Saturday, May 4, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung GALAXY S 4 now on sale throughout Canada

Posted: 03 May 2013 04:37 PM PDT

For all those folks living North of the U.S. we have some excellent news to share. In case you haven’t been paying attention or seeing TV ad spots, Samsung’s GALAXY S 4 flagship smartphone is available starting today across Canada on most major carriers. The launch isn’t going quite as smooth as they planned, but it’s now readily available.

Screen-Shot-2013-04-23-at-3.00.32-PM4-540x3141

Already being available in the US on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon later this month, all the folks up in Canada will be happy to know they can get one of the best smartphones on the planet starting today. We’re hearing all major carriers in Canada are offering the 16GB model today. And again we’re only seeing the 16GB model and it sounds like the 32GB flavor could be delayed.

In one swift motion the GALAXY S 4 is available on Rogers, TELUS, Bell, FIDO, Virgin, and more. So basically all the big carriers not to mention plenty of others and their sub-brands. They’ve been available for pre-order from many of these carriers with heavy anticipation, but hopefully you can walk into your carrier of choice and grab one today. You might want to call before heading down just in case.

The GALAXY S 4 offers an incredible viewing experience on a new 5-inch 1080p full HD display, quad-core processing power and 2GB of RAM, and of course only 16GB of storage. You’ll enjoy a 13 megapixel camera, a 2,600 mAh battery and enough features to spend an entire week learning. With S-View cases, air-view gestures for hands-free usage and more Samsung really brought out all the stops. One of our favorite features is the IR blaster and TV remote control app. Get it and give it a try today.

Before you decide the S4 is right for you, check out our in-depth GALAXY S 4 Review and then a comparison with the HTC One.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S 4 (Qualcomm)
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : AT&T T-Mobile
    Announced Date : March 14, 2013
    Release Date : April 24, 2013
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1080x1920
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.748 Inch
  • Depth : 0.31 Inch
  • Weight : 130 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2600 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.2.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 : 1900 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 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:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
  • 802.11ac
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Gameloft teases new open-world Android game ‘Gangstar Vegas’

Posted: 03 May 2013 04:12 PM PDT

Today we’re getting our first look at what could be a pretty awesome game from the folks at Gameloft. In their usual fashion we’re getting nothing but a teaser trailer today, and we’ll probably get another in a few weeks when they officially announce more details. It looks pretty awesome but sadly there’s no actual gameplay footage.

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 3.49.37 PM

Gameloft has continued to push out pretty impressive games lately, we’re just hoping this won’t be full of in-app purchases. The new game is called Gangstar Vegas, and follows along with their other Gangstar game franchise titles that have been popular on Android and iOS. It might not reveal much, but for those who love a good game this could be worthy of checking out.

Gameloft really doesn’t reveal anything here, like at all. The only real hint comes from the YouTube description mentioning we’ll be able to “plunge into Las Vegas’s Underworld” in this new acclaimed open-world game. It certainly isn’t Grand Theft Auto, but it’s close. The preview is pretty awesome, and graphic because this is Vegas, so use caution.

Only in Vegas can you find all of that with ease. Especially at 0:15 seconds. You get a glimpse or 3 of the city, but nothing of the actual game. We’ll have to wait for another video for that. While we’re still patiently awaiting Gameloft’s Blitz Brigade to be released, this new Gangstar Vegas is listed as coming soon. Stay tuned!

World’s thinnest smartphone comes in at 5.6mm thanks to China

Posted: 03 May 2013 03:45 PM PDT

Lately there has been an ongoing trend to try and earn the title and crown of having the “world’s thinnest smartphone.” The folks from OPPO, Huawei, and many others have all joined in on the fun, but the record keeps getting beat every few months as technology advances. Today a Chinese company is looking to smash all the competition with a truly razor thin smartphone.

5.6mm-chinese-phone-render

Currently the smartphone that holds the title for the thinnest smartphone is the recently unveiled Huawei P6 coming in at 6.18mm. Before that was OPPO, and before that was another Huawei device. Honestly, we feel like a decently thin smartphone with a large battery is much more warranted, but to each his own.

Meet a rather unknown Chinese company called UMeox and their new Brand X5 smartphone. This thing truly is one of the slimmest and sleekest handsets we’ve ever seen. It doesn’t just beat the Huawei P6 by a few millimeters either. It comes in at under 6mm thick. Something no one has delivered quite yet.

Their device is less than a quarter of an inch thick, coming in at just 5.6mm, and looks pretty sharp from the image shown above. Full dimensions are 118 x 60 x 5.6mm and it comes with a decent 4-inch display according to reports. If you love a super thin phone this Chinese device might also make its way to Europe according to reports. Do you like this idea? Or would you rather compromise on a few mm in favor of better battery life?

[via GizChina]

Samsung GALAXY S 4 ad shows off features and pokes fun at iPhones

Posted: 03 May 2013 03:23 PM PDT

Samsung is back with those ads we all seem to either love or hate, showing off their latest smartphone the GALAXY S 4. In their latest ad airing during the NBA playoffs called “Pool Party” you’ll get to see many of those new features that make the GALAXY S 4 stand out against the competition. Then, what kind of Samsung commercial would it be without poking fun at Apple. Take a peek below.

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 2.56.50 PM

As expected, Samsung is already blasting their new smartphone on social media and TV across the nation, and we’re only going to see more of it as the weeks and months pass. Samsung does a pretty good job at TV advertising, even if their launch events are extremely cheesy.

The ad shows off a few of the many new features being delivered with their new smartphone. Things like air gesture controls for answering the phone, their dual-shot camera mode, IR-blaster for controlling the TV and much much more. It’s pretty nifty, shows that they have plenty of cash being spent on adverts, and is actually pretty funny. Here it is:

As usual, Samsung’s aiming right at Apple and poking fun at all those iPhone users. Going as far as to say not all smartphones are as smart as each other. Having owners questioning their decision about getting an iPhone and more. Then of course teases the iPhone for not having NFC for S-Beam photo sharing. Yup, we knew that was coming. I have a feeling this is just one of many new commercials we’ll be seeing soon, and we’ll be sure to post the good and the bad right here.

Do you like the approach of them always knocking their competition? Don’t forget to check out our GALAXY S 4 Review.

Tweetdeck lives a little longer with Twitter API v1 extension

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:56 PM PDT

Just when I was starting to come to the sad realization that Tweetdeck was shutting down, and Twitter would be retiring their original v1 API on May 7th, we learn that they’ve extended the date. For those confused, many original legacy Twitter clients like the super popular Tweetdeck all run on v1, and once it’s retired they’ll no longer work. Twitter confirmed today they’ve delayed the retirement date.

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Arguably one of the most popular Twitter clients, on both desktop and mobile, is Tweetdeck. Sadly this will no longer function once API v1 is shut down, and as a result Twitter will be killing off Tweetdeck and a few others completely. Their new API is supported by most of the popular Twitter clients on both desktop and mobile these days, but any that are no longer in development will cease to work soon.

Today Twitter announced that they’ve delayed the retirement a little over a month, and the new shut down date has been penciled in for June 11th. This means you all get to enjoy TweetDeck (TweakDeck) and other v1 clients for another month or so before the end comes. There’s hundreds of thousands of Twitter users running older clients, so now you have a little longer to find a replacement.

Twitter will be conducting blackout tests, so many of those older clients will have moments where they fail you. So you better find a replacement soon. Speaking of Android, there’s tons of options available in the Google Play Store for Twitter. Falcon Pro is popular, Carbon is decent, but lately my personal favorite has been a new Twitter app called Robird. If you’re interested check it out in our full review. More details and questions can be answered in the Twitter forum link below.

[via Twitter]

ItsOn tipped to launch as Verizon MVNO with focus on plan flexibility

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:44 PM PDT

It looks like those in the US will soon have another wireless carrier to pick from. This latest will be introduced by ItsOn Inc, though the name of the service has yet to be announced. Charles Giancarlo from ItsOn has said the service (and the name) will be announced later this month and it will bring a focus on flexibility. The service will be a pay-as-you-go offering and while that does mean paying full price for your device, it also means you will not be tied into any long term carrier commitment.

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ItsOn CEO Greg Raleigh has said they will be offering “the least-expensive service in the country." Going on to say that a family of three will be paying less than 50 percent of what they are currently paying. He later referred to this as the “un-plan.” Further talk touched on how those using the service will be able to “easily” allot voice minutes, texts and data limits on a per line basis.

The service is said to be launching as competition for already established no-contract carriers such as MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile and Leap Wireless. While this Bloomberg report didn’t mention which carrier network they would be operating under, speculation points towards Verizon Wireless. In fact, a Reuters report from October 2012 noted ItsOn Inc as previously having secured funding from Verizon Communications, Vodafone Group Plc and Best Buy.

Otherwise, in a bit of good news for Android Community readers, it looks like the initial handset selection will consist primarily of Android devices. So how about it, anyone interested in or already using a similar service? We have to admit, the freedom and flexibility sounds appealing, but there is quite a bit of comfort in being with one of the big four carriers.

[via 9to5Mac]

AT&T LG Optimus G Pro hands-on and unboxing

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:12 PM PDT

Today we have the pleasure to be working with another one of those larger than usual phones. The LG Optimus G Pro quad-core powerhouse smartphone from LG, available next week from AT&T. This is arguably LG’s flagship smartphone at the moment and aims to take on the GALAXY S 4 and the Note II, with a 5.5-inch 1080p display and more. Take a peek at our extended hands-on below.

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.47.01 PM

LG officially announced the Optimus G Pro back at Mobile World Congress and we got some time with it then, but then May 1st they confirmed it would be available exclusively in the US from AT&T complete with 4G LTE. Can this compete with the Note II? Read on to get a glimpse of what to expect.

The LG Optimus G Pro has nearly every single feature checked in the must-have category as of late. A 5.5-inch 1080p full HD IPS+ display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 1.7 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, an impressive 13 megapixel camera, and much more. We won’t have all those S-features like the GALAXY S 4, but it’s still impressive.

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LG wrapped the device in a lightweight plastic, and the back is removable revealing a 3,140 mAh battery and micro-SD slot for expanding storage. Then of course we have a 2.1 megapixel front camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, an IR-blaster (remote control) Quick Memo (on-screen writing) and AT&T 4G LTE all on board. So it’s a pretty packed device. Sadly we only get Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, unlike Samsung who’s releasing most devices lately with the absolute latest version of Android. Here’s our hands-on and unboxing:

As you can see, the Optimus G Pro is pretty massive. It has a very similar look and feel as the Note II, but is actually quite a bit lighter and easier to hold. Then again you won’t get an S-Pen stylus, or the WACOM digitizer either. The IPS display looks pretty gorgeous, and we love the 1080p, but we’ll need more time with it to fully decide what we think.

