Android Authority

---

• Galaxy S4 Zoom: by the numbers
• T-Mobile teases a new phone, or case, or something that goes underwater
• Google releases official Cloud Print app!
• Android Mini collectibles rainbow set now available
• 10 Apps all new Android owners should have (video)
• AT&T Galaxy S4 Active teased in new video, will be officially announced tomorrow
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra (Togari) teased in July 4 Paris press event invite
• HTC One Mini leaks in the clearest form yet: 4.3-inch, Snapdragon 400, aluminum unibody
• Samsung Galaxy S3 equipped with 4G LTE now available through Virgin Mobile
• Why doesn’t Android have a built in “find lost phone” function? What are some alternatives?
• CyanogenMod founder wants to help protect your data with incognito mode for Android
• Flipboard now allows magazine collaboration with friends!
• Nook tablets are now cheaper, part of Father’s Day promotion
• Crayon Physics Deluxe launches on the Google Play Store for $2.99
• Is Samsung developing robots?
• So you want a water resistant device. What are your options?
• Google Glass teardown reveals that the device is powered by a 570mAh battery
• What’s left for Samsung to announce at its Premiere 2013 event?
• Android Authority Q & A #002 – June 12, 2013
• Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 update pulled due to connectivity issues
• Mirror-less Galaxy Camera 2 to be unveiled at Samsung’s June 20 event
• Nokia 928 review – confessions of an Android user
• HTC One coming to C Spire, release date not available yet
• HTC One Mini’s existence confirmed, set for an August release
• Back to Basics: Android versions explained

Galaxy S4 Zoom: by the numbers Posted: 13 Jun 2013 12:19 AM PDT The truth is that for many of us the camera we use the most is the one on our mobile phone, that is why Samsung is going to release the Galaxy S4 Zoom – an Android smartphone combined with a more traditional digital camera including optical zoom. Samsung are calling it a “revolutionary new device that converges the best of a high performance smartphone and camera.” The question is how good is the phone and how good is the camera? Is it a compromise or a convergence. Here is a “by the numbers” look at the new camera/phone. 10 times That is the size of the optical zoom on the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. When you look at an S4 Zoom it is the optics that you notice first as the phone looks very similar to a traditional compact digital camera. If you aren’t happy with the optics on your current smartphone but don’t want a DSLR or compact digital camera then Samsung have the very thing just for you! 3MP more The “normal” Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with a 13MP camera while the Zoom adds an extra 3MP making 16MP in total. Although 16MP isn’t unheard of on a smartphone (remember the HTC Titan II) it certainly is unusual. 63 percent That is how much bigger the S4 Zoom is when compared to the S4! The dimensions of the two phones are quite different as the Zoom is much thicker (15.4mm compared to 7.9mm) but the Zoom is actually shorter and narrower. But if you calculate the total volume of each device then the S4 Zoom is 63 percent bigger… And that is to be expected given that it houses a 10x optical zoom system. 208 grams A Samsung Galaxy S4 weighs just 130 grams, the HTC One just 143 grams and the iPhone 5 112 grams. All very respectable numbers. So how much more weight do all those optics add to the device? Not as many as you might think. The Zoom is just 78 grams heavier than the Galaxy S4. 300 percent The S4 Zoom comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display  with a resolution of 960 x 540. The flagship Galaxy S4 comes with a 4.99 inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display. Quite a difference. In fact when you do the maths, the S4 Zoom has 300 percent less screen pixels than the standard S4! F3.1-F6.3 The main feature of the S4 Zoom is the camera and since it comes with all those optics, Samsung are keen to underline the specs. The device has 24 smart modes to help capture images with the perfect settings, a built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS), and a Xenon Flash. For those who understand F numbers, the range on the S4 Zoom is F3.1 to F6.3. 270mAh Is the difference in the battery size between the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy S4 Zoom. The normal S4 has the bigger battery as it has to power that amazing HD screen. The S4 Zoom has a much smaller screen but it does need to power the zoom mechanism. Is 2330mHh enough for it to be useful as a phone and as a camera during a day out the kids? Only time will tell. Are you tempted by the S4 Zoom? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

T-Mobile teases a new phone, or case, or something that goes underwater Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:50 PM PDT Credit: StockMonkeys T-Mobile has something up their sleeve. What that is, we don't know. Well, we sort of know. It has to do with being underwater, at least for a brief period of time. Maybe T-Mobile is taking us swimming? More than likely, they're getting a new device that can withstand a little underwater filming. While there are plenty of devices that can take a little splash here and there, not many can take the full onslaught of diving underwater and swimming for a few seconds. The most obvious guess has to be the Sony Xperia Z, which makes a point of touting their "waterproof" capabilities. It could always be some new, cool case they're going to have, too. What is for sure is that portrait filming must die a quick and sudden death. You're better than that, T-Mobile.

Google releases official Cloud Print app! Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:29 PM PDT File this under "what took so long?!" Today, Google released an official Cloud Print app for Android. While there were other very respectable apps in the marketplace that tied into your Google Cloud Print account, this is the first official app from Google. Cloud Print, which has been around since mid 2010, was meant as a (you guessed it) cloud based printer management system. Obviously designed to work with Chrome, it was a necessary function for the (then) upcoming Chrome OS. It works cross platform as well. It works by forwarding print "jobs" through a web UI, rather than a direct link to your printer. Printers must, of course, be set up in Cloud Print, but that's exceedingly simple to do. Once a printer is registered, you can print to it from anywhere, at any time. It also allows for printer sharing, and now has official Android support! The app can be downloaded from the Play Store now. Though just shy of 200 downloads at the time this is written, the overall score of 4.8 shows those early adopters are happy with it. Go snag it and let us know what you think!

Android Mini collectibles rainbow set now available Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:46 PM PDT Whoa, that’s a full rainbow, all the way, double rainbow, oh my god. It’s a double rainbow all the way from the Dead Zebra Shop and Andrew Bell. Start your summer off right while feeding your Android addiction with the latest Android mini collectible series. These guys feature a double decker rainbow set of 10 different translucent figurines. The set comes with a magnetic clasp box, allowing you to flip it open to showcase your Android figures. Last but not least, in true Android fashion, these guys are customizable. You can screw off their heads to mix and match or fill them up with various small goodies. The rainbow set is available right now for only $69. Normally, these full box sets sell out pretty fast, I wouldn’t wait around too long on these guys.

