Android Community |
- Samsung GALAXY S 4 wireless charging backs arrive with Verizon
- Instagram touts 130 million monthly users
- Facebook reveals Vine-like 15 second video sharing for Instagram
- Live from Samsung’s Premiere 2013 event: What to expect
- OPPO denies Find 5 Mini rumors, confirms the Find 7
- Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE Advanced tipped for Snapdragon 800
- Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 spotted with AT&T LTE
- Samsung GALAXY S 4 monthly production set to drop
- Verizon Galaxy S III software update VRBMF1 rolling out
- NVIDIA SHIELD shipping date confirmed alongside price drop
- LG Optimus G to now utilize Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
- Canon Direct Print and Scan V2 available for Android
- HTC One Mini headed to AT&T
- Galaxy S III from US Cellular updated with multi-window and more
- AT&T switches on the power to more 4G LTE
- Verizon DroidLanding Augmented Reality game leaks – phone might be MIA
- Android Nation Stores now in India
- Huawei Ascend P6 now on Pre-Order from Carphone UK
- Feedly Cloud arrives to help replace Google Reader
- Rockmelt social discovery app arrives for Android
| Samsung GALAXY S 4 wireless charging backs arrive with Verizon Posted: 20 Jun 2013 11:02 AM PDT Samsung announced the availability of the GALAXY S 4 wireless charging setup a short while back and as of today it looks like the back covers have come available by way of Verizon Wireless. The one catch, Verizon has the back covers available but at the moment there is no sign of the Samsung branded charging pads.
With that in mind, the GALAXY S 4 back covers use the Qi wireless charging system which means other charging pads will work just as well. Verizon Wireless does have the Nokia DT-900 Charging Plate which is selling for $49.99. And for those keeping track, the official Samsung branded charing pad is also priced at $49.
In addition to the charging pad, the GALAXY S 4 wireless charging back covers are priced at $39 and Verizon Wireless has these available in black and white. Otherwise, the carrier also has a bundle deal available for $89.98. This includes a black or white back cover along with the previously mentioned Nokia DT-900 charging plate. Bottom line here, you will need to part with $90 (plus tax) to have the convenience of wireless charging. That brings the other issue, the fact that Samsung doesn’t directly integrate this support like some other handsets. Not to mention, using the wireless charging back cover will add a bit of extra thickness to your handset. VIA: Droid-Life SOURCE: Verizon Wireless |
| Instagram touts 130 million monthly users Posted: 20 Jun 2013 10:45 AM PDT Facebook is having an event today and the focus is all on Instagram. While we are already seeing some details in terms of the new features that will be available later today, there were also some interesting numbers mentioned and this post is all about those numbers.
To begin with, Facebook acquired Instagram about a year ago and it was said the team has grown since. It was said the Instagram team is now three times the size they were at the time of the acquisition. Aside from a growth in the size of the team, it looks like the users have also increased. There are now 130 million active users. Looking back for some comparison, back in late-February the company shared how they had reached 100 million active users. Bottom line here, it looks like Instagram has had decent growth since February. Plus, with new features such as what we are seeing today (Video on Instagram), it seems likely they will continue to grow moving forward. Otherwise, it was also said that Instagram is now seeing 16 billion images being shared and 1 billion likes every day. Perhaps more important than the numbers though, the new feature — Video on Instagram. This looks to be very similar to Vine. Or more specifically, it looks like it is arriving as an improved version of Vine. While we have a detailed Video on Instagram post already live on the site, some of the feature highlights include video that can be up to 15 seconds in length and then touched up with any of the 13 new filters. Users will also be able to customize the cover frame which basically means the default image doesn’t have to be the beginning of the video. |
| Facebook reveals Vine-like 15 second video sharing for Instagram Posted: 20 Jun 2013 10:23 AM PDT Today, Facebook‘s own Mark Zuckerberg took the stage to announce what they’ve been calling a “new product” for the past few days. We’ve been wondering and reporting on rumors, but can now confirm exactly what they’ve been working on. Updates to Instagram! Facebook has just announced they’ll be one-upping Vine with their own 15 second video clips for Instagram. Get ready for those short clips covered in more Instagram filters folks.
