Monday, April 22, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung wants future tablets to be controlled by our thoughts

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 11:11 AM PDT

The rapidly evolving world of technology in our smartphones and tablets isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Now that we’re getting close to perfecting how we interact with our devices using voice thanks to Google Now and Siri, a few researchers think using our brain and thoughts is the next step. The folks from Samsung want to lead this charge, and have a group of researchers doing just that.

_45618255_wired

Now obviously something as advanced as thought-controlled tablets and smartphones is a long, long ways away – but it’s still exciting to dream about. Think Minority Report, but even more advanced. According to the MIT Technology Review, this is one of the next steps in smartphones and tablets and Samsung is all over it.

Samsung researchers, along with the help of assistant professor Roozbeh Jafari of the University of Texas, have apparently begun development of a tablet controlled by your thoughts. More specifically, an EEG-controlled tablet. We’ve seen advancements with EEG-monitoring and controls by those with mobility disabilities, but this would be an entirely new level. Obviously Samsung won’t have us wearing skullcaps to capture our thoughts, but they’ll have to transmit the data somehow.

Reports have confirmed this new project but for now things are still in the very very early stages. We’re hearing subjects have been testing for turning a tablet on or off, as well as simple navigation into apps or selecting and playing a song from their device. Obviously this is a long ways from becoming a reality, but watch out Google Glass, Samsung might one-up you in another 5-10 years.

[via DVice]

Xbox SmartGlass update adds Kindle Fire support

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 11:01 AM PDT

Microsoft has announced the immediate availability of the Xbox SmartGlass app for the Kindle Fire. The app is available by way of the Amazon Appstore and brings compatibility for Android 4.0 or later. Basically, that is to say the Xbox SmartGlass is available for the newer model Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD. Unfortunately, this means those with a first-generation Kindle Fire will be left out as that model is still running a build based on Android 2.3.

xbox-smartglass-540

The Xbox SmartGlass app has arrived in the Amazon Appstore as version 1.5, which looks to be the same version as can be found in the Google Play Store. Coincidentally, the Google Play Store version was updated last week. That update added support for Android tablets that are 7-inches and larger as well as some unspecified design and usability improvements

Assuming you have an Xbox and one of the later generation Kindle Fire models — now seems like as good a time as any to download the app and begin enjoying your second-screen experience. The app will allow you to manage your Xbox profile, switch up your avatar, message your Xbox friends and also keep track of your achievements.

Otherwise, the Xbox SmartGlass app also brings the ability to browse the web on your Xbox 360 with a full keyboard and zooming as well as the ability to control (play, pause, ect.) your music videos and search the full Xbox catalog of music, videos and games and more. The Xbox SmartGlass app can be downloaded from the Amazon Appstore using this link.

Verizon Wireless device payment plan explained

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:20 AM PDT

Verizon Wireless had already confirmed that a device payment plan was coming available. The one part that we didn’t see with the previous confirmation though, was any specifics. Basically, Verizon had said a payment plan was coming and that was about it. Well, in a bit of good news for those curious, said payment plan is now available and Big Red has offered some further details.

P1090749-540x40511

Verizon Wireless has offered details in terms of how much you can finance, how many devices you can finance at at time, what the finance charges are and even confirmed that it can be used for a smartphone or tablet. Diving right in with which devices are eligible, Verizon has said the payment plan is available for smartphones and tablets that are priced at $349.99 or higher.

Users will be able to have a maximum of two open installment plans at a given time and of those two plans, they cannot be more than $1,000. Provided you keep those two in check, in addition to the price of the device, you will also be paying an additional $2 per installment. Or for those who take the entire 12 months to pay, that means you will be paying $24 in finance charges.

On that note, you can always pay these installment plans off early as there are not any pre-payment penalties. At the time of purchase you will be required to make the first payment (including the extra $2) and according to the fine print coming from Verizon — this offer is available to “qualified” customers only. Bottom line here, this seems like a decent option for those who are trying to get out from under a contract or for those who happen to break a device and either don’t have any insurance or cannot afford the full retail price to buy a new handset.

[via Verizon Wireless]

Tumblr gives in – brings ads to their mobile apps

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:19 AM PDT

The popular site Tumblr has been in the news quite a bit lately. Mainly for passing the 100 million blog milestone and a few app redesigns, but today we’re getting some less than stellar news. Well, it’s good and bad. The company has announced that they are rolling out adverts for their Android and iOS mobile apps.

