Saturday, June 22, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


AT&T Galaxy S4 in Red Aurora hands-on: It’s all about the color

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 04:36 PM PDT

With the weekend in site this evening we’re taking a peek at the Samsung Galaxy S4 yet again. This isn’t just any regular Galaxy S4 though, and as you can see, we have the exclusive to AT&T Red Aurora model on our hands. If you’re the type that doesn’t want to be like the rest of the pack with white or black, check it out below.

ac3wtmk

Just like the older brother, the Galaxy S III, Samsung and AT&T have delivered a bright red Galaxy S4 for those who’d like to have a little flair. It’s the same impressive smartphone we know and love, through and through, only now it’s the color I’d like my 68 Mustang Fastback to be. They call it Red Aurora, and we have more pictures below.

That same 5-inch 1920 x 1080p HD display is present. And the same goes for the quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. They still don’t offer a 32GB flavor, sadly. You’ll still enjoy a 13 megapixel camera, all those dual-shot features, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean covered in Samsung’s spiffy features. To be honest I didn’t like it at first, but this red color is starting to grow on me. It sure is shiny and reflective though.

sfsdafdsawtmk0000

As you can see, they’ve also made the capacitive menu and back buttons red. Instead of the usual white, which is fine with us, but could be an issue outdoors when you can’t find the back button. Then another thing worth noting is the Red Aurora color makes the textured plastic design on the front fascia of the device much more prominent than the white model.

So what do you guys think? Will you stick to white or black, or does this red flavor interest you? Samsung announced this week 5 additional colors, even an ugly brown-yellow option, but so far this is the only additional color available stateside. If this isn’t your thing you can have Colorware make you a custom GS4 for about $1000, or even get a gold-plated model should you feel extra special.

ac23ffewfwtmk

The Red Aurora Samsung Galaxy S4 is available online and in-stores right this minute for the usual $199 and a new 2-year contract available exclusively from AT&T. Who’s buying?

ac3wtmk acgwreewtmk ac2wtmk ac23ffewfwtmk acwtmk sfsdafdsawtmk0000

HP Slate 7 Review

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 03:57 PM PDT

We’re taking an in-depth look at the HP Slate 7, the company’s first foray into the world of Android. If I still had my HP TouchPad running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean instead of the awful WebOS, I’d surely compare these two devices. Earlier this year at CES HP stunned the Android world by announcing their first Android-powered tablet, aimed for the Nexus 7, and we’re going to give it a full rundown below. Can this compete with the Nexus 7 and other Android slates, or is another firesale coming soon? Read on to find out.

20130621_145918

The HP Slate 7 entered the market a bit late, looks exceedingly similar to the Nexus 7, but has some stunning hardware and great build quality to make it stand against the rest. Oh, and unlike their first attempt at the tablet market it actually runs the world’s most popular OS. That being Android, only here we have 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Hardware

This device is all around a better tablet than HP’s last attempt. Everything about the hardware is improved. Gone is the cheap plastic, and we have a nice brushed aluminum design and a soft-touch rubber back. It has a 7-inch display with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, (more on that below) a dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processor with 1GB of RAM, and comes with 8GB of storage. You'll also find Beats Audio integrated with a selection of audio optimization options as well as two different color iterations – one gray, the other as red as the Beats logo itself.

20130621_150254

The Slate 7 looks very similar to the ASUS competition, right down to the overly large bezel around that 7-inch display. Sadly the resolution is lower and not HD, the processor is a dual-core (instead of a quad-core Tegra 3) but in return they do offer a micro-SD slot and a rear camera. So there are a few trade offs when looking at this vs the Nexus 7. HP wants to ask $169, but for a few more bucks you can get the up to date Nexus 7 with much more power.

The entire design is quite pleasing. I’m actually a huge fan, although it’s a bit on the heavy side. An aluminum ring around the edges feels durable and of good quality, and the soft-touch textured back is a refreshing change of pace from the cheap plastics and cold aluminum of late with others. Up top we have two hex screws, the micro-SD slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone pinhole, and a nice aluminum power button. It’s easy to find and press, and feels good.

Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.27.21 PM 20130621_150140 Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.21.44 PM 20130621_150134 Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.21.56 PM 20130621_150228

Then on the sides we have the same brushed aluminum ring, but the sides I can feel the rough corners a bit between the ring and the soft-touch rubber-like back. With nothing on the left we have a volume up/down on the right and micro-USB on bottom for charging. As well as two stereo speaker grills that put out decent sound thanks to Beats Audio. The sound isn’t as good as the TouchPad, and I feel like it’s only software tweaks, as the audio output was rather weak.

To be honest this is one of the most premium feeling slates in the 7-inch form factor we’ve felt. On par or slightly above the Nexus 7. Nothing else compares, even more expensive tablets from Samsung. HP did a great job here. That’s for sure. but… but then you turn it on and have to deal with a terrible low-resolution display. 1024 x 600. Something we’d see from 2010. I don’t want to go on a rant here, but 720p is essentially required these days. The screen was terrible, colors were dull, brightness wasn’t that great, angles were poor. Oh and did we mention the resolution. Nuff said!

Software

Another important factor here with the Slate 7 is the Android version. We’re running on a slightly dated version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. We still get all the project butter speed improvements, and the latest general look and feel, but it should be on Android 4.2, or at least have an update coming soon. This is another area the few dollars more you’ll spend on the Nexus 7 will come in handy. Always having the latest OS straight from Google.

Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-28-46

That aside, the Slate 7 does run a completely stock and vanilla version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. There’s no odd changes, weird UI elements like Samsung’s TouchWiz, or anything. It’s stock, smooth, and beautiful. And that dual-core keeps it running rather smooth. Another plus is the lack of bloatware. There’s an HP ePrint application, but that is all. No Verizon junk or apps we won’t use, like other manufacturers often do.

Project butter, expandable notifications, and of course Google Now are all present, which is nice. Then there is a dedicated Beats Audio control panel in the settings pane, but we’re still debating if this is a gimmick, or something that actually boosts quality. It’s a fancy equalizer. Sadly we had some odd quirks here and there. Take a look at the Quadrant benchmark screenshot below for an idea of what we mean.

Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-27-54 Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-30-59 Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-28-46

Overall the software is, well, just what we expected. Stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the most part. It’s smooth, stable, works for what we have, and games played with ease. Sadly no Tegra games, since this is a random dual-core, but it’s still not bad. There’s 1 more reason to get the Nexus 7, sad to say.

Benchmarks

Just for fun, we wanted to run a few benchmarks and test the 1.6 GHz dual-core under the hood. While daily use is fast and smooth, we weren’t expecting much with these results. So they came in about where expected. Nothing fancy here, but then again we’re only paying $169 for this little slate. So enjoy what you’ve got!

Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-15-42

Comparable to the Nexus 7 in some like AnTuTu, but overall it just won’t match up in daily use or while gaming. Big name titles had a little lag, and playing Asphalt 7 I noticed considerable lag, sadly. The Tegra 3 it’s buttery smooth. I feel bad comparing the two, but that’s what they were aiming for. Right? Speaking of quirks in the OS. Quadrant runs on EVERYTHING we ever test. Everything. Except here with the Slate 7 two different versions still have graphic glitches. This was our result, no matter what.

Screenshot_2013-06-21-15-21-08

Camera & Battery

Unlike the Nexus 7, HP outfitted the Slate 7 with both a front and rear camera. They aren’t anything great, but at least we have the option. a VGA front works for blurry self portraits, and the rear 3 megapixel camera was mediocre at best. Low light was awful, as was whatever that attempt at auto-focus was. It’s there if you need it, but my smartphone will do just fine. Thank you very much.