One important note is their attempt to simulate Samsung’s success here. They’ve added that dedicated home button on bottom, which we aren’t fans of, but it feels sturdy and is easy to tap. Overall the hardware is decent from our initial impressions but again, we’ll need more time to fully decide what we think. Check out a few additional pictures below and stay tuned for our full review. Would you take this over the Note II, or are you waiting to see what the rumored Note 3 has in store? Let us know.

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.45.08 PM 20130503_122206 20130503_122159 Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.45.27 PM Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.47.01 PM Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.45.46 PM Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.44.57 PM 20130503_122236 Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.43.32 PM Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 12.44.42 PM
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Optimus G Pro (AT&T)
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : May 01, 2013
    Release Date : May 07, 2013
    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 : 576 hours
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:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Google Photo Sphere images now embeddable on any website

Posted: 03 May 2013 12:36 PM PDT

Photo Sphere is a feature that was introduced with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Basically that means only a limited amount of users are able to capture Photo Sphere images at the moment. Not to mention, the options and places to view these images has also rather limited. In the past, Photo Sphere viewing was previously limited to Google+ pages, the device that took the picture and on Google Maps (provided they were uploaded).

pano_create

As of today however, it looks like Photo Sphere images can now be seen on any website. This process is handled with a bit of JavaScript code and the Google+ API. The code will need to be placed on the website where you plan to have your Photo Sphere images viewable. The trick is, the images themselves are not actually hosted on your website.

Instead, the images will still need to be uploaded to Google+ or Picasa first. Google has provided a detailed set of directions on the Developers pages, those can be found here. Google also provided a working example of how these images will appear to visitors and that page can be seen here.

Bottom line, while this doesn’t mean more people will be able to capture these images, this update will make them easier to show off. Finally, those who simply want to browse around and check out a wide variety of Photo Sphere images may want to check out the Google Maps Street View page.

[via Google+]

Google hosting Ingress events during I/O 2013

Posted: 03 May 2013 11:49 AM PDT

Ingress is still only available as a closed beta, however it looks like the game will be getting some attention during the upcoming Google I/O conference. Google I/O will run from May 15th through May 17th and according to recent details coming from Google, they will be hosting Ingress events on the 14th, 15th and 16th.

ingress

We are hopeful this could mark the end of the beta period for Ingress, however that remains unclear at the moment. For now, Google has said they will be sending an Ingress invite to everyone that is registered for I/O. Those planning to attend I/O (that want to participate in the Ingress games) are encouraged to have your account setup and activated before arrival.

That said, the game on the 14th will take place between 4PM and 6PM on the first floor of Moscone West. The game on the 15th will take place at the I/O After Hours Party (from 7PM to 10PM) which is on the third floor of Moscone West. The third Ingress event will also be for two hours (from 7PM to 9PM) on the 16th, however Google describes this one as being a “major Ingress-wide game event in San Francisco.”

There will also be an I/O session on the 15th that will give details about the design vision behind Ingress. Anyway, if you are registered for Google I/O you should probably be on the lookout for your invite. All others, you can hope this means the end of the beta period. Of course, even if the beta continues after I/O, it would appear as of Google’s Niantic Labs will be offering plenty of additional details. We just have one thought left; Which side will you be picking? The Resistance or the Enlightened.

[via Android Police]

Android Authority

Android Authority


Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Samsung’s past and present (video)

Posted: 04 May 2013 02:29 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 both white aa

Consider this for a second – the current most popular Android device and the only device that has a chance of taking the title away from it are both Galaxy S phones. An impressive achievement for Samsung, whose Galaxy S3 already sold in 50 million units, a performance that will probably be outdone by the new Galaxy S4.

Widely regarded as the best Android smartphone of 2012, the Galaxy S3 is still a very good option for many customers. The Galaxy S4, however, brings a specs bump, a larger and crisper display, and a bevy of new software features.

Is the Galaxy S4 worth the upgrade from the S3? The knee jerk reaction is to proclaim the S4 a winner and call it a day. But there are some other factors at play, such as the price tag. For some users, the differences between the two phones might not warrant an upgrade.

Join us for a closer look at what sets the Galaxy S4 apart from the Galaxy S3, in terms of features, user experience, and price. In a hurry? Jump straight to the hands-on video comparison.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 together aa

Design and build: don't call it a revamp

With the Galaxy S4, Samsung had a bit of a dilemma on its hands. On one hand, the 2012 "inspired by nature" design language we've seen on the Galaxy S3, Note 2, and other devices has become widely associated with the Samsung brand. People recognize it. But the glazed finish, rounded profile, and especially the plastic build of the S3 have also been criticized. Critics love to point out that HTC and Apple use aluminum for their flagships, and the pressure was on for Samsung to move in the same direction.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 button layout aa

That didn't happen, and Samsung didn’t even see fit to change the design and build of the Galaxy S4 too much. In fact, it's relatively easy to mistaken one device for the other, especially if you're not familiar with the telltale differences between the two. The Galaxy S4 has a bigger screen and thinner bezels, and the home button is placed centrally on the bottom bezel. On the back, the camera and the flash have been centered, and the glazed finish of the Galaxy S3 gave way to a more subtle mesh pattern.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 back in hand aa

 

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s3 back aa

The real story in the design department is that Samsung managed to make the Galaxy S4 a bit smaller and lighter than last year's S3, while giving it a bigger display and a bigger battery. It's still a plastic phone, but a very well built one.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 thickness aa

Display: more than just more pixels

One of the weak points of the Galaxy S3 was its PenTile AMOLED display, with its relative low brightness and bluish whites. For the Galaxy S4, Samsung listened to the critics and made the display not only bigger, but also better in almost every area. The same display experts that panned the S3 have praised the Galaxy S4 for being more color accurate, brighter, crisper, and overall closer to being the best smartphone display on the market, AMOLED or LCD.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 displays aa

By the numbers, the resolution went from 720p to 1080p (full HD), while the pixel density jumped from 306ppi to a searing 441ppi. The Galaxy S3's display is still very sharp, and, especially if you haven't used a full HD smartphone before, you likely won't ever notice the pixels. However, the differences between the two panels are profound, and given that the display is probably the most important part of a smartphone, the 5-inch Galaxy S4 is clearly superior.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 standing aa

Specs: bigger and better, but worth the update?

The Galaxy S3 operates very smoothly in most situations, with the Exynos 4412 processor (on the international version that we compared) having little trouble providing a lag-free user experience. For a vast majority of users, its quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM should remain perfectly adequate well into this year.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s3 performance aa

The Galaxy S4 is even better, thanks to a beefier Snapdragon 600 CPU (US version) that has four cores clocked at 1.9 GHz, as opposed to 1.4 GHz on the S3. The Adreno 320 GPU is another clear upgrade over the Mali 400 chip on last year's Galaxy. However, the truth is that, unless you regularly play graphics-intensive games, the difference in performance won't amaze you.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 performance aa

 

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 antutu aa

AnTuTu benchmark: the S4 leaves the S3 in the dust

Where the Galaxy S4 does outshine the S3 is the sensors department, with Samsung seemingly going all in with an infrared sensor, barometer, thermometer, air gesture sensor, and IR blaster, in addition to all the sensors and connectivity options of the S3.

The removable battery on the S4 is 23% larger than the S3's, and the difference shows. In our testing, the Galaxy S4 routinely carried us through one day of regular usage, which cannot be said about the S3 or many other smartphones out there.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 removable back aa

To wrap up the section, we think the Galaxy S4 is worth an upgrade, but mostly for power users and for those who are interested in taking advantage of the new sensors.

Cameras: bells and whistles

At 13MP, the Galaxy S4 offers a solid megapixel bump over the Galaxy S3's 8MP, but other than that, the optics and hardware seem to have remained relatively unchanged.

The Galaxy S4 compensates with the software, and then some more. Samsung integrated a host of new software features, that may or may not be useful to you, including Sound and Shot (attach sound to images), Eraser mode (delete photobombers), Drama shot (capture multiple instances of a moving object), Dual Shot (front and back camera), and a few others.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 dual recording aa

Dual recording

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s3 camera aa

Galaxy S3 camera features

Some of these additions may eventually come to the Galaxy S3 through a software update, but until then, they do provide a reasonably good reason for an upgrade. Other than that, the Galaxy S3 is still one of the best camera smartphones out there, provided that eight megapixels are enough for you. And let's be honest, you probably don't need those five extra.

Camera samples - outdoors

Camera samples – outdoors

Camera samples - indoors

Camera samples – indoors

Software: a differentiator

Like the design of the Galaxy S4, which is pretty much a refined Galaxy S3, the design of TouchWiz on the S4 is largely unchanged. However, for some reason the larger display seems to favor the S4, making the colorful and bubbly TouchWiz fit a little better.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s3 touchwiz aa

In addition to the returning features, such as S Voice and Multi-window multitasking, Samsung cooked up a concoction of software features that might dazzle, but also confuse the user. Thanks to the IR sensor, the phone can sense your gestures, so a hand wave can be used to answer a call or to flip through a magazine. You can set the Galaxy S4 to monitor your gaze so it stops the video when you are looking away or scrolls the page down when you look at the bottom of the screen.

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s4 features aa

So many options

Air View in action

Air View in action

Perhaps the most interesting new feature is Air View, which allows users to interact with the device without touching the screen. For instance, hover your finger over a message and a preview will be displayed. Galaxy Note users get this functionality thanks to the S Pen, but the Galaxy S4 makes it simpler.

Then there's S Health, a suite of health and fitness apps that make use of the phone's array of sensors to inform you about the weather when you're jogging or to count your steps when power walking, in addition to other related tasks.

samsung galaxy s4 s health aa

S Health screenshot

These features (and a few others) are all new on the Galaxy S4, but it's possible that a future software update will bring some to the S3. Still, many are likely to remain exclusive to the S4, simply because the S3 lacks the needed sensors.

The IR Blaster lets you control many TVs and players

The IR Blaster lets you control many TVs and players

The question is will you make use of all these new software features?