Just like we reported last week, Facebook has brought more features to Instagram to make it more than just a photo-based social network, but a tool to capture and enjoy moments forever. It inspires people to be creative, myself included (yes, I’ll admit it) and it’s going to only get better. Mark Zuckerberg said Instagram as a product “is only just getting started” and this is the first step in what’s next. Vine on Instagram! No, not really, but basically. Today the co-creator of Instagram himself took the stage and confirmed that Instagram has received video. Not just 6 seconds either, they’ve one-upped Vine completely and allow up to 15 seconds. Which you can instantly share with your friends. Oh, and starting today they’ve added 13 new filters exclusively for video. Filters evolved!
Not only is Instagram getting video, 13 new filters for video only, but they’ve added the option for a custom “cover image”. Which means you can choose what the cover image looks like, it isn’t just the first seconds of the video clip. This will make Instagram for video beautiful, and of course all 130 million users can see it, and watch in awe. So, do you use Instagram? Will this make you come back to the Facebook-owned app and ditch Vine? Let us know. Vine still needs some serious help with their Android app, and we have a feeling Instagram has it polished from the beginning. Stay tuned for more details.     |
| Live from Samsung’s Premiere 2013 event: What to expect Posted: 20 Jun 2013 09:54 AM PDT It’s June 20th, the day we’ve been waiting for, where Samsung is set to take the stage and drop a flurry of new Android-powered products on the world. We’re here live at London’s Earls Court Event Center for Premiere 2013, and we’ll be sharing all the details live as they happen, and of course getting our hands all over whatever Samsung announces. So what do we know, and what should you expect? Read on for more thoughts.
For starters, the show starts at 11 AM PST. Today isn’t all just about Android (although it should be) and Samsung is revealing details on their Windows ATIV line, and some GALAXY products. So we’ll see 2-3 Android devices, and 2-3 Windows devices. If you’re a Windows Phone or Win 8 fan, get excited, but for us it’s all about the green robot. There hasn’t been much speculation or rumors regarding what Android devices Samsung will be announcing, and that’s probably because they’ve been leaked by the truckload the past month. While we could get thrown a curve ball and surprised by a new Galaxy S4 LTE Advanced with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 800, that’s unlikely as it isn’t market ready yet. However, this is what we’re expecting ourselves. Samsung Galaxy S 4 Zoom
Galaxy NX Camera Galaxy S 4 Active/Mini Samsung could throw us all a curve ball and announce something we haven’t seen, leaked, or talked about, but that’s doubtful. What are you expecting to see, and what are you most interested in? There’s also talk of an AT&T 4G LTE Galaxy Mega and that 6.3-inch display. So that’s interesting. Stay tuned for all our coverage and hands-on pictures and video.    |
| OPPO denies Find 5 Mini rumors, confirms the Find 7 Posted: 20 Jun 2013 09:09 AM PDT We have previously seen chatter about an OPPO Find 7, however as of today it looks like there is now confirmation. Sadly this confirmation didn’t arrive with anything in terms of specs, but on the positive side, it did arrive by way of a statement from OPPO. Basically, the company confirmed they are working on the Find 7, which will serve as a follow up to the currently available Find 5.
The statement was short and to the point and mentioned how OPPO is “currently developing the next phone in the Find series, the Find 7.” No specs were given and in fact, it was said that “development is still in the early stages” and so far there are no finalized designs or specifications. As one may suspect given that statement, there has yet to be a release timeframe announced. To further that thought, OPPO has said the Find 7 will “not be available this September.” Otherwise, earlier leaks have shown the Find 7 to be coming with a Snapdragon 800 processor. Other specs for the Find 7 are expected to include a 5-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM and 4000 mAh battery. Aside from a confirmation on the Find 7, there was also some talk of the Find 5 Mini. This news is not quite as positive as the Find 7. In this case the company has said “there are no plans” to release a mini version of the Find 5. Sticking on the topic of the Find 5 and it looks like the OPPO has been testing the waters to see if a Google Edition would be wanted. There isn’t much to go on in terms of the find 5 Google Edition, however OPPO does at least appear to be considering such a device. In the meantime, while there is plenty of OPPO smartphone chatter, the one device that is currently available is the Find 5, which is available in Europe and priced from €399 for the 16GB model. VIA: GSM Arena |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE Advanced tipped for Snapdragon 800 Posted: 20 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT Details of the GALAXY S 4 LTE Advanced popped up earlier in the month and while the handset remains unannounced, it looks like another bit of evidence has surfaced. This latest bit has arrived in the form of a user manual which not only details the handset, but shows the processor as being a Snapdragon 800. Specifically, the manual has the processor listed as being a quad-core MSM8974 clocking in at 2.3GHz.
