Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Rumor: Samsung prepping 8 Android smartphones for Q1 2013 (besides the Galaxy S4)

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:15 AM PST

samsung

While Samsung's high-end smartphones have obviously played a key part in the company's recent booming success in the Android décor, there's no doubt in our minds that the low-enders and mid-tier devices have also contributed to the unprecedented sales and profit boosts.

To put it simply, it was a team effort that brought Sammy the Android crown, an effort sustained by the GNote 2 and GS3 as well as the Galaxy Y or Ace. It's only natural therefore to expect Samsung to continue pushing in the budget niche just as hard as it does in the high-end sector.

And man, are the Koreans pushing! The rugged Galaxy Xcover 2 made its debut late last week, the Galaxy Pop saw daylight just yesterday, while literally moments ago we witnessed the Galaxy Express launch. But wait, there's more.

Much more actually, if we are to trust SamMobile (and why wouldn't we?). The website's sources tell us that Sammy is in fact prepping 8 (eight!!!) other Android devices for Q1 2013 debuts. And that's not counting the GS4 pack leader we expect to see any day now.

Samsung Fonblet

The first side of this Samsung octagon is occupied by the GT-B9150 we've heard about way back in October 2012. This fellow doesn't have a market name yet, but the rumored spec sheet includes goodies like a 1,280 x 672 pix res display, a dual-core Exynos 5250 CPU and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. There could also be a slide-out QWERTY keyboard there, but that's only based on the model number.

The GT-I8262, aka Galaxy Core, is the second Samsung mid-ranger expected by the end of March. Introduced already in China as the Galaxy Duos, this guy sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, 768 MB of RAM and a 5 MP camera.

The number three and four on today's list might have branding in common, being supposedly named the Galaxy Fonblet 5.8 and Fonblet 6.3. Though we've heard word about the first one before, we still don't have many details, besides the obvious screen size and the model numbers – GT-I9150 and GT-I9152.

Meanwhile, the 6.3-incher is even more mysterious, although, judging by the existence of a sole model number (GT-I9205), we can guess it'll only come in a single-SIM version.

Samsung-Galaxy-Pocket

Moving on lower on Samsung's "food chain", we have four more phones with very few details attached to their names. These are the Galaxy Star (aka GT-S5282), Galaxy Pocket 2 (GT-S5310 or GT-S5312), Galaxy Young (GT-S6310 and GT-S6312) and Galaxy Frame (GT-S6810 and GT-S6810P).

Based only on their rumored market names or model numbers, we can assume the Star will be a rehash of the 2012 Star 3 Duos (aka S5222), while the Pocket 2 and Young will follow on the footsteps of the Galaxy Pocket (S5300) and Galaxy Y (S5360). Finally, the Frame, which has been rumored before, shouldn't have any obvious ties with past Sammy products, though the specs could be similar to Ace and Mini's.

Phew, now that was exhausting! And all those phones aren’t even official yet. Which begs the question – is Samsung going too far? Is the Galaxy big enough for so many slightly different devices? What do you guys think?

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Google ready to give away over $3 million of rewards for Chrome OS hacks during Pwnium 3

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:44 AM PST

Samsung Series 5 550Google has launched its third Pwnium competition this time focusing on Chrome OS. For Pwnium 3 Google is prepared to give away up to $3.14159 million USD (yes, that is the number PI rounded up to 5 decimal places) in prizes to any security researcher who can demonstrate a browser or system level compromise.

In previous years Google’s Pwnium competition focused on its Chrome web browser but this year the search giant says that since Pwn2own is covering Chrome, it wants hackers at Pwnium 3 to attack Chrome OS. Google are giving away up to $150,000 per exploit but to get the money the compromise must be demonstrated on a base (WiFi) model of the Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook, running the latest stable version of Chrome OS. Also you need to give Google details of the exploit!

Underwriting rewards of $3.14159 million might sound like a big amount, but during previous competitions Google only had to payout a fraction of the total rewards available.  It is likely that security researchers will only find one or two exploitable vulnerabilities, so Google will likely payout around $300,000 by the end of the competition. However that is still a big some of money.

Why is it important?

So why is Google running these competitions and handing out such large sums of cash. In the same way that the technology used in Formula 1 racing trickles down to the consumer market, so it is with these competitions. Once the exploit has been shown Google, will update Chrome OS and Chrome to fix the errors. It will also start to look for similar and related errors in the code.

With millions of people using the Internet and a good portion of those using Chrome, Chrome OS or Android, Google has positioned itself as a company which  takes security seriously and is building trust among consumers and corporates to demonstrate that our data and Internet transactions are safe in its hands. The level to which that assertion is true is however a completely different conversation!

Pwnium 3 will be part of the CanSecWest 2013 conference, where the annual Pwn2Own competition will also be run that targets web browsers including Google Chrome.

