Android Central |
- Facebook addresses privacy concerns over Facebook Home
- Android Central 130: That forking Facebook phone
- US Cellular letting users 'test-drive' service for one week before buying
- Magic Fluids: Fun with water and smoke animations
- U.S. Cellular's Galaxy Axiom gets Jelly Bean
- HTC launches 'HTC One Live Experience Tour' in the U.S.
- Deal of the Day: Incipio FAXION Case for Samsung Galaxy S3
- Being 'First' may be a bad thing for HTC
- HTC One now available to pre-order on Sprint
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 available in the UK today
- Jelly Bean starting to hit Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
- HTC One developer edition preorders start in a few short hours
- YouTube gets 'My Subscriptions' feed and One Channel branding in latest update
- Samsung Q1 2013 profit guidance: huge sales, huge profits
- Facebook partners with Qualcomm for Home optimization
| Facebook addresses privacy concerns over Facebook Home Posted: 05 Apr 2013 04:58 PM PDT
Facebook answers important user privacy questions. Read them before you install or buy anything.A lot of folks have serious privacy concerns about Facebook's new Home application. Questions about location gathering, message reading, and the general "safeness" of Facebook tracking what you do on your Android phone. We have our own here as well, and have had plenty of internal discussion. Facebook doesn't want folks to worry, so they released a privacy FAQ about the new product. It's a short read that everyone who might install the app needs to look at, but here are some highlights:
We're not going to judge any of these policies -- that's for you to do. We are going to tell you about them and direct you to the full statement so you can read it. And you should. Read Facebook's FAQ on Home and privacy 
| ||
| Android Central 130: That forking Facebook phone Posted: 05 Apr 2013 02:52 PM PDT Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/acpc130.mp3 (Note: Audio only again this week.) 
| ||
| US Cellular letting users 'test-drive' service for one week before buying Posted: 05 Apr 2013 01:58 PM PDT
No commitment service coming to a limited number of markets at launchOne of the so-called "second tier" carriers, U.S. Cellular, is hoping to wrangle in more customers by launching a "test-drive" promotion to let users try out the service for one week before buying it. Initially launching in just a few markets, users can sign up at a participating store to try out the carrier's network without a commitment. In almost every case a handset purchase will be required to use the network, which can be a tough sell if you've never used (or even know someone who has used) the network. It doesn't cost a whole lot for U.S. Cellular to run this promotion, and it may net them a few more customers going forward. If you're interested in trying the promotion, hit the source link below to see if you live near one of the very few test markets. Source: U.S. Cellular; Via: FierceWireless 
| ||
| Magic Fluids: Fun with water and smoke animations Posted: 05 Apr 2013 11:14 AM PDT
There isn't exactly any functional purpose to it, but that doesn't mean it's not incredibly funMagic Fluids is an animation app that simulates the effects of liquid and smoke with a bit of artful flair. With a pretty robust number of settings to tweak and play with, you can spend hours getting lost in this app. When you're done actively using it, Magic Fluids can be turned into a live wallpaper as well. While it doesn't have any value other than being extremely cool to look at, Magic Fluids is still worth playing around with. Hang with us after the break and see what it's all about. 
| ||
| U.S. Cellular's Galaxy Axiom gets Jelly Bean Posted: 05 Apr 2013 08:35 AM PDT |
     |
HTC launches 'HTC One Live Experience Tour' in the U.S.
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 08:05 AM PDT
Manufacturer will tour major U.S. cities as new flagship launches
HTC has announced new marketing efforts in the U.S. ahead of the HTC One's North American launch. Like the HTC One City tour in Europe (pictured above), the U.S. tour will see HTC bringing its new handset to 11 "major U.S. markets" in the run up to its launch. It'll also be bringing a new strapline along for the ride, as it seeks to convince buyers the HTC One is "Everything Your Phone Isn't."
The tour will consist of the three main parts. First up, and launching today in Columbus Circle in New York, Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, Hollywood and Highland in Los Angeles, Wrigleyville in Chicago, Franklin Square in Philadelphia, and Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, HTC BoomSound Lounges will give members of the public the chance to demo the HTC One's prominent front-facing speakers for themselves. The BoomSound Lounges will also serve as a connection for three Live Nation-produced concerts for HTC Fans, including performances by Pharrell in New York, Grouplove in Chicago and Manchester Orchestra in Los Angeles. Tickets are available to buy now at HTCOneConcerts.com.