10 Apps all new Android owners should have (video) Posted: 12 Jun 2013 02:53 PM PDT So you’ve got a new Android device! Congratulations, and welcome to the Android world! Now you need some good apps to put on that bad boy, and we’ve got a list of the 10 ten best apps you should be installing on your Android device first. As per the norm, if you’d rather watch the video just head to the bottom of the article. Feedly If you’re big on keeping up with the news, whether it be technology, sports, or world news, you need a good news aggregator to keep up with the constant flood of information. Google Reader will soon be no more, so our staff picked Feedly as the number one alternative. There’s a reason for that too. The first cool thing is that Feedly uses its own backend called Normandy, which all the geeks cheered at for the subtle Mass Effect 3 reference. Aside from that, you can make Feedly look similar to Flipboard, but act like Google Reader at the same time. It’s a really great way to customize your news experience and easily organize all of the information coming in. Of course, Feedly isn’t going to please everyone. If you’re looking for something a tad more flashy, our runner up in this category is Flipboard. Dropbox While everyone may not be on the cloud storage train, in the future it’s going to become more and more popular as smartphones and web-based computers like the Chromebook continue to grow in popularity. So why not set yourself up with a good cloud storage app before the inevitable happens? For this category, or staff picked Dropbox. Dropbox is one of the best cloud storage services out there, and it has some really handy features. Similar to Google+, you can set your device to auto upload files to Dropbox, such as photos. So if something goes wrong, your important files are stored safely on the web. The only person that will be able to see these files is you — and the NSA. There’s an initial limit of how much storage you can have on Dropbox, but you can always expand that through occasional promotions and by inviting friends to the service. For our runner up, we chose one of the best cloud storage apps out there — Google Drive. Spotify Music streaming is all the rage these days, and as more companies begin to offer music streaming apps, the music streaming space is only going to get more competitive and more popular. Spotify is one of the best music streaming apps out there — its 20 million tracks and 24 million listeners is a testament to that. Of course, not all of those listeners are subscribers, as you can use it free if you don’t mind suffering through ads. Spotify will let you download songs for listening in offline mode, listen to single tracks, or even create radio stations. It has a fairly simple user interface, and comes with some cool social media integration if you use Facebook. Don’t worry though, you can still use the service if you’re one of the few that doesn’t have a Facebook account. However, we understand that some users want to keep their Android device as a pure Google experience. In that case, our runner up is Google’s Play Music service with All Access, a feature that intends to compete with Spotify and other music streaming apps. Google Keep Everyone takes notes, but storing them digitally tends to be the best way to keep track of them. So our staff chose Google Keep for one of the note taking apps that everyone should take for a spin. It’s dead simple, yet it has the colorful and fun Google style to it. To go along with the app, you can sign into drive.google.com/keep to access your notes from a computer. We’ve reviewed and mentioned this app a handful of times in the past, so our long time fans may think we’re beating a dead horse here. However, we can’t rave enough about Keep. It’s simple, to the point, powerful, and syncs between all of your devices — what more could you ask for? If you’re looking for something a tad more complex, our runner up is Evernote. Angry Birds Mobile devices have become so powerful that casual gaming is no big deal. When we recommended casual or light gaming, all of the votes went straight to Angry Birds. It’s a fun, addicting game that most people have become very familiar with, maybe too familiar. There are six Angry Birds apps to choose from — seven if you count Bad Piggies. You can’t argue with factual numbers — its billions of downloads is a testament to how popular this brand has become. Every game follows the same basic and simple principles, so it’s easy to pick up and play, though, there are hundreds of levels, so you could be playing for quite awhile before you beat them all. Especially if you’re set on going through all six Angry Birds apps. If Angry Birds just isn’t your thing, our runner up is Temple Run and similar apps like One Epic Knight. Dead Trigger Consequently, mobile devices have become so powerful that heavy gaming isn’t a big deal either. There are a lot of big titles to choose from, so we went ahead and picked Dead Trigger, a free first-person shooter where you can mow down zombies. Call of Duty Zombies fans will love this game in particular. The controls are a tad complicated, but you get used to them over time. The game is easy enough to fun, yet difficult enough to be a challenge. Not everyone is into zombies though, so if you’d like to try something different, our runner up is grabbing a PlayStation, Nintendo 64, SNES, or some other console emulator. Snapseed Everyone can take a good picture and throw a filter on it through Instagram to give it a makeshift professional style, but photography is more than that — it’s a widespread profession and hobby. If you want to do some decent photo editing on your Android, you’ll need a good photo editing app. For that, we chose Snapseed due to how powerful and easy it is — not to mention it’s free. You can apply filters, but you can also manipulate a lot of different settings to make your photo really pop. I don’t think it has to be said, but this isn’t in any way as powerful as computer image editing, but it’s definitely one of the best if you’re on the run. If you’re looking for something more familiar, we chose Photoshop Touch as our runner up. Google Drive Creating, editing, and sharing documents on the go has become much more of an everyday thing since the smartphone was originally brought into existence. For this, our staff chose Google Drive. The reason is simple, it’s solid, it’s stable, it’s free, and it lets you easily share documents. Not to mention the fact that it pairs as a good cloud storage provider. Unfortunately you can only create Spreadsheets and Documents within the mobile app, however, these can be shared with anyone and it can be editing in real time by anyone you’ve shared it with. Not only that, but Drive has all of the tools necessary to help you create a good document. If you need more features, such as a presentation, we recommend OfficeSuite Pro. Drive and OfficeSuite Pro are two of the better office apps out there. Wunderlist Much like note taking, more people are keeping the tasks that need to be accomplished during the day on their mobile devices. So instead of writing down those tasks on a note taking app, a good task management app can help you turn your hectic work day into something more efficient. For this, our staff recommended Wunderlist. It’s just about everything that you could ever need in a task management app. You can create new tasks, sub tasks, and even sort them in various categories. For example, you can create a work folder, home folder, a vacation folder, and so on. If you’re looking for additional features, signing up for an account will give you an array of extras to play around with. If Wunderlist isn’t your style, we recommend Tasks by Team Tasks. Shopping Last up on our list is shopping. We buy things online all the time, so why not do it from your smartphone? For this, we recommend Amazon. It has a giant selection, above average reliability, and it has a solid mobile app to make shopping quick and enjoyable on your smartphone. You can do pretty much anything you can on the web — place orders, track packages, browse, and search for products. If you’re not a fan of Amazon or your country doesn’t have it available, the official eBay app will do nicely. Video and final thoughts Here you can see all of these apps again. In most cases, we do a leaderboard to show you how they stack up against each other, but in this case, they all perform different tasks so it’d be like comparing apples to oranges. Usually these lists are based on the popularity of the app and other factors, but this time it’s all us. All of these apps are recommended based on how our staff voted. If you think there’s an app or a few apps that should have been mentioned, feel free to leave a comment and tell everyone all about it.

AT&T Galaxy S4 Active teased in new video, will be officially announced tomorrow Posted: 12 Jun 2013 02:33 PM PDT Even before the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active was officially announced, we knew it would eventually be making its way over to AT&T, thanks to a leaked image from @evleaks. Now it looks like AT&T is set to finally confirm that the S4 Active is on its way to their network. The evidence of its pending arrival comes in the form of a new YouTube video that AT&T posted to Twitter earlier today, along with the comment "Never fear water again. Coming soon." The video doesn't specifically call out the device as the S4 Active but just looking at the teaser – it seems pretty obvious that's what it is. As the video plays you can catch quick glimpses of the physical home buttons and the Active's back camera lense. A peak at the interface also seems to point towards TouchWiz. So when will we get to learn more? At the end of the video, Samsung promises we only have to wait until June 13th, yep, tomorrow. The big question though is whether this is yet another AT&T exclusive, or if the S4 Active will enjoy a multi-carrier release. While we'd love to see this come to other U.S. carriers, don't be too shocked if the S4 Active turns out to be an AT&T exclusive. What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, compared to the original S4? Do you plan on picking this one up?

Sony Xperia Z Ultra (Togari) teased in July 4 Paris press event invite Posted: 12 Jun 2013 01:25 PM PDT Sony in a press event invite has teased its rumored 6.44-inch smartphone, currently known as Xperia ZU, Xperia Z Ultra and Togari. According to the image, the company will host a special media event in Paris, France, on July 4, during which the Sony Xperia Z Ultra will most likely be unveiled. The image shows the ultrathin profile of a rather long device, which has the same on/off button on the side just like the Xperia Z and other recent Sony smartphones. On the same side, we can see the headphone jack, towards the top, the volume keys and a dedicated camera button. Another hole is present towards the bottom side of the handset. Furthermore, the company hints at something big in the invite itself: "Sony Mobile reserves a big surprise for you," the text says. We also notice the stylus/pencil presumably used to add a note on the invite. The note reads: "Do not forget to mark your calendars!" This isn't the first media event whose star is said to be the Xperia Z Ultra. Sony has scheduled a similar event for June 25 in Munich, Germany, although that invite doesn't actually show the device. We have seen a variety of Xperia Z Ultra rumors recently, with some of them showing purported images of the unconfirmed device. But this is the first actual image of the unannounced smartphone. When it comes to specs, the handset is said to pack a 6.44-inch 1080p "Triluminos with X-Reality for Mobile" display, 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip, Adreno 330 graphics, 2GB of RA, 16GB of storage, microSD support, 8-megapixel camera, 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The handset is rumored to measure 179.2 x 92 x 6.5mm and weigh 212g. We'll be back with more details about the Xperia Z Ultra once we have them.

HTC One Mini leaks in the clearest form yet: 4.3-inch, Snapdragon 400, aluminum unibody Posted: 12 Jun 2013 01:10 PM PDT The so called HTC One Mini makes yet another appearance in a leak, and it's one of the clearest and most credible yet. A trusted source of Engadget has supplied the tech site with information on the HTC M4, the smaller variant of the successful HTC One that is pegged to hit the market as the One Mini. The leak, which includes a clear shot of the One Mini along its full-sized namesake reveals that the device will feature mostly the same design language that proved a hit on the One. According to the report, the One Mini will feature a 4.3-inch display of unknown resolution, although all clues suggest it's a 720p, as opposed to the stunning 1080p on the One. While the new device is still made of aluminum, HTC opted for what appears to be a plastic "ring" going around the sides of Mini. According to Engadget, at least on the outside, the differences between the two siblings are minimal, with the exception of the IR blaster, which is absent from the Mini. The leaked Mini is said to be powered by a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. Other details about the hardware remain unknown. As for the software side, the source of the report says that the Mini runs Android 4.2.2 with the new Sense 5, including the BlinkFeed homescreen replacement. The HTC One Mini is said to be scheduled for launch sometime in Q3, which can mean as little as three weeks and as long as early fall. Judging from how things have been going, we’ll probably see a few more leaks before that happens. Stay tuned.

