devices of all shapes and sizes out to see what sticks, but lately they’ve been on to something with the Galaxy Note lineup. As their second “flagship” line, the Note was 5.3-inches followed by the current 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II. Late last year we heard rumors that the Note III would jump to 6.3-inches, which would be a rather large increase from previous generations. This is where this new report comes in. A 5.9-inch Note III makes much more sense in terms of a realistic size for a device to use as a phone, not to mention it matches their steady and slow update model. Either way a 5.9-inch AMOLED rocking Galaxy device with their Exynos 5 Octa 8-core processor would probably turn some heads. For now this is just an anonymous report, but hopefully we’ll be learning more details soon. [via UnwiredView] |
| HTC revenues continue to drop, now showing a 3 year low Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:23 AM PST HTC unveiled the One smartphone last month and many are calling for it to be the savior. Time will tell just how accurate that ends up being, however it does look like the HTC One is off to a good start. The handset received the “Best Mobile Device” award at Mobile World Congress. The One took first above the Sony Xperia Z, however we are a bit curious as to whether that would have come out the same had the Galaxy S4 been announced. Without worrying about what could have happened, we do have some HTC financials to discuss today.
Specifically, HTC has reported their latest monthly revenues and to be blunt, it is not looking all that good. In fact, HTC is reporting a fairly significant drop when looking at the year-over-year. The report shows a monthly revenue of 11.37 billion for February 2013, which means a near 44 percent drop as compared to the reported 20,294 billion from 2012. Even more so, this is a drop coming from January. The report shows revenue of 15,536 billion in January 2013. One factor here goes back to the HTC One. Or more specifically, the bit about it not yet being available for sale at the moment. Based on that thought we are looking forward to seeing what changes will come with the next revenue report. That is of course based on the assumption that users are even waiting for the HTC One. There are likely some, but timing plays an important factor and lets face it, we do have the Samsung announcement to take into consideration. The HTC One is a solid phone, but solid or not, hinging the success or failure on one device does seem risky. The handset received fairly solid reviews across the board and brings a nice mix of hardware and software. And by software, yes, it is running Android, however the improvements that came along with Sense 5 seem to be appealing. While we wait for the release of the One and the next revenue report, make sure to check out some of our previous HTC One coverage including our hands-on. [via HTC] |
| Beats Electronics drops details on Project Daisy music streaming service Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:01 AM PST Coming off previous reports of a music streaming service from Beats Electronics, we now have some official details. Specifically, the company has announced Project Daisy and while some of the finer points are still missing, we are getting a look at what we can expect. Details coming from Beats Electronics brings talk of a $60 million dollar investment and some of the names that will be backing the project.
Kicking things off with the $60 million investment. That will be coming by way of Access Industries, Marc Rowan, James Packer and entities affiliated with Lee M. Bass. Taking a step back from the money side and we have also have some details on the CEO and CCO. Ian Rogers will be the Chief Executive Officer and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor will be the Chief Creative Officer. The announcement of Project Daisy also provides a bit of clarity in terms of the MOG purchase. While the fate of MOG hasn’t been detailed just yet, it was said that MOG “will provide the foundation platform for Daisy. The expected launch timeframe is set for late-2013, however a month and date has yet to be given. Given the parties involved this may come with a bit less in terms of surprise, however it was said that Daisy will “provide a platform for artists to build a sustainable business.” And on the other side of that we have the users. In this case, it was said that Daily will help to “bring the emotion and cultural context back to music discovery for music lovers.” We are going to have to wait and see just how well received Daisy will be when it launches. For now it does sound interesting, however we have to remember that Daisy is launching into a world with plenty of available options for music streaming services. And just to note, Daisy is an internal codename and will likely not be the final name at launch. |
| HTC One “dual-membrane” microphones should improve audio recording quality Posted: 06 Mar 2013 07:34 AM PST HTC has recently offered a bit of additional detail on Boom Sound, a feature that can be found in the recently announced One smartphone. The company is saying that users will be able to capture distortion free audio recordings thanks to the built-in “dual-membrane” microphones. HTC is using the example of being able to get a better than average recording while sitting in the best seat in the house at a concert or while sitting in the back of a classroom setting.
