Thursday, May 30, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


HTC One: What the Google Edition gives and takes away

Posted: 30 May 2013 10:57 AM PDT

Those who are fans of the Nexus line and the HTC One received some good news earlier this morning. Just in case you missed it, Google and HTC announced a Google Edition One. The handset will be similar to the Google Edition GALAXY S 4 in that it will be sporting the same looks as the regular carrier model, but that it will be running a vanilla Android installation.

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With that in mind, lets follow along with the title of the post and take a look at what the Google Edition HTC One will give and what it will take away. We are also a bit curious to see how many people will be willing to make a purchase given the price ($599). But first, lets discuss what the handset will give.

Updates

The Google Edition One will launch with Android 4.2.2 and similar to the other Nexus devices, this handset will receive prompt updates. Aside from the bit about the Google Edition One not having any carrier installed bloatware, the prompt updates will likely be a big perk for most, if not all of those who make a purchase.

This is where the other side comes into play though. As the Google Edition One is running a vanilla Android 4.2.2 installation — it will not have all of the same features as the model with Sense. Without mentioning every single feature tied to Sense, some of the highlights here include Zoe and BlinkFeed. There are also some points worth mentioning when it comes to Beats Audio, the UltraPixel camera and a question dealing with the IR blaster.

Camera

HTC has confirmed that some of the Sense camera features will not be included. The items that will be missing from the Google Edition One include Zoe, Highlights and the living gallery. In fact, the Sense camera UX will be missing. On the flip side, those purchasing this handset will find the regular Android camera setup which means goodies such as Photo Sphere.

Looking back to the earlier statement from HTC and it was said the Google Edition One will have the “low-light capabilities of the UltraPixel camera.” Basically, this sounds like it means the handset will have the same stock Android camera experience, but that it will have low-light performance that is above what a regular Nexus handset will have.

BlinkFeed and Beats Audio

As far as BlinkFeed goes there isn’t much to say other than given this is built deep within Sense — it will not be on the Google Edition. The handset will retain the Beats Audio support (and branding on the backside), however there will be one key difference in that users will not have the Beats visual indicator in the status bar. On the flip side, the handset will arrive sporting the same dual front-facing stereo speakers.

IR Blaster

Another item worth mentioning is the IR blaster. In the case of the HTC One, this handset has a blaster as well as a receiver which means that it can send codes and also learn codes. The point here, HTC has some integration and in fact, the power button on the top of the One is where the sensor can be found. As the hardware remains the same the IR functionality will still be available. The one catch is that users will have to head into the Play Store and grab one of the available apps.

Button Configuration

The final point mentioning here deals with the button configuration. Again, the hardware is the same which means the buttons will all be the same. In fact, with this the functionality will remain the same in that a short press of the Home button will bring you Home while a long press will launch Google Now. Additionally, a double-tap will take you to your Recent Apps. This one should go without saying, but the Back button will still take you back.

Google: We won’t be stopping the Nexus program

Posted: 30 May 2013 10:06 AM PDT

This morning Google and HTC shocked us all by officially announcing the stock “Nexus experience” HTC One smartphone, coming later this year. Just like Samsung and their GALAXY S 4 Google Edition. For those worried that Google could be taking this route in the future, and ending the Nexus program we all know and love. Don’t worry, because that isn’t happening any time soon.

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As you all probably know, the AllThingsD “D11″ conference has been going on, and we’ve learned a lot of good information. From Google officially confirming the Motorola X is real and coming this summer, and much more. After Google’s new man in charge of Android, Sundar Pichai, mentioned the HTC One Nexus edition the question about regular Nexus devices quickly came up.

"The goal behind Nexus was to guide the ecosystem, but that will continue as well."

which essentially is confirming that Google has more Nexus devices planned that will be released later. Pichai basically stated that the Nexus program isn’t going anywhere, and we can expect more devices in the future. One important part of the Nexus program is also the price, which are much lower than the $599 and $649 prices of these new “Nexus-like” phones.

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Now that in late June Google will be offering both the GALAXY S 4 and the HTC One with stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on the Google Play Store, the question is when can we expect Nexus devices to actually arrive. Above he states that they’ll continue to offer them. We want to know when.

There’s been multiple reports of a new Nexus 7 on the horizon, but so far the details about smartphones have been dry. Yes they have the Motorola X, but that won’t be a “Nexus” device. We have a feeling the next Nexus smartphone won’t be arriving until October or later with a new version of Android, just like the Nexus 4 before it. That would make sense and be a perfect yearly cycle.

Either way more Nexus phones are coming, so don’t worry folks!

SOURCE: AllThingsD

ASUS teasing 6-inch Transformer tablet for Computex

Posted: 30 May 2013 09:28 AM PDT

ASUS has dropped a teaser ahead of their Computex announcement and interestingly enough, they have done so using a plastic model and a series of images. The images show the process of building an Android robot named DROID MARK II. They have this little green guy sitting with a model number of N6-TE and some of the pieces look to represent some of the functionality.

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Those browsing the gallery below will likely notice the robot is holding two objects — a phone and a pen. Strangely enough, that pen appears to be mighty powerful. Well, that is at least based on the box anyway. As we generally see the external packaging being more exciting than the features inside, we will just take that to mean ASUS will be announcing something with pen support.

Otherwise, the 6 on the front of the robot suggests this may be a 6-inch device. There is also the “We Transform” bit which leads to thoughts of another Transformer product. Without going overboard with speculation, maybe ASUS has a 6-inch Transformer Note in the works.

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Something along those lines makes it almost sound like ASUS is planning a device to take on the Galaxy Note II. Or for that matter, the yet to be announced Galaxy Note 3. Device speculation aside, there is also the question of where this will be available. Some of the previous ASUS products, such as the FonePad will not be released in the US market.

With that, the ASUS Computex announcement is just a few days away. The event is scheduled for 3PM local Taiwan time on June 3rd. Or in other words, those in the US market will be staying up late as that time translates to 3AM Eastern time. Then again, you could always go to be the night before knowing you will have some news to wake up with.

SOURCE: ASUS

HTC One with “Nexus user experience” set to arrive June 26

Posted: 30 May 2013 09:06 AM PDT

As it turns, the ‘Senseless Edition’ HTC One was real. In fact, Google has officially announced the handset and it will be available towards the end of June. They are referring to this model as the HTC One, done “the Google way.” By that, they are referring to the Nexus like experience that users will get. Or in simpler terms, they are releasing an HTC One without the Sense user interface.

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More than that, this also means the handset will see an update path similar to that of the other Nexus devices — including the recently announced Google Edition GALAXY S 4. Putting that aside for a moment, the HTC One will be priced at $599 and available from the Google Play Store beginning on June 26th. The handset will be running Android 4.2.2 at launch and arrive unlocked and with support for T-Mobile or AT&T.

In a statement provided by HTC, we have learned the handset will have support for the UltraPixel camera. The full statement is as follows;

“A special edition of the new HTC One running stock Android will be exclusively available through the Google Play store in the United States starting on June 26th.  This edition pairs the all-metal unibody design, low-light capabilities of the UltraPixel camera and dual front-facing stereo speakers of the new HTC One with the stock version of the latest Android software, Jelly Bean 4.2.2.”

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Otherwise, aside from this newly announced HTC One and the GALAXY S 4, Sundar Pichai has said that Google intends to continue making Nexus devices. Nothing specific in terms of future models, however it looks like we will be seeing more to come in the future. For now, those who are considering the HTC One — mark your calendars for June 26th and start setting aside some cash.

SOURCE: Google+, HTC

BlueStacks reveals GamePop console pricing

Posted: 30 May 2013 08:35 AM PDT

BlueStacks announced the GamePop console earlier in the month and opened up pre-orders immediately. More to the point, BlueStacks were giving a console and controller for free if you signed up for a year long subscription. The subscription is priced at $6.99 per month and includes access to (at present) more than 500 games. The one catch with that offer is how you have to pay — for the full year up front.

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Basically, that meant an initial layout of $93.83. Of course, that gave you a free console and controller and the ability to play an unlimited amount of games for a full year. This seems like a good option to consider, however there will also be the option to pick up a console once this initial pre-order offer expires. With that in mind, it seems the retail price of the console is going to be a bit higher than originally expected.

The GamePop was initially expected to drop at $100, however the pricing has since been announced as $129. And for those looking for the comparison, this means the GamePop is more expensive than rival OUYA, which is currently selling for $99.99. Otherwise, this initial free console and controller offer was set to expire at the end of May, however that has since been extended through June due to high-demand.

In addition to the pricing of the console, BlueStacks also had some game related news. The company has said they added games from three additional developers. There wasn’t much in terms of specifics, however they said these games would normally cost more than $50 if purchased from the Play Store. But with the subscription pricing, those games will all be available without the additional expense.

Previously announced game partners include Glu, Halfbrick, and Gameloft. As of today we are also hearing a bit from another developer, Intellijoy. They have said joining Gamepop was a “no brainer” and they will be adding a handful of normally paid games. These games are said to be worth “nearly” $30, but again, they will be available with no added cost because of the monthly subscription.

VIA: The Next Web

SOURCE: Gamepop

Evernote security update brings two-step verification

Posted: 30 May 2013 07:46 AM PDT

Evernote promised a two-step verification login earlier in the year and as of today the official announcement has been made. The company has detailed their latest update, which is security minded and with talk of the two-step verification as well as access history and authorized applications. Using these three features combined should keep your Evernote account safe and secure, but as we often see with security features — these are optional.

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Beginning first with the two-step verification. This means you will need your username and password as well as a verification code to access your Evernote account. Basically, this should be enough to keep unwanted visitors away even if they learn your username and password. This verification will be a 6-digit code and will be sent by text message. Alternatively, you can also use an app such as Google Authenticator. Finally, there will also be an option to get a one-time set of backup codes for times when you cannot otherwise get a verification code sent.

With that in mind, there are some other important points to consider at this time. For now this is only available for Evernote Premium and Evernote Business users. Once things appear to be running smoothly for these users, Evernote will roll this out for all users. The other important item is making sure all Evernote accounts have been updated before you begin the process. The Evernote team has said once you have made sure all the apps you use have been updated you can head to the Evernote Web Account Settings page to begin the setup process.

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Moving on and we come to the access history, which is just as simple as the name suggests. This one is available to all users and means you will be able to see a running list of every time your account has been accessed. This list goes back 30 days and includes details such as the location and IP address. You can see an example of how this will look in the image sitting below.

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Last up for this Evernote security update and we have the authorized applications. This is also available for all users and means you will be able to revoke access to any version of Evernote from your Evernote Web Account Settings page. Basically, revoking the access means the next time you, or someone else, attempts to login using that device (application), they will be promoted for the passcode.

SOURCE: Evernote Blog

Waze v3.7 update brings Facebook Events integration

Posted: 30 May 2013 07:16 AM PDT

There has been plenty of chatter dealing with a possible acquisition of Waze. We have heard a few possible company names being thrown around, one of which is Facebook. And while this latest bit of Waze news isn’t dealing with an acquisition by Facebook, we are seeing news that involves Facebook. Basically, Waze v3.7 has been released and part of the update includes integration with Facebook Events.

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Moving forward, Waze users will begin seeing their Facebook Events in the navigation menu. The listing will appear in Waze 48 hours before the event and they will be found by heading to the Navigate section in the main menu. For those new to Waze, this is where you will have your Home and Work locations set. Not to mention, the list of places that you have previously travelled to using Waze. A single tap of the Facebook event in the Navigate menu will be enough to get you on your way.

