Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Android World Update # HTC Desire 500 entry level Android smartphone released

Android News, Rumours, and Updates
The latest in android news, rumours, and updates, including device news and apps! 
HTC Desire 500 entry level Android smartphone released
Jul 23rd 2013, 17:08, by Jeff Causey

htc_desire_500_black_01

HTC made available a new entry level smartphone today, the HTC Desire 500, exclusivly through Taiwan Mobile. The 4.3-inch screen device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz and is equipped with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD. The Desire 500 comes with an 8MP camera capable of capturing 720p video. HTC has their HTC Sense overlay installed on the phone along with BlinkFeed, HTC’s take on a constantly updating homescreen.

It appears the Desire 500 will only be available in the Taiwanese market, but it could expand to some other Asian countries. Reportedly the price point for the device is somewhere around $400 USD, which seems to be on the high side for such a low-powered device.

source: HTC


Come comment on this article: HTC Desire 500 entry level Android smartphone released

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Android World Update # In pictures: The Motorola Droid Maxx

Android Central - Android Forums - News - Reviews - Help and Android Wallpapers
Android Central 
In pictures: The Motorola Droid Maxx
Jul 23rd 2013, 16:53, by Jerry Hildenbrand

Droid MAXX.

The Droid MAXX promises two-days of battery life in a slim design

Verizon's latest battery champ, the Droid MAXX offers an improvement from last years RAZR MAXX's 32-hours of battery life, cranking things up to a full 48-hours. It also brings along a new style and checks in thinner than previous models.

You've still get the Kevlar construction, but things like wireless charging and Motorola's new 10MP camera have been added, and to go with the new look there are some new accessories.

You can see what we're talking about after the break, where we've got a slew of photos to look through.

read more

    


You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Android World Update # 10 great uses for old Android phones/tablets

Android Authority
Android News, Reviews, How To 
10 great uses for old Android phones/tablets
Jul 23rd 2013, 16:33, by Adam Koueider

android devices live wallpapers smartphone tablet

There's so much that your Android device is capable of and you just haven't realised it yet. So with a little bit of effort, you can help your old Android device break free from the depths of your cupboard.

1. Alarm clock

People still buy dedicated alarm clocks? Are you using your smartphone as an alarm clock? It's easy to grab a dock and an app to create an Android powered alarm clock. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean might have added Daydream to make your alarm clock look more beautiful, but you don't need to have the latest and greatest Android tablet or smartphone to use it as an alarm clock.

nexus-4-tip-daydream4

The Daydream feature in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean can be easily accomplished by other apps for lower versions of Android. They aren’t quite as elegant as Daydream though.

There are dozens of apps which can turn your Android tablet or smartphone into an alarm clock (Alarm Clock Xtreme is a popular one), and with a $10 dock from ebay, you can save yourself the trouble of buying a dedicated alarm clock. What's even better is that if you are a particularly heavy sleeper, you can always plug your Android device into your surround system (or just a regular speaker) to make sure that you don't miss that important meeting.

2. MP3 Player

Are you a heavy music listener? Your old Android smartphone or tablet is perfect for such situations. We are already trying to eke out every last drop of battery life from our Android smartphones, and if you are a particularly heavy music listener, you can waste a good 10% or more in one day of listening to music locally, never mind streaming it.

Luckily, you can use your old Android smartphone or tablet (smartphone would be more preferable in this situation for obvious reasons) as a dedicated MP3 player. This way you can conserve your precious battery life for more important matters. An old Android smartphone without a SIM card is also perfect for your gym sessions, so that you won't be distracted by any phone calls or texts while you are working out.

You can also store your favourite videos for mobile viewing. So now you can watch Gangam Style to your heart's content without taking a hit in the battery life department.

3. Baby monitor/Security monitor

If you've got an IP camera then you can use your old Android smartphone or tablet as a monitor. Whether you want to keep an eye on the baby or you just want to know who's at the door, your old Android smartphone or tablet fits the bill perfectly. You can even hook your tablet up on the wall to be used as an LCD monitor for a fixed position in your living room. Audio-only is so 20th century, and those dedicated LCD monitors can be costly, so using your old Android tablet or smartphone would be perfect.

