Sunday, March 31, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Phone unlocking should be legal, lawmakers agree, but they’re taking different approaches to legislation

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:35 AM PDT

unlock

A few months back, we featured a string of articles about mobile unlocking and the fight to make it legal. The premise is this: starting this January, it has been illegal to network-unlock your mobile phone because the Librarian of Congress says it’s a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In short, the handset maker and/or the carrier owns the copyright to the software that runs your phone, and you can’t legally do any modification or measure to circumvent the locks.

This is actually due to the expiry of a 2010 three-year exemption made for mobile devices, which essentially justifies the need to circumvent the DMCA in certain circumstances — for instance, jailbreaking, rooting or unlocking phones (and tablets, but that’s another story). The three-year exemption could have been extended to another three years, although the Librarian of Congress decided against it.

A petition was lodged with the White House, and after reaching more than the requisite 100,000 e-signatures, the Obama administration acted. Actually, while other petitions had been politely brushed off or argued against (such as the famous “death star” proposal), this one was met with much support, to the extent that it has received bipartisan support from both houses of Legislature.

Now the issue is that lawmakers do agree that phone unlocking should be legal, but they’re not quite in agreement — yet — as to how this should be achieved. Here are a few highlights, as explained by a feature on The Verge.

Wireless Device Independence Act

Introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), this particular act is considered the best option so far by advocates, such as Sina Khanifar (the “we the people” petitioner who managed to raise 100,000 plus signatures) and Public Knowledge lawyer Sherwin Siy. This bill seeks to implement the temporary exemption that was in place from 2010 through 2013, modify the language a bit, and then make it a permanent part of the DMCA.

Essentially, this will make unlocking permanently legal, for as long as it does not violate other laws or agreements, such as service contracts, for one.

There is a limitation, though, because it only covers unlocking by the consumer, and not commercial unlocking services offered by third-parties. This means the bill is biased towards tech-savvy individuals who have the know-how in unlocking their devices. While it may not necessarily be too difficult for enthusiasts to do research on how to unlock phones, not everyone can easily do so. Commercial unlocking services may still be liable for infringement under the DMCA.

Unlocking Consumers Choice and Wireless Competition Act

This bill is authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and comes with a companion bill in the House by Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and John Conyers (D-MI). This bill seeks to bring back the temporary exemption that was in place from 2010 to 2013. The obvious limitation is that it only enforces the temporary lifting of the restriction, which may or may not be enforced again in three years’ time by the Librarian of Congress.

The precedent here is that Librarian of Congress James Billington has already decided that unlocking is in violation of the DMCA, hence lifting the exemption as of 2013. There is no assurance that he will decide in favor of unlocking three years down the road.

Wireless Consumer Choice Act

Sponsored by Sen. Amy Kloubchar (D-MN), this bill seeks a different route toward making unlocking “legal.” In this case, the bill does not want to touch on the DMCA or revisions thereto. But Sen. Kloubchar wants to pass the responsibility to the FCC. In effect, the FCC will be the one to require carriers to allow unlocking in certain circumstances. There are no exact rules yet, and these will be up to the FCC to decide. This is essentially a means to circumvent the DMCA, because it is the carrier-subscriber agreement that will be important here.

For instance, carriers may be legally bound to allow unlocking for subscribers who have already fulfilled their contract, who are traveling abroad (and in good standing), and the like. The FCC may also allow third-parties to unlock mobile devices as “agents” of these subscribers, thereby protecting this kind of business, as well.

One criticism, of course, is that carriers are not always the most helpful when you want your phone unlocked. And this bill might only be effective for direct clients. How about folks who buy used phones? Can they legally ask the carrier to unlock their devices bought second-hand?

Going beyond

Apart from these three identified bills, Khanifar says there is another option, authored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), which is yet unnamed. The draft is not yet available, although it will likely be a companion bill to Wyden’s bill explained above. The proposed bill will also seek to make unlocking permanently legal, and it will also explicitly provide a “safe haven” for commercial entities offering unlocking services.

An interesting point, though: the Register of Copyrights is, itself, planning to overhaul the entire DMCA. This means that all other ongoing legislative work may actually be rendered moot if this is done before any of the bills are passed. Now the question is whether phone unlocking will again be part of the DMCA. Still, what’s important for consumers to know is that our lawmakers are behind us in agreeing that unlocking should be legal. We’re getting there, but folks in power are not quite in agreement as to how.

