Thursday, June 13, 2013

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How to use any song you want with HTC Video Highlights

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT

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HTC Video Highlights is probably the best feature I have seen on a smartphone in a long time, but nothing is perfect. If you utilize Zoe and Video Highlights as often as I do, you probably have gotten a little bored of the music. I tend to use only a couple of the filter effects, which means the same song over and over and over. Don’t get me wrong, they are good jingles, but it would be nice to be able to use whatever song you want. I am sure HTC will either offer more songs and/or the ability to use your own stuff in the future, but that might not be for a while. In the meantime, I came up with two very simple solutions to change the song on your Video Highlights to whatever you want. Don’t worry, you don’t need any elaborate desktop editing software. In fact, you can do it all from your phone. Hit the break to get started.

Option 1 – Using your phone

**If you would rather watch how this is done, skip to the video below.

Save your video highlight as an mp4

The first thing you will need to do is save your video highlight to your phone as an mp4. I am assuming if you are reading this guide, you know how to get to your video highlights and make adjustments. If not, see our previous guide. Once you have decided on a Video Highlight that you like, hit the three dot menu at the top right while the video is playing, tap save, name the file to whatever you want (or keep their default), and tap OK. After about 30 seconds, the video will be saved to your gallery in the “Video Highlight” folder under “Albums”.

Cut the portion of the your chosen song

Next up is to cut the portion of the song you want. This song needs to be on your HTC One. You want to grab a free app from the Play Store called ringPod, which edits mp3 files for ringtones. I know these apps are a dime a dozen, but I prefer this one because it has an easy option to fade the last few seconds of the song, which is important.

Open ringPod and select the song you want to use for your video. You will then see the first 15 seconds of the song already highlighted. What you want to do is tap the box next to “End” (at the bottom) for the end time and change it to 33.00 for 33 seconds. The selected area will now change showing 0 to 33 seconds. You can now hit play and listen to this “selected area”. If you want another area of the song, slide the selected area over different parts of the song keeping the 33-second limit. I should also point out that your highlight video will show as 32 seconds long, but definitely make your song 33 seconds to make sure the video editor doesn’t try to loop it.

After you are happy with the chosen part of the song, hit the three dot menu at the top right and select “Fade and Volume”. In rare instances, you can skip this step if the song sounds right, but most of the time you will want to add the number of seconds for a “Fade Out”. I have been using 4 seconds, but you can play with it and decide what you like. By using 4 seconds, it will start fading right when the HTC Ad appears at the end of the video.

Now all you have to do is save the selected area as a new song. After tapping the disk icon at the top, you can choose either alarm, music, ringtone, or notification for the type. It really doesn’t matter what you choose, but I use “music”. This way all my edited songs will be in the music folder. Name the file whatever you want and tap “Save”.  Don’t worry, your original song will still be intact.

Now you have a video and a song. The only thing left is to join them in holy matrimony.

Combine the Video Highlights and the Music

I recently reviewed WeVideo, which is a video editor. There are a number of video editors, so you can try whatever you want, but I found WeVideo to have all the features needed to make this simple and painless. If there is one issue in using WeVideo, it’s the fact that it will downgrade your video to 720p, but I don’t consider that a big deal at all. If you really want a 1080p version, you can pay 99-cents for it.

You can refer to my review of WeVideo for more information, but we are going to keep things very simple for this application. Since WeVideo is a cloud solution, you will need to create an account. You can simply log in with your Gmail account, Facebook, or another email address.

After you are set up, the first thing you want to do is start a project and name it. You are then given the opportunity to add videos, images, and music to your project, but we are going to add only one video and one song. Before you do anything, tap on the title box that is already in the timeline. Check, “NO TITLE FOR MY VIDEO” and tap “Done”. Ultimately you can leave the title in place, but it will add to the length of your video, which means you would need to make the appropriate adjustment to your song. I choose to go without the title in order to preserve what HTC is doing.