Best app for the job: IP Cam Viewer Lite

4. A development device

So you've spent a few hours reading about these cool custom ROMs on the XDA forums, but you are afraid of bricking your shiny new Android device. Maybe you don't want to lose your warranty. That's why your old Android smartphone or tablet can be transformed into your development device so that you can explore the wonderful world of Android customization, without having to worry about bricking your device.

android custom roms

Paranoid Android (left), Cyanogen Mod (center), AOKP (right).

There are loads of custom ROMs to try, and if you have a particularly popular old smartphone or tablet, then you'll be well supported by the development community.

5. DSLR Remote controller

If you like to experiment with your DSLR shots, pairing your old Android smartphone or tablet to your DSLR can bring some interesting shots. You can create great time lapse shots, time controlled HDR-sequences, and all sorts of other functions. If you've got an old Android tablet with Infrared built-in (like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus), you can use the built-in IR blaster to control your DSLR as well.

Great app for the job: DSLR Remote

6. Cookbook

You can buy cooking books and tutorials from the Play Store or just use Youtube to watch tutorials.

Those cooking sessions can get messy, so using your old Android phone or tablet as a digital cookbook would be incredibly convenient. You can buy cooking books and tutorials from the Play Store or just use Youtube to watch tutorials. With your old Android phone or tablet by your side, all of those incredible dishes that you saw on TV and thought were impossible to make, can now become a reality.

Great apps for the job: Google Play Store, Youtube, Kindle app.

7. Digital photo frame

There are hundreds of Wi-Fi connected digital photo frames to choose from, but why spend money on something you already have. An Android tablet coupled with a dock would be perfect to show a slideshow of your favorite pictures on your tablet. There are dozens of apps to pick from, and you can even use it as a digital photo frame and a bedside alarm clock. Talk about multi-purpose.

Great app for the job: Photo Slides

8. Emulator console

Chances are that your old Android smartphone or tablet won't be able to run the newest graphics intensive games, but that won't stop them from being great emulator consoles. If you'd like to relive the glory days of your Game Boy's, Play Station's, Nintendo 64's and all your other favourite older consoles, your old Android smartphone or tablet can do just that. With loads of emulators to choose from, you'll be sure to find one for your respective console of choice.

Great apps to choose from: ePSXe for Android, SuperN64, My Boy! Free.

Best RPGs for Android - Emulators

9. E-Reader

Just like MP3 players, very few people buy dedicated E-Readers anymore. Now instead of taking a battery hit on your smartphone while you’re reading your favourite novel, you can use your old smartphone or tablet as an E-Reader. What's even better is that if you have an old Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S2 or any other smartphone with an OLED display, you can switch to the night theme and enjoy incredible battery life thanks to the low energy consumption of OLED displays when showing predominantly black screens.

Kindle e-reader

Great apps to choose from: Kindle app, Google Play Books.

10. There's so much more you can do!

There are all sorts of other crazy, interesting use cases that can keep you busy long into the summer D.I.Y. season. You've just got to be a little imaginative.

We could've limited this list to 10 definitive choices, but there's so much more you can do with your old Android tablet or smartphone. You can pilot quadrocopters, use them as media servers, install them on your car dashboard for in-car entertainment and GPS systems, use them as a controller for your home automation systems, and all sorts of other crazy, interesting use cases that can keep you busy long into the summer D.I.Y. season. You've just got to be a little imaginative.

You can also mix and match different ideas into the one tablet or smartphone so that you can use your old device for more than one purpose, and if you still haven't found a good use for your old Android device, then you can sell or recycle it, or even donate it to a worthy cause.

Have you been inspired to break your old Android device free from the dark depths of your closet? Which idea interests you most?