That is not where the connection stops though. In addition to providing easy access to directions, you will also be shown which of your Facebook friends are on their way. The Waze app will show your friends using their Facebook image and the app also marks the first person to arrive. Additionally, if the person who created the Facebook event took the lazy approach and didn’t include a full address, you can add that using the Waze app.

The one catch here, you will need to make sure your Facebook account is connected to Waze. Otherwise, Waze v3.7 also brings other goodies to include a three-state mute button in the main menu and the ability to checkin using Foursquare from the report menu. There was also support added for the JVC App Link Mode and other unspecified fixes. A remove button has been added to the history section.

Lastly, the Waze update also touched on local offers and road alerts. In this case it was said that road-alert pop-ups and local offers are now “sleeker” and will take up less room on the screen. The ads are said to have been optimized to display what is ahead on the route while “remaining as relevant as possible.” These alerts can also be moved out of the way with nothing more than a siple swipe.

SOURCE: Business Wire, Google Play Store

Alcatel One Touch Idol pre-orders arrive for the US market

Posted: 30 May 2013 06:33 AM PDT

Alcatel has announced the US availability of the One Touch Idol smartphone. For now the handset is only available for pre-order, however those shipments will begin soon enough. According to details coming from Alcatel, the One Touch Idol pre-orders will begin shipping on June 15th. The handset is selling unlocked (contract-free) and is available for $299.99 by way of the Alcatel website.

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Given it has been some time since we last mentioned the One Touch Idol a recap on the specs seems to be in order. The handset will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and with hardware to include a 4.7-inch qHD IPS display along with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1800 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera that is capable of shooting HD quality video.

Alcatel is also billing this as the “lightest smartphone in its category.” Basically, that is to say the One Touch Idol will weigh in at 3.88 ounces. Additionally, the handset is on the slimmer side with a thickness of just 7.9mm. Alcatel has this model equipped with a microSIM card slot and support for GSM networks.

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH

That means those in the US looking to make a purchase will need to choose either AT&T or T-Mobile for a carrier. Alternatively, something along the lines of Straight Talk could be a good option to consider. Other perks with the One Touch Idol include an “all-over splash-proof water protection” as well as pre-loaded anti-virus software and a scratch-resistant display that also has what Alcatel refers to as an anti-finger print coating.

Looking back to April and we saw details about how the One Touch Idol was going to be featured in Iron Man 3. Well, that connection still applies today as the handset will ship with a free merchandise pack with some Iron Man 3 goodies. All that being said, while this is not a high-end device, it does seem like a decent option to consider by those choosing to go the prepaid route.

SOURCE: PR Newswire

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini revealed with 4.3″ display and 8MP camera

Posted: 30 May 2013 01:35 AM PDT

It’s hardly been unexpected, but Samsung has finally taken the wraps off of its Galaxy S4 Mini, the shrunken Galaxy S 4 which was expected to debut at the June 20 “Premiere 2013″ event. Slimming the display down to 4.3-inches and qHD resolution, the Galaxy S4 Mini also has a more humble processor, with Android 4.2.2 and TouchWiz running on a 1.7GHz dualcore.

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That’s paired with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, though only around 5GB of that is available to the actual user. A microSD card slot can be used to expand it by up to 64GB. The Galaxy S4 Mini measures in at 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm and 107g.

Under the hood, there’s WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and – on the LTE version, at least – NFC. The phone also gets an IR blaster, which can be used with the preloaded WatchON app to turn the Galaxy S4 Mini into a universal remote. The usual sensors (accelerometer, digital compass, GPS, GLONASS, etc.) are also onboard.

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In total, Samsung will have three main versions of the Galaxy S4 Mini, with the key difference being cellular connectivity. The basic 3G model will have quadband HSPA+ for up to 21Mbps downloads, network depending, and there’ll be a dual-SIM version of that for those wanting a pair of accounts active.

Then, there’ll be a 4G model, which will have up to 42Mbps HSPA+ and LTE support for up to 100/50Mbps downloads, again depending on the network you’re using. Samsung is yet to announce which regions will get which variant.

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Software-wise, Samsung is sticking to most of the apps and features we’ve seen from the full-sized Galaxy S 4, which means various camera enhancements – Best Photo, Beauty Face, HDR, etc – and Group Play for media sharing. There’s also S Voice and S Translator, along with Samsung KNOX for secure enterprise use.

No word on release date, nor pricing, but Samsung will tell us more next month at the “Premiere” event.

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Motorola to launch hero Moto X contextually-aware smartphone this summer

Posted: 29 May 2013 08:48 PM PDT

At today’s D11 conference, Motorola‘s Dennis Woodside talked about the company’s ambitious plans to reinvent itself via the launch of a handful of smartphones, starting with a “hero” device called the Moto X. Such a device will be contextually-aware of its surroundings via low-powered sensors, enabling it to respond in ways that Woodside says isn’t available on current smartphone offerings.

Motorola X

The Moto X is being hailed as the first smartphone assembled in the United States, with the company using a 500,000 square-foot facility in Texas that was previously used for Nokia handsets. Word originally had it that the phone would be launching by October, which is the month the other handful of handsets are slated for, but according to a press release the company has published, the hero smartphone will actually be hitting shelves sometime this summer.

Responding to an initial round of questions about the hero handset, Woodside responded with a few details: “It is going to be broadly distributed. There are a couple things we're going to be doing differently … Motorola has always been good at managing ultra-low power sensors, such as the gyroscope and the accelerometer, and keeping those on all the time so the device knows different use states. The [Moto X] knows when it is in my pocket, it knows when I take it out of my pocket. I might want to do something, I might want to take a picture, so it fires up the camera."

That doesn’t mean the handset will always fire up the camera when removed from a pocket, Woodside clarified, just that it will instead be aware of what the user wants to do based on the context around it, and based on that awareness will take action to facilitate that desire. To move from the camera example and provide a different idea of what the sensors and contextual awareness will do, Woodside said: “Imagine when in the car, the device will know it is going 60MPH and it is going to act differently so you can interact with it safely. Those are the kinds of things we're doing with fundamental technology."

Motorola says it chose to produce the Moto X domestically for several reasons, one being that it offers business advantages since its designers and engineers will be closer to the factory. Such a reality will result in “a leaner supply chain,” the ability to mobilize towards new trends and such quicker, and more. No word on specs yet, but Motorola promises more details will be coming soon.

SOURCE: SlashGear

AT&T boosts 4G LTE network in 16 new cities

Posted: 29 May 2013 04:45 PM PDT

Today, in an effort to keep up with the growing demand (and push from Verizon) the folks from AT&T have announced a slew of new locations and cities that will be getting their blazing fast 4G LTE network upgrade. Not only has AT&T announced 11 new cities today, but they’ve confirmed an additional 5 will be seeing major expansions and improvements. Read on past the break for the full details.

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Verizon recently announced that they have nearly 497 markets completely blanketed with 4G LTE services, but AT&T is hot on their tracks with their own improvements. Parts of Oregon, Virginia and more have all seen major improvements today. Just in time for someone to snag a new GALAXY S 4 and enjoy those fast new 4G LTE speeds.

According to AT&T, users will be seeing 4G LTE get the green light and be fully enabled in 11 new cities. Those being: Salem, OR; Dover, DE; Shelton, WA; Longview, WA; Leonardtown, MD; Asheville, NC; Culpepper, VA; Goldsboro, NC; Ocean City, MD; Roanoke, VA; Port Townsend, WA all starting today.

If you happen to live in any of those cities and rock an AT&T 4G LTE device, you should start seeing some seriously improved speeds. Then of course we also have some expansions today from the carrier. These cities already have LTE but are getting improved and they are: Casa Grande, AZ; Linglestown, PA; Fredericksberg, VA; Schenectady, NY; and Calvert County, MD to name a few. They all will be seeing broader network reach and faster, more stable speeds. Enjoy folks!

SOURCE: AT&T

Google Calendar updated with custom colors and UI tweaks

Posted: 29 May 2013 04:16 PM PDT

Today the folks from Google are on a roll in the updates department. This entire week actually, with updates to Gmail, Google Music, Chrome beta and stable, and now Google Calendar. We’re getting some much needed features today that should help all those busy folks clean up their calendar and more. Read on for the changelog and additional details.

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The entire Google Calendar is for the most part the same, but many different aspects now have a completely new UI during certain steps in adding new tasks with dates or times. The changes are pretty minor, but also pretty spiffy and a nice change of pace compared to the previous version. The important stuff here though is the new customizable colors.

There’s a pleasing new UI where you can select and completely customize the colors for adding new appointments to the calendar, which we’ve been wanting on mobile for some time. Now with Android phones and tablets you can simple choose from any of the above, as you can see from their image.

It certainly isn’t anything major, but should seriously improve the overall experience of Google Calendar. Not to mention give us an idea on what to expect from future updates on other Google apps. I’m personally liking the new event repeat option, as that’s something I use often. All the details and more can be found at the Official Google Blog.

SOURCE: Play Store

Google Play Music updated with delete options and more for Android

Posted: 29 May 2013 03:58 PM PDT

Google Music recently received a pretty big update with an entirely new user interface to go along with their new “All Access” music streaming service, but sadly the app needs some work. Today Google’s busy updating multiple apps, and Play Music just got some much needed new features. Mainly the ability to delete a track, which surprisingly wasn’t available before.

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Today Google is updating the Play Music app with a few new features, but so far the update isn’t showing up for everyone and is a staged rollout. The update will allow users to delete tracks, as well as add or remove songs to/from the library, and even share songs. Those my access songs can blend in with everything you’d always had in Play Music, but you weren’t able to delete any of them on mobile devices.

Instead of having to open up a web browser and search for the song, then delete it, we now can quickly and easily do so on mobile. We’re not sure how this managed to get passed up on the initial release, but at least they were quick with an update. Right?

* Added option to delete tracks
* Can share song and add to playlist from Now Playing screen
* Remove from My Library now supported

That’s the entire change log above. The Now playing screen has more options in the settings menu too, as stated above. You can instantly add or remove the song from your library, or share it with all your friends. Friends that Google hopes are on Google+ when you share the music. The Play Store says the update is available today, May 29th, but many still aren’t seeing it. This is a part of their new staged rollout process, and you should get it momentarily. Enjoy!

SOURCE: Play Store

Did Google just show us the new Nexus 7?

Posted: 29 May 2013 02:42 PM PDT

Today Google shared some news and details about their ever expanding Street View project. Taking their cameras and eye-level views through parts of New York City that most might never be able to visit. Things like Central Park and the 9/11 Memorial. While we don’t want to take anything away from them for that, we did notice an interesting device in their video.

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There has been tons of talk and rumors around Google’s next Nexus tablet to deliver Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. We’ve been hearing reports of a second-gen Nexus 7 for more than a few months, specs have leaked with ASUS attached as the manufacturer, but we really don’t know at this point. This could just be a random device, of course, but it looks like an HTC-made Nexus tablet if you ask me.

Oh what we’d give for an HTC Nexus Tablet. The Nexus One is still one of my favorite devices to date, and something I wish I would have kept. What you see above was shown off and featured in a video released and published today by Google. The video highlights Street View in New York City, but at about 0:53 seconds in this new slate makes a cameo and has many readers all hot and bothered. Myself included. Take a peek below.

It’s an interesting looking device, that’s for sure. We really don’t know what to think or believe at this point. A few weeks ago another random device was spotted in one of Google’s videos that many thought was the new Nexus, so we’ll just take this all with a grain of salt for now.

