Android Authority

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• Acer to launch new Intel-powered smartphones first in Philippines
• Telstra opens Sony Xperia Z pre-orders, shipping to start on March 26
• Humble Bundle with Android 5 gets three extra games and soundtracks
• Google signs Target, Babies “R” US, and more as Shopping Express partners
• Acer intros a new version of the C7 Chromebook with a better battery and $280 price point
• New unnamed Motorola phone leaks, not the Google X Phone [video]
• Money talks: Samsung spent 20% more than Apple on ads in 2012, HTC a distant third
• ZTE Engage LT is Cricket’s latest Muve Music phone, can be had for $179.99
• Motorola bringing two new phones to Brazil – a low-end Razr D1 and a mysterious mid-ranger
• How to use Instagram on Android

Acer to launch new Intel-powered smartphones first in Philippines Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:15 AM PDT Although it may seem like Acer has not been doing much in the smartphone department lately — its latest smartphone-related activity involved launching a number of new devices at last month’s Mobile World Congress — the Taiwan-based company is actually quite busy. In fact, it is currently working with Intel to launch new smartphone models powered by the latest batch of Atom-based Clover Trail+ mobile chips. And it will be releasing the same very soon. How soon, exactly? Well, according to a press invite that we got this afternoon, Acer is going to hold a launch event for its “new line of smartphones” next week here in the Philippines. Nothing specific has been revealed yet so far, but judging from the presence of the Intel logo in the event invite itself, it’s clear that Acer plans on showcasing the only Intel-powered smartphone it revealed last month, the Acer Liquid C1. The Acer Liquid C1 comes with a 4.3-inch qHD screen, support for HSPA+ data and 3G, an 8-megapixel main camera, and Intel’s new 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 CPU. The Intel Atom Z2420 has been described by Intel as a “power-efficient SoC” that “enables a smooth and responsive user experience, including a responsive hardware-accelerated HTML 5 browser, fast applications, and outstanding multi-tasking performance.” We’ll be there at Acer’s summer party-themed launch event next week to bring you exclusive hands-on photos and our first impressions of the Liquid C1, as well as coverage on all of the other Android-powered Acer products on display that day. Check back here next week for the update. The post Acer to launch new Intel-powered smartphones first in Philippines appeared first on Android Authority.

Telstra opens Sony Xperia Z pre-orders, shipping to start on March 26 Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:02 AM PDT Although Australia was one of the first countries to gain confirmation of a wide Xperia Z rollout, Sony left it out the initial global launch waves. And, as it appears, Aussies will be left hanging a little more than expected, specifically until March 26. On the flipside, the Z can already be pre-ordered from Telstra in three color options, all of which will be bringing you a nice bonus as well. No matter if you choose the black, white or online exclusive purple version, Australia's number one carrier will be throwing in a free Sony wireless NFC speaker (normally worth $129). You can only order the Z with contracts for now, but thankfully you have plenty of choices to go around. The S plan is the most convenient, having a monthly fee of $63 and including unlimited texts and 1 GB of data. The M, L and XL will require heftier $80, $100 and $130 monthly payments, but of course they'll come with more data as well (ranging from 1.5 to 3 GB). In all four cases, Telstra offers the Xperia Z with no upfront payment, but the overall 24-month costs will still reach a minimum of $1,512 (the S plan) or a whopping $3,120 (the XL). Meanwhile, Vodafone and Optus, the other two networks expected to carry Sony's flagship, are yet to announce something specific on release dates or pricing. Which probably means they'll not start shipping the Z until April after all. Off contract, the 5-incher is expected to go for sale in a matter of days via Sony's online store and a couple of other retailers for $749. As for the non-waterproof Xperia ZL, that’s already available via MobiCity for $689 outright (only in black), but it’s not expected in carrier subsidized flavors anytime soon. Anyone from Australia eager to get their Xperia Z pre-orders in? Or do you prefer the ZL? The post Telstra opens Sony Xperia Z pre-orders, shipping to start on March 26 appeared first on Android Authority.

Humble Bundle with Android 5 gets three extra games and soundtracks Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:01 AM PDT With only six days remaining to purchase the latest Humble Bundle, the team has given more reason for gamers to scoop up the great collection of games, as three extra titles have been added to the game pack. The newest additions to the Humble Bundle with Android 5 are Splice, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and Sword & Sorcery EP, as they join Super Hexagon and Dungeon Defenders on the "premium" list. As for the "non-premium" ones, the list includes Beat Hazard Ultra, Dynamite Jack, Solar 2, and NightSky HD. In total, the bundle contains nine games that you can play until your eyeballs pop out, though we don't recommend doing so. You can pay what you want for the games, but getting all nine means you have to pay more than the average, which means shelling out $6.79. We definitely think this is a bargain considering the number of games AND soundtracks that you'll be getting. What's more, some of the proceeds will go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Child Play's Charity. Of course, it's up to you how much you want to split the contribution. Those who have previously gotten the bundle need not worry as well, as you'll get access to the newly added titles. Are you feeling generous today? Hit the humble link below. The post Humble Bundle with Android 5 gets three extra games and soundtracks appeared first on Android Authority.