Next up is to insert the Video Highlight (mp4) that you saved earlier into the timeline. Just drag it into the timeline below. Now tap on the video (after it is in your timeline) to make one quick adjustment. Tap on the “Volume” tab and slide the volume down to zero and tap “Done”. By doing this, the HTC Song on your original video will not be heard. If you’re worried about the original video, it will still be intact in your gallery.

Since we aren’t going to add any images, just swipe over to the Audio section and select the song that you made with ringPod. It should be easy to find since “ringPod” will be the artist for all songs that you edit. Just tap on the song and you are good to go.

The next step is to preview your work of art. Just hit the play button at the bottom left to watch the video with your song. At this point, you should be happy with the result, but if there is anything that is unsatisfactory, it will mostly likely be the song. You can still go back to ringPod and make another adjustment and swap the song clip.

Assuming you like everything, just tap “Publish” at the bottom right. Your video and music will be uploaded to and rendered at the WeVideo site. You can check “Save a local copy” to save the video to your phone, and if you added your YouTube and Facebook accounts, you can automatically upload the finished product to those sites as well. Once you have decided on these options, just tap “Publish”. It can take as much as 10 to 20 minutes to complete, but it all happens in the background, so you can do other things.

Once your video is completed and/or uploaded to social sites, you will get a notification and an email letting you know. If you chose to “Save a local copy”, you will find your video in the gallery in the “Movies” folder under “Albums”. It will be an mp4 file so you can do whatever you want with it. You can save it in Dropbox and/or upload it to any site you want.

If you ever want to change it to another song, you will be able to easily since your projects will be saved in WeVideo. You can also go to the WeVideo website and edit via your chosen browser if you so wish.

Sometimes reading the instructions can be grueling so I put together this hands on video showing you each and every step. Trust me, this is very easy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Note: By using copyrighted songs, you could run into a problem with YouTube even though you aren’t using them for commercial purposes. Most of the time YouTube will only ban your video from certain countries, but if this is an issue, you can search for various royalty free music online that you can use. If YouTube is going to be your main area for sharing, you might want to take a look at option 2 below.

Option 2 – Using the YouTube Editor

If you don’t mind using your desktop and you plan on using your video on YouTube, you can easily change the music by using the YouTube Editor. There are a couple of drawbacks. One is that you can only use the music that is partnered with YouTube and the second is that you can’t apply a fade. On the plus side, you will be able to retain the 1080p video quality and you don’t have to worry about YouTube taking your video down because of copyrights.

Just upload your video to YouTube and go into the Editor. Select audio and select any song from the library. You can preview it before saving it. If you like the result, just click save and your video will be updated with the chosen song. There are over 150,000 songs, but unfortunately it isn’t so easy to find what you’re looking for. However it is an alternative that works and is quite simple.

If you want to see our other guides regarding the HTC One, click here. Also look for my next guide on how to make longer Video Highlights because sometimes 30 seconds isn’t long enough.

 


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Samsung finally comes to its senses and is expected to feature an aluminum body for the Galaxy S 5

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 11:12 AM PDT

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If you truly know Samsung, then you’re probably well aware at its stubborn reluctance to shy away from cheap, outdated and stale designs premium materials and constructing a revolutionary build for its flagship devices. However, it may appear that Samsung will finally make some major changes by introducing some quality materials and even a new design direction for the build of its next Galaxy S (Galaxy S 5) smartphone. Reports from various insiders indicate Samsung is currently working on a new “Design 3.0″ language (possibly teased in other upcoming flagships, mind you), which signifies a completely new direction for Sammy and brings a new-found “freshness” to the popular line of smartphones. Complimenting the new design is possibly the introduction of aluminum materials for the build of the upcoming phone. Taking a page from competitors like the iPhone, HTC One and Xperia Z smartphones, Samsung will take aim to make the smartphone body as attractive on the outside as its guts on the inside by incorporating an aluminum unibody form factor for the smartphone.