20130621_150037

Do you really want to be that guy taking pictures with your tablet? If so, here’s a few samples of what the camera is capable of. Just make sure you hold still and have enough lighting to get the job done.

kr kr kr kr kr

Then the battery life is another story here. HP promises we’ll be able to enjoy about 5 hours of continued use. Which to be honest is middle-of-the-mall in terms of what the competition offers. It’s only 3,500 mAh. The DROID RAZR MAXX HD is 3,300 mAh, and it’s a phone. That’s my point! However, some almost continued use of Netflix, a few games, and browsing the web it actually lasted nearly 6 hours, so that’s a plus. It isn’t the best, but certainly isn’t the worst. Have the charger nearby. And remember it might be micro-SD, but you’ll need the large HP adapter unless you want it to take forever. Phone chargers don’t have enough output to get the job done quickly.

Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.34.22 PM

Wrap-Up

I tried to be nice throughout most of this article, and could have compared it to some cheap Acer or Lenovo tablets instead of the Nexus 7, but the Nexus 7 is the ideal 7-inch Android tablet. For $169 the HP Slate 7 offers a somewhat compelling product. It’s slightly cheaper but offers a micro-SD slot. The screen is low resolution, and the software isn’t quite up to par and was glitchy at times. For $169 it’s a good deal overall, but compared to a $199 Nexus 7 there’s just no reason to skimp that little bit.

20130621_150140

HP made no attempts to offer a really good product. This tablet is mediocre and okay at best. They didn’t attempt to smooth the edges, the battery could have easily been bigger, or at least make the slate thin if you’ll use such a small battery. Then of course that horrid display. HP should know better. The 1024 x 600 resolution display was a killer. In a time with 1080p becoming the norm, and 720p being mid-range. We’d have to make that categorize this as a low-end Android tablet.

Keep the $169 price point in mind if you’re really on a budget, otherwise save up the little extra for the Nexus 7. There’s no other way to spin it, sadly. I sense some restructuring in their tablet plans coming up quick.

20130621_150140 20130621_145858 20130621_150254 20130621_145918 Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.21.56 PM Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.21.44 PM 20130621_150134 20130621_150228 Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 3.27.21 PM 20130621_150331 20130621_150345 20130621_150037

Instagram Video: Five reasons it’s better than Vine

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 01:28 PM PDT

This week Instagram and their new owners Facebook, announced an all-new and improved version 4.0 with video. The main changes here were to combat the newly popular Vine video sharing brought to us from Twitter. Now that we’ve had a full day to enjoy the new Instagram with video, we wanted to share 5 reasons why it’s better than Vine. Well, on Android at least.

20130621_121528

Vine allows for users to take up to 6 seconds of video for any and all occasions, then neatly share them on Vine and Twitter with all their friends and family. It’s a lot of fun, been available on iOS since January, and recently arrived for Android in a limited state. Below you’ll find 5 reasons why Instagram with video is better than Vine, and why I’ve already uninstalled the latter and will be sticking with Insta.

User base
For one, Instagram has nearly 130 million monthly users, and is integrated with more than just Twitter. You can share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and many other social sites. The sharing features are better, broader, and more appropriate. However, this is nitpicking and the real reasons are laid out for you below.

Vine’s Android app is just awful. Not to be rude, but it really is. It’s a paired down version compared to iOS, freezes often, doesn’t scroll smooth, and doesn’t even allow us to use the front facing camera. All the added features on iOS are missing on Android, and they’ve had over 5 months to get it right. Yesterday Instagram was updated and blows it out of the water. Getting every aspect right. We have hashtags, mentions, and millions of friends available at any moment.

Auto-Play video
On Vine the videos just automatically play, no matter what. As you scroll down they instantly start playing and you hear crazy noises, dogs barking, waterfalls, and anything else that particular user uploaded to Vine. It’s obnoxious, and there’s no way to stop it. Oh, and since they ALL load, the app takes forever sometimes. Which probably is part of the reason their app is laggy, and doesn’t scroll very smooth.

Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 12.44.52 PM

On Instagram if you head into settings on your main profile page, there’s tons of options. One very important one is what you see above. You can disable auto-play. Which will then let you select what Instagram video you actually want to watch while scrolling through your feed, by just hitting the fancy play button. Which brings us to our third reason.

Pause/Play
If you enable the feature above, Instagram videos won’t just automatically play. Instead you can choose what to watch, and when. Something that isn’t available on Vine, which frustrated me. Then whether or not you have auto-play enabled or disabled, you can pause a video at any moment. It makes more sense for longer videos, but still, is a feature Vine should have but doesn’t.

15 second video
The pause and play features were probably included because Instagram one-upped Vine’s 6 second video sharing, by announcing you’ll be able to take 5-15 seconds at a time. So while 6 seconds doesn’t really need a pause button (really, you can’t wait 6 seconds) the option really should be there. Facebook and Istagram once again got this right. Giving users the option to make quick, fun, and sweet 5 second clips. Or extended 15 second films should they choose. We’re expecting Vine to update with 10-12 in the near future, but who knows.

Camera
Last but certainly not least is the camera. The camera is hugely important here, because after all, we’re uploading video. I don’t know about you iOS users, but on Android we don’t have a very good camera on Vine. There’s no auto-focus, and we can’t even use our front camera camera should we choose. With Instagram we have both the auto-focus (which you can control where) as well as the option to use the front camera. Vine has front cam support on iOS, but not Android. So take this as you will. Again we said 5 reasons it’s better on Android!

Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 12.45.18 PM

So there you have it. That is 5 reasons (among many) for why I personally prefer Instagram over Vine. And we didn’t even mention the fact that Instagram has 13 unique video-only filters to truly make your videos personal and creative. Something Vine forgot about completely. So there is six reasons!

To each his own, but feel free to learn more and give both a try from the links below. Don’t forget to drop us a comment on what app you prefer for your short-film sharing fun.

Download:
Instagram
Vine

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean leaks for the Samsung Galaxy S III

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 01:21 PM PDT

It wasn’t all that long ago when we heard the Android 4.2.2 update for the Galaxy S III had been delayed and while that hasn’t changed, there has been a leak. Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (I9300XXUFME7) has leaked for the Galaxy S III. But with that, there is one warning you will likely want to know up front — this is still considered to be in the testing stages.

samsung_galaxy_s_III_review_sg_7-580x431-540x401241

Samsung is expected to have this ready and available for the Galaxy S III in July or August and while we would not suggest running this (at least on a primary handset), this leak does provide us with details. For example, this build has arrived with an ID of JDQ39 and a handful of features from the GALAXY S 4 including the most up to date version of S Voice.

Some of the other GALAXY S 4 specifics include the Adapt Display and Professional Photo screen modes, the updated Settings UI and the addition of Voice controls. That last one will let the user control the phone using nothing more than their voice. The S4 features also include an update to the lockscreen. This means multiple widgets along with the Ripple and Light unlock effects and the option to set a personal message and adjust the clock size.

Aside from the GALAXY S 4 features, this update also includes Daydream and the Driving mode, some new additions in the notification center, the ability to run Samsung apps in a full-screen mode, a smart switch widget and the option to have a white background in the gallery.

With that, while we have already made it clear this is a test build — there is the possibility of running this release. That being the case, you will need to download and install the firmware and know going in that this process will erase all the data you currently have on your device to include that found on the memory card.

VIA: SamMobile

Instagram video uploads reach 5 million in first 24 hours

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT

Facebook had an event yesterday and the focus was on Instagram. We suspect most have managed to see the news, but just in case, Instagram users can now record short videos in addition to capturing images. And similar to what Instagram users have with the images, the videos have 13 filters available.

instagram-android-540x337

These videos can be up to 15 seconds in length and while that may seem long as compared to the six seconds you get with Vine — 15 seconds still seems short in the big picture. With that in mind, it looks like those 15 second videos are really adding up to a serious amount of time. Instagram has confirmed that users have uploaded 5 million videos during the first 24 hours of availability.