Screen Shot 2013-04-22 at 9.13.24 AM

They confirm it has been nearly a year since their first sponsored posts hit Tumblr Radar, and all the partners have been loving it. Tumblr makes it sound like a pretty awesome announcement, but the fact is we’ll be seeing potentially up to 4 ads per day on our mobile devices while browsing blogs and resharing content.

Tumblr mentions that these will be separate from original content, as expected, and will be easily noticed thanks to a little animated dollar symbol at the top of each of this type of post. Just like their announcement of ads, some of them will actually be animated themselves which might be a bit obtrusive.

ABC, GE, Pepsi, and Warner Bros are among many that have already partnered with Tumblr, and we can expect many more to join forces in the coming months for their new mobile ad front. In the end Tumblr said it will be casual. Stating “every now and then you'll see posts from our partners as you scroll through your mobile Dashboard.” No big deal. Get their new and improved Holo-inspired Android app from the link below.

LG confirms Optimus G Pro will take NYC Atlas Genius stage

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:53 AM PDT

Last week we confirmed that the folks from LG were set to debut a new device at a press event at the beginning of May, and now we know exactly what’s to be shown off come May 1st. That being the company’s latest flagship smartphone, the LG Optimus G Pro. Complete with a 5.5-inch screen and a dedicated home button, read on for more details on the upcoming event.

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LG has been teasing that they’ll “share the genius” with us on May 1st in New York City with a few save the date emails, but today they’ve spilled all the details. LG will be showcasing and announcing the all new flagship Optimus G Pro and showing us its “genius” by hosting an Atlas Genius concert live in NYC.

So essentially the Optimus G Pro will be taking center stage. And with good reason. The smartphone packs a 5.5-inch 1080p HD IPS display, quad-core power, and more. That quad-core is a Snapdragon 600 series at 1.7 GHz accompanied with 2GB of RAM, and the device is paired with 16 or 32GB of internal storage. Then it’s rounded off with a 13 megapixel camera, micro-SD slot, and finally a 3,140 mAh battery for all day enjoyment.

acgo

As you can see above, LG has followed their earlier press invites with the Optimus G Pro clearly taking center stage, literally. LG will be hosting an Atlas Genius concert in the heart of NYC and the Optimus G Pro will be a big part of the show. LG invites us to “experience true brilliance” as we enjoy some classic Indie Rock and then see their latest smartphone.

Can the 5.5-inch quad-core powerhouse compete with the GALAXY S 4? That is the question. We’ll need some more time with it to decide. It should be headed to AT&T, and check out our hands-on coverage of the G Pro below.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Optimus G Pro
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 18, 2013
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1920x1080
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.91 Inch
  • Width : 2.99 Inch
  • Depth : 0.37 Inch
  • Weight : 172 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3140 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T
    CPU Clock Speed : 1700 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 13 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

T-Mobile Galaxy S Relay 4G Jelly Bean update begins

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:48 AM PDT

T-Mobile originally launched the Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G back in September of last year. At the time the handset was running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, however as of today there is a bit of good news regarding Jelly Bean. In short, T-Mobile has announced the immediate availability of Jelly Bean.

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Specifically, the update will be arriving as Android 4.1.2 and with baseband version T699UVBMC5. Those looking to get the update should know that you will not be getting an update notification. According to details coming from the T-Mobile support page, Galaxy S Relay 4G users “will not receive notification of this update.” The update is available over-the-air or using Kies, but you will need to manually check.

Otherwise, T-Mobile has also said this update will remain available over-the-air through the end of May. After May 30, the update will then only be available using Kies. Basically, if you are sporting a Galaxy S Relay 4G you will likely want to grab your handset, make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network and then navigate to Menu -> Settings -> About device -> Software update to get the process started.

Aside from what has already been mentioned, T-Mobile has also said this update measures in at 411MB in size and that you will need to have a non-rooted handset in order to get this update. Assuming you meet the requirements, you can have Jelly Bean as soon as today which means new features such as Google Now and expanded actionable notifications.

[via T-Mobile]

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S Relay 4G
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : T-Mobile
    Announced Date : September 06, 2012
    Release Date : September 19, 2012
    Also Known As : SGH-T699
Display
  • Screen Size : 4 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.96 Inch
  • Width : 2.56 Inch
  • Depth : 0.53 Inch
  • Weight : NA
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 312 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8260A
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Huawei A199 confirmed as 5-inch mid-tier smartphone

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:16 AM PDT

Coming off some recent rumors and leaks, Huawei has officially unveiled the A199 smartphone. The Huawei A199 will be arriving as mid-tier device with specs to include a 5-inch 720p display and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The key here is not so much what the specs are, but where we will and will not be seeing the A199 come available.

huawei-a199

In short, it looks like Huawei has the A199 heading only to those in China. At the moment the handset has been unveiled on the Chinese language Huawei site though, which is really just another way of saying they may have some other details available when (or if) they offer a press release announcement. But basically, as of now it seems a good amount of users will never be able to grab the Huawei A199 smartphone.

Aside from Jelly Bean and the 5-inch display, the handset is powered by Huawei’s quad-core 1.5GHz K3V2 processor with 2GB of RAM. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 2150 mAh battery, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Adding further evidence to this being a China only release, the Huawei A199 (in its current form) is sporting dual-SIM support. All said and done, while this handset may not be one those outside of China are able to pick up, we are also following another recent Huawei story. This other arrived a short while back and brought talk of a new flagship complete with 4.9-inch 1080p display and 6.3mm thickness.

[via TNW]

Samsung mystery device tipped as GALAXY S 4 prototype

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:28 AM PDT

We saw images of an unknown Samsung device surface last week. And well, it looks like those images have since been proven inaccurate. The image, which can be seen below, was originally posted by @evleaks with word that it was using Samsung’s new design guidelines. As it turns out, the handset was not new and it was actually a prototype.

BH-qh1GCcAANYuL

According to details coming from SamMobile, the Samsung device that was pictured last week was actually a never-released prototype for the GALAXY S 4. Specifically, it was of a developer prototype for the GALAXY S 4. These latest set of details are coming by way of an insider who just so happens to have the phone.

S4BB

To back up this claim, said developer shared an image of the handset they happen to have. The developer shared image is sitting just above and based on comparison of the two images, they do appear to be the same device. Basically, this is just to say that while the web tends to trust @evleaks, there is always good reason to take leaks and rumors with a bit of skepticism.

Interestingly enough, looking at the top images and it appears as if this prototype GALAXY S 4 had an S Pen slot on the bottom. Previous leaks aside though, as the GALAXY S 4 has been shown off officially, there isn’t much reason left to speculate over this image. Still, we we cannot help but wonder what the crowd reaction would have been had Samsung actually released the GALAXY S 4 looking like what you see above.

[via SamMobile]

Cricket Wireless details unlimited family plan for smartphone users

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:58 AM PDT

Cricket Wireless has announced news of a family plan. This plan is immediately available and those with two or more smartphones will be able to take advantage. Those interested will need to use Cricket’s Automatic Bill Pay feature in order to be eligible, but the basics of this family plan are the same as the currently available $50 per month unlimited plan.

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The key here, those picking the family plan will see a bit of a drop in price. Cricket has said the family plan will be available at $40 per line. That is a $10 drop as compared to a single line account, but remember, you only qualify for this plan if you have two or more lines. The family plan includes unlimited talk, text and data (with 1GB of that data being full-speed).

The family plans also include Muve Music which will allow the users access to an unlimited amount of song downloads, ringback tones and ringtones. Finally, those looking to take Cricket up on this offer will be able to do so at any company-owned stores as well as with select dealers nationwide.

Otherwise, aside from this new family plan, Cricket maintains the previously existing individual plans which are priced at $50, $60 and $70 per month. These plans, similar to the $50 per month plan, offer unlimited talk, text and data. The difference here is with the data — the $60 per month plan includes 2.5GB of full-speed data and the $70 per month plan includes 5GB of full-speed data. Both the $60 and $70 per month plans also allow for mobile hotspot use.

[via Leap Wireless]

Arnova G4 tablet unveiled with 9.7-inch display and Jelly Bean

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:22 AM PDT

The first of the 4th generation Arnova tablets have been unveiled and while we have yet to see all the specifics, the company has offered up a full set of specs for the tablet. We are expecting to see multiple devices in the Arnova G4 lineup, but for now there is only details on the Arnova 97 G4. As the name would imply, this one will arrive sporting a 9.7-inch display.

Face-HD

The resolution will be 1024 x 768 and those who may be considering a purchase will also find the tablet to be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Before we dive into the full set of specs, lets first say that while the tablet has been officially unveiled on the Arnova website — the still missing details include the price and release date.

That said, the Arnova 97 G4 will be powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz processor along with a quad-core Mali 400 GPU and 1GB of RAM. Other specs for the tablet include 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot (with support for cards up to 32GB in size), HDMI and Wi-Fi for connectivity. The tablet will also have a front and rear-facing camera — both of which will be 2 megapixel.

