Android Authority

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• Bell and Rogers Samsung Galaxy Note getting Jelly Bean update
• The Senate votes in favor of the Internet sales tax bill
• Galaxy S4 vs Xperia Z: the best of Samsung against the best of Sony (video)
• What beginners need to know about running a VPN on Android
• Digging deep: Google may be building an online gaming platform
• Xiaomi CEO gives us a look into Xiaomi’s grand plans
• Here’s what voice-controlled Android home automation looks like [video]
• Could it be real? Pixel Press wants you to play the game you draw.
• Spotify Android app update brings tracks and playlists sorting
• Samsung patent collection covers curved smartphone designs and flexible displays
• New DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD color reportedly headed to Verizon
• HTC First drops down to just $.99 with contract, $350 outright
• The Best Mother’s Day Apps for Android!
• Is a Google Now OS X implementation coming in the future?
• LG sending out “save the date” invitations for a launch event on May 30, could it be the Optimus G2?
• Google Glass receives new XE5 update, brings Google+ notifications and more
• HTC One’s launch under the microscope: revenues up but could have been better
• Microsoft Office Web Apps coming to Android tablets very soon
• NVIDIA Tegra 4-based Project Shield spotted in AnTuTu benchmark, score tops 32,000
• Get to know the Galaxy S4′s many features from this new official hands-on video
• Rumor: Rugged Galaxy S4 Active launch set for mid-July, coming in Metallic Orange
• HTC One release delayed in India
• AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 users report first (small) update, performance improved
• Kemco Games launches a new turn-based retro RPG called Bonds of the Skies
• Google Glass sensors list unearthed, augmented reality apps very possible in the future

Bell and Rogers Samsung Galaxy Note getting Jelly Bean update Posted: 09 May 2013 01:16 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy Note carried by Canadian telcos Rogers and Bells are getting Jelly Bean upgrades as we speak, with the news now officially confirmed. After the update was made available to Telus users not long ago, it’s time for Bell and Rogers Samsung Galaxy Note customers to get a good taste of that delicious Jelly Bean. The news has been confirmed by Samsung Canada on its Twitter page, with the company saying that the update is available via Samsung Kies GALAXY Note owners with @bell_mobility, @telus & @rogersbuzz get Jelly Bean via Samsung Kies starting today! twitter.com/SamsungMobileC… — Samsung Mobile CAN (@SamsungMobileCA) May 6, 2013 The news is also confirmed on the Rogers forums OS Upgrades section, while Bell’s software updates page for the device lists it as still being on Android 4.0.4 (presumably, it should be updated at some point). Over the air updates are not yet mentioned, but should probably roll out in the future. At the moment, Samsung Canada is telling users on its Facebook page that the update should be done using the Kies software. Are you a Canadian Samsung Galaxy Note user? Have you received the update yet?

The Senate votes in favor of the Internet sales tax bill Posted: 08 May 2013 05:15 PM PDT Raise your hands if you love paying sales tax. Probably not too many hands up. Unfortunately, that’s just part of life, that is unless you shop online. Currently, many online shops in the United States don’t require you to pay sales tax. This is about to change, at least if the Marketplace Fairness Act makes its way into law. What’s the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA)? It is a bill that aims to ensure that online retailers charge sales tax to all their customers, regardless of the state the business is operated out of, or the state that the goods are being shipped to. Under the guidelines of the bill, this would only apply to those business that make more than $1 million in annual out-of-state sales. According to its proponents, the bill is not about creating new taxes, as most states already require you to pay a "use tax" for online goods, even when sales tax isn’t collected online. The problem is that few people actually pay the use tax, and there is currently little way to enforce it. The MFA has already made it through the senate, with a vote of 69-to-27. Now the bill will be passed to the House of Representatives, where it will also need to be approved. If the bill is passed into law, how will it affect consumers? Right now, if you go online to buy an item, you don’t have to worry about tax. The exception to that rule is if the business you are buying from has a brick-and-mortar retail location, or warehouse in the state you live in. If the "Marketplace Fairness Act" goes into affect, any goods you buy online will require you to pay the sales tax rate for the state you live in. What about digital purchases, like music, movies and apps? The answer to that seems to vary, depending on who you ask. Cnet recently wrote an article indicating that "any business of a reasonable size selling digital goods to the 24 states that have decided to tax them must collect sales taxes." What makes the issue even fuzzier is that the Bill’s sponsor, Senator Mike Enzi, says this isn’t the case: Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, states would be able to apply the same sales tax collected locally to the same product sold online, out-of-state, or through a catalogue. A hammer sold online would be charged the same sales tax as it would be in-store. Since there is no digital good that can be purchased locally, the sales tax would not apply. The Marketplace Fairness Act does not affect the taxability of goods, digital or otherwise. It deals with collection of sales tax already owed under state law. Of course books are sold both in digital and physical formats, as are music and movies, adding further confusion to the bill in its current form. Either way, if the MFA does end up extending into the realm of digital, it would only affect customers in the 24 states that currently consider digital goods taxable. Now it is up to the House For those that oppose the new bill, it isn’t over yet. The House of Representatives is believed to have a much more mixed opinion of the Marketplace Fairness Act, and opponents of the bill will likely do their best to ensure that the House votes against it. If it does make it through? Then it goes to the President to be signed into law. Considering that President Obama has already expressed support of the MFA, it pretty much means that the house has the final say. What do you think of the bill, do you agree that physical goods sold online should be taxed in the same manner as those bought in store?