    


You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Android World Update # Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs. Galaxy S4 (video)

Android Authority
Android News, Reviews, How To 
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs. Galaxy S4 (video)
Jul 23rd 2013, 16:52, by Joshua Vergara

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa vs original

The Samsung Galaxy S4 released months ago, and given the fact that a Galaxy S3 Mini accompanied the Galaxy S3 last year, it was inevitable that we’d see a Galaxy S4 Mini, and it’s finally here! Is it a great performer? Can it fit in such a crowded market?  Find out in our review.

Design
 

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa design

Even at first glance, design is a no brainer — it’s the usual Samsung build here. You have the usual plastic build, rounded corners, silver spine, and even the button layout. The only difference here is that it’s been brought down to size. The Galaxy S4 Mini is a little slimmer, a little thinner, and a little shorter than the S4, making it also lighter all around.

And that’s the big difference. The 4.3-inch screen makes the entire body easy to handle in one hand, which is a very refreshing feeling compared to all of the larger devices out there. In the hand it is easy to throw around because of its light profile. If you thought idly tossing around the Galaxy S4 was particularly dangerous, you might feel more comfortable doing so with the Mini.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa design thickness with s4

If you’re looking for the most comfortable device, the original Galaxy S4 is the best 5-inch handling screen, but it isn’t for everyone, and that’s where the Galaxy S4 Mini.

Display

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa display

As for the display, both the Galaxy S4 Mini and original Galaxy S4 are Super AMOLED panels with the usual high saturation and contrast. The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch screen capable of 1080p, rated at 441ppi. A larger screen makes for a great experience when it comes to media consumption — games, movies, videos, you name it. The text is especially sharp because of the high pixel density. The Galaxy S4 is a great example of how 5-inch screen are pretty darn cool.

samsung galaxy s4 vs nokia lumia 928 aa s4 display

As for the Galaxy S4 Mini, the screen is well, smaller. Coming in at 4.3-inches, it’s capable of 960 x 540 resolution, rated at 256ppi. If it the Mini was sporting a 720p display, I think it would make the overall experience a lot better, but it’s still a great performer. The lowered pixel density doesn’t makes smaller text difficult to read, and as for movies and games, the smaller, 4.3-inch screen may make them uncomfortable to watch and play.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa display resolution

For getting pretty much any typical task done, the Mini is more than capable. And when it's so easy to use, that might be a good trade-off.

Performance

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa performance

In the performance realm, it’s a battle of mid and top tier packages. In the Samsung Galaxy S4, you have a Snapdragon 600 quad-core CPU clocked at 1.9GHz, backed by the tried and true Adreno 320 and 2GB of RAM. This performance package is what has been powering all of the top tier phones, including the HTC One. There’s no lag whatsoever, and swiping through the home screens is a breeze. It should handle intensive apps without any sort of difficulty, as well.

samsung galaxy s4 google play edition aa performance

Performance is a bit of a different story for the Mini, as it gets a less powerful, Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz. With it, you get a Adreno 305 GPU and a 1.5GB of RAM. Even if its significantly less powerful than the Galaxy S4, I didn’t have much trouble lag, the UI is a breeze, and it handles intensive apps fine.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa performance specs

Very intensive games obviously results in a little bit of lag, but not enough to hinder the overall experience. Scores put the Galaxy S4 Mini about 10000 points below the S4, which comes as no surprise. Ultimately if you really need the best of the best out of everything you do, the S4 is the obvious choice. Otherwise, most regular users will find the Galaxy S4 Mini capable of doing just about anything they might need.

Hardware

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa hardware

The hardware department is where things really change up. While Samsung did want to make a smaller version of the Galaxy S4, the original Galaxy S4 remains king of the Galaxy line. After all, the Galaxy S4 comes with all of the senors and extras you didn’t ask for. Sensors for temperature, a barometer, motion sensors for hand gestures and even a sensitive screen for Air View all accompany this device. Perhaps the most sought after features are the removable battery and microSD card slot.

And that’s just what you get in the Galaxy S4 Mini, although, the Mini only comes with 8GB of onboard storage, however, it’s expandable via a microSD card. All of those extra sensors are absent, though, which means you don’t get hand gestures, Air View, or even the eye scrolling. Really, the Mini is a very simplistic device compared to its older brother.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa hardware ir blaster

You do get an IR Blaster, though. So controlling your TV and other devices with this phone should be a breeze. This version of the Galaxy S4 Mini is capable of dual-SIMs, which is great for those who travel a lot. Much like the Galaxy S4, there are multiple version of this smartphone, so be careful of which one you get for your network.

