Thursday, April 18, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Archos preparing four new Android devices

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 12:31 AM PDT

Archos-Logo

Archos is in the midst of preparing four new phones for the European market. Those devices, ranging from a very basic offering dubbed the Carbon 35 to the top-end Platinum 48, provide an offering from Archos at just about every price point, and to suit a variety of needs.

A chart from Mini Machines is below, and upon closer inspection… the devices really aren't bad. All are dual SIM, all have Android Ice Cream Sandwich or better, and are available very soon. Only the flagship Platinum 48 is listed as being available in May, with the other three (Carbon 35, Titanium 4, and Titanium 52) showing availability this month. The devices have already started popping up in some online shops.

Starting at around €80, and ranging to about €240, the phones are appropriately priced. Even the top-end Platinum device won’t top any "best" lists, but that's not to say it's a poor offering. The devices have nice specs, and are aptly priced. These will be a solid offering for the European market, and the availability dates outpace a few offerings from other manufacturers. These four phones should find their way into many pockets, without emptying them too much in the process.

archos-phone_f_improf_600x478

Four manufacturers join wireless charging group

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 11:39 PM PDT

Power Matters Alliance

In the world of wireless charging, the atmosphere is changing quickly. There are two major governing bodies for wireless charging; the Alliance For Wireless Charging and the Power Matters Alliance. We recently told you about a vertical wireless charging technology the Alliance was working on, but Power Matters had their own major coup today.

Four major mobile device manufacturers have joined Power Matters, as well as one carrier. HTC, LG, Huawei, and Samsung have all joined, and AT&T has pledged to have wireless charging "by 2014". Wireless charging is a technology we feel is long overdue, so these new members of Power Matters will hopefully continue to push the agenda further.

The biggest name, of course, is Samsung… but AT&T may be the most crucial. A consortium of manufacturers is great, in that they can find a common solution to work in all of their devices, but the carrier who pledges support is equally important. It's carriers who are more likely, and in a better position, to give us wireless charging kiosks or stations. There is a trial at area Starbucks locations in Boston right now for wireless charging stations, but considering a wider roll-out is exciting.

With vertical charging, the idea is that a charging coil could be built into furniture, so a restaurant that partners with AT&T could turn each table into a charging table. Simply come in, set your device on the table, and it charges while you eat. Of course, this is all very new ground, but with so many companies jumping on board, we hope the time for wireless charging is sooner, rather than later.

Google Glass listed on eBay with bids reaching $95K, but don’t buy just yet!

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:59 PM PDT

google glass feature

Many early adopters of Google Glass area already enjoying the benefits of the futuristic device. It didn't take long before some Glass Explorers started posting their own unboxing and hands-on videos online. On the other hand, some of these lucky "pioneers" might actually have something else in their mind. Rather than experience the future of wearable computing, they’re going for a profit by reselling the device for heaps of cash. Sure enough, while Glass should nominally cost $1,500 once publicly available, a listing was found on eBay, with bids getting as high as $95,300.

When asked by Forbes, the explorer "Ed from Philadelphia" listed Glass with a minimum bid of $5,000. At the time, he didn't have the device, but could prove to the winning bidder that he would soon be getting one after winning Google's #ifihadglass contest. The auction did not last long, though. He changed his mind and promptly removed his auction after learning about Google’s terms of service.

Taken directly from the Google Glass Terms of Sale (emphasis ours):

You must be 18 years or older, a resident of the United States, and authorized by Google as part of the Glass Explorer program in order to purchase or use Glass Explorer Edition. Unless otherwise authorized by Google, you may only purchase one Device, and you may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your Device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google's authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the Device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the Device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.

The clause above only applies to the Explorer edition of the Glass device, of course. However, it is stated in the Resale and Gifts section that commercially reselling any device is still prohibited, but gifting is allowed.

As further pointed out by Forbes, the strict prohibition of reselling Glass might not be upheld when the device goes on its official public release. The Explorer Edition is meant for developers and early adopters to experiment and report any issues while using the device. Being unable to resell at the moment means some "Glassholes" don't get to boast on how much profit they made for exploiting such a must-have gadget.