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Best Buy and Wirefly now have stock of the Nexus 4

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:35 AM PST

Best-Buy-Nexus-4-2

We told you a few hours ago that Best Buy has put up the Nexus 4 on its website for all to see, but — unfortunately — not to buy. The difference between then and now is that NOW the retailer is ready to take your hard-earned money.

As you might already know, Best Buy is selling the Nexus 4 for $199.99 with a two-year contract on T-Mobile. Meanwhile, the "unactivated price" will set you back $599.99. It's definitely on the pricey side of things, but paying the premium means you don't have to worry about being stuck on a contract.

As for something that’s a little hard to believe, there's actually another option online where you to can try and get your Nexus 4 from. Retailer Wirefly also has stock of the phone on its website, where it's offered for $149.99. Not only will you get to save $50, but it also comes with free shipping. The off-contract price is set at $570.

If you’re interested, we suggest you hurry up and grab the phone from either of the two as soon as humanly possible. Let us know whether you’ve managed to score one or not below.

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Samsung Galaxy Express: It’s another Galaxy that doesn’t make any sense

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:14 AM PST

Samsung has just announced a new smartphone called the Galaxy Express. It looks exactly like the Galaxy S3, it has the same specs as the Galaxy S3 Mini, except that the Mini has a 4 inch screen, whereas the Express has a 4.5 inch screen. We wish we were making this up, but we’re not. Samsung is calling this thing a “value-driven 4G LTE smartphone”. In other words, Samsung wanted to satisfy operators who didn’t like the Galaxy S3 Mini, but still wanted to offer their customers a smaller Galaxy phone that looks and feels like the original.

When will this thing come out and how much will it cost? This is a Samsung press release we’re talking about, so of course that information isn’t provided. Should you buy the Express? No. Why would you? To show your friends that you wanted a GS3, but couldn’t afford one, so you had to settle on this thing?

The one redeeming feature of the Express is the fact that it has a Super AMOLED Plus display. What does that mean? Samsung gets a lot of heat for shipping phone that have screens which use PenTile technology. PenTile means that each pixel of a screen doesn’t have three subpixels, instead there’s two subpixels, with an additional strip of subpixels running next to them. There have been improvements in PenTile technology over the years, but we’re not going to lie, Samsung’s PenTile AMOLED screens still don’t look as sharp or as accurate as the LG LCD panels that other companies (Apple) use in their products. Those panels have all three subpixels. Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus screens also use all three subpixels.

But back to the topic at hand, why is Samsung diluting the Galaxy brand with all these derivative devices? It’s painful to watch. It reminds us of Nokia, who used to make one flagship phone per year, and then ship it in a bunch of form factors using different model names.

Look where Nokia is now.

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DigiTimes: HTC will unveil the M7 next month in London, ship it in late March

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:51 AM PST

According to DigiTimes, the Taiwanese supply chain website that’s chock full of rumors, most of which turn out to be true, HTC is going to announce the M7 early next month at an event in London. In case you haven’t heard of the M7 yet, it’s the codename for HTC’s 2013 flagship phone. It’s going to take everything we like about the DNA/Butterfly, and kick things up a notch.

Let’s start with the screen. The DNA/Butterfly has a 5 inch 1080p display. The M7 on the other hand, it takes that same resolution and shrinks it down to “just” 4.7 inches. That means it’ll have a stunningly high DPI of 468. Then there’s the camera. It’ll allegedly have a 13 megapixel sensor, which is all fine and dandy, but we care about the optics more. And as for the processor, there will be a 1.7 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon in there.

Now we know what you’re thinking, who cares about the phone if you can’t buy it? DigiTimes goes on to say that the M7 will be on store shelves during the “second half of March”. Translation: HTC wants to have their high end phone out before Samsung drops the bombshell known as the Galaxy S4.

But isn’t that the elephant in the room? Assuming the M7 turns out to be the ultimate smartphone. A device so amazing that you’re willing to do unspeakable acts just to obtain it. Shouldn’t you wait until Samsung hosts their own event to announce their next flagship phone?

Make no mistake, 2013 is going to be a very interesting year. In 2011 we saw HTC’s Sensation fail to compete against the Galaxy S2. In 2012 we saw HTC’s One X fail to destroy Samsung’s massive marketing machine. Is the third time the charm or are we going to see HTC strike out for the third and final time?

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Google demands probable-cause warrant from cops before handing over user data

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:25 AM PST

Google logo
If you’re worried that the information you have stored on Google‘s servers – including e-mail, photos, documents, and so on – can be revealed to the police as soon as they come knocking on Google’s door, well, you should. But at least in some cases, Google demands that a probable-cause warrant be shown to them first before they hand over any data. This is what the search giant revealed earlier this month through a recent post on its public policy blog titled, “Transparency Report: What it takes for governments to access personal information.