In the end, it comes down to what you really want. Do you want all of the extras in the original Galaxy S4 or do you want a more simplified version of Samsung’s flagship device for this year?

Battery

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa battery

The word “mini” applies to just about everything with this device. The original Galaxy S4 was loaded with a 2,600 mAh battery, but the Galaxy S4 Mini has a miniature 1,900 mAh unit. This isn’t particular a bad thing, though. A lot of the hardware has been downgraded in this device, so you just don’t as much power as the original Galaxy S4 does.

galaxy s4 vs xperia z s4 battery aa

The lower, 1,900 mAh battery obviously isn’t going to be enough for power users. However, due to it being a removable unit, having a spare on hand can easily get power users through the day. For normal usage, the battery will easily last through the work day, and maybe even beyond, but if that isn’t the case, taking advantage of the built-in power saving features will help you eek out that last bit of juice.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa battery mah

On the other hand, if you need as much juice as possible, the Galaxy S4 might be the way to go. Chances are, under normal or light usage, you’ll be able to get a little bit more than day out of it, but that just isn’t the case with the Galaxy S4 Mini.

Camera

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa camera

Now we come to the cameras, and surprisingly, there’s been a few significant changes when it comes to the Galaxy S4 Mini. With the original Galaxy S4, you get a 13-megapixel rear shooter, with a full featured camera app. You get everything to make your photos more fun, including Eraser mode, Drama modes, and dual recording, along with a variety of other features. When it comes to smartphones, picture quality is some of the best on market, and it captures great detail and reproduces color really well.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa camera modes

Looking at the Galaxy S4 Mini, we have a lower, 8-megapixel camera, which performs much like last year’s flagship handsets. The camera app isn’t as full featured as the original Galaxy S4′s, though. It’s been stripped down quite a bit, as it doesn’t include dual recording, Drama, or Eraser modes.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa camera 3 samsung galaxy s4 mini aa camera 2

As for pictures, the quality is about the same level as the original S4. You can rest assured that the pictures you get from both phones will be satisfactory.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa camera 1

Software

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa software

Finally, we arrive at the software. With either phone you choose, you get the TouchWiz interface here, only bigger or smaller. Otherwise, there’s not much difference. Obviously, the original Galaxy S4 gets all of the extra navigational features for things like hand gestures and Air View. As per the norm, there are a few of Samsung’s own apps bundled in, such was S Voice, Group Play, WatchON, and S Health. It’s a very complete package, that thankfully benefited from the larger screen.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa software google now

Which is why it's actually nice that TouchWiz was scaled down well enough to look good on the Galaxy S4 Mini's smaller screen. It doesn’t come with all the extra navigation options and as far as apps go, and it doesn't include S Health preinstalled. Of course, if you really want S Health, there are a plethora of APKs that can be found with a quick Google search, though you may have your best luck looking at XDA.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa settings shade

Other than that, you're looking at the same general experience. This one comes down to whether or not you want the new ways introduced by the S4 to navigate.

Video review

Price

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa price

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 being out for awhile, it’ll cost you around $700 unlocked or $199 on a new two-year contract with a carrier. We don’t know as much about the Galaxy S4 Mini, but looking at its overall lower profile in the hardware and performance department, it’ll likely come in at around $500 unlocked.

samsung galaxy s4 mini aa price point

And so, there you have it. The Galaxy S4 is, no doubt, one of the top phones on the market today but Samsung isn't about to rest on its laurels. With so many different versions of the S4 soon to come out, the Mini is admittedly a very refreshing experience. Today's general offerings in yesterday's form factor. And you know what, it works really well. The Galaxy S4 Mini is a phone that anyone can easily use and thus has its place. But if you really want to be on the cutting edge, the S4 is still king.

    


You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions