Android Community |
- Samsung GALAXY S 4 Mini unveil could arrive this week
- Verizon Wireless acquires Mohave Wireless
- Feedly Mobile app updated for the 3 million Google Reader refugees
- HTC Myst ‘Facebook Phone’ hardware details leak
- Facebook Home leak hints at a home screen replacement app
- SwiftKey ‘Tilt’ brings a new way to type on Android – try it today
- AT&T Kindle Fire HD 8.9 availability begins April 5
- Nuance Voice Ads unveiled, touted as a “game changer”
- HTC Desire P unveiled for those in Taiwan
- Verizon LG Lucid 2 tipped for an April 4 release
- Magika: Wizards of the Square Tablet Hits Android
- YW9300 Android-powered set-top box packs Exynos 4412 power
- Superbeam makes it easy to transfer large files between devices
- AT&T to get exclusive on 64 GB HTC One
- Facebook’s custom Android OS to be called “Facebook Home”
| Samsung GALAXY S 4 Mini unveil could arrive this week Posted: 01 Apr 2013 11:29 AM PDT Rumors of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 Mini appear to be heating up lately. We had previously been hearing chatter about a release that would come soon after the availability of the regular sized GALAXY S 4. We have also seen a few in-the-wild style images of the handset, but key here for today — current rumors are suggesting that Samsung may unveil the GALAXY S 4 Mini some time this week.
The key point here, this is still firmly in the rumor category at the moment. In fact, we have yet to hear anything from Samsung just yet. At this time the details are coming by way of the folks at SamMobile and based off word of an unnamed tipster. Despite possibly seeing an announcement this week, the GALAXY S 4 Mini is not expected to arrive until something on May of June. The GALAXY S 4 Mini will be available in white or black and will essentially be a smaller version of the regular sized GALAXY S 4 in terms of looks. The Mini is expected to debut with a 4.3-inch (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display while the GALAXY S 4 is sporting a 5-inch 1080p HD display. There is also expected to be two models of the GALAXY S 4 Mini — one with a single-SIM setup and one with a dual-SIM setup. The remaining specs for the GALAXY S 4 Mini look to include a dual-core 1.6GHz processor, microSD card slot, front-facing camera, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. While we haven’t seen much in terms of potential GALAXY S 4 Mini pricing, just like it will be smaller in size as compared to the GALAXY S 4, the price should also be lower. [via SamMobile] |
| Verizon Wireless acquires Mohave Wireless Posted: 01 Apr 2013 10:45 AM PDT Much of the carrier acquisition talk has centered around T-Mobile and MetroPCS lately, however it looks like Verizon Wireless also has some related news. In short, Verizon Wireless has announced the completion of an acquisition with Mohave Wireless. The financial terms have yet to be disclosed, however it was said that Verizon Wireless acquired Mohave Wireless from Frontier Communications and Rio Virgin.
As to the why, this looks like it will help expand the Verizon Wireless footprint in Arizona. This market is located between Las Vegas and and Phoenix and is said to cover a part of the Grand Canyon, Kingman, Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City. The spectrum that comes along with this acquisition includes a population of 203,000. Verizon Wireless has yet to say specifically when Mohave Wireless will be fully integrated, though they did reveal plans to integrate the Mohave Wireless 3G network with the Verizon Wireless network. In addition, they also plan to roll-out 4G LTE services in the “near future.” This means Verizon Wireless will be adding to their existing 4G LTE coverage which now sits at 486 markets (and for almost 89 percent of the US population). Current Mohave Wireless customers do not have to do anything at this time, and in fact, Verizon has however said they will be receiving a letter shortly explaining what has happened. Other details show that Verizon Wireless will continue using the Mohave Wireless brand name until sometime in early 2014 when the network integration is expected to wrap up. [via Verizon Wireless] |
| Feedly Mobile app updated for the 3 million Google Reader refugees Posted: 01 Apr 2013 10:17 AM PDT We still have plenty of time before Google Reader shuts down for good. Well, maybe not enough time for those who are dreading the day but the key is that as of July 1 Google Reader will be gone for good. We have seen plenty of alternatives come into the spotlight, however it seems as if one of those possibilities has stolen much of the spotlight. That one is Feedly and they have just announced some updates.