Galaxy S4 vs Xperia Z: the best of Samsung against the best of Sony (video) Posted: 08 May 2013 03:52 PM PDT Years ago, the idea of Samsung ever beating Sony at anything would have been met with derision, or at least with strong skepticism. Yet here we are today, judging two competing devices from the two companies, and guess what, the once mighty Sony is the underdog, while Samsung is the undisputed champion of the smartphone world. That's not to say that the Sony Xperia Z is a bad device. The Xperia Z is by all means an excellent Android device that was received with favorable reviews and strong demand. But the Xperia Z's odds of winning today's confrontation are slim, considering the caliber of its opponent – the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 isn't just a flagship Android device, it's an entire fleet condensed into one device. But the S4 has its shortcomings, and the Xperia Z shines in certain areas. So many customers are likely to actually prefer the slightly older and less feature-rich device from Sony to Samsung's uber-hyped Galaxy S4. Let's kick off our Galaxy S4 vs Xperia Z review. Join us for the full treatment or jump straight to the hands-on video review. Plastic versus glass Samsung's choice of materials for the Galaxy S line is… controversial. But that doesn't mean that many people won't absolutely love the plastic-made Galaxy S4. Why? It's a matter of taste, mostly, but the truth is Samsung created one heck of a device. The S4 sports a larger display, yet it's actually slimmer and lighter than the Galaxy S3. Moreover, in our time with the device we found it to be handling better than any other device in its class, including the Xperia Z. The fact that the Galaxy S4 is well balanced and easy to handle is a major advantage in our book. Design-wise, our competitors couldn't be more distinct. The Xperia Z has a black slate look to it, and we have to say it, its monolithic allure is quite refreshing. The angular corners, glass back, and prominent silver power button make for a sleek appearance that is guaranteed to draw the attention of people around you. The Galaxy S4 however isn't likely to draw much attention with its design. In fact, many people will mistake it for last year's Galaxy S3. That's not to say that Samsung hasn't improved over the design of the S3. As we said, the S4 is more compact, features slimmer bezels, and the brushed metal-like band around its edges give it a sturdy, classier look. Overall, Samsung wanted to make the S4 familiar to S3 users, and it's mission accomplished from this perspective. We can't gloss over the fact that the S4 is still plastic, and while opinions vary, we think that the Xperia Z has a more premium look and feel. One more thing – the Xperia Z is waterproof and dustproof. Is that important to you, though? Displays: same specs, different technologies Judging from the numbers alone, you'd be forgiven to think that the displays of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z are very similar. Both feature 5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution panels, of a whopping 441ppi pixel density. But the similarities end there. The Galaxy S4 features an AMOLED display of the PenTile variety; however, don't fret if you know PenTile by its bad rap – the S4 features a new type of PenTile arrangement matrix, with diamond-shaped subpixels. As a result, the panel provides one of the best viewing experiences on any smartphone. The experts at DisplayMate have lauded it and went as far as to say that it’s very close to taking the crown from the iPhone 5 as the best display on any smartphone. How does the Xperia Z fare? The phone's TFT display is no match to the S4 when it comes to viewing angles, though not all users will be annoyed by this inconvenience. Besides this problem, the Xperia Z has slightly less bright colors and contrast levels than the AMOLED Galaxy S4. Sony's Bravia Engine compensates by making colors more saturated when watching video or displaying images, but Bravia doesn't work across the user interface. To sum up, the Xperia Z features a good display (it is full HD after all), but the Galaxy S4's is simply better. Uneven specs, but that probably doesn't matter If you like to live your life on the bleeding edge of smartphone specifications, the Galaxy S4 is probably the best you can get right now. It features a powerful Snapdragon 600 processor, an Adreno 320 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. Samsung's phone tears through benchmark leaderboards, but remember that's not necessarily going to mean much to you, unless you are obsessed with specs or if you're planning to run specific processor-intensive application on your smartphone. The Xperia Z is a generation behind when it comes to the processor, but the difference in performance between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the Snapdragon 600 on the Galaxy S4 won't blow you away. The S4 Pro still is a powerful processor by most standards, and the 2GB of RAM help it run like a champ. Sure, the Snapdragon 600 will crush the S4 Pro in benchmarks, but in real life use the difference won't be that significant. Both phones feature microSD slots, but only the Galaxy S4 has a removable battery. For Sony, the sealed battery was a necessary compromise in order to make the Xperia Z waterproof and dustproof. The device can safely be submerged in water (as long as you don't forget to close the flaps protecting the slots) and can take a beating, as numerous torture tests have shown us. If durability is high on your list of nice-to-have features, pick the Xperia Z. Just don't forgo the case, because that glass back will eventually break if you drop it hard enough. The Galaxy S4 outshines the Xperia Z when it comes to sensors. In addition to all the sensors in the Xperia Z, Samsung's flagship also comes with an IR sensor, an air gesture sensor, a thermometer, a barometer, and an IR blaster. More details in our Galaxy S4 review. Battery and cameras In addition to being removable, the battery on the Galaxy S4 is notably larger than the Xperia Z's, at 2600mAh over 2330mAh. When we reviewed the Xperia Z, we noticed a peculiar inconsistency in the power consumption rates, with media consumption in particular taking a heavy toll on the battery. Between this behavior and the smaller capacity, the Xperia Z will take you through a day of use in most cases. The Galaxy S4, on the other hand, will take you through two days of usage, as long as you don't subject it to too much stress. Even if the battery isn't enough, the possibility to change it with a charged unit should be a boon to power users. The Xperia Z's camera is a testimony to Sony's prestigious pedigree in camera development. The 13MP Exmor RS sensor is among the best on the market, and Sony did some good work in the software department too, with features like Superior Auto, which will pick the right settings for you depend on the scene. However, Samsung crushes the Xperia Z when it comes to the sheer range of software features it packed in the camera app of the Galaxy S4. A quick enumeration: Eraser Mode, Sound and Shot, Drama shot, dual capture, animated images, and more. Check our New Features Explained post for more details. Drama shot  Software: Zen garden vs Disneyland If you know anything about Android smartphones, we don't have to tell you which phone is the Zen garden and which is the theme park. Samsung's TouchWiz is over the top, colorful, cheerful, but also a bit bloated. It packs a dazzling array of features, some of which you will certainly find useful. Perhaps the most dazzling of all is the Air View ability, which lets the user interact with the screen without touching it, but S Health, WatchON, and Group Cast are also worth checking out. Air View WatchON The Xperia Z's user interface is much more low key, and sticks in most parts to the precepts of stock Android (Ice Cream Sandwich). With its darker tones and understated design elements, Sony's Xperia UI could prove refreshing for someone used with Samsung's excesses.   With that said, if you're willing to embrace TouchWiz, the abundance of features (some of which are enabled by the presence of sensors and other hardware elements) on the Galaxy S4 makes it the more compelling option. Hands-on video review Pricing and final thoughts The Galaxy S4 is available from US carriers for $199 on contract, while the Xperia Z can only be bought unlocked for now, for prices starting at $630. Meanwhile, the unlocked Galaxy S4 is slightly more expensive, with prices ranging from $675 to $750 or more. So, the Xperia Z holds an advantage in this area, and its price is likely to go down faster than the Galaxy S4's. To wrap up this versus, the Galaxy S4 is clearly better than the Xperia Z in many areas, but that shouldn't put you off from trying out the Xperia Z. Why is that? Simple, plastic and TouchWiz. If these two words bother you, the Galaxy S4 might not be the phone for you. The Xperia Z, on the other hand, is anything but plasticky, while its user interface is much more simple and understated than Samsung's TouchWiz. What phone do you prefer? Vote in our poll or tell us your opinion in the comments. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

What beginners need to know about running a VPN on Android Posted: 08 May 2013 02:45 PM PDT If you’ve ever gone to Starbucks or Tim Hortons to use their public network on your smartphone or tablet, you should know that this could potentially be a bad idea. A public network isn’t very secure, thus it is easy for hackers to steal your data. While it is very uncommon. it’d be a terrible thing if they got their hands on your bank account credentials, personal information, and worse of all, your array of cute kitten GIFs. So, how do you keep your data away from hackers? You can use something called a VPN or a Virtual Private Network to keep your information encrypted from prying eyes. What is a VPN? In short, a VPN allows you to connect your device up to a secure connection over the Internet. VPNs can do a lot of things, such as letting you access region-restricted websites, keep your data secure, hide your browsing activity on a public Wi-Fi network and more. To answer the question more technically, when you connect your device up to a VPN your browsing is routed through servers across the world, which provide a proxy I.P. address. In example, let’s say there’s a server based in Japan that you connect up to. All your Internet traffic is routed to that server where you’ll be be provided with a proxy I.P. address. So, if you’re based in the United States and are surfing the web, websites won’t see a U.S.-based I.P. address — they’ll see a Japanese one. Just to be as clear as possible, let’s use YouTube as an example. Without a VPN, pointing your browser towards www.youtube.com would show that you have a United States I.P. address. After connecting up to a VPN, you will longer appear to be connecting from the U.S., but from Japan. Why would I want to use VPN? As mentioned above, data simply isn’t secure over a public network. So, if you’re doing banking, sending private documents via email or just anything you don’t want other people to see, a VPN will keep all of that data secure, which is one reason why you would want to use one. Secondly, maybe you want to access a region-restricted website, such as the BBC iPlayer. Say you’re in the United States and you can’t access the BBC iPlayer because of the region lock. By connecting to a Wi-Fi network, firing up a VPN like Hideman, you’ll be able to trick the website into thinking you’re connecting from the United Kingdom. At that point, you’ll be able to access the BBC iPlayer all you want. Those two reasons aside, the video below gives you a few additional reasons as to why you should use a VPN. A word of caution VPNs are great, and while free solutions may look even better, it would be wise to either stay away from those or avoid transmitting sensitive data through them. Most free VPNs do employ a little bit of security, just not as much as a paid- or subscription-based service. Free solutions are great for general browsing, but it’d be wise to avoid looking at important information that needs your Social Security number and etc. On another note, a VPN, in some cases, can also slow your connection down drastically. If you’re on broadband connection, you should barely notice a difference in speed, but if you’re using a mobile network, a VPN may prove to have a negative effect rather than a positive. Be sure to hit the next page to see a list of our favorite VPN apps along with a video!