Samsung Galaxy S3 equipped with 4G LTE now available through Virgin Mobile Posted: 12 Jun 2013 12:43 PM PDT A few weeks ago, we reported that the Samsung Galaxy S3 would be arriving on two of Sprint’s two subsidiary networks, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, within the next month. Now, the LTE-equipped Samsung Galaxy S3 is available on Virgin Mobile. The device will run you $399.99 outright, or you can use PayPal’s Bill Me Later service to pay that amount at a later date, though, if the amount isn’t paid within six months, you’ll be charged interest starting from the purchase date. It’s great to see the Galaxy S3 is headed to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile for two reasons. First of all, the two Sprint subsidiaries don’t have many premium smartphones, so Samsung 2012 flagship will be a great addition for those who are looking for something more powerful. Secondly, having the device on Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile lets Sprint still earn a little bit of profit off of last year’s toy. Since the Samsung Galaxy S4 has launched, going further, Galaxy S3 sales aren’t going to be breaking any records, so carriers will be putting a huge focus on the successor of the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy S4. So while Sprint is focusing on the Galaxy S4, they are still earning a bit of profit off of the Galaxy S3 through its subsidiaries. It’s a win-win situation. As a quick reminder, the Galaxy S3 has the same 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.9MP front-facing camera, and a 2100mAh battery. On the software side of things, it’s running Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UI atop Android 4.1.2. Chances are that you’re pretty familiar with this device, but in the case that you’re not, be sure to check out our full review (video below)! Do you plan on getting a Samsung Galaxy S3 through Virgin Mobile, or even Boost Mobile when it becomes available?

Why doesn’t Android have a built in “find lost phone” function? What are some alternatives? Posted: 12 Jun 2013 12:08 PM PDT  You love your smartphone and the convenience it brings to your daily life, but having the latest and greatest comes at a cost: you are a potential target for phone theft. Luckily, there are plenty of mobile security solutions out there to help protect you and your data. For iPhone owners, there are two measures of protection easily available from Apple. The first of these is the "Find my iPhone" app and service. This app/service allows you to put a lock on a lost/stolen phone, or even erase all data and settings to protect sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands.The second measure is the new Activation Lock coming to iOS 7 devices. This feature makes an iPhone unusable after a wipe, unless the original owner reactivates it with their Apple ID and password. Enough about Apple though, this is Android Authority after all! So what does Google provide to help users find their phones? Unfortunately, there is no free “find my phone service”, though users who pay for Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government do have access to these types of features. In other words, if you are just an ordinary user looking for a cheap or free solution, you are left fending for yourself. Luckily there are quite a few great security app choices already out there on Google Play. Let's take a look at some of the most popular solutions available right now: Lookout This security app comes with free basic functionality that can locate your lost/stolen device. There is also an anti-virus scanning feature and a way to backup your contacts online for restoring them to your new device. The real magic happens for premium users. For $3 a month, you get access to safe browsing and remote locking/wiping functions. There are also privacy reports on apps and an advanced backup feature. Avast Mobile Security & Anti-Virus Arguably one of the best parts about Avast is that it is completely free, yet still offers a wide range of features. Not only do you get virus protection, but there are quite a few anti-theft features as well. With Avast you can remote lock or wipe your phone, sound an alarm, or even locate the device. You can also lock your SIM card or prevent USB debugging mode on the phone. Cerberus Cerberus is quickly becoming one of the most popular Android security solutions on the market. The app is also very affordable at around $4 for a lifetime license. Some of the features offered with Cerberus include an alarm function, the ability to place a message on your phone screen, and remote wipe your phone/SD card.  You can also retrieve your SMS and phone log, or you can even start audio or video recording remotely. TrustGo Antivirus & Mobile Security Like Avast, TrustGo is a free security solution with plenty of great features. The TrustGo app brings with it a security scanner, secure browser, remote wiping and locking features. You’ll also find a system manager that claims to help with your device’s overall performance.

CyanogenMod founder wants to help protect your data with incognito mode for Android Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:28 AM PDT   In light of the recent NSA data spying scandal, it'd be remiss if I didn't bring you this news. CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik has announced on Google+ that he's working on a new "Run in Incognito Mode" feature for Android. The function will act as a master controller for all your personal data, only allowing access to it to the apps which you have specially granted permissions to. If an app attempts to access data which you haven't given it access to, then it will simply return an empty list for contacts, calendar, browser history, and messages, keeping your information hidden from prying eyes. On top of that, GPS will appear to always be disabled to the running application, so it won't be able to request your location information unless you want it to. But if you ever need to quickly change permissions for an app then you can easily do so via a quick panel item which is displayed when an app is running incognito. The feature won't be providing any ad-blocking or device information spoofing; it is solely intended to help protect your personal data. Unfortunately for those concerned about their privacy though, no release date has been given to this project as of yet.

Flipboard now allows magazine collaboration with friends! Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:26 AM PDT For those who like reading news on our phones or tablets, Flipboard is probably our choice. The layout is easy to navigate, with a clean interface that keeps us interested. The recent addition of magazine creation is perfect for those of us who want to cobble together news for later, or just keep track of favorite articles. What hasn't been great for users, or Flipboard, is that the endeavor of creating these magazines has been a solo effort. To date, there has been no true collaborative effort to be accomplished in Flipboard. I edit my magazine, and it's mine. This is fine, but a little boring over the course of time. If I could collaborate with friends about news items, that would be fun. Flipboard thinks so, too, and has given us just that. Starting with the latest update, users can now collaborate with others on magazines. Simply add friends you want to collaborate with to your magazine, and anyone you invite can contribute. It's simple, and looks really fun. Check out the video below, which highlights the feature. Do you use Flipboard? Would collaboration interest you more than doing it all yourself?

Nook tablets are now cheaper, part of Father’s Day promotion Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:03 AM PDT Nook tablets are now available for reduced prices, as part of a Father's Day promotion, so if you were looking to buy a Nook HD or Nook HD+, now could be the best moment to do it. Until Father's Day, which is this Sunday, June 16, Barnes & Noble is offering the 8GB Nook HD for $129, which is $70 lower than the normal price. The 16GB version also has a reduced price, from $229 to $149. As for the Nook HD+, you'll be happy to hear that its price has suffered an even bigger drop, from $269 to $149 (a whole $120) if you plan on purchasing the 16GB version. If you want the 32GB model, you’re also getting a discount, as its price has dropped from $299 to $179. The only condition is that you buy your favorite tablet until Father’s Day. This is not the first time Barnes & Noble is doing a promotional sale on its tablets for a holiday – as you may remember, a similar sale has been put in place for Mother’s Day, last month. What you get for your money are a couple of pretty tempting Android tablets, which have recently received Google Play support, making them even more interesting. Do you plan on taking advantage of the reduced prices and buy a Nook HD or Nook HD+?

Crayon Physics Deluxe launches on the Google Play Store for $2.99 Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:51 AM PDT Crayon Physics Deluxe, after having a somewhat successful run on the PC, is now available for download on the Google Play Store for $2.99. The big difference between the mobile and PC version of this game is the price. On the PC, the game costs $19.99, which is a lot of money for what this particular indie title offers. That said, there’s no doubt that there’ll be a bit more interest in it on Android being priced at $2.99 and all. So what is Crayon Physics Deluxe? To put it simply, it’s a 2D physics puzzle and sandbox game where your drawings come to life. Basically, you can solve puzzles using your own creative and artistic ideas. As for the graphics, and as the name of the game implies, it really isn’t that much. It’s basically just a crumbled piece of paper that you can draw on with crayons. While it’s a fun little physics puzzle game, it’s definitely not for everyone. The one downside is that there isn’t a lite version of the game to try out before you spend $2.99. Though, there is that 15-minute interval where you can get a refund for the game if you don’t like it. If you’re interest in Crayon Physics Deluxe, just hit the source link below.