Google signs Target, Babies “R” US, and more as Shopping Express partners Posted: 13 Mar 2013 02:43 AM PDT Over the past few days, there have been plenty of news stories about Google’s rumored same-day delivery shopping service called Google Shopping Express. And apparently, Google is currently trying to quiet things down, as evidenced by a letter meant for Google employees — Googlers, in the parlance of our times — acquired by TechCrunch and posted online for everyone to see. In that same letter, it is also revealed that Google is now ready to go further in its dogfooding of the service, by starting to offer it to “every Googler in the bay area including temps, vendors and contractors” after weeks of testing. Here is the full internal letter: Hi, As you may have seen, there was a leak last night about Google Shopping Express, including several very specific product details. Our PR team is working to quiet this down, but we need your help — please don't add fuel to the fire by discussing or even confirming Google Shopping Express. If you are contacted by a member of the press, please follow normal procedures and refer them to press@google.com. But wait, you asked me to ship to my home to help you test … so what about spouses and roommates? We trust your judgement. If your roommate writes a tech blog or works for a company in this space, please don't ship it home. But if you feel it's safe, then by all means, we still really need your help dogfooding this. Get free same day delivery with Google Shopping Express After weeks of testing, we're now excited to open Google Shopping Express to every Googler in the bay area including temps, vendors and contractors. Save yourself a trip to the store and stock up at places like Target, Nob Hill Foods, Babies "R" Us and more. Googlers who sign up early for a free membership will receive free same day delivery for one year! Non-members pay $4.99 per delivery per store. ************* Note that the letter also names Target, Nob Hill Foods, and Babies “R” Us as some of the first Google Shopping Express retail partners. Google might come out with more details on this officially at some point in the near future, but for now, this whole thing remains one of its many open secrets. The post Google signs Target, Babies “R” US, and more as Shopping Express partners appeared first on Android Authority.

Acer intros a new version of the C7 Chromebook with a better battery and $280 price point Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:59 AM PDT Acer's $200 C7 Chromebook might not be playing in the same league as the Pixel (not even close), but it is six times cheaper, so budget-conscious folks are likely to call the quality-price ratio fair. But what if you need just a little extra oomph and you don't mind coughing up 80 bucks more? In that case, you should meet the C710-2055. This looks exactly the same as the base C7 Chromebook model (C710-2847) and has most of the specs of the original, save for two key features, which have been boosted. The puny 4-cell battery now has two extra cells and a 5,000 mAh total capacity, which should add two whole hours of autonomy to the previous four. Multitasking is bound to get an important lift as well, given the 2 GB of RAM inside the base C7 have been upgraded to 4 gigs. I know what you're thinking, a slightly snappier processor would have made the new C7 perfect, but for the time being you'll still have to make due with the 1.1 GHz Celeron 847. The rest is also the same, with all the ups and downs that go with it – 320 GB of storage, 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 pix res screen, Intel HD Graphics, Wi-Fi, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, multi-gesture touchpad. And, as you might have guessed already, the C710-2055 is worth $280. Meanwhile, remember there's another C7 version around, the C710-2605, going for $300. That's for some reason very difficult to score (currently out of stock at most online retailers) and is esentially a C710-2055 with a larger 500 GB hard drive. As for other Chromebook options, you can find Samsung's old Series 3 starting at $250, the new Series 5 at $550 and up, and the HP Pavilion going for $330. And, of course, the almighty Pixel is available for $1,299 in a Wi-Fi only flavor or $1,449 with 4G LTE. That’s what we like to call freedom of choice! So what say you, boys and girls? Is Acer’s rehashed new C7 worth a second look? Is it the Chromebook with the best quality-price ratio? Are Chromebooks in general worth the trouble? The post Acer intros a new version of the C7 Chromebook with a better battery and $280 price point appeared first on Android Authority.

New unnamed Motorola phone leaks, not the Google X Phone [video] Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:27 AM PDT With just over a day to go until the Galaxy S4 becomes official, we have more Motorola-related leaks, but it looks like the unknown Motorola phone doesn't seem to be worthy of the Google X Phone title. The Google X Phone is reportedly going to be Motorola's flagship device this year, a handset that will be unveiled in mid-May at Google I/O 2013 and that will run a stock Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie version. In the past few days we've seen not one, but two Google X Phone reports detailing potential specs and features for the device, but they were rather contradictory. Now we have two leaked new Motorola handsets, the RAZR D1 and an unnamed one, which were spotted in Brazil. We’ll add to those the unnamed device featured in the image above (and video below,) which was seen in Vietnam. This handset is definitely a new Motorola creation, but don't get too excited, as it doesn't seem to qualify for that X Phone moniker. The handset is apparently going to offer users a 4.65-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with 720p resolution and 320ppi density, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (or higher) processor, Adreno 320 GPU, 2GB of RAM and a 2200mAh battery under the hood. Other features include a thin bezel, on-screen buttons, an unseen before "M" logo on the top of the display, a slim profile, non-removable curved back case, no micro SD support, and what looks to be stock Android without that many UI changes. At best, this will be a mid-ranged device by 2013 standards, so is it possible that this particular device is that second mysterious handset spotted in Brazil earlier? We'll probably have to wait a while to see pictures of that X Phone unicorn leak, but at least we know Motorola is also working on at least a couple of new Android handsets for 2013. Are you buying Motorola this year, or will you get something else? The post New unnamed Motorola phone leaks, not the Google X Phone [video] appeared first on Android Authority.