Previous reports have Google revealing the next version of Android on June 10th, and we could be seeing a brand new tablet at the same time. We’ll let you guys all decide for yourself, but let us know what you think in the comment section below.

Google adds historic Central Park and 9/11 Memorial to Street View

Posted: 29 May 2013 02:27 PM PDT

Google Street View just keeps getting better and better. While we already know the first-person look with Street View has already walked nearly every street of New York City, today they published a few new areas that are historic to everyone. Not only that, but these iconic locations show the heart, spirit, and strength of our nation and the greatest city in New York.

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Today Google revealed new Street View imagery of three stunning locations of the Big Apple. Those being the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, and the neighborhoods that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Not only can you walk down the streets and see the mess from Hurricane Sandy, but for those wanting to virtually visit the 9/11 Memorial can now do so as well.

Google added a wonderful moving tribute to the World Trade Center site and memorial, with stunning panoramic views of both the north and the south pools. Using their technology they also got so close that Street View users will be able to see and read victims' names that have been engraved along both pools, to pay their respects. It’s a wonderful site and tribute, so thanks Google.

Then, for those who haven’t been lucky enough to enjoy New York City and Central Park, Google has you covered with that too. Taking the street view Trekker through the park and down paths most visitors would never normally go. The video above is a nice little preview (oh and check out 53 seconds) of the entire park. They have lesser known areas covered too.

From Central Park and the 9/11 Memorial, all the way to the Galapagos Islands Google’s been hard at work with Street View, and we love it. See more at the link below.

SOURCE: Google Blog

LG aims for unified design and improved hardware in 2014

Posted: 29 May 2013 01:56 PM PDT

There has been a lot of talk lately from media and consumers alike about build quality and materials in their smartphones, tablets, and any other electronic device. The outcry for Samsung to use something other than cheap plastic in their flagship phones is one, and we’ve seen plenty praise HTC for their all aluminum and cutting-edge designs on the HTC One. Where does LG fit in? Read on to find out what they have planned.

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With plenty of behind the scene changes already taking place, next year LG will be delivering some quality products all with an improved and unified design. LG’s aiming big, and hope this will take them to the next step. At least according to new reports. During a press conference in South Korea the companies design manager had some interesting comments about their future, and their “design philosophy” moving into next year and 2015.

According to GforGames LG’s about to do a major overhaul for the better. And not just on smartphones and tablets, but their lineup as a whole. Design Lab manager, Joon Ahn, revealed that they’ll have a unified and completely improved design language and philosophy that will be so new, fresh, and recognizable that their products will be instantly recognized as an LG device.

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Their plan is a new design language that will be common among many of their products from smartphones to TVs and refrigerators. All unified into one beautiful product line that will be their trademark design. A huge part of this will obviously be on mobile, since that’s where technology is headed these days. We’re expecting a radical shift in the look and feel of their smartphones and upcoming tablets, and hopefully excellent build quality too.

It sounds like LG will be establishing a new name for themselves as they move forward, but we shouldn’t expect to see the fruits of this overhaul until sometime in mid to late 2014. Obviously we’ll need to see it to believe it, or to be convinced, but the future is looking bright for LG if they can keep it up. Don’t just follow Samsung or others, innovate!

Google Admin app launches for Android

Posted: 29 May 2013 01:43 PM PDT

Google has released a new app this afternoon, called Google Admin. The app is intended for those who are managing Google Apps accounts and is available for Android devices by way of the Play Store. Google mentions how the Admin app will allow you to take care of the “most common tasks” which includes everything from adding new users to handling password resets.

Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 3.32.26 PM

The Google Admin app will also allow for group management, user suspensions, the ability to view domain setting changes and if needed, contacting support. You will also be able to directly call and email individual users. Specifically, the app is available for those who are super admins of Google's Enterprise products. Those products include Google Apps for Business, Education, Government, Google Coordinate and Chromebooks.

Anyway, given the nature of what this app can do towards the overall security and setup of your account, Google offers the following warning; “Prior to installing this app we recommend that you set a strong lockscreen password on your device.” Of course, that sounds like a good suggestion for anyone that has anything even remotely sensitive on their device.

Otherwise, the app is available for free and for those with a device running Android 2.3.3 or later. The other catch deals with use of the API. Google has said use of the Google Admin app requires API access to be enabled. Those with the need and access sufficient for use will be able to find the app in the Play Store.

Given the app has only recently come available for download the user ratings and reviews are rather limited at this time. The overall rating is high, however the comments seem to be a mix of “about time” and “nice start.” Bottom line here, Google has provided an app that should be helpful for the admin who is always on the go.

SOURCE: Official Google Enterprise Blog

GALAXY S 4 Active and Zoom specs leak ahead of June 20 event

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:50 PM PDT

We previously heard details about Samsung’s June 20th event. This is the ‘Samsung Premiere 2013′ event and earlier reports were suggesting the GALAXY S 4 Mini would be announced. As of today though, it is looking like two other GALAXY S 4 devices are going to join the Mini. Those others are the Active and the Zoom and in addition to word of a June 20th announcement — the specs for both devices have since leaked.

2013-05-29

We have seen bits and pieces of the specs for both the Active and Zoom in the past, however today brings what appears to be nearly complete specs for each device. Beginning first with the GALAXY S 4 Active, this is the handset that is expected to arrive as both water and dust-resistant. Previous leaked images for the Active have shown the handset sporting a red exterior. As far as the specs go, the list is as follows;

  • 5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display
  • Quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor
  • Adreno 320 GPU
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
  • 2600 mAh battery
  • LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, IR blaster
  • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Next up is the GALAXY S 4 Zoom, which as the name would imply — is the smartphone with the focus being on the camera. It was said the GALAXY S 4 Zoom will look more similar to the GALAXY S 4 Mini as opposed to the full-sized model. Aside from looks, the spec list breaks down as follows;

  • 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display at 960 x 540
  • Dual-core 1.6GHz processor
  • 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
  • 1900 mAh battery
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Android Jelly Bean
  • 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera
  • 16 megapixel rear-facing camera with a 10x optical zoom

It appears as if some of the camera related highlights have yet to leak for the GALAXY S 4 Zoom, though the 16MP camera and 10x optical zoom appear to have things off to a good start. Of course, this all comes with a reminder that these are still unconfirmed and therefor should be considered rumor until June 20th arrives.

Samsung_Premiere_2013_GALAXYATIV_1-540x536

All said and done it looks like the June 20th event is shaping up to have quite a few handsets unveiled. So far there is talk of the three Galaxy devices including the Mini, Active and Zoom, however the original event invitation also mentioned the ATIV which means we will likely see something Windows Phone announced.

VIA: unwired view

SOURCE: Hi-Tech mail.ru

Verizon HTC One tipped for late June by analyst

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:14 PM PDT

The talk and rumors around Verizon getting their own version of the HTC One flagship smartphone haven’t slowed down one bit. In fact, we keep hearing little bits of information all leading us to believe an announcement is coming any minute now from Verizon and HTC. Today some analyst reports from Taiwan clearly point towards a late June release from Verizon.

verizon_htc_one

After initial reports suggested the phone would be coming a few months after the other carriers, that story then got changed and reported as a no, Verizon won’t be getting the new device. With all leaks, tips, and rumors pointing to the contrary we really don’t know what to believe. Our insider sources claim it was set to be announced last week, but for whatever reason wasn’t. Instead we got Viva Movil by JLo and Verizon Wireless.

Today some new reports from FocusTaiwan have our interest piqued yet again for an HTC One on Verizon, as well as a few other things. Laura Chen, an analyst at BNP Paribas Securities Taiwan Ltd, went on to talk about HTC having a strong second quarter with the hard times behind them, and explains why the rest of 2013 will be good news for HTC. Most of that being Verizon’s HTC One, the largest US carrier, as well as 3 other devices we’ve been talking about.

“Given that Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile operator, plans to start selling the new HTC One in late June, HTC will have a good chance of surpassing its second-quarter sales guidance of NT$70 billion” – Chen

Chen then goes on to mention the HTC device codenamed M4 is also coming soon, which could be an HTC One Mini. She also confirms the earlier reports that HTC has a phablet in the works, possibly enjoying a 5.9-inch display, which will get announced later this year. Then ends by mentioning the new and improved HTC Butterfly and DROID DNA.

Is it just us, or does this Chen seem to know all of HTC’s plans? As long as her reports are true and Verizon drops an HTC One here shortly, we’ll be happy. It looks like June could be a big month for HTC with the One on Verizon, a “Senseless edition” and a few other phones. Stay tuned!

Twitter update improves image sharing and adds richer notifications

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:05 PM PDT

The latest Twitter app update has landed in the Play Store. This update has arrived as version 4.1.0 and with improvements to image sharing and notifications. Anyway, while there are a few changes in this update, it seems the key change is the one dealing with the image sharing. When launching the updated app things will initially look the same, however tapping the tweet button will show you the changes.

twitter-05

From here you still have your Twitter avatar along with your real name and user name up top, but things look a bit different towards the bottom. Specifically, the location and image sharing icons have changed. Those looking to share an image have two options to consider — use the camera icon to snap a new picture or the gallery icon to grab an existing image. Either process is simple and appears to have been improved over the earlier version of Twitter.

Take the gallery image sharing for example, this launches a view of the gallery at the bottom of your screen and a swipe up expands that gallery to show more images. Of course, once the gallery has been expanded, it then scrolls down through all your previous images. Once you find the image you want to share, tap it and then make any necessary edits. From this point you tap done button (in the upper right hand corner) and you will return to the tweet window where you will see a full preview of that image.

twitter-update-002

At this point you can add any text you want along with the image and adjust your location sharing settings. A tap of the location sharing icon (towards the bottom left) will launch a map with a “turn on location” button. Alternatively, you can later turn that off by tapping the “turn off location” button. Otherwise, this update also made it a bit easier for those who tweet from multiple accounts. With this users can select the appropriate account by tapping on your avatar in the upper left hand corner.

twitter-update-003

Lastly, there were also some improvements to the notifications. This portion of the update means the notifications will now contain more detailed information. The notifications will expand with a swipe and they will now include avatars as well as details about the tweet such as whether it is a favorite, retweet or reply. Bottom line here, if you were at all disappointed with the process of sending tweets on the earlier version of Twitter for Android, this update may have solved your problems.

SOURCE: Twitter Blog, Google Play Store

Android Authority

Android Authority


Google Play Music receives update, allows you to share tracks from Now Playing screen

Posted: 30 May 2013 02:03 AM PDT

Google Play Music

The Google Play Music app has been recently updated, adding a series of useful tweaks to the user experience.

While it may not look like a huge update, what’s been improved can be very helpful in your everyday use of the app (and I’m sure you’ve started to use it even more if Google Play Music All Access is available in your country).

First of all, the app now has the option to delete tracks, so you can get rid of the songs you’re not listening to straight from the app, freeing some space on your device in the process. Another useful thing is that you now have the ability to add a song to a playlist straight from the Now Playing screen, useful especially if you’re into creating playlists for various occasions.

You can now also share a song from that same Now Playing screen, allowing you to show your friends on Google+ what you’re listening to, providing them with a preview of the track, as well as a link that allows them to buy it in an instant, as you can see in the screenshot below.

google play music

Finally, you can also remove items from your Library.

Are you a Google Play Music user? Do you find the new update useful?

