Android Community |
- US smartphone ownership is closing in on 60 percent
- Modern Combat 5 trailer for E3 shows mobile gaming at its finest
- HTC T6 Phablet knockoff gives us a glimpse of the future
- NVIDIA SHIELD also has a non-gaming Nexus experience
- BlackBerry Messenger for Android coming June 27
- Evernote for Android update adds Reminders, we go hands-on
- Huawei Ascend P6 images continue to leak ahead of June 18 ‘Beauty’ event
- Samsung GALAXY S 4 update brings Apps to SD, new Camera firmware, more
- LG Optimus F7 launches with US Cellular
- Google teases Android 4.3 in latest Play Store app listing
- Google Keyboard hits the Play Store to rival the competition [Download]
- T-Mobile Galaxy S III with LTE hits shelves today for $69
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 ad highlights all the features at once
- BlackBerry looking to have BBM pre-loaded on select Android handsets
- Galaxy Note II and GALAXY S 4 e-ink cases unveiled by Gajah
- Sony Xperia Z Google Edition in the works tips insider
- Madfinger Games teases Tegra 4 features in Dead Trigger 2 video
- Google Glass updated to XE6 with improved camera, HDR, and voice actions
- Google I/O 2013 summed up in 5 minute highlight video
- Lenovo IdeaTab A-Series tablet lineup expands
| US smartphone ownership is closing in on 60 percent Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:02 AM PDT Pew Internet has released a new report talking about smartphone ownership within the US market. This first number may not be all that surprising given the amount of people you likely see staring at a phone, however the report shows that 56 percent of Americans now have a smartphone. In addition, the report touches on the percentage of users without any phone as well as trends in platform adoption and even a bit about smartphone ownership by income and age.
As we already mentioned how 56 percent are using a smartphone, how about we continue down that path. On the flip side this report shows 35 percent of Americans are still using a regular feature phone. Those keeping track of the totals will likely realize there is still 9 percent missing. Well, that accounts for the group of Americans that do not have any mobile phone at all. As one would expect, that number is on the decrease and has dropped from 17 percent in May 2011. The feature phone user base is also dropping and has dropped from nearly half (48 percent) in May 2011.
Now onto the topic that many Android users like to see — who is winning in terms of Android and iOS. The current report, from May 2013 has Android with 28 percent and iOS sitting slightly below with 25 percent. While Android has been above iOS (according to Pew) for several years now, the gap seems to be narrowing a bit. Looking at the numbers from May of 2011 and the split was Android with 15 percent and iOS with 10 percent. Basically, it seems that as smartphone usage is growing, so are both platforms.
Interestingly, this report is showing that 49 percent of cell phone owners that have a household income of $150,000 or more report using an iPhone. Another interesting take from this report comes from looking at the income and age grouping. Looking at the numbers here and it shows those between 18 and 29 are likely to use a smartphone regardless of their income level. Specifically, the report shows 77 percent of those making less than $30,000 per year have a smartphone with 81 percent of those making between $30 and $74,999 and 90 percent of those making more than $75 per year are using a smartphone. The interesting part is that is seems as the age brackets increase, the usage decreases. For example, looking at the middle of the line (between $30 and $74,999) bracket and we see usage going from 81 precent for 18-29 year olds to 68 percent for 30-49 year olds. This number drops even further going to 40 percent for the 50-64 year old market and down to 21 percent for the 65 and older market. Of course, in the end we suspect the smartphone ownership for Android Community readers must be 100 percent, or at least very close to that. SOURCE: Pew Internet |
| Modern Combat 5 trailer for E3 shows mobile gaming at its finest Posted: 06 Jun 2013 10:58 AM PDT Gameloft is so excited for the upcoming E3 gaming expo taking place next week that they couldn’t wait any longer, and for that we thank them. Today, Gameloft is teasing us with a quick video of their upcoming mobile FPS shooter game Modern Combat 5. The latest release in their action-packed shooter is coming soon, and looks outright incredible.