Next up, HTC One showrooms will start appearing in eight cities -- Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. -- from next Thursday, Apr. 11, where they'll be deployed for a minimum of three months. As was the case on the HTC One's European tour, these showrooms will be used to demo the handset's major features, such as the new BlinkFeed home screen reader, UltraPixel camera, HTC Zoe and Sense TV.
The HTC One will also be making an appearance in movie theaters across the U.S. as part of the "HTC Live Cinema Experience," which aims to showcase the phone's entertainment chops.
So it's an extensive and concerted marketing effort for HTC, quite unlike anything seen for any of its previous U.S. handset. But the HTC One will face strong competition from Samsung over the coming weeks as it prepares for this important launch. If you're near any of the venues, hit the comments and let us know if you plan on attending.
| |
Deal of the Day: Incipio FAXION Case for Samsung Galaxy S3
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 06:30 AM PDT
The April 5 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Incipio FAXION Case for Samsung Galaxy S3. Shock-absorbing TPU and impact resistant polycarbonate are fused into one sleek design, making the custom-molded FAXION case the epitome of reliable and stylish protection. Color options include back, white, pink or blue.
The Incipio FAXION Case is available for just $19.00, 46% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.
Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
| |
Being 'First' may be a bad thing for HTC
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 06:28 AM PDT
The HTC First is the second big-name phone in just weeks for a company struggling to sell a single message
First, there was the HTC One. Now, second, if you will -- secondarily, perhaps -- there is the HTC First.
In our little blogging world here, cries of "First!" are all too common among commenters looking to make a name for themselves by being the first to spam the comments. So you can forgive us if the name itself immediately leaves a bad taste in our mouths.
When the design of the phone as well as its name leaked the day before Facebook's event, you couldn't help but wonder. "First" what? First Facebook phone? Are we stating the obvious? Or is that alliteration gone bad?
It was AT&T's Ralph de la Vega who probably said it best: "The first Facebook Home-optimized phone in the world."
And I worry that it has HTC's name on it at all.
| |
HTC One now available to pre-order on Sprint
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 06:12 AM PDT
Silver model only for now, $99.99 with 'bring your number' discount
If you're looking to secure yourself an HTC One on Sprint, you can now do just that over on the carrier's website. A Sprint HTC One will usually set you back $199.99 up-front on a two-year plan, but new lines can get it for $99.99 with a $100 'bring your number' discount. An up-front price of $549.99 is listed, though it's not possible to pre-order at this price.
Currently Sprint is only offering the silver model for sale -- the black one is said to be coming soon. (We've seen similar delays of the black model in Europe, where wide availability isn't expected until mid-April.)
Order today and Sprint says it'll endeavor to deliver you shiny new handset by the Apr. 19 launch date.
Rival AT&T opened its pre-orders yesterday, and will also begin shipping Apr. 19.
Source: Sprint
More: HTC One review, HTC One forum
| |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 available in the UK today
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 05:57 AM PDT
Samsung's 8-inch stylus-toting tablet arrives today at flagship London store
Samsung has announced that the latest member of the Galaxy Note family, the Note 8.0, has today gone on sale in the UK. The tablet is initially available at the Samsung Experience Store at the Westfield Stratford City shopping center in London, the same flagship Samsung store at which the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 first launched.
The Wifi-only Note 8 goes on sale today for £339.99, and the version with cellular data is expected to follow shortly. Besides cell data, you've got a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU running the show, 2GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. There's also a 5MP rear shooter and 1.3MP front-facing camera. On the software side, you're looking at Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean wrapped in Sammy's TouchWiz UI.
To sweeten the deal, Samsung's offering a pack of software goodies worth £60 to buyers who pick one up before Apr. 15. This includes a £20. Samsung Learning Hub voucher, a two-month subscription to The Times newspaper, AVG Pro, a month of Samsung Music Hub access, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Sonc 4: Episode 2. Being a Samsung device, the Note 8.0 also lands you 50GB of free Dropbox storage for two years.