The Arnova 97 G4 will weigh in at 700 grams and measure in at 243.2 x 190 x 10.5 mm. Otherwise, while we need to wait for Arnova on the price, we do know that based on previous history — this line of tablets do not generally carry a large price tag. Simply put, we are expecting the Arnova 97 G4 to drop with a relatively low price point.

[via ArcTablet]

Sony readying Jelly Bean for a handful of Xperia smartphones

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:47 AM PDT

It is looking like a select group of Sony Xperia handsets will soon be getting an update. Sony has yet to offer a specific timeframe as to when the updates will begin rolling out, however they have begun talking about updates being in the final stages of testing. The details are coming direct from Sony and include talk of the Xperia P, Go, S, SL, acro S and ion.

sony_xperia_p_hands-on_sg_4

Sony recently posted the details on Twitter and noted the update will be arriving as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. According to details in that message, Sony has said the work is in the final stages and they have promised that more details will be released soon. In fact, we are expecting Sony to offer additional details this week.

The one catch will be as to whether or not Sony will be announcing details for all of these handsets at once, or whether they will be doing it on a case by case basis. Either way though, Jelly Bean should be available for the Xperia P, Go, S, SL, acro S and ion smartphones relatively soon.

While we know many of the goodies, such as Google Now that come as a result of Jelly Bean, Sony generally includes some other items as well. Take the Jelly Bean update for the Xperia TX which arrived back at the end of March, this update also included updates for the Sony Walkman, Album and Movies apps along with a few other smaller changes and improvements.

[via phoneArena]

LG Lucid to join the Verizon Wireless pre-paid lineup

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:24 AM PDT

The original LG Lucid may have come available more than a year ago. Not to mention the bit out the follow-up LG Lucid 2 having been released just a few short weeks ago, however this Monday morning brings talk of the original Lucid making a comeback. Well, a comeback of sorts. While this has yet to be confirmed by Verizon Wireless, it is looking like the original LG Lucid may soon be joining the pre-paid device lineup.

P1090052-540x405

The details are coming by way of @evleaks who has said the LG Lucid is heading to Verizon Wireless pre-paid lineup as the LG Optimus Exceed. New name aside, the Optimus Exceed is still expected to arrive sporting the same specs we saw when it was called the Lucid. Basically, that is to say you can expect goodies such as a 4.0-inch (480 x 800) display, 1.2GHz Qualcomm S3 processor, 8GB of internal storage and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Anyway, the rumors are calling for the LG Lucid (Optimus Exceed) to be available relatively soon and with a price that is $100 or under. And while that may sound a bit on the pricey side considering you can pick up an LG Lucid 2 for free, keep in mind, the Lucid 2 is free on a two-year agreement while the Lucid will be contract free.

Aside from the LG Lucid, recent rumors also show another handset as possibly coming to the pre-paid Verizon lineup. The other handset is the LG Optimus Zone and while we haven’t seen a release date for this one, that one shouldn’t be all that high in terms of price either. All said and done, assuming these rumors play out as expected, Verizon will soon have an additional few Android handsets in the pre-paid lineup.

[via 9to5Google]

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Lucid
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : March 27, 2012
    Release Date : March 29, 2012
    Also Known As : Lucid by LG
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.0 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : IPS
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.69 Inch
  • Width : 2.45 Inch
  • Depth : 0.45 Inch
  • Weight : 142 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1700 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : S3
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

More Android-powered laptops on the way claim insiders

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:10 AM PDT

The computer industry is dropping like a rock in the face of increased competition from tablets and smartphones. Many analysts point at the unappealing nature of Windows 8 and its marginal upgrade as part of the reason why the notebook market is failing. With consumers showing little interest in Windows 8 and Windows RT, reports indicate that some computer manufacturers are going to turn to Android.

Asus_Transfomer_Pad_Infinity_TF700

Sales for Android tablets and smartphones worldwide are booming and some computer makers are reportedly set to bet on laptops running the Android operating system. Intel is promoting an Android-powered convertible notebook devices according to sources cited by PC Advisor who claim to be familiar with the subject. The sources claim that Lenovo is getting ready to launch an Android version of its 11-inch Yoga laptop in May.

The sources also tipped that HP, Toshiba, Acer, and Asus are all set to launch Android-powered notebook models in Q3 of 2013. Intel believes that $500 is the price point where these Android-based notebook computers will be popular. The sources say that Intel is confident that Android notebooks combined with consumer familiarity with the operating system and the addition of word and document processing software will attract a significant amount of consumers.

