Monday, January 14, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Sony Xperia Z priced at A$749 in Australia, €739 in Finland

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:02 AM PST

Xperia Z ZL

It would take us all day to sum up all the questions, doubts and queries we have on the upcoming launches of Sony's Xperia Z and ZL, so we would be better off listing the things we know. In a nutshell, the Z has been confirmed to land in Australia in March and parts of Europe by the end of February, while the ZL is expected in Canada soon.

As for pricing, Clove UK served us with the only tidbit so far, listing the Z for pre-order at a hefty, but not unexpected £528 ($850). Today however we have two new juicy pieces of pricing-related news coming from opposite corners of the world – Australia and Finland.

For some reason, Sony Mobile's local branch in the land down under continues to be awfully generous with tech-savvy Aussies, revealing not only the carriers set to receive the Xperia Z, but also the phone's off contract price.

Xperia Z

Sony Centres are thus ready to offer the 5-inch waterproofer for A$749 in black, white and purple. Of course, some sort of mystery has to stay around, so "further carrier information as well as price plans will be announced soon".

Now, what can we make of that price? First off, let's say it translates into around US $792. Pricey, but more than 50 bucks below the British price point. Which is odd, considering that most of the other Sony devices that can be found in both countries are more expensive in Australia.

Intriguing, eh? In any case, let's get on to Finland as well, where Gigantti is listing the Xperia Z (just in black for now) at €739, or around $980. Ouch, that sounds like it could poke serious holes into some pockets, but, hey, that's just how Europeans roll. Also, keep in mind that this is just one third-party retailer trying to win some points in Google searches, so that might not be the recommended retail price after all.

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HTC plans to boost smartphone market in Myanmar with localized phones

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 12:33 AM PST

htc-logo

In the competitive world of cell phone manufacturing, any advantage is welcome, and among different advantages localization is a game changer. In some cases, it can make for a captive market. As a Taiwanese cell phone manufacturer, HTC knows this only too well, and is using localization to have a big foothold on the Myanmar mobile phone market.

HTC is set to release a phone in the country which will have the Myanmar alphabet as a built-in option. Currently, Android smartphone users have to download the Myanmar language pack and then root the phone in order to install it. Unfortunately, rooting requires a certain level of tech savvy to do, and it because it revises the operating system, it usually invalidates the smartphone warranty. Additionally, there are two competing standards on implementing the alphabet on cellphones and this has adversely affected cell phone sales and adoption.

Due to government restrictions, Myanmar has one of the lowest mobile phone and internet penetrations. The country has a population of 60 million, with a per capita gross domestic product estimated at $1,300. Besides security restrictions, the cost of a SIM card is a very expensive $250. There are about 1.24 million cell phone users, for a penetration rate of only 3%. It has a great growth potential and remains as one of the few untapped markets in Asia. Samsung was the first cell phone company to introduce Android phones to the market, and has taken that advantage to carve out a big following.

However, language issues plague cell phone manufacturers. With only a small population that speaks English, or any other major foreign language, cell phones have to be localized for the language and alphabet.

The problem is not lost on HTC CEO Peter Chou. Chou was born in Myanmar and knows that introducing a phone that can be used out of the box will be a big boon to business. HTC’s approach would help solve that problem, at the same time give it a big marketing advantage. With the help of a local distributor and a software developer, HTC customized Android to use the Myanmar language without any need for customization. Myanmar users would be able to use their devices natively fresh from the store.

Myanmar is slowly opening up to the rest of the world. It will be hosting the Southeast Asian Games in December. The last time the country hosted the games was in 1969. Among the changes which are being introduced in time for the games are cheaper SIM cards. The Department of Mobile Communications at Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) plans to introduce three-month SIM cards worth $15 at airports and other entry terminals. These will be sold to foreigners only starting June 2013. Cheaper cards will also be sold for the local market before that time.

Other mobile brands and telcos are making a play for Myanmar. After getting into the Cambodian market, Axiata is looking at also entering the cell phone market in the country. The Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Company (VMS) is also looking at expanding to Myanmar. With more telcos in Myanmar, HTC’s custom Android localization would be a big step forward for both the company and Myanmar consumers.

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Samsung announces 100 million Galaxy sales; GS3 selling at 190,000 units per day

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 11:01 PM PST

Samsung has just uploaded a photo to Flickr with a caption that contains some new numbers regarding their device sales. Besides announcing that 100 million Galaxy phones (and tablets) have been sold since the series first went on sale in May 2010, the company has also stated that the Galaxy S3 is currently selling at an average rate of 190,000 units per day. Here’s the complete caption:

Samsung Electronics’ flagship Galaxy S series surpassed the accumulated sales record of 100 million units from the supply side in only 2 years and 7 months after its launch in May 2010. Galaxy S III is selling at much faster rate of 30 million in 5 months and 40 million in 7 months, after becoming a million seller in only 50 days after its release last May. Currently, its average daily sales are 190,000 units. The driving force behind Samsung Electronics’ rise to the top on the global smartphone market is Galaxy S II which is gaining ground as a steady seller hitting the sales of over 40 million in only 20 months.