Modern Combat has been a staple in the mobile gaming scene for their cutting edge graphics, unparalleled gameplay and more from Gameloft, and this next installment looks to be no different. Giving their teaser video a quick look you’ll instantly see why we are saying this is mobile gaming at its finest. The graphics are truly impressive. Say what you want about Gameloft and their recent in-app purchases and freemium game titles, this looks awesome. Surely MC5 won’t be free, but the gameplay and graphics will surely make up for what we’re expecting to be a $5.99 title on Android or iOS. With a few hints from Call of Duty and Assassins Creed this lately level blowing apart the streets in Venice surely looks promising for all you mobile gamers. Give me Modern Combat 5 and an NVIDIA SHIELD game console and I’ll be set for the entire weekend of fast-paced gaming and explosions. We don’t know much about the game for now, but Gameloft will be revealing all of the details next week. We can obviously see real-time lighting and next-gen visuals in the trailer, so expect this to be an impressive game when it arrives later this year. Between Modern Combat 5, Dead Trigger 2, and a few other games it looks like mobile gamers will have plenty of quality titles to enjoy this summer.    |
| HTC T6 Phablet knockoff gives us a glimpse of the future Posted: 06 Jun 2013 10:21 AM PDT Today, we are getting a glance at what we could expect to see with the new HTC T6 phablet that’s been in the news as of late. Thanks to a pretty well made knock off device spotted on video at Computex, we’re seeing the impressive HTC One design on a massive 6.3-inch device. Rumors have HTC’s new device coming in at 5.9-inches, but this is pretty close so take a peek below.
HTC has a new smartphone tablet hybrid in the works that they hope will directly compete with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note III, LG’s Optimus G Pro and its 5.5-inch display, and even the recently announced ASUS FonePad 6. The device is being called the HTC T6 for now (The One was M7) and the full details still aren’t known. However, while we wait for the HTC T6 to leak in the flesh and give us an idea of what to expect, some Chinese manufacturers have already produced a pretty stellar looking device in their honor. Bringing the unique design hues and front facing speakers (although they might not work on this knockoff) all to a massive 6.3-inch device. After checking out some YouTube closed captioning we have some of the details on this device too. The device in the video above is apparently called the Galaxy GalaTab 6.3, which makes zero sense given it doesn’t look anything like a Samsung Galaxy device. It rocks a 6.3-inch 1080p display, quad-core processor, 8GB internal storage, and is running Android 4.2.2 from what we understand. It’s a pretty good looking device right? Even though it isn’t the final design. For now we have no idea what exactly we can expect from HTC, but if the recently leaked HTC One Mini is any indication, we could get the exact same design in a much bigger package with the T6. Similar to what we’re showing here today. Rumors have HTC’s phablet launching later this summer, so we should know more soon enough. Would you rock this phone for your daily device? Or is that just too big? – Thanks for the tip Faris!    |
| NVIDIA SHIELD also has a non-gaming Nexus experience Posted: 06 Jun 2013 09:55 AM PDT We had known the NVIDIA SHIELD was more than just a gaming system. This detail was revealed early on and in fact, the SHIELD will arrive running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Given this and given things will not be buried and hidden, this means SHIELD users will be able to do just about everything they can on a regular Android smartphone or tablet. In fact, some of the experience actually looks quite nice.
With that in mind, the folks at NVIDIA have recently dropped another SHIELD Showcase video and this one is showing off the non-gaming experience. The video is on the shorter side coming in at just a bit more than two minutes, but it does manage to offer a look at everything from web surfing to downloading content from Google Play. It also gives a look at using Gmail, Google Maps and Google Local. Taking a deeper look at the web browsing surfing and we find the left joystick can be used to scroll up and down. The slightly more interesting aspect here comes with the right joystick. Using this will bring up a small cursor that will allow you to click on some of those smaller links without having to zoom on the page. Of course, you can also use the touchscreen, which as many will remember is a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The one limitation that many will find as compared to an Android smartphone — the lack of constant connectivity. Needless to say, that should be something many are familiar with as we often see Android tablets with only WiFi connectivity. Basically, that just means you sometimes need a bit of pre-planning in terms of downloading content. Or as shown in the video, downloading your Gmail before you take off and lose access to the WiFi. Otherwise, the NVIDIA SHIELD is still available for pre-order. The system is priced at $349 and expected to begin shipping by the end of the month. Finally, those making the purchase can expect to get the system itself along with a silver lid, AC adapter, USB Cable and two games. The games will be Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD. |
| BlackBerry Messenger for Android coming June 27 Posted: 06 Jun 2013 08:57 AM PDT BlackBerry Messenger looks like it will be arriving for Android users on June 27th. We have yet to see the official confirmation from BlackBerry, however the June 27th date seems to keep popping up with this latest mention coming from T-Mobile UK. The carrier shared the date on Twitter and in addition to the Android release, it looks like iOS users will also be able to join in on the fun that same day.