Taking that a step further and users were uploading 40 hours of video per minute during the peak. Without going crazy with the math, it takes quite a few users to have 40 hours worth of video being uploaded every minute — especially when you remember these videos are a maximum of 15 seconds each.

Many have been making the comparison to Vine, but these initial numbers seem to be looking good for Instagram. Of course, we do have to wonder what those numbers look like during the next 24 hours. Or for that matter, what they will look like during this upcoming weekend. Will the usage continue or begin to fall to what will become a normal level? Time will tell.

In the meantime, we can say that it has been quite nice to see a bit more action (literally) in our Instagram feeds. But remember, there is one important item we mentioned yesterday dealing with videos in your feed — turn off the ability to auto-play. That is simple enough, just head into the settings and uncheck the box for auto-play. After that, starting a video is just a tap away.

VIA: CNET

Samsung HomeSync Lite brings a personal hosted cloud solution

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 12:05 PM PDT

Samsung was heavy on the device announcements yesterday and it looks like they also slipped out some details on a cloud storage solution. The service is called HomeSync Lite and it will provide the user with on-the-go access to files that you have stored on your home computer. HomeSync Lite uses your home PC as the cloud and ultimately that means you can have that cloud access without any additional monthly fees.

samsung-home-sync-lite-540

This solution means you will be able to access the files you have stored on your home computer and nicely, the storage is not limited to the internal drives. In other words, you can have the internal drive as well as attached USB drives connected to your personal cloud. In addition to accessing the files from your home computer, this can also be used to back up important files from your mobile devices.

Basically, users will now have a solid solution to make sure they aren’t going to lose any images they capture with their phones. Taking that a step further and it not only means backing things up, but it also removes the worry of having a particular file on a particular device. Users will also be able to download files to include documents and music as well as stream audio and video.

Bottom line here, this seems like it could be a good option for someone that carries multiple devices as well as for a family. And for those worried about privacy between family members, the HomeSync Lite solution supports personal folders as well as shared folders. Users are able to share amongst five Samsung accounts — each of which can have six devices.

Aside from the HomeSync Lite cloud solution, Samsung also showed off the Galaxy S4 Active, Zoom and Mini as well as the Galaxy NX Camera — all of which we spent some hands-on time with. Not to mention, the ATIV Q which is a dual-boot tablet with Windows and Android.

Google Keyboard gets its first update with fixes and fine tuning

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 12:04 PM PDT

In case some of you aren’t aware, let this update be a eye-opener that the fine folks over at Google released the stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean keyboard to the world. The one with next-word prediction, gesture typing (like Swype and SwiftKey Flow) and much more. It’s my personal favorite keyboard and they put it up for everyone on the Play Store earlier this month.

keyboard1-580x332-540x309

Google Keyboard is available for all Android devices running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above, but currently is region restricted to the USA only. It’s been available for a mere two weeks and Google’s already busy improving and updating it. This will allow Google to enhance features for all, without updating their OS like previous years. We love it.

Google’s slowly added their key apps to the Play Store for faster updates, and the keyboard is no different. Today we’re seeing the first of many updates for Google Keyboard, and many HTC owners should be happy. The update only lists a few changes, but they are important.

• Tuned keypress-vibration strength on some devices.
• Fixed bugs in settings, language switching, and elsewhere.

The update apparently fixed a bug that was causing the Google Keyboard to crash on many HTC devices like the DNA and HTC One. I can confirm that myself, but it’s not mentioned here by Google. We’ve heard reports that the Note II issues have been fixed too. Instead it talks about fine tuning vibration settings, as well as language switching. This means future updates should enable the keyboard in other regions and with more languages soon.