Specifically, they have announced and released a new version of Feedly Mobile. The app is available by way of the Google Play Store, remains free to download and use and comes along with the promise of being “centered around search and discovery, productive reading and better sharing.” The Feedly Mobile app has gone to version 13.0.7 where it remains available for devices running Android 2.2 or later. In terms of those changes, we are looking at a new widget, improved YouTube integration and what is described as being “better control” over the list, magazine and mosaic views. There is also a new explore panel and new layouts for those rocking an Android tablet including the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Of course, as we find with just about any update, this one also took care of some bugs. Changes and new additions aside, the folks at Feedly also shared a bit in terms of what they have seen since the news of the Google Reader shutdown. In short, Feedly has said they have picked up over 3 million new users. Guess that Save Google Reader petition (which now has 146,680 supporters) was indeed just a small minority of users. [via Feedly Blog] |
| HTC Myst ‘Facebook Phone’ hardware details leak Posted: 01 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT For those that missed the news late last week, Facebook is preparing something big for our Android smartphones, and are hosting an event this week to show the world. With rumors regarding their own Android OS skin like the Kindle Fire, a Facebook Phone built from the ground up, or even just a Home Launcher. Today however, we have the hardware details on the actual device.
According to multiple reports, tips, and leaks it looks like Facebook will be replacing the stock Android launcher with their own. Just like TouchWiz and Sense covers stock Android, only it won’t be as deeply intergated. This will mainly function over your main screen and add a few things to the app tray. Just like a home screen replacement launcher. However, since we already covered those details earlier today, this is about the hardware. If the post and details from AndroidPolice are accurate, here’s what to expect hardware wise from the already confirmed HTC Myst ‘Facebook Phone’.
This is not the first time we’ve seen or heard the name HTC Myst, and those specs have been tossed around a few times in the recent past too. It cleared the FCC last week with AT&T 4G LTE. However, with the actual Facebook Home APK leaking earlier today attached to this hardware, it makes sense that this will be the first device to launch with the new service. Essentially it appears that Facebook and HTC are aiming for the mass consumer market and will be offering what is clearly a mid-range Android device covered in everyone’s favorite social network – Facebook. We’re expecting the event on April 4th to reveal this smartphone (with a different name than Myst) Facebook Home, AT&T as the carrier, and hopefully it will be free with a new 2-year contract. We’ll be live with Facebook for all the news so stay tuned. |
| Facebook Home leak hints at a home screen replacement app Posted: 01 Apr 2013 09:32 AM PDT Facebook Home, according to this latest round of leaks and rumors, is looking like it will be an app and a launcher. That is not to say there will be nothing with an actual phone. There is still talk of the HTC Myst, however based on these recent details, it looks like the Facebook Home app/launcher will also be made available in the Google Play Store.
The key here, while the folks at Android Police have been playing around with the APK file, there is still plenty of mystery here. You see, the APK has a restriction in place that limits use to those with a Facebook employee account. According to the details provided thus far, the Facebook app that is set for release with the Myst is called com.facebook.wakizashi. For comparison, the regular Facebook app is called com.facebook.katana. Anyway, it was said that the wakizashi version of the app has “all the permissions and intents needed to be your home screen app.” Some of the points here include the app being able to read the settings for your stock Android launcher as well as the HTC and the TouchWiz launchers. That last part there is why this is believed to be heading to the Google Play Store. Further digging into the app revealed icons to include a few for the app drawer along with one for compose, one for screen settings and even a Google logo. There was also a ‘remove shortcut’ puff of cloud style icon as well as some mentions of developer related goodies. All that said, from what we are seeing it looks like Facebook is prepping a new app with a launcher. Something that sounds like you could somewhat easily turn your current phone into a Facebook phone. But the catch is, this is all rumor until we hear otherwise on April 4. [via Android Police] |
| SwiftKey ‘Tilt’ brings a new way to type on Android – try it today Posted: 01 Apr 2013 09:27 AM PDT The number one third party keyboard for Android just keeps getting better and better. After bringing us the next-word prediction and amazing typing experience, they followed that with the latest SwiftKey Flow gesture typing. And now today we have something even better. The newest way to type on our Android phones and tablets is the all-new just announced today SwiftKey Tilt – and yes it’s April fools but you can try it yourself.