The fact that Google requires a probable-cause warrant from the police before handing over user data is a small privacy win for users of its services. However, according to Google’s own records, more than two-thirds of all the user data it does hand over are given without the need for any probable-cause warrants whatsoever.

This is because of the existence of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act or ECPA, which was passed nearly three decades ago in 1986. Because of the ECPA, Google has to hand over certain kinds of user data as part of investigations if the data has been stored on its servers for more than 180 days. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy is currently trying to pass an ECPA revision that will make warrants mandatory, but his attempts have still not yielded any fruit.

It may be unfortunate that the much-needed update to the ECPA is still pending, but at least Google is trying to do what it can to keep user data private. Other companies such as Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Facebook, have also taken similar approaches when it comes to handing over user data to government agencies.

Until the pertinent ECPA revision pushes through, it’s up to policies made by companies like Google to ensure that the data its users store on its servers are kept safe and private, as it should be.

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Gmail’s ‘Quote Selected Text’ goes back to Labs due to user confusion

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:18 AM PST

gmail-failure

Of the three Gmail features that were released from the Labs in December, apparently one has graduated too soon to be perfectly primed for general use. Paying attention to user feedback, Google has recently decided to remove Quote Selected Text from the real world and let it undergo more testing.

The official statement from the search giant is found in its official Gmail page in Google+, which goes:

In December, we graduated Quote Selected Text from Gmail Labs. We’ve been listening to user feedback since the graduation and have decided to move the feature back into Gmail Labs. Users sometimes unintentionally quoted text they had inadvertently selected, which caused some confusion. For those of you who like the feature, you can still enable it in Gmail Labs.

By default, Gmail copies everything in your correspondent's email, along with all previous conversations, when you hit the Reply button and places it at the bottom of your draft. With Quote Selected Text, however, only the highlighted text is quoted in your reply. It's a useful feature when, for instance, you only want to reply to a specific thought found in very long email.

Quote Selected Text

If you’re like me who misses the feature, you can still re-enable it through Gmail settings:

  1. In Gmail, click the cogwheel icon in the upper right, and then choose Settings.
  2. From the 'Labs' tab, find the Quote Selected Text in the list of experimental features and click its Enable radio button.
  3. Click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom of the page.
  4. The feature is enabled again after the page refreshes.

While you were in the Labs tab, you may have also found other interesting features that Google deems not yet ready for public release. You may test them yourselves, including the useful 'Custom keyboard shortcuts' and 'Background Send.' Just take note that they may occasionally break or disappear without prior notice.

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Spotify Premium now bundled with Orange Young plans in Switzerland

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:14 AM PST

Spotify Premium on Orange
Orange Youth plan subscribers in Switzerland are in for a musical treat, as the carrier has announced that it has started bundling Spotify Premium with all of its Orange Young plans, effectively allowing subscribers to pay as little as 29 francs per month or about $31 to access Spotify Premium – that’s the monthly cost of their chosen mobile subscription, not the cost of Spotify Premium, which is included as a free service. This promo is a first in Switzerland and applies to all three Orange Young plans, including the most expensive one that costs 79 francs or about $85 per month.

The first Orange Young plan is the least expensive one of all. It’s called Orange Young Star and it comes with unlimited calls and texts as well as 1GB of mobile data. Meanwhile, there’s a second plan called Orange Young Galaxy, and it comes with unlimited calls and texts along with 3GB of mobile data. Finally, the third and most expensive Orange Young plan comes with unlimited calls and texts plus 10GB of mobile data, and it’s called Orange Young Universe. All three plans now include Spotify Premium subscriptions that will allow users to enjoy music streaming without hitting their monthly bandwith caps.

Back in November last year, we saw how Spotify teamed up with Sprint to provide a carrier billing option that allowed Premium subscribers to pay their $10 monthly subscription fee through their Sprint bills. Today’s news is an indication that Spotify is still working continuously to make things easier in more ways for its users around the world.

orange-switzerland-spotify-premium-1

It’s not clear whether or not a similar deal is being cooked up by Spotify to be served elsewhere in the world. But a free Premium subscription to its music streaming service would surely be a welcome addition to just about any mobile data plan, provided that the price is right. For those outside of Switzerland, you can still get a free taste of what Spotify offers by downloading the official Spotify app through Google Play.

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Deal Alert: Amazon reduces price of Droid Razr HD to $19.99

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:58 PM PST

Amazon WIreless

If you are considering switching to Verizon (no AT&T 4G LTE in your area?) or you are due for an upgrade on Big Red, this deal is for you. The Droid Razr HD has just dropped on Amazon down to $19.99 for new 2-year contracts and $0.01 for upgrades.