Hands-on video review

Pricing and final thoughts

Obviously, the new phone will cost you a lot more than the device from last year. How much more? Right now, you can get the S4 for $700 unlocked, and the S3 for $400 or less. On contract, the difference is smaller, but still significant – $199 versus $50 (and soon free). Regardless of your choice (contract or unlocked), you could buy a decent tablet for the difference between the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy S3. So, is the S4 worth it?

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 price aa

It depends on where you're coming from. If you used a feature phone or an older smartphone, both the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4 will amaze you. In this case, the Galaxy S3 may be good enough to pocket the $150-$300 difference.

If money is no object and you want the best, there's no doubt that the Galaxy S4 is superior in every way to the Galaxy S3. It packs a bigger punch, has a better display, and is smarter. Some would say it looks nicer too.

If you're on the edge, think about what that extra cash will bring you. The new features and the better specs are great, but will you make use of them?

Is the Galaxy S4 worth shelling out for an update? Tell us in the poll and the comments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
    

Samsung to boost performance of Galaxy S4 by 10% with software update?

Posted: 03 May 2013 11:43 PM PDT

samsung-exynos-5-octa-official-1

Without a doubt the Galaxy S4 is one of the major Android smartphone launches of 2013 and so far it looks like Samsung is going to sell millions of these devices. However the Galaxy S4 isn’t without controversy as Samsung has chosen (or has been forced) to ship the Galaxy S4 with two different processors. One model contains the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and the other Samsung’s very own Exynos Octa. What most consumers don’t know is that Samsung might be in a position to increase the performance of Exynos Octa based Galaxy S4 devices by as much as 10 percent this summer just by releasing new software.

The head of Samsung Mobile and the co-CEO of Samsung Electronics J. K. Shin has previously told buyers that it doesn’t matter which processor is running in their new Galaxy S4 and in many respects he is right. However there is one key difference between the Snapdragon 600 and the Exynos Octa. The Snapdragon is a quad-core while the Octa has eight cores. But here is the thing, the Octa is used in such a way that only four cores are used at any time. The chip has four low power Cortex A7 cores and four Cortex A15 cores. The A15 core is vastly superior  in terms of performance, compared to the A7, but the A7 is great for battery life. So the Exynos Octa uses the A7 cores by default and then when things get busy the A15 cores are activated while the A7 cores are shut down. This means that the Exynos Octa only uses a maximum of four cores at once, making it the same as a quad-core processor but with some clever power saving technology.

This 4 + 4 configuration is all part of ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture – a design that the Cambridge company has licensed to several big names including Samsung, Fujitsu Semiconductor and MediaTek. The marketing of the Exynos Octa has come under criticism because it portrays the idea that the Exynos Octa is an eight core processor with all eight cores running and all eight cores having the same processing power. A quick wander through the Internet will found lots of comments about how great the Exynos Octa is because eights cores are better than four.

In computing an architecture where all the processing units are equal is called Symmetric Multi Processing (SMP), as there is a symmetry (an equality) among all the processing units. But ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture isn’t an SMP design and nor is it tied to the 4 + 4 configuration of the Exynos Octa. Other CPU manufacturers will release different combinations like 2 + 2 during 2013. But something else will also happen later this year. ARM and Linaro, a not for profit organisation which optimizes Linux and Android for ARM processors, are working on a way to activate all the cores in a big.LITTLE processor and make a CPU like the Exynos use all of its cores at the same time.

The switching from one core to another isn’t actually handled by the chip itself, it is done in software. In this case the Linux kernel which is found at the heart of Android. Currently the switch from one core to the next is handled using a technique similar to the way that the CPU frequency is changed to save battery life. But instead of increasing or decreasing the CPU frequency the A7 cores and A15 cores are  deactivated or activated according to the load. If ARM and Linaro can get the software right it is possible to create a scheduler in Linux/Android which understands that the CPU isn’t symmetrical but rather asymmetrical. This is known as Heterogeneous Multi Processing (HMP).

big.LITTLE_HMP

According to ARM’s website, Linaro have been working on a HMP scheduler for Linux for several months and the code is available to ARM’s partners including Samsung. ARM plans to have the HMP processing ready for the second half of 2013. As there are no hardware changes needed to run a big.LITTLE processor in a HMP mode it is is possible for a silicon vendor (like Samsung) to release a CPU using A7 / A15 migration and then upgrade to full HMP  with a kernel update.

ARM’s initial tests show that a big.LITTLE processor running in HMP mode is 10% faster than a big.LITTLE processor running in migration mode but with the same power efficiency.

The problem for Samsung is that less than one third of Galaxy S4 phones use the Exynos Octa and if Samsung suddenly activated the full use of all eight cores in just those phones then  it would rather annoy the customers who get the Galaxy S4 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon! As a result Samsung might be tempted to only roll out such an upgrade to future products like the Note 3.

    

Google Photo Sphere images can now be embedded into a website

Posted: 03 May 2013 05:50 PM PDT

google

Jelly Bean 4.2 added quite a few improvements to the Android experience, but arguably the most exciting feature is the ability to create a Photo Sphere. Unfortunately, taking and viewing these 360-degree panoramic images has been a limited experience at best. The Photo Sphere feature is still only for Android 4.2, but the good news is that viewing these images is about to become a lot less complicated.

Previously, you had three ways to view a Photo Sphere: directly from the Android 4.2 device it was taken, through Google+ pages or they could be uploaded into Google Maps. Today Google introduced a new Photo Sphere web widget that makes it easy to display the images across the web.

At the top of this post is a static image that shows of the new Photo Sphere web widget, and comes from professional photographer Colby Brown’s website. Head over there to check his collection of breath-taking images for yourself. Navigating is very simple, and works with either a mouse or with touch gestures.

So what’s involved to get these images working on your own website? First you will need to upload the images to either Google+ or Picasa, as there is no way to store them directly on your site. The process is actually handled through the use of Javascript code and the Google+ API. For those that would like to give it a try, Google details the process in a special post on the Google Developers site.

Being able to view these beautiful 360 images in more places certainly doesn’t take away from the sting that many of us feel for not having Android 4.2 yet, but it is still certainly a welcome feature.

What do you think of Photo Sphere, how do you feel it compares to other 360-degree camera software out there?

    

Casetop Kickstarter project turns your phone into a laptop

Posted: 03 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT

phone into a laptop

If you want to turn your phone into a laptop, this Kickstarter project just might make your dream come true,provided it gets funded, of course.

Livi Design has the ambitious goal of turning almost every phone into a laptop, as the only requirements are that said smartphone has a video out option and Bluetooth. There is a list of supported devices on the project’s site, and it must be said that it’s a pretty large one (the developers claim that they’re supporting over 200 Android phones).

What is the Casetop?

Casetop is a device that fits your phone and includes an 11.1-inch screen with a 720p resolution (but planning to get to 1080p), with a full-size keyboard, two speakers and, very importantly, a 56Wh battery pack.The developers claim you’ll get 10 hours of battery use from it.

Once your phone is in the Casetop, you can use the combination just like you would use a laptop or a Padfone, and you can remove the phone at all times. The Casetop is compatible with a Bluetooth mouse, for easier control. The design is one that looks pretty good, and the case itself is quite thin (0.8 inches thick). A more thorough introduction to the Caseto is available in the video below.

The full list of specs looks as follows:

  • 11.1-inch 720p HD LED Backlit LCD Screen (Stretch Goal for 1080p)
  • 56 Watt Hour Battery Pack (Est. Equivalent of a 6 Cell Laptop pack)
  • Full size 78-key keyboard (Island-style, think Sony, Apple, IBM)
  • 2x 1 Watt High Fidelity Speakers
  • 1x Standard HDMI Input
  • 1x MHL Video Input, Power Output. Dual mode Micro USB.
  • 1x 3.5mm Audio Output
  • 1x Full-size 'Always Powered' USB for charging other products

The case fits the screen, and also a board from a Chinese factory, from which only the HDMI and 3.5 mm ports are being used (according to the developers). The plan is to design another board, together with a Taiwan designer. The developers are doing their best to make the product as easy to repair and mod as it will be to use (we’ll have to see if they actually succeed in doing that).

As far as delivery dates go, the Kickstarter page, which plans to achieve its $300,000 goal by June 2nd, lists an estimated delivery date of December 2013. Said amount will ensure a production run of 1000 units, according to the developer.

There are seven levels of backing, from $3 or more $900 or more, but only pledging at least $220 will actually get you one white Casetop and two front bars. The different levels bring added benefits, culminating with the $900 or more one, which will get you, apart from an engraved Casetop model exclusively in black, a personal video thanks from the team, as well as credits on the website.

There were enough cases in which Kickstarter projects have turned into very interesting projects (like the Mini MicroSD Reader for Nexus 7 or the Pebble smartwatch, to name but a couple), and this one does have quite a bit of potential.

Do you find this idea useful? Do you plan on funding it?

    

comScore: Apple and Samsung smartphone shares keep growing in the U.S. at the expense of everyone else

Posted: 03 May 2013 03:45 PM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs iPhone 5 4 aa 600

A new comScore report detailing U.S. smartphone market share for March 2013 reveals that Apple and Samsung are still the big winners, at the expense of everyone else including other Android makers that sell handsets in the region.

The company says that smartphone sales in March 2013 were up by 9% compared to December 12, with mobile market penetration now at 58% (136.8 million Americans now own smartphones).

When it comes to smartphone makers, Apple was still king of the U.S. hill, accounting for 39.0% of the market in March, up 2.7% since December of last year. During the same time, Samsung also gained share, albeit not at the same rate as Apple (it's up 0.7% from 21.0% in December), while other major Android makers lost more ground in the country: HTC is at 9.0% (down 1.2%), Motorola is at 8.5% (down 0.6%) and LG is a 6.8% (down 0.3%).

comscore-usa-numbers-march-2013-1

Overall, Android was still the most used smartphone OS in America, with a 52.0% share in March, while iOS is in second place with the same percentage as above, 39.0%. It's worth noting that Android was down 1.4% while Apple was up 2.7% for the period, with The Next Web reminding us that this is a third consecutive share drop for Android in the region.

Android and iOS combined accounted for an impressive 91% of the total number of smartphones in use in the U.S. in March. Other operating systems weren't doing that great, with only Microsoft gaining some market share (up 0.1% from 2.9% in December), while BlackBerry and Symbian continued to lose customers.

comscore-usa-numbers-march-2013-2

Considering that since March, two important Android handsets have been launched in the region, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 (both available from a variety of operators and retailers) it will certainly be interesting to see comScore's numbers for the following months, as these devices are off to a great start when it comes to pre-orders.

Furthermore, Motorola and LG are both rumored to be working on some interesting handsets that would be launched later this year, including the Google X Phone, the LG Optimus G2 and maybe even a new LG Nexus handset, although it’ll probably be a while until these devices would be able to influence comScore’s result.

Meanwhile, let's hear it from you, U.S. smartphone buyers, what's your next purchase?

    

With Nook HD now featuring Google Play support, Should Amazon be worried?

Posted: 03 May 2013 02:26 PM PDT

Nook_HD+_with google play

Just as the smartphone ate up the PDA’s marketshare, the tablet has quickly stolen a lot of attention from e-readers. In order to continue competing, Amazon and B&N both released their own tablets with locked ecosystems that made them more like glorified e-readers, as opposed to true Android devices.

While Amazon has managed to do reasonably well in creating its own app store, Barnes & Noble’s store was always a bit limited. Today B&N dropped a pretty big bombshell, announcing that Google Play was rolling out to the Nook HD and HD+.

So what’s next for the Nook, and what does this major change mean for the company and for its biggest competitor?

What the move could mean for Amazon

Amazon’s primary advantage over the Nook HD and HD+ was its AppStore, which had several times the amount of apps as the Nook Store. Now the tables have turned. Amazon might have over 50k apps, but Nook HD now has 700k+.

What about hardware, pricing and the UIs? When it comes to hardware and pricing, the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9 are quite comparable to the Nook HD and HD+. The $199 base Kindle Fire HD does have double the storage of the base Nook HD, but Nook makes up for it by including microSD support with its tablets. Another hardware advantage for the Nook is that they have slightly better displays.

That leaves the UI, which is largely a preference thing.

How will this change things for Amazon? It could certainly heat up the competition and give the Kindle Fire line a real challenge. That said, I don’t foresee Amazon biting the bullet and releasing the Play Store to its tablets. Amazon already has a decent amount of content and a pretty loyal following. A little aggressive marketing could be enough to keep Amazon fighting on.

nook_hd-inside

What the move could mean for B&N

B&N might have an edge of Amazon thanks to the Play Store, but they also no longer has full control of the app, book and content situation on their tablets. The big question is whether this change will be profitable for the company or not.

It possible that B&N has already given up and has no plans for a Nook HD successor. Adding Google Play could therefore be a way to push out remaining stock. It’s also possible that B&N is experimenting to see how this new model works for them before they decide on the future of the Nook tablet line.

So what can B&N do to make sure things work out? Marketing, marketing, marketing.

B&N no longer needs to concern themselves with the app portion of their store experience. That means they can work on their core content: books and magazines.

B&N also has the advantage of a store presence. Right now they already have some cool ties to the stores such as free Wi-Fi, the ability to read any B&N e-book while in store for up to an hour, etc. Now it is time for the company to expand on these concepts. B&N is not down and out, if anything this new move could revive interest in the brand.

Should Amazon be worried, or is this just a desperate move by B&N that will make little difference in the long run?

    

Galaxy S4 won’t come in 32GB or 64GB models on U.S. Cellular

Posted: 03 May 2013 02:25 PM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs htc one s4 aa

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has been picking up a lot of traction in the U.S., but for the most part, the 32GB and 64GB versions remain to be seen. Now, U.S. Cellular has sent word to Gotta Be Mobile that, at the time being, they don’t have plans to carry 32GB and 64GB versions of Samsung’s “Next Big Thing”.

To quote U.S. Cellular word for word:

At this time we don't have plans to carry the 32GB or 64GB versions of the Galaxy S 4

It’s quite disappointing news to hear when you consider that the 16GB model of the Galaxy S4 only has 8.82GB of storage available to the user, as the Android OS, preloaded apps and Samsung’s additions take up the rest. If you’re a power user, you really may want to consider a microSD card if you plan on grabbing a Galaxy S4.

We’re not sure why we haven’t seen 32GB or 64GB Galaxy S4 models available from carriers just yet, but it may have something to deal with an “overwhelming global demand” and supply issues Samsung earlier mentioned.

Keep in mind that nobody, aside from U.S. Cellular, hasn’t confirmed or denied 32GB and 64GB versions, so there’s still hope to see these larger storage options in the future. Let’s just hope we see these larger storage options sooner than later.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 supports a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 Full HD display with 441ppi. It has a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing shooter, a 2MP front-facing camera and has a microSD slot with support for up to 64GB of expandable storage. On the software front, the device is running Samsung's TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0 atop of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Not familiar with the Galaxy S4? Be sure to check out our full review of the device by Android Authority‘s Joshua Vergara (video below)!

Are you disappointed with U.S. Cellular’s statement? Were you looking forward to a Galaxy S4 with larger storage options? Let us know in the comments below!

    

New “Pool Party” Samsung Galaxy S4 ad is out, the jabs at Apple are back (video)

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:47 PM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 ad

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 ad, called “Grad Pool Party” manages to show off some of the smartphone’s new features, while making fun of the iPhone at the same time.

If previous Samsung Galaxy S4 ads were introducing some of the new features, like Sound & Shot, Group Play, and S Translator, or highlighting the design and looks of the new device, this one does the same, with the added bonus of some pokes in Apple’s direction (which are not a new thing for Samsung, after all).

The ad takes place at a graduation pool party and, as you’ll see, the various characters are using the Galaxy S4′s features in certain situations. The way it can control a TV is shown, and so is the Air Gesture feature (when a girl reads a message with her hands full of sun lotion, without touching the screen).

Apple references, made in the most typical Samsung style, appear when two characters share a picture just taken using S Beam, and a lady with an iPhone who wants to do the same is told that her phone is incapable of doing it. But that’s nothing compared to the line “if some smartphones are smarter than other smartphones, what are we doing with these phones?”, one that refers to the iPhone and really says it all.

You can watch the ad below.

Samsung is not the only company that makes fun of its competitors directly; Microsoft did the same just recently, in a pretty funny Windows Phone TV ad.

Do you like Samsung ads in which the company takes stabs at its competitors, or do you prefer commercials that solely focus on features?

    

The Friday Debate: The X Phone and what we expect from Motorola

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:06 PM PDT

We are all mobile geeks, here at Android Authority. We love everything with a power button. We like to comment the latest news and endlessly argue over which phone is better. On the Friday Debate, we pick a hot issue and proceed to discuss it. Join us!

The so called X Phone has been rumored so many times that it’s hard to keep tabs on. We all think that it has to be real, because Google does awesome things, and the X Phone sounds like something that Google would do. But let’s step back a little, and ask ourselves – what can Google and Motorola realistically deliver?

In this week’s Friday Debate, we discuss Motorola, Google, and all the crazy rumors we’ve heard about the X Phone. Join us in the comments and vote in our poll.

Derek Ross

I believe the X Phone is real. We’ve seen far too many leaks and tidbits of information for it not to be real. We’ve seen leaks out of Vietnam that shows a Nexus 4 with Motorola accents running stock Android. We’ve seen LinkedIn job postings for an X Phone and X Tablet director from Motorola. We haven’t seen a device release from Motorola since last November. They have to be working on something to stay relevant.

Larry Page and Eric Schmidt have both said they’re excited about the upcoming products from Motorola. Larry Page has said during two different earnings calls that phones shouldn’t go splat when you drop them and that batteries should last easily through the day. These are subtle hints or at least goals where they feel the bar should be set.

I expect to see what Motorola is known for. I expect to see a well built, high quality device. I expect to see a Motorola phone with impeccable battery life (RAZR MAXX style). I’m hopeful that the X Phone is on every carrier, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S4. I’m hopeful for a smartphone that truly matters from Motorola. I’m hopeful that Motorola will regain their once high reign on the smartphone industry.

Purported Google X Phone prototype.

Purported Google X Phone prototype.

Simon Hill

When Google acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion a year ago it raised a lot of eyebrows. Google was at pains to reassure the other Android hardware partners that Motorola wouldn’t be getting any competitive advantage. Lots of people expected a Google phone manufactured by Motorola, but as the months have rolled by, it simply hasn’t materialized. There was major speculation that the portfolio of 17,000 patents was the real reason behind the purchase, but you can count the number of court victories it has won for Google on one hand (though it may have been very useful from a defensive point of view, as a kind of deterrent).

In any case Google has spent the last few months hacking away the dead wood from Motorola. The company has been punching below its weight for years. There have been closures and lay-offs, because Motorola Mobility was making a loss. Now it is lean and ready to step back into the ring. A big release like the Google branded X Phone could return this one-time heavyweight contender, original innovator of the mobile world, back to profitability and provide some real competition at the top. If it proves to be as awesome as expected, it will be my next phone.

David Gonzales

Despite all the leaks and whatnot, the Motorola-led Google has just been so inactive for so long that I honestly don’t know what to think. Is it working on something, anything? It has to. But is it really? We can never really say for sure.

Motorola used to be a powerhouse, though some might call it a one-hit wonder. It was able to release a bunch of decent and outright impressive Android handsets in the past, so it should be able to do those things again. With Google behind it, that should be almost foolproof.

Personally, I expect many things from the Motorola/Google X phone or whatever it ends up being called. It will probably be great, revolutionary, magical, and all that, but it will still fail to live up to my own absurdly high expectations. Whatever happens, I’ll be watching.

Is this an X Phone?

Is this an X Phone?

Brad Ward

Like Derek Ross mentioned, we haven’t seen a Motorola device since last November, and because of that, there’s no doubt the company has something up their sleeves.It probably is the X Phone too. The LinkedIn job listing gave that way a while back.

Aside from a high quality device, I’m not sure what to expect from Motorola. There’s been so many rumors, leaks, purported images and statements that’s hard to know what to expect.

Yes, Motorola is making an X Phone, but I’m going to keep my expectations low until we hear something more official than what we’ve been seeing lately.

Nate Swanner

Google’s purchase of Motorola will take time before we see true greatness. They knew, before buying them, that there were some major problems. It’s nice to see Google is serious about making Motorola a contender, rather than the patent grab many speculated the acquisition was about.

I hope the X phone is coming soon, so we have an answer rather than more questions. The rumor milling is fun, but there comes a time for answers. I really hope I/O provides that, but I quietly doubt it.

If I had one wish for this “X” thing, it would be that it not be a phone, but a program. Consider how sublime it would be to have the ability to log onto the Play Store, and design your own device.