The post Phone unlocking should be legal, lawmakers agree, but they’re taking different approaches to legislation appeared first on Android Authority.

Random Apps of the Week (March 24 – March 31)

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 10:56 PM PDT

random apps of the week There are an endless number of apps on the Google Play Store. It’s nigh impossible to sift through all of them, let alone find the good ones. So, if you’re in a “hell, why not?” mood today, take a gander at this week’s roundup of random apps we thought were pretty nifty, and that you might enjoy too!


Random Apps - Dashlight

DashLight

The first of our random apps this week is called DashLight. At first glance this may seem like a lot of other flashlight apps in the Google Play Store. Its’ an app that turns on the LED flash on your device so that you can use it as a flashlight. It also comes with a widget where you can access it on a home screen if you don’t feel like sifting through your app drawer.

However, DashLight’s claim to fame is that it can also be used as a DashClock extension. So if you use that, installing this will give you an invaluable tool in the battle against stepping on Legos in the middle of the night. It touts itself as being the only app to seamlessly integrate a flashlight app, widget, and DeskClock extension into a single app.

DashLight is free in the Google Play Store and you can download it by clicking here.


LFC History - Random Apps

LFC History

The next on our list of random apps is an essential app if you’re a fan of Liverpool FC. The app is called LFC History and it’s probably among the best sports teams apps we’ve ever seen. Not only do you get a full featured news feed of recent articles about LFC, but you can find literally the entire history of the team from within the app. All players past and present, all coaches, all trades, all news, and even a comprehensive list of championships LFC has won along with lists of achievements individual players have won.

If you’re into the LFC, you really can’t do any better than this app. You can download it from the Google Play Store by clicking here.


Rotary View 360 - Random Apps

RotaryView 360 photography

Admittedly, the next app on our list of random apps is a very niche application. Called RotaryView 360, it’s a very unique application with a very specific purpose. When you shop online for products, you can view the 360 version of many products. Click and drag your mouse and you can move the object 360 degrees to see the whole thing. RotaryView 360 gives people the opportunity to create these rotary views on their own. It’s a little tricky to get working and the quality depends on how many pictures you take, but for budding entrepreneurs this is a great way to get your product spinning.

It’s free in the Google Play Store and you can download it by clicking here.


Super Monkey Run - Random Apps roundup

Super Monkey Run

Let’s face it, if you want to play a game like Temple Run, you’ll probably just go and play Temple Run, right? However, some copycats have emerged that are actually pretty decent. The next on our list of random apps is one of the better copycats of Temple Run and it’s called Super Monkey Run. It’s claim to fame is that it’s a runner style game like Temple Run, but it also incorporates a classic platformer into the game as well. It does this by making the player play through some runner stuff, then transitions into a 2D platformer mid-level.

The graphics are pretty decent and the soundtrack is engaging and fun. Also, because the world didn’t end last December, the game is free in the Google Play Store. You can download it by clicking here.


Talkray - Random Apps

Talkray

Talkray is among the most useful of the random apps on this list. If you’re one of those people who calls, texts, sends picture messages, and things of that nature frequently, Talkray may be for you. It puts pretty much anything you can do with a contact into a single interface. Need to instant message? It can do that. Need to call someone? It can do that. Along with a variety of other features like paging and group calling, Talkray is an excellent replacement for messaging apps and phone apps. The only catch is that for some features to work, the contacts you’re using need to also have Talkray.

Thankfully that catch isn’t so bad because Talkray is free in the Google Play Store and free to use according to its app description. To check it out, click here.


Time and Stop Watch - Random Apps

Timer and Stopwatch

We know what you’re thinking. That there are a billion of these kinds of apps in the Google Play Store. Well you’re right, so there should be little to no surprise that one has made it onto a random apps list. This version, by AmazingByte, is about as standard as a timer and stopwatch app will come. It sports a clean, easy to use interface with a standard set of features. You can do some fun stuff like assign ringtones to timers and customize how it looks.

However simple the app may be, it’s scored a 4.7 rating in the Google Play Store and people seem to genuinely enjoy it’s ease of use. You can check it out by clicking here.