Regarding that last sentence, you didn’t think the Galaxy S2 would still be so popular, did you? Now it makes sense why the company announced the Galaxy S2 Plus at CES last week. Strangely enough, sales of the Note weren’t mentioned. The last time we heard anything about the second generation Note was in late November when Samsung said it has sold over 5 million units globally. Maybe they’re waiting until they announce their Q1 numbers to unveil some new data? They could also be saving that information for Mobile World Congress, or even their own event, who knows at this point.

So how should you interpret today’s news? Samsung has been selling Galaxy devices at an average rate of 3.2 million per month since the first Galaxy device went on sale in 2010. That’s an amazing number considering how poorly the other players are doing right now. And as for the GS3, it’s selling an average of 17.1 million units a quarter.

Not bad for a flagship phone.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S2 Plus doesn’t have an Exynos inside, it’s Broadcom instead

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:41 PM PST

When Samsung announced the Galaxy S2 Plus at CES last week, we were kind of confused. Why refresh a phone that’s soon going to turn two years old? But then we started thinking. There’s probably a sizable number of people who don’t want today’s jumbo phones. The 4.8 inch Galaxy S3 was crazy, and the 5 inch Galaxy S4 is going to be even more insane, so what’s out there for you if you want something small?

Then there’s the whole emerging economies angle. Buying a 600 EUR phone is OK if you’re living the rich life, but not everyone can be so fortunate.

Enough about the reasoning for this phone’s existence, let’s get to what we just heard about the device. We thought the S2 Plus was going to be nothing more than the two year old Galaxy S2, but with a few minor tweaks to the casing to make it cheaper to produce. Turns out Samsung changed the guts as well. There’s a 1.2 GHz chip in there, just like the original, but if you were expecting an Exynos inside, well … we hate to tell you this, but there’s a Broadcom chip in there. Specifically the BCM28155.

We know said chip has a pair of ARM’s Cortex A9 processors, it can do 21 Mbps HSPA+, there’s dual band WiFi in there, along with NFC, and it’s made using 40 nanometer transistors, meaning it shouldn’t draw too much power. It’s certainly not the advanced 28 nanometer process in the new Exynos 5 Octa, but hey, what did you expect?

So when is this thing going to come out and how much is it going to cost? Like everything announced at CES, we have absolutely no idea. It could be tomorrow, it could be June, we weren’t given any hints. When we’re in Barcelona next month for Mobile World Congress, you bet we’ll be Samsung’s booth trying to get some answers!

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Here’s a photo of Samsung’s 4.99 inch 1080p AMOLED panel for the Galaxy S4

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 09:48 PM PST

Just about every phone unveiled at CES last week had one thing in common: 1080p. Whether we’re talking about Sony’s new Xperia Z/ZL, Huawei’s D2, or ZTE’s Grand S, this is the year where you’re not allowed to call your phone a flagship device if it doesn’t have a 1080p screen. Many of you, and many of us here at Android Authority, desperately want a 1080p phone, but there’s a giant elephant in the room no one wants to talk about. Samsung. It doesn’t matter how many 1080p phones get announced, unless it’s a Samsung, then we have a hard time paying attention.

Can Samsung make a 1080p phone? According to the photo above, the answer is most definitely yes. What you’re seeing is a 4.99 inch 1080p AMOLED panel that was photographed by Brian Klug from AnandTech. Why have other press outlets failed to get a picture of this panel? We’ll never truly know the answer to that, but thankfully we now have confirmation that Samsung has done the impossible and managed to get AMOLED to hit an insane 440 pixels per inch.

So when will Samsung announce the new Galaxy? Some sites say next month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but we have a hard time believing that. Samsung is so big at this point that they could announce an event tomorrow and practically everyone working in the technology industry would hop on the next plane to whatever country Samsung wants them to visit. But to answer the question, we expect there to be a Samsung event in April.

What’s the Galaxy S4 going to have? The 1080p panel you see above, the Exynos 5 Octa that was announced last week, and as for the rest … we have absolutely no idea. Samsung has done an amazing job preventing leaks, which makes our jobs harder, but at the same time we’re kind of happy. It’s boring to go to a keynote when you already know about everything that’s going to be announced.

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With the new Exynos 5 Octa, Samsung goes back to using PowerVR graphics

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 08:58 PM PST

The first Galaxy S, the one that was announced in March 2010 at CTIA in Las Vegas, packed a single core 1 GHz “Hummingbird” processor that featured a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU. When that phone’s successor, the Galaxy S2, was announced a year later at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the chip inside it featured a graphics processor from ARM; same thing happened with the Galaxy S3. As for the Exynos 5 inside the Nexus 10, again, ARM graphics.

According to sources who have spoken to Brian Klug from AnandTech, that new Exynos 5 Octa that was announced last week at CES, it has a PowerVR SGX 544MP3. This chip is, without a shadow of a doubt, going to be inside the Galaxy S4, which means it’s going to be the first Galaxy S in three years to have a graphic processor from Imagination Technologies.

