AndroidGuys

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• Review and giveaway: Droidax EzyCharge GS3 wireless charging system
• Changelog: Notable Android app updates (April 29)
• Party your apps off with Lookout on eve of Google I/O 2013 (WIN A FREE TICKET!)
• Sprint: Samsung Galaxy S4 “now flowing into sales channels”
• 16GB Galaxy S4 comes with 45% of storage used out of the box
• T-mobile Galaxy S4 now available online
• Galaxy Note 3 may come with 3GB of RAM
• Alleged Sony Honami details include 20-megapixel camera
• Leaked Samsung roadmap includes Nexus 11, other tablets
• Samsung intros 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3

Review and giveaway: Droidax EzyCharge GS3 wireless charging system Posted: 29 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT Wireless charging is becoming more and more of a standard in the wireless industry. We’re seeing more devices released with wireless charging built in, like the Nexus 4 and Samsung Galaxy S4. Overall, wireless charging is a great concept. You set your phone on a pad, and there are no cables or annoying ports to deal with. It’s simple, easy, and saves time. Droidax is bringing this great innovation to users with their line of wireless charging pads and receivers. I had the chance to review the EzyCharge wireless charging kit for the Galaxy S3, and now AndroidGuys is giving one away to a lucky reader! But we’ll get into that a little later. First, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Droidax wireless charger. Before doing any research or seeing the kit in person, I had expected it to include some kind of small apparatus that goes behind the battery of the GS3. I’ve seen this implemented before, and it seems like a fairly logical wireless charging solution. But when I received the wireless charging kit, I found that the “receiver” is actually a case that the GS3 fits into. Droidax offers it in two colors, deep blue and pearl white (I received the deep blue color). The case itself is actually somewhat nice. The back is a soft-touch plastic, and oddly enough reminded me of the battery door on the G1 (if anyone remembers back that far). It’s comfortable to hold in the hand, and has decent build quality. It’s not going to win many awards for expensive materials, but it definitely doesn’t feel cheap. It does add a fair bit of heft to the GS3, but that’s a bit of a trade-off for the wireless charging capabilities. Being that the device plugs into the microUSB port on the case, it also adds some length. I expected this to make holding the device awkward, but the difference is actually not that noticeable. I was happy to see that Droidax left the power and volume buttons uncovered. After using other cases with hard-to-press button covers, it was nice to use one that just left them alone. The cutouts for the camera and speaker are quite wide, and were clearly well thought out. Since the GS3 plugs into the case, there’s a microUSB port at the bottom of it, just in case you need some old fashioned charging. The back of the case sports a power button, which serves to turn on the power pack, along with four blue indicator lights. These are used to show how full (or empty) the battery pack is. Speaking of the battery pack, I found it to be a dysfunctional advantage. The receiver houses a 2,300 mAh battery, which is actually slightly larger than the stock 2,100 mAh battery in the GS3 itself. It’s great that Droidax decided to include this extra oomph along with wireless charging, but it would’ve been even greater if it worked properly. Upon turning on the power pack (by holding the power button for a few seconds), it instantly starts feeding power to the GS3. This is a fantastic tool to have when you’re out and about, but there’s one major downfall. One particular day, I drained the battery on my device faster than usual. I used the opportunity to test out the speed of the power pack. I turned it on, and slipped my phone back into my pocket (yes, even the heavy, long case is pocketable). After a few minutes, I noticed that my leg felt rather hot. I pulled the phone out of my pocket to discover that the case was overheating. And not the normal, “this is a little warm” overheating. I could’ve cooked a pound of bacon on the back of this thing. It cooled down after I removed my GS3 from the case and turned the power pack off. Upon further testing, I found that this wasn’t a one-time incident. For some reason, the battery pack does not like to be turned on at all. I haven’t found many similar reports from other users, so I may have had a faulty production unit. At any rate, I didn’t get to take advantage of the added 2,300 mAh. Bummer. Moving on, the kit also includes a wireless charging pad (obviously). The pad is the same deep blue color as the receiver, and sports a white section at the top that lights up when the receiver is recognized. I found this to be very helpful, as I could clearly see when the device was being charged, and when I had to adjust its position. It’s also worth mentioning that the EzyCharge system is rather picky about the orientation and position of the receiver on the wireless pad. Sadly, it’s not just a “set it and forget it” charger. The bottom of the receiver must be placed close to the top or bottom of the pad, or it won’t get any juice. This was irritating at first, but I soon got into the habit of placing the phone in the right place on the first try. As far as actual charging strength goes, the Droidax system gave me great results. It charged my GS3 as fast, if not slightly faster than a conventional microUSB charger. Since I typically charge my phone every night, I had no problem going from under 15% to fully charged by the time I woke up. For most people, the Droidax system will give you the same speed as your everyday corded charger. After a considerable about of usage, testing, and overheating, the Droidax wireless charging system is both convenient and practical. Despite the fact that the battery pack more or less can’t be used, it’s still a great wireless charger. On top of that, I wouldn’t mind if Droidax made a case, sans charging capabilities, with the same materials that this one has. It fits well in the hand and just feels nice. What We Liked Convenience and usefulness of wireless charging are practically priceless Provides great charging speed, comparable to corded chargers Case itself has good build quality External battery pack on top of wireless charging is a great concept Room for Improvement Major flaw with overheating when using the battery pack  Added heft to the device might be a trade-off for some Price tag is also a possible deal-breaker Where to Buy You can grab the EzyCharge system direct from Droidax. The receiver retails for around $80, while the wireless pad will set you back $60. With taxes and shipping, you’re looking at about 150 bucks for this system. Whether that price is worth it will mostly be a personal preference issue. If wireless charging on your GS3 is something you absolutely must have, the Droidax system is a no-brainer. How Do You Enter to Win? On to the fun part! We’ve got an extra Droidax wireless charging system to give away to one of you awesome readers. All you have to do is jump over to Facebook, be sure to “like” AndroidGuys (if you haven’t already), and then hit that “like” button again on this status. Once we’ve passed the deadline, someone will be chosen at random to win the wireless charging system. The giveaway will be open until next Monday, May 6th, at 12:00 a.m. CST. That gives you a week to get those likes in! Unfortunately, this contest will be limited to U.S. readers. With that being said, let the giveaway begin! If you have any questions about the Droidax EzyCharge system, feel free to drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer them! The post Review and giveaway: Droidax EzyCharge GS3 wireless charging system appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Changelog: Notable Android app updates (April 29) Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:36 PM PDT Changelog is a weekly series of posts dedicated to highlighting notable Android app updates. Whether it be utilities, games, or anything in between, we shed some light on some of our favorites. While some of you might be all over these software updates, others may appreciate learning about a new app or two. Speaking of which, have you check out the most recent APPTEASERS post? Remember the Milk (v3.0) – Completely redesigned from the ground up, the latest build is gorgeous and features a tablet-friendly layout.  Other features include new task and note views, the ability to edit multiple tasks, updated notifications, and improved widgets. Pocket (v4.5.2) – Key update in this latest release revolves around being able to share content with friends and other Pocket users. Likewise, you can also receive shared items directly from within Pocket. Additional details include improved Instant Sync, automatic fullscreen in article and web view, and bug fixes. Tech Junkie (v2.0) Latest build adds new features such as a radio that reads out the news to you, photo-based expandable news notification for Android 4.1+ users, swiping gestures for single-handed use and more.  Rounding things out, the new offering boasts a new widget for radio, dynamic site icons, and a pogress bar for mobile view. Evernote Food (2.0) Brand new version lets users explore thousand of recipesfrom food sites, searching and saving along the way. Pull up a location-based map of restaurants and clip and save the ones you wanna check out and journey through your past meals and photos. The My Cookbook option allows users to recipe save in the app, plus ones you’ve clipped or saved in Evernote. Creatorverse (v1.2.2) is now offered as a single free app with in-app purchasing options for Advanced Tools.  