Otherwise, it appears as if the SVH-E330 name has carried over from those earlier reports. The manual also lists the remaining specs which will look familiar to those who know the GALAXY S 4. Basically, it looks like the GALAXY S 4 LTE Advanced will arrive sporting a 4.99-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 along with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2600 mAh battery and running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Touching back on the earlier report — that was based on the handset being spotted in a DLNA certification. What this all means in terms of the user will depend on where they happen to live. Just to begin with, this is not a handset we are going to see released here in the US. Or for that matter, outside of Korea. Basically, this handset is bringing support for the next generation of 4G technology.
Reports show that this handset will be able to pull speeds upwards of 150Mbps down. There is also expected to be support for VoLTE. This new network is expected to be available in August and the handset is said to be coming a month earlier — in July. Bottom line here, it looks like Samsung is about ready to push out another GALAXY S 4 variant and while this one may sound exciting given the processor and potential network speeds — it is not one that many will get a real chance to experience. In the meantime, we remain looking forward to seeing what Samsung has in the works for the event scheduled later this afternoon. SOURCE: rbmen |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 spotted with AT&T LTE Posted: 20 Jun 2013 08:02 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 was spotted with the FCC back in April, however it looks like the handset has recently made another visit. This latest filing remains largely the same, but it did bring some potentially good news for those hoping to see the handset arrive with AT&T. Basically, this new filing is showing support for AT&T LTE.
At this point it is looking like the next step will be an announcement from AT&T. Of course, while that seems like a logical next step, we should offer the reminder that an FCC filing doesn’t necessarily mean that will happen. In the meantime, there is an option available for those who feel like they must have the Galaxy Mega 6.3 now.
Online retailer Expansys began offering the handset earlier in the month. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 is unlocked, priced at $595 and sporting support for GSM on the 850/900/1800 and 1900 bands as well as HSDPA. Aside from the network support, there all also be the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Touchwiz. The hardware includes a 6.3-inch 720p display, dual-core 1.7GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 3200 mAh battery, 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Touching back on the possibility of an AT&T branded Galaxy Mega 6.3, this isn’t the first time talk of a release has popped up. Aside from the April FCC filing from April, we also saw some chatter about an upcoming release back in May. VIA: Engadget SOURCE: FCC |
| Samsung GALAXY S 4 monthly production set to drop Posted: 20 Jun 2013 07:25 AM PDT Samsung is going to be cutting GALAXY S 4 production levels by up to 15 percent. The GALAXY S 4 component orders for July were around 6.5 million, which ended up being a bit more than half of what was ordered for May. While we suspect this may cause some to think sales are slumping, Samsung did recently address that topic after some analyst reports caused issues for the company.
Samsung CEO JK Shin said GALAXY S 4 sales “are fine” and pushed those earlier reports to the side by saying how the analyst reports were “based on its own analysis.” Also worth noting on the topic of GALAXY S 4 sales — they crossed the 10 million milestone during the first month of availability. Aside from GALAXY S 4 production, it looks like gaining additional market share with this one device alone is not a viable option. With that in mind, Samsung also has the other recently announced handsets such as the Active, Zoom and Mini. Basically, it looks like the GALAXY S 4 production cuts are being done to simply stabilize inventory levels and not as a result to slumping sales.
Putting the new handset to the side, there was also some talk of the Galaxy S III. With this now older model, it is looking like Samsung is going to be stopping production. According to recent reports, that production could be stopped as early as next month. The one interesting take on that is how we are still seeing that handset arrive with new carriers. Otherwise, Samsung also has an announcement set for later this afternoon. The specifics of the announcement have yet to be fully revealed, however the invitation did hint towards some Galaxy devices and some ATIV Ultrabook models. As for that Galaxy Note III — despite frequent rumors, that announcement isn’t expected until later in the year, during IFA. SOURCE: etnews |
| Verizon Galaxy S III software update VRBMF1 rolling out Posted: 20 Jun 2013 06:34 AM PDT Verizon began pushing what seemed like an exciting update for Galaxy S III users back towards the end of May. While the update seemed really good in terms of reading the changelog, it turned out to be not so good once downloaded and installed. User complaints began almost immediately and in the end, Verizon and Samsung pulled the update soon after and promised that a fix was on the way.