Digging deep: Google may be building an online gaming platform Posted: 08 May 2013 02:03 PM PDT   Something game-y is coming to Google I/O this year, that much is certain. The sessions schedule has a gaming twinge, top to bottom. Nobody is really sure exactly what it on the horizon, but we're all pretty excited.   If the above and below images are accurate, we could be seeing something much bigger than anticipated. Here at Android Authority, our initial reaction was that Google simply wanted more games developed for Android. Then again, we couldn't figure out why Google, a pretty hands-off company who lets developers do their thing, would really care either way. The leaked pics included in this article suggest something much larger than anticipated. If they're real, and actually from Google, we've got more ideas as to what the gaming angle is, and why Google cares. It would seem that Google may be preparing what is called a massive multiplayer online role playing game, or MMORPG. Think World of Warcraft, or something similar.. If that sounds crazy to you, hold that thought. Clues begin to emerge If we examine the sessions at I/O, we start to see the bigger picture. On Day one, there is an Android session at 3:50pm with the headline "Mobile Multiplayer Made Manageable". The description is pretty vague, but the speakers are focussed game developers, with two having social media experience. Another session immediately following it, also for Android, has the title "Advanced Game Development Topics". Sounds benign, but the description invites developers to Learn about new ways to integrate with Google+. In that session, there is talk of "creating cool gaming experiences" via select Google REST APIs. REST stands for Representational State Transfer, and has some interesting use cases. It's a web API design model, and operates by clients (you and me) making requests from the server (Google's mother brain). Now, this type of API probably has a lot to do with Cloud storage, leading us to our next little clue. On Day two, the Cloud Storage track has a session first thing in the morning called "Intense Gaming". Interesting enough title, and the description invites developers to "learn how cutting edge developers are building next generation experiences on the Google Cloud Platform." Two of the speakers in this session worked on the popular Song Pop trivia game for Android, which was a Draw Something/Name That Tune hybrid. That game was developed by a small team, and takes full advantage of the Google Cloud Platform. Things start coming together If you're not yet convinced, we've got one more thing for you to think about. On day three, the Google Cloud Platform track has a session on "Building Social Gaming Infrastructure on the Google Cloud Platform." The description reads as follows: We'll look at how the Gamesys social MMORPG "Here Be Monsters" utliizes the Google Cloud Platform as a production data warehouse for managing user engagement and automating retention activities using App Engine. We'll demo the game's integration with Google Spreadsheets and BigQuery via Google Apps Script and dive into the code that enables automated reporting dashboards and ad hoc game optimization. You may be wondering what BigQuery is. It's a Google service that allows database searches. From the Google BigQuery page, the description is noted as: Google BigQuery allows you to run SQL-like queries against very large datasets, with potentially billions of rows. This can be your own data, or data that someone else has shared for you. BigQuery works best for interactive analysis of very large datasets, typically using a small number of very large, append-only tables. For more traditional relational database scenarios, you might consider using Google Cloud SQL instead. You can use BigQuery through a web UI called the BigQuery browser tool, the bq command-line tool, or by making calls to the REST API using various client libraries in multiple languages, such as Java, Python, etc. Make queries to the REST API, you say? Interesting, considering the Day 2 session for Android which encourages developers to create cool gaming experiences using a REST API. In another interesting twist, REST APIs utilize HTTP for those calls to the server, meaning anything that utilizes HTML5 can use it. That suggests any app or web interface written in HTML5 can be involved in this gaming community. That also means that this community would be cross platform. We could literally play anywhere, at any time, on any device. If we take a look at the picture directly above, it makes mention of several things we've covered today. Social aspects as they tie into Google+ are the most glaring example of an MMORPG for Google, and perhaps the best way to tie it all into a nice, neat bow. It also wishes to receive information about your in-app activity, which could then be accessed by BigQuery. That would be our real-time layer to all of this. The future is now If this sounds like a big undertaking, it is. We also suspect it’s been done before. Google is understandably reluctant to give a comment about this so close to I/O, but it sounds a lot like Ingress: Cross platform, communal, and highly social. Google may be looking to build on that success. While we can't confirm the validity of these pics, the sessions speak for themselves. Even if the pics weren't legitimate (though we believe they are), the gaming tone I/O 2013 has sets enough of a precedent. Google I/O is meant for developers to take away useful information for the focus Google has for the next year and beyond. With gaming, social integration, and mobile multiplayer sessions at I/O this year, that direction Google wants developers to be aware of becomes clear. There is no necessary hardware, or new OS to learn. We have everything we need in the palm of our hand, and perhaps just above our eye. Next week should be fun. Game on, Google.

Xiaomi CEO gives us a look into Xiaomi’s grand plans Posted: 08 May 2013 01:02 PM PDT Xiaomi may not be a household name just yet, but company founder and CEO, Lei Jun has some lofty aspirations for the budding smartphone maker. Speaking at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, Jun outlined Xiaomi's past, present and its future. The near future For a company which was essentially born only three years ago, Xiaomi's rise to the limelight can only be described as meteoric. You may remember the sales record of the Mi-2S, that recently made headlines around the world, after 200,000 smartphones were sold in 45 seconds. (Are you listening Google? Now that's how you sell smartphones!) But Xiaomi is expecting much bigger things, with Jun recently claiming he expects to sell 15 million smartphones this year, double the amount Xiaomi sold in 2012. With a loyal fan base and some incredible devices it certainly isn't outside Xiaomi's reach. With its two-phone strategy, Xiaomi hopes to cover both sides of the market. Jun said that the $370 Mi-2S is aimed at students, while the $241 Mi-2A is a "simplified version" with a lower price. One small step for Xiaomi, one giant leap for Chinese smartphone makers One question that comes to people's lips when they see brilliant devices from Chinese smartphone makers is: when will we see it in international markets? ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo are both struggling with this problem, as it is simply more difficult to cut your own path in crowded international markets. After announcing plans for launching its devices in Taiwan and Hong Kong, rumors lit up, suggesting that Xiaomi was ready to move into international markets. However, Jun brushed off the rumors, explaining that Xiaomi is just testing the waters to see how its phones compare against smartphones from larger companies like Samsung and HTC. Xiaomi Mi-2A However, should the waters in Taiwan and Hong Kong taste syrupy sweet, well who knows where Xiaomi will be headed? "Chinese Apple"? Xiaomi is often described as the "Chinese Apple," with its loyal fan base, however, Jun said he sees his company in a different light. Jun mentioned that Xiaomi began by making the MiUi software before moving into the hardware business and pointed out the difference in the way Xiaomi builds its software. While Steve Jobs once famously claimed that Apple build products that its employees like to use, Xiaomi is constantly listening to its customers input, with Jun claiming: "Fans are a huge part of me." Wrap up Xiaomi is in a brilliant position, with a loyal fan base and great products, we expect to see more from the company in the future and hopefully that means we get to see them outside of Asia as well. Interested in an Xiaomi smartphone? Hope Xiaomi will branch out into international markets?