Fair warning, don’t trust anything you hear, see, read, or basically anything today. Being our favorite (and least favorite) day of the year to report exciting news. April fools brings all sorts of fun and one from our favorite keyboard maker was worth sharing. SwiftKey Tilt promises a revolutionary new input method that transforms the everyday activity of typing into a whole-body, immersive experience. Pretty intense right? It’s extremely easy. Just tilt your phone and the ball on screen will roll around and choose the words for you, all using the gyroscope inside our phones. It’s an entirely new experience, we have it on video, and the best of all – you can try it yourself right now. That’s just crazy talk. So for all you eager readers wanting to try this ‘revolutionary’ new typing method on your own device, all you need is the latest SwiftKey from the Play Store. Type the word ’tilt’ and long press the word suggestion above the keyboard, then enable tilt. Just like the image you see below.
Whoa. Instant amusement right on your device. It’s like a game, but not really. Sadly it looks like you can only select suggested words at the top of the keyboard, and not actually input much. Also every time you exit the keyboard you’ll have to re-enable this awesome new feature. For now I’ll be sticking to flowing and swiping myself, but that’s just me. What do you guys think?    |
| AT&T Kindle Fire HD 8.9 availability begins April 5 Posted: 01 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT Amazon recently lowered the pricing of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. That announcement saw the price drop down to $269 for the Wi-Fi only model and down to $399 for the LTE equipped model. And well, as of today it looks like those considering a purchase of the LTE model can get it even cheaper. That is, assuming you are willing to sign a two-year carrier contract with AT&T.
Basically, AT&T has announced the upcoming availability of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. AT&T has said the tablet will be available beginning on April 5. Those considering a purchase have a few options to consider — pay full retail (through Amazon or AT&T) or go the on-contract route with a purchase through AT&T. The full retail price, as we learned last week is now $399. The on-contract price will give you a savings of $150 bringing the price down to $249. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 will be available for use on the Mobile Share plans which is basically to say that it can be added to an existing account for just $10 per month. Otherwise, those not on the Mobile Share plan will also be able to grab the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 with a regular data plan. These plans begin at $14.99 per month. With that, while the $150 discount would be nice to see, it seems a better option to pay full retail and not worry about the long term commitments. After all, if you pay full retail, you will be able to turn data on and off as needed and that will likely save a few bucks to make up for having to shell out more on the day of purchase. [via AT&T] Device Info
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| Nuance Voice Ads unveiled, touted as a “game changer” Posted: 01 Apr 2013 07:50 AM PDT Nuance has announced something new today. The announcement is for Nuance Voice Ads which touts itself as an “innovative new mobile advertising format” and a game changer. The unique part here, while the Voice Ads name would imply that your smartphone would be shouting ads at you, this is actually a two-way conversation using the Nuance voice technology.
While Nuance has offered the announcement, at the moment it seems aimed more at those looking to advertise as opposed to the end user. That is just to say that Nuance has yet to say anything about when users may begin hearing such advertisements. That bit aside, Nuance Voice Ads will be able to take advantage of the features of your device. Basically, Voice Ads will be able to take items such as location and awareness into consideration. In other words, you could get an advertisement based on where you happen to be at the moment. The key here is that it seems your phone will not start shouting at you, but instead present an ad and encourage you to speak. Hence, the two-way conversation portion. Anyway, the folks at Nuance have offered the above video which details the process by using a fictional deodorant company and the magic 8-ball concept. Otherwise, while Nuance has said they have partnered with “many of the leading companies in the mobile advertising ecosystem” we still have no word as to when these advertisements may begin showing up. [via SlashGear] |
| HTC Desire P unveiled for those in Taiwan Posted: 01 Apr 2013 06:55 AM PDT Coming off some recent leaks and rumors, it looks like HTC has officially unveiled the Desire P smartphone. HTC has offered up some specs along with some details in terms of the release. While they have yet to offer a specific release date, that may not matter as much given where the handset will be available.