That being said, that update has officially arrived. Anyway, those with a Verizon Galaxy S III now have a few options available — sit back and wait for an update notification to arrive on your device or dive into the settings and try to grab it now. Those taking the pro-active approach can navigate to Settings – About phone – Software update to get the process started. We have yet to see any changelog for this update, however we suspect those who had been dealing with issues will be exciting to get started regardless. Our handset is already in the process of being updated, but it is a bit soon to say whether things will all be fixed. Otherwise, this update is rolling out as VRBMF1 and serves to replace the faulty VRBMD3 update.
The update has run the course on our handset and while we are going to dive in and start playing with LTE to see if the connectivity has been improved, we are a bit disappointed to see the hand icon for the Talkback app still sitting in our notification tray. Granted, this is just a smaller annoyance, but it is one that didn’t start until that previous update had been applied. If you happen to have a Verizon Galaxy S III head down into the comments and let us know how this new update is treating you. With fingers crossed, here is to hoping the LTE connectivity issues have been completely taken care of. |
| NVIDIA SHIELD shipping date confirmed alongside price drop Posted: 20 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT NVIDIA has confirmed the launch date for the SHIELD. And perhaps coming as a better news, the system will also be priced a bit lower than originally announced. With that being said, the NVIDIA SHIELD will begin shipping on June 27 and the new price will be $299.
This means a $50 price drop from what we originally saw, however most important here — the $299 price point will be for all SHIELD purchases. In other words, those who pre-ordered a system will only be charged the $299 price point. NVIDIA has said your cards will be charged when your device ships next week. For those keeping track, the original price was $349. The reasoning here seems simple, and is actually a bit refreshing. NVIDIA has said they lowered the price due to comments from “thousands of gamers.” Regardless of the reason though, this announcement means you have just about a week left until shipments begin. Otherwise, while we suspect a fair amount have already pre-ordered — there are probably a few that had been waiting given the original price tag. With that in mind, we have spent some hands-on time with the SHIELD and you can see a bit more in depth coverage on the Android gaming and PC gaming sides from our earlier posts. In addition to our hands-on coverage of the SHIELD itself, NVIDIA recently offered a behind-the-scenes look and some accessories have been announced by Nyko. The Nyko goodies include some cases and cables as well as a docking station. And similar to our time with the system itself, we have also spent some time with the Nyko accessories. SOURCE: NVIDIA |
| LG Optimus G to now utilize Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Posted: 19 Jun 2013 08:48 PM PDT The times they are a changing, or so the saying goes. We’ve been hearing a lot about LG lately, and although the LG high end line of phones will no longer be referred to as “Optimus“, the low end to medium range will be, and with that, the new G series is getting a brand new Snapdragon processor to go with it: The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.
What makes the Snapdragon so snappy (sorry, we couldn’t resist) is its incredible ability to display everything in Ultra HD format, as well as to record it all. For the movie buffs in all of us, that is a welcome sigh of relief. Also, the new Adreno 330 GPU apparently doubles the performance of the old Adreno 320 GPU, which means quicker load times, and less lag. In our recent test of the Snapdragon 800, we were blown away by its performance. As expected, LG announced the successor the the Optimus G from last year (and Nexus 4) will be getting the Snappy 800 first. Right now, the Optimus G runs on a quad-core S4 Pro that we can’t complain about. But you have to also keep in mind that right now, the Optimus goes all the way up to madly expensive territory. This all equates to a very simple truth; That the next wave of LG smartphones will be less expensive than their forerunners, while also being faster and more capable. As consumers, we’re sure you’re stoked. And as people in the industry, we’re very intrigued. Stay tuned for more info as it comes in. SOURCE: LG Newsroom |
| Canon Direct Print and Scan V2 available for Android Posted: 19 Jun 2013 08:19 PM PDT It’s always nice when you can get out there, take some cool photos, and print them off on the go. Or that feeling when you need to scan in that quick piece of artwork, and bring it to the design studio to submit before to your boss before deadline, and you can do it in a jiffy. Unfortunately, PC owners tend to not get the good end of the stick on these quick tasks, so it’s with a great emphasis on portability that Canon brings it to Android.