Of course there are some questions to Samsung’s new intention for its upcoming golden ticket of a device. Will the aluminum body add some unnecessary weight? Are we going to see the last of a removable battery? Can we expect some sort of scratch-resistant material? Hopefully we’ll get a better idea of what to expect as we approach 2014.

source: Android GS


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August release date rumored for HTC One Mini

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 08:50 AM PDT

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With the success of the HTC One helping reverse some troubling financial results for HTC, the company is now engaging in a strategy similar to Samsung’s in releasing versions of their top of the line device for certain target markets. The newest device that appears to be headed to market from HTC is the HTC One Mini, a smaller version of their flagship, that sources indicate should be available in August. The HTC One Mini will come equipped with a smaller 4.3-inch display running at 720p and a less powerful processor. However, it will bring design cues similar to its larger sibling, HTC’s Sense 5 overlay, and a camera incorporating UltraPixel technology.

The move by HTC will enable it to compete against the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S 4 mini and iPhone devices for buyers who are interested in smartphones that don’t come with large screens like the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S 4. HTC has declined to comment regarding the leaked news of an August release date for the new device.

source: Bloomberg


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AT&T expands LTE coverage in several cities

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 08:45 AM PDT

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Earlier this week, AT&T expanded their LTE coverage in several cities across the country. They’ve updated that listing to include several more new markets and a handful of cities that are getting expanded coverage, which is always a nice bonus. The entire list of new coverage includes the following:

  • Camden, AR
  • El Dorado-Magnolia, AR
  • Prescott, AZ
  • Flagstaff-Sedona, AZ
  • Quad Cities, IL & IA
  • Sterling, IL
  • Duluth-Superior, MN
  • Kinston, NC
  • Southern New Jersey Shore Points, NJ
  • Auburn, NY
  • Cortland, NY
  • Seneca Falls, NY
  • Dayton, OH
  • Astoria, OR
  • Berwick, PA
  • Brookings, SD
  • Watertown, SD

In addition to the above cities, the following cities are getting expanded LTE coverage:

  • Salinas, CA (Carmel Valley)
  • Jackson, MS (Leake & Nashoba Counties)
  • Reno, NV (along I-80 connection and Spanish Springs)
  • Oswego, NY
  • New York City, NY (Sussex County)
  • Northern Madison County, NY (Oneida City, Canastota, Lenox, Sullivan, and many connecting highways)
  • Wilkes-Barre, PA (Scranton, Clarks Summit, Harveys Lake)

AT&T still falls a bit short of Verizon’s LTE coverage, but they’re moving quickly and making big strides towards closing that gap. Let us know in the comments if your city is on the list.


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Now you see it… now you don’t: Verizon pulls latest Galaxy S III update due to massive connectivity and battery issues

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:58 AM PDT

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Just as Verizon began rolling out its extensive VRBLMD3 software update to ecstatic Galaxy S III owners, it quickly pulled the update due to major problems plaguing a number of customers. Among the various problems reported on the World Wide Web were not only decreased battery life and performance, but also poor connectivity problems as the device with have significant difficulties retaining a consistent 4G LTE signal. So because of this, Verizon’s support team has pulled the update completely and will work with Samsung to identify some sort of fix or solution, though there’s no word on how long it will be before Verizon unleashes another version of the important update for its Galaxy S III customers.

 

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For those of you that may be affected, it’s recommended that you call Verizon and try to obtain a replacement device immediately. On the flipside— those of you who haven’t received the new build just yet, DON’T update just yet until a new fix has been put in place. Just saying.

source: Droid-Life

 


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Crayon Physics Deluxe makes its way to the Play Store

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:53 AM PDT

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Up until now, Crayon Physics Deluxe was only available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, iOS, and the PC, but it just landed in the Play Store for any Android device 2.2 or higher. This one is a 2D physics puzzle game. Imagine if your drawings could be magically transformed into real objects. That’s exactly what Crayon Physics is all about. You will use your S Pen, stylus, or finger to replicate a crayon to guide a red ball to touch a yellow star. You do this by drawing the solution. You might draw a bridge, a ramp, or even a pulley system. It is your artistic vision that will solve the puzzles.