Money talks: Samsung spent 20% more than Apple on ads in 2012, HTC a distant third Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:27 AM PDT Samsung spent significantly more than Apple to promote its mobile business in the US over the last year. HTC came third at a huge distance. When it comes to success in the mobile business, money really does talk. At least that's the conclusion one can draw from the figures released by research firm Kantar Media, which put Samsung on the first place in ad spending in the United States. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Samsung splurged on ads $401 million in 2012, in the US alone. Apple came in second (in the telecom sector) with $333 million. HTC spent about $124 million, while Blackberry and Nokia completed the top five. These figures include money spent on ads on television, print, and billboards, as estimated by Kantar Media. Credit: WSJ Even more impressive than the title of top spender is the evolution of Samsung's advertising budget over the past few years. In 2011, the Galaxy maker spent just $78 million, dwarfed by Apple's $253 million. Put another way, the Korean corporation quadrupled its ad budget in just two years, while Tim Cook's company registered a far more modest 30% growth. Many market watchers have attributed the recent success of Samsung's mobile division to the generous amounts spent on advertising and other marketing activities, including incentives and training for sales representatives and in-store advertising. Recently, the Korea Times reported that Samsung spent close to $11 billion on marketing in 2012, in the entire world and including the company's other activities, such as manufacturing of mobile component or home appliances. Looking at these figures, I am wondering how much of the success of the Galaxy line is owed to advertising and marketing, as opposed to its intrinsic value. And how would the market look if, HTC, for instance, had Samsung's marketing machine at its disposal. What do you think? The post Money talks: Samsung spent 20% more than Apple on ads in 2012, HTC a distant third appeared first on Android Authority.

ZTE Engage LT is Cricket’s latest Muve Music phone, can be had for $179.99 Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:26 AM PDT Instead of coming out with a completely new phone model, it's not out of the ordinary for carriers – and manufacturers – to re-release the device under a different name after slightly tinkering with the specs. Such is the case with Cricket's ZTE Engage, a mid-ender that was released back in October of last year for $250, but has been reintroduced as the Engage LT. As you might have guessed from the name, the ZTE Engage LT is more of a downgrade from its predecessor, but the more attractive pricing should interest those who are looking for a sub-$200 smartphone on prepaid. Cricket is now selling the Engage LT for $179.99 contract-free. Specs-wise, you're still looking at a 4-inch WVGA TFT display (800 x 480 resolution), but gone is the 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8655T processor that the original packs. The LT only comes with a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor of unknown type. Another downgrade is in the camera department, as it only has a 3.2MP rear camera, instead of 8MP. The rest of the unchanged specs include a VGA front cam, 1GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, a microSD slot (up to 32GB), a 1,900mAh battery, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Let's not forget that owners of the Engage LT can access Cricket's Muve Music service, which provides an unlimited download of music. Head to Cricket’s website now if you’re particularly intrigued. The post ZTE Engage LT is Cricket's latest Muve Music phone, can be had for $179.99 appeared first on Android Authority.

Motorola bringing two new phones to Brazil – a low-end Razr D1 and a mysterious mid-ranger Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:05 AM PDT It's been a while since we last saw Motorola unveiling a new smartphone, and, as much as we'd like to think otherwise, the X Phone won't be out for a couple more months. But that shouldn't stop Moto from enriching its low-end and mid-range classes, especially in emerging markets like Africa or South America. The latter (or, more specifically, Brazil) is apparently going to receive two Motorola phones later today, based on a little teaser posted on Facebook. Both new members of the Razr family are wrapped in mystery, but at least one of them seems to have been leaked early. Dubbed Razr D1, this is a smaller and more modest cousin of the Razr M and i. According to a number of local retailers, including Walmart's Brazilian branch, the D1 is to boast a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 pix res display and an undetailed dual-core 1 GHz processor (probably a Snapdragon). That definitely puts the little guy at the base of the Android food chain, but hey, it could have been worse – that chip could have been single-core. Other "known" features include a 5 MP camera (meh!), 4 GB of on-board storage (bleah!), but also 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (wow!). The 1,785 mAh battery sounds pretty sub-par, but given D1's petite low-res screen and probably not very snappy CPU, it should perform at least decently. There's also talk of "guaranteed" software support, but we're unsure if that includes an upgrade to the next major version of Android, 5.0 Key Lime Pie, or if it only refers to 4.2. In terms of design, the D1 is not only a tad unrefined, but also quite chunky, reportedly weighing in at a full 120 grams while measuring 10 mm in thickness. Oh, well, at least it's probably going to be relatively cheap, at no more than R$600 (US$300) in an unlocked flavor. Meanwhile, that second phone teased on Facebook remains a very tough nut to crack. Basically, we know nothing about it, but rumor has it it's going to be a little more technically impressive than the D1. Brazil has already received the 4.3-inch Intel-powered Razr i, so also bringing the M wouldn't make much sense. In which case we could be dealing with a second entirely new handheld. Anyone from Brazil excited about this new Moto duo? Disappointed? The post Motorola bringing two new phones to Brazil – a low-end Razr D1 and a mysterious mid-ranger appeared first on Android Authority.