The Eye Tribe launches eye control technology for Android, developer SDK to arrive in June

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:20 PM PDT

The-eye-tribe

Danish eye-tracking software firm The Eye Tribe has announced the launch of its eye control technology for Android smartphones and tablets. The company made the announcement today during the DEMO Mobile 2013 event, also noting that its developer SDK would be available in June. However, sign-ups have started today, and the technology looks promising.

The startup, founded by former PhD students from the IT University of Copenhagen, says that its eye control technology can be used in a variety of ways, including eye-activated logins, which should make things even more secure than most login technologies. The Eye Tribe CEO and co-founder Sune Alstrup Johansen mentioned that the technology’s accuracy is equal to a fingerprint due to its sub-millimeter pupil tracking.

Eye-control technology is not exactly new, given that companies like Samsung do employ some form of eye-tracking in their latest flagship devices. However, The Eye Tribe wants to help developers build new applications and uses for eye-tracking, which can include the aforementioned user login and gaze-bazed controls. App developers can even use eye tracking to determine engagement, which can come in useful when researching which apps or designs get the most attention of users.

The technology is not compatible with all Android devices, though, due to some hardware requirements. However, The Eye Tribe says the required additions will only cost an additional $1 for manufacturers, which means it should not be very difficult for smartphone and tablet makers to introduce eye-tracking technology in their devices.

The Eye Tribe earlier received $800,000 in seed funding from a plethora of European investors. The Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation also provided the software firm with a $2.3 million grant for a three-year project, and it will not take an equity stake in any of the partnering companies "in the name of job creation and innovation in Denmark."

Are Chromebooks in trouble?

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:22 PM PDT

Chromebook Pixel Hinge AA

Reports have come out recently stating Chromebook usage statistics are minuscule. Citing a company called Net Applications, which compiled data about web usage and operating systems, the results were a bit surprising. These reports about Chromebook usage persist, so the question now is whether or not they're accurate, especially considering the current state of technology. More to the point, if those numbers, which report that Chrome OS comprises just 2/100 of 1% of web traffic, are correct… what is going on in Chromebook land?!

Raw Data

To be accurate, we should keep in mind that these numbers, which note desktop web browsing statistics, are concentrated to the operating system. While Chrome OS has a bit of an issue, the Chrome browser definitely does not. These numbers are also very finite, and the product of one company, not a consensus.

These numbers suggest that Internet Explorer, as of March 2013, controls about 55% of the market. Firefox is second with about 22%, and Chrome is in third with 16%. This flies in the face of all other info that Chrome is easily the most popular browser, and definitely not third to Firefox. In examining overall browser statistics, Chrome is far and away the most popular.

Chromebook

Is this a problem?

While alarming, these numbers aren't troubling. To get a grasp on what it means, brevity should be exercised. To simply damn Chrome OS as a failure based on one study is irresponsible. Chrome OS also isn't the driving force behind Chrome initiatives, and Chrome may not really be a comparable to other OS's right now. The Chrome browser is the real champion here, as it spans across all platforms, slave to no operating system master.

Market Saturation

If you go into an electronics store, you'll be inundated with Windows 8 computers. Any electronics store you go to will be dominated by those machines, so in simply comparing operating systems versus web activity, this can be a bit of the problem.

Apple has a good presence in the retail landscape as well. They have their stores, which do quite well for them, but even outside of that scope… they do very well. Their presence outside of their company stores is unique, and carries them into another realm of popularity.

If we use Best Buy as an example, we have a very visceral understanding of this issue. In any Best Buy store that has Windows machines, Apple devices, and Chromebooks… the store presence of those platforms tells a good story. The computer department is dominated with Windows machines. Apple has a very nice kiosk, but it often not central to the shopping experience. Chromebooks have a small end cap, which is usually further away that Apple products, on the prefiere of the department. It seems the desktop operating system world still revolves around Windows 8, at least in the retail environment.

Secondary machines

Many of us have Chromebooks as a secondary device, as our use-case scenarios may not lend themselves to using a Chromebook as a standalone computer right now. When multiple devices are owned, the secondary one will be used less, which means it could skew the numbers of a study like the one by Net Applications. In that respect, usage may not be representative of popularity.