For people who are always on the go, Canon has developed this application that allows you to wirelessly print and scan images via your Android phone and the multifunction embedded application platform (MEAP) Canon device. By doing this, you can instantly send images from your phone to the actual printer itself. To add whipped cream to the already exciting ice cream dish, you can also wirelessly print web pages from your phone as well, using the built in Canon Android Application. This nifty little process can help aid in things as small as pizza orders all the way up to flight tickets that require a printout with a barcode. By doing this, Canon claims that they’re making it easier to use your mobile device more and more like a personal computer. From the application, you can also adjust paper size, color range, brightness/saturation/contrast, and how many pages you want printed out. We’d like to see more apps like this implemented in the future, as being able to wirelessly print out our stuff is a big bonus for us, since we’re always on the go. You can pick up the Canon Direct Print and Scan Version 2.0 Android application in the Google Play store now. SOURCE: Canon |
| Posted: 19 Jun 2013 06:51 PM PDT With all the hype of the HTC One Mini, and its capability (being an absolute miniature of the One in almost every way outside of display size), AT&T seemingly couldn’t wait to get their hands on it to start selling it up to consumers. The new device, expected in August, will be a great addition to a growing line of 4G LTE capable phones, that AT&T can most certainly utilize.
Most recently, we discussed the HTC One Mini, and tried to disclose some details about it. Just to recap, it’s speculated to run a 720P screen and more than likely does not carry a IR blaster like its bigger brother. It’s basically (visually) the same, and likely runs on a 1.4GHZ dual-core Processor. AT&T has reportedly pounced on this little bundle of joy, as well as pouncing on the tablet version of the One, right now codenamed “T6″. The coolest part about all the news is that with the ever growing expansion of 4G LTE, you’ll be able to have your cake and eat it too (HTC One Mini and great mobile network speed). Although the Mini is expected to arrive in August, we’re not quite sure if that will coincide with its launch at AT&T or not. It is probably in AT&T’s best interest to be the first on the roll to get it and distribute it. When it does, we’ll be here to check it out. SOURCE: Phone Arena |
| Galaxy S III from US Cellular updated with multi-window and more Posted: 19 Jun 2013 04:59 PM PDT For those of you rocking Samsung’s flagship smartphone from last year, the Galaxy S III, and are on U.S. Cellular we have some good news. We’re getting scattered reports an over the air update is rolling out this week. It isn’t Android 4.2 just yet, but you’ll be getting a suite of new features worth taking a look at.
Unlike the Verizon GSIII update, which caused massive problems for users, this update from Samsung and US Cellular seems to be going quite well. We haven’t heard of any issues at least, so that’s a plus. The update will leave users still enjoying Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, but we’ll have plenty of new features you’ve been waiting for. Some of the goods other carriers GSIII’s have received, as well as all those multi-window and smart actions have been added. You’ll be able to split the screen and have two windows open at once for browsing YouTube while reading an email. It’s quite fun. The update should be rolling out today, and will be available on Samsung Kies soon enough. They’ve added all the smart switch features, multi-window, the new Samsung gallery for images, and apparently some sort of contextual page and tag feature. That’s new to us, but says so right on US Cellular’s update page. As soon as we learn more details we’ll be sure to update. Drop a comment below if you’re on US Cell and have already updated. |
| AT&T switches on the power to more 4G LTE Posted: 19 Jun 2013 04:47 PM PDT With Verizon showering greater continental USA with 4G LTE, it would only be common sense for its head competitor, AT&T, to begin doing the same. That’s why the news of 5 more cities to receive 4G LTE from the global blue doesn’t surprise us in the least, and why we’re very excited for many more to come.
With 4G LTE becoming a staple of basic mobile networking, it needs to be out and about in numerous places to be utilized. Even more important than that is that it needs to be available on different networks with different pricepoints. Right now, Verizon is killing it with their 4G LTE availability, but AT&T has just announced that they’re catching up – and fast. They’ve announced that 4G LTE is now available in these fine cities: - New Bedford, Massachusetts This brings AT&T’s round total close to that of Verizon’s, and keeps it on the edge of things. It’s goal? To absolutely annihilate the current 3G coverage available to its customers and better promote its faster, more reliable 4G LTE network. We suspect it’ll have no problem meeting its goals by the end of 2013. In the meantime, if you’re in any one of the aforementioned zones, you can currently try 4G LTE on your Android equipped device. In our recent review of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, we were pleasantly surprised to find how blindingly quick 4G LTE is. We also know that our neighbors to the North are basking in a 4G LTE glow, so it’s good to know we might get some of those sweet summer rays as well. SOURCE: AT&T Newsroom |
| Verizon DroidLanding Augmented Reality game leaks – phone might be MIA Posted: 19 Jun 2013 03:55 PM PDT Yesterday, the extremely popular but silent for the past year Twitter account @DroidLanding woke up and started tweeting. The Verizon branded and ran Twitter account has been used to promote their phones in the past, and many were immediately excited about an upcoming “DROID” smartphone on Verizon. There could still be a phone coming, but many believe this activation of the account was only to hype a new game by Verizon, and now we have it.
So far we’re seeing a lot about DROID Combat, which is rumored to be an upcoming smartphone from Verizon and Casio that is durable and rugged. At the same time a few are hinting at the idea that this is nothing more than a new Augmented Reality game from Verizon Wireless. Now that we’ve found both the game D:COM (DROID Combat) and the video you see below, it’s safe to say this is only a game, and no new phone is coming. Verizon has the HTC One coming soon, and we’re all praying they also offer an updated DROID DNA announced today by HTC as the Butterfly S. While we wait for a potential announcement of the Moto X, and any real high end phone from Verizon this year for that matter, we can enjoy a nice little location based multiplayer augmented reality game. It’s called D:COM, and here’s the trailer. At the end you’ll be instructed to call **DROID to get started with the new game, which doesn’t appear to work. It’s either not available in your country, or not supported on any of my devices, and I have every DROID phone released in the past 3 years. Now as of writing this the URL appears to have been pulled from Google Play. Earlier today we could see the download page, but it didn’t work. Now it’s completely gone. D:COM is a located based augmented reality game. You can play the campaign, have multiplayer fun with your friends, and use the AR aspect to find packages and weapons around town. It doesn’t look to be officially ready yet, but we have the game available as we speak thanks to our good friend @WinDroidGuy on Twitter. Interestingly enough the video above mentions “90 days to domination” so possibly in 90 days (from whenever the game actually gets announced) we’ll see the newest DROID. That lines up nicely for a possible release of the Moto X, just a thought.    Get the DROID Combat game below and give it a try. We’ll update if we learn more from @DroidLanding or Verizon Wireless. That was depressing, we were hoping for a new smartphone. D:COM game download |
| Android Nation Stores now in India Posted: 19 Jun 2013 03:46 PM PDT Google didn’t see fit to sit around and watch all the other big tier companies wander casually onto Indian soil (You know, the country with the second largest population in the world) and take up all their possible mobile sales, so they’ve decided to do something about it. In an effort to broaden the Android user-base and push sales of Android equipped devices in India, Google has taken the initiative to open their first store in New Delhi’s Select CityWalk.
Although Androids have already been available in India for quite some time, they have not had a single fully dedicated Android location. With Google entering, and supposedly seeking a location the size of 1200-1500 square feet in the CityWalk, it would seem that they themselves are starting to take India seriously as a viable market for Android equipped phones. Previously, Google did enter Jakarta Indonesia with the Android Nation Store. In that location, the sales of Android devices and accessories have done very well. It’s within Google’s best interests to keep developing growth in these markets – therefore India is the second country to get a fully independent Android Nation store. The Android Nation Store itself will sell everything from Samsung, to HTC, Sony, and Asus. Its style will emulate that of the actual Android figure, being a bulbous green and white type design (should it emulate Jakarta’s interior design). The store will also have staff to help potential clients choose the right phone, answer questions, and help procure software updates. SOURCE: India Times |
| Huawei Ascend P6 now on Pre-Order from Carphone UK Posted: 19 Jun 2013 03:19 PM PDT The Huawei Ascend P6 is quite an interesting phone. It can make your skin appear smoother, it’s the thinnest smartphone available and it mixes it up with both plastic and metal trim. Now though, it’s available from Carphone UK – all 120G of it that is.