Here’s what voice-controlled Android home automation looks like [video] Posted: 08 May 2013 12:50 PM PDT With help of Nexus 4, apps and some extra gadgets an Android user turned his home into a voice-controlled environment, capable to respond to various voice-based inputs and offer a desired action. Android-based home automation has been a hot topic for a few years now, but not all Android users are actually able or interested in turning their Android devices into powerful gadgets capable to control various elements of their homes. Doug Gregory is one Nexus 4 user whose home is a lot different. With help of Tasker, he managed to turn the Nexus handset into a home-controlling tool. From turning on and off the various lights in his apartment using a variety of voice commands to turning on and controlling the Google TV setup (again by voice) and linking the lights with the on-screen entertainment, Gregory managed to automate certain procedures. The video below shows you what he's able to do in his home with the help of Android and without needing to use any other remotes or move around to switch on and/or off lights in different areas of the house. While Tasker – check our How to use Tasker feature – seems to have been the main app for this particular home automation setup (also running on Google TV), other apps were used including Tasker plugins AutoVoice and AutoRemote, Netflix, XBMC with Yatse (on a different computer) and AutHomationHD. Gregory explains how it all works: [...] most of the work is being done by a new Tasker plugin called AutoVoice. I’ve tied the AutoVoice Recognize task to the Google Now swipe up. There are a few dozen Tasker profiles setup listening for certain words and phrases, which call upon predefined tasks. These tasks vary from individual light toggles, to predefined “scenes”, triggers for the Phone itself and AutoRemote messages received by the GoogleTV, also running Tasker. Yatse is responsible for controlling the PC running XBMC, fed through the Google TV. I can call upon movies, music or TV shows, play/pause and request volume adjustments. The Home Automation side is controlled by a Micasaverde VeraLite home controller, pushing Z-Wave switches and modules. Android communicates with the Vera through AutHomationHD, a third party app in the Play Store via Tasker. [...] this setup is easy to implement and program. If you can handle Tasker, the rest is cake. In addition to the phone and apps, Gregory also invested in other gadgets that are needed to perform such cool voice-controlled moves. As Android Police puts it, "the shopping list is quite simple" and includes a Mi Casa Vera VeraLite home controller (controlled by the AutoHomationHD) that costs around $180, 4 Z-Wave switches worth $50 each and an IR blaster. Combined, the apps mentioned above cost around $10, while the total cost of such a setup is around $400 according to the publication, not including the Google TV and Android device. Gregory says on his YouTube channel that he made it work with a $300 investment. Do you use Android to control your home? In case you have a video showing your invention, give us a shout.

Could it be real? Pixel Press wants you to play the game you draw. Posted: 08 May 2013 12:17 PM PDT We've all played a game, then thought we knew better how a particular level should work. Maybe we'd have built a wider gap to jump over, or a tougher passage to navigate. Perhaps we're just tired of it, and are being picky. What if you could take a drawing of the level you want to play, which you might do anyway, and make it a reality? If Pixel Press has their way, you will. What starts as a drawing on graph paper quickly becomes a game on your tablet or phone. Currently a kickstarter campaign, and unfortunately being released on iOS first, Pixel Press is easily the coolest concept we've seen in a long time. This project is good for all ages, and a terrific way to get viscerally involved in your game. There is no programming required, either. All you have to do is follow a few art principles, and you're well on your way to gaming excellence. In regard to Android, the developers are upfront that iOS is the focus, with Android development coming via a stretch goal of $350,000. While we're not crazy about backing something we'll have to wait longer than our iOS brethren for, this concept is way too cool not to back. A really simple game that transcends your device, and allows complete manipulation and design on your part. A video detailing the project is on their page, and we encourage you to support the kickstarter campaign as best you can. Tell us what you think of the concept in the comments section!

Spotify Android app update brings tracks and playlists sorting Posted: 08 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT The latest Spotify Android app update, which has been recently released, brings with it some fixes, as well as a useful new feature. If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the countries where Spotify (also said to be planning a video streaming service) is available and are a user of the Android app, you now have the ability to sort and filter tracks and playlists, which should help you better organize your listening experience. The change log also mentions that you will be brought back to the same position when you return to the playlist view, and that the app will no longer crash when usernames contain special character “$.” No examples of user names that would cause the crash are given, unfortunately. The app not only returns you to the same playlist position, but also remembers the song you were listening to, so that you can pick up where you left off when you come back into it. If you thought those features (which also happen to be real) are useful, you should check out the fictitious one that the Spotify developers have for you. Believe it or not, “this app looks good in trousers,” according to that same log. Reactions from users on the Spotify forums to the new app update are pretty good, with the filtering feature being quite well-received. Spotify Android users, have you downloaded the update?

Samsung patent collection covers curved smartphone designs and flexible displays Posted: 08 May 2013 11:24 AM PDT Samsung patent D681,582: Mobile terminal design Patents are a great way to find out about future products, and although they're not necessarily representative of a final product, they do give us a small glimpse at what technology companies are working on next. This time a few noteworthy Samsung patents have cropped up, which could have some interesting implications for future handsets being worked on by the smartphone giant. The patents cover a wide range of potential products and ideas,  from a next-generation curved smartphone design to a page turning software effect. Flexible Displays We know that Samsung has been working on flexible display technologies for quite a while, and now, thanks to the patent, we can understand a little more about how it will work. It will be able to detect various aspects of how users bend the display, such as folding angle and curvature of the bend, which will then adjust the output image so that it displays correctly. Image Credit: Patent Bolt There's also support for commonly used zoom in and out features, similar to "pinch zooming", where a specific part of the display can be bent convexly or concavely in order to adjust the zoom of the displayed image. If you're interested in how this technology is built, the patent reveals a four layered design, featuring a multitouch screen on top and the bend detection housed at the bottom. However the device will still be flexible enough to be bent and rolled whilst displaying an image and accepting inputs from the user. The most likely implementation of this technology is as a flexible eBook reader, but this could also appear as part of a smartphone. Page Turning Effect Speaking of eBooks, perhaps the oddest patent on the list is one for an eBook page turning effect, which casts a shadow over the text behind the page being turned. It's hardly the most ground breaking advancement, but in the age of constant law suits, Samsung has little choice but to protect even the most seemingly inconsequential technology. Next-gen Galaxy camera Moving on to handset technology; Samsung has a couple of patents which very well could appear in a future smartphone product range, the first of which appears to be a camera phone (U.S. Patent No D681,712). Samsung patent D681,712: Digital camera design Details on this device, described as a Digital camera in the title,  are incredibly vague, the only information available is whatever we can take from the image. It clearly shows two separate parts; a Galaxy S(?) smartphone attached to a separate unit housing the camera and a lens. This isn't the first time that we've heard about Samsung's interest in camera technology; there's the Galaxy Camera which cropped up last year and now the latest rumours flying around about the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Perhaps these two are related in some way? Next-gen curved smartphone I've saved the best until last; the final patent on display is for a curved smartphone which could indicate a future Samsung smartphone. Whilst curved displays aren't entirely new, the Galaxy Nexus has a slight curvature for example, this patent design has a distinct concave appearance (see first collage of images from U.S. Patent No D681,582). The aim here is probably to increase the smartphone’s viewing angle, improve the strength of the display, and perhaps even make it sit a little better in the user's hand. There's also a rather strange looking flip feature on the back by the camera, which appears to act like a shade. The benefits of this are a little obscure, is it to simply improve the lighting conditions when taking snaps outside? It looks like there's lots of fun tech to look forward to from Samsung, but sadly we’re still probably quite a way away from any of these released.

New DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD color reportedly headed to Verizon Posted: 08 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT The DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD, at the time of this writing, only come in two colors: white and black. According to @evleaks, It seems that both the RAZR M and RAZR HD are getting a paint job. This is, of course, not official by any means, as Verizon hasn’t announced anything themselves. The images were found by @evleaks, who tweeted: Motorola DROID RAZR HD in blue, DROID RAZR M in blue, and DROID RAZR M employee edition, all for Verizon Motorola released a platinum colored DROID RAZR M a few months ago. As expected, the device was for Verizon Wireless, but it was selling exclusively through Best Buy for $49.99 on a new two-year contract. It was a simple color refresh — there were no hardware changes whatsoever. Based on that, if these photos turn out to be legit, this will probably turn out to be a simple color refresh as well. On the other hand, the RAZR M on the far right in the image above is one that the public won’t be able to get their hands on. According to the tweet above, it’s supposed to be an employee edition and it’ll no doubt have an awesome design, but the same hardware on the inside. Of course, there’s a chance that it’ll pop up on eBay eventually. As always, it’s wise to take this with a grain of salt for now. There’s been no confirmation from Verizon, so we’re not sure if these pictures are legit or not. Regardless, it’d be nice to see more color options for the RAZR M and RAZR HD.

HTC First drops down to just $.99 with contract, $350 outright Posted: 08 May 2013 10:07 AM PDT Last month Facebook Home arrived to the market, bringing forth Zuckerberg’s vision of an experience that "puts people first". Since then, Facebook Home and the Home-equipped HTC First have had mixed reception at best. In order to generate more interest for its spring flagship device, AT&T has now announced that the HTC First is jumping down in price to just $.99 with two-year agreement. The outright price is also dropping to $350. After just a month on the market, why does AT&T need to adjust the price already? Is there something wrong with the HTC First? The First isn’t a bad handset, it’s just that most folks don’t want or need an in-your-face social experience that haunts you 24/7. Those who use Facebook generally like to log in, look around and get the hell out. The good news is that you don’t have to live with Facebook Home on the First, and can disable it in order to get a near-stock Android experience. The problem for the HTC First is that even with the perk of having vanilla Android, most users still found that there were other handsets like the Nexus 4 that better fitted their needs for not much more cost. Now at just $1 with contract, the HTC First is certainly more appealing than ever before. For those that need a refresher, the phone has a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch 720p display, a 5MP rear cam, 1.6MP front cam, a 2,000 mAh battery and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The First still doesn’t beat out the Nexus 4 when it comes to specs or non-contract pricing, but does offer the advantage of LTE. Additionally, for those that can’t afford to pay much up front, the HTC First gives you an extremely affordable way to get a near-stock experience. What do you think of the HTC First, are you tempted to consider the handset now that its price has been dramatically reduced?

The Best Mother’s Day Apps for Android! Posted: 08 May 2013 09:34 AM PDT Mother’s Day is fast approaching. Are you ready? Most people probably already have plans for their moms. Buying some flowers, taking her out to eat, or possibly even a more expensive gift. However, believe it or not, there are some app developers that are looking to help make this Mother’s Day the best it can be. So we’ve put together a list of the best Android apps you can find for this special occasion and they may even help make this holiday at least a little more special. As usual, if you’d rather watch than read, check out the video at the bottom! Mother’s Day Wallpapers We’ll start out with something nice and simple. Our first app, called Mother’s Day Wallpaper HD 2013, is a wallpaper app that has a bunch of Mother’s Day specific wallpapers. Simply open the application, pick a wallpaper, and apply it. This obviously isn’t going to be your coup de grâce, but it could be helpful in setting a mood or just another way of telling your mom that you love her. It’s free in the Google Play Store and you can grab it using the button below. Mother’s Day Poems There are very few moms out there who don’t appreciate some well written poetry being dedicated to them. To help with that, there are a few Android apps out that have some Mother’s Day specific poetry in it. You could use this as something to read to your mom or even use excerpts from the poems in a card if you can’t think of one. Poetry is always good for meaningful events like this, so you can never go wrong by borrowing some. To check out one of the higher rated Mother’s Day Poetry apps, click the button below. Mother’s Day Cards Getting anyone a card for any occasion is one of those social norms that pretty much everyone do. In many cases, you may buy someone a present and give them a card with it. How many times have you bought flowers with a card? Exactly, people do it a lot. Instead of surfing e-card websites, you could always use our next Android app, called Mother’s Day Cards, to quickly browse through some cards to find a good one. You can send them via email or messaging if you’d like. There’s no social share option but you’re not sharing the latest meme, you’re sending a card so we can understand that slight oversight. To check it out, use the button below. Mother’s Day Games Most people aren’t thinking of picking up their mom a video game. However, with the rise of Facebook flash games over the last few years, mothers who once hated the idea of video games are spending hours a day on Farmville. With that in mind, the developers of the app Bakery Story have updated the game with a few additions to give it more of a Mother’s Day theme. If you think your mom may like a Facebook flash style game and want to give her one to try with the holiday in mind, use the button below to check out Bakery Story. Mother’s Day Shopping Last on our list is probably the holy grail of Mother’s Day Android apps. We’re talking about an app called Mobile Coupons & Deals and they have really gone that extra mile to help everyone find something nifty for their mom. You can check out coupons and deals from dozens of stores. So if you want to get your mom cloths, jewelry, bathroom stuff (i.e. Bed, Bath & Beyond), and even some electronics deals from stores like Best Buy, the options are there. Most of us are probably buying our moms something and what better way to shop than search all the stores all at once? To check it out, use the button below. Mother’s Day Leaderboard If you take a look at the leaderboard, you can see how these apps stack up. Keep in mind, this is how they were rated in the Google Play Store and not our personal rankings. So there is no bias on our part. Also, there are alternatives to all of these apps so if you try one out and you don’t like it, it is not the end of the line. There are more poetry apps, more card apps, etc. These were just the highest rated. As always, we value your input. If there is an awesome Mother’s Day app that we missed, feel more than free to comment and let us know. Happy Mother’s Day!