While no longer cutting edge, the Razr HD is no weakling by any stretch of imagination. It comes with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor (the same one in the U.S. Galaxy S3), a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display, a large 2530mAh battery and Android 4.1. Its distinctive design and construction should also cause some heads to turn, and I am personally a fan the Kevlar backing. With both the Droid DNA and Galaxy Note 2 coming in at $299.99 on contract, this is a great alternative, especially for the price. Of course you could vainly attempt to get your hands on a Nexus 4 and switch to a prepaid plan but beware, your patience could be pushed to new limits if you decide to go down that path.

As usual, both the black and white models and available. Have a look and spread the word, who knows how long the price will be this low.

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Quirky messaging app ‘Line’ hits 100m users, targets the U.S. to spur growth

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:55 PM PST

Line-logo

Back in 2011, Naver launched its very own mobile messaging solution called Line, which raked in more than 2 million downloads in just three months. The success story continues, as the company announced that the app now boasts over 100 million users worldwide, a feat that took 19 months to reach.

Like other competing instant messenger apps in the region, Line offers more than just the basic messaging features. It also allows users to make free voice calls, send photos and videos, and more. Seemingly unique to the app is the wacky Emoji and "fun stickers" that users can send to others. Think of them as emoticons on steroids.

Line-stickers

New stickers can be bought using real money at its Stickers Shop. While they sound silly, the sales of the stickers in July of last year managed to net the company an impressive $3.75 million. According to the rep, the monthly sales figure is now much higher than that.

Making the transition to a mobile-based social network, the app also introduced "home" and "timeline" features not too long ago, which allow users to update status, post pictures, and do other Facebook-y things.

What's next for Line? After dominating Asia, Naver is now trying to make it big in the U.S., as it reportedly has signed up Snoop Dogg and other celebrities to entice young users in the country to join the service. It has also recruited a Paramount Pictures veteran to spearhead its U.S. expansion.

If there isn't room for another mobile messaging application on your mobile device, you can actually download Line for your PC and Mac. Check out the link below if you want to see the fuss is all about.

 

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


“Sweet Android High-School” manga has us dying to learn Japanese

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:59 PM PST

What do you get when you take two of my favorite things — Japanese manga and Android — and combine them into an awesome concoction of awesomeness? A very big smile on my face, of course. When Chris told me about this light manga named “Sweet Android High-School” I was teeming with excitement. A series of stories that feature characters which represent mobile OEMs and software vendors? Yes, please!

Unfortunately, my smile turned into a very big frown because I realized the manga’s not in English — I’d need to get off my lazy butt and learn Japanese to read this one. While that might take a bit more time than I would like to spend for the chance to read this short collection of episodes, I figured some of you Japanese speaking folks might be able to help us uni-lingual peasants out and throw us a translation or two in the comments section.

The cast of characters are named hilariously bad, but that only adds to the fun and cheeky atmosphere that this manga seems to set up:

The international students

  • Moto-Laura-chan (Motorola)
  • Sam-Sung-chan (Samsung)
  • H-T-Syee-chan (HTC)
  • Elle-G-chan (LG)
  • Soni-Eri-chan (Sony Ericsson)
  • Apple-kun (Apple, yeah, they get a character too, apparently)

The Japanese students

  • Sharp-chan (Sharp)
  • Fuji-Toru-chan (Fujitsu-Toshiba)
  • Kashio-Nko-chan (Kashio-Nko-chan)

The comic runs each week in issues of the Japanese-based PC magazine Weekly ASCII, and the folks at that publication keeps the story going using actual news and happenings from around the mobile world. This is the first comic that has ever made me want to spend $600 on Rosetta Stone, and I just might be crazy enough to do it. Let us know if you can help us decipher the slides above in the comments section below.

[via GeekoSystem]

Best Buy has T-Mobile’s Nexus 4 for $200 — Better Hurry!

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:21 PM PST

Ready? Set? Go! No, really. Go now. That link will take you to Best Buy where you can find a T-Mobile Nexus 4 waiting for your hard-earned money. Best Buy is selling this version for $200 — just like T-Mobile — with a new two-year contract. You can also get it for $600 without a two-year chain strapped to your leg, if you want.

Considering this thing still isn’t available in the Play Store and sells out of T-Mobile’s warehouses in the blink of an eye this may be your best chance yet to get one. Best Buy’s site hasn’t crashed (yet) and who knows how plentiful their stock may be. Wait, why are you still reading this? Go!

The Google Glass Foundry went down today — what, exactly, is Google hiding? [POLL]

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:02 PM PST

If you don’t remember, Google’s Glass Foundry developers’ workshop commenced in San Francisco today, and a tight group of developers shuffled over there to get a look at something Google is treating like a top secret military project. It’s not that we’ve never seen Google Glass before — geeky Googlers have no problem strutting the streets of the world showing them off — but whatever Google talked about today was so sensitive that the company made developers sign an NDA that would scare any soul.