More: Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
| |
Jelly Bean starting to hit Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Posted: 05 Apr 2013 04:01 AM PDT
Budget 7-incher gets Android 4.1.2, with users in Austria first to report update
The humble Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus has come a long way since its launch in late 2011 on Android 3.2 Honeycomb. And today it seems the budget tablet is getting its promised Jelly Bean update, as owners in Austria are said to be receiving Android 4.1.2 in an over-the-air update.
According to SamMobile, the new firmware version XXMC3, build on Mar. 25, is currently rolling out to Austrian Wifi-plus-3G Tab 7.0 Plus models (GT-P6200) ahead of a wider launch. So anyone with the Wifi-only GT-P6210 variant may have to wait a little longer. In any case, Jelly Bean should give Tab 7 Plus owners a lot to look forward to -- aside from the obvious performance improvements, there's Google Now, re-vamped notifications and improved text-to-speech capabilities.
Shout out in the comments if you're getting the update on your device this morning.
Source: SamMobile
| |
HTC One developer edition preorders start in a few short hours
Posted: 04 Apr 2013 09:24 PM PDT
It's the same HTC One you know and love, with a healthy dose of unlocked
Fancy getting yourself a developer edition HTC One? The official word from HTC is that they will be available for preorder starting at 10 am Eastern time today (April 5). The phone will have identical hardware to it's carrier-provided brethren, but have the SIM card and bootloader unlocked out of the box. The price is set at $649 for the 64GB version. You'll find more information when it goes live at HTC.
On the radio side, the developer model will support AT&T HSPA+, T-Mobile HSPA+ in the 1900 MHz band, and LTE on 700/850/AWS/1900 Mhz. Users on T-Mobile in areas where 1900 MHz hasn't been repurposed (read: most everywhere) will only be able to get EDGE or LTE (if available).
It's important to note that we don't know if the carrier version in the US will be supported on the HTC developer unlock site, so this may be the answer you're looking for. Also we don't yet know when these will ship, but the unofficial word is April 19.
Source: +HTC Dev
| |
YouTube gets 'My Subscriptions' feed and One Channel branding in latest update
Posted: 04 Apr 2013 08:50 PM PDT
Updated with quick access to your new videos
YouTube is getting updated to version 4.4.11 today, with a small addition to the left toolbar. A new 'My Subscriptions' feed provides easy access to view any uploads made by channels you currently subscribe to. Also new for video creator channels is YouTube One Channel branding.
Of course, no good update would be complete without addressing some existing bugs. One that was squashed was a problem causing accounts to be signed out at random. Other minor bugs were also fixed, and stability enhancements were added to this latest version of the app.
The update is now live in the Play Store for download. If you don't already have YouTube installed for whatever reason, the link at the top will lead you to the download page.
| |
Samsung Q1 2013 profit guidance: huge sales, huge profits
Posted: 04 Apr 2013 07:14 PM PDT
Over 68 million phones sold; 53-percent increase in operating profits for the quarter
Ahead of its official Q1 2013 earnings release on April 26th, Samsung is releasing its profit guidance -- aka expectations and rough numbers -- for the quarter, and things are looking pretty good for the South Korean smart phone behemoth. Increased sales of mid-range handsets worldwide contributed to an estimate of 68-70 million phones sold in the quarter, which surprisingly is an increase over the holiday quarter's sales of 63 million. Sales reached an estimated $46.2 billion, leading to operating profits of $7.7 billion -- up 53-percent.
These are of course estimates and analyst commentary on them, but things are looking just as promising as previous quarters for Samsung. In a quarter that has historically not been one for high sales or profits in the consumer electronics space, it has performed extremely well. We'll of course be breaking down the true earnings numbers when that official report comes later this month.
Source: Reuters
| |
Facebook partners with Qualcomm for Home optimization
Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:32 PM PDT
Facebook Home will see better performance and battery life with Qualcomm processors
Facebook has announced an official partnership with chip maker Qualcomm, the result of which will optimize Facebook Home apps on devices that come with Qualcomm processors. Facebook's first official phone, the HTC First, will come equipped with Qualcomm's new mid-range Snapdragon 400 chip (see the full details here).
Optimization will not be limited to just Facebook's phone or newer phones; Qualcomm says it is working with Facebook for optimization with all of Android's Snapdragon processors. Improvements are said to be seen in system-level performance, power usage, and data efficiency.
For the full press release, hit the source link below.
More: HTC First hands-on, HTC First forums
Source: Qualcomm
| |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Central - Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers 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