Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Android World Update # Google will now be providing your free WiFi at Starbucks

Android Phone Fans
Android Phone News, Rumors, Reviews, Apps, Forums & More! 
Google will now be providing your free WiFi at Starbucks
Jul 31st 2013, 18:09, by Quentyn Kennemer

Find yourself popping into Starbucks often for a cup of Joe and some free, sweet WiFi? You might want to know that AT&T and Starbucks have ended their partnership, where the former provided data for those who needed it. So who’s taking AT&T’s spot? None other than your friendly neighborhood software and web technology company [...]

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Android World Update # T-Mobile announces its most affordable 4G LTE device, the LG Optimus F3

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T-Mobile announces its most affordable 4G LTE device, the LG Optimus F3
Jul 31st 2013, 18:12, by Edgar Cervantes

Need an affordable and handy smartphone? Take a look at the LG Optimus F3, which offers 4G LTE and nice specs for budget customers.

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Android World Update # Android Community

Android Community
Tracking the Android Platform Revolution 
AT&T continues the 4G LTE rollout with 10 new markets
Jul 31st 2013, 18:04, by Cory Gunther

The folks from AT&T have been touting that lightning fast 4G LTE network lately, and this morning they’ve confirmed another 10 markets and locations are getting the green light for faster speeds. After initially launching their 4G LTE network expansion later than Verizon, they’ve been pretty busy upgrading their coverage, and today’s no different. We have the full list below.

ATT-Mobile-Phone-Wireless-Logo-Store-Window-540x3041212311121

Between having a record number of smartphone sales for Q2 of 2013, adding some new Mobile Share Plans, and their new “Next” upgrade plan, AT&T’s been busy this month. And now to add even more to it they’ve launched 4G LTE in 10 additional markets.

It looks like most of the new regions getting faster speeds are in the midwest, but surely you’ll all take what you can get right? From Oklahoma to Georgia here’s the list of the 10 new spots according to AT&T’s newsroom.

– Marthas Vineyard, Massachusets
– Durant, Oklahoma
– Enid, Oklahoma
– Ardmore, Ada, Oklahoma
– Arkadelphia, Arkansas
– Russellville, Arkansas
– Ponca City, Oklahoma
– Charleston, West Virginia
– Cedartown, Georgia
– Rome, Georgia

During their Q2 earnings call AT&T confirmed they’re on track for their LTE goal for 2013, and will reach 400 markets by the end of this year. They then went on to mention that by mid-2014 their entire 4G LTE expansion will be complete. Now that we’re seeing towns I’ve never heard of (like Arkadelphia) get 4G LTE, it’s safe to assume all the major areas have already been updated, and now they are focusing efforts on rural markets.

If you’re in one of those locations do you have LTE this afternoon?

US Airways app arrives for Android users
Jul 31st 2013, 17:29, by Robert Nelson

Android users have some convenience when it comes to flying with Google Now. But while Google Now provides quick and easy access to things like boarding passes, it certainly doesn’t compete with full-featured apps direct from the airlines. In this case it looks like some good news has arrived for those who often travel with US Airways.

us-air-screens-540

The US Airways app has arrived by way of the Google Play Store where it is currently sitting at version 1.0 and with support for devices running Android 2.1 or later. Perhaps more important though, using the US Airways app will allow you to manage your trips from beginning to end.

Some of the highlights include being able to book flights, check-in and manage your account. The app also has the ‘boarding pass wallet’ which does just what one would think — serves as a central location within the app to find your boarding passes. Those looking to use this will need to choose the “send my passes to my smartphone’ option when checking-in.

Remaining features also include being able to find club locations, get terminal information and even email trip information to friends and family members. Using the app while on the ground is obvious given you will likely have cellular or WiFi connectivity, however you will also be able to use the app on Gogo flights.

Similar to how you can visit the usairways.com website for free on Gogo flights, you can also use the US Airways mobile app on an Android device for free. Bottom line here, the US Airways app has arrived alongside the countless others including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others. Not to mention the more general travel apps such as Expedia, TripAdvisor, Kayak and Orbitz.

SOURCE: US Airways, Google Play Store

Android 4.3 update now rolling out to more Galaxy Nexus users
Jul 31st 2013, 17:05, by Cory Gunther

Last week Google officially announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and the new Nexus 7, and along with it confirmed all you Nexus users would be seeing the update arrive shortly. Claiming it would start rolling out that exact day, which was last Wednesday. As usual these staged rollouts are taking their sweet time, but today more users with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are seeing it arrive.