Why is this important? For one thing it shows that Samsung isn’t afraid to partner with different companies. Another reason is Apple. PowerVR graphics processors have powered every iOS product to roll off the assembly line. Part of the reason for that is because Apple owns nearly 10% of Imagination Technologies, but you’ve got to think that the main reason Apple went with PowerVR is because their processors have the best performance.

What about Qualcomm, what do they use? Back in 2009, Qualcomm purchased ATI’s mobile graphics division. Chances are you’ve heard of the Adreno GPU. That’s basically ATI’s work. Adreno is fast, there’s no question about that, but it’s not as fast as what PowerVR delivers. We can’t wait to benchmark the new Snapdragon 800 however, since the GPU in that thing is said to be twice as fast as what’s inside the Snapdragon S4 Pro. If true, that would be incredibly.

Why do we even need such fast GPUs? Because our screens are packing more pixels than ever, we demand buttery smooth user interfaces, and then there’s gaming. We want to be blown away, each and every year.

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WSJ says Apple halved orders for the iPhone 5 display, is Android to blame?

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 08:29 PM PST

According to a report that was just filed by The Wall Street Journal, Apple has reduced orders for various components. Two sources specifically mentioned the iPhone 5 screen, saying that orders were cut in half. Another report, from the Japanese publication Nikkei, says exactly the same thing. Both articles cite weak iPhone demand, which is starting to make us think, are more people now considering buying Android phones? Look, we know that 75% of the smartphones sold in Q3 2012 were powered by Google’s mobile operating system, but most of us still wouldn’t recommend something like the Galaxy Note II to our parents. The iPhone may not do much by our standards, but it’s pretty damn easy to use. And unlike Windows Phone, the iPhone has a huge variety of applications.

What else could be responsible for this drop in orders? The first thing that comes to mind is the possibility that Apple might introduce a new iPhone during the first half of the year. This new phone, let’s call it the iPhone 5S, could have a screen that’s different from the iPhone 5, which would be a first. Ask just about anyone working in the technology industry what they think the iPhone 5S is going to look like, and they’ll tell you it’s going to look exactly like the iPhone 5 that’s currently on the market.

Why are we even covering this story? We always say that in order for Android to win, Apple doesn’t have to lose. We also repeatedly criticize people who hurl insults at Apple just for being Apple. Despite all that, we do like to point and laugh at Apple sometimes when things don’t go their way. It doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does … we’re ready to throw a few small tomatoes at the opposing side.

All in good taste, of course.

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Asus Memo Pad ME172V official: specs, features, pricing and release date

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:28 PM PST

asus-memo-pad-me172v-1

For some reason, Asus decided not to unveil its new 7-inch budget-friendly at CES 2013, a device that will compete against the Asus-made Google Nexus 7 too, and instead wait a few days to announce it. The Asus Memo Pad ME172V is now official.

Yes, we have seen the device in previous leaks, and yes, we were expecting Asus to announce a sub-$200 tablet to take on Apple, Amazon and even Google. At the same time various rumors did suggest that a $99 Nexus 7 tablet would be presented to the world this year – with the ME172V being one likely candidate – but it looks like such a Nexus 7 is yet to arrive, and it’s not going to be the ME172V.

And let's not forget that companies like Acer, Alcatel and Polaroid have their own cheap tablets that are expect to ship in various markets in the coming months.

Specs and features

The Asus Memo Pad ME172V will not sport high-end specs and features like its older brother, but it will still pack enough power under the hood to meet your mobile needs. Here's what you can expect from the device:

  • 7-inch display with 1024 x 600 resolution, 140 degree viewing angle and 350cd brightness
  • 1GHz VIA WM8950CPU
  • Mali-400 GPI
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 8GB/16GB storage
  • microSD support for up to 32GB cards
  • 1-megapixel front-facing camera with f2.0 aperture and 720p HD video capture
  • 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
  • micro USB support
  • weight: 0.81 pounds
  • 7-hours battery life
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

asus-memo-pad-me172v-3

Price and Release Date

We have already told you that ME172V is not comparable to the Nexus 7 when it comes to raw power under the hood, and it looks like Asus is fine with that fact:

Our focus for this device is on delivering excellent performance per watt and a smooth and fluid user experience at an extremely affordable price, NOT on winning benchmarks.

With that in mind? How much do you think the Asus Memo Pad costs? Just $149. And the tablet is expected to ship in April in various markets including the U.S., although an actual launch date is not available yet.

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OUYA, GameStick, and Project Shield: a comparison

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 06:58 PM PST

OUYA

We are all witnesses to a really interesting time in gaming. As smartphones grew in popularity and power, they also grew into a viable gaming platform. Going from silly puzzle games into FPS or RPG games was a quick transition. It would have been easy for developers to treat the mobile platform as less-than, but they didn't. Instead, developers treated mobile seriously, and we saw some seriously good games as a result.