    


Galaxy S4 Mini official: specs, features, release date and pricing

Posted: 30 May 2013 01:36 AM PDT

Galaxy S4 mini

Despite rumored to announce the Galaxy S4 Mini at its June 20 media event, Samsung on Thursday went ahead and quietly announced the handset.

Is this a direct response to Motorola's Moto X unexpected announcement? It doesn't really matter, as by now we already knew a lot of details concerning this Galaxy S4 variant.

Specs and features

Just a few days ago we looked at a new set of specs and features for the handset, and it looks like they were pretty accurate. Here are the official specification for the Galaxy S4 Mini (GT-I9190):

  • 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display
  • Size: 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm
  • Weight: 107g
  • 1.7GHz dual-core processor
  • 1.5GB of RAM
  • 8GB of memory (5GB available to the user)
  • microSD support for up to 64GB of memory
  • 8-megapixel camera with TouchWiz camera features
  • 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • 4G LTE
  • NFC (only for the LTE version)
  • dual SIM support (on certain variants)
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz on top
  • 1900mAh battery

Galaxy S4 Mini specs

The Galaxy S4 Mini is not a flagship device – not that we ever expected it to be – but JK Shin seems to think that it has good enough specs to provide a "Galaxy S4 experience." Here's his full quote:

"We want to give people more choices with Galaxy S4 Mini, similar look & feel of Galaxy S4 for more compact and practical usages," he said. "The new Galaxy S4 Mini provides consumers with a new way to enjoy the flagship Galaxy S4 experience."

Release date and pricing

Actual availability details are missing in action at this point, but we'll update the post accordingly once more information becomes available. In its press release (available below), Samsung says that the phone will be available in two colors at launch, White Frost and Black Mist and that it will have various versions out in various markets including a 4G LTE model, a 3G model and a 3G dual SIM model.

May 30, 2013 – Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy S4 Mini, a powerful, compact version of its bestselling smartphone, the Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 Mini delivers the superior performance, intuitive ease-of-use and sleek design of the Galaxy S4 in a portable chic and compact design.

Simon Stanford, Vice President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “Demand for the Galaxy S4 has been phenomenal since it launched in April and we hope to build on this success with the Galaxy S4 Mini. This new handset is the ideal smartphone companion for anyone who wants a compact device packed with innovation.”

With a 4.3″ qHD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S4 Mini offers stunning images and content. At just 107g, the lightweight and compact design enables you to carry and use the device easily with one hand. The Galaxy S4 Mini also boasts powerful performance, equipped with a 1.7GHz dual core processor and supports many of the same intuitive features as the Galaxy S4, designed to enhance different aspects of life.

Capturing Memories
The Galaxy S4 Mini allows you to capture important moments in life with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera as well as a 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. Special features include Sound&Shot, which stores sounds and images together, Panorama Shot which allows you to take a full view of what you are seeing, and Story Album, which automatically arranges photos in a smart format – photos taken by Galaxy S4 Mini are automatically gathered and saved according to your timeline, geo-tagging information or specific event, to create a photo album. You can also receive travel assistance and information services through the S Travel preloaded app which can even recommend a new trip and provide destination guides.

Sharing and Connecting
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini means you can share content with others around you easily. Simultaneously listen to the same music and play the same games as your friends with Group Play, and chat with multiple friends with animations, video and voice recording added to messages using ChatON.

Environment Features
The Galaxy S4 Mini features S Translator, for instant translation using text or voice on applications including email, text message and ChatON. You can also control your environment through WatchON’s IR remote which transforms the device into a remote to control your home entertainment systems including TV, set-top box and DVD player. Content available includes live TV, cable TV and VOD based on the information provided EPG (Electronic Program Guide). In addition, Samsung Link* will help you share content across multiple Samsung digital devices. *Available in select countries. Previously called AllShare Play.

Wellbeing Features
The Galaxy S4 Mini keeps you up to date with health and wellbeing information. Downloadable from Samsung Apps, S Health enables you to monitor your calorie balance. It can calculate each step taken daily, monitor sleeping patterns, calculate weight and share real time heart rate information**. Adapt Display provides an optimal viewing experience, customised for each type of application, and Adapt Sound offers an optimal level and type of sound, personalised for each user. ** Functionality such as monitoring weight, heart rate and sleeping patterns is possible through the use of fitness accessories which are sold separately.

Availability
The Galaxy S4 Mini will be available in two colours – White Frost and Black Mist. There will be a 4G LTE version, 3G version, and 3G Dual Sim version. Details on which variants will be ranged in the UK and the UK shipping date will be announced in due course.

    


Moto X Phone launch set for late summer, but no actual release date given

Posted: 30 May 2013 01:04 AM PDT

X Phone concept

X Phone concept

After unexpectedly confirming the Moto X Phone during a D11 interview, Motorola has issued a brief press release for the handset, mentioning a launch window for the device.

During the interview, Motorola's Dennis Woodside told the audience that the handset will be manufactured in the USA in a former Nokia-owned facility that will employ 2,000 people by August.

At the time, we speculated that the phone should be unveiled at some point after that, once mass production has started. Woodside revealed the device would be launched by October, with multiple carriers that have apparently offered a great response to the Moto X.

In the short press release that focuses on the fact that the Moto X is "the first smartphone assembled in the USA," Motorola says that the handset will hit stores this summer. A specific release date is not provided, but Droid-Life has confirmation from Motorola that we're looking at a "late summer" launch.

Other important details including complete specs, features and pricing are not official at this time, so we'll just have to wait for more information. Not even a press image of the device is available.

What we know is that the Moto X will be a flagship device, an iPhone and Galaxy competitor, and that it will feature contextual awareness capabilities. We also know that three unannounced Motorola handsets have passed through the FCC, all potential Moto X candidates, including the XT1058 (AT&T), XT1056 (Sprint) and XT1060 (Verizon)

Are you looking forward to buy the Moto X?

Moto X: The First Smartphone Assembled in the USA

There are more than 130 million smartphones in use in the USA today and not one of them was assembled here…until now.

May 28, 2013

Today at the AllThingsD conference Dennis Woodside revealed how we are reinventing Motorola through a portfolio of products starting with Moto X, a new flagship smartphone that will be designed, engineered and assembled in the USA. We're not talking about just a handful of units either — available this summer, every Moto X sold in the USA will be assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, making it the first smartphone ever assembled domestically.

There were a few reasons why we decided to do this. There are several business advantages to having our Illinois and California-based designers and engineers much closer to our factory. For instance, we'll be able to iterate on design much faster, create a leaner supply chain, respond much more quickly to purchasing trends and demands, and deliver devices to people here much more quickly. And as a part of Google we're being encouraged to take big bets on things that make a difference.

We still have a network of global operations, and that won't change. Our global manufacturing partner remains Flextronics and we'll continue to assemble devices locally in China and Brazil. But Flextronics is busy looking for people for the new Fort Worth facility now. If you're interested, we encourage you to check the available positions and apply.

This is an incredibly exciting time to be in the mobile device industry. Our role in inventing the mobile phone is well known. We're happy to be shaping its future as well.

    


Acer Computex 2013 preview video teases mysterious new devices

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:08 PM PDT

Acer mystery - Computex 2013
Computex 2013 is just right around the corner now, and you can be sure that there will be plenty to talk about at the world famous annual trade show in Taipei. But in case you still haven’t found anything that you think is worth looking forward to in the lead-up to it, Taiwan-based Acer is here to give you not just one, but two completely different items to think about — and get excited about as well.

Acer has posted a simple 1-minute preview video for Computex 2013 up on YouTube, and it stars the same guy that introduced the somewhat acrobatic Aspire R7 laptop a couple of weeks back. The focus of Acer’s new video? An veiled mystery device, referred to only as a “tablet that lets you do more than just use apps and surf the Web.”

But that’s not all, because in the video, a second mystery device is also present. It’s not a tablet, but is described as “cool” nonetheless. What could it be?

I attended the 10th year anniversary celebration of Acer Philippines here in the city of Manila last week, and I learned that there are indeed some new Acer devices that will be launched at Computex. For instance, through Acer Philippines senior product manager Dio Vasquez, I found out that that there will be an updated version of the Aspire S7, Acer’s flagship Windows 8 touchscreen notebook.

If the “other” veiled device featured in the video is not a tablet, then it could likely be this. Also, even though Acer just launched a couple of new tablets, including the 7.9-inch Iconia A1, I was told that there are plans to unveil new tablets yet again at Computex 2013.

For now, we can only speculate what Acer’s announcements will really be about. It could very well be for tablets that are running Windows 8 instead of Android. But we won’t know for sure until they make it official. We’ll update you on the latest info as soon as we have them next week.

    


Do you manage Google Apps for your business? There’s an app for that

Posted: 29 May 2013 07:20 PM PDT

Google Admin logo

Google has changed the way enterprises run their IT resources. For one, Google Apps for Business lets organizations run their productivity and collaboration apps on the cloud, whether they’re small firms or big enterprises. This includes mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, and this also involves various platforms.

Android has an advantage, of course, with Google services being more tightly integrated into Android itself. For one, Google has recently launched Google Admin, which enables Google Apps administrators to manage their organizations’ accounts on the go. Google Admin is available for Android smartphones and tablets, and offers control over common tasks, which include the following:

  • User management: the app lets administrators add, edit and remove users. This includes editing user profiles, uploading user images and suspending accounts. Administrators can also reset passwords straight from the app.
  • Group management: administrators can add users to groups, change user roles and list group members.
  • Contacting Google Apps support: this feature offers easy access to support, with customer and support PINs.
  • Audit logs: This feature lets administrators view activities in the audit log, which includes filtering capabilities.

Google admin screenshots

In addition, the app offers quick access to contact details, so admins can easily call, text, email or chat with members of the organization.

The app requires API access to be enabled. And because the app allows access to administrative tasks and tools, Google recommends that admins use tight security on their devices, such as a lock screen PIN, password or pattern.

Google Admin works not only for the paid Google Apps for Business accounts, though. Administrators of the (now-unsupported) free Google Apps, as well as google Apps for Education, can also use Google Admin to manage accounts. Just be sure to enable API access so administrators can use the mobile app.

Do you manage your organization’s cloud and collaboration services through Google Apps? Check out Google Admin now.

    


Tim Cook not worried about Android’s market share, says Apple still makes the best devices

Posted: 29 May 2013 07:18 PM PDT

Tim Cook
If you’ve ever wanted to hear Apple CEO Tim Cook’s thoughts on the fact that the combined effort of all the players in the Android market is practically showing the iPhone and iPad out the door, well, now’s your chance. Cook recently sat down with Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal for D11 at All Things D, and it is here that he goes on record to say that Apple does not feel threatened at all by Android’s growing market share.

To be more specific, Cook said that Apple has never viewed winning as “about making the most” of anything — never mind, of course, the fact that Apple celebrates selling millions upon millions of its iPhones and iPads each month. His thoughts are that despite not outselling everyone, they’re still the ones making the best devices out right now, anyway.

When asked what he thought of the fact that Android seems to have fully overtaken Apple in terms of sales, Cook had this to say:

Arguably, we make the best PC; we don’t make the most. We make the best music player; we wound up making the most. We make the best tablet, we make the best phone… we’re not making the most phones. [But] there are several things to assess the health of what you’re doing.”

According to Cook, there are other factors to consider such as usage stats — what customers are doing with their devices — as well as the level of overall customer satisfaction. He then proudly stated that iPhone and iPad users browse more on their devices, plus on the iPad alone, there are “twice as many e-commerce transactions than all Android devices combined.”