Unfortunately, because of that NDA, we haven’t had any luck in trying to figure out what went on behind closed doors today. What do you think Google is showing off? Is a new prototype with actual features being shown off (camera and uploading are a given, but it’s literally the only thing we’ve seen thus far)? Did Google give developers a disc chock full of application samples and code which fulfill the vision originally put forth by the video above? Did Google create the world’s first unsolvable “Where’s Waldo” puzzle?

Anything could have happened, but without any developers willing to come forward (hint, hint) we can’t say for sure. I personally think Google finally showed off the use cases that we were all originally excited for in working form, and that they showed developers how to tap into the primitive power of the frames to get started on some early prototypical apps for Glass. I’d guess that they also had an updated version of Glass to finally show off and give to developers that included tech like laser-projected keyboards and bone-conduction audio. That’s an easy guess, of course, but what else is a developers’ workshop for?

The scrooge in me might also guess that Google simply doesn’t have anything more than what we’ve already seen — a so-so head-mounted camera that can upload images straight to Google+. Perhaps Google is so ashamed that it’s taking so long to get other apps going on the platform that it doesn’t want anyone to know. The Mountain View company certainly hasn’t given us much reason to believe otherwise yet, so it’s a fair question, I’d say.

We’d love to be proven wrong on that, though, and be told that something truly amazing really is being brewed up behind the walls of that impenetrable Californian fortress. What say you? Is Google enforcing this strict NDA for a good reason or do they just want to save themselves from PR hell? Sound off in the poll and comments section below!

Sprint brings 4G LTE to Boston, Austin and more

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST

It’s always a wonderful day whenever new cities are added to the list of those covered by a carrier’s delicious 4G LTE signal, and for many Sprint customers that day is today. Sprint is boasting the addition of 9 new 4G LTE cities, including heavy hitters like the Boston, MA; Austin, TX; and Fort Wayne, IN. In addition to them, folks in College Station/Bryan, TX; Columbia, TN; Emporia, KS; Gettysburg, PA; and Western Puerto Rico (yes, even before some bigger mainland American cities) have all been lit up with the juice.

It isn’t just about 4G LTE, though. Sprint’s overall network vision strategy will look to drastically improve 3G service across the board, as well. Sprint says 3G coverage in Puerto Rico have been significantly improved, so even if you aren’t under the LTE banner you should be seeing much better network performance.

Sprint’s original goal of spreading 4G LTE to most of its network by the end of this year means we should be seeing these rollouts happening a lot more frequently through 2013, but whether or not we’re being bluffed will be left up to time to tell. This is a really good start, though, and we hope this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Sprint in the coming weeks. Be sure to read more about these launches over at Sprint’s blog and check your smartphone for that exhilarating 4G icon if you live in any of the above areas.

Junior SH-05E is a kid-friendly Android phone for NTT Docomo

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 01:17 PM PST

As the world gets older and older, children are getting entrenched in tech at younger and younger ages. Childrens’ tablets and laptops have already swept the scene, and some tykes are starting to get basic cellphones at young ages. Now, it looks like a market for kid-friendly smartphones are on the horizon. The latest addition to Japanese carrier NTT Docomo’s line is the SH-05, an Android 4.0 smartphone that gives your kid a respectable means of communication without the worries of giving up your parental control.

The smartphone’s claim to fame will be its remote security and parental guidance features as parents can set limits on the amount of minutes used each day, filter content to make sure children can’t surf anything that’s not kid friendly and an easy-to-access list of emergency features in case your child needs to reach you or the local authorities in a jiffy.

Under the hood will be a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with a 12 megapixel camera, a qHD display (of unknown size right now), 8GB of internal storage, GPS and mobile payment features. The phone can meet the style of any youngster as it will come in pink, blue or the more neutral white, and will have basic protection against dust and light weather.

The phone’s user interface looks appropriately playful and cheerful, but it looks like it can handle some heavy lifting at the same time. We won’t be able to tell just how deep the software customization is but we imagine a lot of stock apps have been replaced with counterparts that fit the younger personality of the people it’s aimed for.

Unfortunately it’s unlikely we’ll see something like this released on a global scale, but perhaps this phone will inspire other companies to target the younger crowd just as they have with tablets. Take a look above.

[via New Launches]

OUYA CREATE spurs worldwide development to tune of 166 prototypes in 10 days

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:31 PM PST

A few weeks ago, we told you about a new initiative between OUYA and the folks at Kill Screen. OUYA CREATE, something they’re calling a “Game Jam,” was started to help stimulate OUYA development ahead of its spring debut. We’d call it more of a development competition than anything as some major bucks are involved for those who come up with games nice enough to impress the judges.

Up for grabs is about $45,000 in cash and prizes, including a $20,000 grand prize to whoever creates the title that impresses the most. It seems the initiative was a great success so far as OUYA has just updated us with some very interesting numbers. In 10 days, there were 166 new game prototypes submitted for the competition from developers stationed all across the world. Entries came from the likes of Germany, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, the United States and more.