As anyone that has tried to record in either environment will know, neither setting is easy to record in using a smartphone. Or for that matter, most consumer level products with a built-in audio recorder. According to details coming from HTC, the One will have “two dual-membrane MEMS microphones to record audio” which in turn will improve the recording quality.
HTC notes that one membrane will remain focused on high-sensitivity and the other will focus on high sound pressure. Taking these as two and then combining them into one, it is said to be able to “greatly” reduce the background noise and as a result — give you an audio recording with higher quality. Taking a step back and HTC has also included some details on the “single-membrane” microphone. The single-membrane option (in a concert setting) means you would not be able to capture high volume audio clearly, which would result in distortion and/or hissing. That said, time and hands-on experience with the average user will be the determining factor as to how good these recordings will actually sound. [via HTC Blog] Device Info
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| Samsung Galaxy S4 alleged screenshots leak Posted: 06 Mar 2013 06:59 AM PST As the Samsung event gets closer it seems the Galaxy S4 related leaks and rumors seem to be going into overdrive. We recently mentioned those screenshots showing the Smart Scroll and Smart Pause features and now it looks like we are getting a look at some screenshots from a US model Galaxy S4. The images come courtesy of the folks at GSM Israel and while these seem believable enough, we have to remain skeptical.
That warning out of the way, lets get into what we see — including another look at the Smart Screen settings page. Yes, this latest round of leaked screenshots is showing us another look. The descriptions for each of these features remains the same across both sets of screenshots with one exception. On those previous images, the Smart Pause description ended with a period while these latest images seem to better match the rest of the descriptions and simply end after the last word.
Otherwise, these screenshots are offering a look at the Personalization settings page within My Device, the basic system information and a bit more detail in terms of the display. We are also given a look at the homescreen of the device, which assuming these are accurate, has a background with some blue sky and clouds. Of course, there hasn’t been any indication as to whether or not this is the default background. We also see what we would describe as some minor changes to the TouchWiz user interface. Remaining bits from these screenshots include details on the processor and display. The processor is shown as being a 1.8GHz quad-core and the display is shown as being full HD at 1920 x 1080 and with a ppi of 441. Previous leaks have shown the Galaxy S4 as having 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. And again, as Samsung has been known to do some tricky things in the past, take these for what they are — screenshots that may be real. In the meantime, check the gallery below for a few more images.     [via unwired view] |
| Samsung to add Smart Scroll and Smart Pause features with Android 4.2.1 Posted: 06 Mar 2013 06:22 AM PST It appears as if Samsung will be releasing a few new features in an upcoming update. The features are Smart Scroll and Smart Pause, a few that have been talked about recently. The key here, while these were believed to be coming with the release of the Galaxy S IV — it now looks like they will be available for at least one other Samsung device.
Basically, several screenshots have been leaked to the folks at SamMobile. They had originally believed these screenshots to be from the Galaxy S IV, however they are actually from a Galaxy S III running the Android 4.2.1 update. On that note, the Galaxy S III (and presumably the Galaxy S IV) will indeed have these two ‘smart’ features. We expect to learn a bit more about each on March 14 when we get an official announcement for the Galaxy S IV. In the meantime though, here is what we can tell you about each. Beginning first with the Smart Scroll, this basically means the display will automatically scroll when it senses that you are looking at the screen. This feature, at least based on what we can see from the screen captures, is one that can be turned on or off depending on your preference. The Smart Pause carries in with the Scroll feature and it will pause the scrolling when you shift your eyes away from the smartphone display.
Otherwise, aside from these two, another feature that we are hoping to learn a bit more about on March 14 is the recently unveiled Samsung Wallet. Samsung announced this in late-February and from what we can see, is basically the Samsung (Android) version of the Apple Passbook app on the iPhone. That being said, the Samsung event is coming up quickly — it will be happening just one week from tomorrow. [via SamMobile] |
| Google’s Play Store turns 1 – celebrates with massive sale all week long Posted: 05 Mar 2013 05:33 PM PST Happy Birthday Google Play Store! Get out the candles and cake, the Google Play Store has just turned 1 years old. Well maybe tomorrow it will at least. As a reminder, the Android Market has been around forever but it has been 1 year since they replaced it with what we know and love today as the Play Store. In celebration Google has plenty of deals and gifts for us, and they’ll be available and changing all week.
Who is ready for tons of deals, exclusive offers, and discounts on all of our favorite apps and games? When these Google sales usually take place other app developers drop their prices too, so we have a feeling this week will offer some excellent deals and discounts. While nothing amazing has appeared yet, we can expect more to arrive all week. Google’s just begun their 1-year anniversary sale but for the moment the Play Store splash screen only appears to have some songs, and in-app purchases discounted. We’re hoping they go bigger than that, that’s for sure. So far we have special deals on music, movies, books, magazines and TV. Then there’s multiple in-app purchases for special characters, power-ups, and other things not usually available. There’s deals on hotels, gift cards, and hey we even see Breaking Bad in there – we all know you love that show! I wouldn’t really call all of these deals, and some are things we’ve seen before. That being said, from what we’ve seen from Google in the past this week we can expect some better deals to appear soon. Hopefully tomorrows are a bit better. We’ll make a list tomorrow if random developers start joining in on the fun. Happy Birthday Play Store! [via Play Store] |
| Would a free iPhone 6 kill Android? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:35 PM PST This week the rumor of a “free” iPhone release has once again been rumbling in the technology news world, complete with talk that such a (subsidized) product revealed by Apple would take a heavy toll on Android-based device sales. As a user of both Android devices and the iPhone 5, I can’t say that a device like this handset (modified for its re-release) wouldn’t be a massive temptation for prospective phone buyers around the world. Especially with the notion of multiple colored-cases and an even lighter and thinner unit than ever before.
As the story goes, the iPhone 6 will be released before the end of the second half of 2014, it having been joined by not only the iPhone 5S between here and there, but an unnamed iPhone alternative that costs absolutely nothing – just so long as you pick it up on a carrier with a 2-year contract, of course. And this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has offered such a deal. When the iPhone 4S was first revealed, the iPhone 3GS was placed in the $0 USD slot – with the iPhone 4 then taking the middle spot for pricing between the two nicer and slightly less nice handsets. With the iPhone 5S being a release that will be a surprise to noone later this year, we can expect at least one device to continue to be free. It would make sense that this slot would be taken by the iPhone 4S.
But as the Android-based smartphone universe continues to expand, Apple is – or has to be, on some level or another – looking to find ways to remain a dominant force in the industry. As they do this, they’ll be considering ways and means of remaining so significant to the everyday smartphone user that they’ll consider switching from using an Android-based handset to using an iPhone. Could it be that releasing a brand “new” handset for an unbelievably low price will be Apple’s strategy? Alas, the industry isn’t there yet. Apple is still at a point where the battle between iOS and Android can be fought with the iPhone demanding a premium price point, even when it’s not the newest device on the market. Even if we do see a “budget friendly” release of an iPhone in the near future, it will not be free.
Releasing a device for free requires that you do one of two things unless you intend on sinking your reputation as a company worth investing in. The first possibility is that you do as Apple has done in the past – releasing a new phone with a premium price point while the “free” model exists as a unit that’s been available for some pre-determined amount of time. The other possibility is that you reveal a “free” product under very special circumstances – benefitting a charity, offering the device with advertisements onboard, or selling some sort of product with the first product as an add-on. And Android will survive one way or another. The operating system that is Android is in a position right this minute that allows those working with it to react to situations like a free iPhone quickly. There are simply too many players on the board at this time for Android to die in any sort of speedy manner. Expect Android to be around for a very, very long time. Meanwhile you can feel free to expect free Android smartphones to be arriving in droves, all around the world – on contract, of course. The time is near! |
| Google Picasa albums now redirecting to Google+ Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PST Google appears to be continuing the process of pushing all Picasa users over to Google+. We have seen some of this in the past, however as of today, those surfing to picasaweb.google.com will end up on the Google+ Photos page. Another recent push from Google came when they removed the Picasa link in the navigation bar. Those checking will find an option for “Photos” which also takes you to the Google+ Photos page.
We aren’t expecting Google to close Picasa down immediately, however that time seems to be getting closer and closer. Google has been adding some nice image related features to Google+, one of which was the ability to view others images as a slideshow. Google also allows you to download those same images to to your computer, which should have made sharing with friends and family bit easier. Instead of having to email, just send a link and allow the other party to grab the specific pics they want and/or need. In the meantime, those who feel they must end up at Picasa can still make that happen. If you type “picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos?noredirect=1″ into your address bar you will go to Picasa. In fact, if you type that once, you will continue to go there thanks to a cookie. Bottom line here, Google seems to be slowly removing features and access from Picasa while at the same time adding features to Google+. Otherwise, the one thing that Picasa may still have in its favor is features. At the moment it seems that Picasa is a bit feature rich as compared to Google+ Photos. That as we mentioned will likely be changing over time. With that, do we have any Picasa users that simply cannot make the switch just yet? If so, what is keeping you from making the transition? Me personally, I had been a long time Picasa user but have since switched entirely to Google+ Photos. Of course, aside from some basic uploading and sharing, my needs are on the simpler side. [via CNET] |
| Opera’s webkit based browser launches in beta, we go hands-on Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:32 PM PST Earlier in the month we saw news from Opera about how they had reached the 300 million user mark. That news came along with details of an updated browser, one that is based on webkit. The folks at Opera had promised that they would be showing it off during Mobile World Congress and as of today — they have released it for all to enjoy. The browser is available by way of the Google Play Store and is dubbed, Opera browser beta.
As the name implies, the browser has launched in beta. More to the point though, the app has launched as a “completely redesigned browser made just for Android.” The browser is based on Opera's WebKit-based rendering engine and is said to offer “a whole new level of site compatibility.” It is also said that the native UI will deliver a “superior user experience on your smartphone.” That said, we recently spent some time playing around, read on to get an idea of the experience.
The browser launches with an introduction showing some of the features such as Off-Road Mode, Speed Dial and Discover. Two of these end up being tabs that you will see immediately after you close the introduction. These include the Speed Dial and Discover tabs. The app normally launches to the Speed Dial tab and a swipe to the left will give you the Discover tab and a swipe the the right will take you to the History tab. These are basically just how they sound, but one nice perk of the Speed Dial tab is that it is drag and drop in terms of arranging your favorites.
The Discover tab brings top stories that may be of interest to you. It allows for some customization (by clicking the gear icon) to include setting your country and picking topics. Tapping on the Opera icon in the upper right will give you a drop down menu with options to include saving pages for offline use, downloads, settings and an “Off-Road mode” which by default is set to off. The Off-Road mode helps with slow networks and is also for those who simply want to save data. Of course, the browser has the basics such as multiple tabs and an address bar that functions as a place to drop a URL or a search term. There is also an option to launch a private tab and the ability to close all tabs.
Additionally, you will notice a tab for the Opera Mobile Store. This, well, will allow you to download apps. Thankfully though, the links in the Opera Mobile Store take you directly to Google Play. Bottom line here, Opera seems to be perform rather nicely. In our testing we had no issues and no crashes. The browser seems to have all the features that one would expect and/or want and on top of that — it seems to all be presented in a logical manner. The real key will be to see whether or not this will replace our use of Chrome. While Opera is nice, Chrome just seems to remain our default browser. Still, those looking for something new, or just looking to play — Opera browser beta seems more than worthy. [via Google Play Store] |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 will reportedly stick to plastic body for design Posted: 05 Mar 2013 12:47 PM PST So we’ve heard plenty about the upcoming and highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, but all the details regarding the hardware look, design, and feel still remain a mystery. With the Galaxy S III being the most successful Android phone to date, there’s still one reoccurring complaint from many – and that’s the plastic feel. Will Samsung ditch that this time around? Who knows.