Perhaps he’s right, but as Mossberg rightly kept pointing out, there’s no denying that Android is now pretty much everywhere. At least everywhere that iPhone and iPad are, and then some. What does Apple have to say about that?

As Cook sees it, some of these so-called smart devices, which are said to contribute to Android’s ever growing market share, might not even be actual smart devices at all. Some of them might be, according to Cook, “phones that are featurephones, [but] labeled smartphones.” And in a way, he might be right.

But still, there has been a steady stream of all kinds of Android-powered devices, and after a few years, it’s easy to see that Apple can now barely keep up with the competition. Last year, it was revealed that the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs had planned to “go thermonuclear” on Android as a whole, but now it looks like that exact same strategy has been used on Apple instead.

What happened to Think Different?

Android phones
Speaking of strategies, Apple’s famous slogan used to be, “Think Different.” However, if you compare their latest products with the ones that came before them, you’ll struggle to find many differences, if you can even find any at all. Compare that with what’s happening over on Android, and how big name OEMs as well as up-and-comings from some of the lesser known provinces of China are able to come up with their own designs to bring the market a slightly different and yet uniquely-flavored offering.

And it’s not like the Android attack on Apple has been a concerted effort. It kind of just happened, it’s one of the consequences of Android being an open platform. Even inside the walls of any one company, you’ll find dozens of different products, all targeted towards different segments of the market. Just ask Samsung, or Sony, or Huawei, or Acer.

We believe that Apple has started to realize it’s only going to get harder and harder to pinpoint any one company to attack as part of its efforts to combat Android, so now we have comments coming from its CEO such as the ones mentioned above. They can’t blame Google now, and besides, the Internet giant has generally been using a hands-off approach when it comes to growing Android anyway. Plus, Apple is too dependent on Samsung to really cut its ties with the South Korean company.

Is there still hope for Apple?

Apple could still try to redeem itself through sheer effort and by adapting to the rapidly changing market. It used to be that people didn’t know what they want. Then along came the iPhone, and now with all the different kinds of mobile computing devices out there, many people can truly say exactly what they want — for work, for school, for personal use, and so on.

With the release of the iPad mini, Apple has shown that it knows what might be the right direction. Now, all that’s left is for it to go all the way through and give it their full effort.

Do you think the Apple CEO’s comments are true? Is he right in claiming that Apple makes the best devices despite being outsold by other manufacturers? Throw your thoughts on this out in the comments.

    


Moto X (Google X Phone) confirmed at D11, will be “contextually aware”

Posted: 29 May 2013 05:05 PM PDT

X Phone concept

X Phone concept

Motorola officials have unexpectedly confirmed the Google X Phone – apparently called Moto X – during a D11 interview.

Moto's Dennis Woodside and Regina Dugan took the stage at D11 to talk about, well, Motorola-related things, and the Moto X came out.

The phone has not actually been shown, but Woodside confirmed that the device is called Moto X and that he had it in his pocket but was unable to show it.

This is most likely the Google X Phone we've been talking about for so long, and Moto X is most likely the device spotted at the FCC recently in various versions: XT1058 (AT&T), XT1056 (Sprint) and XT1060 (Verizon). Motorola did say that the phone will be “broadly distributed” with carriers offering a “great” response so far.

Woodside did not reveal that many details about the Moto X, but he did say that the phone will be the first smartphone to be built in the U.S., with components coming from 12 states, but also from Taiwan (processors) and Korea (OLED displays). Most of the assembly process (around 70%) will take place in a plant near Fort Worth, Texas in a 500,000 sqft facility that belonged to Nokia, and which will employ 2000 people by August.

Interestingly, Woodside revealed that the phone will be smarter than others thanks to its sensors that will make it "contextually aware." The device will be able to recognize some of the things you’ll want to do and it would set up for them accordingly. That may sound a bit creepy, but it’s right in line with Google's recently improved intelligence in various services including Search, Maps and Google+ Photos. And, for what it's worth, it also sounds very familiar since a rather old Google X Phone rumor did mention that the phone will get said contextual awareness.

Woodside also revealed some other interesting things for the more distant future, such as electronic tattoos and vitamin pills that could be used to turn the body into an "authentication token" for the phone. The pill would feed off of your stomach's acids like an "inside out potato battery," and thus it would be able to communicate with the phone.

The Moto X will apparently be the company's flagship handset, which will take on the iPhone and the Galaxy flagship smartphones, but there is no official date as to when it will be formally announced and launched. Considering that hiring at that Texas-based plant will finish by August, the release date of the Moto X should be set much later after that, with Woodside saying the phone will arrive “by October.” In addition to the Moto X, other mid-range handsets will also be available from Motorola later this year.

We'll be back with more details about the Moto X as soon as we have them, and considering that Woodside already spilled some of the Moto X beans, we shouldn’t be surprised to see the handset announced at some point in the near future.

    


New Nvidia Shield video shows off pre-loaded games and what to expect from the upcoming handheld

Posted: 29 May 2013 04:40 PM PDT

Nvidia Shield Side 1600 aa

Boys and girls, the Nvidia Shield is almost here! The unique Android gaming handheld has been up for pre-order since the 17th of May and is expected to ship starting in June. With the console’s launch imminent, Nvidia took to its blog to talk about what was involved in getting the Shield ready for its commercial phase.

While interesting and worth a read, the more exciting news is that the company has released a new video, which further highlights the final hardware and gives us a look at what to expect when the Shield arrives.

According to Nvidia, the handheld will come with the full versions of two preloaded games that are optimized for the Shield and for Tegra 4, Sonic 4: Episode 2 and Expendable Rearmed. You can also expect the PC Game Streaming service to be available from day one, though it will be in beta form.

For those that need a reminder on the specs, the Nvidia Shield is powered by a Tegra 4 processor and includes 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB internal memory, microSD and Android Jelly Bean. The display is 5-inches and comes in a 720p resolution.

At $349, the Nvidia might be more expensive than dedicated handheld consoles like the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PS Vita, but it also has the full power of tons of Android apps, a 5-inch display, easily hooks up to your big screen TV and has a lot of potential when it comes to game streaming.

What do you think of the Nvidia Shield, excited or not?

    


Android 4.3 hints present in Gmail UI redesign presentation video?

Posted: 29 May 2013 04:27 PM PDT

Android 4.3 Gmail

Screenshot from promo video highlighting new Gmail UI

A Google promo video for the newly announced Gmail UI redesign may include hints that would suggest that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is coming soon.

The short 60 second video shows a Nexus 4 near the end whose clock is set at 4:30, which may be an actual indication that the rumored Android 4.3 OS update is indeed coming at some point in the near future.

In case you missed the recent series of Gmail redesign-related posts, we'll remind you that only a few days before Google actually unveiled the new automatic filtration features, various reports detailed the upcoming changes.

Following those reports, a reddit user put everything together and concluded that the leaked screenshots showing Gmail's redesigned mobile apps actually told another story.

After looking at press images for existing devices, he reminded us that each Nexus device starting with the Nexus S and going all the way up to the Nexus 10, had press images that indirectly revealed what OS the device ran, at least at launch. The Nexus S came with Android 2.3.0 Gingerbread on board, therefore the clock showed 2:30. Likewise, the Nexus 10 came with Android 4.2.0 Jelly Bean on board, hence the clock showed 4:20.

New Gmail UI

Leaked Gmail screenshots | Image via Android Police

The initial leaked Gmail screnshots, which were criticized by a publication for their inconsistencies, showed a 4:30 time, implying that Android 4.3 was close (see above).

Google released different screenshots when announcing the new features – but we’ll note that the initial images were said to be included in a draft of the blog post that was supposed to go live on Wednesday. The blog post was published today, but the images were changed. And, much to our surprise, the time reverted back to 4:20 in the Android app’s screenshot (on the left below).

Gmail UI

Actual images promoting the new Gmail app UI

However, that's not the whole story. Just take a look at the new Gmail promo video, included in the same blog post, and you'll notice 4:30 is clearly shown on that Nexus handset.

Is it all just a big coincidence? Wishful thinking? Call it whatever you like, but since we're used to see Google hide all sorts of things in various places, this clock thing makes some sense. Not to mention that we have already seen a Nexus 4 running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean at a mobile show in Thailand, which could mean the update is coming soon indeed.

That said, we're back to waiting for Android 4.3 to become official, with the latest rumored release date for it still being June 10.

    


Alcatel One Touch Idol coming to the U.S. for $299

Posted: 29 May 2013 03:16 PM PDT

idol-one-touch

Looking for a cheap, unlocked smartphone around the $300 mark? Alcatel is hoping you will consider its One Touch Idol ($299), which is now making its way over to the United States for sale directly via Alcatel’s website.

The big question is whether you should care. In a pre-Nexus 4 world? Sure, it might have been worth giving it a glance. Unfortunately, the Nexus 4 has really changed the way we think about off-contract handsets. We just expect more at this point, even if that is a bit unfair, considering it is difficult to compete with the Nexus’ pricing.

The One Touch Idol features a 4.7-inch display with a 540 x 960 resolution and is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor. Other specs include 512MB RAM, a 2MP front cam, 8MP rear cam, 4GB storage, microSD and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

We don’t want to tell you what you should or should buy, but unless you REALLY care about microSD and its splash resistance capability, this just doesn’t seem like anything worth getting excited over. While we’d like to see more from Alcatel in the states (like maybe the One Touch Idol Ultra), the company needs to learn how to be a bit more aggressive with its pricing.

If this was $200 or less, it wouldn’t be too hard to recommend to those that just need a phone that works, without all the extra trimmings. As it stands, I can’t see this selling, even with Iron Man himself directly approving of the phone. What do you think, is there any reason you could think of that would make this phone worth picking up?


FEATHERWEIGHT SMARTPHONE, ALCATEL ONE TOUCH IDOL, NOW AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH broadens smartphone category by delivering impressive style and practical technology at an affordable price with the ONE TOUCH IDOL.

Irvine, Calif. – May 30, 2013 — ALCATEL ONE TOUCH, a mobile device brand under TCL Communication, today announced the world’s lightest 4.7 inch-display smartphone, the ONE TOUCH Idol, is now available for purchase in the U.S. at www.alcatelonetouchidol.com for $299. The unlocked device works on most GSM networks and is the first of the IDOL smartphone family to arrive in the U.S. The ONE TOUCH IDOL appeals to consumers who are looking for style, great design and uncomplicated technology.

Currently ranked #7 in worldwide shipments of mobile devices (Gartner 1Q13), ALCATEL ONE TOUCH has become one of the fastest growing OEMs in the world. Through a continued commitment to its brand promise of well designed, stylish products at affordable prices, with no compromise on quality or customer experience, ALCATEL ONE TOUCH has widened the U.S. smartphone market by providing the next generation of options to consumers and carriers.

“Making the ONE TOUCH IDOL smartphone available in the U.S. is part of the company’s objective to deliver innovative design and smart technology to everyone,” said Steve Cistulli, Senior Vice President of North America for ALCATEL ONE TOUCH. “Pragmatic shoppers and those looking to make their first smartphone purchase, now have the option to choose a device that has both great looks and has features normally reserved for higher priced smartphones.”

The ONE TOUCH IDOl weighs in at a mere 3.88 oz (110 grams) and delivers best-in-class value, reliability and style. The smartphone’s durable, scratch-resistant glass, anti-virus software and all-over splash-proof water protection allows it to standup to everyday wear-and-tear for the long haul.

    


Twitter 4.1.0 rolls out to Google Play, includes new compose window and improved notifications

Posted: 29 May 2013 01:31 PM PDT

twitter

Are you a Tweet-a-holic? If you can’t get enough of Twitter on your Android device, you’ll be happy to know that version 4.1.0 has arrived to the Play Store. The latest version of Twitter includes several changes, including photo enhancements, a new compose window and improved notifications.

Probably the biggest change is the compose window, which is no longer a pop-up and instead runs in fullscreen. Additionally, the compose screen gives you full-sized previews of photos you are going to share and allows you to quickly switch to different accounts inside the window.

notifications-change

For those with Android 4.0 or higher, the enhanced notifications are also a pretty important change. Notifications now include the profile picture of the person interacting with you and additional info like if its a direct message, mention or retweet. You will also get notified when your friends join Twitter.

Beyond that, it seems like there are also a few bug fixes in the latest version. The change log also mentions you will “enjoy wider and taller timelines in all parts of the app including profiles, search, and discover".

Anyhow, head over to Google Play now to check it out for yourself. For those that have already snagged the update, what do you think of the changes?

    


Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and Zoom specs leaked ahead of launch

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:30 PM PDT

s4 active specs leaked

If you weren't already excited for Samsung's upcoming smartphone launches, information leaked ahead of the company’s June 20 press conference might just pique your interest.

High-Tech.Mail.Ru, a Russian technology website, reportedly obtained the specifications of both the highly anticipated ruggedized Galaxy S4 spin-off – the Galaxy S4 Active – and the Galaxy S4 Zoom, which allegedly appears externally similar to Samsung’s incoming S4 Mini.

The Galaxy S4 Active is, as has been rumored, a water- and dust- resistant version of the Galaxy S4. It has a 5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display and the following internals:

  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU
  • Adreno 320 GPU
  • 2GB of RAM
  • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS
  • LTE support
  • 16GB of built-in memory, microSD support
  • Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, NFC, IR blaster
  • 2600mAh battery

Unfortunately, we don't have any word on the Samsung S4 Active camera's megapixel count. The latest rumors point towards a slight downgrade from the S4's 13-megapixel camera, but we haven't heard any more on that front since last week.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom's specs are typical of a mid-range Android device. The display is of the Super AMOLED variant, 4.3-inch in size and 540 x 960 pixels. Here's what's inside:

  • 1.6GHz dual-core CPU, no LTE support
  • Android Jelly Bean OS
  • 8GB of built-in memory, micro-SD support
  • 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 16 megapixel main camera, with 10x Optical Zoom
  • Bluetooth 4.0LE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, A-GPS
  • 1900mAh battery

All in all, nothing too surprising. Of note is the Galaxy S4 Zoom's 16-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom, specs had already been tentatively confirmed. It would appear that the S4 Zoom's focus, so to speak, will definitely be on picture-taking. Hopefully Samsung learned from the shortcomings of the Galaxy Camera, and decided to include a shooter of better quality.

Android Authority will be covering Samsung's press event on June 20. Stick with us for more in-depth coverage and news about Samsung's latest smartphones.

    


Study shows Android users spend larger percentage of time browsing than their iOS counterparts

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:23 PM PDT

ios vs android

Are you reading this on your smartphone? If so, you've got about 14 minutes to finish up.

A new study by Simmons Connect finds that smartphone users spend about 14 minutes a day looking at websites. They also compared Android to iOS users, and found some interesting statistics which may cast doubt on previous claims of iOS usage over Android. Interestingly enough, this all comes to light the day after Tim Cook noted (again) that iOS users spend more time visiting websites than their Android counterpart.

Android users spend about 49 minutes on their mobile device daily, whereas iOS users spend a whopping 75 minutes a day squinting at their screens. That averages out to about an hour, which is a good median number for comparison. We'll keep in mind, though, that percentage of use versus overall time will have an integral part of the discussion.

Total-Time-spent-daily-using-a-smartphone-and-activity-share1

The stats

Of the time spent using our smartphones, some interesting similarities come to light, as well as some discrepancies. For instance, Android users spend more time talking, 28% compared to 22% for iOS users. Those iOS fans spend a bit more time texting, 22% compared to 16% for Android. We spend the same amount of time on social media (16%), and roughly the same time on email (10% for iOS, 8% for Android).

The most interesting statistic is that iOS users spend 12% of their time visiting websites, while Android users devote 16% on the same task. Just yesterday, at the D11 conference, Cook noted that 59% of web traffic comes from iOS devices. While that encomapsses both tablets and smartphones, it seems disproportionate to these numbers.

However, if we break the numbers out of their average, that's a fair claim. When compared on time spent on the device versus percentage spent visitng websites, iOS users comprise about 54% of overall web traffic (9 minutes compared to 7.84 minutes). When factoring in the iPad, which has the lion's share of the tablet market, that claim becomes more approachable.

Total-smartphone-time-spent-daily-and-activity-share-by-device2

Issues

Let's focus on those internet numbers once again. The iOS user spends about 50% more time on their iPhone, yet represents only an extra minute visiting websites. They also text quite a bit more, and when factoring in the extra time spent on the device, that becomes a consumptive issue.

This also forces us to consider fragmentation. It's fair to bulk Android users together, but it gets a bit convoluted when we consider which device and iteration of the OS is being used. Some older Android versions simply don't do browsing efficiently, or the service plans don't allow for it as a means to consider that function viable.

We're also considering the device and operating system used, not the browser. If we compare browser statistics, Chrome is a clear winner over Safari, with some studies noting the discrepancy as much as 10-to-1 in favor of Chrome. Chrome is available on any platform, so if an iOS user were using Chrome, it's still a tip of the hat towards Google.

Heart of the matter

Statistics are fun, but time spent on the device is the most confusing statistic. While an hour isn't much time, the overall use discrepancy is troubling. Our iOS friends spend an extra half hour on their phones, which is concerning. In that extra minute visiting websites, I'd think they'd be searching for cool things to do. Field Trip tells me what's going on. So does Google Now. I really don't have to look at my device at all, it just keeps me informed. It's as though Android just suits users better, and gets out of the way so we can enjoy life.

Oh… Now I get it.

    


Looking to better manage your time? Check out the Best Productivity apps for Android!

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:21 PM PDT

best productivity apps

Time is a fickle thing. If you’re looking for apps to help you manage it better during the work or school day, we’ve gone into the depths of Play Store searching for some of the best productivity apps out there, and we’re here to share the fruit of the work with you. As usual, if you’d rather watch the video, just head down to the bottom of the article.


Juice Defender

JuiceDefenderScreenies

You mine as well throw productivity out the window if your phone’s dead. I’m not the only one who feels cut off from the world when my phone’s dead, right? It’s a pandemic! So, how about an app that’ll keep your phone trucking a little longer until you can hopefully reach a charger? Juice Defender can do just that.

Juice Defender has a number of features that’ll help you get every last bit of juice out of your battery. Most of the options are to modify your connectivity settings, but there are some more advanced settings along with other settings that require root access. However, simply messing with some of the connectivity settings should help your battery out a lot, especially if you’re on 4G LTE.

Get it on Google Play


Kingsoft Office

KingsoftScreenies

A lot of office apps on Google Play cost a pretty penny, which most of us don’t want to pay for, as we’re already running office software on our desktops. This is where Kingsoft Office comes into play. It’s free of charge and has support for Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.

Kingsoft Office has a lot of features and options that keep the experience from being bland too. Additionally, controlling documents, spreadsheets, and presentations are extremely simple. Not only that, but navigating through the app is very easy. It all feels very natural. So if you’re looking for an office app, but don’t want to shell out any money, Kingsoft is at least worth a shot. After all, what is there to lose?

Get it on Google Play


Lecture Notes

LectureNotesScreenies

Lecture Notes is a loved and highly rated application on Google Play. In fact, when we did our Best Note Taking apps for Android list, we received a lot of flak for not including it. There’s a reason for that, and that is because it fit more in this list than anything.

This particular app lets you use your phone like you would use a notebook. However, if you’d rather type than write, this app may not be for you. Lecture Notes is stylus and drawing based, and there’s no option for simply typing. If you can get used to that though, this app is worth picking up.

Get it on Google Play


Root Explorer

RootExplorer

When things are a cluttered mess, your productivity tends to drop. If you use your Android device for work a lot (i.e. transferring files) having a clean way of searching through your device to find files is an essential. Root Explorer will help you accomplish this easily. Without root access, the app is a very nice file explorer with a number of features. If you have root access, Root Explorer is simply the best file explorer available on Android.

As you might have noticed from the name, you’ll get the most features if your device is rooted. If you don’t have root and you aren’t interesting in rooting at all, don’t discount the app just yet, as you can still get a lot out of this app without root. It has a simple interface and can handle files like zip and tar. The visuals aren’t the best, but that’s not really necessary. After all, you’re just file browsing.

Get it on Google Play


Time Recording

TimeApp

Remembers when you took a card, punched it, and put it in a slot every day to clock in? Time Recording Timesheet works a lot like that. It’s essentially a clock-in-clock out app with a whole host of features. It’s the perfect app for those who work irregular hours or for those who need to keep track of how long they work.

There’s features for archiving and sending your hours anywhere, so if that’s something you need, this app will get the job done!

Get it on Google Play


Conclusion

productivity leaderboard

If you take a look at our leaderboard, you can see how these apps compete with one another. As per the norm, the rankings are based on Google Play ratings, so there’s no bias on our part.

As you probably know, there are a lot of productivity apps out there, and the definition of productivity is different for everyone. So if there’s a particular productivity app you think we missed, be sure to let us know about it in the comments below!

    


Are smartphone component shortages here to stay?

Posted: 29 May 2013 12:11 PM PDT

broadcomm chips modems smartphone components [aa] (2)

We already know that the reason behind the Snapdragon 600 and Exynos Octa split in the Galaxy S4 came down to production issues, and how can anyone forget the HTC One’s component shortages. It's obvious that there's a growing trend with production difficulties in the smartphone market, and it seems that other component manufacturers are also struggling to keep up with the growing demand for smartphone hardware.

Today we learn that SK Hynix Semiconductor, the world's second largest chipmaker, will not be supplying mobile dynamic random access memory chips (DRAM) to Samsung Electronics. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the problem seems due to a lack of production capacity and a failure to meet Samsung's demand.

According to one anonymous industry watcher on Wednesday:

The June plans seem to have fallen through because SK Hynix's supplies can't meet Samsung's demands

With devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 taking a record number of pre-orders and proving to be phenomenally popular, it’s easy to see how the industry's production capabilities can be put under strain. The smartphone market has grown substantially over the past few years, and yet manufacturing capabilities appear to be failing to keep the pace.

However, it also seems that a downward market pressure on prices is also becoming a major factor in these shortages. Looking specifically at SK Hynix, PC DRAM has been was showing much better margins than mobile DRAM, which has caused manufacturers to look elsewhere for suppliers. Whilst this switch in demand caused PC DRAM prices to rise over 90%, overall the increased competition in RAM production and the need to secure the best deal with big handset manufacturers has driven prices down, which could be stifling investment in new manufacturing facilities.

It's clear that the industry needs to invest in new production technologies to prevent further problems with future handset launches. Samsung already owns and produces some of its own components, and it would make sense for other manufacturers to start producing their own components to avoid relying on other suppliers.

Having said that, Samsung is in quite a unique position as the dominant market leader, and without the spare capital to invest or the additional bargaining power, smaller manufactures may be stuck with limited production capacities for the foreseeable future.