Is Samsung developing robots? Posted: 12 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Samsung is all over the place in your life, aren't they? They make everything from dishwashers to refrigerators, all meant to make life easier. If reports out of Korea are true, Samsung may be working on a way you'll never even have to load that dishwasher or stock the fridge yourself. ET News is reporting that Samsung has allocated a task force to explore the possibility of service robots. The robots would be centered around health care, education, and entertainment. The report goes on to state Samsung believes robots will replace smartphones at some point, though they will initially be guided by apps on a phone. A "number of Samsung figures who masterminded the global success of Samsung smartphones" have also been added to this task force. I'm just going to go ahead and declare shenanigans, here. Maybe I've just seen 'I, Robot' one too many times, but this doesn't sit well with me. If Samsung thinks I'll let a robot draw my blood, they're nuts. Furthermore, a technology designed to succeed smartphones shouldn't be controlled by them. Google Glass may tether to a smartphone, but with the addition of a cellular radio it can be a standalone device. I would, however, enjoy a Stormtrooper. They're pretty dumb, and pose little threat to anyone. They also never seem to get the job done, so I'd need a good app to control them. Maybe Samsung is right after all.

So you want a water resistant device. What are your options? Posted: 12 Jun 2013 09:47 AM PDT We human beings can’t live too far from Earth's most vital element, water. But water can become a harmful element, especially when it comes to pricey and sensitive electronic equipment such as smartphones. I'm sure that many of you are familiar with that special feeling of horror that occurs when a gadget refuses to come to life after getting in contact with a liquid. But there are several ways you can avoid such unfortunate accidents. The one that makes the most sense is to buy a phone that's water resistant by design, and there are several good options for you to pick from. The second one would be to use a water resistant case that will also protect the device from mechanical shocks. Finally, you could have your device waterproofed by coating it with a special water repellent solution. Each solution has its pros and cons – we’ll take an in-depth look at everything in this post. Water resistant smartphones If you decide to go for a water resistant smartphone, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes when you know your device can withstand anything you pour on it, hassle-free. While the offer of such devices is still limited, there are a few waterproof smartphones for every budget. On the other hand, water resistant smartphones are often thicker and heavier than conventional handsets. Moreover, manufactures often have to cut corners in the specs department, in order to offset the price of waterproofing the device. An important thing to know before making a choice is that not all “water resistant” smartphones offer the same levels of protection against exposure to liquids. The Ingress Protection ratings are used to classify devices based on their levels of resistance to water and dust. Learn more about IP ratings here. Now here are the most relevant options on the market. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the company's first high-end rugged phone, has just been made official, and, although it's a member of the “S4″ family, it looks quite different compared to its “regular” sibling. Samsung replaced the capacitive keys with hardware buttons and used a redesigned back plate locked in place with bolts. The enhanced durability comes at the cost of an increase in thickness of only 1mm. The Active is also about 20 grams heavier than the Galaxy S4. As for water resistance, the S4 Active's IP67 rating means that it  can be submerged up to one meter under water for up to half an hour. The phone also boasts top resistance to dust. Specifications: 5.0-inch Gorilla Glass 3 screen  with 441 PPI pixel density and 1080 x 1920 resolutions Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset with quad-core Krait 300 processor clocked at 1.9 GHz and Adreno 320 as the GPU 8-megapixel back-mounted camera Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right from the box 2GB of RAM 16 GB of internal storage with micro-SD slot that can be expanded up to 64GB 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi 802.11 ac compliable Wide range of Samsung features, including S-Voice, Smart stay, Smart pause, Smart scroll and 50 GB of Dropbox storage Samsung Xcover 2 Samsung also has a more modest rugged smartphone, although we can't actually include it in the budget category. Known as the Xcover 2, this handset is a sequel to the original Xcover, a rather popular phone that came with an attractive design and a tough shell. Just like the Galaxy S4 Active, the Xcover 2 features an IP rating of 67, meaning that it can withstand being submerged in up to one meter of water, for up to 30 minutes. Specs wise, the Samsung Xcover 2 comes with: 4-inch WVGA display, 480 x 800 resolution, 233ppi Single-core Cortex-A9 CPU clocked at 1 GHz, Mali-400MP GPU 1GB of RAM 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD). 5 MP rear camera, 0.3MP front camera Sony Xperia Z One of the best looking smartphones out there, the Sony Xperia Z is a high-end device that attracts customers from all market segments. With a thin, sleek all-glass body, the Xperia Z comes with IP55 and 57 ratings, meaning limited protection against dust and protection against low-pressure water jets from all directions. Also, it can take temporarily submersions in up to one meter of water. When it comes to specifications, here's what you get out of the Z: 5-inch Reality Display, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 441ppi 13-megapixel back-mounted camera with a lot of interesting features 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor 2GB of RAM Android 4.1 Jelly Bean micro-SD, LTE and NFC support Sony Xperia ZR Sony's water resistant lineup expands with the Xperia ZR, a good choice for those looking for even more water resistance. The ZR comes with IP55 and IP58 ratings, which means it’s proofed against water ingress at depths of up to 1.5m for a duration of 30 minutes. Sony even suggests using the ZR for shooting underwater images and videos, which is something that the more conventional Z is not capable of. With that said, the Xperia ZR's body is slightly bulkier, but shorter than the Z’s. The display offers 720p resolution, and the viewing angles aren’t great. Moreover, the front-facing camera of the ZR is slightly less powerful  than the Z’s, and the internal memory has been halved to 8 GB. Lenovo A660 Last year in September, Lenovo introduced to market a rather interesting phone, called A660. Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this dual-SIM device comes with a dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz and a 4-inch display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution at 233 PPI. With a generally slim and tight design, Lenovo accommodated a 5 MP rear camera and dust and water resistance capabilities. Although the handset is destined for China, you can still find it in some other markets. Huawei Ascend D2 Released this March, the Huawei Ascend D2 is dust and water resistant and may be a viable option for those looking for a high-end device. This model caught our eye through its clean design and appealing looks. It’s white, glossy body resembles a classic Samsung Galaxy S2. As for specifications, here's what the Ascend D2 hides underneath the hood: 5-inch Super IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution (443ppi) and Corning Gorilla Glass technology Quad-core 1.5 GHz K3V3 processor 13-megapixel camera with interesting features Android 4.1 Jelly Bean 9.9 mm thin, 170 grams 3000mAh battery with smart power-saving technology Kyocera Hydro XTRM and Hydro EDGE In May this year, Kyocera brought to market to new Hydro phones, called XTRM and EDGE. The XTRM features a 4-inch display with 800 x 480 resolution and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor. The phone also features 1GB of RAM, a 5 MP rear camera, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and LTE support. The Kyocera Hydro XTRM is waterproof and can also survive 26 repeated drops from 4 feet heights. Moving towards the lower-end, the Hydro EDGE features the same display and a similar design. Most specifications are the same with the XTRM,  but the processor is a slower 1GHz dual-core, and the phone can’t handle LTE. Of course, the water resistance was preserved. HTC Droid DNA The HTC Droid DNA, also known as Butterfly or Deluxe in some parts of the world, was one of the first Full HD smartphones released. Besides integrating LTE support, wireless charging, a quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor, and 2GB of RAM, the Droid DNA comes with a 5-inch SLCD 3 display with a 441 PPI pixel density. Other than that, this handset features an 8MP rear-shooter and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. HTC built the DNA to resist accidental splashes, but you can't actually take it for a swim. The DNA doesn’t have an IP certification, but there are reports about a seal inside the device that should prevent damage when the exposure to water is limited. Water resistant cases The second and, perhaps, the simpler option to protect your investment against water damage is to purchase a waterproof or water resistant case. Keep in mind though that, just like the smartphones presented above, these cases have different resistance levels and will only repel water until a certain point. Although they are usually a cheap solution, water resistant cases have some drawbacks. For instance, few models will allow a standard phone to be used underwater. Most of them are simply bags that can temporarily keep the phone safe while the owner gets back to surface. Moreover, most of these cases look bulky and unattractive. But, at the end of the day, water resistant cases allow owners of regular smartphones to dip them in water or take their handset to the beach. Otterbox Armor Case – a bulky smartphone case that can accommodate regular phones like the Samsung Galaxy S3, Otterbox protects devices against 30 minutes of exposure in 2 meters of water.  The reinforced polycarbonate case can withstand two tons of pressure and repeated drops. Price: $99 DiCAPac Case – even though its design isn't quite stylish, DiCAPac's product is perfect for a day on the beach. Compatible with the HTC One and other phones of that size, this neck-strap case can resist up to ten meters of water pressure and other harmful factors like sand and dust. Price: $15.99 Overboard Case – those owning larger phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will find Overboard's product delightful, even though its design is a bit bulky. When sealed correctly, the case can resist being dipped in six meters of water or exposed to dust and water. The unit is not shockproof or overly resistant to snow and cold. Prices range between $27 and $36. Grace Digital Eco Pod – complete with its own set of headphones and detachable carabiner clip, the Eco Pod keeps the phone safe from water three feet deep for half an hour. Coming with an IPX7 certification, this orange-black case is also shockproof and can be mounted on the bike using a clip sold separately. Price: $40. Krusell SEaLABox – good to go with most Android phones, this rather slim case is good for short duration dips in one meter deep water. Also with an IPX7 certification, the case is available in several colors and comes with a practical neckstrap included. Price: $39. DryCase – this insulating smart bag can make any Android smartphone waterproof and thanks to a sensitive layer, it allows owners to keep using the camera or music functionalities. The unit comes with its headphone jack and with a nice mini pump for a quick vacuum seal. Price: $40. Aquapac is a medium-sized product deemed perfect for kite-surfing, rafting and other water sports. It comes with a patented Aquaclip injection-molded plastic seal that keep the smartphone safe from water, dust, and sand. In addition to the adjustable armband, the case comes with a neck lanyard and with a soft protective layer that allows sound waves to pass through. The price of such unit is approximately $46. Amphibx Fit Armband is one of the best options available at the moment, allowing enthusiasts to elegantly carry a smartphone by attaching the armband right below the shoulder. Coming with an IP8 rating, the Amphibx product is has a secure seal which guarantees protection under 3.6m of water for longer uses. Its light and breathable body ensures floatation even with a smartphone inside and its versatile straps can be adjusted to accommodate different arm sizes. The Amphibx Fit Armband ensures full functionality of the touchscreen, camera and other button gestures, even though the device is completely sealed. Protection against dust or sand is also included and manufacturers also have a waist belt for those wishing to go on slopes in winter. The product can be purchased for $59.99 and it's compatible with most Android phones. Protective coatings Probably the best solution for most users, protective coatings are usually nano-coatings that can insulate any type of smartphone and render it immune to water. The process usually takes a couple of days and typically requires the owner to ship the device to a specialized company for the application of the coating. Although the cost of such treatments may exceed the price tag of a waterproof case, users are guaranteed life-long protection, without having to worry about attaching a protective case and sealing it appropriately. Moreover, coatings spare users from having to choose between good looks and protection to accidents. Liquipel, one well-known supplier of such technologies, allows phones to be treated in just three days with prices starting from $59.99. The company also does tablets and other accessories and for those that do not want to go through the whole process, an option of purchasing pre-treated devices exists on their official website. Speaking of the process, Liquipel offers industry improvements in corrosion resistance and protection during prolonged exposure to liquids. By creating a self-sealing coating that provides electronics with protection from accidental exposure, Liquipel's formula allows the sealing liquid to penetrate and coat both the external and internal components of a device, for complete protection. Another variant would be P2i's Dunkable nano-coating process, which provides water protection for smartphones and tablets alike. Although still in an early development stage, the Dunkable liquid-repellent technology is said to act as an invisible hydrophobic barrier that can protect against prolonged water exposure and accidental dips. Water-resistant accessories After choosing a proper water resistance solution, you will most likely need some water-resistant accessories, and most importantly, a waterproof headset. These are usually not that expensive and allow owners to listen to music while enjoying the cool touch of a wave. Here's our pick: Surge Mini Sport – with a patented H2O Audio technology, the Surge Mini Sport headsets can withstand heavy perspiration and complete submersion 3.6m underwater. Coming with an IP8 rating, the pricy set comes with five ear tip sizes and a design that delivers high quality functionality and long-lasting performance. Price: $50. H20 Audio Earwrap – when conventional earplugs fall of the ear while swimming, an earwrap will never fail. Wet often means slippery and this product was created solely to keep earphones from slipping out of place. Pictured above, H20's product is designed to keep earplugs in place and does not include waterproof speakers at all. For $10, it's a good addition to complete the set. What's your choice when going for a swim with a smartphone?