It’s priced at $2.99, which is much cheaper than what’s offered on iOS. Hit the break for screenshots and download links.

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Play Store Download Link

 

 

 


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Asphalt 8: Airborne officially on its way to Android devices

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:26 AM PDT

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Racing fanatics rejoice as Gameloft has officially taken the wraps off of its latest installment of the Asphalt series— Asphalt 8: Airborne. This latest games comes jam-packed with all sorts of goodies, starting with the insane graphics engine powering the game. The new graphics brings not only a higher number of frames per second, but the game also brings some new maps in locales like London and Tokyo with new terrain and cool effects like new slow-mo crashes or sweet flares from the exhaust pipes of the various vehicles out there. Complimenting the cool features some slick multiplayer modes that utilize both online and offline play, ensuring tons of awesome replay value.

So now that the game has been announced, it’s only a matter of time before we see it land in the Play Store. Gameloft confirmed Asphalt 8 is due for a summer release and will cost a hair under a buck. Considering summer is right around the corner, it’s not a bad wait fortunately— but while you do wait, check out full trailer vid below to get a better idea of how the game will look upon its arrival.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

 


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[Deal] Grab the Verizon Galaxy S 4 for $119 at Amazon

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:26 AM PDT

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If you are looking to switch to Verizon or you can open a new contract for someone else in your family, you might want to look at Amazon’s latest deal on the Galaxy S 4. You can grab it for $119.99, but this price is only good for new customers. If you’re an existing customer, don’t fret because they are offering it at $169 for those looking to upgrade. That still isn’t a bad deal. Just head over to the source link to get started.

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source: Amazon


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Samsung announces the Galaxy S4 Zoom, 10x optical zoom and perfect picture taking

Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:11 AM PDT

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The Galaxy S4 Zoom is now official folks. This one is for those you of that feel the camera is the most important aspect of your smartphone. As far as the camera goes, it shoots 16MP photos utilizing 10x optical zoom, an optical image stabilizer, and Xenon flash. The rest of the specs are nothing to brag about, but again the camera is the focal point. It has a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Exynos 4212 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot for expansion, 1.9MP front camera, 2,330mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2. This isn’t going to be the thinnest phone in the world. Because of the camera hardware, it’s 15.4mm thick.

They are touting the new Zoom Ring feature, which lets you access key features such as capturing and sharing a photo via MMS. It can also be used to activate Quick Launch and Shortcut features.

This one will be released overseas first, but the U.S won’t be left out in the cold. Word is that we will see it stateside during the third quarter.

Hit the break for the presser

Samsung Introduces the GALAXY S4 zoom – the first smartphone to offer 10x optical zoom, for perfect picture taking

June 12, 2013

A revolutionary new device that converges the best of a high performance smartphone and camera, the GALAXY S4 zoom delivers the best of both worlds

LONDON, UK – June 12, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom, a powerful new device which combines the stylish heritage of the latest GALAXY S4 smartphone with advanced photographic capabilities.

Part of the GALAXY S4 family, the GALAXY S4 zoom is the realization of Samsung’s mission to create a single device that can fulfill the role of both an industry leading smartphone and a high-end compact camera. Combining 10x Optical Zoom, 16 Mega Pixel CMOS Sensor, OIS and Xenon Flash with the very latest Samsung GALAXY S4 technology, the GALAXY S4 zoom sets new standards for perfect mobile photography. It is the ultimate smartphone and camera experience in one, and the only device you’ll ever need.

“The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom represents yet another step forward in the way Samsung is working to enhance the lives of our customers around the world,” said JK Shin, President and CEO, Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “As communication continues to become increasingly visual in nature, people wish to capture and share their moments in the highest quality possible, but often do not have the space or inclination to carry a dedicated camera for this purpose. The GALAXY S4 zoom changes this forever, combining the industry leading functionality and connectivity of the GALAXY S4 with the high quality photographic experience you’d expect from a compact camera. The result is truly the best of both worlds, without compromise.”