Those of you who already bought the app when it was $4.99 will automatically pick up the Advance Tool Set. For the money, you get teleporters and motors, and new capabilities for Creatorverse creations, like thrusters, which will allow users to easily add rockets, jetpacks, and more to their Creatorverse designs. Sporos (v1.4) Newest release includes the Discovery Lab, a brand new mode promised to be “equal parts relaxing and brain-bending”. The Discovery Lab adds a new twist that will challenge veteran players and amateur scientists alike. eBay (v2.2) The big change for this release is the implementation of eBay Shopping Cart (US and UK only) which allows users to save for later, pay for more than one item at a time, even with different sellers, and new notifications. There are also improvements in search, larger images for item view, and the standard fare of bug fixes. Tango (varies) Two big features include the ability to create a group chat for sharing photos, texts, videos,  and more with multiple clients. Also, users can name their group chats to distinguish between multiple conversations Dragon Assistant (v3.1) The big notable update here is the new, customizable wake-up word which provides a quick way to wake up the app. In a bit of safety-related news, Dragon now plays back name of caller of incoming call when app in driver mode The post Changelog: Notable Android app updates (April 29) appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Party your apps off with Lookout on eve of Google I/O 2013 (WIN A FREE TICKET!) Posted: 29 Apr 2013 11:29 AM PDT Lookout’s annual kickoff party for Google I/O is barely two weeks away and we’re getting super stoked. Headed to San Francisco later this month to get in your annual dose of Google I/O?  Awesome! Why not get things started a little early with the Lookout team at their third annual Party Your Apps Off event?  As in year’s past there will be food, unlimited drinks, awesome people, and giveaways!  The party goes down on May 14 and will be one of the pre-Google I/O hotspots you should be attending. To help provide a little bit of incentive to show up, we’ve got 10 tickets to get you in the door.  Why pay for a ticket when we can get you on the list?  The best part is that each of these ten tickets includes a “plus one”, so that’s 20 spots. When: Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm Where: Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA What: Lookout’s annual Google I/O kickoff party. Drinks will start flowing at 7:30 pm at Terra Gallery in San Francisco and we’ll have tasty food and awesome entertainment. Free giveaways for the first 200 who show up at the door (arrive early: we had a line around the block last year!). *Please not that this event is 21 and over. Shmooze Us and win! How do you enter to win a ticket? That’s easy!  You just need to inflate our egos a bit.  Tell us how much you love Lookout and AndroidGuys in the comments below and we’ll choose from there. We’ll draw the winners on Friday, May 3 and notify Lookout as to who gets in from the AndroidGuys list. The post Party your apps off with Lookout on eve of Google I/O 2013 (WIN A FREE TICKET!) appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Sprint: Samsung Galaxy S4 “now flowing into sales channels” Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:33 AM PDT Sprint confirmed on Monday that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is headed to the carrier’s sales channels.  After a short delay last week, Sprint now looks to be readying the device for for full deployment. We are pleased inventory for the new Samsung Galaxy S 4 is now flowing into Sprint sales channels. Our partners at Samsung are ramping up production and we expect additional inventory shipments on a daily basis. We welcome customers to visit their nearest Sprint Store, www.sprint.com or Telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1 to check out Samsung Galaxy S 4 with Truly Unlimited data and 4G LTE from Sprint. We are delighted with the strong response to Galaxy S 4. – Sprint PR   The post Sprint: Samsung Galaxy S4 “now flowing into sales channels” appeared first on AndroidGuys.

16GB Galaxy S4 comes with 45% of storage used out of the box Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT If you’re looking at picking up a Samsung Galaxy S4, then you might want to take your storage needs into consideration first. On the 16GB model, which is the most popular one at this point, users are seeing that their storage space is almost half full at unboxing. if you head into the storage space, you’ll see that a little under 9GB is actually available to use. The rest is taken up by system files, the OS, etc.. While we’re already used to seeing this, it’s always good to remember that, just because it’s advertised as 16GB storage, doesn’t mean that’s what available to the consumer. To combat the storage blues, there are a couple options as we see it: Buy an external SD card. The external expandability option is there, and the Galaxy S4 supports up to a 64GB MicroSD card. Root and install a custom ROM. Many developers hate bloatware, and they pass their disgust on to their users. Many custom ROMs come far slimmed down from what comes out of the box, and allow for more functionality as well. The AT&T and Sprint S4 models have been rooted already, along with any other Qualcomm based model. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is currently available through Sprint and AT&T, as well as through T-Mobile online. via geek The post 16GB Galaxy S4 comes with 45% of storage used out of the box appeared first on AndroidGuys.