Random Apps Wrap Up

If you’re wondering where we came up with these random apps, it came from a combination of app requests and searching. Sometimes the best app for the job isn’t the highest on the list so we thought it’d be fun to highlight some great apps that aren’t always easy to find. Pretty much our only criteria is that the app has to have a 4.0 rating or higher on the Google Play Store when we find it. So if you’re looking to try out some quality apps and don’t know where to start, check in every week and we’ll have a fresh list of stuff for you to try out! As always, we’d love to hear your opinions on any cool apps to try out and comments on the apps above, so feel free to leave us some.

The post Random Apps of the Week (March 24 – March 31) appeared first on Android Authority.

Why Samsung dominates the world smartphone market

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:58 PM PDT

Samsung HRD
Have you ever wondered how Samsung got to where it is today? A few years ago, it barely had any presence at all in the worldwide smartphone market. In fact, it’s very first smartphone was a huge flop. But it slowly rose to become not only one of the biggest names in the mobile industry, but also in the consumer electronics and technology industry in general. What exactly went on in the last few years that contributed to Samsung’s success?

The story of Samsung’s seemingly meteoric rise to become smartphone market king apparently began nearly 30 years ago, when Lee Kun Hee, the son of Samsung founder Lee Byung Chull, took over to become the company’s new chairman and proceeded to take on the entire world. This is according to a recently published Bloomberg Businessweek cover story that centers on the way Samsung does business and how it managed to perform moves that landed it on the number one spot in smartphones.

The story talks about a lot of things — including the possibility of a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini launch happening very soon — but perhaps the most interesting bit is the part where it is revealed that Samsung is operating with a constant sense of danger all around. Samsung mobile marketing chief DJ Lee was quoted as saying, "The chairman is saying all the time, 'This is perpetual crisis. We are in danger. We are in jeopardy.'"

For Samsung employees, that must make things very stressful. But it should be just as worrisome for Samsung’s main competitors, because it’s a clear indication that the company is not going to slow down and rest on its laurels any time soon.

To read the rest of the insightful cover story on Samsung and its current reign in the smartphone market, check out the source link posted below.

The post Why Samsung dominates the world smartphone market appeared first on Android Authority.

Do programmers “loathe” developing mobile games for Android?

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 07:06 PM PDT

Android design
With Android accounting for the lion’s share of mobile device operating systems worldwide, you might think that developers are absolutely head over heels in love with it. But the truth tells a different story, at least according to the founder of one company that develops games for Google’s world-famous OS.

Speaking during a panel at this year’s Game Developers Conference, Geomerics founder and COO Chris Doran said that Android is not a great platform for development, especially when it comes to graphics. Apparently, Geomerics programmers find it simply loathsome, but continue to develop apps for it anyway. "We have to do it; it's pretty dominant,” said Doran.

According to Doran, the reason why Android is just not good for graphics at all is because Google “doesn't put enough love into it.” That’s why even though Android today stands as the most popular mobile device platform in the world, it’s still quite troublesome to develop apps for.

In all fairness, Google does have a dedicated design page up on its official Android Developers web site, where it says that the design of Android is focused around three overarching goals, which are Enchant Me, Simplify Me, and Make me amazing. The dedicated Android Developer design page explains what these overarching goals are all about in detail, and basically, what it says is that Google is not sacrificing function over form — and vice versa — for its mobile OS.

Chris Doran of Geomerics wasn’t the only one who shared his opinion on Android game development at this year’s GDC. In particular, Samsung’s technical marketing manager Michael Ludden said that Apple’s iOS was also in a similar situation in its early years of existence. But as the development tools improved, so did the overall development experience.

As Android grows older, it will likely mature in much the same way. And in case that doesn’t pan out, at least there are other mobile development platforms on the horizon. Plus, if acceptable design just can’t be found elsewhere, then there’s always the iPhone and iOS.

The post Do programmers “loathe” developing mobile games for Android? appeared first on Android Authority.

Verizon HTC One to replace apparently retired four-month old HTC Droid DNA? [Update]

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 06:54 PM PDT

htc-one-vs-htc-droid-dna-front[aa]

There has been much talk about Verizon carrying the HTC One later this year, with some reports saying the mobile operator would launch the One as a Droid DNA Plus version, and with HTC saying at one time on Twitter than Big Red wasn't going to get the HTC One.

But now it looks like Verizon is ready to retire the four-month old HTC Droid DNA, which has been apparently removed from the carrier's website. Is the U.S. largest mobile operator getting ready to replace the "old" Droid DNA with the HTC One? We have nothing official for you at this time, but this appears to be the likely course of action for Verzion.