If you wanted a 5″ screen with a Snapdragon 800 processor, and 64GB of memory… you could have that. It would cost you, but you designed it yourself!

Conversely, If I didn’t want that much muscle, or had less to spend, I could get a 4.3″ screen and less memory, even a more civilian processor. We both have an X phone, running stock Android, and paid a different price… but got exactly what we wanted.

X Phone concept

X Phone concept

Joshua Vergara

I think a Motorola phone by Google would be great. ‘X’ is a nice name and already generates buzz because of how mysterious and cool it sounds. Motorola might not be the first company that sprouts to mind when mentioning top current smartphone manufacturers, but before its acquisition by Google, it had quite a few fans with its revamped RAZR line.

I would love to see the best of the RAZR line brought into the Google fold – the great battery life of the RAZR MAXX and the sleek design that will likely be streamlined by Google’s architects. Whereas Motorola had its own UI that suffered from the typical late updates, Google will likely make the X update on a schedule more like the Nexus line.

What I DON’T want to see, since we’re talking about a Google phone, is for it to be too much like a Nexus. At first glance, you’d look at the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus 4 and think, “That makes sense, it works for Samsung and LG.” But it’s not Motorola’s style. The RAZR was able to somewhat keep up with other top smartphones partially because it looked and seemed so different right off the bat. To me, that has always been the company’s appeal and their line of phones before the touchscreen era is a testament to this. I still think the original RAZR flip phone (in black) is one of the best designed devices ever.

While I’m talking about flip phones, what if Google and Motorola found a way to bring back that form factor? I think that should be our next revolution – flip smartphones. That’s just wishful thinking though. Anyway, as long as Google allows the X to remain unique as per Motorola’s original philosophies, I think it’ll turn out really well.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
    

Acer Iconia A1 becomes official, gets a tempting price (and 3G?)

Posted: 03 May 2013 01:03 PM PDT

acer iconia a1

The Acer Iconia A1-810 has been made official complete with competitive pricing and 3G as well, if we were to believe some other sources.

Acer calls the Iconia A1 a “full featured one-handed tablet for everyone” but the press release doesn’t bring too many new details to the table from what was already known from the recent hands-on preview of the device.

It has a LED-backlit 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, a MediaTek Quad Core 1.2GHz processor, as well as a 5-megapixel camera. It also comes in two versions, with 8GB and 16GB of internal memory.

Although the preview said that it would be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the company doesn’t mentioning anything about the version of our favorite OS that will be found on board the Iconia A1.

The 16GB version of the tablet will be available for purchase in June, starting at $199.99, putting it in the position to compete with the Nexus 7 (which got better battery life after its Android 4.2.2 update).

The interesting part comes from a report Engadget has published from the Acer event in New York. While the specs do match, and a $169 price for the 8GB model is added, the site also says that the tablets will have 3G connectivity, a detail not at all revealed in the Acer press release.

However, TrustedReviews, quoting Oliver Ahrens, President of Acer Europe, mentions two tablet versions, the Iconia A1-810: 8GB and 16GB, Wi-Fi-only, and a price of €169 (which is roughly $221, presumably for the 16 GB version); and the Iconia A-811, a 3G and Wi-Fi version, costing €219 (around $287).  These are probably European versions, but it’s still a pretty strange difference.

We’ll probably have to wait until Acer has the models on sale to find out more details about that 3G support.

Do you find the Acer Iconia A1 tempting (with or without 3G)?

Acer Delivers Full Featured One-Handed Tablet for Everyone With Iconia A1 Tablet

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwired – May 3, 2013) -

Acer today unveiled the Acer Iconia A1, the company’s first full-featured 7.9-inch tablet targeted at modern day explorers, adventurers, digital freaks and mobile executives requiring an all-day mobile companion. Thanks to a sleek and light-weight design that is comfortable to hold in one hand, it also easily fits into a purse or bag. The new Acer Iconia A1 keeps people entertained and connected with smooth and speedy navigation, browsing and media playback powered by a fast quad-core processor.

The Acer Iconia A1 was introduced today with other new products, including the Acer Aspire R7, Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook and Aspire V Series touch notebooks. The new line of Acer mobile products highlights the company’s focus on redefining the computing experience through progressive design.

“Tablets are becoming cherished companions to many people as they stay connected and entertained throughout their day,” said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Acer America. “We want everyone to experience that. Everything that makes tablets so enjoyable is even better on the perfectly-sized Acer Iconia A1. The design is comfortable to hold, while the sleek build makes it a natural extension for anyone who wants to keep their digital life right at their fingertips.”

Highly Responsive Fun

Busy mobile users get the prompt performance they want with smooth video playback, and fluid and fast navigation through apps and websites powered by a fast MediaTek Quad Core 1.2GHz processor. Gestures, zooming, scrolling and navigation are all intuitive, and games are responsive, realistic and even more fun with the integrated gyroscope for movement and vibration responses.

The LED-backlit display with IPS technology and a 170-degree viewing angle vibrantly highlights videos, photos and multimedia content in accurate color and brightness. The 1024×768 resolution makes text and graphics crisp and clear, while the 4:3 aspect ratio is great for web browsing and e-reading as well as gaming.

Acer’s new Touch WakeApp gesture gives customers one-touch express access to their favorite apps directly upon waking from sleep. The Iconia A1 delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, and great content such as magazines, movies, games, books and more than 700,000 apps from the Google Play Store.

Easy to take Everywhere to Stay Connected

Starting at only 0.90 pounds and measuring only 0.44 inches thin, customers will also enjoy taking it with them for navigation and location-based apps via the built-in GPS.

The Acer Iconia A1 keeps consumers connected to Wi-Fi networks and hotspots with reliable 802.11b/g/n wireless technology. Plus, the integrated Bluetooth 4.0 lets consumers quickly connect the tablet to a variety of other devices, such as headsets and printers.

Digital Hub

The 5MP rear-facing camera captures 1080p video at 30fps that can easily be edited for quick sharing on-the-go. The front-facing camera pairs with the enhanced microphone to capture video and audio clearly for video chats and recording. The micro USB 2.0 and microHDMI port enable quick transfer or sharing of customer’s photos, music, videos and other digital content.

Available as 8GB or 16GB2 version with the option to add an additional 32GB2 via microSD, the Iconia A1 is the ideal digital companion for people which are constantly up and about.

Pricing and Availability

The Iconia A1-810 with 16GB capacity will be available in June at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $199.99 USD.

    

Google Glass may no longer need to pair up to your Android phone for some features to work

Posted: 03 May 2013 12:35 PM PDT

google glass feature

There are a number of features on Google Glass that require you to pair the device with your Android smartphone, such as turn-by-turn navigation and text messaging. However, according to a Google employee, Google Glass will be able to function independently, no matter what device it’s paired to.

TechCrunch writer Frederic Lardinois says, “Glass will soon be able to handle these features independent of the device the user has paired it to (and maybe even independent of the Glass companion app).” In other words, it’s possible that Glass won’t need a Bluetooth connection to your phone (or even the Glass companion app) for some features to work. Of course, you’re still going to need a way to connect to the Internet.

Glass has a built-in compass, but not a GPS receiver. This means that your Android phone is going to need to have your carrier’s tethering plan, as Glass will rely on your personal Mobile Hotspot (or data connection) to gather location data. So, in a way, Glass will still be pretty dependent, on your phone, just not via Bluetooth.

Of course, this is just what a Google rep confirmed and not an official statement from the Mountain View-based company, so it may be wise to take this one with a grain of salt for now.

    

AT&T rumored to launch “All in One” prepaid plans in June, starting at $50 for smartphone users

Posted: 03 May 2013 12:22 PM PDT

prepaid

A few years ago the word "prepaid" had a near-taboo connotation in the United States, especially when it came to cellular devices. Carriers like Straight Talk have helped change this image, as has the release of the LG Nexus 4 and T-Mobile’s recent push of its "uncarrier" strategy.

The big carriers are having a harder time getting us locked into contracts, which is why Verizon recently unveiled its own no-contract, device payment option. It’s also likely why AT&T is believed to be creating a new prepaid cell service under its existing "All in One" brand.

What makes the new prepaid service different from their current GoPhone offering? Much more aggressive rates, for starters.

According to a report from Fierce Wireless, AT&T’s new plans will launch on June 15th with limited testing in Florida and Texas beginning later this month. The report indicates that the terms and pricing are still subject to change.

If all goes as it is should, there will be a feature plan for $35 and a smartphone plan starting at $50.

For the feature plan, AT&T will provide unlimited talk, text and an unspecified amount of limited data. The $50 smartphone plan will also provide unlimited talk and text, with 2GB mobile data. If that’s not enough data for ya, a $70 version will bring that cap up to 5GB.

Not bad AT&T, not bad at all.

How does the new plan compare to other major carriers? Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T’s GoPhone service all currently provide unlimited talk and text for $60. T-Mobile gives you 2.5GB of data, GoPhone provides 1GB, and Verizon has just 500MB. Of course your cheapest route is still going to be with an MNVO like Straight Talk ($45, unlimited).

Right now we can’t say for sure if AT&T plans to replace its GoPhone plan with the new "All in One" option, or if both services will co-exist. What do you think, if the new AT&T prepaid plan is as good as it seems, would you be interested?

    

What did Google really get with Motorola?

Posted: 03 May 2013 12:16 PM PDT

Motorola-Mobility-and-google-logo

When Google announced they were buying Motorola, we were all a bit shocked. Google, a predominantly search-based company, was buying into the hardware game. Some questioned whether or not Motorola would get any special treatment, Google assured us that it would not.

However, the question remains, why did Google spend $12.5 billion on a company that was a mere shadow of its former self?

Google's getting into the hardware game, whether you like it or not

The guys and gals at Mountain View have always been dancing to a different tune than the rest of the industry. People are always working a little too slow for Google's liking and, until it bought Motorola, it was at the mercy of the OEMs.

With the acquisition of Motorola, Google could further its efforts in being the "stimulant" for the market. The Nexus 7 began Google's charge at creating devices that were cheap, yet still powerful enough that you wouldn't be enraged by the lag and chuck it in a closet. It even made Apple jump into the cheap ”lower cost” tablet market, after they claimed they wouldn’t.

Google and Motorola Mobility together will accelerate innovation and choice in mobile computing. Consumers will get better phones at lower prices.

Then came the Nexus 10, the first Android tablet that bested the iPad's "Retina" display. With it, Google still found a way to undercut the iPad. The Nexus 4, although plagued by availability issues, came out and said "Hey, you don’t need to sign up for a 2 year contract to get the best smartphone technology".