Is a Google Now OS X implementation coming in the future? Posted: 08 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT A Google Now OS X implementation could be possible in the future, according to a Chromium issue log pertaining to rich notifications. The new feature has been promoted on his Google+ page by Francois Beaufort, the noted Chrome OS developer who went on to work at Google as a Chromium Evangelist. Beaufort has said on his Google+ page that rich notifications are being implemented in Chromium on Mac, also stating that the feature is “under heavy development.” Later on, he added in a comment that a flag for the feature had been added in order for users to try it. He also added an image of the new notifications, which you can see below. Beaufort has also posted a link to an issue log on Chromium Code Reviews, about “[Mac][MC] implement notification updates and relayouts,” which could be used for Google Now cards. With Google Now for iOS recently released and recent hints of a web version, it’s certainly possible. While that may not be much, it still leaves room for a lot of questions about if and when Google Now will make it to other platforms. It’s most certainly a useful feature, one that has the chance of becoming very popular. In order to do that,  it needs to be available to as many users as possible and this seems to be a step in that direction. What do you think the future of Google Now will be? Will it become a feature we’ll use on all of our devices, on a daily basis?

LG sending out “save the date” invitations for a launch event on May 30, could it be the Optimus G2? Posted: 08 May 2013 08:53 AM PDT LG has begun sending out “Save the Date” invites for a launch event set to take place on May 30 in Macau. The invitation didn’t specify what we’ll be seeing, but given the tagline “ImaGination Begins”, it’s highly possible that we’ll see something from the “G” series because of the emphasis of the letter in the tagline. It’s nigh impossible to know what will be announced at the event until May 30, but there are a few possibilities, such as the widely rumored LG Optimus G2, though, that seems a tad unlikely since the Optimus G Pro just recently launched. While it’s unlikely, there’s also the possibility that the Optimus GK, which is set to launch in South Korea next month, could be coming to China. Although, LG told Techradar that the phone would be launching in Asia, before the U.S. and Europe get it. Looking at the photo, we can see a burst of color coming from the device. This could be a hint at better screen technology, which leads me to think that we could be seeing brighter colors and higher resolution on this device. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in Macau later this month. Be sure to keep your browsers locked on Android Authority come May 30, as we’ll be covering this mystery device thoroughly for you!

Google Glass receives new XE5 update, brings Google+ notifications and more Posted: 08 May 2013 08:18 AM PDT Google Glass is still a very young product, one that will likely evolve considerably between now and its official commercial release. Most of these changes will have to do with the software side of Glass, as seen with the new XE5 update that arrived on Tuesday. The XE5 update brings with it several new features including the ability to receive incoming G+ notifications, as well as comment and even +1 posts. Another important change has to do with improving battery life estimation, as there have been reports that Google Glass doesn’t accurately gauge how much juice is left in the headset’s batteries. While we already touched on some of the more exciting features in the update, here’s the full changelog: Change to sync policy: require power + WiFi for background uploads Crash reporting Incoming G+ notifications (direct shares, comments, +mentions), including ability to comment and +1 Incoming Hangout notifications Transcription of queries & messages is now wicked-fast Long-press to search from anywhere in the UI (no longer just from off) International number dialing + SMS Hop animation on disallowed swipes in the UI New On-Head Detection calibration flow Show device Serial Number on Device Info card More reliable estimation of battery charge remaining New recipient-list mosaic For the few of you that currently have a Google Glass wearable computer, you will need to plug your headset into the charger before you can snag the upgrade. For the rest of us without Glass, the most important takeaway is that Google is working hard to improve the Glass experience in time for a wider commercial release. This might not take away from the sting of having to wait to get our hands on Google’s wearable computing solution, but at least we know that by the time we get it, there will be many more features and apps for us to take advantage of. What do you think of the updates found in XE5? What other new features and changes do you hope to see by the time Google Glass is released to the public?

HTC One’s launch under the microscope: revenues up but could have been better Posted: 08 May 2013 07:24 AM PDT Many have been watching the launch of the HTC One with particularly keen interest, not simply because it's a nice piece of hardware, but because it has the potential to make or break its manufacturer. Many have been forecasting doom and gloom on the horizon for the veteran Android smartphone developer, and the unsteady launch of the HTC One didn't help to assuage these concerns. However, HTC has posted figures for its first full month's revenue since the launch of the HTC One, which, fortunately for HTC, show that things are starting to look a little better. HTC's Figures Since the initial launch of the HTC One back in March, HTC has witnessed a month to month growth in its revenues, finally pulling the company out of a decline lasting almost a year. The most recent monthly statement puts HTC's revenue at just over $NT19 billion ($642 million), up from March's $NT16 billion. Between February and March HTC witnessed a very healthy 40% increase in revenues, avoiding another record low for the company. Similarly, April also saw an additional 23% jump in total revenue, resulting in a 72% total boost since February. One can't help but wonder however, just how much HTC's bottom line would have benefited from a smoother launch. There's little doubt that the component shortages and resulting staggered release dates put a dent in the company's income, after all the handset has been out less than a month in the U.S., one of the world’s leading markets for high end smartphones. Next month’s figures will provide an ever clearer picture as to how the One is being received on a world wide scale. Consumer reception According to research conducted by examiner.com, whereby they conducted a survey of 20 AT&T and Sprint stores in the Los Angeles area, sales for the HTC One are good, but not excellent. Unsurprisingly, the results suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S4 sold more units in a shorter space of time, but that's not to say that the One is selling poorly. Slightly more worryingly though, the survey also found that consumers are returning their HTC One's for issues ranging from dead pixels to blown speakers. This isn't a common complaint that I've heard about, but hardware faults could seriously dent the One's reputation, which in turn will hurt HTC's fragile bottom line. On the whole though, the HTC One has been very well received. It's had stellar reviews across the board and consumers seem very pleased, which is clearly translating into sales. Vs Samsung's Galaxy S4 Regardless of individual preferences, the Galaxy S4 is going to be the benchmark against which other high-end smartphones will be measured this year. Perhaps this is rather unfair, as Samsung has spent a lot more money on marketing and seems to have a much larger brand presence than HTC does, at least here in the UK. Even so, you couldn't have imagined a more different launch for two premium handsets. While HTC was struggling to even roll devices off the manufacturing belt, Samsung had to delay shipments and limit stock due to an unprecedented level of pre-orders. Availability of the One was, and is some cases still is, heavily dependent on where you live. North America and most of the Asia-Pacific regions had to wait weeks before stock arrived, which slowed HTC's momentum down considerably. In fact, the One is still suffering delays in places like India. But it's not been a terrible launch for HTC; the SIM-unlocked models, developer editions, and T-Mobile pre-orders sold out in an incredibly short space of time. In fact, both handsets managed to sell out their pre-orders, which is certainly impressive. No-one can deny that HTC could have done a lot better launching such an important product, but fortunately the handset's quality appears to be speaking for itself. Looking to the second half of the year The past couple of months have been good for HTC, and it looks like the company is well on track to reach its second quarter revenue target of $NT 70 billion, which should go some way to convince investors that HTC is finally coming out of its prolonged slump. But let's take a reality check. HTC's immediate financial security seems completely tied in to the HTC One, so the handset will have to have some serious market staying power if HTC expects the revenue to keep rolling in. This is still a pretty precarious situation to be in. Overall, this is certainly a promising start for HTC's flagship smartphone. HTC needed to create a great device that would be appreciated by a consumer base which was feeling a little disillusioned with the company, and it's managed to produce quality when it counted most. However HTC isn't in the clear yet, there are still three more quarters left in the year. The HTC One is going to need some serious market presence if it's going to single handily hold the company up for the whole year.