The first reports noticing that the HTC Droid DNA is missing in action when browsing through Verizon's online store came earlier today from Droid Life. But then the publication updated the story with new details, reporting that the HTC Droid DNA can still be pre-order from a certain Verizon web page and that the handset has not been discontinued. Instead we were simply looking at an SKU change.

Then Phone Arena provided more details on the matter after talking to a Verizon customer rep who said that the HTC Droid DNA has indeed been discontinued (see image below,) which is why the device can't be found on the carriers web store.

htc-droid-dna-verizon-wireless-chat-1

On the other hand, independently of these two reports, popular leak Twitter account @evleaks has sort of confirmed the arrival of the HTC One on Verizon, without providing any details on its launch:

According to insurer Asurion, AT&T will carry the Sony Xperia ZL, while the HTC One is indeed coming to Verizon, as per AllThingsD.

However, Verizon did not confirm whether the HTC One will be available in its stores in the near future, so we'll just have to wait for HTC and Big Red to tell us more details about the HTC Android handsets that will be sold by the carrier in the following weeks/months.

The HTC One is definitely one of the hottest Android handsets right now (see our review here,) right alongside the Galaxy S4. Which one would you rather buy, Verizon subscribers, in case the One does launch with the carrier?

Update: Phone Arena has updated its initial story saying that according to “a reliable source” the HTC Droid DNA is not discontinued after all.

The post Verizon HTC One to replace apparently retired four-month old HTC Droid DNA? [Update] appeared first on Android Authority.

Microsoft Lync 2013 for Android now available for download

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 06:26 PM PDT

Lync 2013
When Microsoft Lync for Android was first released back in 2011, it was still stuck in the 2010 era of user-interface design. As you can imagine, it looks severely outdated now when compared with Microsoft’s other mobile applications. Fortunately, a much needed updated has finally been released by Microsoft. Today, Android users can finally download Lync 2013.

Lync 2013 for Android still works the same way as the original. Users are required to have a Lync account before using it, and some of its features might need an update to Lync server in order to work. If everything is in place, Lync 2013 will allow users to take advantage of quick and easy Exchange collaboration on the go.

According to the official Lync 2013 Google Play page, its key features include the following:

  • View colleagues' availability in real time and select the best way to communicate – initiating an instant message (IM), email, voice or video call.
  • Connect to Lync Meetings with a single touch, without requiring long numeric passcodes or conference numbers.
  • Forward or simultaneously ring calls to your Enterprise Voice (Lync ID) number so you'll never miss a call.
  • Lync 2013 for Android provides transport layer security (TLS) and perimeter/internal network protection without requiring a VPN, so your communications experience is safer no matter where you are or what network you use.

To download Lync 2013 and start using it on your very own Android devices, then simply go on to the Google Play link posted as a source below.

The post Microsoft Lync 2013 for Android now available for download appeared first on Android Authority.

HTC One X Android 4.2.2 with Sense 5 coming in June/July, new report claims

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PDT

htc-one-x

The HTC One X has been just updated to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, but according to a new report, HTC won't stop there with the upgrades. The Android 4.2.2 update for the One X is rumored to arrive in June/July, complete with the new HTC Sense 5 UI on top.

The news doesn't come from HTC though, as Gotta Be Mobile points us to a series of tweets by "noted HTC leakster @LlabTooFer" who shared a few days ago on Twitter details on HTC's One X software upgrade plans.

Needless to say, nothing is official until HTC makes the proper announcements, but we definitely expect the handset to get Android 4.2.2 at some point in the future. As for the new Sense 5, HTC did say earlier that a variety of smartphones, including the HTC One X, HTC One X+, HTC Butterfly / Droid DNA and HTC One S would receive it, or parts of it.

The bad news for HTC One X owners is that by June/July we could have a brand new Android version in the wild, meaning that the device won't really run the latest mobile operating system in town once its Android 4.2.2 update is out. Obviously, we're talking about Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, which Google is rumored to unveil at Google I/O in mid-May.

Should you be excited about HTC Sense 5 features? Check out our extensive HTC One review to find out more about HTC’s new Sense.

The post HTC One X Android 4.2.2 with Sense 5 coming in June/July, new report claims appeared first on Android Authority.

AT&T will have the 64GB HTC One exclusively

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 03:37 PM PDT

htc-one-rear-in-handAccording to a new HTC One promo video uploaded by AT&T, the carrier has the 64GB HTC One exclusively. In other words, you won’t be able to find it on Sprint or T-Mobile.