Google Glass teardown reveals that the device is powered by a 570mAh battery Posted: 12 Jun 2013 09:27 AM PDT We already have a fair bit of information available about how Google Glass works, but some people just can’t help but tear apart their lovely new piece of technology to see precisely how it all ticks. Thanks to Star Simpson and Scott Torborg, and after some careful jimmying and unscrewing, we can finally see exactly what's inside. Quite surprisingly the teardown revealed that Google Glass is powered by a seemingly measly 2.1 Wh (roughly 570 mAh) battery, which unfortunately isn't replaceable either if you were hoping to squeeze in some extra battery life. You wouldn't have thought that this would provide anywhere near enough juice for a modern piece of technology. But it's worth noting that Google Glass is using a Texas Instruments OMAP4430 processor, which is not a battery draining Tegra 4 or anything high end like that, so this is actually quite a sensible design decision to help keep temperatures down, etc. On top of that, the teardown reveals a closer look at the clever prism/projector display setup, there's a little glimpse at how the touchpad works, and the all important bone-conduction technology as well. It certainly makes you appreciate the intricacy of the various pieces of technology which make Google Glass work. If you'd like a full look at exactly what goes into Google Glass, then I recommend that you head on over to Catwig for the full collection of high quality pictures.

What’s left for Samsung to announce at its Premiere 2013 event? Posted: 12 Jun 2013 07:51 AM PDT On June 20th, Samsung will host its "Premiere 2013" event in London, where it is expected to reveal new Galaxy and ATIV devices. This is certainly exciting news, save for one problem, Samsung doesn’t seem to have much left to announce on the Android front. When we first caught wind of the event, it seemed obvious that we would see the Galaxy S4's brothers become official, namely the Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active and S4 Zoom. With today's S4 Zoom announcement, all of these devices are now official ahead of Premiere 2013. So what’s left for announcing? We can't say with 100%-certainty what all we might see revealed at the Premiere, but let's take a look at just a few possibilities. Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 The S4 Zoom was just announced, so would it make sense to launch the next-gen Galaxy Camera right now? Whether it makes sense or not, we can pretty much say for sure that this one is coming. In a recent Korea Times article, it is reported that Samsung's JK Shin has confirmed that the next Galaxy Camera will in fact be unveiled in London on the 20th. Other than we know it is coming, we can't say for sure what might be different in the next-gen camera, though past rumors have suggested the camera will see an upgrade to a 20.2MP shooter. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 It would be pretty awesome (unless you just bought a Note 2) if the Note 3 saw an early debut, but how likely is it? If you were to ask me a month ago, I would have said there is no way in hell we'll see it on June 20th. Now that the Galaxy S4 variants are official, it is certainly at least a small possibility. In the past, the Note phone series has pretty much been synonymous with IFA in September, but there is no rule saying Samsung can't break from tradition. Have we seen any evidence (or even rumors) that Samsung is planning an earlier launch for the Note 3? Actually, yes we have. Just last month we reported on a rumor suggesting the Note 3 would launch early, with a suggested July or August timeframe. We have also recently spotted an alleged Note 3 prototype and there is further rumors suggesting the phone is already shipping in low quantities for "R&D". I would certainly not get your hopes up too much, but let's just say that a Note 3 reveal at Premiere 2013 isn’t completely outlandish. Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 Earlier this week rumors surfaced claiming that Samsung is going after a new size category for its tablets, with plans to introduce a 12.2-inch tablet with a stylus, which would likely be part of the Note family. While this is totally unofficial at this point, the rumor mill suggests that tablet will have a native resolution of 2560×1600, though that's about all we know. Currently reports say the tablet will be unveiled in the second half of the year. While IFA seems a more likely target, could Samsung be showcasing the larger-sized Note at the Premiere event? It somewhat makes sense, especially if Samsung packs in an Intel processor and releases an ATIV cousin right beside it. Imagine Samsung marketing two models that are essentially the same, the big difference being whether you want Android or Windows 8. A brand new Galaxy device? With a huge range of existing devices from the Mini to the Mega, it doesn’t seem too likely that Premiere 2013 would see a brand new, "never before rumored" Galaxy device — but anything is possible. Perhaps some of those rumored Android notebooks or some kind of Transformer-like convertible tablet? Okay, probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to dream. Conclusion Honestly, we are going into Premiere 2013 with a lot of unknowns. Besides the Galaxy Camera, we don't know for sure what Samsung has in store for us, and that's pretty exciting. Just remember to keep your imagination and hopes in check so you don’t end up feeling let down. After all, there were big expectations for the Verizon CTIA announcement – and we all know what happened there. What do you think we will see from Samsung at the Premiere 2013 event? Any Android devices we didn’t mention that you think Samsung could end up announcing?