But possibly the biggest piece of evidence of Google's "stimulant" devices strategy, is the Chromebook Pixel. The tagline, "For what's next", told everyone Google was serious about Chrome OS and it wanted OEMs to start building better laptops to showcase the web in all its glory.

With Motorola, Google can finally ditch the middlemen and bring its vision for the smartphone to the world. Who knows, maybe we'll see an updated Xoom tablet in there as well.

The supply chain issues

The mobile devices market has a very small pool of parts supply chain. Apple too has found out how much of a problem this is, as it tried to pull away from Samsung as their main parts supplier, as Samsung became a major competitor.

Google has always had to ask someone else to build its devices, as it would take time and money to build a supply chain. Now that it owns Motorola, it can skip all of those processes and get right into building devices in house.

The Nexus 4 was a perfect example of the supply chain issues Google faces. Attempting to buy a Nexus 4 was harder than trying to get to the moon. Even if it was in stock, you'd be lucky to get through to actually purchasing the device. The launch was a shamble and it took months for LG to ramp up production to satisfy demand.

Sony Xperia Z vs Google Nexus 4 aa (25)

This wasn't necessarily LG's fault, as it wasn't going to ramp up production of a device that it may have barely been making any profit with. That would cost more money, and it had an agreement in place to fulfill those agreements.

For the next Nexus, Google will surely have learnt its lesson, and if a potential Nexus maker balks at Google's stringent requests, it can always look to Motorola as a safety net. With Motorola in tow, Google has a much stronger negotiating force when building the next Nexus.

You'll need weapons to defend your castle

It would be hard to write an article on Google's acquisition of Motorola without mentioning the fact that in the patents game, Google was hopelessly outnumbered. Motorola's 17,000 patents, while not the whole story, were definitely a factor in the process of deciding to buy Motorola.

We acquired Motorola to level the playing field in patent attacks against Android and draw on Motorola's long history of innovation.

In 2012, Google was being attacked from all angles. Apple was going thermonuclear, and Microsoft was searching for royalties. Without Motorola's patents, Google could do little but be a bystander. With them, Google was a force to be reckoned with.

The assault didn't go exactly as planned. Most of Motorola's injunctions against Apple have been thrown out, and the lawsuit against Microsoft valuing those Motorola patents at $4 billion, was reduced to a miserly $1.8 million.

The price of the acquisition is now being questioned: is Motorola really worth $12 billion? The patents don't seem to be worth as much as Google originally thought, and problems are starting to arise.

Where are Google and Motorola headed?

2012 was the year that Google slimmed down Motorola, gearing it up for a wicked 2013 and beyond. A few oddities showed up like Google's sale of Motorola Home, especially since Google has been making its own set top boxes for Google Fiber. It could be that Google realized that it had overpaid for Motorola and were looking to recoup some of its losses.

New rumors of the X-Phone are always unleashed, almost on a daily basis. It's safe to assume that the X-Phone is real, and is the first of many devices that Google is working on in conjunction with Motorola. Google will hopefully negotiate admirably, and get the X-Phone onto all the major carriers, as it is crucial to the success of the X-Phone… and perhaps even Motorola.

google-x-phone-render-1

Google has shown a sudden interest in colors recently, as with Google Glass, where it made the point of colors creating more attachment to our devices. The rumors of the X-Phone coming in 25 colors could be as a result of Google's recent color epiphany. Maybe it won't stop there, as other reports say we could customize our smartphone like we do on computers, this is definitely a plus towards Motorola’s acquisition if Google can make it happen.

Wrap up

The Motorola purchase had many scratching their heads, but in reality it's a smart move for Google. It resolves many of Google’s long standing problems, and accelerates its progress towards what it envisions the world should be. Whether Motorola was worth $12 billion is yet to be decided. If the X-Phone sells like hotcakes, these questions all start to go away.

    

Asus Fonepad review

Posted: 03 May 2013 11:34 AM PDT

asus fonepad featured aa

The last few months brought us an interesting development. We've all been used to cracking jokes about the Galaxy Note series and how it blurred the line between smartphones and tablets. But that line has been fully erased when Samsung, Asus, or Lenovo decided to integrate phone capabilities into their tablets and call it a day.

Here we are today with tablets like the Asus Fonepad (not a very subtle name, we know) that can be used as a phone, provided you're willing to expose yourself with a 7-inch tablet at your ear. While the Fonepad is one of the few devices in this niche, we were eager to see how this affordable Intel-powered tablet fares against devices like the Nexus 7 or the Galaxy Note 8.

Is the Asus Fonepad worth your money? Is the phone calling capability a compelling reason to buy it? Is it a decent daily driver as a tablet? We find out in our Asus Fonepad review.

In a hurry? Jump straight to the video review.

asus fonepad asus logo aa

Design: do we know it from somewhere?

Even at a cursory glance, it's obvious that Asus hasn't really tried to differentiate the Fonepad in terms of design. If you're familiar with the Nexus 7, you will find yourself right at home with the Fonepad, with its unassuming lines and low-key overall feel. The biggest difference is the back of the tablet, which swaps the leathery finish of the Nexus with a brushed aluminum texture, similar to what you see on Asus' Transformer devices. Overall, it's a nice feeling device, with an industrial look that many will appreciate.

asus fonepad back camera aa

asus fonepad button layout aa

The bezels of the tablet are a bit large for today's standards, especially if you tried devices like the iPad mini or the Note 8, but that's mostly nitpicking on our behalf. On the back, you'll find a small detachable cover that gives access to the microSD and SIM card slots.

asus fonepad cover off aa

Bottom line, despite the "fone" part in its name, the Fonepad is pretty much your average 7-inch tablet, just narrow enough to hold with one hand, like you would with a phone. But more on that later.

Intel inside

Asus has collaborated with Intel for the Fonepad, which is one of the first notable Android tablets to be powered by the chip giant's mobile processors. In a sea of competitors powered by Snapdragon or Exynos chips, the Fonepad stands out as an "Intel Inside" device. But is it for the better?

asus fonepad intel back aa

Intel mobile processors have been known to top benchmark scores, but the SoC inside the Fonepad isn't one of those record breakers. Asus used an Intel Atom Z2420 processor, single-core and clocked at a mediocre 1.2Ghz. We know what you're thinking – single-core, in 2013. But the truth is the silicon inside the Fonepad is good enough to provide a smooth functioning of the operating system, with occasional hiccups in more demanding applications. Especially when running games like Into the Dead or Candy Crush Saga, the Fonepad struggled to keep up, with the PowerVR SGX540 GPU being a possible culprit. The 1GB of RAM probably doesn't help either.

Save for the nuisances we've mentioned above, the Asus Fonepad is a capable performer in most situations. It just won't blow your mind. The hardware picture is completed by 8 or 16GB of internal storage, an SD card slot, and the usual assortment of connectivity options. You won't get NFC however.

Display – it's nice, just don't look at it from too close

We've been spoiled by tech manufacturers with full HD displays and staggering pixel densities, we admit it. So when the Fonepad came in with a 1280 x 800 resolution and a 216 ppi pixel density, we were underwhelmed. However, these two figures don't tell the whole story of a display, and luckily the Fonepad does pretty good when it comes to color reproduction and vibrancy.

asus fonepad in hand aa

Overall, the visual experience delivered by the Fonepad is satisfactory, as long as you don't hold it too close to your eyes, so the pixels don't become bothering. The software offers some customization options, through an app called Asus Splendid, so you might be able to tweak it for a better experience.

Putting the phone into the Fonepad

Probably the most interesting thing about the Fonepad is the ability to make phone calls. The Fonepad is not the first to do this, but while phone call capability was a secondary feature for other devices, Asus has been quite vocal about it with the Fonepad. Once you get over the reluctance to think of the Fonepad as an actual phone, it's surprising just how natural using the device as a phone feels.

The call and texting capabilities are similar to every other phone, and it's very easy to think about the Fonepad as a very large smartphone. The only time the magic breaks is when you have to put the device at your ear and speak into it. It's just so big. You could probably get used to it, though, and we guess you could even become accustomed with the stares you are likely to get when using the Fonepad in public.

asus fonepad in da face aa

Cameras and battery

This section is a mixed bag. The three megapixel rear camera of the Fonepad is the most disappointing part on the Fonepad. Even in bright outdoor conditions, the images are average, and once you decrease the luminosity, image quality plummets.

asus fonepad camera sample

Camera sample: outdoors. Click to enlarge.

asus fonepad camera sample

Camera sample: indoors. Click to enlarge.

The Fonepad excels, however, in the battery department. The 4270 mAh unit gives you nine hours of talk time, and about 10 hours of regular usage. Standby time is also great, so we think you can go through two days of regular usage before a recharge, especially if you activate the “ultra-saving mode”.

asus fonepad battery saving aa

Software: mostly stock, with a pinch of Asus

The operating system is a lightly retouched version of Android 4.1.2. Asus made some relatively minor additions to vanilla Android, in the form of a power widget and a suite of floating apps similar to Sony's Small Apps. These let you take advantage of the 7-inch display to do some multi-windowing, such as watching a floating video in one area of the display while working in another window.

asus fonepad power widget aa

The Power Widget

asus fonepad floating apps aa

Floating apps

asus fonepad floating apps 2 aa

Multi-window: browser and to-do app

Other features worth a mention are Asus' apps, like Studio, a photo editor, and Storybook, a slideshow maker.

Overall, we feel that Asus did well to keep its interventions to stock Android to a minimum. A benefit of choosing the Fonepad is the fact that you will likely get timely updates to the latest version of Android, an area where Asus excels.

Hands-on video review

Pricing and wrap-up

The Fonepad will set you back $249 in the United States, and just under €200 in Europe. At this price, it's an interesting proposition, but it's clear that the Fonepad won't be taking home any medals for best in class.

We can't recommend the Fonepad for everyone. The phone feature is interesting, but we suspect that only a fraction of users will actually use it. The device lacks the portability that we expect from a primary communication device, and using it alongside a phone implies either shelling out for a new SIM or the hassle of constantly swapping the SIM cards between the two devices.

Bottom line, don't think of the Asus Fonepad as a replacement for your phone, but as a decent tablet with 3G that can actually take phone calls.

Bogdan Petrovan contributed to this review.

