Thursday, March 7, 2013

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Sonos PLAYBAR now available for $700

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:11 AM PST

The Sonos PLAYBAR promises to be a very nice companion for your home theater and a nice complement to an existing Sonos setup, and the thing is now available for sale for anyone who cares to buy one. It’s a $700 unit that can be wall-mounted, and it’s a nine-driver array that can deliver enough high definition sound to fill a moderately-sized room and make it sound like a multi-thousand dollar setup at a movie theater.

It can be used for music, of course, but with just a single optical cable fed to a television it can transform an entire home theater setup without much of a fuss at all. Whether or not such a system is worth $700 is up to you to decide, of course, but if you’ve been looking for a clean setup like this and don’t mind the cost, you can find them for sale at Amazon, Best Buy, or Sonos.com.

Tip: Faster browsing with Chrome Beta’s data compression

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:18 AM PST

Here is a neat tip for use with the latest version of Chrome Beta for Android. Google introduced a new data compression feature, which is said to cut data rates by as much as 50 percent while speeding up browser load times, in the newest build, but you will have to enable it to take advantage.

To do so, navigate to chrome://flags and tap “Enable Data Compression Proxy.” That’s it. Yes, the feature is still considered experimental so results are guaranteed, but the feature could come in handy for those doing a lot on the mobile web. Google points out that the overall browsing experience doesn’t lag as it does when Opera’s similar Turbo Mode is enabled.

To check how much data you are saving, open a tab to chrome://net-internals to view bandwidth usage.

[Google via Lifehacker]

More Galaxy S4 screens reveal 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 1080p display

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:12 AM PST

While screenshots surfacing earlier this morning likely originated from a Galaxy S3 software build, a new set looks more likely to have been captured from the Galaxy S4. While the first bunch revealed new TouchWiz features most certainly destined for the GS4, the new group serves to confirm many of the rumored specs associated with the upcoming flagship.

For starters, a quad-core processor clocked just shy of 1.8GHz is present is listed. We can’t discern definitely if it is the Exynos Octa 5, but it seems likely. The phone’s 5-inch 1080p display is also confirmed, as is its pixel density of 480 ppi. Also confirmed was a 13MP camera. This isn’t the first time we have heard this list of specs, so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect next week.

Yes, next week. March 14th. It’s the date we have all been waiting for. Will Samsung’s latest be enough to keep them on top of the smartphone competition? We’ll have to wait to find out.

[via DroidLife]

Report: Samsung to launch 5.9-inch handset later this year

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 07:14 AM PST

Samsung is only looking to go bigger in 2013, according to a new report out of The Korea Times. In 2012 the Galaxy Note 2 pushed the “phablet” envelope at 5.5 inches, but we could see a 5.9-inch smartphone from the Korean company by year’s end. It isn’t clear whether this would be the Galaxy Note 3, but the device’s size and a release timed for the second half of the year make it a likely candidate.

The 5.9-inch display will utilize Samsung’s AMOLED tech, but it won’t be a YOUM flexible display as some initial Galaxy Note 3 rumors have suggested. Samsung simply lacks the technology to produced those screens en masse. The 5.9-inch screen size continues to beg the question of how big is too big, but device manufacturers seem content to push larger and larger “smartphones.”

Take ASUS’ 7-inch Fonepad, for instance, or any number of gigantic smartphones on display at Mobile World Congress. Even Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 features full voice call functionality.

As the Galaxy S4 nears its official announcement, expect Note 3 rumors to begin swirling at a greater clip We’re still a way off from that device, but it will truly be Samsung’s next big thing.

Google Play celebrates first birthday with plenty of deals

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 06:36 AM PST

Happy birthday, Google Play! The content marketplace for Android turns one today, and of course Google is celebrating with all sorts of deals. Aside from discounted and free music, apps such as Yumby Smash and Clouds & Sheep have been updated with exclusive content just for this monuments occasion. Some apps are even offering special in-app deals, such as Fancy providing a free $15 gift card.

Google Play was a sweeping rebrand of the Android Market that took place last year, but it feels like it has been around forever. Questionable at first, Google’s new content strategy has helped to establish the Play Store as one of the leading sources of apps, games, music, movies, and more. So let’s all celebrate with some great deals!

[via Google Play]

Leaked screenshots confirm Smart Scroll and Smart Pause for Galaxy S4′s TouchWiz build

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 05:58 AM PST

What we see here are a few screenshots gathered from the latest build of TouchWiz, confirming rumors of Smart Scroll functionality in the Samsung Galaxy S4. In actuality, the screens we see here are from the Galaxy S3′s Android 4.2.1 firmware, but it goes without saying that this is indeed the version of the software we will see on the GS4.

You can see that Smart Scroll and Smart Pause have a range of setting that can be adjusted, tailoring the eye-tracking specifically to the way you want to use it. This includes which applications function with the feature, speed, and acceleration. Smart Pause will automatically pause video content when you look away from your phone.

It’s good to know that after introducing the new feature (as well as Smart Pause) on the Galaxy S4 that it will make its way to older Galaxy versions. We might expect it on the Note 2 as well.

[via SamMobile]

 

Android Overload: Google Play Store celebrates 1st birthday with app sale, Sprint announces Bring Your Own Device program, and more [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:39 PM PST

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The Android Overload is where we feature the biggest news stories from throughout the day (see above video), as well as stash all of the stories/articles/news bits that didn't make it onto our front page. But just because they weren't featured doesn't mean they aren't worth taking a look at. In fact, there's almost always a little something here for everyone. So, take a look around and let us know if you find anything of interest.

  • Google Play Store officially turns 1 year old today. Celebrates with an all week long app sale that’s… kind of a snoozer. [GooglePlay]
  • Improving Google TV: Pinning videos and music for offline viewing. [GTVSource]
  • Japanese courts rule that Samsung is abusing the FRAND patent process. [Electronista]
  • Pandora will compete directly with radio stations on advertising services after gaining access to $14 billion radio ad sales market. [Bloomberg]
  • HTC’s “Ultrapixel” camera tech and “BlinkFeed” could make it’s way to mid-range devices later this year as well. [HTCSource]
  • Android apps leak less personal information about its users than iOS apps. [AppleInsider]
  • Google begins testing same-day delivery. Steps into Amazon territory. [Reuters]
  • Google joins NFC Forum’s board of directors. [TNW]
  • Sprint encourages customers to unlock old handsets and use them on their prepaid/MVNO networks. [BGR]
  • Samsung Galaxy S4 may feel more premium than the Galaxy S3 — more than likely still plastic. [CNET]
  • Sprint announces “Bring Your Own Sprint Device” program for unlocking old Sprint phones for use on MVNOs like Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile. Details still unclear on exactly which devices will be “eligible” but this is epic. [Sprint]
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