The details were on the lighter side and the message reads as follows;
Looking back at the earlier BBM related leaks and chatter and we have noticed the previous Twitter account that shared the date has since been removed. We wouldn’t expect that to happen with the T-Mobile UK page, however we must remember that date is still unconfirmed until we hear something direct from BlackBerry. Otherwise, other recent BBM chatter included talk of the app being pre-loaded on select Android handsets. This bit came by way of BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear. The COO said "there is interest from other handset makers,” but unfortunately failed to provide any specifics. With that, BBM for Android will allow for cross-platform chatting however some of the initial features will be limited as compared to what BlackBerry users have. Some of the missing items will include group chat, voice calling and screen sharing. As far as support, BBM for Android will be available for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above. The real question here will be as to whether BBM will receive a warm welcome or a cold shoulder when it arrives in the Play Store. Not to say BBM isn’t a viable option, but there happens to be quite a few alternatives already available and in use. [Update] Looks like that T-Mobile UK tweet has since been deleted. In addition, BlackBerry has released a statement saying they haven’t “announced a date” and that BBM for Android is “coming this summer.” VIA: SlashGear |
| Evernote for Android update adds Reminders, we go hands-on Posted: 06 Jun 2013 08:28 AM PDT Evernote added Reminders to the Mac and iOS apps a short while back and as of today it looks like Android users have gotten that same update. Basically, the Evernote for Android update has added the support for Reminders. More to the point though, that means Android users will have the ability to pin notes to the top of the note list as well as create note based to-dos and alarms.
Using the Reminders is pretty simple. You open (or create) the note you want a reminder on and look for the alarm clock icon sitting in the lower left hand corner. A tap of that will present you with three options; Mark as Done, Clear Reminder and Set Date. These options are all just as they sound and to initially create the reminder you will want the Set Date option. You can get a look at this in the above screenshots. After you tap on the Set Date option you have the option to choose a time and a date and then from that point you click the ok button. Or alternatively, if you want to start over, click cancel. Once the reminder has been set you will notice a few changes. Another look at the bottom left (by the alarm clock icon) will also show the date of the alarm.
Furthermore, a look at your All Notes view will show the notes with Reminders set up top. This can be adjusted by tapping the “reminders” link and they can also be sorted by date using the three dot menu icon in the upper right. Additional options in the dot menu icon include hiding the upcoming and hiding the completed. Aside from the Reminders, this Evernote for Android update has also improved copy and paste in the note view, corrected photo order in multi-shot camera, improved shortcuts functionality and improved the support for Japanese. One again, you can get a look at the process of creating a reminder from the screenshots sitting above and otherwise, there is also a short video that walks you through the process. VIA: Google Play Store SOURCE: Evernote Blog |
| Huawei Ascend P6 images continue to leak ahead of June 18 ‘Beauty’ event Posted: 06 Jun 2013 07:53 AM PDT Huawei has already confirmed the Ascend P6 will be unveiled during the upcoming ‘Beauty’ event. This will be taking place in London on June 18th, however it doesn’t appear as if the leaks and rumors are going to stop. We have seen a few sets of leaked specs and leaked images and as of today it looks like another round of images have surfaced.