Microsoft Office Web Apps coming to Android tablets very soon Posted: 08 May 2013 07:12 AM PDT Ever wonder when you’ll get to use Microsoft‘s Office Web Apps on your Android tablet? Well, wonder no more. Today, Microsoft shared info on what it plans to do regarding its popular Web-based productivity suite over the next year and beyond. In line with its aim of encouraging on-the-go content creation for everyone, it is currently working on rolling out much-needed Office Web Apps compatibility with Android-powered tablets. In a post on its Office 365 blog, Microsoft said that it plans to work on three main areas for the betterment of Office Web Apps: user experience, social and collaboration, and broad cross platform browser support. It’s in that last area that Android tablet support is included, as Office Web Apps will soon be made to work with Android through mobile Chrome browser support. Currently, only Windows 8-powered tablets and Apple iPads get full access to Office Web Apps features. But as you can probably tell, this will change very soon. Microsoft also aims to add a so-called real-time co-authoring feature to Office Web Apps, allowing users to see changes being made by their collaborators in real time. This is a subtle new addition that Microsoft has taken to describing as “a great enhancement to enable even richer collaboration.” Of course, there are already several different mobile productivity suites available for Android. And most of them are free. Not to mention, Google itself offers a worthy alternative to Office Web Apps in the form of Google Docs. Still, it would be nice to see Microsoft bring its mobile Office suite over just to see how it compares. Maybe then it wouldn’t so quick to call the entire Android ecosystem as a mess.

NVIDIA Tegra 4-based Project Shield spotted in AnTuTu benchmark, score tops 32,000 Posted: 08 May 2013 06:59 AM PDT A new AnTuTu benchmark has been found, this time showing a score for the Android-based Project Shield console by NVIDIA. According to the following screenshot, the device managed to score 32,150 in the benchmark – although we'll add that the product is not out yet, and such benchmarks can always be tampered with, so we can't confirm at this time whether this is the real deal or not.   That said, we're supposedly looking at a 1.9GHz quad-core Tegra 4-based Project Shield console here running Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean. Its score seems to be pretty much in line with previous Tegra 4 tests, although it's not as high as you'd have expected. But it’s still enough to blow the competition out of the water So far, we've seen similar benchmarks for Tegra 4 devices (some of them also unconfirmed), with scores ranging from 27,000 all the way up to 36,000: HP SlateBook X2: 27,259 HP Slate 21 AIO: 23,584 Toshiba AT-10LE-A: 28,058 Early Tegra 4 test: 36,305 (even higher at 36,591 during our interview with NVIDIA at MWC 2013) However, it's worth pointing out that Project Shield was not benchmarked in the past, and this may very well be first benchmark of the device. Previous scores, as you can see in the list above, and in our video interview with NVIDIA, were obtained on Tegra 4-powered tablets or all-in-ones. Project Shield is still not available commercially, and it's expected to hit stores at some point in the second quarter of the year. Considering that we are in Q2 2013, we could see NVIDIA announce availability details for the product in the coming weeks, although that's only speculation from our part. The gaming console features a 5-inch display with 720p resolution (294 PPI), Tegra 4 quad-core ARM Cortex A15 processor, 72-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU, gaming controls and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean under hood and support for Steam games.

Get to know the Galaxy S4′s many features from this new official hands-on video Posted: 08 May 2013 06:38 AM PDT An official Samsung Galaxy S4 hands-on video has been posted by the company on its dedicated Samsung Mobile YouTube channel. The Galaxy S4′s features have already been shown in TV commercials, both with Apple jabs and without, and even in a design story video. However, this is the first official Samsung Galaxy S4 hands-on video, and it’s a pretty extensive one at that. Clocking in at a second over 13 minutes, the hands-on video is divided into five distinct sections, each one with its respective subsections. The sections are Hardware & Design, Camera Experience, Sharing Tools, Convenience Features, and Health Features. The people in charge of the video have went as far as to provide links to each specific subsection in the video’s description on YouTube, should you want to find out how a certain feature works without having to go through the whole video (not a bad idea, actually). The first section shows off, among other things, the screen and the way it’s bigger than the one on the Samsung Galaxy S3, while the phone itself is smaller, as well as how you can personalize the lock screen to remind you of something important in your life (the Galaxy S4 is promoted as a “Life Companion”, after all). The Camera Experience section includes a presentation of the Sound & Shot feature, which allows you to add a small sound snippet to pictures you take, so you can put them into context easier, as well as Animated Photo and Story Album. Also, among the sharing tools presented in the video are Group Play, which you can use to play a song on multiple Samsung Galaxy S4 phones, using them as a surround system. The Samsung Galaxy S4 hands-on video also includes the Samsung flagship device’s Convenience Features, including Air Gesture and Air View, as well as its Health Features, which help you keep in shape. Here’s the video, so you can see for yourself: The video is a pretty good effort on Samsung’s part, letting new users learn more about the Samsung Galaxy S4′s features. Even if you already own one, you might still learn a trick or two from it. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, maybe our Samsung Galaxy S4 review can help. If you already own a Samsung Galaxy S4, which one of the new features do you enjoy the most?

Rumor: Rugged Galaxy S4 Active launch set for mid-July, coming in Metallic Orange Posted: 08 May 2013 04:56 AM PDT A new report reveals supposed launch windows for various Samsung Galaxy products, including the rugged Galaxy S4 Active but also the Galaxy Mega, Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Mini. After revealing Eastern European purported launch dates for the Galaxy Tab 3 versions, Sam Mobile is back with similar information for upcoming Samsung smartphones. Just as before, the actual release dates aren't mentioned for either model, only weeks are given. And just as before, it looks like these are launch windows for the European versions of these upcoming handsets. In total, we're looking at five different devices, of which the most interesting is the rugged Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 Active will apparently land in Metallic Orange according to the publication, and will hit stores in mid-July. No matter how accurate Sam Mobile has been in the past with Samsung-related rumors, we'll still take everything with a pinch of salt until Samsung actually confirms these details. After all, of the five devices in the following list, only the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Galaxy Mega 5.8 have been officially announced, while the rugged Galaxy S4 has been confirmed by a Samsung exec, but not by the Active name and an actual announcement is not available yet. As for the Galaxy S4 Mini and the Galaxy S4 Zoom, we also lack official details for them. That said, here's when these smartphones will reportedly be available for purchase (pricing details for these devices have not been mentioned): GT-I9152ZWA*** – White – week 20 (May 13-19) – Galaxy Mega 5.8 GT-I9152ZKA*** – Black – week 25 (June 17-23) – Galaxy Mega 5.8 GT-I9200ZKA*** – Black – week 19 (May 6-12) – Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-I9200ZWA*** – White – week 21 (May 20-26) – Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-I9192ZWA*** – White – week 29 (July 15-21) – Galaxy S4 mini GT-I9192ZKA*** – Black – week 29 (July 15-21) – Galaxy S4 mini GT-I9295MOA*** – Metallic Orange – week 29 (July 15-21) – Galaxy S4 Active SM-C1010ZKA*** – Black – week 23 (June 3-9) – Galaxy S4 Zoom SM-C1010ZWA*** – White – week 25 (June 3-9) – Galaxy S4 Zoom Are you looking forward to buying any of these handsets?