In the move to mobile, we moved away from our living rooms. The XBox is popular, but console gaming in general is in serious decline. Just as gaming is on the brink of going all-in with mobile, a few devices are trying to straddle the line between mobile and stationary gaming. Are we ready to go back to the living room, or are we happy where we're at? We'll take a look at three upcoming players in the gaming arena to find out who has the best concept, and who has the best chance.

gamestick console

The wild card

Although it recently ran into a (temporary) little Kickstarter snafu, GameStick is a very interesting concept. Priced well below its competitors, this one may just be the little engine that could. In a nutshell, it's a controller with a HDMI dongle that nestles in the bottom of the controller so you can take it anywhere.

The $79 price point may just be GameStick's strongest hand. As OUYA proved, we can't get enough of the reasonably priced gaming console. Where GameStick potentially trumps competitors is the tandem of gaming and mobility. GameStick will come with Android support, but how much is not clear. Nothing on the GameStick website commits to how it will all work, exactly, so we're left to wonder a bit.

What you get

You get a controller, an HDMI dongle, and a carrying case (for $10 extra). About the size of a normal smartphone, the GameStick will fit comfortably in a pocket or stow away nicely in a bag. Nothing obtrusive or bulky, no set-top box to worry about, and no cables to fuss with. You get the ability to take mobile gaming to the big screen, wherever you go.

GameStick is also rumored to give you access to about 200 games at launch, so if you've ever wondered what that racing game you love so much will translate to on the big screen at your friend's house, you may get to find out. The little powerhouse is also noting it will have support for an Android device-based controller. If it hits the Kickstarter goals, you may even be able to get it in a variety of colors!

When you'll get it

On the GameStick Kickstarter website, the company has a very detailed timeline of activity and fulfillment promises. PlayJam is basically showing you the business model, and I find that commendable. Whether or not it can arrange development of games and product is something only time will tell, but at least it’s being transparent about the operation. It's really easy for a Kickstarter project to be vague about its intent, only to find itself unable to fulfill an end product. PlayJam seems to have its act together, which makes it pretty easy to get excited about this whole thing.

What to watch for

PlayJam is working hard to build a product that makes good on its promises, but it may be in over its head. If we examine things from a development standpoint, the genre is getting a little crowded. Aside from the iOS and Android issue developers have to deal with, now there are an increasing number of micro-platforms to develop for. While we as users may not realize it, building in support for controllers may not be as simple as we think. I have about 45 games on my Nexus 7, and only 4 of them have support for my MOGA controller.

The ability to play mobile games on a big screen is a great idea, but it also tethers you. This is really the Achilles’ heel of this new genre of gaming platforms; do we want to be tied down to the couch anymore? I like the concept of the GameStick. If it has a nice library of games, it will be a huge hit. If developers don't get involved, nothing else matters.

ouya

Oooh, yeah!

OUYA is the big dog in the race. First to market with the concept, it set the gaming world on fire. Its Kickstarter campaign was through the roof, making the company enough capital to deliver a fantastic product. It's well thought out, well conceived, and terribly exciting. Developers have their OUYA boxes, so the time for users is closing in.

At $99, the price was too good not to be interested. You get a snappy little box and console-style controller, plus an HDMI cable and power cord. The controller is maybe a design for the ages. It already looks to be iconic, so if it delivers on performance as equally as it has on style, OUYA will be a major hit. Keeping the cords minimal was a smart move, also.

What you get

Well, you get all the goodies we just mentioned, but you get a little bit more than that. As OUYA was the first to market, they were also the first to get support. Not monetary support, but support from developers. What OUYA delivered on was a completely open source platform. Everyone who has an OUYA is encouraged to hack it and develop for it.

So aside from goodies, what you really get is a ton of really bright people developing for OUYA. Sure, you'll get the occasional crap game, but those get weeded out quickly. Really awesome games go viral, and big studios create a lot of hype about their stuff. OUYA already has a ton of momentum behind it, so expect a huge library of titles.

Speaking of games, another great aspect to OUYA is that all games will be free to try. What that means is not totally clear, as it's probably left up to developers. The platform does a marvelous job of supporting developers as much as gamers, so look for developers to repay that favor in kind.

When you'll get it

It feels like never, we're so excited, but it's coming very soon. An expected delivery of April 2013 puts it on track with the other two platforms we're discussing today. That's important when considering the market, as OUYA was first to it. GameStick will launch at about the same time, and Project Shield will launch in Q2 2013. What this tells us is that OUYA's hype is palpable, and nobody wants to lose ground to them. With what we can only assume (considering the Kickstarter campaign as well as orders from their website) to be a ton of pre-orders, and very promising competition, OUYA must meet that timeframe.

What to watch for

As much as OUYA will give us, it seems like perfection. Be careful, though, as this may not be all it seems. OUYA has many partners, including radio and streaming music. That leaves me wondering if OUYA is concentrating on gaming as it should, or are simply offering as many services as it can. If we look back to the Nexus Q, the only "Q" it gave us was questions. What, exactly, is it for? Why does it do all this stuff? We're not quite comfortable with the concept of a set-top box that does a variety of things. Streaming boxes like Roku or Google TVs are very popular, but still strange to many people.