When we took a look at the Huawei Ascend P6 yesterday, we praised how small it was, and how light it felt in our hands. The main gripe we had was with the expected battery life, and that the performance really wasn’t as good as we would have liked for a quad-core. Other than that, it passed with seemingly flying colors, so it’s good to see that it’s available for pre-order as of today. Carphone UK is the first place to have it out on pre-order, and with a pretty decent price of £21 every month on a two year term, it’s something you probably should take a look at if you’re in the market for a new phone. It comes equipped with its 5MP camera, sleek body, Android 4.2.2, custom Huawei "Emotion" user interface, and 4.7 inch display. Although it’s sufficiently less expensive than its main competitors, the Huawei Ascend P6 is a pretty solid deal of a phone. It may not be as world renowned as say, Samsung or HTC, but if what you’re looking for is a daily grind phone to run Android on, and play some mild games with, it’s certainly usable. It’s up to the market to decide whether or not it can succeed. SOURCE: Carphone Warehouse |
| Feedly Cloud arrives to help replace Google Reader Posted: 19 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT As the termination date for Google Reader draws near, Feedly has stayed in the news as a viable replacement service for all you RSS fans, and today their option just got even better. After improving their Android app, today they’ve announced the Feedly Cloud that will help us all seamlessly transition away from the dying Google Reader, and into Feedly’s arms.
They are essentially telling Google Reader to enjoy retirement, and they’ll take all the loyal fans instead. With Feedly Cloud, the RSS reader will be completely independent of Google Reader, and will be a viable replacement for many. Being a completely stable and scalable infrastructure to deliver us all the news we need. It’s no longer just an app, and is now an entire platform. We’re just days away from Google’s RSS service shutting the doors, so this comes at a perfect moment. Just in time for everyone to get setup, comfortable, and to import your RSS feeds if you haven’t done so. I wouldn’t wait til the last minute either, as everyone else will be doing the same thing later this month. Do it now, is what we’re saying.
Their new cloud can be used on the web by heading to cloud.feedly.com and as long as your app is up to date you’ll get transitioned to the cloud soon enough. You can enjoy their web interface from any browser, anytime, for free. Now that they aren’t just being an app, the feedly cloud is an entire platform for others to use as well. They’ve confirmed that other popular options like Press and gReader will be able to access their cloud, for those who don’t want to change. Feedly serves over 12 million users daily at the moment, and Press was updated this morning with support for the new Feedly Cloud. Between those other apps and the millions leaving Google Reader next month their numbers are about to blast forward. More details can be found below. SOURCE: Feedly Blog |
| Rockmelt social discovery app arrives for Android Posted: 19 Jun 2013 01:55 PM PDT Rockmelt has officially launched for Android and while this had previously been available for iOS users, it was made clear that this release is “not merely a port.” In fact, the Rockmelt Blog tells the story about how the whole company moved over to Android so they “could all live the experience.” That being said, while this is not an iOS port, the Rockmelt app does have a familiar feature set.
For those not familiar with Rockmelt, this app provides a relatively easy way for the user to discover viral and newsworthy items. Some of the key features include smooth scrolling through and endless stream of content, the ability to add any site you want, an ad-free reading experience and simple sharing to the social network of your choosing. The Rockmelt app also has the reaction buttons that will allow the user to share what they are thinking. Otherwise, a tap of the “R” button will bring up an Explore and Popular browsing option as well as the ability to quickly navigate home. Users also have a “Kept Items” section to store favorites. And keeping those favorites is as easy as long pressing a title.    Anyway, upon downloading and installing the Rockmelt app you first create an account or login using an existing social site such as Facebook or Twitter. From this point you choose five (or more) categories that will be used to populate your stream. The app promises to put the “best of the web, news and blogs at your fingertips” and well, while your opinion of the best may vary, we can say that the Rockmelt app does have ease of use going for it. Rockmelt for Android is currently available in the Google Play Store and sitting at version 1.0.0.3. The app is free to download, free to use and has support for devices running Android 4.0 or later. Or more specifically, the app supports Ice Cream Sandwich or later and has been optimized for 4-inch phones as well as 7 and 10-inch tablets. SOURCE: Rockmelt Blog |
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