Basically, that is just to say that the Desire P will only be available on one market. HTC has said the handset will be available in Taiwan. Even more specific, the handset will be available exclusively with Chunghwa Telecom. No mention as to if, or when the Desire P will be available outside of Taiwan. That out of the way, as you can see from the above image, the Desire P will be available in two colors — red and white. The handset will feature a 4.3-inch (800 x 480) Super LCD2 display, Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon S4 Play processor at 1GHz, Adreno 203 graphics, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Otherwise, the Desire P will also have dual-band HSPA and quad-band GSM along with a 1620 mAh battery, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, GPS and Beats Audio. All said and done, the Desire P may be a decent looking handset, but it is certainly not one that is going to wow anyone with the specs. [via GSM Arena] |
| Verizon LG Lucid 2 tipped for an April 4 release Posted: 01 Apr 2013 06:25 AM PDT Details about the LG Lucid 2 have begun to surface. Looking back to last week and we were hearing details about how the LG Optimus F5 was going to arrive with Verizon Wireless as the Lucid 2. As of today though, it looks like some additional details have surfaced. In fact, assuming these rumors prove accurate, the one bit we are left wondering about will be the price.
Keep in mind, we have yet to hear anything official from LG or Verizon, however assuming these rumors play out as expected, we should be hearing something very soon. Rumor has is that Verizon Wireless will be announcing the Lucid 2 on April 4. More specifically, the LG Lucid 2 is expected to be available for purchase in Verizon Wireless and Walmart retail stores beginning on the 4th. The picture of the Lucid 2 (seen below) does match the image we saw leaked last week. The latest look at the specs are still showing a 4.3-inch IPS display at 960 x 540, Qualcomm MSM8960 processor, microSD card slot, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.
Other details show the handset as launching with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The one catch between these latest specs and what we already know about the Optimus F5 — this leak shows the battery as being bigger. Previous leaks were suggesting the Lucid 2 would launch with a 2150 mAh battery and now we are hearing about a 2460 mAh battery. Of course, with battery life the way it is on smartphones today — we suspect that will be welcomed. [via Geek] |
| Magika: Wizards of the Square Tablet Hits Android Posted: 01 Apr 2013 05:39 AM PDT If you’re on the lookout for a new a new game on your Android device, Magika: Wizards of the Square Tablet is now available. The interesting thing about this game is that it’s also available for Apple gadgets and allows cross-platform gaming. The game supports up to four players so your friends on the iPhone or iPad can play along with you.
The developers behind the mobile game say that it is an all-new adventure based on the best-selling PC franchise. The game is available to purchase for $1.99 and each player has to have the game running on their device. The game is a bit tongue-in-cheek noting that was originally going to go by “Wizards of Relatively Square Tablets.” However, the developers say that they realize that was the “worst” acronym. The game offers creative spellcasting game play with the new story and new graphics specifically for mobile devices. The developers say that the game has thousands of spell combinations. The game features campaigns for single or multiple player gaming. Players will pick up loot and battle against enemies from the comfort of their mobile device. The developers also say that the game has semi-appropriate humor allowing you to “Spend hours touching a representation of yourself.” [via Joystiq] |
| YW9300 Android-powered set-top box packs Exynos 4412 power Posted: 01 Apr 2013 05:22 AM PDT There’s a lot to like about Android-powered set-top boxes for your television. Not only can they play popular Android game apps on your big-screen, but you can also watch streaming video applications and more. A new Android-powered set-top box has turned up called the YW9300 that uses a powerful Samsung quad-core processor.
The set-top box uses the Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor operating at 1.4 GHz. The set-top box also features ARM Mali 400 graphics. Other hardware features for the set-top box include integrated Wi-Fi, and HDMI output, and IR remote controller, and. USB ports. The operating system is Android 4.0 and this device is a clone of the F9 TV box. The device is also pre-rooted and has the XBMC media Center installed right out-of-the-box. The set-top box is available in two different versions. One version features 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage for $120. A second version offers 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage for $142. Both versions of the device the feature a microSD card slot for storage expansion and both support up to full HD resolution content. [via Geeky-Gadgets] |
| Superbeam makes it easy to transfer large files between devices Posted: 01 Apr 2013 05:11 AM PDT If you find yourself wishing you could send large files or a large group of multiple files such as photographs to another user standing right in front of you without having to mess with e-mail or a bunch of texts, Superbeam could be just what you’re looking for. The app is easy to use with the user on the source phone choosing all the files they want to send to a friend in any app that supports sharing. The user then only needs to press the share button and select Superbeam.