HTC One release delayed in India Posted: 08 May 2013 04:37 AM PDT There was an excitement in the air with the official launch of the HTC One in India. Considering the high price point at which the HTC Butterfly had released with, the Rs 42,900 price tag of the HTC One was comparatively reasonable. HTC had also got the timing of the launch right, with a promised arrival of the company’s 2013 flagship a week or so before the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4. With a device boasting a premium build and some great new features, HTC was ready to make waves in an Indian market that it has had difficulty capturing in the past. Everything was in place for HTC, but somewhere along the way, something went wrong. The problem is that there hasn’t been any word on what. Of course, the obvious reason is the ultrapixel camera component supply shortages that had plagued the availability of the HTC in other major markets as well, so that issue may not have been fixed after all. After the device didn’t show up by the previously expected April 22 availability, the folks at AndroidOS.in found out from a listing by online retailers Saholic that the availability of the device may have moved to May 7. A quick glance at your calendar will confirm that yes, May 7 was yesterday, and still no HTC One. The same listing on Saholic now lists an arrival date of May 15, while some electronic stores suggested a May 20 availability. Further, an AndroidOS.in reader who had signed up for the “Keep me Informed” newsletter on the HTC website mentioned receiving an email that said that the device would be available in stores only by the end of this month. When will the HTC One finally be available? While the smartphone could show up even tomorrow, the end of the month timeline seems most accurate. Saholic mentions May 15. Another online retailer, ShopYourWorld, has the HTC One listed as “In Stock,” but with a notice stating “Due to popular demand, the HTC One will be shipped in 2-4 weeks,” which is as vague as it gets. Another point to notice is that other popular online retailers like Flipkart, Infibeam, and others, don’t even have the listing yet. Usually, at worst we’ll see a “Coming Soon” tag, and at best, the phone will be up for pre-order, with a definite shipping date mentioned. With both not online yet, the mystery of when the HTC One will finally be available deepens. This delay is certainly going to affect HTC negatively, considering the fact that both the Sony Xperia Z, and the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S4 are already available around the country. All priced around the same, it all comes down to how eagerly you’ve been waiting for the HTC One. If you’re in the market for any high-end smartphone, then the alternatives are already there for you to pick from, and at this point, only fans of the HTC One are going to wait around for the device to be released. So is it worth the wait? Check out your detailed hands-on review of the HTC One, as well as the comparison between the One and the Galaxy S4, to decide - There’s a lot to love about the HTC One, and I think it’s definitely worth the wait, but if this goes on for any longer, HTC’s comeback year may not go as smoothly as hoped. What are your thoughts? Are you planning to pick up the HTC One? Are you disappointed at the delayed release? Let us know in the comments section below.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 users report first (small) update, performance improved Posted: 08 May 2013 03:56 AM PDT The AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 has received its first software update ever, according to reports from users on our Google+ page, as well as on Android Forums. The update is a small one, weighing in at only 21.39 MB (as compared to the over 160 MB of the first T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 update), and, while no change log has been published yet, users are reporting performance improvements. According to a user on our Google+ page, the update has fixed the lag the smartphone used to have, which is confirmed by a user on Android Forums, that says the lag is gone even with animations on. The same user also says that the update seems to have also reduced the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4′s use of RAM memory, as he has 300MB more free out of the available 2GB. The improved performance is confirmed by other users, too so if you own the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4, make sure you get the update. It is available both over-the-air and through the Samsung Kies software. And if you haven’t already made up your mind on getting the Samsung Galaxy S4 or not, you can always check out our review of the device: If you have the Samsung Galaxy S4 and you’re on AT&T, have you received the update? Did you notice improvements?

Kemco Games launches a new turn-based retro RPG called Bonds of the Skies Posted: 08 May 2013 03:35 AM PDT Some of my favorite games on Android have been old school RPGs. 9th Dawn was a great experience, and now, Kemco Games, a developer known for making said RPGs on Android, has just released a new title called Bonds of the Skies. The game seems to have all of the best elements of a retro RPG: great pixelated graphics, fluid combat, an expansive world and a good storyline. The premise of the game is much like every other old school RPG – your town is under attack, everyone is in danger, and it’s up to you and your friends to stop the threat. Bonds of the Skies has some decent customization options. You’ll be able to customize characters by giving them a certain set of skills. Beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot of customization, but some of the skills that you’re able to customize is actually quite cool. Combat is, as expected, turn-based, which may be a turnoff for some potential players, but it does seem to be implemented quite nicely. Now, it does seem like the game has microtransactions, which, in most cases, can get very annoying in a lot of games. Thankfully, you can get through the game without using such items. It’s really more of a hat tip to the developers. All in all, Bonds of Skies seems to be gearing up for a great run on the Play Store. If you’re not familiar with Kemco Games, they’re based in Japan and have produced a wide range of popular titles like Symphony of the Origin, Symphony of Eternity and more. Bonds of the Skies will cost interested buyers $7.99. However, to celebrate the launch of the game, it’s priced at a mere $2.99 for a limited time. If you’re interested, be sure to hit the Source link below.

Google Glass sensors list unearthed, augmented reality apps very possible in the future Posted: 08 May 2013 02:57 AM PDT The Google Glass sensors list has been unearthed by developer Lance Nanek, and, judging from it, it appears that AR apps will be a very definite probability sometime in the future. Nanek says that he has managed to get a hold of the Google Glass sensors list (which isn’t mentioned in the official specs) by pushing an Android app to the device using debug mode and then listing sensors. While at the moment the Mirror API (the one developers can use to build apps) only supports getting the location every 10 minutes, these sensors will allow developers to create “real” AR apps. Here’s the list of sensors, without further ado: MPL Gyroscope MPL Accelerometer MPL Magnetic Field MPL Orientation MPL Rotation Vector MPL Linear Acceleration MPL Gravity LTR-506ALS Light sensor Rotation Vector Sensor Gravity Sensor Linear Acceleration Sensor Orientation Sensor Corrected Gyroscope Sensor Location providers are as follows: network passive GPS Lance Nanek has also posted a video, showing that the sensors actually work and, by looking closely, you can see that the parameters change depending on the direction the user looks in. What could the future bring? While these sensors are not enabled yet, their presence there could only mean that they will be at some point, allowing developers to make real AR apps, which will offer an experience that couldn’t be offered until now. Just imagine games like Ingress played on Google Glass and think of the possibilities this could open for augmented reality games. Also, GPS navigation apps could offer, for example, lane assistance right in front of your eyes, without you needing to take your eyes off the road, or you could get accurate and up-to-date information about landmarks around you when you’re on vacation. These are just a few examples, but the possibilities are almost endless, once Google opens them up for developers of third-party apps. What kind of apps would do you think will be developed for Google Glass, using these possibilities?

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