There is also the set-top box issue. OUYA is powerful, promising, and popular. It's also stationary. This is where the fork in the road exists with OUYA. I'll go out on a short limb and say most people would use such a console box at their own home anyway, so this may not be a huge issue. If, however, you are mobile more than static, this may present a problem for you.

nvidia-project-shield

Surprise! It's a Shield

Project Shield came out of left field. It was NVIDIA's "one last thing" moment of CES 2013, and it was a doozy. Nobody heard rumors, and nobody had this on their radar. The company could have easily called it "Project Stealth" and it would have made sense, this thing was so hidden.

What Project Shield is, though, is a very impressive handheld gaming system that takes from the big screen rather than contributes to it. Supporting the popular Steam gaming service, it can play those games on its 5-inch attached screen. The screen looks great, too: a 720p OLED display that is built into the clamshell device, creating a little gaming hub for you.

What you'll get

As it has just been announced, details are still a bit opaque. We know you'll get a very familiar style of controller with a screen attached. Nobody has heard the final pricing of this device, but speculation of about $399 is floating around. What we're sure of is that you'll get a powerful device, as NVIDIA is touting its Tegra 4 processor inside.

As mentioned, you'll also get Steam on top of Android games and apps. Steam, the very popular PC gaming service, will be fully supported by Project Shield. This brings platform gaming to the small screen, not the other way around. That's done via a WiFi connection, so it keeps the platform truly mobile. Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and acting as a bit of a standalone device, Project Shield is very promising.

What to watch for

We know next to nothing right now, so we'll have to exercise speculative judgement. We know it will be more expensive that the other devices or consoles mentioned, simply due to the screen being included. If it comes in at $399, or even $299, don't look for it to be wildly popular. At that price, you could get a very nice tablet with a much bigger screen. You'd also get a device that those Android games were built for, giving you true access to the entire library of games. While those NVIDIA games built for the Tegra processor will be awesome on this device, we don't know how much outside support this will have yet.

Let's also be presumptuous and say it launches around the same time as the other two… the same day, even. What would make you want this? If you're already into Steam, this may appeal to you. On the other hand, it streams that service via WiFi, and you have to be on the same WiFi network as your computer. This gives you limited mobility, unfortunately. Sure you can play those Steam games anywhere you have a WiFi signal, but you can't take it with you.

In questioning the mobility aspect of it, we don't know if it's going to be a WiFi device, or if we'll be able to get some sort of rate plan from a carrier. If it's a WiFi only device, you can count me out. If I am buying into a mobile gaming platform, I want mobile gaming. The handheld gaming genre has hit rock bottom, so NVIDIA will have to absolutely nail this one, and i'm not talking about specs.

android-games

Conclusion

What really needs to be considered is mobility. Android gives the developers access to a ton of games, and a large user base. We use Android as a mobile platform, so this concept of stationary gaming is still new and weird for us. The fact that both GameStick’s and OUYA’s respective websites are “.tv” rather than “.com” or another variant also shows how serious they are about their niche.

Don't get me wrong, I'm terribly excited for all three of these platforms, but to what end? I try to imagine scenarios in which these platforms are best used. If I had kids, I'd get a GameStick. They could take their game system anywhere, so it would make entertaining them on the go a bit easier. An OUYA is best suited for me, as I'd be playing my games at home mostly. If I want to play a game on the go, I have my Nexus devices. If, however, GameStick had an equally impressive library of games as OUYA, it would be a push.

Project Shield is a juxtaposition to the other two, but is that a smart bet? Times are a bit tough for everyone, and Project Shield seems a bit of a luxury item at this point. It also brings the games to a small screen, and may not be as portable as we want. Is this how you want to game, or is your current device better suited for that? Time is always the great equalizer, and April should be an awesome month.

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Nexus 7 productivity tips

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 06:04 PM PST

nexus-open

The Nexus 7 is a landmark device in the world of Android tablets. Rather than being a productivity tool though, it was touted as Google’s content consumption device. Despite the release of the Nexus 10, the Nexus 7′s value for money has ensured its long term sales success, as evidenced by the newer 32GB and 3G versions of the device. Just because the Nexus 7 was intended for one purposes doesn't mean we can’t turn it into something completely different though. Join us as we show you how to turn your Nexus 7 into a mobile office.

Productivity Apps

The easiest way to switch your Nexus 7 into work mode is to load it up with apps from the Play Store. We’ve already written about Nexus 7 productivity apps, but let’s have a quick recap.

Online Notes

EVERNOTE

Whether you prefer Evernote or Microsoft’s OneNote for online note taking, both of these apps allow you to take notes with text and images that synchronise to the cloud for viewing on your browser and other mobile devices. If you already use one of these services, then check out how to switch from one to another. See our guide for other Android note taking apps too.