How to use Instagram on Android Posted: 13 Mar 2013 12:51 AM PDT One of the most popular camera and photo sharing apps for Android is Instagram — downloaded more than a million times in less than a day when it was launched in April last year. Already a big hit on iOS, Instagram for Android has created a huge ripple among Android users. Although the app sports simple controls and settings, many users still scratch their heads in wonder as to how the app works and what wonders it can provide. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use Instagram on Android. It is very easy to set up and it won’t take you long to realize how much of a joy it is to use. Feel free to skip the post for now, if you like, and jump to our video tutorial at the end of this post. Setting up an Instagram account If you haven’t installed the app yet, download Instagram from the Google Play Store for free.     If you already have an Instagram account, just sign in to your account and start using the app. If you need to create a new account, here are the steps: Run Instagram. On the starting page, choose whether to register or sign in.  Skip the next steps if you already have an account. Select Register to create a new account. Designate a username and password that will become your login details the next time you access Instagram. You may also specify a display image. Provide your name and email address to complete your profile. Or, tap Use Your Facebook Info to use your Facebook info to fill out the remaining fields. Tap the Register button to create your account. On the next page, choose whether to search for Instagram accounts of your contacts or Facebook friends. You can skip this step and manually search for your friends’ accounts later. Instagram suggests users that you can follow. Tap on the Follow button to follow users that catch your fancy — or you can skip this for later. You will be seeing posts from the users you follow. Tap on Done to finish setting up your account. You now have an Instagram account!  You will be taken to the Home tab where a stream of images from you and from your followed users will appear. Main screen buttons Aside from the stream of pictures on the Home tab, you’ll see five buttons at the screen’s bottom. What are they and what are they for? Home button The first button is the Home button and takes you home whenever you get lost anywhere in the Instagram app or whenever you just want to start over from the beginning. The Home tab displays photos from the people you follow, as well as your own published photos. Explore button Tap the second button to see the Explore tab where a bunch of awesome photos recently shared by random users are displayed. From there, you can follow other users, especially when photos shared are interesting to you. You can also search for users here by tapping the Search button (magnifying glass icon) and typing in the username or name on the search bar. You can also search for photos with specific tags. Camera button The third button is the heart of Instagram. It opens the Instagram Camera so you can take a photo or select a photo from your gallery, and, thereafter apply filters/effects before sharing the photo to the rest of the world. News button Although not shaped like a newspaper, the fourth button opens the News tab, which shows news from the users you follow and of course, notifications from your own account. Interactions made by the people you follow will appear under the Following tab. Friend requests and other interactions related to you are all found under the You tab. Profile button You won’t miss this button at the rightmost part, shaped like a calling card. Tapping this button opens your Profile page, which shows your profile, stats, and your photos.  This page is also where you can edit your profile, including changing your profile picture, changing your password, and even changing your username and display name. Posting on Instagram To start enjoying the wonders of Instagram, you need to take a photo first or select an existing one from your albums. It doesn’t even end there. You may want to apply filters that complement your awesome photo and then, share it simultaneously to other social platforms.  Here’s how all of that happens: Tap on the Camera button to start taking photos. If you want to switch between front and back cameras, just tap the small camera icon at the upper-right. Use the tap-to-focus feature to focus on your subject. Only some phones support this feature. Just tap on the screen until the marker turns green. To capture a photo, tap the camera shutter. Or, If you want to use a photo from your gallery, press the Gallery button right beside the camera shutter button. Choose a photo from the gallery and tap on it. If you choose a photo from the gallery, you will need to crop the image to fit the standard Instagram size. You’ll see a resizeable crop box that you can move around on your image. Tap the Ok button to crop the image. You don’t need to crop photos taken using the built-in Instagram Camera. After taking a photo or selecting a photo from the gallery, you will be taken to the editing screen. Here, you can use the following buttons at the top: Border – adds or removes a border on your photo Blur – shaped like a droplet and adds either a circular or linear tilt-shift Lux – adds brightness and vibrance to your photo Rotate – rotates your photo clockwise Next Icon – press this if you are done editing your photo If you want, apply a photo filter by selecting one from the bottom. The selected filter will instantly be applied on the photo preview. If you don’t want to apply any filter, choose Normal.  Instagram currently has 20 built-in photo filters.  Here are some samples: After applying a filter, tap the Next button (double arrows pointing to the right). Add a caption to your photo. You can use hashtags on your caption. Photos that bear the same hashtags will be grouped together, making the search for a particular photo easier. Instagram also allows you to add your photos to a photo map before publishing and sharing them. Adding a photo to Photo Map will require you to provide the location where the photo is taken using Foursquare’s registered locations. You can also add your location if it is not on the list. Photos added on the Photo Map will be presented in map view, corresponding to the places where your photos were taken. Tap the name of the social networking sites that you want to share the photo to. You will be asked to login to that particular site. Providing your login details once will link your account to Instagram. You won’t need to re-enter your login details the next time you want to share your photo. If you’re done logging in, press the green check mark at the top. This will publish your photo not only to Instagram but also to the sites you’ve specified. Editing your Photo Map Use prudence and caution when adding photos to your Photo Map; this feature divulges your whereabouts. If there are photos taken in locations that should remain private and you accidentally added them to your Photo Map, worry not. You can edit the photos that show up on your Photo Map.  Here’s how to do it: Navigate to your Profile page. Tap the Photo Map button. In Photo Map, press the Menu button (represented by a three-dot icon). Tap Edit. Tap on the stack of photos and a popup list of options appear. Tap on Edit. Tap on the photos you want to omit from Photo Map. Once you tap on a photo, the photo will be grayed out, signaling that it won’t appear in Photo Map. Tap Done once you’re done editing your Photo Map photos. Sharing photos You can also share your Instagram photo to other apps installed on your device. You can do this by pressing the three-dot icon found below your published photo on the Home screen or on your Profile page. Press Share and the photo will be shared to the app you specified. Some apps will only allow you to share the URL of the photo but some, like Google+, will share the whole photo itself. Following users Following fellow Instagrammers can be done in several ways. Following users make their photos appear on your Home tab and you’ll also be notified about interactions they may have on Instagram. Searching for users to follow Go to the Profile page. Tap the magnifying glass. This is the Search button. Type in your friend’s Instagram username to search for that user’s profile.  