It sounds like the submission period is wrapped up, though, and the judges are getting ready to tell us who they believe is the cream of the crop. Winners will be announced in just a couple of weeks’ time so we’ll be seeing the potential future of OUYA quite soon.

Note that not all of these prototypes are going to be AAA beasts — you can expect some bland-looking titles to be swimming about as people had very little time to work with. In terms of genres, there will be a nice variety as entries range from dungeon crawlers, action RPGs, brawlers, 4-player shooters, TCGs, platformers, word games, puzzlers and more.

Hell, some of the titles on this list might never even make it onto OUYA — after all, they’re just prototypes and we imagine only the winners will be fully motivated to finish the job and launch the games. Still, it’s great to get a glimpse at what the gears that will make OUYA turn,the developers, are thinking about as we approach the launch of one of Kickstarter’s most monumental successes yet.

[OUYA via GameFans]

SwiftKey Flow Beta updated with support for more text fields, ‘easier’ corrections

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:39 AM PST

SwiftKey Flow is inching its way toward a release, but the team behind the popular predictive text keyboard has an update for users already on the beta. The latest version brings SwiftKey’s precognitive autocompletion and flow text entry to even more input fields (still no email, passwords, or certain other apps) while providing easier corrections, more languages, and carrying over a few features from SwiftKey 3.

The full list of changes carries more details, but highlights include split keyboard layout in landscape mode, accelerated long press delete, and the ability to see three possible corrections for a word with one tap. The update also includes a plethora of various bug fixes, though there is still a lengthy enough list of known issues. For all the details check out SwiftKey’s latest blog entry.

Beta version 4.0.0.76 is available as a free download at the same link. If pre-release software isn’t your thing, SwiftKey 3 is available for purchase in the Google Play Store currently. When Flow goes official, it should be available as an update.

[via SwiftKey]

Google Wallet update brings overhauled UI, battery life improvements

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:43 AM PST

A new update is available for Google Wallet users from the Play Store. According to the changelog,  the new version of Google’s mobile payment system features updates to the app’s interface, improvements to battery life, and overall app stabilization.

The major change is a move to an interface better integrated with Android’s Holo theme. Instead of a landing page with shortcuts to various functions, the app now features a navigation bar more reminiscent of those found in other Google mobile apps. Just as in other apps, swiping left or right navigates between these “tabs.”

Unfortunately, Google Wallet is still lacking support for a large number of Android smartphones based on carrier restrictions, and this update won’t do anything to change that. If you are able to take advantage of the digital wallet, head on over to Google Play and download the latest version now.

Download Link: Google Wallet

[via DroidLife]

Mid-range Sony C5303 HuaShan leaks, borrows looks from Xperia Z

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:02 AM PST

At CES Sony unveiled their flagship model for 2013, the suped-up Xperia Z. A new leak gives us a glimpse of where the company is headed when they unveil the mid-range devices that will take their design cues from that handset. Seen here is the Sony C5303 HuaShan (a codename, obviously).

The phone borrows the circular power on/off/standby button first seen on the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL and carrier the same clean, elegant look. Benchmarks for the device proclaim an HD display, and the ‘About phone’ screen shows Android 4.1.2. A 1.7GHz Qualcomm MSM8960T powers a version of the phone that appears destined for China.

Mobile World Congress seems the logical place to unveil this device. The biggest question remaining? Which letter of the alphabet will follow Xperia when the phone is officially announced?

C5303 HuaShan 1 imageshack us C5303 HuaShan 4 imageshack us C5303 HuaShan 2 imageshack us

[via PhoneArena]

Get the Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for $99 via Amazon [DEALS]

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 09:48 AM PST

Amazon Wireless has cooked up a rather nice deal for those of you on the Now Network looking for a Galaxy Note 2. The Sprint version of the 5.5 inch phablet is up for sale at the online storefront for just $99, but there’s a catch. As usual, new customers are getting the better end of the deal here as that aforementioned price only applies to them.

You can still get the phone at a discounted price if you’re adding a line.You can get the device for $170 in those circumstances. Even if you’re upgrading, the discounted price point of $200 is a lot better than the $300 Sprint usually asks for.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has proven to be one of the best smartphones of late last year, and even in the fast paced smartphone industry it’s still tops in many different categories. Unique S Pen integration, a very nice chipset, 2GB of RAM, an above average 8 megapixel camera, ridiculous battery life and more all combine to create quite the phone.

Kevin Krause reviewed this phone and raved about all of that, so be sure to click this link and read up on why this phone is worth the $99-200 Amazon is willing to let go of it for. Get over to Amazon Wireless if you’re interested, and let us know if you’re  in for one down in the comments section.