Mobile Office Suites

so2

The default option for working on documents and spreadsheets in Android is Google Drive (formally Google Docs). However, sometimes a completely offline office app is a better option. OfficeSuite Pro 6 + (PDF & HD) is a great option if you want direct access to editing files in several cloud services, including Dropbox and SkyDrive, even if it does suffer from some text rendering problems on the Nexus 7. If you want a slicker ‘whiz-bang’ user interface, then try Smart Office 2. It accesses files on DropBox and Google Docs, but not SkyDrive. However, it has a much more enjoyable user experience than OfficeSuite Pro 6.

Miscellaneous

If you are serious about password management, then you should invest in a LastPass subscription which entitles you to use its free mobile clients. The app gives you a secure browser environment too – great for doing your banking.

For blogging, check out the Android WordPress client.

For collaborative project management, try Asana. I’ve been using the unofficial client, but you can also get a native client for around $5.

If you’re a developer, then you must check out DroidEdit Pro which gives color coded syntax and direct editing of files on DropBox.

If you want to get files from other phones or USB drives, then you should install Nexus Media Importer, or if you have root access try Stick Mount.

Accessories

It’s not just software that can transform the Nexus 7 into the perfect mobile office – hardware matters too. Don’t worry though, none of the accessories listed here need be very expensive, with some very cheap accessories you can turn your Nexus 7 into your own little Android Netbook.

USB Host Cable

nexus-host

Picking up where we left off on the apps section, let’s talk about getting files from other devices into your tablet. Neither Nexus Media Importer nor Stick Mount are any use to you unless can connect a USB drive to your Nexus 7. For this, you’ll need a “USB Host Cable”, which has a Micro USB connector for your tablet, and instead of a USB plug on the other end, it has a USB port for connecting USB cables or thumb drives. These cables are inexpensive and easy to pick up ­– run a search on eBay.

Desk Stands

deskstand

Even though we finally know the release date and price of the Nexus 7 dock, there are simpler alternatives thanks to the huge third party market of iPad accessories. If you look on eBay or Amazon for tablet stands you’ll find a range of designs for very little money. If all you want is to have your Nexus 7 upright on your desk as a second screen, then pretty much any iPad stand will do.

Note that if you want to charge your Nexus 7 while standing on a generic tablet stand, you’ll need to make sure you have screen rotation enabled.

Portable Chargers

turbo-charger

Even though the Nexus 7 has a capacious 4,325mAh battery, it can still run down quickly – especially if you’re using Bluetooth and/or GPS. You travel a lot, you should carry a portable charger, which is basically a huge battery, about the size of a phone. There are portable chargers out there with capacities as large as 8,000mAh – enough to charge the Nexus 7 twice. My personal choice is the Proporta TurboCharger 7000 (mAh).

Keyboards

The Pièce de résistance of Nexus 7 accessories are Bluetooth keyboards. While there is a huge market of Bluetooth keyboards, it’s best to buy something that has been designed specifically for your Nexus 7. There are plenty of leather cases with integrated keyboards designed for the Nexus 7. These are good options as long as you will be using the tablet in ‘laptop mode’ while on a desktop, but not on your lap given that they rely on a small stand that flips out from the back of the case.

nexus-open

The best keyboard I have found for the Nexus 7 doesn’t actually have a name, but if you search Google or eBay for “Nexus 7 keyboard stand” you’ll soon find the keyboard shown in the photos there. This keyboard provides a solid base, meaning that you can easily sit it on your lap as a (very) small laptop. It has a narrow trough that allows the Nexus 7 to slot in and sit at a slight angle.

In addition to being a keyboard, it also acts as a case. Its base is covered in a similarly rubberised material as the Nexus 7′s back, and the keyboard has clasps that allows it to clip onto the front of the tablet.

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The best of all is that this keyboard is amazingly cheap. There’s no official distributor – it’s not even clear who makes this keyboard, but they’re fairly easy to find if you know what you’re looking for.

I highly recommend this keyboard if you want to turn your Nexus 7 into the Android equivalent of a Chromebook or Netbook.

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TalkAndroid Staff Picks: Best of CES 2013

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:41 AM PST

I think we can all agree that mobile isn’t the focal point for the Consumer Electronics Show since it deals with all consumer electronics. Even so, there was still a lot of cool stuff announced, and the question is what’s the best of the best (for mobile)? We had new devices from Sony, Huawei, and ZTE as well as processors from Samsung, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, not to mention other hardware like tablets, gaming controllers, gaming systems, and even Google TV.

Before we get into it, I want to thank my entire staff for the hard word this past week, especially our Editor, Roy Alugbue. I was the only one on the show floor and we managed to churn out 45 hands on videos along with a bunch of other announcements and stories. Roy kept the train moving, and our team delivered in a way that we’ve never done before. I am proud of everyone and already looking forward to next year. If you’ve missed any of our coverage, be sure to click here.

Now that the show floor is closed, it’s time for each of us to pick the cream of the crop so hit the break to find out.