Perception

Chromebooks may have a problem with perception at times. Some consider them "internet machines" meant simply for browsing the web, useful for little more than checking email while watching TV. As stated in previous articles, that simply isn't true. Depending on what your needs are, a Chromebook can be a great substitute for a Windows or Apple device, and is much more useful than to simply carry out rudimentary web functions.

samsung-chromebook-2012

It's new

The Chrome team at Google knows their OS isn’t quite ready for prime-time. That's not a slight, either. Chrome OS is a forward-thinking concept, and quite a bit ahead of its time. In looking at the marketing videos, they understand the device is currently more fun than anything else for most of us. This harkens back to the use-case scenario point made earlier.

Chrome OS is still pretty new in the grand scheme, having really only been widely available for a year or so. New devices are becoming available every day, from a plethora of manufacturers, so popularity will only continue to grow. The Chrome team is very keen to build a great product, and not rush anything to market for the sake of answering a few loud voices in the crowd.

Changing tides

The world of technology is shifting like sands in the desert… always moving, always taking on a new shape and landscape. Chrome OS is at the forefront of that, and is perhaps the only operating system nimble enough to change quickly enough to navigate technology. Traditional operating systems led the way for quite some time, but as we matriculate into a mobile world, where things like apps and cloud storage dominate the landscape, perhaps Chrome is better suited for longevity.

Education

An eye on the future means an eye on the kids. Much like Apple did so many years ago, Google is very keen to get Chromebooks in the hands of kids. Schools are rapidly shifting (about 3,000 and counting) toward utilizing Chromebooks in schools, and why not? They're lightweight, inexpensive, come with great support from Google, and update constantly. Best of all, services like Drive are free for kids to use, and require little more than an email address. Cloud education for our classrooms. Brilliant.

Enterprise

Kids may be shifting to Chrome, but so are their moms and dads. Many businesses are transforming how they do business, "Going Google" as the case may be. As Google gains in enterprise popularity, so will their statistics in terms of use. Many businesses still mandate their employees use Internet Explorer. It probably has to do with certain apps your company uses, which utilize Active X (a Microsoft thing), and as such require IE.

A shift to Google and Chrome is a shift away from tradition, and while many companies are happy to move into a world where being connected without wires is normal, some are still reticent. Companies may have a lot invested in their current network, or storage solutions. Some simply don’t "trust" cloud-based computers and storage. The connection with Google Drive is often much more reliable than a VPN connection, but it just isn't the way some IT professionals currently want to work. As perception changes, and education about Chrome OS grows, so will adoption numbers.

chrome

Will it change?

If Chrome OS is based on the web, and operate in a browser environment, then we rely on web apps to carry the load. With the advent of the Chromebook Pixel, developers will start to get excited about Chrome, and develop for it. This is key, just as it was many years ago for software developers to get excited about Windows. Microsoft was wise to get their operating system on as many computers as possible, from a variety of manufacturers. As more and more Windows devices became available, the price became competitive, but the quality remained pretty good. Sound familiar?

Web apps simply must get better, and they will. As the world shifts to HTML5, web apps for all platforms will continue to take shape, and we can effectively move away from the software environment we're in. As developers have a platform to design for, they will… in droves. It's a symbiance that works well, but is in its infancy where Chrome OS is concerned. We need apps to fall in love with, and developers need an audience to develop those apps for.

The first domino in this chain of progression is early adoption, which is what so many are currently doing. While Chrome OS may not have all the answers yet, it certainly provides a needed and welcome alternative for many.

SamsungChromebook21_large_verge_medium_landscape

Conclusion

The reports suggesting Chromebooks fail miserably in regard to web traffic are curious. How can a device, which is largely reliant on a web connection, not have a considerable web usage presence? Does this mean the device isn't popular, or isn't used?

Neither. The report accounts for worldwide web traffic, and Chromebooks aren't available on that scale just yet. If we consider the limited worldwide availability, and other factors discussed here, the argument can be made that Chromebooks are exceeding expectations. Let's also remember that Android has similar reports dogging it, yet it has a commanding worldwide presence.

If raw numbers are your thing, consider the sales numbers of the Samsung Chromebook on Amazon, and that Dixons (UK) notes Chromebooks consist of over 10% of computer sales in their Curry's and PC World stores. The number of schools using Chromebooks is growing daily, as well as the number (and impressive list) of businesses who have switched. Chromebooks have recently become available in more countries, and Acer notes that Chromebooks consist of 5-10% of their overall US shipments.

That's a great start… and precisely where Chrome OS is. The first domino has fallen, and it's only a matter of time before we site studies like those of Net Applications in good humor.

 

Rumor: Amazon acquires Evi, a “Siri alternative”

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:54 PM PDT

Amazon

In January 2012, Evi launched on iOS and Google Play. Powered by a sophisticated voice recognition engine and Nuance's technology, it was coined a Siri alternative. According to TechCrunch, True Knowledge, a British start-up behind the application, has been acquired by Amazon for $26 million. Neither Amazon or True Knowledge have confirmed the acquisition, which is said to have happened late last year.

Annual reports from Octopus Ventures, investor in True Knowledge, reveal a possible acquisition. Shares in Evi Technologies have been disposed, and all directors replaced by none other than the legal representative of Amazon UK. Going further, Evi Technologies now has the same company secretary as Amazon.co.uk, Mitre Secretaries Limited.

This news comes just three months after Amazon acquired Ivona, a company specializing in text-to-speech software. Amazon could be using the technology towards improving its existing products, or (as some suggest) working on an Amazon/Kindle phone.

This is a good move for Amazon, and strengthens their ecosystem quite a bit. Amazon has quite a bit of knowledge built in to their store, and this could be a good tool for driving sales. Ask Evi who the Navy Fleet Admiral was in the pacific theater during World War 2, and you’ll probably get results for books to purchase on the campaign.

It was Chester Nimitz, by the way. Google Now told me so.

Google Chrome security improved with better prevention against malicious extensions

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:45 PM PDT

google chrome security

Chrome security is getting better, as the Google announced via the Chrome blog additional measures that will be deployed in order to prevent users from getting a malicious extension installed.

Google had already prevented silent installs of extensions from happening in Chrome, meaning that extensions would no longer be allowed to install without the user confirming the installation. Google says that the measures it has taken have translated into improvements in terms of performance and user experience.

Now the company goes further, allowing Chrome to identify extensions that try to install by bypassing the silent installation blocker mentioned above. Such a case is the one in which the management settings used to configure Chrome internally in an organization are misused (with the user left unable to disable or uninstall the malicious extension) or when settings are manipulated to allow silent installations.

Chrome’s methods of detecting such malware have been improved and the browser will be displaying a warning when such software is identified. Warnings should start appearing as of next week, and developers are encouraged to use Google’s standard mechanisms for extension installation (and, considering the way Google has removed apps that didn’t adhere to its policies from the Google Play Store, it would be wise of developers to do so).

Alleged internal RadioShack document reveals AT&T Galaxy S4 will land April 26th

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:27 PM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 4 aa 600

While Sprint and T-Mobile have officially unveiled details about when the Samsung Galaxy S4 is arriving on their networks, Verizon and AT&T aren’t talking just yet. Luckily, an alleged internal document from RadioShack might shed a bit of light on AT&T’s plans.

The document was first reported on by Phandroid. The internal memo suggests the Galaxy S4 will arrive at RadioShack on April 26th with a price tag of $200, with contract. Of course this is just when RadioShack will supposedly get the handset. AT&T could be offering the phone directly even before that date.

RadioShack

You’ll also notice that the document mentions both Sprint and Verizon. With Sprint, it points to a launch date of April 27th, which has since been confirmed. Unfortunately all the document says about Verizon is that they "currently do not have details avaliable for the Galaxy S4 on Verizon Wireless."

The document’s mention of Sprint certainly makes this ‘leak’ seem more trustworthy, but just remember that nothing is for sure until AT&T confirms it themselves.

Google Fiber coming to Provo, Utah

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:46 PM PDT

Google Fiber

Last week Google confirmed its high-speed Google Fiber service was on its way to Austin. Now Google has announced a third city for its Fiber expansion, Provo, Utah.

At the moment the agreement isn’t 100% finalized, with the Provo City Council voting on the decision April 23rd. That said, this is pretty much a no-brainer decision for Provo. Having Google Fiber provides an exceptional service for businesses, community centers and citizens. Not only that, but as part of the agreement Google agrees to buy the city-owned iProvo fiber-optic network and plans to upgrade it to reach gigabit speeds.

This also means that all homes along the existing network will be able to connect to Google Fiber. All these homes will have to do to get service is pay a $30 activation fee. That thirty-dollar fee lands these lucky folks seven years of free service. The free service might only be 5Mbps, but that’s still a hell of deal for the price of free.

So why bring the service to Provo of all places? First off, using smaller cities as a testbed makes it easier for Google to roll out and test their Fiber service’s performance. Second, Google points out that Utah is home to quite a few important tech companies, many of which are based in and around Provo. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Provo already had its own fiber network in place.

Utah is already home to hundreds of tech companies and startups, and many of them are based in Provo. In fact, the Provo area ranks second in the nation in patent growth, and is consistently ranked as one of the top places to live and do business in the U.S. We believe the future of the Internet will be built on gigabit speeds, and we're sure the businesses and residents of Provo already have some good ideas for what they'd build with a gig.

Providing the deal goes through as it should, Google says they intend to immediately get to work on building the network. Using the existing iProvo network as a basis, Google will likely be able to roll out to Provo much faster than Austin. This could mean that the service will reach the first homes and businesses by this year’s end.

Sony Xperia Tablet S getting Jelly Bean update, rollout starts tomorrow

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:43 PM PDT

Xperia Tablet S

If you happen to own a Sony Xperia Tablet S, we have some great news for you. Starting tomorrow, the Tablet S will be making the leap to Jelly Bean.

Earlier today Sony took to its community forums to share the good news, informing users that a system notification will appear in the Tablet S toolbar indicating when the update is ready. According to Sony, the Jelly Bean release is for owners in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

For those that were hoping that this would be Android 4.2, it isn’t. While Android 4.1.1 isn’t as exciting as getting 4.2 Jelly Bean, it is still a major jump ahead from ICS.

With Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, Tablet S owners will finally get Google Now, the expanded Jelly Bean notifications and speed improvements found thanks to Project Butter. As for tablet-specific changes in the update? Unfortunately, the change log has yet to be released so we really can’t say for sure what kind of tablet-specific changes might make their way to the tablet.

As with most update rollouts, don’t panic if the notification isn’t there the moment that you wake up tomorrow. It could take a few days or so for the update to reach all Sony Tablet S owners. If in doubt, you can always check manually for the update under system settings.

 

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


See Google Glass on eBay? Google’s terms say you shouldn’t buy it (even if you can afford to)

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:36 PM PDT

With Glass Explorers getting their Google Glass units in the mail starting this week you’re bound to see a unit or two find its way onto online marketplace eBay. One listing was found earlier with an asking price of £100,000, though it was promptly removed. Whoever posted it may not have removed it because they [...]

Rumor: Motorola X Phone to come in over 20 different colors

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:56 PM PDT

Motorola’s next flagship phone, long known as the X Phone, has had some ridiculous rumors tied to it. The most ridiculous of them was the possibility of being able to customize the hardware inside your device when ordering them as you would a computer, being able to get the combination of RAM, processor, display resolution [...]

WordPress for Android gets design overhaul in new upgrade

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:32 PM PDT

Folks who are still doing the web-logging duties with WordPress will be happy to know that the official Android application has gotten a nice new upgrade in the Google Play Store. This isn’t some quick bug fixer or the addition of odd features — this is a complete overhaul, and one that looks quite awesome. [...]

Hands-on: Official HTC One Double Dip Hard Shell case [VIDEO]

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:25 PM PDT

The FedEx lady just stopped by my house, dropping off the official HTC Double Dip Hard Shell case for the HTC One. This is one of a few official OEM accessories unveiled for the HTC One at their New York press event a few weeks back and ever since the death of my Nexus 4, [...]

Google buys iProvo as Provo, UT officially becomes the third Google Fiber city

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:54 PM PDT

Google didn’t wait another year to announce the third city that Fiber would be coming to. The company has just confirmed that Provo, UT would be getting its own piece of Google’s high-speed gigabit network. Google identified Provo as an important launch as its growing status as a tech hub for startups and innovation. Provo [...]

Samsung paid students to trash talk HTC online

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:39 PM PDT

The world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer and the biggest Android device maker by far is under some heavy fire this week after new outrageous allegations have been brought up by Taiwanese officials. Those officials are investigating Samsung after receiving complaints that the company hired students to go online and tarnish HTC’s reputation by posting unfavorable [...]

Galaxy S4 accessories include “flip view” cover, smart docks, AllShare wireless hubs and more

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:45 PM PDT

Along with news that the Samsung Galaxy S4 would be launching in the US starting this month, Samsung also announced the list of accessories we could look forward to down the line. The list contains a healthy mixture of cases, docks, battery-saving utilities and audio devices. For starters, the standard Flip Case is back in [...]

This is the world’s first Google Glass unboxing [VIDEO]

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:26 PM PDT

If you were wondering how the unboxing experience of Google Glass would be like, you won’t have to wait until Google’s consumer launch later this year. One user who has already received his Glass Explorer Edition package was quick and kind enough to upload an unboxing video to YouTube, giving the world a taste of [...]

Game for Fame: Beat our Catapult King high-score to win a $50 Google Play gift card [Contest]

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT

I am loving this contest series (and hopefully you all are as well)!  Keep the feedback coming in the comments…I take all of it into consideration.  If you’re new to this, it goes a little something like this: we play and review an Android game and if you can beat our high score (and prove [...]

RadioShack leak shows AT&T getting Galaxy S4 April 26th

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:39 AM PDT

While Sprint and T-Mobile have already announced their release dates for the Samsung Galaxy S4, we’re still waiting on formal word from other carriers. That includes AT&T, the nation’s second largest carrier, who started accepting pre-orders of the device yesterday. At that time, AT&T’s site mentioned the device would be shipping by April 30th, but [...]

Sprint getting Galaxy S4 April 27th, T-Mobile April 24th

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:20 AM PDT

Two carriers have confirmed April dates for the Galaxy S4′s release following Samsung’s announcement that the phone would be available starting this month. Sprint has finally given us a date to look forward to. April 27th — just 10 days from now — is the Galaxy S4′s landing date for the Now Network. Sprint’s version [...]

Official: US carriers getting Galaxy S4 starting this month

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 05:00 AM PDT

The folks at Samsung have just announced that all major US carriers will be getting the Samsung Galaxy S4 starting sometime this month. This includes AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, of course. On the not so major side are US Cellular, C-Spire and Cricket. In addition to those carriers, the following retailers will also [...]

Android and Me

Android and Me


Rumor says Motorola X Phone will “come in over 20 colors”

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:25 PM PDT

Rumors of Motorola’s secret “X Phone” project go back to last year, but we only started hearing about details of the first possible device last month. One of our sources said that the X Phone would offer physical customizations that included an endless choice of color...

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RoundR is my new Android app obsession

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:15 PM PDT

Rando? Rando is so last week (OK, I still use it every day, but you have to admit that sounded good). The new Android app I can’t stop gushing about to everyone and anyone who has an Android phone is RoundR. Because my phone’s display now has rounded corners. And rounded corners are...

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HTC’s upcoming mid-range Android phone leaks out

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:43 AM PDT

Rumors have been swirling that HTC was working on a mid-range version of their flagship One smartphone, and now we might have the first images of the device thanks to a leak out of China. A new HTC device with the model number 606w was spotted in China’s TENAA database, and this could be a...

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Motorola and BLU to adopt stock Android for new devices

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:56 AM PDT

If you’re a fan of pure Android, then you might want to consider Motorola or BLU for your next mobile device. Both companies announced this week that they will be sticking with stock Android, instead of creating custom overlays like Samsung’s Touchwiz or HTC’s Sense. Jim Wicks,...

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Google Glass gets unboxed

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:25 AM PDT

After a year of waiting, developers and early adopters have started to receive the Google Glass “Explorer Edition” units that were pre-ordered at Google IO 2012. The retail version of Google Glass is expected to be available later this year (for an unknown price that is lower than the...

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Fresh Meat: 10 new Android apps worth checking out

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:32 AM PDT

New apps need lovin' too, right? Every day there are thousands of new entries on the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We have shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and launch them to new heights. So, we're bringing back...

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Samsung confirms Galaxy S 4 coming to seven US carriers

Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:09 AM PDT

Samsung already revealed their Galaxy S 4 last month in New York, and today they announced additional information about availability in the US. The Galaxy S 4 will be available at seven US carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, as well as U.S. Cellular, Cricket and C...

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