T-mobile Galaxy S4 now available online Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:42 AM PDT With Sprint and AT&T now offering the S4, we can add one more major-four carrier to the list of those offering it as well – T-Mobile USA. The device is available online as we speak, even though physical stores won’t be carrying it for another week (starting on the 8th of May). T-Mobile’s version of the Galaxy S4 comes in the same “black mist” and “white frost” color options, has 16GB of internal storage, and will cost $149.99 up front, with payments of $20 / month for the remaining 2 years. The total price comes to $629.99, and of course, you’ll need a pricing plan to boot. The S4 for T-Mo supports their 4G LTE network, as well as the 42Mbps DC-HSDPA. Be sure to hit the link below to get yours today. via tmobile The post T-mobile Galaxy S4 now available online appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Galaxy Note 3 may come with 3GB of RAM Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:48 AM PDT According to the latest spec rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 may come with a full 3GB of RAM on board. As most devices are popping out currently on the high end with 2GB of RAM, chances are this could cause a major shift in high-end devices, if it proves to be true. The Note 3 is rumored to come with a 5.99 inch FHD screen, octa-core Samsung Exynos 5410 processor containing a 2.0GHz quad-core A15 CPU and a 1.7GHz quad-core A7 CPU. The 3GB of RAM is supposedly included, along with 32GB of native storage, expandable via microSD. It’s also said to come with Android 4.2.2. What do you think about these rumors? Be sure to let us know in the comments. via phonearena The post Galaxy Note 3 may come with 3GB of RAM appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Alleged Sony Honami details include 20-megapixel camera Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:17 AM PDT New rumors surfacing over the weekend suggest Sony will introduce a new model in the second half of 2013 which operates under the code name of Honami. Details are reported to include 5-inch 1080p HD display, a 20-megapixel Cyber-shot CMOS sensor with Carl Zeiss lens, and a dedicated Walkman audio chip (S-Master MX Digital Amplifier. Rumored to be water and dust resistant, the Homani could arrive as soon as July. It’s worth noting that the handset is also tied to slightly different specs from a different source. Other details being tossed around include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and battery of 2700 mAh – 3300 mAh. Conflicting reports cite a 20-megapixel camera sensor (dual LED Xenon flash) and a 16-megapixel camera. Xperiablog The post Alleged Sony Honami details include 20-megapixel camera appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Leaked Samsung roadmap includes Nexus 11, other tablets Posted: 29 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT Samsung may have just introduced the next-generation Galaxy Tab series today but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to take a break. According to a roadmap obtained by SamMobile, Samsung will introduce no less than four more tablets in the near term, including a Nexus 11. No details are given at this time in regards to timing except that they are expected this year. Reportedly, Samsung and Google are working to debut the first octa-core tablet as an 11-inch experience. What’s more, Samsung is creating a separate 11-inch tablet which should be a high-end model. Also, Samsung could cancel or delay the next-generation of Galaxy Note 10.1 as sales and demand for the current model is said to be “weak”. Rumore Samsung tablets for 2013 Samsung Galaxy Tab DUOS 7.0 7.0" PLS LCD 600 x 1024 3 Megapixel (back) 2 Megapixel (front) Dual-core DUAL SIM Micro SD 32 GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.0 8.0" AMOLED 1080p 5 Megapixel 2 Megapixel Quad-core A9 (Exynos 4412) Micro SD 64 GB Samsung need to solve AMOLED burning problem first. Samsung Galaxy Tab 11 11" Super PLS TFT 8 Megapixel 2 Megapixel Dual-Core A15 (Exynos 5250) Micro SD 64 GB NEXUS 11* 11" Super PLS TFT 8 Megapixel 2 Megapixel Octa-Core A15 / A7 (Exynos 5410) Micro SD 64 GB (Rumoured) *Needs to get approvement from Google (Worlds first Octa-Core tablet) SamMobile The post Leaked Samsung roadmap includes Nexus 11, other tablets appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Samsung intros 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 Posted: 29 Apr 2013 06:36 AM PDT Samsung announced on Monday that the new generation of Samsung Galaxy Tab will arrive starting in May. Known as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, the 7-inch Android tablet will come in a Wi-Fi and 3G/Wi-Fi models. Specifications include Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 7-inch 1024×600 LCD TFT display, and a 4000mAh battery.  Internal storage will come in 8GB or 16GB options with each offering 1GB RAM and microSD expansion for up to 64GB additional space. Pricing and exact availability is unknown; the Wi-Fi model arrives in May with the 3G/Wi-Fi model following in June. Samsung Unveils GALAXY Tab 3 SEOUL, Korea, April 29, 2013 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the introduction of the GALAXY Tab 3 – 7-inch tablet featuring sleek design and enhanced capabilities that bring capabilities that bring better performance and multimedia experiences to your fingertips. With the new GALAXY Tab 3, Samsung has evolved its range of innovative tablets, making them smaller and easier to carry, while increasing the user experience overall • Easy Handgrip and Portability: Its compact, one-hand grip form factor ensures users can hold comfortably for hours as well as store in a pocket or small bag for reading and entertainment on the go. The sleek and stylish design encompasses thinner bezel than the previous GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0). • Better Multimedia Performance: Powered by a 1.2GHz Dual Core processor, the device allows for faster downloads and sharing, while providing easy access to videos, apps, games, and the web. Offered with either 8/16 of internal storage plus up to 64GB of expandable memory, the device has plenty of space to hold your favorite photos, music, apps, videos and more. • Enhanced User Experience: The GALAXY Tab 3 7-inch is equipped to better capture life's moments in stunning clarity and resolution with its 3-megapixel camera rear camera and 1.3 -megapixel front camera. Combined with the latest Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), it allows users to share photos, videos, and life's special moments through a few quick taps and swipes. The GALAXY Tab 3 7-inch WiFi version will be available globally beginning May and 3G version will follow in June. The product availability varies by market and will be rolled out gradually.  Samsung The post Samsung intros 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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