Robert Nazarian – Editor In Chief

For me, the best of for CES has to not only be innovative, but it also has to show me that it will make a big future impact. My initial thinking narrowed it down to four choices: Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa, Samsung’s Youm flexible display, The Alliance For Wireless Power wireless charging demo, and NVIDIA’s Project Shield. First off, kudos to Samsung for making two out of four. I immediately removed the Exynos 5. Lets face it, the Exynos 5 is a pure beast so no one can take that away, but it you think about it, it won’t have much of an impact into the extended future. By this time next year, Samsung will be unveiling the Exynos 6 or whatever they will call their next great CPU. Although the Exynos 5 is a serious processor and something I am seriously looking forward to, it doesn’t make a long term impact.

That leaves the flexible display, wireless charging, and Project Shield. I have to give the nod to Samsung’s flexible display. It will make a serious impact for mobile devices for years to come. The bricks that we put in our pockets on a daily basis will be forever changed from this new technology, and in ways we still don’t understand. If you think about it, smartphones and tablets have evolved so much, but on the other hand, they are getting a little boring in that they continue to be a basic brick. Sure, displays and processors will continue to evolve, but flexible displays are really going to change mobile devices and how we use them.

I chose the Alliance for Wireless Power’s demo as my 2nd choice. Wireless charging isn’t new, but it’s something that hasn’t taken off. This alliance of key members from the tech community are about to bring a standard to wireless charging that will finally make it mainstream. Imagine sitting at a bar or restaurant and putting your phone down, and it automatically charges. Imagine getting in your car and simply resting your phone down on the console while it automatically charges. How about your nightstand, the coffee table, your kitchen counter, the possibilities are endless.

I went with Project Shield as my third choice. Again, a gaming system is nothing new, but I have been saying that mobile will takeover the console as choice. NVIDIA has created a product that is not only a gaming system, but it’s also a “mobile” gaming system with full controls. It can easily be mirrored to your television and you can stream PC games. You can already hook up your tablet or phone to your TV and utilize a wireless controller to have a console-like gaming experience, but Project Shield steps it up a notch by giving you a full mobile gaming experience away from your television and when utilizing it with your TV, the Shield’s display can act as a second screen to enhance gaming. I think it represents the future of gaming, and that’s why I picked it as contender for the best of the best. The only question will be pricing. They didn’t give us any word, but reading between the lines, I am confident they will price it right for success.

Roy Alugbue – Editor

The various announcements and launches of most items at CES was generally underwhelming to say the least— but Samsung certainly caught my eye with the introduction of yet an another innovative piece of technology. It is certainly no surprise that Sammy has made it a serious goal to ensure that its devices offer superior performance by developing its own in-house Exynos chips. While the Exynos dual and quad-core processors have each held their own compared to the competition, the new 5 Octa chip is single-handedly ushering in the next generation of super SoC units. It is not only one of the first chipsets that is based off of ARM’s Cortex A15 technology, it is the first 8-core processor to formally be announced for use in our Android devices. While we don’t know which Mali GPU will be featured or how fast the 8-core chips will be clocked at— we do know that the newly unveiled chipset is at least 2x faster than the fastest chips on the market right now. Considering Samsung certainly has a history of developing chips that rival or surpass its competitors– it’s not so far fetched to believe that claim.

It will be tough having to play the waiting game for now, but I certainly can’t wait to see the real-world performance of the new chipset in Sammy’s upcoming smartphones and tablets.

Jeff Causey – Author

My “best of…” from CES 2013 is the Youm flexible screen that was put on display by Samsung. There were lots of cool new gadgets on display at CES 2013 and Android seemed to be present everywhere. A lot of this is stuff that we have seen in the past – “connected” appliances in the home, smart TVs, some wearable computing devices. The openness and availability of the Android operating system makes it easier to incorporate into these different items, which may be why they seem to be closer to reality than ever before, albeit, probably still too expensive for general consumer adoption. CES 2013 also seemed to have lots of tablet news as manufacturers rush to get into that space and many phone manufacturers are now chasing the 5-inch, 1080p display bar for their smartphone devices. In a sense, it felt like CES 2013 was only a display of how Android is continuing to mature and enable some form factors that have been around for a while.

The Youm flexible screen seems to be different though. Other than some concepts in Samsung’s video revealing the technology, there were no devices that have already incorporated the technology. I expect that will change over time and in ways that have not yet been imagined. That is why I vote for the flexible screen as the best of CES 2013 – it is one technology that has the potential to bring about some major innovation, not just evolution, in electronics. It is the one item that I will be waiting and paying attention to see how it is adopted over the course of the next year.

Colton Kaiser – Author

Simply put, CES is a nerd’s haven. It’s only fitting that Android, the mobile operating system we’ve come to know and love, has managed to become an enormous part of it over the past few years. This year’s convention was no different. We saw hundreds of tablets from a slew of top-tier manufacturers, as well as a number of quality smartphones from the likes of Sony, Huawei and ZTE. And while we’re looking forward to getting our hands on these devices, none of them really had the “wow” factor needed to steal the show. Since we’re here to talk about the best product of CES 2013, none of those devices need apply. There’s only one product that can legitimately earn the title of “Best of CES 2013,” and that’s NVIDIA’s Project Shield. Its unique form factor, incredible gaming capabilities, top-notch specs and stock software make it the most well-rounded device of the show. There’s no question Android is becoming the go-to embedded OS, and the fact that it can be used to power niche concepts like a full-fledged gaming console is downright intriguing.