    


When it comes to mobile devices, how important is brand loyalty to you?

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:46 AM PDT

Android vs iOS

Just yesterday I wrote an opinion piece about whether or not LG deserves another chance at making a Nexus device. As you might expect, the opinions I received varied wildly. Some folks felt that it wouldn’t matter who built the Nexus, as long as it was provided an excellent Android experience. Others thought that their "brand of choice" could do it better.

This brings up a good question. How important is brand loyalty to you? Is it a driving force behind your buying decisions, or just a minor consideration?

For me, it is an important consideration, but not the only one. For example, over the years I have generally purchased Samsung mobile devices, even before the smartphone era really took off. I also tend to gravitate towards Google products and services, Android obviously included.

So does that mean I have all Samsung and Google products in my household? Nope.

I currently own an LG Nexus 4. I have a Windows PC. And I still primarily use Yahoo for my email services (I don’t know why either). For all of these decisions, it wasn’t at all about the brand. It was about how a particular device fitted my needs at the time, all while giving me a reasonable price and quality experience.

I have nothing against rooting for a particular brand. Unfortunately, some people seem to get carried away here and stop being loyal to brands – and instead start worshiping them.

How brand loyalty can hold back innovation in the mobile world

The hottest stars in the mobile world are arguably Apple and Samsung. They both have extremely loyal fanbases that would buy their devices regardless of what features they came with.

For the most devoted Apple fans, it doesn’t matter that Android offers more screen sizes, NFC, a flexible operating system and better pricing. Apple IS the only company that matters on Earth to these folks and it can do no evil. I’m not just picking on Android’s rival platform here. Samsung devotees are often equally guilty of many of the same things.

Sure, Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 packs great technology onboard, but they have also been pushing the same plastic design for as far as I can remember, in a world that has quickly shifted to preferring metal-bodied designs. And then there is TouchWiz, which depending on your own preferences, you either love or hate.

Yet any time anyone points these less desirable aspects out, a few rabid Samsung or Apple fans seem to turn to "attack mode". Now keep in mind I’m not saying that the Galaxy S4 is a bad device (I actually REALLY am impressed with it), and I’m not even trash-talking the iPhone.

My point is that these devices and companies aren’t perfect, despite what Samsung and Apple’s advertising dollars work to tell us.

If a device doesn’t meet your expectations, don’t be afraid to turn it down, even if you enjoyed past generation devices from a specific brand. If you do buy it just "because it’s the flagship from my favorite brand", you could potentially be hurting innovation.

Think of every dollar received by a company as a vote in favor of the brand’s current direction. The more votes they get, the less likely they are to change direction or consider major changes that push the industry forward. The less votes (dollars) they get, the more likely they are going to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

An example of this is HTC. While some of you might still not have love for HTC, I have to give the company props for the HTC One. It is a solid smartphone with an aesthetically pleasing design, and is the by-product of a lot of time and reflection. If HTC hadn’t seen declining profits, the innovative and beautiful HTC One wouldn’t exist.


apple-sam-lg

Does your favorite company deserve your loyalty?

You love Samsung, HTC, Apple, or Google with a passion. But do they love you back? No, they love the $$$ you bring. That’s just how businesses work.

That said, there are good reasons to stick to a specific company or brand. This includes companies that regularly push out timely updates, continually display exceptional build quality or always deliver epic customer service. The common denominator here is consistency.

If you find a brand that meets your expectations every time, you probably have little reason to give anyone else a try. Just be careful, and don’t forget that there are other choices out there.

Also be quick to realize when a company is no longer consistently delivering the aspect that drew you to them in the first place. For example, whether you love or hate Apple, the company’s original iPhone and iPad were certainly innovative devices.

Today though? We see minor hardware revisions and few major, ground-breaking changes. So is Apple really innovative or are they living on past glory and brand loyalty? There’s no right or wrong answer to that, it’s just food for thought.

Don’t let brand loyalty keep you from finding your perfect phone or tablet

While I absolutely love Android and am a big Google fan, would I let blind loyalty hold me to it? No, I can’t say I would. If Ubuntu, Tizen or even iOS rolled out superior features and services, I would still respect Google and all it offers but I would seriously consider a different path.

Some could say that means I’m fickle and will go wherever the wind takes me. Maybe they are right, but I certainly wouldn’t make these changes easily or without serious thought. I’m just saying I try to keep an open mind about other companies and technologies around me, despite where my loyalties might lie.

We’ve seen Apple advocates switch to Android before, despite their loyalty. Why? Because they wanted more and finally saw past the marketing bullshit. This includes big names like Guy Kawaski and Andy Ihnatko. On the other side of the fence, there have also been a fair amount of Android users that have made the switch to iPhone, realizing that it met their own personal needs in a way Android apparently did not.

I respect both sides here, as they weighed the pros and cons of a brand/device and went with it, regardless of their own bias and/or past loyalties. Don’t let your love for a brand hold you back from the device you’ve always dreamed of. Pure and simple.

What do you think, do some folks take brand loyalty way too far? Does this get in the way of innovation? Or do you feel it is only natural to aggressively defend and love a product/brand that serves you well?

    


ASUS Transformer AiO updated to Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, support for multiple accounts in tow

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:42 AM PDT

asus-transformer-aio-2

ASUS's Transformer AiO, the company's all-in-one PC/tablet hybrid that dual-boots Windows 8 and Android, is a strange beast. To call the 18.4-inch device unwieldy is a massive understatement.

Much to ASUS's credit, though, the concept behind the AiO is interesting: instantaneous switching between Windows and Android with the touch of a button. That kind of flexibility is certainly nice to have, and even more so now that ASUS seems dedicated to improving the usability of the device through software enhancements, most recently with the upgrade to Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

The next-to-latest version of Android brings welcome improvements to the Transformer AiO, which shipped with Android 4.1 onboard. In addition to Gesture Typing, Daydream, notification toggles, and multiple lockscreens with widgets, the 4.2.1 update includes support for multiple user accounts, a feature that seems right at home on the AiO.

If you're the lucky owner of a Transformer AiO, you should receive a notification to download the update soon. If you'd like to speed up the process, check for the new software manually be navigating to Settings > About tablet > System updates.

On the fence about purchasing an AiO or interested to learn more? Check out our hands-on of the device, and stay tuned.

    


Pebble ready to ship out more pre-ordered smartwatches soon

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:25 AM PDT

pebble-watch

It's been four months since Pebble first started shipping out smartwatches to its Kickstarter backers, and after some technical glitches and a few delays, Pebble is finally just about ready to start shipping watches to those who pre-ordered after the initial Kickstarter campaign.

In a forum post, Pebble announced that customers who ordered Jet Black and Cherry Red Pebble's will be receiving an email to confirm their shipping address at some point this week. In fact, there could be an email sitting in your inbox right now, so go and check.

Other colour variants will be shipping in the next few weeks, as Pebble is still trying to clear Kickstarter orders for the orange, grey and white colored watches. The company had been having trouble with its manufacturing capabilities, and even had to resort to offing customers a change in colour to ease the strain on its manufacturing line.

If you're still waiting for your order then it seems that patience is the key, as Pebble has received much stronger demand than its manufacturing capabilities were prepared for. It could well be a couple more months until all of the Kickstarter backed and pre-ordered Pebble's are finished shipping out.

    


Intel buys ST-Ericsson’s GPS chip division, first acquisition under Intel’s new CEO

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:16 AM PDT

Intel-LogoToResize

With PC sales continuing to decline, the mobile market is becoming increasingly important for Intel. The company already has several Android and Windows-based mobile devices that run on its x86 chips, and could even soon be adding the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 to that list. All of this is certainly a step in the right direction, but if Intel really wants to compete against more established mobile chipset companies like Nvidia and Qualcomm, it is going to need to take its game to the next level.

With that in mind, Intel has officially announced it has bought the satellite navigation chip business unit of ST-Ericsson, a joint venture operated by STMicroelectronics and Ericsson.

This purchase is Intel’s first acquisition since the start of its new CEO, Brian Krzanich, who has currently only been on the job for just twelve days. For those wondering the costs of the agreement, no official terms have been disclosed.

So what happens next? In the deal, Intel will acquire 130 employees across various locations that currently work for ST-Ericsson’s sat-nav chip division and that they will become part of Intel’s mobile chip unit ran by Herman Eul.

Beyond that, we can’t say exactly what Intel plans with the new GPS chip division, though it will certainly play into their future mobile strategy, and could help the company further compete with their ARM-based rivals down the road.

What do you think of the acquisition? Could Intel eventually become a bigger play in the mobile world or will the company always play second fiddle to ARM and its licensees?


ST-ERICSSON ANNOUNCES SALE OF ITS CONNECTIVITY (GNSS) BUSINESS

May 28, 2013

Geneva, May 28, 2013. ST-Ericsson, a joint venture of STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), today announced the signature of a definitive agreement to sell the assets and intellectual property rights (IPR) associated with its mobile connectivity Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) business to a leading semiconductor company.

The sale of these assets represents another step in the execution of Ericsson's and ST's announcement of March 18th 2013. In addition to the assets and IPR associated with this business, a world class team of 130 industry veterans located in Daventry (UK), Bangalore (India) and Singapore are anticipated to join the buyer at closing of the transaction.

The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and standard conditions and is expected to be completed in August, 2013. ST-Ericsson estimates the proceeds from the sale, combined with the avoidance of employee restructuring charges and other related restructuring costs, will reduce the joint venture's cash needs by approximately $90 million.

"Today's transaction validates the leading innovation developed by ST-Ericsson in mobile navigation systems and marks a further important step towards the execution of our shareholders' decision to exit from ST-Ericsson" commented Carlo Ferro, President and CEO of ST-Ericsson. "I am pleased that this organization will continue to develop leading-edge technologies and delighted that the team found a new home at a leading player in the semiconductor industry."

ABOUT ST-ERICSSON

ST-Ericsson is a world leader in developing and delivering a complete portfolio of innovative mobile platforms and cutting-edge wireless semiconductor solutions across the broad spectrum of mobile technologies. ST-Ericsson was established as a 50/50 joint venture by STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) and Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) in February 2009, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

    


Amazon announces its new “Login with Amazon” service for Android

Posted: 29 May 2013 11:15 AM PDT

login with Amazon

Tired of remembering dozens of usernames and passwords for each e-commerce website and gaming service? I know that I certainly am, and so does Amazon, as the company has just announced its all new "Login with Amazon" service. The new functionality will be making its way to Android, iOS, and other websites as soon as developers can implement it.

The idea is to expand Amazon's business model, allowing for a broader range of developers and businesses to take advantage of existing Amazon account features and some of the company’s newer ideas. For a start, the service can be used by developers to add in-app purchases linked with customers Amazon accounts, and will allow more developers to open their apps up to the Amazon AppStore.

There's also a specific focus on gaming. Amazon's new GameCircle service adds all sorts of features familiar to gamers, such as achievements, leader boards, and friend lists. If Amazon can find broad adoption within gaming apps, this could bring a much needed level of cohesion to gaming on Android.

Although today's announcement was targeted mostly at developers, what this means for consumers is that we'll soon be able to start using our Amazon accounts with a variety of other apps either on Android or on the web. Michael Carr, Amazon Vice President of e-commerce services, summed the service up with this statement:

Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password.

If you'd like a look at what Login with Amazon aims to do for developers and consumers alike then check out the promotional video below.

