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- B&N Nook HD devices getting big shot of Google starting today
- Google Fiber continues expansion, coming to Shawnee, Kansas
- Acer announces updated Iconia B1 with 3G and quad-core options
- Instagram adds Facebook-like photo tagging features in update
- Verizon Galaxy Note II receiving incremental 4.1.2 update
- Acer unveils the Iconia A1 tablet with 7.9-inch 4:3 IPS display
- Samsung responds to criticism of lack of usable storage on 16GB Samsung Galaxy S 4
- Featured Android App Review: Dinamotxt [Communication]
- Paranoid Android’s new Halo notification system gets demoed in video
- Motorola XFON leaks, shows AT&T apps installed
| B&N Nook HD devices getting big shot of Google starting today Posted: 03 May 2013 11:12 AM PDT
Barnes & Noble announced today they have entered into a new partnership with Google to bring several new apps to their Nook HD and Nook HD+ products. Foremost among the additions is the Google Play Store, which will increase the number of available apps for Nook HD owners from about 10,000 to well over 700,000. B&N CEO William Lynch indicated the new partnership is a result of research and sales data from the recently completed holiday shopping season that indicated users are shifting to more general purpose tablets instead of e-readers. To be successful in the tablet market, “the breadth of applications available is really critical.” No terms of the deal were released, but other Google apps that will now be available to Nook HD device owners include the Chrome Browser, Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps. Through the Google Play store, users will also be able to access Music. The newest line of Nook HD devices were released last September. B&N is trying to compete with top tablet manufacturers like Samsung, Amazon, Apple and Asus. Unfortunately for B&N, after weak holiday sales, they have slipped out of the top five tablet manufacturers, replaced by Microsoft during the first quarter of 2013 according to IDC. The Nook HD is B&N’s version of a 7-inch tablet and sells for $199. The 9-inch version of the device is the Nook HD+ and sells for $269. The hardware is comparable to some of the more popular tablets on the market and the addition of access to the Google Play Store should position B&N to be much more competitive in the tablet market. source: WSJ
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| Google Fiber continues expansion, coming to Shawnee, Kansas Posted: 03 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT
Google announced an additional location to its growing Fiber network, and this time it is Shawnee, Kansas. This makes sense because of it’s proximity to Kansas City, which has already been selected to receive Google Fiber service. Google says that they selected Shawnee as a Fiber candidate due to the city’s vision of keeping their citizens informed and involved using the internet. This is awesome news for the people of Shawnee, whose city council announced the news after voting on bringing Fiber to town. There is no expected date for Fiber’s arrival in Shawnee, but engineers will be working hard to get the service up and running as soon as possible. Source: Google Fiber Blog
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| Acer announces updated Iconia B1 with 3G and quad-core options Posted: 03 May 2013 10:25 AM PDT
The Acer Iconia B1 just became available only a couple of months ago, but Acer just announced new versions slated for June. They will now offer a 3G version that will feature a MediaTek quad-core processor. The WiFi version will still have the 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek processor, but both versions will get bumped up to 1GB of RAM as opposed to 512MB of RAM. You will also have your choice of 8GB or 16GB for storage, but they offer a microSD slot for expandability. The display on both devices remains the same, 7-inches with a resolution of 1024 x 600. Last but not least, the materials are more of a premium feel similar to the Iconia A1, and the back will be white. Pricing starts at €129 for the WiFi version and €179 for the 3G version. Expect to see these mid-June in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Hit the break for the full presser.
Iconia B1 with New Face and Connectivity OptionsNew York, (May 3, 2013), Acer today unveiled the second generation Acer Iconia B1 with a new pure and simple design, increased performance and additional 3G At 17.8 cm (7") – the same size as standard book page – the display is comfortable for ereading, web browsing, playing games and watching videos. The Iconia B1 joins forces today with the launch of the Iconia A1 to offer a uniformed look and feel when searching for a tablet solution for all members of the family. The Acer Iconia B1 was introduced today with other new products, including the Acer Aspire R7, Aspire P3 Ultrabook, Aspire V Series touch notebooks and Iconia A1. The new line of Acer mobile products highlights the company's focus on redefining the computing experience through progressive design. #AcerTouch. Highly Responsive Fun To take your experience to the next level, this tablet combines a 1.2GHz dual-core or quad-core processor and 1GB of memory for fast and smooth gaming, web browsing and video watching with Android's Jelly Bean operating system to get quickly precise answers to your search queries and seamless browsing. For many search queries performed through VoiceSearch, you can now hear a spoken answer quickly. Fast and Free Media Over 500 free online magazines from hundreds of publishers and top web sites are always at your fingertips thanks to Google Currents. The recently updated smart mobile app allows you to discover, read, and share your favorite new outlets, blogs and online magazine on the 17.8 cm (7") WSVGA (1,024 x 600) capacitive display – even when offline. If you are into playing, you have more than 700,000 games and apps from the Play Store to choose from. Capture and Share More To top off the rich experience, the Iconia B1 comes with a front-facing camera to engage in live chats with your friends. The camera is on the top right corner and works also when in landscape mode, allowing your friends to get into the picture during a video chat. Available with WiFi or 3G(2) data connection as 8GB(4) or 16GB(4) version with the option to add 32GB(4) via via microSD™, the Iconia B1 is the ideal easy companion for tablet newbies or children while adults use their own. Pricing and Availability The Iconia B1-710 (WiFi) version will be available in Europe, Middle East and Africa mid-June at a starting price of €129. The Iconia B1-711 (3G) version will be available in Europe, Middle East and Africa end of July at a starting price of €179.