Alternative operating systems certainly have a chance to take some market share from Microsoft and its Windows operating system as consumers and businesses feel no rush to upgrade to the latest version of the company’s operating system. It’s unclear if all of these Android-powered notebooks will be along the lines of the hybrid tablet/notebook machines we’ve seen so far or true notebook computers.

[via PC Advisor]

Sunday comics fans can download the new GoComics app now

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT

I’d wager one of the places a lot of comic book fans got their start was with the comics in the Sunday newspaper. If you’re a fan of Sunday comics in your local paper, you might want to check out a new app from GoComics that is available for Android now. GoComics previously offered access to digital versions of some the comic strips printed in newspapers around the country via its website.

gocomics

Applications are now available for several mobile devices including Android, Windows Phone, and iOS devices. The app is free and is dubbed the “official” on mobile devices for syndicated comic strips. Most of the major comics are available via the application.

You can read comics such as Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, and Dilbert among others. The application has listings for popular comics, new comics, and more. Those category listings should make it easy to find your favorites and discover new comics you will enjoy.

The Android application supports devices running Android 2.2 and higher. The download size is 5.3 MB and it’s available at no cost for download. The majority of reviews so far in the application five stars and has an overall rating of 4.1.

[via Engadget]

Talisman Prologue fantasy board game app heads to Android

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 05:52 AM PDT

If you’re the sort of geek who enjoys playing fantasy boardgames, you might be familiar with the game called Talisman from Games Workshop. A mobile version of that board game is set to hit the Android ecosystem on April 25 from Thumbstar Games. The game is called Talisman Prologue.

tp1

Previously the game is available for PC gamers and will be coming to Android and iOS users this week. The game is a single player strategy game that uses the same rules as the card-based board game. The mobile game will have 10 classic characters from the card game along with 50 different quests.

The game developer says that a multiple player version of Talisman Digital Edition is currently being worked on. This isn’t the first time a game developer has attempted to bring in Talisman game to the digital world. Back in 2008, Capcom gave up on a game it was working on for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox gamers.

If you like the Talisman card games, the Android version of the game will be something you’re interested in as well. Check out the teaser video for the game below.

[via Eurogamer]

Facebook Home hits 500,000 installs

Posted: 22 Apr 2013 05:10 AM PDT

Facebook launched its new Home Android launcher a little over a week ago. So far the launcher has been downloaded over 500,000 times, which is a bit lean considering Facebook has billions of users. Granted Facebook Home only works on a handful of Android devices at this time.

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Facebook Home launched in the US on April 12 and was available internationally on April 16. Clearly, a very small percentage of Facebook users has opted to try out the Facebook Home Android launcher. Another problem Facebook faces with Home is that most people are giving it a negative reviews. Over half of the reviews left on Google Play rate the Home launcher at only one star.

Currently, out of about 10,900 reviews for Home on Google Play, over 5600 of them give Home only one star. There is no way to know exactly how many people downloaded Home, gave it a bad rating, and immediately delete it from their phones. Just because the app has been downloaded over 500,000 times doesn’t mean it has that many users.

As of April 19, the number of installs listed on Google Play was between 100,000 and 500,000. The number of downloads is now listed at between 500,000 and 1 million.

[via SlashGear]

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Review

Posted: 21 Apr 2013 03:11 PM PDT

Samsung has had a place in the mid-size tablet market for a while now, and their newest piece of machinery takes things to a new level. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is the happy medium between the company's Galaxy Note 10.1 and the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II, and we first took a look at the new device during Mobile World Congress back in February. It comes with the infamous S Pen, as well as a quad-core processor to keep things humming along nicely. However, the tablet starts at $400, which is a bit expensive compared to other tablets in the same playing field, which makes us wonder what's so special about this specific slate. Let's take a peek.

20130416_130914-L

Hardware & Design

As you can probably guess from the name of the device itself, the Galaxy Note 8.0 rocks an 8-inch 16:10 display at a resolution of 1280×800, which is a bit low considering that even smaller screens sport the same resolution. However, it has a pixel density of 189 PPI, which is just slightly more than the iPad mini's 162 PPI. When looking at the screen from an average distance, text is really sharp, and images show up extremely crisp, but it certainly won't be as good as higher-density tablets like the full-size iPad or the Nexus 10.