Bottom line here, it is looking like the only thing left for the June 18th event is to make this all official and finally put an end to the rumors. With that in mind, how about we talk about this current round of images. Starting with the one sitting above, which is offering a full and fairly clear image of the front of the handset. There isn’t much revealed on this one, but the following three images do highlight one of the key features from the Ascend P6. That feature is the thickness. Or more specifically here, the lack of thickness. The Ascend P6 is expected to measure in at 6.18mm thick. The images sitting in the gallery below are offering a look at the profile. You can get a good look at both the left and right sides and as you can see, they are pretty clean looking. Albeit, a bit similar to the iPhone.    The right side of the handset is shown to have the power button and the volume rocker as well as what appears to be a pair of SIM card slots. There isn’t much on the left side, but there does appear to be a small button towards the bottom of the handset. This could possible be a camera shutter button. Otherwise, Huawei is expected to announce the Ascend P6 with a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 display, quad-core 1.5GHz Hass K3V2 processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. The handset should also arrive running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with version 1.6 of the Emotion user interface sitting on top. VIA: TechKiddy |
| Samsung GALAXY S 4 update brings Apps to SD, new Camera firmware, more Posted: 06 Jun 2013 07:18 AM PDT Samsung has begun to rollout a new software update for the GALAXY S 4. This particular update is for the GT-I9505 which is the model sporting the Snapdragon 600 processor. The initial reports show this update as arriving for those in Germany, however Samsung is expected to roll this out in other markets. Perhaps more important, this update deals with several key issues including storage space and the smearing issue.
Unfortunately the part of the update that deals with storage is not going to magically free up a bunch of space. Instead what users will be able to do is move apps to the SD card and run them from the card as opposed to the internal storage. Depending on the size of the apps, this may or may not be as useful for everyone. The smearing issue has been resolved and moving forward users shouldn’t see any of the purple effects while scrolling. The remaining items coming with this update break down as follows;
Otherwise, this update measures in at hefty 365.67MB in size and is available over-the-air and by way of the Samsung Kies app. Remaining details show this update as leaving your handset with Android 4.2.2. As mentioned earlier, this update is only available at the moment for the GT-I9505 (Snapdragon) model, however it is also expected to arrive for the GT-I9500 (Exynos) model as well. So far Samsung has yet to announce any timeline as to when that could be expected, but we suspect that will likely come down to a decision from the carriers. In the meantime, those sporting a GALAXY S 4 can take some comfort in knowing that Samsung is at least working to bring some improvements. VIA: SamMobile |
| LG Optimus F7 launches with US Cellular Posted: 06 Jun 2013 06:30 AM PDT LG originally announced the Optimus F7 during Mobile World Congress and as of today, the handset has come available by way of US Cellular. The handset is available as of today and it has arrived with a relatively low price point. US Cellular has the Optimus F7 listed at $99.99 on a two-year agreement. For that you will get a device that LG is pushing as being able to offer a "premium user experience and the speed of 4G LTE to a mass audience."
With that in mind, the handset does indeed have support for the US Cellular LTE network. Other specs include a 4.7-inch IPS display with a 720p resolution, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 2450 mAh battery and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. The handset also has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, microSD card slot and is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. As to what that “premium user experience” comment means. That touches on the software features that LG has taken from some of their higher-end devices. Specifically, some of these features had only been available on the higher-end devices in the past. That being said, these include items such as QSlide and Live Zooming.
QSlide is a multi-tasking mode that will allow the user to run two (supported) apps at the same time. Think of this as being along those same lines as Samsung has with the Galaxy Note II. The Live Zooming is a video related feature and as the name would imply, it will allow the user to zoom into a specific area of the video. In addition, US Cellular and LG are pushing VuTalk and QuickMemo as being two key features. the VuTalk will allow you to draw and share ideas in real time with other users and the QuickMemo will be good to capturing and sharing notes and memos. Otherwise, while the $99.99 two-year contract price seems decent enough, those looking to pay full retail can opt to shell out $399.99 to avoid the feeling of being stuck for two-years time. SOURCE: LG Newsroom |
| Google teases Android 4.3 in latest Play Store app listing Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:19 PM PDT While this might be a stretch, what we’re about to mention below is obviously Google teasing us. Google has been busy lately updating many of their key apps to work with ease across all versions of Android. As well as improve features, options, and more. From Google Search and Google Now, Gmail, Chrome Browser, Google Music, and even today they’ve released Google Keyboard to the Play Store for all.
Many might already know this little tip we’re about to share, but if not, prepare to let the rumor mill run wild a bit. Google has been putting the Android OS version nicely and casually as the time (clock) on the screenshots they upload for that particular app to the Play Store. If you look at Google Maps in the Play Store, their screenshots giving you a preview of the app all have the time listed as 4:10. Or as I see it, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Every application as of late that Google has updated and released to the Play Store has the clock listing Android 4.2 (or 4:20) for the time. The latest Gmail, the brand new Calendar that was just updated, Google Hangouts that was announced at Google I/O, Google Drive and more. They all show 4:20 on the clock. Since that’s our latest version of Android. Not all of their apps do this. Google Music shows 11:53, and Google Search shows 4:00 so this is a little stretch, but clearly not an accident. However, with today’s release of the Google Keyboard we’re seeing the first Google app as of late showing a different time in the clock. What would that be? 4:30. Or as I see it, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. There really isn’t anything of importance here, and maybe there’s just a system behind closed doors in which Google does their screenshots, but we think they’re having fun at our expense here. We know Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is coming. It’s been spotted in server logs, seen on a Nexus 4, and mentioned multiple times in leaks. The latest report suggested Google will release it come June 10th, but that’s slowly looking pretty unlikely about now. At the same time dropping an update on the same day as Apple’s big WWDC event could be fun. What do you guys think? Are they teasing 4.3 is coming soon, or are we just a little overly excited here? |
| Google Keyboard hits the Play Store to rival the competition [Download] Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:24 PM PDT If you loved what you saw from Google‘s keyboard in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, we have some excellent and rather unexpected news this evening. Google has just packaged up and delivered their completely stock (and amazing) keyboard and released it to the Google Play Store. That means most Android devices can now enjoy that absolutely stock Jelly Bean keyboard with gesture typing and all.
Google has slowly added all of their stock Android apps to the Play Store, which is enabling them to improve Android as a whole without updating the OS in general. We’ve seen this with Google Search and Google Now, Calendar, and other apps, and now their impressive keyboard can do the same. Sadly this appears to be for Android 4.0 or above devices only, and is currently only available in English. The stock keyboard from Android 4.2.2 is now available to everyone, and it’s still one of my favorite keyboards to date. Google rivals SwiftKey and Swype with their gesture typing experience, which also offers a dynamic floating preview of the word. Then of course you’ll have the awesome voice typing experience of stock Android, instead of relying of Dragon dictation like Swype. Here’s the full feature list.
That dynamic floating preview will suggest words before you even finish gliding your finger. Once the preview guesses the word you want just let go, you don’t even have to finish typing. Google also has a pretty impressive next-word prediction engine, which is enabled by default, but can be removed in the keyboard advanced settings for those who’d rather not have that present. Disabling “next-word prediction” replaces the top prediction area with a pretty great punctuation prediction, so that’s helpful.
Google’s keyboard has the most accurate swiping gesture-based experience in my opinion, and many should be extremely happy to give this a try. Take notice. Every screenshot on the Play Store for the keyboard has 4:30 as the time. Hinting at Android 4.3, as previous screenshots have all been 4:20 lately. Of course it is completely free so grab it from the link below and enjoy! Update: Sadly this is region restricted because the keyboard only supports English, but we’re expecting an update soon. In the meantime hit the link below to download the APK. SOURCE: Play Store |
| T-Mobile Galaxy S III with LTE hits shelves today for $69 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:57 PM PDT Samsung’s new flagship GALAXY S 4 smartphone might be the popular choice at the moment, but not everyone needs the best of the best or is willing to pay top dollar for a smartphone. Samsung’s king of all smartphones last year, the Galaxy S III, is back on T-Mobile shelves but upgraded to support their new 4G LTE network. The device is available today and comes in at a great price too.
The Samsung Galaxy S III offered 4G LTE on AT&T and Verizon when it was released, but T-Mobile is a little late to the LTE game. However, they don’t want the highest selling smartphone to date to just drop off their radar, so they’ve replaced the GS III on their shelves with a new model that supports LTE. Back in May there were rumors the device would be available today, and now it is. If the larger screen and $199 price for the GALAXY S 4 doesn’t do it for you, the Galaxy S III from last year with still fairly impressive specs should treat you great for just $69 – although that’s only a down payment.