We love that Google’s adding all their key apps and elements to the Play Store for faster updates. Making the Android OS an even better and faster evolving machine. Get it from the link below.

SOURCE: Play Store

Samsung Galaxy MEGA poses as the ‘Note III’ in latest leak

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 11:34 AM PDT

Today we’re seeing multiple reports again that the Samsung Galaxy Note III has leaked, and we’re even getting live images of the rumored smartphone tablet hybrid. We’re sorry to bring you bad news, but this is not the Samsung Galaxy Note III, which is expected to be revealed in August of this year at IFA. Instead, it’s the recently announced Samsung Galaxy MEGA 6.3-inch device. Don’t believe the rumors.

Screen Shot 2013-06-21 at 11.14.08 AM

The rumors have been running wild regarding what we are expecting to see from Samsung with the Galaxy Note III. Obviously there’s plenty of ‘rumored specs’ you can assume based on previous trends. Each year it has increased the screen size, trimmed the bezel, and got a boost in specs and the latest version of Android. We’re expecting the same with the Note III, and probably a similar design too.

Samsung could go crazy and do an aluminum device (not plastic) like we’ve heard, but that’s doubtful. It’ll likely look like a bigger Galaxy S 4. Rumors suggest a 5.99-inch display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 (we’re thinking maybe Samsung’s Octa-core) and a 13 megapixel camera with OIS, and tons of other impressive features. What you see above isn’t it though, that’s the Galaxy Mega as you can clearly see below.

Samsung-GALAXY-Mega-5.8-566x500-540x477

The Galaxy MEGA has a massive 6.3-inch display, and mediocre specs to go along with it. It’s only a dual-core and doesn’t even have an HD screen. It’s qHD, not a flagship device. And while the image at the top of the page could be what the Note III may look like, most of our sources are saying not to believe the leaks, and we’re only seeing images of the MEGA.

So for now we’ll continue looking for more details on the Note III, which should actually start leaking soon enough. For now you can learn more on recent reports, and the Galaxy Mega possibly hitting AT&T with 4G LTE from the links below.

PSA: Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy S4 Active and NEC Terrain arrive with AT&T

Posted: 21 Jun 2013 11:22 AM PDT

A few new devices have come available with AT&T today. These are all previously announced devices, however the good news today is that they are all available for purchase — as opposed to pre-order. The list includes the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet and the Galaxy S4 Active smartphone as well as the NEC Terrain.

handshero

Up first is the Galaxy Note 8.0. This one varies in price depending on what else you may be picking up. If you grab the tablet by itself you can expect to pay $399.99 on a two-year agreement. Those who grab the Note 8.0 along with a member of the Galaxy S4 family or the Galaxy Note II will only need to shell out $199.99 for the tablet. Of course, that will be in addition to the price you pay for the smartphone (which also has a two-year agreement).

Screen-Shot-2013-06-20-at-1.21.51-PM-540x348

Sticking on the topic of the Galaxy S4 Active. This handset is priced at $199.99 and available in two color options — Urban Gray and Dive Blue. The Galaxy S4 Active is designed for the outdoors type and brings an IP67 certification which offers protection against dust and water. More to that point, the Galaxy S4 Active has a special Aqua Mode that should help when it comes to capturing images or recording video while underwater.

nec

Next up is the NEC Terrain. This handset sports a full hardware QWERTY keyboard along with a 3.1-inch display that is protected by Gorilla Glass. The Terrain also has the military spec certification which means it is truly a rugged device. Those considering the NEC Terrain will only need to shell out $99.99 on a two-year agreement and can also expect other features such as a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

All said and done, it seems like there is an option for a wide variety of users here. While the Terrain should be good for the rugged type, the tablet and smartphone combo deal seems like a solid offer. Sure, you have a two-year agreement for each device, but a $200 price tag for a 4G LTE tablet is hard to argue.