Revolutionary new interface

Do it all and miss nothing thanks to the revolutionary new Zoom Ring, a simple and intuitive way to access the GALAXY S4 zoom’s key features. When you’re in the middle of a phone call and you see something you absolutely have to share, a quick twist of the Zoom Ring will activate the In-Call Photo Share feature, letting you capture and send an image directly via MMS to whoever you are talking to simply.

For easy camera navigation, the Zoom Ring can be used to activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features, giving you instant access to multiple camera modes including Auto, Gallery and Smart Mode with a simple twist.

The Zoom Ring also revolutionizes conventional camera zoom controls. Optical zoom control replaces traditional dials and buttons with smooth, easy-to-operate digital controls. Professional-quality accuracy and unprecedented ease of use are just a twist away, making it easy to compose a scene and capture wide-angle shots or tight close-ups.

Capture the best images
When it comes to high quality photography, bigger isn’t always better. The compact GALAXY S4 zoom’s best-in-class 10x Optical Zoom and 16MP BSI CMOS Sensor lets you capture beautiful images from far away or up close and personal, in all light conditions, without having to carry heavy camera gear around with you. Furthermore, the built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) helps keep the camera perfectly still even when you’re not, reducing blur and stabilizing the image while zoomed in for high-quality photos and video.

Photo Suggest instantly connects you to huge libraries of images taken by fellow photographers, to help you find and compose your best shots anywhere in the world. Photo Suggest can even direct you to the ideal nearby location which will give you the vantage point you need for that perfect photo.

The GALAXY S4 zoom also features Samsung’s popular Smart Mode, so you can stop worrying about settings and start taking professional-quality artistic shots. Simply choose from a series of pre-set modes and the camera will automatically adjust to ensure you capture the best photo possible. Use Drama Shot to merge continuous shots of moving objects into a single composed image, or Action Freeze to instantly capture high-speed action. If you aren’t sure which Smart Mode to select, the Smart Mode Suggest feature can assess the scene for you and provide a short list of the best options for your consideration based on surrounding factors such as light levels, focal length, or face detection, ensuring you always get the best shot you want.

Unlimited entertainment in the palm of your hand
The GALAXY S4 zoom’s heritage is evident throughout, from its sleek and stylish design to the powerful, yet intuitive user interface. Running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the GALAXY S4 zoom boasts many of the same features as the recently launched GALAXY S4, includingTouchwiz, which lets you fully customize various aspects of your device including the lock screen and notification bar, for a truly personal mobile experience.

When you return from your travel adventures, Story Album lets you arrange all of your treasured images and videos into one timeline to share with friends and loved ones. You can also edit images and even order prints directly from the device through a partnership withblurb*. If you’d rather transfer your images to your laptop or tablet for safe keeping, Samsung Link lets you do so quickly and easily with just the touch of a button. Alternatively, you can sync all of your data in your own personal cloud through HomeSync, providing the ultimate peace of mind and ensuring your images and videos are waiting for you whenever you need them.

The GALAXY S4 zoom features the new Samsung Hub, a one-stop destination for all of the latest music, videos, books and games. Search, download and enjoy all of your favorite entertainment at the touch of a button, all directly from your device. When you find that amazing new track or game that you can’t wait to share with your friends, Group Play lets you connect directly with their Samsung devices so you can all listen and play together, without the need for a Wi-Fi AP or cellular signal.


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Samsung delays Android 4.2.2 for the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II

Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:44 PM PDT

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According to SamMobile, who is generally extremely reliable with Samsung leaked information, Samsung is delaying the Android 4.2.2 update for both the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II, citing issues with the newer version of TouchWiz in a tweet tonight. Granted, Samsung has some newer, less powerful devices rolling out with Android 4.2.2 on board, so whatever problem they’re having will definitely be fixed sooner rather than later, so I think we can still expect a timeline for the update within a few months. Getting the update to the phones through the carriers is another story, but at least Samsung will have done their part.

source: Twitter


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