It’s not a bad thing that the other major carriers won’t have a 64GB model. After all, the majority of smartphone users rarely use up their 32GB of space, let alone 64GB. For those that will use an entire 32GB of space, it’s unfortunate that there’s not even a microSD slot to make up for it. Of course, one could always opt for cloud storage through Google Drive or Dropbox.

Keep in mind that other carriers could still get a 64GB model. We don’t know if this will be exclusive to AT&T period or if it’ll simply be a two- or three-month exclusive with the carrier.

On another note, AT&T still hasn’t released info on pricing or availability for HTC’s new flagship yet, which could have something to deal with past delays. Let’s not forget that HTC said North America will have the device before the end of April though. We could be in for a bit longer of a wait. In the meantime, be sure to check out our review of the HTC One!

The post AT&T will have the 64GB HTC One exclusively appeared first on Android Authority.

Sony Xperia ZL review (video)

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 10:40 AM PDT

sony-xperia-zl-shorter aa

Sony has made significant progress since it bought Ericsson out of their business venture back in early 2012. But, moving into 2013, the Japanese phone manufacturer still had a lot to improve on if it wanted to tackle the "big boys" of the smartphone market.

Less than a year following the Ericsson “divorce”, Sony introduced not one, but two great Android smartphones: the Sony Xperia Z and the Sony Xperia ZL.

At first blush, the Xperia Z, which we reviewed a couple of weeks back, seemed to be Sony’s flagship for 2013, and the better phone from the pair. But the Sony Xperia ZL shouldn’t be dismissed just because it’s smaller and not as sleek as its sibling.

As a matter of fact, the compact size of the Sony Xperia ZL may just be the best thing about this device. Even better, the small footprint doesn’t come at the expense of the specs and the overall experience.

If you're looking for a video review of the Sony Xperia ZL, you might want to jump to the bottom of this article, where we give you a video tour of the smartphone. Let’s take a closer look at what the Sony Xperia ZL has to offer.

Build and design

Although Sony used roughly the same design language with both the Sony Xperia Z and the Sony Xperia ZL, there are a few notable differences.

Starting with the similarities, the Sony Xperia ZL features straight edges and angular corners to accomplish a slab-like overall feel.

sony-xperia-zl-grip aa

The front of the smartphone is dominated by the 5-inch display, which renders three navigational on-screen buttons below the content area. Excluding the thin bezels, there's really nothing else to look at other than Sony's logo at the top and the uniquely designed notification LED light – instead of just a rounded pulsating light, the LED is more like a line and is a unique focal point for the Xperia ZL. Finally, the front-facing camera that rests below the navigational buttons is supposed to make video chats more natural by having users look lower on the screen – that’s what Sony posits, anyway.

The right side of the Sony Xperia ZL houses the large, silver power button in the middle, a volume rocker above the power button and a dedicated camera button for the trigger-happy shutterbug in all of us.

sony-xperia-zl-button-layout aa

While the textured plastic back is not as rigid as some would like it to be, it does help with the handling of the Sony Xperia ZL, letting users operate it with just one hand. In addition to the improved grip, the texturized plastic is less likely to shatter into pieces the instant you've dropped the smartphone on a concrete pavement (which is usually a job best fitted for our own Darcy LaCouvee) as opposed to glass, the material that covers the back of the Sony Xperia Z.

sony-xperia-zl-back aa

The textured plastic back of the Xperia ZL features a flappy cover at the bottom that can be removed to expose the microSD and micro SIM slots. The cover is attached to the body by a single piece of plastic, and since it doesn't feel especially durable, it does require a bit of extra attention when access to the slots is needed.

sony-xperia-zl-back-cover aa

While the Sony Xperia ZL lacks the waterproofing of the Sony Xperia Z, it does compensate with a much more compact form factor. In fact, the Sony Xperia ZL is the most compact 5-inch smartphone officially announced thus far.

The Sony Xperia ZL measures 131.6 x 69.3 x 9.8 mm (5.18 x 2.73 x 0.39 in) and weighs 151 g (5.33 oz). While thicker than most flagship smartphones, the Xperia ZL is the 5-incher that's probably the easiest to use with just one hand (the number one issue with smartphones that use displays of this size).