Of course this is with T-Mobile’s installment plan. Where you’ll pay $69 now and $20 a month for 24 months for the device, which isn’t the best in the long run, but great for those on a budget. The GS3 is still a great phone with a 4.8-inch 720p HD display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and a powerful 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM under the hood. Personally I’d save a few more bucks for the HTC One if I was over on T-Mobile, or just opt for the GALAXY S 4. However, if the price is right and you don’t need the latest and greatest head to the link below or your nearest store and get the Galaxy S III LTE today from T-Mobile. SOURCE: T-Mobile |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 ad highlights all the features at once Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT Samsung isn’t slowing down with the commercials and ad spots for their products, and in fact, it looks like they’ve learned that showcasing and highlighting features is the best route. Instead of making fun of the competition (which can be funny) their latest set of commercials shows all the features that daily users can enjoy, and this latest Galaxy Note 8.0 video is a prime example.
If you want to know nearly everything about the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet and what it can do, aside from reading our Note 8.0 Review, this video will explain most of it. Samsung does a pretty excellent job here highlighting everything that makes their slate useful, nice, yet different from the competition. To be honest the commercial actually makes me want the Galaxy Note 8.0, and most ad spots never really do that for me. From showing off the Airview features, S-Pen stylus support (even on capacitive buttons) the great all-day battery life, taking notes at work, and even enjoying a few books on the train. They cover it all here. Take a peek yourself. From multi-screen mode with true multitasking and more this video really does touch on many of the key aspects that makes the Note 8.0 different from most slates. Yes it still has Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, but it does much more too. He even uses the Galaxy Note 8.0 and the rear 5 megapixel camera to snap some photos, although it just looks weird holding up a tablet to take a photo. Ending the video off with a casual meet up with his pretty lady friend for a date. Samsung understands it isn’t just about knocking the competition anymore, since they are at the top. Instead they’re showing us all the benefits of their devices, and what they can do for us, the consumer. Anyone more inclined to buy the Note 8.0 after seeing that? |
| BlackBerry looking to have BBM pre-loaded on select Android handsets Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:11 PM PDT BlackBerry Messenger has been confirmed as coming to Android. That news arrived back in mid-May and while there was some initial excitement, that appears to have for the most part gone away. There was a brief mention yesterday suggesting BBM would be launching for Android on June 27th, however even that wasn’t meet with much in terms of excitement. For now the June 27th launch date remains unconfirmed, but there appears to be more to this story.
It seems BlackBerry is looking to have Messenger pre-loaded on select Android handsets. Basically, it is looking like BBM could end up another piece of bloatware and hopefully it will be a piece that is able to be removed. While this bit has been confirmed by the folks at BlackBerry, there hasn’t been much said in terms of which devices may have BBM pre-loaded. BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear told CNET that “there is interest from other handset makers.” Touching on that potential release date, Tear declined to comment on when BBM would be released for Android. There was some talk of the current user base. At present Tear noted that BBM has an active user base of 61 million and that 70 percent are using it daily. While that is certainly not a small number, there may be another hitch in terms of the success on Android. This other hitch comes from Google. Specifically, Hangouts which we saw announced a short while back during Google I/O. BBM may seem like a good option for Android users to keep in touch with friends and family on other platforms, however so is Hangouts. The other side of this story is whether BBM coming to other platforms will convince some BlackBerry users to finally switch devices. After all, we suspect there may be a few long term BlackBerry users that are sticking around for a few limited reasons, one of which may be BBM. Of course, that was addressed by Tear who spoke about how they (BlackBerry) doesn’t “feel like that is a risk.” So how about it, is anyone excited about the upcoming launch of BBM on Android? SOURCE: CNET |
| Galaxy Note II and GALAXY S 4 e-ink cases unveiled by Gajah Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT E-ink isn’t something you often see associated with smartphones. There have been some exceptions to that rule with a few notable mentions coming in as the dual-screen YotaPhone and the popSLATE case which is only available for the iPhone 5. Well, coming by way of Gajah International it looks like those with a Galaxy Note II or GALAXY S 4 may soon have an option available for purchase.