If you don’t know the username, you can try searching for your contact’s name instead. Once your friend’s profile link appears on the list, tap on it to open the user’s Profile page. Tap the Follow button to start following your friend’s account. Finding users via the Explore tab From the Home tab, tap the Explore button to open the Explore page. The Search button will also be available. You can use it to search for a particular name or username. There will also be thumbnails of photos from random users. If you find an interesting photo and want to follow the user who uploaded it, tap on the photo to open the publisher’s profile.  You will then be taken to the photo’s page. Open the photo owner’s Profile page by tapping on the username or the user’s display image. From the user’s Profile page, tap on the Follow button to start following the user. Finding more friends Go to your Profile page. Tap the Options button represented by three square dots. Tap on Find Friends from the menu. The next menu will provide options for you to find friends from your contact list, Facebook, and suggested users.  A link to the Search page is also available here. Interacting with Instagram photos See an awesome photo on your Home tab and want tell the author how great it is?  How do you do it? There are actually two ways to do so — by liking the photo and/or by leaving a comment. Showing some photo lovin’ Liking Instagram photos can be done in two ways. The ordinary way is through pressing the heart button below the photo. Tap on the heart button until it turns red. The not-so-ordinary way of liking an Instagram photo is through double-tapping on the photo. A heart icon will quickly appear on the photo, signaling that you’ve successfully liked the photo. If you accidentally liked a photo, you can unlike it by pressing heart button again. Leaving a comment There are times when liking a photo is just not enough. Why not throw in a comment instead? Leaving a comment for an Instagram photo is simple.  Just tap on the speech bubble icon found beside the heart icon and type away. Deleting a Comment Be extra careful when leaving comments because you cannot edit them. The only thing you can do is to delete the comment completely.  You can delete comments that you own.  But, you can’t delete comments left by other users for a photo that isn’t yours.  However, if you are the owner of the post or photo, you can delete any comment for it. You can delete your comment by pressing the speech bubble icon then tapping on the Edit button at the upper-right corner. Tap on the “X” mark beside your comment, then tap the red Delete button that appears. Dealing with the nasty on Instagram Instagram encourages its users to be responsible service users. If you see inappropriate content or a certain user has been spamming you, you have the option to report these to Instagram and authorized agents will immediately take action. Reporting inappropriate photos If you find a photo appalling or deem it inappropriate for circulation on Instagram, you can report the photo as inappropriate. Under the photo is the three-dot button.  Tap on it to bring out the Report as Inappropriate button.  Tap on the button and select a reason why you are reporting the photo as inappropriate.  You will receive confirmation upon successfully reporting the photo. Reporting abuse or spam If you are getting annoying spam and/or abusive comments, you can report them to Instagram.  Here’s how to go about it: Tap the Comments button (represented by a speech bubble icon) under a photo to open the comments page for that photo. Tap on the red exclamation mark beside the comment that you want to report as spam or abusive. Select Report Abuse from the popup dialog. Select the reason why you are reporting the comment (i.e., spam/scam or abusive content). You will get a floating notification that your report has been submitted. Blocking users If you don’t want a particular user to follow you on Instagram, you can block the user entirely so that she or he can’t find you in search results and follow you. Head to the user’s Profile page and tap on the Options button on the upper right corner.  From the popup window, select either to block the user or to report the user for spam. To unblock a user that you blocked previously, repeat the same steps, but tap “Unblock user” from the popup. Profile management and privacy If, for some reason, you want to change your profile photo, name, username, password, and other information, Instagram allows you to freely do so. You can also set your account’s privacy by preventing others from following you without authorization; you can also set your photos to private. Changing profile photo From the Home tab, tap on the Profile button to open your profile. Tap on your display image or avatar.  Or, tap the Options button (at the upper-right) and select Change Profile Picture from the menu. Choose one of the following options from the popup dialog: Remove Current Photo — does what it says Take Photo — opens the Camera app so you can take a photo and set it as your display image Choose from Library — opens the Gallery app so you can choose a photo to set as display image Import from Facebook/Twitter — fetches your Facebook/Twitter profile photo and sets it as your Instagram profile photo Changing user data, password, etc. From the Home tab, tap on the Profile button to open your profile. Tap on the Edit your profile link. On the Edit Profile page, you can edit the various text fields for the following: Display name — The name shown on your profile page Login name — The username that you use for logging in Website — Your website; this is optional. Bio / description — Short self-description Email — Email address associated with your Instagram account. Phone number — Your telephone number; this is optional. Sex — Your biological sex; this is optional. If you need to change your password, you can also do so on the Edit Profile page.  Just tap the Change Password option, type in your current password, enter a new password, retype your new password to confirm, and then tap Save. Hiding photos from non-friends If you don’t want strangers to snoop around your photos, you can set your photos to private.  When Photo Privacy is enabled, new followers will need to be authorized by you before they can follow you and view your photos.  Here’s how to set your photos to private: Go to the Profile tab. Tap the Options button (three square dots) to open the Options page. Tap Photo Privacy. Toggle the check mark for “Photos are private.” Your photos will now be visible only to people whom you authorize to follow you. The next time someone wants to follow you, you will be prompted to grant her or him approval. Clearing search history Earlier versions of Instagram for Android didn’t have a dedicated option for clearing search history.  But, this important function arrived a few updates ago.   In the past, you’d have to log out and then back in just to clear your search history.  But, in recent versions, you’d only need to go to your Profile page, tap the Options button, and select Clear Search History from the menu. Next time you use the search function, you won’t see a list of your previously searched usernames or tags. Logging Out of Instagram Instagram newbies realize that the log out button is not very accessible but not hard to access either.  You won’t find it on the Home tab.  It’s neatly tucked away in the Options menu on the Profile tab. To log out of Instagram, open the Profile tab.  Tap the Options button (three dots).  Tap Log Out from the menu.  Confirm that you want to log out. Video Tutorial Watch our video tutorial about how to use Instagram for Android: Conclusion Instagram is easy to use and easy to love because of its simplicity and function. After setting up an Instagram account and sharing your very first photo, you may find yourself using the app more often than not, especially when you have a lot of friends who also use the app. The charm of Instagram lies in its simplicity and its ability to make photo sharing more interesting and fun than it already is. What’s your say? Does Instagram tickle your fancy and nudge the inner photographer in you? What filter is your favorite? Let us know your experiences with this most talked about and most preferred photo sharing and social networking app in Android by leaving a comment below. The post How to use Instagram on Android appeared first on Android Authority.