Display

Sony has equipped the Xperia ZL with a 5-inch TFT capacitive panel that works at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, with a 441 PPI density. As far as we can tell, this is the exact same display that Sony has used on the Xperia Z.

sony-xperia-zl-screen aa

As it was to be expected judging by the spec sheet, sharpness is on par with that offered by the displays of other 5-inch Android smartphones. However, sharpness is not all that makes a great smartphone display.

Both through direct observation, and based on more formal tests, it’s clear that the display on the Sony Xperia ZL suffers from a few issues that are also seen on its bigger twin. First, although not a deal breaker to most smartphone users, is the problem of limited viewing angles. Then there's the issue of lower contrast levels, when compared to other devices, as well as the less accurate color reproduction.

The Bravia image processing chip, a component that Sony has always touted in its marketing materials, may improve the viewing experience in some scenarios, but also oversaturate colors under certain conditions.

Overall, the Sony Xperia ZL has a good display, one that will satisfy all but the most pretentious users.

Hardware and performance

CPU, GPU, and RAM

As far as performance is concerned, you'll have a tough time finding a faster smartphone on the market right now, although there are a few devices that are close enough to call it a draw.

Today’s top smartphones (unless you managed to buy an HTC One) are powered by the same SoC as the Xperia ZL, the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which includes a 1.5 GHz quad-core Krait CPU and an Adreno 320 GPU. The ZL has 2GB of RAM memory.

As you would expect, benchmarks but also real life usage suggest that the Sony Xperia ZL is at the top of the performance charts, along other phones based on the S4 Pro, such as the Xperia Z, the HTC Droid DNA or the Nexus 4.

sony xperia zl benchmark antutu aa

Sure, there are a few upcoming devices what will feature faster processors (the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One are just two examples), but those devices are not yet available for purchase in most markets. And I'll assure you that, by the time those smartphones become widely available, some manufacturer will announce an even faster smartphone. That's the way technology evolves these days. The processor package in the Xperia ZL might be getting on a bit, but that doesn’t mean it won’t give you a really great experience nonetheless.

Internal storage, camera, and battery

The Xperia ZL comes with 16GB of internal storage and can work with microSD cards of up to 64GB, which is perfect for those with an ever growing need of storage space.

The primary camera features a 13MP Sony Exmor RS sensor that produces some of the nicest pictures taken with a smartphone. Sony's proprietary camera app is also a welcomed addition, as it features a couple of software tweaks such as Sony's Superior Auto system (a software tool that can automatically adjust the settings depending on the environment) and Sweeping Panorama.

Here are a couple of sample shots taken with Sony’s Xperia ZL primary camera:

Xperia ZL camera sample aa

Xperia ZL camera sample 2 aa

Sony engineers have decided to place the secondary 2MP camera at the bottom right side of the front of the phone, a decision that’s supposedly based on the fact that most people look down to their phones while in a video call.

The 2370 non-removable battery will get you through the day with moderate use, although there is nothing spectacular to report about it. During our tests, after a full charge, the Sony Xperia ZL has turned off after 5 and a half hours of HD video playback.

IR blaster

One key difference between the Xperia ZL and its bigger twin is the inclusion of an IR blaster. This is an emerging piece of tech appearing on more devices – it provides the ability for users to utilize their phones as remote controls for multiple devices. You can use the Xperia Zl, then, as a universal remote that controls your television, stereo system, or even a cable set-top box. It is certainly a neat and unique addition, though its functionality depends on the remote control application that is covered later.

Android implementation

The Sony Xperia ZL runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sony's proprietary Xperia UI overlaid on top. As with all custom manufacturer UIs for Android, the design is a matter of personal preference. The Xperia UI allows for some basic customization of your homescreens, although if that’s not enough for you, you can always install a custom launcher from the Play Store and get a totally different visual experience.

sony-xperia-z-homescreen-customize

As far as extending the functionality of the Android OS, the Sony Xperia UI is not doing anything that we would call impressive, although the array of media-centered apps that Sony has included in the package do provide some nice features.

sony-xperia-z-music-albums

Another software tweak that's worth mentioning about the Xperia UI is that, when low on battery, the phone can enter Stamina mode, which supresses the mobile data connection while the screen is turned off. There are a bunch of apps in the Google Play Store that have the exact same functionality, but Stamina mode is still a welcomed out-of-the-box feature.

xperia-zl-ir-blaster

One last piece of software worth mentioning is the inclusion of a remote control application. Using the aforementioned IR blaster, users can open up the Remote Control app and add from a pretty incredible list of devices in order to find the one they use. This all ranges from DVD players to cable set-top boxes to televisions. While definitely pretty handy, the built-in presets for various devices may likely work flawlessly for only newer devices. Testing on an older Vizio flat screen TV yielded only some of the buttons functional, even after using all the different remote types. Manual set up is possible, however, so if it doesn’t work for you, that may be the way to go.