These cases were unveiled during Computex and both will put an e-ink display on the backside of the phone. The cases pair with the phone using a Bluetooth connection and the display will be available for glanceable information. Some of the potential use cases include using the display as an ebook reader or to view information such as the current weather or even your horoscope. As these cases are not currently available for sale, there does seem to be some questions remaining. A big question will likely deal with battery life, however for now it looks like those with a Galaxy Note II will be able to answer that question before GALAXY S 4 users. According to an Engadget report, the Galaxy Note II case specs have been revealed along with a price while the GALAXY S 4 case remains open and the availability will depend on potential sales and general interest. The Galaxy Note II case will connect with the handset using Bluetooth 2.1 and feature a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 600 x 800. This case will arrive priced at $129 and is expected to initially be available for those in China and Malaysia. Despite only one model being in the works towards a release, an image of both the Galaxy Note II and GALAXY S 4 cases has been released (and can be seen above). Aside from the question dealing with battery life, the other item that comes to mind is whether these will prove to be a useful tool or more of a novelty. That will have to remain unanswered for now, however if nothing else we suppose having the option to remove that e-ink display (by removing the case) may be a bit better as compared to what you would get with the YotaPhone which has the e-ink display firmly attached to the backside. SOURCE: PR Newswire |
| Sony Xperia Z Google Edition in the works tips insider Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:32 PM PDT The past few weeks have been pretty crazy with all these “Google Edition” smartphones. At Google I/O we learned of the stock Google Edition GALAXY S 4, then last week HTC announced the Nexus experience HTC One, and now it sounds like Sony could be next. And I’m sure Huawei and LG will probably follow. Read on for more details on the Xperia Z GE.
Sony’s Xperia Z is a pretty impressive and well rounded smartphone. Too bad we can’t have that 5-inch 1080p display and top tier device on Verizon Wireless. Options are always a good thing. Since that will never happen, it looks like we’ll have to resort to the Play Store for future possibilities with Sony too. According to the folks at Android.GS an “insider from Sony” which wishes to remain anonymous has confirmed that Sony and Google have also teamed up on a Google Edition smartphone. None other than their flagship Xperia Z will be getting the treatment, and also go up for sale on the Play Store. This tipster claims the phone won’t be announced until July, which honestly feels a bit late considering the GS4 and HTC One models will already be for sale by that point, but anything is possible. Just today we saw further evidence that Sony will be bringing their water and dust-proof Xperia Z to T-Mobile, and it would make perfect sense for the device to be offered on the Play Store with 4G LTE support for both AT&T and T-Mobile. As a reminder the Xperia Z rocks a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel rear camera, and great battery life all in a sleek and IP57 certified package. A water and dust proof flagship device running stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean sounds pretty nice right? It should be revealed as the Sony Xperia Z Google Edition and hit the Play Store for $599 – if the reports and rumors are correct. Which one would you buy now? |
| Madfinger Games teases Tegra 4 features in Dead Trigger 2 video Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:51 PM PDT We suspect there are more than a few waiting for the release of Dead Trigger 2 and while this isn’t the first time we have seen details of the game, there is new trailer video that has recently been released. The trailer was released by Madfinger Games and it highlights the Tegra 4 specifics. And in addition to a brief look at what can be expected in terms of how the game will look, Madfinger Games has given a slightly more narrowed down release timeframe.
Earlier reports were calling for the game to be released during the second quarter of the year. The game is now expected to arrive sometime this summer. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything specific in terms of a date or even a month though. While we wait, lets get back to this newly released trailer. The video is short and comes in at just a bit over a minute in length, but it does offer several Tegra 3 and Tegra 4 side-by-side views. Now that you have seen the trailer (which is sitting above), there isn’t much room left for spoilers. Basically, it seems the Tegra 4 version of Dead Trigger 2 will be much improved. That brings some other news, Dead Trigger 2 will not be limited to those with a Tegra 4 powered device. As this video shows, those with a Tegra 4 will have better graphics, but those without will still be able to fight the zombies. Otherwise, those looking back will likely remember this game was originally shown in early January as the first Tegra 4 game. Perhaps more important for those who are looking forward to the release of the NVIDIA SHIELD, Dead Trigger 2 will be available. In fact, we managed to spend some hands-on time with Dead Trigger 2 for the SHIELD back in March. Connecting these two dots and in addition to Dead Trigger 2 being the first Tegra 4 game shown, the SHIELD will be the first device to market with the processor. As a recap, the SHIELD is currently available for pre-order and expected to begin shipping soon. The system is priced at $349 and sporting a 5-inch 1280 x 720 display along with the previously mentioned Tegra 4 processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. |
| Google Glass updated to XE6 with improved camera, HDR, and voice actions Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:42 PM PDT While Google Glass still isn’t out and readily available to the public, not to mention seeing heavy criticism for the privacy aspect of things, the Mountain View company is still updating it rather quick. Google vowed to deliver monthly updates for Glass, and as expected, last night they pushed out XE6 to all you Glassees with tons of camera enhancements.