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As for the design of this new slate, it pretty much looks like a larger version of the new GALAXY S 4, complete with the silver trim around the edges. The body is mostly plastic, including the silver trim, which makes the Galaxy Note 8.0 feel slightly on the cheap side, but the plastic build keeps it light for those who don't quite want to carry around a brick. The power button and the volume rocker sit on the right edge of the tablet, with an IR blaster nestled right below that. The headphone sits at the top, while a microSD card slot is located on the left side. The microUSB slot and the speakers are both situated on the bottom, and just as with most of Samsung's mobile products, the tablet has the elongated home button down toward the bottom, as well as the Menu and Back soft keys that illuminate in white.

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While the Galaxy Note 8.0 is a whole inch larger than those 7-inch varieties, it still feels like a 7-inch tablet when wielding it around. Holding it with one hand doesn't feel too cumbersome, although I've been accustomed to simply grasping one edge of the tablet instead of trying to hold it like a smartphone, which has been working out quite nicely, although my grasping hand does get a little tired after a while. It's merely a device to quickly pull out while you're waiting for the train, or a device to use in bed at night or in the morning. It's certainly not something that you can run around with like a smartphone, but it feels much more compact than a 10-inch slate.

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As for the S Pen that's provided with the tablet, it allows users an extra level of productivity, letting them to take notes like they would with a normal pen and paper combo, only this time it's all digital. Furthermore, the pen comes with a feature called Air View, that allows you to preview notes and have a peek at what's inside a folder by hovering the pen over the object. This also works in some third-party apps like Flipboard, where you can hover a category to glance over some of the more important news items in that category.

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The only Galaxy Note 8.0 version that's available in the US is WiFi-only, with the international version getting 3G capabilities as well as a radio chip to make phone calls and send/receive text messages. There's also said to be a 4G LTE version incoming sometime later this year, but we've yet to hear about a release date or pricing info on that, and buyers will only be able to pick up a 16GB version of the tablet in the US, with a 32GB option available in other parts of the world.

Software

The Galaxy Note 8.0 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box, which means you'll have all of the new goodies in this latest iteration, such as Google Now, improved notifications, and a slew of performance enhancements thanks to Project Butter. However, Samsung has also added a handful of their own apps to the device, turning the tablet into both a productivity device, as well as an entertainment hub.

S Note is Samsung's own note-taking app, and it works seamlessly with the S Pen. You can type notes, write notes, and even doodle pictures while you're sitting in on that board meeting at work. The S Pen is extremely responsive, and while we noticed just a tiny bit of lag, it didn't take away from the experience one bit. Then pen is also pressure sensitive, so you can press down hard to bold your writing, or draw some streaks with a very light touch.

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There's also Multi-Window Mode, where you can view apps in a split-screen format and adjust the size of each window. This can be great for taking notes of an article on a website, or simply keeping up with your Twitter feed while you watch YouTube videos all day. Only a certain number of apps are capable of running in Multi-Window Mode, but many of the ones you'll want it for are supported, so you shouldn't have too much trouble there.

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Other Samsung apps include Group Play (where you can share various types of files with other Samsung users over a WiFi network), WatchON (a TV guide app of sorts with a built-in universal remote control that uses the tablet's IR blaster), S Planner, (Samsung's own calendar app), and S Voice (Samsung's own voice assistant, similar to Siri and Google Now). Of course, if you're not a big fan of these apps, third-party developers usually do a good job of offering alternatives in the Google Play store.

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One feature I found really helpful, however, was Reading Mode, which you can apply to certain reading apps like Flipboard, Google Play Books, and Kindle. Whenever these apps are open, the tablet will automatically adjust the color temperature and brightness of the screen to optimize it for reading, that way your eyes don't burn from looking at the screen for long periods of time while you make your way through that Dean Koontz novel. Of course, Reading Mode doesn't replace the ultimate reading experience that a dedicated e-reader provides, but it certainly works if you're not willing to spend the money to get a separate and dedicated e-reader.

Camera

The Galaxy Note 8.0 sports a 5 MP rear-facing camera with a 1.3 MP front-facing shooter for video chatting. The rear camera doesn't have an LED flash, so you'll have to make doubly sure that the photos you're taking aren't in low light, else they'll turn out really dark and unusable. As for photo quality goes, it's certainly not terrible, but avid photo snappers may not be too impressed. Macro abilities are pretty good, but even with good lighting, photos can turn out fairly grainy and noisy. The front-facing camera isn't any better, and it may not garner the selfie quality that you've been yearning for, but it gets the job done when it comes to video chatting and such.