Hands-on video

Wrap up

When you draw the line, the Sony Xperia ZL is a great Android smartphone that delivers the best performance on the market, the most compact form factor on a smartphone with a 5-inch display, and a decent camera. Moreover, the design and build quality could prove superior to the Xperia Z, even though the ZL doens’t offer protection against water and dust.

The display however, while still a decent one, is not the best around, and that may turn off some potential customers.

What do you make of the Sony Xperia ZL? Drop us a comment in the section below and share your thoughts!

Mike Andrici and Bogdan Petrovan contributed to this review.

The post Sony Xperia ZL review (video) appeared first on Android Authority.

Google’s ‘#ifihadglass’ winners are mostly celebs and famous Twitter users

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:55 AM PDT

Google Glass Press (3)
While the Google Glass Explorer competition debacle drags on, and thousands of people go up in arms over Google’s seemingly random choices for winners of its “#ifihadglass” gig on Twitter and Google+, a Stanford CS Ph.D student by the name of Andrej Karpathy put together some data in an attempt to show what Google’s overall plan for this whole thing might have been. As it turns out, Google might have had a clear criteria for choosing competition winners after all.

Based on the data gathered by Karpathy after going through the profiles of all the competition winners on Twitter (by using Python and a little hackery), Google apparently chose mostly celebrities and famous Twitter personalities to win in its competition. These include actor Patrick J. Adams, R&B singer Brandy, and TV host Adam Savage. It’s also clear that an overwhelming majority of the winners had hundreds, if not thousands of followers on Twitter. This is thought to be a clear indication of what Google used for its winner selection process.

When it was revealed that a number of the winners of Google’s “#ifihadglass” competition didn’t deserve to win at all — through either failing to read the competition’s rules or simply demonstrating a clear lack of will to even participate in the first place — many were outraged. A lot of them had submitted entries to compete for the chance to try out Google Glass as well.

Google recently announced that it will rescind some of its Google Glass offers because of the controversy surrounding its #ifihadglass competition. The question now is, will the company own up to what the hard evidence here says, and talk about why it did what it did in selecting the “winners” of its contest? If it does, then it just might be fun to watch.

The post Google’s ‘#ifihadglass’ winners are mostly celebs and famous Twitter users appeared first on Android Authority.

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Android Overload: The hottest stories of the week!

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 06:10 PM PDT

Welcome to the Android Overload! This is where we bring you a roundup of the hottest content of the week, as well as the smaller stories that didn’t make it to out homepage. I know you are expecting one of Chris’ awesome videos. We understand how awesome they are, but he has been crazy busy [...]

Google’s rumored messaging service actually called “Babel”, more details leak

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 05:17 PM PDT

We have been hearing much more about the rumored unified messaging service going by the name of Google “Babble” lately. The whole internet thought that name just didn’t quite feel right. Someone must have heard it wrong and confused the childish name with a much more serious code name – Babel. According to the most [...]

Sandboxr wants to use 3D printing to bring your favorite video game characters to life [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 04:30 PM PDT

There was so much cool stuff this year at GDC (Game Developers Conference), we really didn’t get a chance to show it to you all. While the vast majority of discussions and booth were geared to developers, there was the occasional consumer (you and I) focus as well. Take Sandboxr, a new company looking to [...]

This Week In Google TV: PrimeTime update, $0.99 movie rentals and more

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 01:55 PM PDT

Welcome to your “This Week In Google TV” feature! This is where we bring you your weekly dose of Google TV news. The platform is finally starting to grow more rapidly and we know many of you are struggling to get your Google TV content. Stop searching all over the internet – now you can [...]

Android and Me

Android and Me


Ask me a question about the HTC One and I’ll buy you One

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 03:36 PM PDT

I’m currently in love with the One and we teamed up with HTC to do a series of Q&A posts about their upcoming flagship phone. If you leave a comment with any question about the HTC One, and we pick your question to highlight in an upcoming post, then you will be entered into [...]

Visit our site to read the full article.