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• I hope you didn’t expect that $100 HTC Trade-In credit
• Clove UK: HTC One delayed until March 29
• Verizon to launch the HTC One?
• Google’s Project Glass gets SXSW demo
• Lookout Mobile Security releases patch for Samsung Galaxy S3, Note 2
• Pick of the Day: Satechi 10-port USB 3.0 Hub
• Gmail updates look for mobile web and offline
• DoubleTwist adds streaming radio functionality with MagicRadio
• Separate Motorola X-Phone details refute recent rumors
• Samsung twitter account goes full-on hype for Galaxy S4

Get this look for your Android: Circles Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:35 PM PDT Do you know what love to do with our Android handsets and tablets? We ‘re huge fans of changing the home screen around a bit and creating a new user experience. That’s why we present a weekly series of Get This Look posts. In a nutshell we show you a new look for your Android handset and tell you which apps you’ll need if you want to mimic the feel. Some of these are a little easier to create than others and many of them can be tweaked to no end. The following details are but the ingredients to which you can create your own delicious Android dish; your results will vary. Which is awesome! Circles 32 by Lesa0208 WHY WE LOVE THIS LOOK: First off, it’s unlike the other designs we’ve highlighted here. Rather than the Google Now-like stuff or the minimal layouts that seem quite popular, this look is more HTC Sense-ish. See the circles and app launcher shortcuts? That’s pretty sharp stuff. Circle Bench is a slightly modified take on the Circles theme. The wallpaper works well here but it’s nothing that can’t be swapped out for something else, all while maintaining the interesting look. Note, that trying to create anything beyond the “theme” here could prove difficult for novice modders. Of course, you can change the icons and photos up for other apps and give yourself quick access to any other games or settings. Should you opt for that, just about anything will work nicely. WHAT YOU’LL NEED Ultimate Custom Widget (UCCW) (FREE) Apex Launcher Pro ($3.99) Desktop VisualizeR (FREE) UCCW theme Wallpaper Variations and themes You might also like the Circle Sense and/or Circle Bench as both are inspired by this look. MyColorScreen is dedicated to the great ways you can modify your home screens. The post Get this look for your Android: Circles appeared first on AndroidGuys.

HTC: Enough of this ‘quietly brilliant’, we’re challenging Apple and Samsung Posted: 12 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PDT HTC, as you all know, is one of the leading smartphone brands in the world, and especially in the Android space. While Apple and Samsung are two of the top mobile brands in the world, HTC has been slowly slipping in market share.  So, now it’s time to put aside the slogan of ‘Quietly Brilliant’ and take a different approach. HTC’s Global President of Sales, Jason Mackenzie, speaking recently with Fierce Wireless advised: We're changing the culture within HTC. Our culture has always embraced this "quietly brilliant" mentality, which meant the good things about being humble. But we've been too quiet. We're embracing that we need to be a challenger. HTC is a company fighting against two of the biggest companies in the world, Apple and Samsung, who have a lot of resources. So we're embracing that. This is an open message from HTC to everyone else that they are ready to come back and be an aggressive competitor.Of course, HTC didn’t have a good relationship with Apple in past (who does?), but they also appeared to settle the issue. Let’s see what happens in the future, eh? Do you think HTC is good enough to go head-to-head with Apple and Samsung? Share your thoughts with us in the comment box below. Source: Fierce Wireless The post HTC: Enough of this ‘quietly brilliant’, we’re challenging Apple and Samsung appeared first on AndroidGuys.