New Game: give your brain a workout with Jail Run

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 09:21 AM PST

The folks at HeroCraft, responsible for some of the Google Play Store’s best titles, have come out with yet another game that you’ll want to spend some time with. Jail Run was just released for Android, and it’s a puzzle game which has you finding your way out of trap-filled dungeons. Traps aren’t the only thing that’ll come across your path, though, as many of the dungeons feature loot. You’ll want to take that look with you, but your first goal is to escape being recaptured.

Jail Run 63 different levels to sink your teeth into, including 3 bonus levels. These bonus levels right out of the gate lead us to believe that HeroCraft will be adding more of them in future updates, so this free download should be a no-brainer for anyone looking for yet another time drain.

It already has a five star rating in the Google Play Store so the general consensus seems to be that Herocraft has bestowed yet another hit upon us. Give it a whirl and see if you can’t lift yourself up out of captivity (and by captivity, I’m talking about work and the Monday blues).

[Google Play Store]

Samsung Music Hub to expand to non-Samsung devices

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 08:39 AM PST

Samsung wants its Music Hub to be the next big music store, but the South Korean OEM knows it can’t do it while only offering the service on its own handsets (and only a few select handsets, at that). Well, it looks like the next step is finally ready to be taken as TJ Kang, Samsung’s senior vice president for Samsung Media Services, has confirmed that the service will expand soon.

Samsung still has many devices under its own belt to hook-up, but it will open its arms to other OEMs, as well. Music Hub is something Samsung used to add more value to the Galaxy experience, but Samsung’s desires in the realm of online music seem to extend far beyond mobile. Making Music Hub a more device-agnostic experience would definitely help.

For starters, most people tend to go with services like iTunes, Amazon and Google Music because of flexibility. Sure, those respective services might be pushed more on one platform vs another, but nothing’s holding users back from enjoying that content on any devices they want.

It’s a big reason why I personally “disable” Music Hub on my phone — I’ll never use it as long as I am told that I have to be locked into a Samsung device to continue enjoying my purchases. If I can download my music on, say, a Nexus 7 or an HTC One X then I would be more than happy to throw my business their way every now and then.

Samsung will also have to change in a few other different areas. It has to go global with Music Hub, for one — being in just six countries won’t cut it. Kang confirmed the company would look to expand the service’s global footprint starting this year, but didn’t give an estimate as to how many countries it expects to roll out in.

Samsung has to look beyond mobile and tablets, as well, as it has a whole host of other products to serve. Smart TVs, personal computers, and even smart refrigerators (if that’s your thing) stand to be given some music-enabling love over the coming months. Samsung’s acquisition of mSpot won’t be wasted if these plans pan out how we think they will, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens to determine how serious Samsung is about challenging the biggest players in the game.

[via SammyHub]

Report: Google+ more active than Twitter

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 08:14 AM PST

When Google+ was first launched, many questioned Google’s ability to create a social network that could find a home among powerhouses like Facebook and Twitter. These questions were highly warranted, of course, considering the company’s shaky track record after the failed experiments of Google Buzz and Orkut (though the latter isn’t really considered to be in that same category of “failure” as it’s still a popular social network in countries like Brazil and India).

Welp, here we are — a whole 19 months later — and it’s being reported that Google+ has climbed all the way from the depths of social networking nothingness to become the second most active social network in the past month. The service passed up YouTube, Twitter MySpace and LinkedIn quite handily, according to a report by UK research firm Trendstream.

If accurate, it’s not hard to explain how or why Google+ has gotten so big. For starters, Android and the Google Play Store deserves a big honorable mention. Google changed the Google Play Store in recent months to require people to use their Google+ profiles (which almost everyone with a Google account has) in order to leave user reviews. Google’s efforts to implement Google+ functionality in other services such as YouTube and Gmail don’t hurt, either. It might be cheating just a tad, but it’s still impressive.

Still, if you’re not winning you’re losing, so the fact that Facebook still commands an insurmountable lead will overshadow this news. The social network, which the movie “The Social Network” was shamelessly based on, reportedly had 693 million active users in this period compared to 343 million for Google+. Literally everyone might not have a Facebook account, but you would be hard-pressed to find a room full of people without one in this day and age (unless you’re doing stand-up at the old folks’ home, of course).

Google’s strategy is working to some degree, but the company still has some work to do to make these numbers less artificial. A ton of people do use Google+ out of sheer fun and interest, but we imagine that a rather large percentage of its growth has a lot more to do with Google’s wizardry and leveraging skills than anything else.

[via Forbes]

NVIDIA could sell Tegra reference devices to OEMs in attempt to grow market share

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 08:12 AM PST

For a hot second NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 platform was the go-to SoC for mobile manufacturers, though more recently the Snapdragon S4 series has been the hot hand. NVIDIA hopes to turn things around with their newly announced Tegra 4, but just in case OEMs don’t buy in, the company may have a plan.