Galaxy-Nexus-AC-540x3921

This morning our international Samsung Galaxy Nexus was updated to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is surprising considering my Nexus 4 is still sitting here without the update. Most users with the Nexus 4 and 7 have already seen the update hit their device, even if the rollout is slow and gradual.

Google confirmed the Gnex would see the update, but their other Nexus devices seem to be taking priority when it comes to pushing out these updates in a timely manor. We did receive a few tips this afternoon that others have received it as well, which is good news, but don’t even get me started on the Verizon model.

Screenshot_2013-07-31-07-46-45

So for all of you sitting on that aging Samsung Galaxy Nexus hitting “check for updates” (if you haven’t flashed a custom ROM yet) don’t worry as the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for your Gnex should be arriving any minute now. It’s finally rolling out on a larger scale, so if you haven’t check for a day or two, now might be a good time.

You won’t see much visually that’s different, but there’s plenty of changes under the hood as we outlined in the announcement link above. As of now the international Galaxy Nexus is officially getting the update, and I’m going to go ahead and guess sometime around the end of September for the Verizon (toro) Galaxy Nexus. Drop us a comment below if Android 4.3 has arrived for you too.

LG Optimus F3 release confirmed by T-Mobile
Jul 31st 2013, 16:32, by Robert Nelson

T-Mobile has announced the upcoming availability of the LG Optimus F3 smartphone. The handset will be available beginning on August 7th. Those looking towards the Optimus F3 will be able to grab it with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plans. Perhaps key for some, the handset will be available with no money down.

Optimus F3 (Hero)

Aside from the no money down portion, the handset will then be $10 per month for 24 months. Basically, you are looking at paying $240 for the handset over the course of two-years. Of course, that $10 per month will be in addition to the price of the monthly service plan.

In this case the Simple Choice plans begin at $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and data with the first 500MB being high-speed. In addition, those looking for more high-speed data can add 2GB for $10 per month or go unlimited for $20. Shifting over to the handset itself and we are looking at a device sporting a 4-inch IPS display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Optimus F3 (back)

The handset also has a 1 megapixel front-facing camera, microSD card slot and support for the T-Mobile LTE network. Other than hardware, the Optimus F3 is also compatible with WiFi Calling and the T-Mobile TV offering which brings live television including news, sports and more to enjoy while on the go.

As this is an LG handset, there will also be some goodies from what they describe as the “suite of unique services.” In this case that means those who purchase the Optimus F3 can expect to see QuickMemo, QSlide and VuTalk which are all apps that “focus on enhancing usability.”

Bottom line here, T-Mobile has announced another low priced Android handset. And if for some reason you are really excited about the Optimus F3 but would prefer it with another carrier — the handset also came available with Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS.

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Android World Update # Android 4.3 and beyond: Is root going away for 'Stock' ROMs?

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Android Central 
Android 4.3 and beyond: Is root going away for 'Stock' ROMs?
Jul 31st 2013, 17:53, by Jerry Hildenbrand

Fastboot

New methods and security models have changed the way superuser permissions are handled in Android 4.3

You've probably heard some chatter about root and the latest version of Android, and maybe even heard things like "the death of root" being thrown around. Things have changed, and new security features in Android now limit what processes with superuser privileges can do on the system partition. I'll try to explain some of this as best as I can without throwing around too many words nobody (well, almost nobody) will understand. Some of it's unavoidable, though.

You might need to pour a stiff one for this.

read more

    


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Android World Update # Android and Me

Android and Me
Meet Your New Android Friend. Your Community For All Things Google Android. 
HP SlateBook x2 to launch in August for $479 – set to outclass the competition
Jul 31st 2013, 16:58, by Nick Gray

Without a whole lot of hoopla, HP has unveiled its second entry into the Android space – the HP SlateBook x2. Unlike the HP Slate 7 which features mediocre specs and design materials, the HP SlateBook x2 comes packed with top-notch internals and a sleek design. Rather than creating a run of the mill Android tablet, HP has decided to go head-to-head with ASUS and its keyboard equipped Transformer series.