Android Authority Q & A #002 – June 12, 2013 Posted: 12 Jun 2013 07:25 AM PDT Welcome to another installment of Android Authority Q & A. Each week we take questions from you, our wonderful readers and viewers, and answer them both here and in video form on our YouTube channel. In a hurry or don’t like to read? Skip right to the video. Q: Claudio asks: What are some best practices for those who like to experiment with different ROMs but are put off by having to reset everything just to try out a new one? A: You might not like this answer, but for the most part, reseting everything is the best practice. Personally, when I flash a new ROM, I wipe everything, including my data. Though it isn’t exactly common, it’s possible that settings and data that you back up might use an unusual file structure that could cause problems when you restore them. For the most part, you can use an app like Titanium Backup to restore your apps, but be careful as this can cause problems as well, especially if you’re flashing a ROM with a different version of Android. Unless you really have a great reason to, and you know exactly why you’re doing it, restoring system apps isn’t a good idea. When it comes to photos, music, etc., cloud storage is your best friend: Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Play Music and similar apps can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Q: Nazeeb says: My Samsung Galaxy S3 used to charge from 20% to 100% in around 3 hours, but lately it’s taking as long as 6 hours to charge, though sometimes it still charges quickly. Why is this happening? A: It’s possible that your battery is starting to go, but you didn’t mention anything like your battery draining faster, so this doesn’t appear to be the case. If you notice anything like your phone feeling hotter than normal as it charges, you might want to look into replacing the battery. It seems much more likely that you could be having problems with your charger. If you have another charger available to try, you can try charging your phone with it and see if your problem is resolved. If you don’t have another charger but do have another phone, try charging that with your charger and see if the problem occurs with that phone as well. Q: Raul says: The HTC One Developer Edition has an unlocked bootloader. Does this mean that it doesn’t have a warranty? A: The HTC One Developer Edition does have a warranty. In fact, that’s one of the key points of the Developer Edition: you get the unlocked bootloader and get to keep your warranty. To verify this, just head over to the product page and head to the “Features” tab. Down at the bottom you’ll see that it has a 1 year warranty. Q: A few users wrote in to ask: When is the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 going to be updated to Android 4.2.2? A: Rumor has it that higher-end Samsung devices like the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 are going to be receiving an update to Android 4.2.2 some time in June. Of course, at this point, this is still just a rumor, but we definitely wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true. Q: Jon asks: Is there any way for an Android phone to recognize the NTFS file system? A: Why yes, Jon, there is a way, but there is one caveat: it requires your phone to be rooted. That said, if you do happen to be rooted, then simply head to the Play Store and pick up Paragon. Not only does it claim to support NTFS, but also exFAT and HFS+. I’ve never used the app personally, but reviews seem to be fairly positive. Q: Adrien says: I have a Nexus 10. Is there an app that can turn my handwritten notes into text? A: It’s possible that there are a ton of other apps that may do this, but I found one that was specifically mentioned as working by Nexus 10 users. The app is called 7notes with mazec. Yes, even the case is exactly as shown. I haven’t used the app myself, but the app is rated 4.3 on its Play Store page. Q: Jacob says: My contract ends July 1st, and I’m not sure if I should wait for the Note 3 or get whatever the best phablet is at the time. Basically, is the Note 3 worth waiting for? A: This is a difficult question to answer, as we don’t currently have many concrete details on the Galaxy Note 3 regarding either the specs or the release date. Based on the rumors we’re seeing, it definitely seems like it should be a very nice piece of hardware no matter what the final specs are, but that still leaves the release date. Some rumors have the Note 3 being released this summer, while others are saying that we likely won’t see it until September. I’m betting on the latter. The main question to ask yourself is this: how long are you willing to wait? Q: Jessie says: I have a Galaxy S3 running a stock stable 4.1.2 TouchWiz ROM. I recently flash an AOSP ROM but returned to my current ROM. Now videos on my phone and YouTube occasionally won’t play. Will reflashing the ROM fix this? A: It’s hard to tell, but it seems possible that you didn’t completely wipe your phone before moving back to the ROM you’re currently using. If that’s the case, then yes, reflashing might help as long as you completely wipe the right partitions, as well as the Dalvik Cache. If it doesn’t, it might be worth looking to see if there are any known issues with the ROM you’re using. Q: Tamir asks: Do I need to install the Adobe Flash Player on my Galaxy S3 or is it already included? And how can I update it? A: The Galaxy S3 doesn’t include Adobe Flash, and installing it is going to be a little difficult since Flash is no longer supported on Android. Luckily, we have a guide that will walk you through getting the .apk installed. Unfortunately, since Adobe no longer supports Flash on Android, you won’t be seeing any updates. Q: Damian says: I bought a Nexus wireless charger for my Droid DNA, but it won’t charge the battery. I get the indication that it’s charging, but even with the screen off, it seems the battery drains faster than the charger charges it. What gives? A: First, let’s just make sure that nothing is partially affecting the charging capability. For instance, are you using a case with your DNA? If so, try removing it. A little searching around uncovered a thread on XDA Developers that revealed that at least a few users found they had to use their warranty to get a replacement phone in order to reliably use wireless charging. It isn’t easy to get a good figure of how many people needed to do this, but it has definitely happened a few times. That said, I’ve never had wireless charging work reliably, and this is across quite a few devices. It would work occasionally, but it was never anything I could count on. You might just have my luck when it comes to wireless charging. Video Join us next week for more questions and, of course, more answers! If you would like to, head over to the Q & A page to ask us some questions of your own.

Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 update pulled due to connectivity issues Posted: 12 Jun 2013 07:03 AM PDT The latest update for Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3, which became available a couple of weeks ago, has been pulled until further notice. The update was pushed two weeks ago to bring Android 4.1.2 to the Galaxy S3, along with multi-window support, Multi-Screen, S Beam’s Auto Share Shot, as well as bug fixes. Everything seemed okay, until some users started complaining about the 4G LTE connectivity issues their phones were experiencing after installing the update. Some users were getting very weak connections on 4G LTE (one or two bars), with speed slowing down a lot, while others completely lost their LTE connectivity. None of the usual quick fixes, like restarts, or turning Airplane Mode on or off helped. Verizon appears to have acknowledged the problem and pulled the update, according to Droid-Life. One of the readers of the website has posted the support page screenshot below. No time frame is given for the fix. Until that happens, there is a solution that has worked for some users. Go to Settings > More Networks > Mobile Networks on your S3 and change the network mode to LTE/CDMA instead of Global. If that doesn’t work and you’ve already installed the update, you’ll have to wait and hope that the fix comes quickly. Are you a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 user? Have you experienced the 4G LTE connectivity issues?

Mirror-less Galaxy Camera 2 to be unveiled at Samsung’s June 20 event Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:55 AM PDT We've seen one or two rumors pop up surrounding Samsung's follow-up to its point-and-shoot Galaxy Camera, but now there’s some official news from Samsung; CEO Shin Jong-Kyun has stated that the company will be unveiling its mirror-less Galaxy Camera 2 at the Premiere 2013 event in London on June 20th. In our own review the original Galaxy Camera scored well for the extra connectivity features thanks to its Android operating system. Even though the camera quality isn't quite up to scratch with the top of the line competitors, it offers better quality images than the standard smartphone cameras we're used to. However, Samsung is aiming to take its camera technology even further with the introduction of its mirror-less Galaxy Camera 2. But why is this a big deal, and what difference could this make compared to the old version? Those vaguely familiar with camera technology will know that DSLR cameras are pretty much the go-to type of camera when choosing something to take high-quality snaps. The benefit of these devices comes from their flexibility and the ability to choose from a wide range of lenses, not to mention their reputation for producing the best quality pictures, but there are definitely drawbacks in terms of size and price. Android provides easy sharing and plenty of extra features for photography enthusiasts. At the other end of the market there's common Point and Shoot cameras, like the Galaxy Camera, which are light and portable, but are limited to small sensors and lack quality or changeable lenses due to their size, resulting in comparatively lower quality pictures than DSLR cameras. As for the Galaxy Camera 2, mirror-less cameras are also much smaller and weigh less than DSLRs, but often offer better quality sensors than small Point and Shoot cameras. Being closer to the size of typical compact cameras they're much easier to carry around, but previously it's always been a trade-off between portability and picture quality. However, successive improvements in compact image sensors have narrowed the gap in quality between the two. Another major benefit is that the mirror-less camera could also come with interchangeable lenses, if Samsung is serious about capturing interest from more experiences users. A high quality compact camera with interchangeable lenses backed up by our favourite Android operating system would be an extremely interesting product, especially for consumers looking for something superior to a standard smartphone camera. Of course we'll have to wait until the event to find out exactly what Samsung has planned for its next Galaxy Camera.