I hope you didn’t expect that $100 HTC Trade-In credit Posted: 12 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PDT So the word on the street is that the HTC One is being delayed and that it may not arrive until the last few days of the month. While there has yet to be any official announcement for the smartphone here in the United States, Clove (UK) indicates it will be March 29 before the phone shows up. As part of the big announcement for the HTC One, the handset maker was quick to promote the trade-up program. For those unaware, HTC was giving at least $100 in credit for your old smartphone should you pick up the new flagship device. But, as always is the case, there was fine print. And expiration dates. You see, the offer is only eligible to those of you who live in the United States. What’s more, you have to purchase the HTC One before March 31, 2013. That means you have but a few weeks to do so. Should you expect to participate in the deal you will have to act fast. Lightning fast. As in today. Those who want to qualify their handset for trade-in will need to register before March 12, 2013. To do so, head to HTCtradeup.com and fill out the form. …you must register valid email address on the HTC One® Upgrade site, you must purchase and activate a new HTC One by March 31, 2013 and mail in your used Device with a valid Proof of Purchase of your HTC One (copy of UPC or invoice/ receipt showing the IMEI) post marked by April 30, 2013. – HTC Indeed, we should expect to see the HTC One offered in the United States any day now. Along those lines, the closer we get to the end of the month, the more HTC should consider extending the trade-in deadline. They simply cannot expect consumers to act so quickly, especially if they didn’t know about the trade-in option until today (or later). I would recommend pushing the qualification back a few weeks and then extending the mail-in date a month or so. It’s a sign of goodwill and HTC is about to run face-first into a buzz saw when the Samsung Galaxy S4 hits later this week.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, HTC could do themselves a bit of good if they were to publicly remind everyone that they can earn some moolah for that old phone. Be it Facebook, Twitter, or an email campaign, HTC should be pounding on the tables right now. Of course, it doesn’t cost HTC any money should consumers not take advantage of the trade-in program, right? Sadly, this launch could ultimately prove to cost HTC more than money. The post I hope you didn’t expect that $100 HTC Trade-In credit appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Clove UK: HTC One delayed until March 29 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 11:40 AM PDT According to UK phone retailer Clove, the HTC One is not expected to launch until March 29. While the phone never did get an official or specific release date, the retailer’s blog suggests it was due two weeks earlier on March 15 Its worth noting that none of the U.S. carriers have indicated a particular date yet and that it isn’t technically “delayed” here. The original launch date was due to be the 15th March. We have today been advised officially by HTC that the UK launch date has been put back to the 29th March. We apologise for this delay, but you will appreciate that this is out of our control. We hope to ship all back orders as soon as the stock arrives and will update you as soon as we can with further information. On the other hand, one has to wonder what happens with all of these $100 trade-in credits that HTC is offering. The window is closing and your chances of qualifying is fast diminishing. With Samsung ready to announce the Galaxy S4 in but two days time, the pendulum is definitely swinging away from HTC. Clove The post Clove UK: HTC One delayed until March 29 appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Verizon to launch the HTC One? Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:52 AM PDT HTC’s latest flagship device is getting a lot of attention from mobile networks in the USA, and it seems all major US networks will be carrying the HTC One. HTC One is an amazing device, and experts are calling it one of the best HTC devices to date, it sure is. T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint are planning to launch it, and now it looks like Verizon Wireless is also planning to launch it. According to the filing on Bluetooth SIG, a device with model number HTC6445LVW,  and a report by Droid-Life refering it as the DLXPLUS, considering it as the successor or new version of the Droid DNA. What makes it obvious is that the specs are similiar to the that of HTC One. Previous reports suggest a 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage microSD card slot, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Jelly Bean. Although Verizon was not very much impressed by HTC One series, but it seems HTC One is good enough to get their attention. So HTC fans over at Verizon, are you looking forward to DROID DNA PLUS/DROID ONE or HTC One from Big Red? Tell us about it in the comment box below. Source: Droid-Life The post Verizon to launch the HTC One? appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Google’s Project Glass gets SXSW demo Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:22 AM PDT As a child I remember watching The Terminator with my family, thinking how cool it would be to literally wear a computer that delivers real-time information. Well, if you have been following the news, this dream is almost a reality with the upcoming  Google Glass. Rumors have been floating around that they could be out as soon as Q4 2013, but until then all we can do is patiently wait while they tease us with its new features and capabilities. For instance, this week at SXSW Interactive, Google’s developer advocate Timothy Jordan demonstrated some of the first third-party software integrated into Glass, including The New York Times, Skitch, Evernote, and Path. He even went as far as to show off Gmail, which will allow you to reply to important emails using voice recognition right from the headset. So where will you be able to get these specs? Online will be a definite, but don’t rule out Glass making a debut in a possible Google Store. Yep that’s right, according to techradar.com, Google is considering actual shops to showcase the technology to the public. Check out the Google Glass promo video here and start saving. Google Glass is expected to cost “under $1500″. TheVerge The post Google’s Project Glass gets SXSW demo appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Lookout Mobile Security releases patch for Samsung Galaxy S3, Note 2 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT Thanks to some guys who have way too much time on their hands, a vulnerability that bypasses the Samsung Galaxy S3 lock screen was found last week. Before that, it was the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 that fell prey to the workaround. In a nutshell, the breaches allows access to the devices regardless of the strength of the device's password. To help protect users, Lookout released an update to its Lookout Mobile Security Android app that protects owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3, Note II and S3 Mini from this issue. An official device patch is expected from Samsung shortly, but this can help in the meantime. Users can download the free Lookout Mobile Security app or update to version 8.10.2 on Google Play. The post Lookout Mobile Security releases patch for Samsung Galaxy S3, Note 2 appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Pick of the Day: Satechi 10-port USB 3.0 Hub Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:45 AM PDT The piano black Satechi 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub, available now, is a useful, multipurpose Mac or PC accessory that allows users to connect a wide array of devices including digital cameras, printers, external hard drives, keyboards, flash drives, smartphones and tablets in one easy solution. The 9 USB 3.0 ports are divided in sets of 3, each with an on/off switch and blue status indicator lights for each connected device to maximize efficiency.  The 2.1A charging port also has an on/off switch to distribute the additional power to other ports when not in use. Additionally, the hub is equipped with its own power supply to guarantee electric current stability and effective operation of all connected devices. Satechi The post Pick of the Day: Satechi 10-port USB 3.0 Hub appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Gmail updates look for mobile web and offline Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:03 AM PDT Last December Google launched a redesigned Gmail app for the iPhone and iPad. It went over so well with users that Google decided to roll out a similar look to the Gmail mobile web app and Gmail Offline on Monday. The new UI freshens up features such as improved search and integration with Google Calendar, and also has a much more simple and appealing look for users. Check out the new UI at gmail.com in the browser of your Android, iOS, Blackberry or Kindle Fire device, and let us know what you think! The post Gmail updates look for mobile web and offline appeared first on AndroidGuys.