Rudy Rivapalacio – Author

There are a lot of great stuff my wallet and I are fired up about, but my choice for Best of CES 2013 is the thing that I’m most excited about: Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa. Sure, it’s ‘just a processor’ and the device it’s built into will be a huge factor but… we’re talking eight effing cores and potentially twice the speed of current chips out there. I might be buying into the spec hype a little too much, but we’re in an arms race here, folks. I need to be absolutely certain of my iPhone-toting buddies’ complete annihilation when I pull out my Android beast from my pocket. I’ll give my runner up awards to a few other Android items I’m excited about: Vuzix M100Polaroid iM836 and the geek self-identifying I’m Watch.

Jared Peters – Author

Personally, I think Sony’s newly unveiled flagship, the Xperia Z, was the best device we’ve seen at CES this year. It’s not the absolute latest hardware, and it’s not the most revolutionary device, (although a water and dust proof flagship phone is unheard of) but it is the most ambitious device that we’re going to see in 2013. Sony is a company that’s in danger of falling too far behind its competitors, and the Xperia Z is the key to unlock that unified, desirable ecosystem that every OEM strives to make for consumers. From the NFC-enabled sharing of video and music to Sony televisions and sound systems, to the small details like the extremely durable power button, I think the Xperia Z showed a company paying attention to what’s important to consumers and giving them a device to suit their needs.

 


AT&T to offer Lenovo IdeaTab A2107 with or without a contract

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:10 PM PST

Are you an AT&T customer looking to pick up a cheap tablet? AT&T’s got you covered. You can grab a completely unsubsidized, off contract Lenovo IdeaTab A2107 for only $199.99 on AT&T’s website. For this lightweight little 7-inch tablet, that’s not a bad price, especially if you don’t need the latest and greatest tech but want something to watch Netflix on the go with. And for a limited time, you can opt for a two year service agreement to knock $100 off the price of this tablet, since it sports 3G radios. Aside from the 3G, the IdeaTab packs a 7 inch HD screen, a 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 2MP camera. It’s not going to make your jaw drop, but if CES this year made you a little envious of all the new devices, this deal might just scratch your tablet itch.

source: AT&T


Android Central

Android Central


Use the Nexus 10 to simulate almost any Android device while testing your app

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:58 PM PST

Nexus 10

We've all heard the stories that say it's impossible to develop for Android because of all the different possible screen sizes and resolutions. The flip side is that the way Android development is done, most of the time that doesn't really matter. I'm able to string together an Android application, but I'm no serious app developer, so I'm guessing the reality lies somewhere in the middle -- having a selection of screen sizes and resolutions to test on can;t be a bad thing.

If you have a Nexus 10, none of this matters. Using a tool first developed in 2011, you can use your Nexus 10 to simulate almost any Android environment. Because the N10 screen is so high resolution and has such a high pixel density you can emulate the different sizes and ppi right on the tablet with a few handy commands -- "adb shell am display-size" and "adb shell am display-density". 

Using those two commands while the screen is off will let the attached device will emulate the chosen parameters when the screen is turned back on. You'll want to read all the documentation before you get started, but this looks like a great (and inexpensive) way to test your app layout across many different environments. 

Source: +Adam Powell



Photo Sphere: Coming to a non-Nexus near you in 2013?

Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:46 AM PST

Photosphere

So much is a given in the smartphone business. Another product cycle begins, and we'll see new hardware. Refined software. Improved user interfaces. It'll happen, just like clockwork. Those are the broad strokes, though. It's tough to nail down individual features.

One of the items we're very much hoping to see adopted this year is Photo Sphere, the 360-degree (more or less) panorama feature that Google added to Android 4.2 on the Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus. It's not just a matter of Samsung or HTC or Motorola or LG slapping Android 4.2 onto its devices and calling it a day -- software and licensing usually don't work quite that easily. But if there's one feature from the latest version of Android on the latest "Pure Google" phone we want to see spread to the other hundreds of millions of Android smartphones that'll be sold this year, it's Photo Sphere. Not that we won't see it ported to other devices, though, but we're talking about official support here.

There's another side to this, of course. Viewing of Photo Sphere images is still fairly limited, with Google+ (both on the web and mobile) and Google Maps serving as the primary ways of viewing Photo Spheres. Google released an API in December 2012, but it's still in its infancy and will take a little time for anyone else to implement on the mobile side. At some point we'd expect the ability to embed a Photo Sphere onto a web page like any YouTube video. But for now, that's all Google's baby.

Work on this year's crop of Android smartphones is well under way, and we should start seeing the fruits of manufacturers' labor in the next month or so. Here's to hoping Photo Sphere manages to be a part of it.