Nokia 928 review – confessions of an Android user Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:59 AM PDT The newly launched Nokia Lumia 928 has received a lot of praise from consumers and media, and has even been called a contender to the title of best smartphone of the year. Sure, the still limited selection of apps for Windows Phone 8 is disappointing, but the Nokia Lumia 928 is still a great player through its hardware, design, and user experience. And, as Android lovers and mobile geeks, we're always interested to see how the grass is on the other side. So let's take a look at this bad boy, shall we? If you're in a rush, jump to the bottom of the article for the video, otherwise, stick with us for an Android user's review of the Nokia 928. Design and build quality Remember a few years ago when Nokia phones were considered virtually indestructible? Their build quality was out of this world, and we tend to make a lot of nostalgic jokes about it these days. It's been a long time since I held a Nokia phone, but let me tell you, Nokia's still got it. While the Nokia Lumia 928 is made entirely of glossy plastic, the device immediately feels very sturdy in the hand. High standards were set for the build quality of this device, that's clear. The Lumia 928 features rigid corners and a nearly flat profile. It isn't a heavy phone, but it does have a certain heft, and because of its relatively small 4.5-inch screen, the phone is very easy to handle with one hand. The front of the device is made up of the screen, a front facing camera, and the standard capacitive buttons at the bottom. Looking around the back, we see its white body and one black slit down the middle. This is the Carl Zeiss-powered camera next to the flash, and the speaker grill is at the bottom. Finally, the microUSB port and SIM card slot are located at the top, while all of the buttons are on the right. From top to bottom, those are the volume rockers, power button, and the two stage dedicated camera button. It's a fairly thick device, we have to say, but not overly so. When it comes down to it, the Lumia 928 is an attractive device that is nice on the hand and on the eyes. While I didn't do a dedicated drop test, the phone was dropped from about table height landing on concrete. Those jokes about Nokia phones? There's more truth to them than you might think — despite falling on concrete there were only a few small scuffs around the corners, while some devices, in similar situations, would come out with a damaged screen. This is a great testament to Nokia's high build quality standards. Display If you follow smartphone trends, you might be disappointed to learn that the Lumia 928 doesn't have a 5-inch screen. While some of us may have gotten used to larger screens on smartphones, the lack of one shouldn't be looked at as a downside — this is because the display on the Lumia 928 is actually very well put together. The AMOLED panel comes in at a 1,280 x 768 resolution and is rated at 332ppi. So, despite a smaller screen, you still get very nice saturated colors and good sharpness. Don't be fooled by the simplistic style of Windows Phone 8 — the capabilities of this screen go way beyond the primary white and black colors. However, there are a few issues. Viewing angles are decent, but, at even a slight angle, you begin to see a bit of a blue hue, and you'll have even more trouble with it in broad daylight, since the screen's brightness is just not powerful enough. All in all, the AMOLED display is a great fit on the Nokia Lumia 928. Performance The Nokia Lumia 928 has a Snapdragon S4 Plus under the hood — not a Pro. This is basically the dual-core variant of the same processing package clocked in at 1.5GHz. It's definitely not the fastest CPU around, but it still lets you smoothly fly through the 928 with little to no sluggishness. Backed by the Adreno 225 GPU and 1GB of RAM, this phone gives you just what it needs for multitasking and optimal gaming. Of course, in the Android space, this might be considered a mid-range device, however, you have to keep in mind that Windows Phone 8 isn't as demanding as Android, due to its more simplistic nature. Hardware The hardware under the hood of the Lumia 928 is fairly simple. We have 32GB of onboard storage without a microSD card slot. Being a Verizon exclusive phone, you'll get the blazing fast LTE network. Additionally, there's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS available. Call quality is good, as the call speaker is very loud. Even having it cranked up at three quarter volume, there were no issues hearing the person on the other end of the line. However, if it is set loud enough, it can muffle out the details of the call. Finally, the rear-mounted speaker is loud as well, but it unfortunately lacks richness and detail. Battery and camera On the Nokia Lumia 928 we have a 2,000mAh battery. It can't be removed, so that might be a downside for some, However, it will get you through the day with ease, but, as you might expect, nightly charging will still be required. As for the camera, the 8.7-megapixel f/2.0 rear Carl Zeiss optics, while a mouthful to say, is a very, very good performer. You can activate the camera app by pressing down on the shutter button. You can do this at any time — even when the phone is locked. When it comes down to it, the app is pretty standard, but there are some options that let you adjust ISO and exposure, and extra modes are available via downloaded add-ons, or so-called lenses. Carl Zeiss, 2.0 aperture, and PureView stabilization work together to make the quality of the pictures very good. It's certainly good for portrait shots too, which is great to hear for those just graduating. The aperture brings depth of field while the Carl Zeiss optics bring some really good vibrancy and detail. Finally, PureView brings some stellar low light performance. Broad daylight and indoor shots looks great, and lower light shots will benefit a lot from the Xenon flash. All in all, this nifty camera will create some really great pictures, which is something Nokia is known for. Click to enlarge. Click to enlarge. Software There's a lot to like about Windows Phone 8 — until you get to the user interface, though, it looks much nicer in its Zune-ified design than previous renditions. What you get is a black or white background behind all of the elements in a color of your choice. The elements are customizable and simplistic. That's not a bad thing though — the whole point of Windows Phone 8's Live Tiles is to give you information you need in an easy way. Live Tiles are basically homescreen shortcuts to all of your apps, however, in Windows Phone 8, they do a bit more than that. When you resize any tile into a larger tile, that tile will give you more information. For example, the photo tile will give you more info by providing previews of your most recently taken pictures and the music title will show you what song is playing. It's a nice way of getting previews of what is basically a combination of notifications and widgets. Swipe to the right and you'll have your app tray. As you might have come to expect, yes, it is not as big as Android's. Similarly to the BlackBerry Z10, it was hard getting a lot of the same experiences I get from Android to translate. Again, similar to the Z10, the solution was to use mobile HTML versions. What I did really like about Windows Phone 8 was the social media integration. The People app can use your Facebook account to display a built-in feed of your friends' activity, which means you don't need to get the dedicated Facebook app. As for messaging, you can use Facebook Chat straight from the messaging app. Windows Phone 8 is appealing because of its grand ability to do the basics in a very clean, functional, and unique way. If you're not big on apps, the Lumia 928 is a great device to get because all of the things you would generally need are baked into the OS. Many, including myself, like the same color motif of the user interface — it makes the experience seem unique while staying intuitive. If you're okay with the "what you see is what you get" idea, Windows Phone will be a perfect fit for you. Video review Price and final thoughts To wrap up, the Lumia 928 is only available through Verizon Wireless for $99 on a new two-year contract with the mobile operator. Otherwise, you can purchase the device for $499 outright. While the hardware, screen, and price point may make the Lumia 928 look like a mid-range device in the Android space, it's important to keep in mind that Windows Phone 8 is a different beast. It's very stylish, unique, and sluggishness is barely there. Packed together, Windows Phone 8 coupled with the impressive Lumia 928 make a truly beautiful experience, despite the fact that the Windows Phone ecosystem has a long way to go before it catches up to Android and iOS. Regardless, if you're looking to see what the other side of the pond looks like, the Lumia 928 is a great device to take for a spin. Brad Ward contributed to this review.