Android Central

Android Central


HTC Droid DNA retired?

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 02:52 PM PDT

Droid DNA

Has the HTC Droid DNA been given its gold watch and sent packing? Verizon CS says yes, and it's no longer listed for sale

A reader sent in a pretty interesting screenshot, accompanied by some equally interesting information about the HTC Droid DNA. According to Verizon customer service, the DNA is now officially retired. The screenshot of chat with a CS (you can find it after the break) actually uses the word retired, and subsequent inquiries led to a statement from Verizon saying "HTC halted production in efforts to push out an upcoming project on the horizon".

Now normally, we would place little to no faith in the words of an online chat with customer care from any provider. We're not judging, they have a difficult job and get way more harassment than anyone deserves. But after hearing about this, we went looking on Verizon's website, and found that the DNA is nowhere to be seen. You can't buy one from Big Red. Verizon loves to take our money, so there must be a reason they don't want to sell us a Droid DNA.

Now consider the on and off rumors about the HTC One coming to Verizon. We're pretty sure that you'll never be able to buy an "HTC One" for use on Verizon. But ask us if you'll be able to buy a premium HTC device with Sense 5, the new camera, Boomsound, a kick-ass display, and all the other goodies that come with the HTC One and our answer would be different. Don't let semantics like official names fool you. We're pretty confident that something very close to the HTC One is "on the horizon" for Verizon Wireless.

We never pretend that we know what goes on inside the minds of carrier corporate executives. We certainly question many of their decisions, but we're not at the meetings and don't have access to the data they use when they decide things like which phones to sell, and when to stop selling them. And of course, all this could be wrong and the DNA is simply out of stock for a while. We're just going to keep watching this, and when it all works out, we'll let you know.

Thanks, Robert!

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Apps of the Week: Collapse! Blast, Touch Control, Game of Thrones Companion and more!

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 01:10 PM PDT

Apps of the Week

It's the last "Apps of the Week" post for the month of March, and we're going to make it a worthwhile one.

As usual, we're bringing you a collection of apps directly from the Android Central writers -- ones that stay on our devices as the go-to apps. This week we have a couple of games, a few utilities (as usual) and a couple of odds and ends to keep things fresh.

Hang around with us after the break and see how this week's picks stack up with he rest.

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Project SHIELD at GDC 2013

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:32 AM PDT

Still waiting on retail availability info

Android Central at GDC

We already got some playtime with NVIDIA's Project SHIELD at PAX East, but it was great to sneak in a few more rounds at GDC 2013. As a more industry-focused event, obviously NVIDIA was busy at GDC getting devs on board with Tegra optimizations through sessions, but there were also plenty of Project SHIELD demo units kicking around, giving everyone a chance to try out the system first-hand.

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AT&T apparently has an 'exclusive' on 64GB HTC One

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 10:35 AM PDT

HTC One

Still no word on pricing for AT&T's HTC One, though

Oh, how we loathe the word "exclusive." For those of us on the editorial side, it's become a bit of a joke. But when a U.S. carrier uses it, it means someone else is probably getting the short end of the stick. In this case, it's anyone not AT&T, which is boasting in a promo video that it's got the "exclusive" on a 64-gigabyte version of the HTC One. (For what it's worth: The storage sizes aren't what's new here -- AT&T announced all that back in February. It's the "exclusive" part that's new.)

That means if you were hoping for the larger storage options on T-Mobile or Sprint, you might not get it, at least not at first. That said, the vast majority of "normal users" (chances are if you're reading this that isn't you) will never come close to hitting that 32GB limit. So, there's that. If you're holding out for a Verizon variant of the HTC One, we'd be willing to bet that 64GB might still be on the table, though. That's up to Big Red, though.

Meanwhile, we still don't have pricing or availability. So in the meantime, be sure to check out our full HTC One review, and swing by the ever-exciting HTC One forums!

And check out AT&T's promo video after the break if that's your thing.

Source: Youtube; via Droid-Life

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Tetris Blitz to offer deeper, faster take on classic puzzle game

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:30 AM PDT

This ain't your daddy's Tetris - get as many rows as you can in two minutes and customize with power-ups

Android Central at GDC

At GDC 2013, we took some time to talk with EA about the latest mobile iteration of the classic puzzle game franchise, Tetris. Tetris Blitz promises to be a whole new experience: there's no failure, just two frantic minutes of dropping blocks and lining up rows as quickly as possible.

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