DoubleTwist adds streaming radio functionality with MagicRadio Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT If you  love doubleTwist’s already stellar product, then you’ll love what they’ve got coming up next. The company is releasing “MagicRadio”, a music streaming service based on your tastes and preferences. Magic Radio is being hyped as radio that not only plays off of your artist / album preferences, but on your actual musical tastes. According to one MagicRadio representative: MagicRadio is a holistic music discovery experience that understands a user's entire music taste and tailors stations to the user's taste instead of a simplistic artist/song-based station. With over 13 million songs in the doubleTwist library, Magic Radio is fully integrated with consumers' listening habits and offers personalized, near-infinite playlists of music they already love with music will love. The service also integrates with doubleTwist’s new MagicPlay, an open source platform created in partnership with Qualcomm. MagicPlay allows users to stream music to any speaker or device, according to the company. The post DoubleTwist adds streaming radio functionality with MagicRadio appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Separate Motorola X-Phone details refute recent rumors Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:39 AM PDT Well, it’s not as if we expected anything else, but the X-Phone rumors from yesterday are being called into question. You know that 16-megapixel camera we thought sounded outlandish? Yeah, that. And the Tegra 4i chipset? That, too. According to Ausdroid, the Motorola X-Phone will feature more modest hardware than the stuff being reported  yesterday. Citing an anonymous, well-placed source, the site tells of a quite different experience. In fact, the new details do not speak of anything called the Motorola NXT, simply the X-Phone. Camera will be 10mp rear (unconfirmed front of 5mp). 5 inch 1080HD screen (although currently Motorola are having troubles sourcing a secure supplier for this screen and may move down to the 4.7 1080 HD if supplies are available for launch). It will be a Qualcomm dual core processor but unknown on exact details. Allegedly, the X-Phone will not get a full-on global rollout and that Australian carriers may be left in the lurch. Motorola are only going in invest into countries that can guarantee a 25k sell-in of the device for the major carrier (Telstra in this case) which as yet Australia cannot commit to. With barely two months to go before Google IO takes place, we should expect more details to surface for the X-Phone. And, with such a high profile device such as this, chances are good that we’ll see conflicting reports and rumors. Ausdroid   The post Separate Motorola X-Phone details refute recent rumors appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Samsung twitter account goes full-on hype for Galaxy S4 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:37 AM PDT Samsung is really looking forward to their mega-event of 2013, where we all know they will 'unpack' the Samsung Galaxy S4, successor to one of the best Android devices by Samsung so far, Galaxy S3. Samsung is using Twitter to keep the world updated about the launch on March 14, and what they are doing right now is teasing us. Samsung shared the official teaser image of the Galaxy S4, which shows us a little glimpse of the S4, and it is a lot like the leaked images we saw. The image below was tweeted by Samsung Mobile US: Also, Samsung dancing crew made it to New York ahead of the launch, and they were a good entertainement for people at Time Sqaure. Samsung is gaining a lot of attention from all the technology websites and media. I am sure I am not the only one who is looking forward to Samsung's Unpacked event on March 14. So people, Galaxy S4 is around the corner, what are your thoughts about it. Tell us about it in the comment box below. And don’t forget to follow @SamsungMobileUS and @SamsungMobile, and hey, we are on Twitter (@AndroidGuys) as well. Source: Samsung Twitter  The post Samsung twitter account goes full-on hype for Galaxy S4 appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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