HTC One coming to C Spire, release date not available yet Posted: 12 Jun 2013 05:48 AM PDT The HTC One will constitute the latest addition to C Spire’s smartphone lineup, according to the announcement the carrier has recently made on its CIRCLE message boards. If you’re a C Spire customer, that’s where the details about the HTC One coming to your network stop, as the carrier has made no information available regarding a possible release date or a price. One of the users on the C Spire board asked about a release date, and the moderator told him that there isn’t one yet, but that details will be first announced in CIRCLE. So, if you’re a C Spire customer, make sure you keep your eye on the message boards, as more information is on the way. A similar answer was given regarding pricing. Color versions have not been mentioned, either. As you know, the device is currently available in two color versions, Stealth Black and Glacial White, but red and blue options have been rumored lately. You can get prepared for the moment when the C Spire starts selling the HTC One by taking a look at our review of the device. Are you a C Spire customer? Are you looking forward to the HTC One?

HTC One Mini’s existence confirmed, set for an August release Posted: 12 Jun 2013 04:57 AM PDT We've only heard a few little pieces and rumors here and there regarding the new HTC One Mini, and even though it looks almost certain that the handset exists, nothing concrete has come out from HTC so far. However, some more information has recently emerged from sources “familiar with the matter”. According to two informants briefed on the plans for the smartphone, who wished to remain anonymous; the HTC One Mini will be on sale by August this year. This information, which was passed on to Bloomberg, matches up nicely with the expected release date that we’ve heard before, and is additional confirmation that the product actually exists. Furthermore, one of the sources stated, rather obviously perhaps, that the handset would probably ship with a less-powerful Qualcomm processor and a lower-resolution screen than the flagship model, which again confirms what we had already suspected. For a quick recap, the HTC One mini is supposedly equipped with dual-core processor, possibly a Snapdragon 400 rather than the Snapdragon 600 quad-core found in its bigger brother, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage space, and a 4-megapixel camera using HTC's UltraPixel technology. As for the size, the screen is going to be cut down to 4.3 inches, which was again confirmed by Bloomberg’s sources, with a resolution of just 720p rather than the 1080p 4.7 inch display in the HTC One. However it is worth pointing out that HTC has declined to comment specifically about the handset, so there's no official word about the smartphones specifications just yet. The HTC One Mini could well turn out to be another crucial product for the struggling manufacturer, not only because it will be going head to head with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, but because the company is in desperate need of new products to prop up its sales figures. Although the HTC One is selling well, some are forecasting a peak already, which means that the One Mini could well be HTC's next vital life-line. But the important question is; will consumers love it as much as the HTC One?

Back to Basics: Android versions explained Posted: 12 Jun 2013 04:38 AM PDT Welcome friends to the "Back to Basics" series, where we run a fine toothed comb over each and every aspect of Android so that you can make an educated decision on which Android device is for you. This week’s edition is all about Android versions, and we’ll be releasing a new edition to the series every week, so stay tuned. But enough chit chat, it's time to dive into the incredible world that is Android. Introduction I'll try and cut the history lesson short, so here it goes. The first phone running Android was the HTC Dream in 2008, and ever since then, Android has grown astronomically. You'll often see the words "Jelly Bean", "Ice Cream Sandwich" and "Gingerbread", written on Android Authority. No, we don't have candy fetishes (alright, maybe some of us do), instead this is the naming scheme given to Android versions. Android versions are named in alphabetical order, after a particular sweet or dessert, so that would be Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and the latest version, Jelly Bean. We'll skip the earlier versions in this series, as not only are they old and outdated, meaning you'd be hard pressed to find a device still running them, but also because if you're looking for a device to buy, you shouldn't buy a device running those versions, no matter how good the price is. Android 2.3 Gingerbread Released in December 2010, Android 2.3 Gingerbread brought with it many changes which made Android a much better operating system. The highlights include support for multiple cameras (like front facing cameras for example), simplicity and speed improvements, a better keyboard, support for Near Field Communications, and battery improvements. You'll find Gingerbread running on older devices, as well as some budget devices, and while it is still a very solid operating system, you'd be recommended to get a device running a higher version of Android, if possible. Samsung Nexus S – The first phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread Popular devices running Gingerbread: Samsung Nexus S (upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), Samsung Galaxy S2 (upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), HTC Sensation (upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) and the Motorola Droid Razr (upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean). Android 3.0 Honeycomb Released in February 2011, Honeycomb was the first Android version to be optimized for tablets. It was also the first (and only) version of Android to only support tablets. It came with features like a new user interface (UI) design dubbed "Holo", which has carried on through Android to the latest versions of Jelly Bean. A redesigned keyboard, simplified multitasking, multiple tabs in the web browser, and resizable widgets were some other major additions to Honeycomb. The Motorola Xoom Since only tablets can run Honeycomb, there were very few devices running on this version of Android and most of them have been updated to newer versions. Popular devices running Honeycomb: Motorola Xoom (Upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), Asus Eee Pad Transformer (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich). Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Released in October 2011, Ice Cream Sandwich brought together tablets and smartphones onto one version of Android. It also brought the Holo UI to smartphones, as well as improvements to stability, a simpler way to create folders, face unlock, and a new and improved camera app. The Galaxy S3 was the most popular phone to come with Ice Cream Sandwich Popular devices running Ice Cream Sandwich: Samsung Galaxy S3 (upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), HTC One X (upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), Samsung Galaxy Nexus (upgradable to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean), Motorola Droid Razr HD and the Sony Xperia T (upgradable to Android 4.1). Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Released in July 2012, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was an incremental upgrade from Ice Cream Sandwich, but a rather notable one, nonetheless. It brought features like Project Butter, which is designed to make Android a much smoother and lag free operating system, expandable notifications, and Google Now, an intelligent personal assistant. If you'd like to know more about Google Now, click here for our in-depth article on how to use Google Now. Popular devices running Jelly Bean 4.1: Nexus 7 (upgradable to Android 4.2), Samsung Galaxy Note 2, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, and the LG Optimus G Pro. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Released in November 2012, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is another incremental upgrade (that’s why it shares the name as the last version), but it still contains many features. These included a new keyboard with gesture typing, notification power controls, lock screen widgets, and multiple user accounts for tablets. The Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 were the first devices to run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Another big feature of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is Photo Sphere, which is a 360° panorama photo taking software. Think of it as like the photos you see in Google Maps Street View. For an indepth look at Photosphere, check out our article on it by clicking here, or to see Photosphere in action, check out the video below. Popular devices running Jelly Bean 4.2: LG Nexus 4, Samsung Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy S4. So what should you buy? When looking for a new Android smartphone or tablet you'll need to be aware of these versions of Android, if you want to make an educated decision. If you're on a really tight budget, you'll be looking at phones running either Android 2.3 Gingerbread or Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. When you've got two devices that are the same cost and the only thing you're giving up are a few megapixels, than always go with the one running Ice Cream Sandwich. Not only will you be getting a better user experience, you'll be able to run almost every one of the hundreds of thousands of apps in the Play Store. Some app makers have dropped support for phones running Gingerbread, so most apps will work, but some won’t The evolution of Android. Key Lime Pie is expected to be the name of Android 5.0. When you are entering the mid range market you'll have lots of different choices, but most of your choices will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Like I stated in the above paragraph, if you aren't giving up something that is absolutely crucial to your daily life, pick the smartphone running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean — you'll thank me later. In the high end market there are a plethora of choices, but never, and I mean never, settle for anything less than Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. If you're looking for the absolute top of the range specs you should look at the Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z, but if you're willing to lose a little bit of grunt (and save some cash in the process), the Nexus 4 is a great option. The Nexus 4 is the cheapest high end smartphone, retailing for $300. On the tablet side of things, you really shouldn't be settling for anything less than Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, especially when choices like the Nexus 7, which starts at $199, are running the latest version of Android. If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Nexus 10 shapes up as another great option, and if you're looking for a laptop-like tablet, the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is what you want. But if you're looking for a content creation tablet, the only viable option is a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 or a Samsung Galaxy Galaxy Note 10.1. Wrap up Hope you've enjoyed this edition of the "Back to Basics" series. I'll be back next week for the next edition of the series, but if you can't wait until then, here are a few articles to keep you occupied: Check out a comparison of Gingerbead and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich by clicking here. Picking between two tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich and Android 3.0 Honeycomb? Click here to see the difference. Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean? Hit the link to find out. Can’t decide between the two Jelly Bean brothers? Check out this article which explains all the changes. Have you got any questions about Android? Drop a question in the comments below, and I'll be happy to answer them.

You are subscribed to email updates from Android Authority To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610