Video quality was more of the same — not bad, but not great, although auto-focus was practically non-existent. The camera wouldn't auto-focus when closing in on a subject, so we had to keep tapping on the screen to get it to focus manually. Auto-exposure worked fairly well, though, and the white balance adjusted as expected. Have a look at both the sample photos and a video below to judge for yourself.

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Performance & Battery

The Galaxy Note 8.0 runs on an in-house quad-core Exynos 4 processor clocked at 1.6GHz with 2GB of RAM, which makes the tablet cruise along quite nicely. According to benchmarks, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is about as fast as the Galaxy S III and the HTC One X+ in AnTuTu (scoring 16,900), and compared to the Nexus 7, the Note 8.0 scored much higher than Google's variety, including the Nexus 10.

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As for benchmark results in Quadrant, the tablet scored just over a 6,200, beating out the HTC One X, the ASUS Transformer Prime, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 by a landslide. That certainly makes sense, as the tablet opened apps extremely quickly, and we were able to navigate through menus with cat-like tread. However, the keyboard was one of the only aspects that we thought could've used some speed improvements. We felt typing to be a bit laggy at times, and sometimes the keyboard would freeze for about a second before it would pick back up again. Of course, you have many keyboard alternatives at your disposal — SwiftKey being one of our favorites — so if you also find the default keyboard a bit lacking, you can change it around.

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As for juice capacity, the Note 8.0's 4600mAh battery ended up lasting just over seven hours before the meter dipped below 20%, and this was with constant, heavy use all day long. We watched Netflix shows on it for a few hours, played some games, took photos, and browsed our way through many of the apps. We reckon that most casual users will be able to go all day long and even into the next day before having to plug it in, with heavy users like us being able to most likely make it through an 8-hour work day.

Wrap-Up

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is a great tablet, and we certainly would rank it up there among the other small form-factor slates like the Nexus 7 and even the iPad mini, but the $400 price tag is a hard pill to swallow. With the Nexus 7 costing only $200 and the iPad mini at $330, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is a really expensive tablet. However, you're paying for the S Pen stylus, which is a piece of technology that's rather simple, but it offers a unique experience that you can only truly take advantage of on Samsung devices. Plus, if you already have a Samsung smartphone or are planning to grab the GALAXY S 4, the Galaxy Note 8.0 would be a perfect tablet companion.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note 8 (WiFi)
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 23, 2013
    Release Date : April 05, 2013
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 8 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 8.31 Inch
  • Width : 5.36 Inch
  • Depth : 0.31 Inch
  • Weight : 338 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4600 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4412
    CPU Clock Speed : 1600 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Pebble review: Two weeks with a smartwatch

Posted: 21 Apr 2013 12:32 PM PDT

After what seemed like a wait that took forever, my Pebble smartwatch was finally delivered on April 6. That means I have now been wearing the watch for two weeks time and as such, I have some thoughts to share. I am still wearing my Pebble today, which should say something. I will also risk giving a spoiler in the beginning by saying that I really do like my Pebble. But to balance that a little bit, I am not able to say the Pebble is perfect and honestly I am not even sure how comfortable I would be offering a recommendation at this time.

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Just to give a bit of a background here, I waited until almost the last day before I made the commitment on Kickstarter. Looking back I am not sure what I was waiting for, however I didn’t back the project until May 8, 2012. That meant I paid $115 for a Black Pebble and became one of the 40,799 that were originally hoping for a delivery in September 2012. We all understand how that story went, so I will not venture down that road any further than just to say I am glad they held back and produced a quality watch as opposed to shipping junk and making the original delivery date. For that, I thank the folks at Pebble.

I will also go on the record here as not really being a watch guy. I have, and have been wearing other watches, but I have never really been into the fancy or expensive side. In fact, the Pebble may be the most expensive watch that I have ever worn. I have your standard Timex sports watch along a near 10 year old Fossil watch and a Russian military watch which you can see below. Basically, I like the Pebble because I am a tech and gadget geek, not a watch geek.

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Keeping on the topic of thanking the folks at Pebble, I should also thank them for helping me prioritize my smartphone use. You see, I was one of those who grabbed his phone as soon as it beeped and/or vibrated. I had to know what that message was, and without getting into those issues, I will say that Pebble has helped me prioritize. You see, now I can simply look at my watch and see what the message was all about. The truth here, looking at the message on my phone was never really the issue. The issue instead came from me jumping from that message into other things. Now with Pebble I can see the message and be done.