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| Instagram adds Facebook-like photo tagging features in update Posted: 03 May 2013 09:33 AM PDT
After Facebook bought Instagram, I think we all expected there to be a little crossover in features between both services. Instagram has already introduced a location service with their photos, and now they’ve debuted a photo tagging feature called “Photos of You.” You or your friends can tag each other in pictures, and there’s now a separate section of your profile where you can view photos that you’ve been tagged in. If this sounds similar to Facebook’s photo albums, well… That’s because it is similar to Facebook’s photo albums. Fortunately, you’ve got a few days before those tagged photos go public, so you can change your privacy settings to tone down who can see what or who can tag you in photos. Hit the link below to get the update and start checking it out.
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| Verizon Galaxy Note II receiving incremental 4.1.2 update Posted: 03 May 2013 09:26 AM PDT
Verizon has started rolling out a small Android 4.1.2 OTA update for Galaxy Note II users. While there’s nothing major in the update, you do get more applications added to multiwindow, as well as the ability to change your quick toggles in display settings. Verizon is also removing the Zappos app and throwing in a handful of bug fixes across several apps. Nothing major, but definitely an update worth getting. Hit the source below to get the full changelog from Verizon. source: Verizon Wireless
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| Acer unveils the Iconia A1 tablet with 7.9-inch 4:3 IPS display Posted: 03 May 2013 09:10 AM PDT
It also features Acer’s new “Touch” theme. While the tablet is off, you can press five fingers on the display to wake it up to any app of your choosing. You can also opt for tapping just your thumbs for a different app. The Acer Iconia A1 will be available starting in June with a suggested retail price of $169 for the 8GB version and $199 for the 16GB version. Full presser after the break.
Acer Delivers Full Featured One-Handed Tablet for Everyone with Iconia A1 TabletNEW YORK (May 3, 2012) Acer today unveiled the Acer Iconia A1, the company's first full-featured 7.9-inch tablet targeted at modern day explorers, adventurers, digital freaks and mobile executives requiring an all-day mobile companion. Thanks to a sleek and light-weight design that is comfortable to hold in one hand, it also easily fits into a purse orbag. The new Acer Iconia A1keeps people entertained and connected with smooth and speedy navigation, browsingand mediaplaybackpowered by a fast quadcore processor.The Acer Iconia A1 was introduced today with other new products, including the Acer Aspire R7, Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook and Aspire V Series touch notebooks. The new line of Acer mobile products highlights the company's focus on redefining the computing experience through progressive design. #AcerTouch. Highly Responsive Fun Busy mobile users get the prompt performance they want with smooth video playback, and fluid and fast navigation through apps and websites powered by a fast MediaTek Quad Core 1.2GHz processor. Gestures, zooming, scrolling and navigation are all intuitive, and games are responsive, realistic and even more fun with the integrated gyroscope for movement and vibration responses. The LED-backlit display with IPS technology and a 170-degree viewing angle vibrantly highlights videos, Acer's new Touch WakeApp® gesture gives customers one-touch express access to their favorite apps directly upon waking from sleep. The Iconia A1 delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, and great content such as magazines, movies, games, books and more than 700,000 apps from the Google Play Store. Easy to take Everywhere to Stay Connected Starting at only 0.90 pounds and measuring only 0.44 inches thin, customers will also enjoy taking it with them for navigation and location-based apps via the built-in GPS. The Acer Iconia A1 keeps consumers connected to Wi-Fi networks and hotspots with reliable 802.11b/g/n wireless technology. Plus, the integrated Bluetooth 4.0 lets consumers quickly connect the tablet to a variety of other devices, such as headsets and printers. Digital Hub The 5MP rear-facing camera captures 1080p video at 30fps that can easily be edited for quick sharing on-the-go. The front-facing camera pairs with the enhanced microphone to capture video and audio clearly for video chats and recording. The micro USB 2.0 and microHDMI port enable quick transfer or sharing of customer's photos, music, videos and other digital content. Available as 8GB or 16GB(2) version with the option to add an additonal 32GB(2) via microSD, the Iconia A1 is the ideal digital companion for people which are constantly up and about. Pricing and Availability The Iconia A1-810 with 16GB capacity will be available in June at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
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| Samsung responds to criticism of lack of usable storage on 16GB Samsung Galaxy S 4 Posted: 03 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT
As Samsung’s newest flagship device starts to land in the hands of retail buyers, some of them are discovering a nasty surprise lying in wait. New owners of the 16GB version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 have discovered the device only has about 8GB of useable memory available. The other half is eaten up by the operating system and built-in apps. In a statement released in response to the criticism, Samsung says:
Many buyers of smartphones look for the availability of a microSD card slot when making their buying decision, which gives Samsung a big advantage with those buyers versus a device like the HTC One. However, Samsung does not permit the installation of apps onto the SD Card, only files, photos, videos and music. If a user wanted to install something like Wikipedia Offline, which clocks in at 3.6GB, they could quickly run through their internal memory. Popular games also tend to be large in size, which could force users to become selective in which apps they install. Since the discovery of this memory limitation, responses have varied from users. Some have been extremely irate going so far as to describe Samsung’s actions as amounting to a “scam.” Others are nonplussed as they “never got close to filling the internal storage” on their previous devices. Do you think this is a major problem with the Galaxy S 4? Would it cause you to look at other devices or wait for something else to be released later this year? source: CNET
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| Featured Android App Review: Dinamotxt [Communication] Posted: 03 May 2013 08:33 AM PDT
Have you ever wanted to send and receive SMS text messages from your tablet? There are a number of apps available in the Google Play store that will allow you to do this, but I wanted to tell you about a newer one called Dinamotxt. It was developed by Openmind, and it syncs your tablet with your phone so that your tablet will receive SMS text messages at the same time as your phone. Dinamotxt is a full texting interface so you will have all the same capabilities as if you were using your phone. You can not only reply to current texts, but you can also create new conversations from your contacts or any phone number. You can also change the look with the included themes. They have eight colors to choose from along with a nice looking paper and vanilla theme. You can delete any threads you no longer need, and they will be deleted from your phone at the same time.
Dinamotxt has a couple of features that you won’t find on stock SMS text message apps such as the ability to backup all your texts. Popup notifications are also cool because you can read the full text of the message without going into the app, but you can also reply to it from the popup. You can choose whether you want popup notifications or not, but notifications will still appear in the notification panel either way. Syncing your tablet and phone are a piece of cake. All you need to do is install the app on both your phone and tablet. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on for both devices and pair them like you would any other device. After they are paired, go back into the app on your tablet and link them. The good news is that you don’t need to leave Bluetooth on because it’s only used for the initial syncing process, so you can turn it off to conserve battery consumption. As long as both devices are connected to the internet, your tablet will receive all SMS texts. If you’re looking for a way to send and receive SMS text messages on your tablet then give Dinamotxt a try. Not only does it work great, but it’s absolutely Free. What more could you ask for? Check out my hands on video below and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think. Complete instructions for linking:
        Click here to view the embedded video.
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| Paranoid Android’s new Halo notification system gets demoed in video Posted: 03 May 2013 07:13 AM PDT
As we recently reported, the awesome developers over at Paranoid Android have come up with an incredible new feature for their ROM inspired by Facebook’s Chat Heads. They are calling it “Halo” notifications and they’ve described it as the first step to solving Android’s lack of true multitasking. It works by forwarding all notifications system-wide to the Halo bubble. Clicking the Halo bubble opens a tiny applet where you can respond to any notification. Halo will be included in upcoming builds of the popular Paranoid Android rom which is available for a plethora of devices. One lucky user got his hands on an early build and was nice enough to film a demonstration. Hit the break for the video and check back for more news on this feature as we get it.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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| Motorola XFON leaks, shows AT&T apps installed Posted: 02 May 2013 10:14 PM PDT
Motorola’s fabled X Phone is easily one of the most speculated about devices today. It seems like every week, a new rumor pops up, and it usually conflicts with the rumor we heard the week before. Google and Motorola have effectively kept this phone a secret by leaking out tons of mismatched information. Today, though, we have more concrete X Phone information. As in, evleaks has kindly released some pictures of a phone, running Android on AT&T’s network with the model XFON on the back. Normally, these rumors are pretty hazy, but that’s pretty clear. The phone itself doesn’t really get too friendly with the camera, as it’s boxed in some kind of case, but the picture below shows a carbon fiber backplate with a model of XFON ATT, which suggests that it definitely won’t be a Verizon exclusive. The phone shows the AT&T SIM name in the status bar, as well as AT&T’s LTE icon, and a My AT&T app in the app drawer. Aside from that, the software seems pretty bone stock, which we would naturally expect from a phone co-developed by Google. It’s also worth mentioning that this does appear to be three different devices, as noted by the differing Motorola logos on the top of the phone. If the phone is showing up in leaks like this, hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer for an official announcement from Motorola or Google. source: evleaks
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