Android and Me |
- Reminder: last day to enter to win a Kindle Fire
- Bluestacks GamePop Mini: subsidized little brother of original GamePop
- Top 10 Android app updates: Foursquare, Spotify, Duolingo, Vine
- Quick-access delete button returns to the Gmail app
- Android 4.3 being tested on Play Store Edition Galaxy S 4
| Reminder: last day to enter to win a Kindle Fire Posted: 28 Jun 2013 11:04 AM PDT Hey everybody! This is just a quick reminder to let you all know that today is the last day to enter our giveaway of a Simpsons-themed Kindle Fire tablet. If you haven’t already entered, then simply follow the giveaway link below to find out how you can. We’re giving away a 7-inch 8GB Kindle Fire that’s been specially Simpsons-themed in honor of the release of The Simpsons: Tapped Out game on the Amazon Appstore.
If you want to be entered to win, follow the link below and complete the instructions before 11:59 p.m. EST! Good luck! |
| Bluestacks GamePop Mini: subsidized little brother of original GamePop Posted: 28 Jun 2013 09:56 AM PDT The Android console market has exploded after the Kickstarter success of the OUYA. Many companies jumped on the bandwagon, making affordable Android consoles that will play our favorite games. Some have tried to create a better game environment to foster a more home console-like game selection, while others were content in throwing in the Play Store and letting people play their favorite mobile games. Bluestacks previously announced the Android 4.2 powered GamePop console, a $129 device with a subscription service for its selection of games. This time, they have announced the GamePop Mini. It’s a weaker version of the GamePop, but it will be free with a 12 month contract. This means that you pay nothing up front, but have to pay the $6.99 a month for the service for 12 months before owning the hardware. (That’s a total of $83.88). However, fear not. You can cancel this contract at any time. You’ll have to give back the console (in working order) and pay a $25 restocking fee. If 12 months have passed, you pay no fee and get to keep the small console. Bluestacks has a large set of developers lined up to provide games for your subscription, like HalfBrick, Glue and IntelliJoy. And with Looking Glass technology, iOS developers can easily get their games running on the GamePop. If development is easy enough, they could get a good lineup of games going. However, the GamePop is just another OUYA. It’s an Android console powered by weak mobile hardware, offering mobile games on your large TV. Will it work out for them? We don’t know, and we know a lot of people are against this concept. So tell us, what do you think of having another Android console on the market? |
| Top 10 Android app updates: Foursquare, Spotify, Duolingo, Vine Posted: 28 Jun 2013 09:44 AM PDT Welcome back to the return of our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most upgraded apps for the week. I've found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, not focus on which apps have the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but I'm going to make an exception for apps that had significant updates. I hope you enjoy this weekly feature and discover some apps that you might find useful. Spotify – Version 0.6.4.47
What’s new in this version:
The ability to control music playback from the notification bar is a very useful addition to an already full-featured application. Spotify is a great way to listen to music while on the go. Make sure to get the latest update by following the link above. Plume – Version 5.2.1
What’s new in this version:
The number of options for Twitter clients is overwhelming at times, but Plume has been the go-to client for many of our readers. Plume users will enjoy the updated, more modern user interface. Marriott International – Version 3.0
What’s new in this version:
Readers who stay at Marriott properties can attest to some of the issues found in previous versions of the application, such as the app not storing login credentials. The version 3.0 update aims to address these issues and alleviate user frustrations as well as add a couple of new features. Foursquare – Version 2013.06.26
What’s new in this version:
Find out the best places to eat and shop when travelling by using Foursquare. Foursquare provides you an wealth of information about the best places to eat, drink and be entertained when visiting a new location. RoadNinja – Version 2.7-3340
What’s new in this version:
RoadNinja is a great app to bring along on vacation this Summer. You will find detailed information about the services available on every interstate exit. Share your travel photos and reviews with other RoadNinja users. The updated look is appealing for users that enjoy a darker theme for their application. Vine – Version 1.2.0
What’s new in this version:
This new update could be seen as a step to help persuade users to stay with Vine instead of jumping to another application like Instagram. I like the support for the front-facing camera, but honestly, I don’t know the last time I wanted to take a short video using that camera. CoPilot Live Premium USA - Version 9.4.0.183
What’s new in this version:
CoPilot is the second navigation app we’ve seen receive an update this week. The new Just Drive mode is great if just enjoy the warm weather with no specific destination in mind. Duolingo – Version 1.1.1
What’s new in this version:
If you have ever thought about learning a new language but thought it would be too hard, think again. Duolingo gives you an easy way to learn several languages, including French and Italian. The new leaderboard lets you compete against your friends to see who can learn the fastest. Google Play Movies & TV - Version Varies
What’s new in this version:
The Google Play Movies & TV app is a great option for those looking to cut cable. You can find top TV programs and Movies that can be streamed to your device or downloaded to be viewed offline. The updated interface gives a the application a clean look. Google Search – Version Varies
What’s new in this version:
Google is really working to include more searchable items inside Google Now. Searching for data about a TV show is a great feature, but it does require your TV and your phone/tablet to be on the same network. |
| Quick-access delete button returns to the Gmail app Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT Google recently pushed out a major update to Gmail and people had mixed feelings on the design. But one of the most confusing aspects was the sudden disappearance of the delete button in the quick-access bar. Even I was confused when I went to delete an e-mail for the first couple of times after updating. But customers made their voice heard and in a new update, the Gmail team has brought back the quick-access delete button. This is sure to make the people happy who were really missing their delete button. The update also brought in the ability to click on sender images to select multiple emails in the conversation list. This is pretty much just a nicer-looking way of implementing the checkboxes from the older Gmail app. Besides that, there were just some bug fixes that came with the update which we won’t say no to. It’s good to see that the Gmail team is indeed listening to users and trying to fix some of the things that they weren’t too happy about in the recent update. Are you guys happy to have the delete button back? |
| Android 4.3 being tested on Play Store Edition Galaxy S 4 Posted: 28 Jun 2013 05:57 AM PDT Last night brought us some interesting screen shots of Android 4.3 running on a Google Play Edition (GPE) Galaxy S4. This tells us some interesting things in my opinion. First, it’s more evidence that Android 4.3 is real if you were still suspicious. Second, Google is providing test builds of Android 4.3 to the GPE manufacturers. This can put your minds to ease, if you were concerned about delayed Android updates to GPE devices. With Google doing this, manufactures of GPE devices will have timely access to source code to make their custom kernels or whatever they need to to get those Android updates as fast of they can. If you haven’t heard about what Android 4.3 might be bringing to the table, it’s a small update. Hence the jump from 4.2.2 to 4.3. We’re hearing that the developer API level may be upgraded to version 18, it will bring support for Bluetooth Smart and possibly OpenGL ES 3.0. Additionally, 4.3 will be bringing a much needed update to the stock camera app which is already available on the GPe devices. The updates to the camera app makes changes to camera settings much easier by placing settings options in clear view while in use unlike the 4.2 camera. This 4.3 camera is not officially available from Google yet, but it’s pretty easily found out there on the world wide web and supposedly will work on any device. You don’t even have to be rooted. The screenies that have been provided can be found below. We have the standard Jelly Bean Android version image, a screen shot of the new 4.3 camera in use, and the about phone settings screen shot. The build numbers present in the about phone settings image will likely be different than what’s pushed out to the GPE devices when 4.3 is officially released. We originally heard 4.3 would be released along with the White Nexus 4 on June 10th, but that’s obviously come and gone. We’ll be sure to keep you updated when we know more about a release date. So, what are you thoughts on the screenies? They’re really not too exciting, but it gives me hope that 4.3 is just around the corner. I’m also glad that these GPE devices will likely be getting updates as promised. What are you looking forward to most with 4.3? Or do you feel like it’s such a small update you won’t even feel the difference? Gallery
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