    

First look at Paranoid Android’s HALO (hint: it’s phenomenal)

Posted: 03 May 2013 11:32 AM PDT

Paranoid Android notifications

Maybe you're not big on rooting your device, and flashing a custom ROM. Perhaps that seems a bit fussy to you, or you just don't have the time for that. It could be that custom ROMs don't really add a lot of value for you.

You know what? I'm with you. Its just never been my thing. After seeing what Paranoid Android has done, I will be re-evaluating my stance. What we previously alluded to as pop-up notifications is actually called HALO… and it's pretty brilliant.

Now, if HALO looks like Facebook Home to you, that's because it is meant to. Paranoid Android makes no bones about that. They have no problem at all telling us where their inspiration came from, but that's about where it ends. They took the Facebook Home idea and pumped it full of steroids.

Rather than being limited to Facebook messenger, HALO utilizes almost any app. That's right… any app that gives a notification for a new message will be useful for HALO. The app is still in alpha testing, but looks really good so far.

Check out the video below, and let us know what you think. We really liked the Facebook Home app, and openly hoped more developers would follow suit. Paranoid Android answered the call, and we're really excited to see what this already great feature looks like once it's ready for mass consumption.

    

Huge Ingress event at Google I/O!

Posted: 03 May 2013 11:06 AM PDT

Ingress

Do you love Ingress? Are you going to I/O? Well then, you could be in some very rare company!

The team at Niantic are hosting a very special Ingress event, as well as giving every I/O attendee a code to play the game. They are encouraging everyone to go through Field Agent training first, but seem keen on setting San Francisco as the scene for an I/O Ingress dogfight!

The game is currently in closed beta, so this is a rare treat for those attendees who don't yet have their pass. As you can see below, the events take place after hours, with one coinciding with the After Hours Party on the 15th. That party, in an email sent to Android Authority, is touted as providing a "magical experience."

The full text from the Ingress portion of our email is below. Are you going to I/O? Interested in Ingress? Let us know! Android Authority will be there!

Ingress, exclusively for I/O registrants

We’re pleased to share that all Google I/O 2013 registrants will be given an exclusive opportunity to play Ingress, the massively multiplayer geo game that was recently launched by Google’s Niantic Labs and is currently in closed beta. We’ll be hosting games on both Tuesday, May 14th from 4- 6PM at Moscone West (1st floor), and on Wednesday, May 15th from 7- 10PM at the I/O After Hours Party at Moscone West (3rd Floor).  There will also be a major Ingress-wide game event in San Francisco the evening of Thursday, May 16th from 7- 9PM which I/O attendees are invited to participate in.

Within the next 48 hours, an Ingress code will be sent from io2013-google@ingress.com to your preferred email for I/O communications. We encourage you to set up your Ingress account in advance of the event and begin your field agent training. We’ll also have staff on hand throughout I/O, starting on Tuesday, to help you make the most of this innovative mobile gaming experience.

Finally, don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn more about the design vision behind Ingress in the I/O session on Wednesday, May 15th at 3:30 PM.

 

 

    

LG well on its way to being a chipmaker, designs first A15 quad-core chip

Posted: 03 May 2013 10:33 AM PDT

LG Logo aa 600px 2

Move over Samsung and Apple, LG’s on a roll.

First their was the LG Nexus 4, which has done so well that rumors indicate Google is working with the company once again for the Nexus 5. LG has also been pushing hard when it comes to flexible display technology. Hell, earlier today rumors even surfaced claiming that LG is working on an ‘unbreakable’ OLED display.

So what’s next for the company? According to Korean-based ET News, LG has now completed the internal design phase for its first quad-core ARM Cortex A15 processor.

Later this month, TSMC will start chip production using a 28 nanometer High-K Metal Gate process. Once the first chips roll off the production line, it will be time to test these bad boys out and decide if they are ready for commercial launch.

For LG, this is the company’s second house-designed chip, with the first being the H13, which was unveiled at CES 2013 for LG’s Cinema 3D televisions.

What LG’s quad-core A15 processor means for the future

The LG quad-core A15 processor isn’t exactly exciting when compared to chips like the Exynos 5 Octa, so why should we even care? Samsung has found a lot of success in creating its own processors, but it didn’t happen overnight. The A15 represents a crucial step forward for LG, one that could see LG continue to rise up as a significant player in the mobile market.

In Q1 of 2013, LG managed to place third in the smartphone market, shipping 10.3 million handsets. This was an impressive 110.2% growth compared to the same timeframe last year.

Another Nexus, its own chips, flexible displays, ‘unbreakable’ displays – all these puzzle pieces fit together to show a company that isn’t sitting still when it comes to technology, marketing and innovation.

Should Apple, Samsung and the rest of the mobile world be at all worried? Maybe not, but they certainly shouldn’t count LG out as a threat. Personally I’ve had mixed success with LG over the years and am not particularly excited about the Optimus G Pro, but I have to give kudos to LG for branching out to new avenues and taking a bold step forward.

What do you think of LG getting involved in the chip-making game? How do you feel about the company’s overall direction as of late?

    

Is this really the Motorola X phone?

Posted: 03 May 2013 09:56 AM PDT

x-phone-leak-1

If speculation and innuendo are your thing, you're already a big fan of the Motorola X phone. Nothing official, but plenty of leaks and 'sources' have made the X phone our white whale. Is it going to catapult Motorola into the forefront of Android device manufacturers, or be just another phone worth a look and a shrug?

Every day seems to bring fun, new info for us to discuss… getting us closer to our answer. Today, we look to 9to5 Google, and an interesting problem they've had. It seems that the pictures they posted (same as above) coincided with a drawing of the device. They've since been asked to remove the drawing, but hint that it has a very small bezel. They also note that their source points to an LTE device that will be available on all 4 carriers… and perhaps come in as many as 25 different colors.

Our friends over at 9to5 Google didn't say who asked that hey remove the drawing, but it stands to reason it came from Motorola. Either they were way too close to center, or whomever asked them to remove it simply isn't a fan of mock-ups floating around. Who knows, maybe their drawing was just better than the actual phone!

So, tell us what you think… what do you want to see from a Motorola X phone? I'd just like to actually see one!

 

    

Google Fiber coming to Shawnee, Kansas after City Council vote

Posted: 03 May 2013 09:54 AM PDT

Google Fiber

Google has announced that Shawnee, a city located right outside of Kansas City, has voted to bring Google Fiber to its residents.

The search giant didn’t say when Shawnee would be getting the Fiber service, but they did say that there is still “a lot of planning and engineering” to do before they expand Fiber to the city. So, Shawnee residents could be waiting awhile, but at least the approval has been given.

Google’s gigabit Internet service has been met with a great amount of success, so much so that Google is expanding its Fiber service to Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah, who could be getting the service much faster than Austin and even Shawnee.

Google Fiber will give you one gigabit speeds per second for a mere $70 per month. This is a stark difference from Time Warner Cable who charges $59.95 per month for 30 megabits per second. Alternatively, there is a $120 Google Fiber plan that gives you TV, 1GB Internet speeds and more.

Hopefully Shawnee won’t have to wait too long for the Fiber rollout. Do you live in Shawnee? Are you looking forward to Google’s Fiber service coming to your area? Let us know in the comments!

    

Samsung Galaxy S Advance update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean now available through Kies

Posted: 03 May 2013 09:04 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy Advance with Jelly Bean
Have you been wondering what exactly has happened to the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software update for the Samsung Galaxy S Advance? Well, wonder no more. The official Android 4.1.2 I9070XXLQE build update has reportedly been released for users of the phone in Germany, Poland, and Ukraine already, following the first release of the same in Russia back in January of this year.

It is said that this new software update is compatible with the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance — model nmber i9070 — and can be identified with base firmware XXLQE. It is expected to arrive in several other European countries very soon though for now, it is only available through Samsung Kies in the above-mentioned locations.

What can users expect to get out of this software update? First of all, it will update their phones to the penultimate version of Google’s Android software. Second, it will bring bug fixes, user interface performance improvements, and overall user interface enhancement.

Those who are unable to get the software for an automatic update through Kies may otherwise try to perform the software update manually. You’ll have to connect your phone to Samsung’s server first in order to proceed.

    

Pelican Imaging’s 16-lens array camera: the next generation of smartphone camera technology

Posted: 03 May 2013 08:22 AM PDT

Pelican Imaging camera

I don't know about you, but my smartphone is my primary piece of kit when it comes to taking photographs. I certainly don't claim to be an expert photographer, but I do want my pictures to turn out half presentable, look clear, and perhaps most importantly actually be in focus. Sadly that’s often not how my pictures turn out, especially in low light conditions. Like it or not, smartphone cameras are the most common method of photography used by most of us, but the technology has taken significant leaps and bounds over the past few years to improve the quality of our digital snaps.

However, the next generation in smartphone camera technology could soon be upon us, thanks to the developers over at Pelican Imaging, who have put together a 16-lens camera array. Its new technology promises to significantly boost the quality of our pictures and also brings with it a few interesting new features into the world of smartphone photography.

A potential game changer

Rather than a single lens, Pelican's array uses a four-by-four grid of individual lenses which are then combined to create a single image. Interestingly each of the lenses captures only a single colour (red, green or blue), rather than the full spectrum, which is something professional grade video cameras have been doing for quite a while. The idea behind this is that it eradicates the noise problems, which result from "cross-talk", when capturing wide ranges of light in a single lens. Even whilst keeping the number of megapixels the same, images should appear much sharper than before.

Technology buffs amongst you will probably also have noticed the implications for 3D image capture as well. We've already seen a few handsets that ship with dual cameras on the back, but this technology will allow for even clearer depth perception. Taking picture from slightly different locations will also allow for superior focusing and even refocusing of images based on the available depth information, by using some clever software. Take a look at this simple adjustment carried out by Adobe using a similar tiny “sub-lens” technology.

Pelican Imaging’s version of this focusing technology works using an averaging algorithm. The different images are aggregated to focus on a specific spot whilst the rest of the picture is blurred naturally. Here's another couple of examples, this time using Pelican's technology; three different levels of focus obtained from a single picture, and the lighting isn't half bad either.

Pelican Imaging focus 2Pelican Imaging focus 1

But won't 16 times as many images mean 16 times the file size? Well apparently not, as Pelican's software will translate the captured image into a JPEG just 20% larger than a regular picture with an equivalent pixel density. The file will also retain focus information, allowing the user to readjust the image if they want to.

All of this technology will be squeezed into a slimmer form factor as well, allowing for better image quality in even thinner phones. Color me totally impressed.

