Android World: Android Central

Monday, May 6, 2013

Android Central

From the Editor's Desk: Quick hits
The Head and the Heart - a rising band available on Google Play
Three ways to add camera shortcuts to the Galaxy S4 lock screen
International roundup: Galaxy S4 launch, HTC One update and Sony Honami rumors
'SNL' skewers Google Glass
Testing builds of Paranoid Android with Halo now available for Nexus 4 and Nexus 7
Mystery LG handset leaks out with no physical buttons

Posted: 05 May 2013 04:06 PM PDT

Android Central

We've reached another Sunday. The beginning of a new week, or maybe the end of the last one, depending on how you roll. We've got a ton of phones on our desks, so many words to be written, and a few more trips hitting the itinerary.

So, let's not dilly-dally. A few quick hits for this week's effort:

The Head and the Heart - a rising band available on Google Play

Posted: 05 May 2013 12:15 PM PDT

the head and the heart

I’m a huge music fan and I tend to enjoy all genres. If you’re not fond of much of the music today that is too often full of auto-tune and artificial sound, I have a recommendation for you. The Head and the Heart is a band that originated in Seattle and boasts many different styles, specifically folk, rock and Americana. I discovered them a few years back after they released their self titled debut album and I was fascinated by the lyrics and melody put forth by the three lead singers. From their songs and several YouTube videos that I checked out, I was immediately struck by their passion for authentic music and sound. They are a talented band and deserve a lot more attention in the age of auto tune. Their first album can be bought for $9.49 from Google Play.

The Head and the Heart - "The Head and the Heart" from Google Play

Three ways to add camera shortcuts to the Galaxy S4 lock screen

Posted: 05 May 2013 08:09 AM PDT

As with many features of the Galaxy S4, there's more than one way to get a camera shortcut on the lock screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is brimming with features, but right out of the box you could be forgiven for thinking there's no way of unlocking the phone straight into the camera app. Like many of the S4's advanced features, this is optional, and disabled by default. Enabling it is easy enough, but as it turns out there are three different kinds of camera shortcuts you can put on the Galaxy S4's lock screen.

International roundup: Galaxy S4 launch, HTC One update and Sony Honami rumors

Posted: 05 May 2013 06:42 AM PDT

Galaxy S4, HTC One

It's been a bit week for Samsung, with the European launch of its Galaxy S4 handset getting underway in full force. Meanwhile, the HTC One got its first over-the-air update, fixing bugs and tweaking the phone's "Ultrapixel" camera. And on the subject of cameras, we heard the first news of what might be Sony's mid-year refresh, with new Cyber-shot imaging tech on-board.

Get caught up on the week's international Android news after the break.

'SNL' skewers Google Glass

Posted: 05 May 2013 05:27 AM PDT

Probably funnier if you haven't already been subjected to this. Still, not a bad effort.

Source: NBC

Testing builds of Paranoid Android with Halo now available for Nexus 4 and Nexus 7

Posted: 04 May 2013 05:44 PM PDT

Halo

New Halo notification system is ready for testing, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 owners can download today

A couple of days ago we talked about the upcoming Paranoid Android ROM and its new Halo feature. Part chat heads, part awesome, and a rewrite of the Android framework make this one of the neatest tricks we've seen in a while from any third-party development team.

Starting today, those of you with a Nexus 4 or a Nexus 7 can give it a try, as the team has made some early testing builds available for download. Be warned, these are by no means finished, and will surely have a fair share of bugs. We know that's hardly going to stop a slew of people from giving this a try.

A build for the Oppo Find 5 is also in the works, and a Galaxy Nexus version is promised when there's time. If you are feeling a little adventurous, and not afraid to try something new, hit the source link for the details and download links. The video of Halo in action is after the break as a refresher.

Source: +Paranoid Android. Thanks, David!

Mystery LG handset leaks out with no physical buttons

Posted: 04 May 2013 05:42 PM PDT

Evleaks offers first glimpse of buttonless LG phone with unique earpiece

Prolific leaker Evleaks has posted images of what could be a future LG handset. The device, pictured on Facebook, shows a spartan front face with only an LG logo down below. There's also a curved glass front and an unusual looking reflective earpiece. In today's post, the leaker offers a guess that this might be the rumored Optimus G2.

The mystery phone seems to share some design cues with the Nexus 4, but there's no suggestion at all that this is a Nexus device -- for one, LG's branding is very much front and center. But it could indicate a change of tack for LG, if it's to join the likes of Motorola and Sony with a push towards on-screen buttons. (It's a move that would undoubtedly please Android purists.)

For the moment that's about all we can surmise from an image showing a featureless phone with a blank screen. If you've got any theories of your own, be sure to shout out in the comments. The original image is linked below, as is a close-up of the bezel.

Phil weighing in here: The Optimus G Pro has nicely hidden buttons as well. I'm willing to bet there are a couple on either side of that LG Logo.

Source: Evleaks (Original, bezel close-up)