We’ve heard all sorts of rumors regarding the upcoming flagship smartphone. Things regarding a highly durable ceramic finish has been around since before the Galaxy S III, and they still are continuing to this day. All aluminum designs have also been mentioned, but most the leaked renders (some which could be real) have shown the usual Samsung plastics. With most companies going for a more durable design it makes you wonder what Samsung has in store. The HTC One is a premium device wrapped in aluminum, the same can be said about the iPhone 5, and Nokia uses a highly durable polycarbonate shell for their devices. This doesn’t mean Samsung’s plastics aren’t durable, or their phones aren’t premium, but it’s the feel in the hand some complain about. According to CNET Samsung will be sticking to their usual design simply because it’s worked so well in the past. The Galaxy S III was a huge success, so why change. We’ve heard it will be more about the software features than hardware, so maybe we’ll just get a slight redesign and the same plastic materials. While sitting down with one of Samsung’s execs CNET reports that they mentioned it isn’t just about aesthetics, but also about their ability to efficiently manufacturer a high-quality product that has such a high demand. Samsung’s expecting nearly 100 million sales of their next-gen smartphone, so that could be a real challenge. The quote below is in regards to consumers wanting a more durable, premium-feeling product.
What we do know so far is this 4.99-inch 1080p full HD smartphone with an 8-core processor will surely be impressive. However we’ll have to wait until more leaks or their March 14th event in NYC to find out all the details on the actual device. Be sure and check back with Android Community on the 14th as we’ll have all the pictures and video you can handle. [via CNET] |
| Humble Bundle for Android 5 brings six games and five soundtracks Posted: 05 Mar 2013 12:17 PM PST The latest Humble Bundle has arrived and once again, it has been done with Android users in mind. This latest is the Humble Bundle 5 and it includes some games and some soundtracks. Specifically, this bundle includes six games and five soundtracks. Perhaps a bit more important though, this bundle continues the tradition of you setting the price and also donating some money to charity.
The games in this Humble Bundle round include Beat Hazard Ultra, Dynamite Jack, Solar 2, NightSky HD, Super Hexagon and Dungeon Defenders. The key here, you will get the first four games regardless of how much you choose to pay. The last two will come as a bonus should you end up paying more than the average. As of this posting the average is $5.86. In addition, those paying anything more than $1 will also get Steam codes so the games can be played on a computer. For those unfamiliar, the Humble Bundle checkout process allows for some customizing. You start by deciding how much you want to pay. There are presets for $100, $50, $25 and $15, however you can choose to pay a custom amount. Regardless of what you decide to pay, the next step is to split up the money. You can opt for the default split, to customize the split between the developers and charity or to give it all to the one side or another. Those feeling generous can also include a tip for the Humble Bundle team. From that point, it is just a matter of entering your email address, completing the payment process (using PayPal or Amazon) and then beginning to play. Touching back on those soundtracks, those include Dungeon Defenders, Super Hexagon, Beat Hazard Ultra, Solar 2 and NightSky HD. Lastly, this time around the charities include Child's Play Charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. [via Humble Bundle] |
| Verizon Galaxy S III update to 4.1.2 rolling out now Posted: 05 Mar 2013 11:41 AM PST After Verizon mentioned the update was coming soon yesterday for their popular Galaxy S III smartphone, today we can confirm that the update is indeed already rolling out as we speak. Sure would be nice if Verizon was this fast for the Galaxy Nexus – but that’s another story. For those with a GS3 read on for more details.
Yesterday Verizon’s tech support page confirmed Android 4.1.2 was headed to the Galaxy S III. Sadly we’ll still have to wait for 4.2 to arrive. However, the update adds a few neat new features, fixes some bugs, and of course brings some new bloatware. This leaked back in February but today’s update is the latest version and fixed some additional issues. The update is hitting devices this afternoon and comes in around 150MB in size. It will update you to software build VRBMB1 and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. A few changes include a better predictive text engine with the keyboard, being able to take pictures while in a call, improved email sync, and enhanced Bluetooth support – for whatever issues were present with that. Verizon also confirms some of that bloatware from Amazon has been added, as well as the VZ Navigator app for those who don’t use Google Maps. As usual head to settings > about phone > and manually check for updates if you’d rather not wait for it to arrive over the air. Enjoy the update and drop us a comment if you experience issues. [via Droid-Life] Device Info
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