But I have a question: when it comes to Android, will consumers really choose to move over from Google’s Play Store, which already enables a lot of these features, to a third party service?

Well it turns out that Login with Amazon already appears to be having some success, as a trial with Zappos.com revealed that customers opted to log in using Amazon's solution 40% of the time. Similarly, another trial conducted with Woot found that customers used Amazon sign-in twice as often as any other social login on their site.

To help Amazon’s sign-in service get off to the best possible start, the software development kit (SDK) is being made available to developers free of charge, so we could see a pretty quick adoption of this new service.

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May. 29, 2013– (NASDAQ: AMZN) — Today, Amazon launched Login with Amazon, a new service that will enable the over 200 million active Amazon customers to securely and simply login to apps, games, and websites. Login with Amazon allows developers to easily reduce sign-in friction for their customers, leading to higher engagement and order conversion.

According to a 2012 Harris Interactive study, over half of all American Internet users have five or more unique passwords to remember. Login with Amazon reduces sign-in friction by eliminating the need for users to create an account and password, and instead allows them to sign-in using their existing Amazon account information. Amazon customers can choose to share certain attributes of their account profile with apps, games, and websites by using Login with Amazon.

"Login with Amazon enables app developers and website owners to leverage Amazon's trusted sign-in solution, allowing them to focus on providing a great experience for their customers," said Michael Carr, Amazon Vice President, eCommerce Services. "Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password."

As early adopters of Login with Amazon, Zappos and Woot, both Amazon subsidiaries, saw significant customer adoption. Zappos saw 40 percent of its new customers choose to sign-in to Zappos.com with an Amazon account. Woot found that new customers picked Login with Amazon two times more often than any other social login on their site, and those customers had the highest rate of order conversion.

Login with Amazon is available at no charge to developers of apps, games, and websites. The service is easy to integrate, as developers can typically go from registration to launch in a matter of hours. It is based on the OAuth 2.0 authorization framework, allowing developers to leverage a widely-adopted open protocol. For additional details about Login with Amazon, including code samples and the SDKs for Android and iOS, please visit login.amazon.com.

Login with Amazon is the latest offering in an array of services that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end ecosystem for developers building, monetizing and marketing their apps and games. These capabilities include:

The ability for app developers to use Amazon Web Services' (AWS) technology platform for their infrastructure needs. Building blocks such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon DynamoDB allow developers to focus on what differentiates their app rather than the undifferentiated heavy lifting of infrastructure.
GameCircle, which includes capabilities like Achievements, Leaderboards, Friends and Whispersync for syncing games across devices, and leads to better engagement with games.
In-App Purchasing on Kindle Fire, Mac, PC and web-based games. This enables developers to offer items in their apps and games while allowing their end users to simply use their Amazon accounts to make the purchase.
A/B Testing, which helps developers improve app functionality with the ability to simultaneously test two different in-app experiences to determine which is more successful prior to launching to a broad audience.
Game Connect, which lets developers list their virtual goods for sale on Amazon, increasing discoverability of their games and making the purchase of virtual goods as easy and convenient as possible for customers, leading to increased monetization for developers.
Amazon AppStore submission for distribution to nearly 200 countries globally enables developers to reach millions of Amazon customers worldwide.
To learn more about Login with Amazon, please visit: login.amazon.com.

    


The new Gmail is here!

Posted: 29 May 2013 10:04 AM PDT

gmail

It's official: Gmail has been updated.

That update, rumored for quite some time, is now a reality. All the features previously noted, like tabs showing up in your inbox on mobile, and the left hand menu sliding out, are here. While the mobile version of Gmail has had a few iterations, this is the first significant update for our desktop Gmail in quite some time.

The new design is meant to keep you organized above all. For those of us who have several accounts feeding into one inbox, this could prove to be very helpful. This will also be useful for navigating those emails that may not be spam, but tend to get in the way.

Essentially, it takes a few of those labels on the side menu and puts them above the inbox. Your full list of labels will still be there, but the most used ones will be at the top of the windows. Of course, with tabs like "Promotions" and "Social", the new Gmail has another focus altogether.

Google seems keen to get you involved with their ecosystem, and using Gmail to generate interest is smart. A little hand-holding into Google+ via the "Social" tab may be just what the average Gmailer needs, and Offers is sure to make an appearance in the "Promotions" folder, whether you're signed up for it or not.

It's definitely time for a new Gmail, and this one fits in well with other Google sites and services. The new look Gmail is not radically different, but feels wholly refreshed. It will be rolling out over the next few weeks to both desktop and mobile, so keep your eyes open for the update. In the meantime, check out the official Gmail update video below, and let us know what you think.

    


Verizon’s Galaxy S3 gets a major update, brings Multi-Window and support and more

Posted: 29 May 2013 09:25 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs galaxy s3 s3 standing aa

Samsung Galaxy S3 owners on Verizon’s network will be happy to hear that the last-generation flagship device is receiving a major update — Android 4.1.2!

The update comes with a pretty extensive changelog noting that it brings support for features like Multi-Window multitasking, Multi-Screen, S Beam’s Auto Share Shot, and more. There’s a whole host of bug fixes for the device too. The full changelog is pictured below.

Verizon Galaxy S3 update

In addition to these changes, there’s been quite a few enhancements to make the device a more pleasant and fluid experience, too. For example, NFC is now easier to turn on, Burst shot is no longer the default setting in the stock Camera application, and a web browsing issue is fixed that would cause the device to reset. There’s a ton of others changes, which you can find below.

verizon galaxy s3 update 2

The update to Android 4.1.2 is approximately 129MB in size, and can be downloaded over-the-air. Simply go into Settings > About Phone > System updates. After that, just tap the Restart and Install button and you should be good to go. Once the process is finished your device’s software version should be JZO54K.I535VRBMD3.

Verizon hasn’t officially announced the update just yet, so we don’t know when users will start seeing it. However, it shouldn’t be a long wait since the update can be seen in the support page.

Did you get the update from Verizon yet? Let us know in the comments!

    


Samsung Galaxy Exhibit (T-Mobile Galaxy S3 mini) now available on T-Mobile

Posted: 29 May 2013 09:18 AM PDT

samsung galaxy exhibit

The Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, or the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, is now available for purchase, and it’s a pretty good option for those not wanting to shell out a lot of cash on a new phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Exhibit was certainly not a secret, as its presence on T-Mobile has been discussed as early as February. It did take a while, but the device is now here for you to buy (with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini almost upon us).

This is not a device that will impress with incredible specs, but it does give you some bang for your buck. T-Mobile customers can buy it for a down payment of $19.99, followed by $9/month over the course of 24 months. You don’t have to choose that option, though, as you can also pay for the device in full, at $235.99.

For that amount of money, you get a decent device, with a 4 inch screen, at a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, and powered by a dual core CPU, running at 1 GHz. It also has a 5 megapixel camera, as well as a 1 megapixel front one, and runs Android 4.1.2.

Do you plan on purchasing a Samsung Galaxy Exhibit?

    


LG Optimus G Pro named king of the large-screen jungle, takes the Galaxy Note 2′s throne

Posted: 29 May 2013 09:11 AM PDT

Big props goes to LG for beating Samsung to the 1080p punch with the epic Optimus G Pro

Samsung spawned a new market when it released the Galaxy Note, and while it has taken a while for other manufacturers to catch up, LG looks to have hit a homerun with the LG Optimus G Pro.

U.S. consumer magazine Consumer Report has stated that the Optimus G Pro is both better and cheaper than the current king of large-screen smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

LG held an event where it invited 182 participants who have had previous experience with large phones, to participate in a one month trial where they tested the user experience of the Optimus G Pro and compared it to their previous experiences with other smartphones.

Incredibly, 95% of the participants chose to replace their current devices with an Optimus G Pro, and 80% of those who chose to swap were coming from a Samsung Galaxy Note.

The features that participants saw as the most interesting were the Full HD front and back cameras, as well as a feature we've also seen on the Galaxy S4, called dual recording mode. This allows both the subject and the taker to be in the video, and uses both the front and rear camera simultaneously to shoot videos. Unlike the Galaxy S4, it can not take still shots.

With a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Quad-core Snapdragon 600 clocked at 1.7 ghz and a 13 megapixel camera, the Optimus G Pro has specifications which rival and even exceed the Galaxy Note 2 in some aspects.

However, some would argue that it isn't the Galaxy Note 2's size that makes it such a great device, but rather it is Samsung's software optimizations and the S-Pen, which allow you to fully utilize the screen space.

If you still can’t decide if the LG Optimus G Pro is for you, check out our “By the numbers” comparison of the Optimus G Pro and the Galaxy Note 2 by clicking here, or check out the video review of the Optimus G Pro below.

Do you think the LG Optimus G Pro is the best large-screen device? Or are the software editions of the Galaxy Note 2 enough to continue its reign as king?

    


Audio engineer extols the virtues of the HTC One – but do you feel the same? [Poll]

Posted: 29 May 2013 06:41 AM PDT

samsung galaxy s4 vs htc one one aa

HTC One, perhaps the best smartphone introduced in the first half of this year, has been analyzed by our team in almost every way possible. We've seen its sharp aluminum body subjected to torture tests, we dropped the bugger and compared it to the iPhone 5, and we carefully rated its camera quality, display, and general performance.  But what about the sound?

As you well may know, HTC decided to integrate not one, but two stereo speakers in their flagship this year. Unlike the vast majority of Android phones that come with a back-mounted speaker, the HTC One has both units mounted on the front, on both sides of the screen. Overall, the design is classy and should provide high-quality audio, but we have yet to see a proper analysis of the setup.

Moments ago, HTC posted a so called "Audio Review" video on their official YouTube account, containing the remarks of Jimmy Muna, a sound engineer and music producer who works for ATM Studios. During the five-minute video embedded below, Muna talks about the impressive audio capabilities of HTC's latest phone and how it raised the bar for other manufacturers.

Muna claims that the One can render sound frequencies inaccessible to other phones, mostly those in the lower-end of the spectrum. Moreover, the addition of the secondary speaker allows the phone to properly distribute certain sounds to both sides, without altering the audio experience that users would get when using headsets.

But is this just marketing or is the HTC One really so much better than competitors when it comes to sound?

A bit of background…

As mentioned in the first part, the HTC One comes with two identical front-mounted stereo speakers that pack quite a punch. Baptized BoomSound, the audio technology on the HTC One is the fruit of the cooperation between the Taiwanese manufacturer and the well-known Beats Electronics LLC, a company founded by Dr. Dre and partially owned by HTC.

Besides the large speakers and the amplifier implemented by Beats, the software component of BoomSound enhances the low end of the sound spectrum, which allows the phone to pump out a deeper bass. The high-end part is also enhanced, though not as dramatically as the bass, with several other Android handsets (like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2) being able to do a similar job. The rich sound delivered by the One makes it, in theory, ideal for consuming video and music.

When it comes to daily use, the power of the twin speakers may be a bit much for some users – people have complained that the loud notification sounds or even the ringtones have startled them… Moreover, some reports claim that two seconds after the sounds stops, when the processor shuts off the power to the speakers, an irritating crackling noise can be heard. Other users observed the same issue when watching YouTube videos or playing back audio in other apps, but they blamed it mostly on a firmware glitch.

What's your take?

We've been hearing different reports about the HTC One’s audio prowess and we're looking to clear the matter once and for all. From your personal experience with the One, how would you rate its audio performance? Does the device rise to the hype or is BoomSound simply a clever marketing scheme? Vote in our poll.

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