According to a new report, in an effort to grow market share for their mobile processing platform, NVIDIA could soon begin offering Tegra reference designs direct to OEMs in China and Russia. NVIDIA would have control over hardware design, while manufacturers could rebrand the devices to their pleasing.

Not only would the strategy give NVIDIA the perfect opportunity to showcase their processing platform on devices tailored to its capabilities, but it would also allow the company to undercut competition and offer quality devices at pricing levels more suited for emerging markets. This would be the aim, though a gnarly NVIDIA-designed super phone wouldn’t be totally out of the question.

If the rumors pan out, we could see these devices as early as May or June. Remember, we’ve already seen NVIDIA’s willingness to dive into the mobile entertainment market with their Project Shield gaming handheld, so it’s not a stretch to think smartphones and tablets are not far off.

[via TechCrunch]

Samsung gives the Galaxy Tab 2 a splash of color, Garnet Red edition available this week

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:20 AM PST

With the Galaxy Tab 3 right around the corner, Samsung is giving the Galaxy Tab 2 one last hurrah. Starting this week, the 7-inch version of the slate will be available in Garnet Red from select retailers.

While the color is different, the rest remains the same. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 features a 7-inch display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, and a 3.2MP camera. Unlike the slate’s first time around the block, the new edition will launch with Android 4.1 and the latest TouchWiz UX out of the box.

If for someone reason the new color is enough reason to run out and pick this puppy up, act quick. We’ll only be seeing red for a limited time. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 will set you back $220 and comes with a matching case.

Samsung Brings Color to the Tablet Space with Garnet Red Edition Galaxy Tab 2

Limited edition color offering is a blend of on-the-go portability and style – includes free matching case, runs Android Jelly Bean

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., January 28, 2013 – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced that a new Garnet Red Edition of the powerful Galaxy Tab® 2 7.0 will be available for a limited time, beginning this week from participating retailers.

The new Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, preloaded with Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, showcases Samsung’s commitment to providing users with choice, portability and entertainment. This limited edition version of the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is competitively priced at $219.99 and also includes a matching Garnet Red case ($50 value) at no additional cost.
A stylish choice perfect for Valentine’s Day or any occasion
The Garnet Red Edition Galaxy Tab 2 was created for consumers who want to stay connected and entertained on-the-go, and are seeking a unique color offering.

“This new eye-catching version of the Galaxy Tab 2 offers endless entertainment in the palm of your hand, while the stylish Garnet Red look will set you apart from the crowd,” said Michael Abary, Senior Vice President, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. “The Garnet Red version of the Galaxy® S III has been incredibly well-received, so we are happy to make the same brilliant color available for our Galaxy Tab 2 as well.”
A compact 7″ powerhouse that’s smart and easy to use

The Galaxy Tab 2 is a powerful dual-core tablet running Android Jelly Bean, and features an easily accessible memory card slot for convenient loading of multimedia files in a range of supported file formats.
The tablet offer endless content access in a sleek design that can maximize the home entertainment experience. The Smart Remote App and built-in IR Blaster turns the Galaxy Tab 2 into a universal remote, helping users to easily find their favorite shows and change the channel directly from the tablet. Users can choose from hundreds of thousands of apps or access favorite movies and TV shows from Google Play or Media Hub.

The new Garnet Red Edition Galaxy Tab 2 will be available while supplies last, from Walmart, Amazon.com, Office Depot, Fry’s, Tiger Direct, Toys”R”Us and other fine retailers.
It features a 7″ TFT display and measures 0.41″ x 4.8″ x 7.6″. Weight including battery is 0.76 lbs and it features a built-in microSD slot supports up to 32 GB of additional storage. Connectivity includes WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 host, and integrated IR for home theater control.

A choice for every consumer

In addition to this new version of the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Samsung continues to offer the Galaxy Tab 2 in classic black or white in both 10.1 and 7.0 sizes. As well, the award-winning Galaxy Note 10.1 with integrated S-pen is available in black or white as well.
More information can be found at www.samsung.com.

Android and Me

Android and Me


Android continues to dominate globally, reaches 70 percent marketshare in 2012

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:02 PM PST

If you had any doubts about Android’s dominate position in the marketplace over the last year, you can put them to bed now. According to a new report out of Strategy Analytics, 152.1 million Android phones were shipped in Q4 of 2012 alone last year, leaving Android with a whopping 70 percent...

Visit our site to read the full article.

[Update] Better hurry, Nexus 4 available from Best Buy online for $199

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 02:53 PM PST

Still trying to get your hands on a Nexus 4? If you’re looking to do so with T-Mobile, you’re in luck. Right now, Best Buy has the Nexus 4 in stock online for $199 with a two-year contract through T-Mobile. If you’re looking to skip the contract, and buy the device outright,...

Visit our site to read the full article.