Pelican Imaging has been working on this technology for a while and has signed up a bunch of investors already. But perhaps most significantly, just a few days ago Nokia became the first handset manufacturer to back Pelican, which means that there could be a new smartphone on the way. We all know that Nokia loves it's camera technology, remember the 41 megapixel 808 PureView?

nokia-808-pureview

The operating system may have been a little dated, but the Pureview 808 definitely took impressive snaps for a smartphone.

Nokia seems convinced that this is where camera technology is heading, and clearly wants to be onboard early:

Pelican Imaging's computational camera solutions are at the cutting edge of mobile camera technologies. We believe they're positioned to lead the next wave in video and image capture; they're a great addition to our portfolio of innovators in the imaging space.

So it seems likely that Nokia could be the first handset manufacturer to produce a smartphone using this technology. Although Pelican's CEO, Chris Pickett, wouldn't talk specifics when asked about which manufacturers the company is working with, he did confirm that a product is currently being tested by manufacturers and is scheduled to be one of a few new smartphones launching in 2014. It could be a new high end Nokia smartphone vying for the photography crown once more, but until we have any more details we'll leave the speculating there.

Bring it to Android already

By now you're probably sold on this pretty cool piece of technological innovation. But there’s the not so pleasant prospect of having to leave our beloved Android behind in favour of Windows if we want to enjoy better quality pictures. That might be a deal breaker for some.

Fortunately an Android implementation of the 16-lens array is still on the cards, as a quote from Pelican Imaging leads me to believe that its technology is still completely open to use by other companies, rather than being a Nokia exclusive. The company's chief technology officer, Kartik Venkataraman, has also been pretty tight lipped about who the company is working with, but he did reveal the following:

Our technology is not mutually exclusive with Nokia's. We can take elements of what they're doing and improve what we can do.

In other words, Pelican Imaging is still in control of its technology, they haven't been bought out by Nokia. It's simply a partnership where the two are contributing to improving the technology. Whilst it's likely that Nokia will have first access to the new camera array, the door is still wide open for Android handset manufacturers to leap onboard at a later date.

There's also another hint that this technology could be making its way into the hands of the Android community at some point, as Qualcomm also backed the company at the same time as Nokia, acting through its venture investment group Qualcomm Ventures. Now we know that Qualcomm Snapdragon chips powered all of the handsets in Nokia's Lumia range, so it's a good bet that they're working on a new handset with Nokia on this too.

But Qualcomm SoCs also power a huge range of Android devices. In fact, one of the more recent tech demos showing off Pelican Imaging's camera technology was shown running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 powered Android tablet. Skip to 02:13 to see it in action, courtesy of Engadget.

You can see some of the re-focusing technology that we talked about earlier and some really quick editing options thanks to the depth information included in the image files. Post-processing software to put all these pictures together is an equally important part of the technology as the hardware and requires some pretty serious processing power to do it. The software shown off by Qualcomm was worked on by Pelican, so we know that at the very least Pelican Imaging has been developing software with Android in mind. A very positive sign, but sadly nothing concrete as of yet.

This is still early days for the fledgling technology, but it looks unbelievably promising. At some point in the future we'll hopefully see a new range of top of the line Android smartphones using this tech, and at the very least we'll be able to see what it can really do when the first handsets are released at some point in 2014. Keep your eyes peeled for more details in the future.

    

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is now available to buy in Canada, limited stock available

Posted: 03 May 2013 08:14 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs htc one s4 quick view aa

The Samsung Galaxy S4′s worldwide launch is underway, and now it’s Canada’s turn to get the “Next Big Thing”.

The device is available on TELUS, Rogers, Eastlink, Videotron, Bell, Fido, Virgin and Koodo, though the Galaxy S4 is only available in-store via Koodo. The rest of the bunch you can purchase the Galaxy S4 from online, but due to supply issues Samsung has experienced, many of the carriers have the Galaxy S4 listed as "Limited stock available. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.” That said, it might be wise to call ahead if you’re heading to a brick and mortar store to pick up the Galaxy S4.

We should remind you that the 16GB Galaxy S4 only comes with 8.82GB of internal storage available to the user, which is less than the 16GB of advertised space. This is because of the amount of storage the system requires between the Android OS, preloaded apps and Samsung’s own additions. That said, it might be wise to pick up a microSD card, though, that is hardly a good solution for power users.

Alternatively, you can open up more free space by rooting the device. Of course, this solution won’t appeal to everybody since rooting is often risky and difficult for those who aren’t familiar with the process. Regardless, it’ll free up a nice amount of space.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 supports a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 Full HD display with 441ppi. It has a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing shooter, a 2MP front-facing camera and has a microSD slot with support for up to 64GB of expandable storage. On the software front, the device is running Samsung’s TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0 atop of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

If you’re not familiar with the Samsung Galaxy S4, be sure to check out our full review by Android Authority‘s Joshua Vergara (video above)!

    

Samsung responds to Galaxy S4 storage woes, says current setup is for the greater good

Posted: 03 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs htc one s4 lockscreen aa
When it came to light that up to 45% of the Samsung Galaxy S4′s internal storage space was taken up by “system apps” that rendered it unusable for user storage, many people voiced anger and disappointment. This was true at least for the Galaxy S4′s 16GB model, which apparently only offered users less than 9GB of actual available space, and the issue is now in the center of a heated discussion.

Today, Samsung has sent out a response to all those who have expressed concerns over this particular issue. According to the Samsung statement, which was first published through a report online on CNET, if you’re a Galaxy S4 user and you find the handset’s storage situation to be problematic, you really shouldn’t because they made things the way they are for your own benefit.

According to Samsung, the “system” part of the Galaxy S4′s internal memory takes up approximately 6.85GB of total space. That’s how users get left with less than 9GB for their own personal use. Is it wrong? Samsung says it isn’t, and in fact, it’s the reason why users are able to enjoy the phone’s “high resolution display and more powerful features.”

Samsung also notes that users who really need more storage space than the Galaxy S4 readily offers can turn to external solutions, and it has made things somewhat easier for them by bundling a free microSD card with every unit “for extension of memory.”

Up in arms over space

Samsung Galaxy S4 storage
Samsung’s stance on the issue is understandable, but for some users, what it did with all of that used up storage was never really a bone of contention. The problem was with the fact that it decided to advertise certain units of its Galaxy S4 as 16GB models even though users can only really use a little over 8GB of space in them.

As many have pointed out in various online discussions, Samsung can only fix the issue by either taking away some of the system applications to free up precious storage space, or simply selling the Galaxy S4 at a lower price which will reflect the fact that it comes with less user-available storage space than advertised. Of course, Samsung is probably loathe to do either one of those things, but it’s worth noting that the users themselves are the ones who have suggested these possibilities.

What else is there?

Is there a better way for Samsung to get out of this mess? We don’t know. But what we do know is that as smartphones such as the Galaxy S4 get more and more advanced, this will only become an even bigger issue that will affect more and more people. Since the mobile phone’s first inception, it has evolved to become a full-blown, always-on, handheld computer. There’s simply no excuse for phone makers to leave such sophisticated products with glaring, easily preventable flaws.

Back in the heyday of netbooks, manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, and Toshiba decided that the standard size for netbook hard drives should be 160GB. So they started releasing products that came with 160GB hard drives and sub-$500 price tags. For netbooks with Windows 7 pre-installed, approximately 9.4% of the total storage was taken up by the “system” while the rest became available to users for actual storage. That’s a whopping 90% of advertised storage space available for use in any way a user likes. And how many people complained about this? Absolutely none.

Samsung itself got on the netbook bandwagon, so it’s no stranger to what we’re referring to here. Perhaps it can heed some of the helpful suggestions that have been thrown out online. If it does, then we will no doubt see them implemented in some of its future products.

    

LG working on ‘unbreakable’ display as part of new OLED-based focus

Posted: 03 May 2013 05:49 AM PDT

LG logo
In one of our earlier reports, it was noted that LG has been busy working on a bunch of new interesting and “futuristic” projects. The company’s display business — LG Display — has shifted focus away from conventional LCDs and onto the exciting new market of OLEDs for use in smartphones. Now, a new report from The Korea Times reveals that there will soon be a new kind of smartphone screen from LG, and it may be described simply with one word: unbreakable.

That’s right, the Korea-based company is looking to deliver its own flavor of unbreakable display to the world soon as part of its plan to dive into the still burgeoning OLED market for phones. If you think that sounds awesome, that’s because it is. Each day, the world gets closer and closer to finally seeing these things for the very first time.

In the Korea Times report, LG spokesman Frank Lee was quoted as saying that LG’s decision to start working on its own unbreakable screens “was aimed at taking a lead over rivals in the race for next-generation displays.” Here, Lee is no doubt referring to other outfits on the quest to create the first unbreakable and bendable or flexible screens, most notably Samsung, which has already shown some steady, albeit slow, progress.

So how is LG’s own work coming along so far? LG’s plan apparently involves using RGB-based OLED display tech in order to fulfill display orders from its numerous clients which include Apple, Dell, Google, and HP. Interestingly, it looks like LG is kind of in a bind, with regard to how it will start collecting potential new OLED display clients. It is said that despite its resources, it may still encounter bottlenecks in production, and it doesn’t want to have to deal with a situation wherein it can’t provide OLED displays for its own products.

LG Nexus 4
The bottom line is, these unbreakable and flexible displays from LG are coming, and they will arrive in the market one way or another — not only through products made by LG’s clients but also through its very own devices such as that new upcoming Nexus phone that we’ve been hearing about.

    

Use your Wii Balance Board as a smart scale with this Android app

Posted: 03 May 2013 05:38 AM PDT

wii balance board

A Wii Balance Board, provided you have one lying around in the house, can easily be turned into a scale, and all you need is the FitScales Android app.

Using mobile devices for health-related activities is something that more and more users do these days. The soon-to-be-very-popular Samsung Galaxy S4 has a body scale as an official accessory, with the ability to send data to the smartphone via Bluetooth. If you don’t feel like paying the extra money for the scale, you can easily convert a Wii Balance Board into a smart scale that connects to your Android.

FitScales (which is an open source project) works with any device running Android 2.1 to 4.1. You just need to start the app, sync the balance board with it, then wait until it’s works its magic, and you’re all set.

Your data can also be synced with RunKeeper or FitBit so you know exactly where you stand in terms of fitness.

Do you use your Android device to stay in shape? What apps and accessories do you use?