Basically, Pebble helps me to prioritize when my phone needs to come out of my pocket and when it can stay in my pocket. A recent trip out (wearing my Pebble) and I noticed that while my smartphone may have been in my pocket most of the day, the same cannot be said for those who were around me. In that respect it is a shame everyone isn’t using a Pebble at the moment. But this is where the recommendation question seems to fit in — would I feel comfortable suggesting someone buy a Pebble?

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More on whether I would suggest others buying a Pebble in a moment, for now lets get into some of my thoughts after two-weeks of daily use beginning first with the official Pebble app. This is a decent enough app, but in truth it doesn’t do all that much. Instead I have used the third party Pebble Notifier app from day one and would suggest all Pebble users (if you haven’t already), make sure you check out that app. The Pebble Notifier app is simple to use and allows for quite a bit more in terms of notifications. Basically, the Pebble Notifier app lets you send notifications from every app installed on your phone as opposed to the basics that come from the official Pebble app.

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Just to give an idea, you can see a bit of what the Pebble Notifier app looks like in the above (three image) gallery. It is fairly straight forward to use and really just amounts to you checking the box next to the app you want notifications from. The official Pebble app on the other hand has a bit more to go through to really tweak the settings. That is not to say it is difficult to use, it is just that it requires a few additional taps. We should also point out, the official Pebble app, despite not living up to our every expectation, does what it should and does it well. You can get a look at the official Pebble app in the below (six image) gallery.

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The Pebble is comfortable to wear. I would say that I have smaller wrists and with that taken into consideration, the Pebble still fits well and it doesn’t feel overly heavy. The waterproofing seems to be good. I have rinsed the watch in the sink a few times and even had it on for a shower or two. No issues that I can see, however the waterproofing is also good for other reasons — notably being a runner in the hot and humid state of Florida. Basically that is to say it is not uncommon to be caught in a rainstorm during the summer months and well, there is also the issue of sweat.

So far I have been getting about 5 days between charges which makes me pretty happy. Its not the full 7, but it is much better than some of the other estimates I have seen. I have the Pebble paired with my Samsung Galaxy S III and have not noticed any big hit on the battery life of the phone. I should also say that I am also a regular Bluetooth user. My phone pretty much always has an active Bluetooth connection given I also use a Fitbit and wireless headphones. The Pebble seems to hold connection without issue and will easily reconnect if for some reason it drops. So far I have only seen the connection drop for two reasons — the first is when I reboot my phone and the second is when I venture out with either the phone or the watch, but not both.

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After two weeks of use I can say that I am fully into the Pebble. In fact, I am really happy with the purchase and plan to keep wearing it day in and day out. The catch here though, for now I will say this, as much as I like my Pebble, I am not sure I could recommend it at the moment. You see, that decision comes to price. I think the price is really sweet at $115, but I am not sure I can say the same at the current pre-order price of $150.

I did replace the band on my Pebble, which added an additional $10 to my overall commitment, however, even comparing $125 to $150 and that seems a big jump for what Pebble can do at the moment. The silver lining here is how that will hopefully change with future support and new features down the road. It also doesn’t hurt that it almost feels like my Pebble was free, and just to clarify that statement, by that I simply mean that I paid for it so long ago that the price doesn’t seem as important to me at the moment. Remember, Pebble funded back on May 18, 2012 — just shy of one year ago.

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I will also say that based on what I heard direct from Pebble, as well as what I have read in other reviews — the watch has lived up to my expectations. Of course, on the flip side I am hoping to see some apps come available. We have seen details of RunKeeper, but that would just be a start. Take for example the current music functionality, I would like something more. The watch is able to play/pause and even skip tracks when using my music player of choice, Slacker, however it doesn’t show any track details. A Fitbit app would also be a plus. But you get it, there are likely many apps I could think of in this category so I will just leave it as a general — I hope this improves over time.

Shifting away from apps and additional Pebble features would also be nice. There is the often complained about alerts — Pebble currently only shows one. In this case, each new alert wipes out the previous alert. It would be nice to have the build up. Given this is a watch, improved alarms would also be a real perk. At the moment there is an alarm function, but it is pretty basic. Keeping on this being a watch and a countdown timer or stopwatch function would also be stellar.

Bottom line here, Pebble is not perfect at the moment, but it does work really well for what it does. I also believe (or like to hope) that Pebble will only improve over time. As for the uncertainty on the recommendation, that really just comes down to whether you can afford and are willing to shell out $150.

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