We received the new update on our own set last night, but Google also posted all of the details and what to expect over on Google+ at their +Project Glass page. The focus was on better photos, as well as using voice for photo captions, and a few other small improvements. Now all we need is another pair, and maybe some better battery life. The update to XE6 actually brings some pretty incredible improvements to the camera as a whole. Just a few software tweaks and users are taking much improved photos, lighting is seriously noticeably better, and they’ve added HDR mode and more. Now you can take a low light photo that will actually turn out great, and Glass will even prompt you to add a caption should you choose. Here’s a quick sample
While photos were the majority of the update Google confirms that head-on detection was improved, and it added better support for Sports and birthday cards in Google Now. Then Google mentions several bug fixes and performance improvements, but nothing specifically. Last month they fixed a lot of bugs, this month the focus was on that camera. For even more details and tons of before/after pictures post update hit the +Project Glass link above for all the details direct from Google. VIA: SlashGear |
| Google I/O 2013 summed up in 5 minute highlight video Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:09 PM PDT We know Google I/O is one of those coveted experiences and developer conferences that tons of you want to enjoy. Whether you’re a fan or developer of Android, Chrome, YouTube, and more. While sadly not everyone that wants to attend gets to (tickets sell out fast) Google always posts the events online. They were nice enough to live stream the sessions, and now have posted their annual round-up highlight video.
So for those who weren’t able to attend Google I/O themselves, or have been too busy to catch up on anything and everything they missed, Google has you covered. Just like last year the team over at Mountain View has put together a neat little video clip just under 5 minutes long showing all the highlights. While the event wasn’t quite as exciting as some in the past, mainly because we didn’t get a brand new version of Android to play with and enjoy, it was a huge event and milestone for Google. Showing they don’t need to update the OS and put manufacturers behind in order to improve the OS as a whole. That was one of many important factors we took away from the event. Anyways, here’s the clip: From Google Glass being all over the place (but not in the news) Google Play Games, Music All Access, an improved Google Maps, all those developer events and more. The event was packed full of good stuff for 3 days and Google wants to share these moments with everyone. Relive Google I/O 2013 from the video above, then hit our IO Portal for all our coverage. What would you like to see at Google I/O 2014? Too soon? |
| Lenovo IdeaTab A-Series tablet lineup expands Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:02 PM PDT Lenovo has announced two new entry-level Android tablets. The models expand upon the IdeaTab A-Series and include the IdeaTab A1000 and the A3000. Both of these models offer similar specs which include a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. With that in mind, the A1000 is priced at $189 and the A3000 is priced at $229.
Other specs that are shared across both models include 1GB of RAM, 3500 mAh battery, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, VGA quality front-facing webcam and 16GB of internal storage space. Both models also have a microSD card slot, however the spec sheet notes a difference in the support. The A1000 supports cards up to 32GB in size and the A3000 supports cards up to 64GB in size. Lenovo IdeaTab A1000   As far as the IdeaTab A1000 goes, this model is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz MT8317 processor and is sporting measurements of 7.83 x 4.76 x 0.42 inches with a weight of 0.77 pounds. This model is also available in two colors — black and white. Of course, the basics such as an accelerometer, 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB (for charging) can also be expected. Lenovo IdeaTab A3000   The IdeaTab A3000 has a single-core 1.2GHz MediaTek 6575 Cortex A9 processor align with a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus. The A3000 is close to the A1000 in terms of size and weight with measurements of 7.63 x 4.72 x 0.43 inches. This model weighs in at 0.76 pounds. Finallly, unlike the A1000, the A3000 is only available in black. Touching back on the pricing of the A1000 and it looks like Lenovo currently has a coupon code available that will lower the price by $40. The code is listed on the Lenovo website as “IDEADEAL” and will bring the price of the A1000 down to $149. This is listed as being a “weekly deal” however there isn’t anything specific in terms of an expiration date. SOURCE: Facebook |
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