The app generates a QR code and starts a connection for NFC enabled devices if available. The user of the destination device will then launch Superbeam and take a picture of the QR code that the app generated on the source phone. If both devices are NFC equipped, the users can also tap them together to start the NFC transfer. If both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the app can use Wi-Fi to transfer the files if that’s what the user wants to do. One potential downside is that the data transfers are said to be quite slow at only around 15Mbps on a fast corporate Wi-Fi network. The app also supports transferring files over Wi-Fi Direct. The only potential downside to using Wi-Fi Direct is that the user would have to configure some settings before sending data. Data transmissions using Wi-Fi Direct are said to be in the 25 Mbps range. The app is available for download on Google Play right now. [via CNET] |
| AT&T to get exclusive on 64 GB HTC One Posted: 01 Apr 2013 05:01 AM PDT If you have your heart set on a new HTC One smartphone and you prefer AT&T as your subscriber you will have a new device to look forward to as an AT&T exclusive. AT&T will get the HTC One with 64 GB of storage as an exclusive. Other carriers will only have access to the HTC One with up to 32 GB of storage.
AT&T will have both silver and black versions of the 64 GB HTC One. AT&T will also offer some accessories for the One its stores including the HTC Double Flip Case and the Mophie Juice Pack. AT&T will also be getting the HTC Blinkfeed and Zoe smartphone as well. The Blinkfeed is a device that leans heavily on social networking offering an interface specifically for social network updates, news, and stories in a single timeline. The big feature of the HTC Zoe is a new camera experience. The camera is able to take 20 consecutive images and record a three-second HD resolution video at the same time. The idea is to create a short clip or video story that is easy to share with other users. The AT&T One will launch in the US before the end of the month. There have been some manufacturing delays due to supply shortages and HTC’s lesser status among major smartphone manufacturers. Will an extra 32 GB of storage lead you to purchase at AT&T rather than other carriers in the US? [via SlashGear] |
| Facebook’s custom Android OS to be called “Facebook Home” Posted: 31 Mar 2013 12:57 PM PDT Facebook is gearing up to host an event on April 4th centered around the Android operating system. Facebook’s own customized Android OS, which we’ve learned will be called “Facebook Home”, will be the center of attention during the event. The customized OS will feature deep integration into Facebook’s services. Its Messenger, Photos, and Contacts apps will be the default apps for the OS, with the Messenger app being used to both IM your friends on Facebook, as well as sending out SMS texts.
Facebook is working together with HTC to launch Facebook Home. Facebook is planning on debuting an HTC handset, the HTC Myst, running Facebook Home at its event. The device is said to resemble the iPhone 5, with a home button located on the bottom-middle portion of the phone, with capactive buttons on both of its sides. The device will have a 4.3-inch screen, and is said to be nearly the same size as the iPhone 5. EVLeaks has also updated its Twitter, saying, “The version of Facebook for Android currently on this device needs to be upgraded to support Facebook Home,” which could speculate that we may also be seeing an upgraded version of the Facebook for Android app during the event as well. We all know that the Facebook for Android app needs an overhaul. It’s currently much better than the junk it was before, but it still has a long ways to go. We’re hoping that Facebook will reveal a completely upgraded Android app at its event. While Facebook Home is headed to the HTC Myst, it’s also speculated that it could come to HTC’s current devices, as well as the HTC One. Most of us are wary to see what this new Facebook-integrated Android OS will look like, but who knows, maybe Facebook can pleasantly surprise us. At least it’s not launching another full-blown Facebook phone. If you haven’t see Facebook’s prior phones, you should check out our review of the Facebook-integrated HTC Status. [via SlashGear] |
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