Powering the HP SlateBook x2 is the latest 1.8GHz NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor which is paired with an Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a 10.1-inch WUXGA(1920 x 1200) anti-glare touchscreen display. The 2-cell (25WHr) battery within the SlateBook x2 should give users 10 hours of use on a single charge, but battery life can be boosted another 8 hours when docked with the keyboard thanks to the built-in  2-cell (21WHr) battery. HP is also very much in favor of expandable storage with a microSD card slot built into the tablet and traditional SD card slot tucked into the side of the keyboard.

The HP SlateBook x2 is scheduled to go on sale in August for $479. It may be slightly more expensive than the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, but the HP SlateBook x2′s higher resolution display, keyboard dock and extra battery life should make HP’s second Android tablet a great alternative for those who don’t mind parting with an additional $79.

Gallery

HP-SlateBook-x2 (1) HP-SlateBook-x2 (2) HP-SlateBook-x2 (3) HP-SlateBook-x2 (4) HP-SlateBook-x2 (5) HP-SlateBook-x2 (6) HP-SlateBook-x2 (7)

HP SlateBook x2 specifications

  • Android 4.2
  • NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 T40S with Intel HD Graphics (1.8 GHz, 1 MB L2 cache)
  • 10.1″ diagonal WUXGA anti-glare LED-backlit Touchscreen (1920 x 1200)
  • Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • 2 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 (on-board)
  • 16 GB SATA SSD
  • 802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth
  • 2-cell (25WHr) Li-Ion; 2-cell (21WHr) Li-Ion polymer
  • Up to 10 hours (tablet only); Up to 8 hours (tablet and keyboard)
  • 10.16 x 7.17 x 0.38 in (tablet); 10.16 x 7.63 x 0.81 in (tablet and base)
  • 1.34 lb (tablet); 2.8 lb (tablet and base)

Koush creates app to share photos, videos from phone to Chromecast
Jul 31st 2013, 16:52, by Dima Aryeh

The Chromecast was a big surprise to us, and it is an amazing addition to Google’s hardware lineup, but no one can deny it was a little limited at launch. True, it does very little locally, but cloud computing opens a ton of opportunities. It was only a matter of time before developers got to work on some awesome apps that take advantage of that.

First, we had the surprising GameBoy emulator running on the Chromecast. While that isn’t particularly useful, it really shows the power of the Chromecast and its infinite potential. But now, we have the first app for Chromecast that’s genuinely useful. Developer Koush has created an app called Phone to Chromecast, and it does what the title implies: sends media from your phone to your Chromecast on your TV.

The app that will show up when you hit Share in the Gallery, so you can share local photos and videos straight to your TV. Koush demonstrates this by taking a video and immediately sharing it to the TV. It seems to work very fast and smooth, so we can call that a success.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t released the app yet. It looks to be unfinished, considering it has no icon. We hope we’ll get it soon, because this is an awesome use of the Chromecast. What do you think of this app? Does it make your brand new Chromecast more useful? Leave a comment!

New Nexus 7 first impressions
Jul 31st 2013, 16:05, by Brooks Barnard

Ever since rumors about  a next generation Nexus 7 started, I’ve had some money set aside waiting for its release. I thoroughly enjoyed the original Nexus 7. It’s an important part of my family from everyday web browsing to babysitting the kids to entertainment for road trips. Unlike Chromecast, we received more than a few leaks regarding this new 7-inch Google tablet. We’ve been intrigued by the specs that, on paper, seem so similar to the almost year-old Nexus 4. The new Nexus 7 officially launched yesterday, but has been available for sale from various sources prior to launch. If you’re on the fence regarding whether you’ll pick one up, maybe this will help you out. I’ve had the new Nexus 7 in my hands for a little over 72 hours, and it’s definitely left some impressions.

When opening the box, I noticed that Google and ASUS have changed their packaging strategy. The box was only sealed with one piece of tape and the packaging wasn’t nearly as air-tight this time. So if you’re opening the device in front of your buddies, you won’t look like an idiot like these friends did with the OG Nexus 7.

Once you get the box open, you’ll immediately notice how the device seems tall. And it is taller than the old Nexus 7 by 6 hundredths of an inch (1.5 mm for you normal people that use the metric system). That may not be much, but the device is also nearly a quarter of an inch skinnier than its predecessor, which makes the “large” bezels at the top and bottom of the device seem awkward. However, once I picked up the tablet for the first time, I immediately realized how much nicer this device was going to be to use. It’s lighter and thinner. And that almost quarter of an inch makes a big difference when holding the device with one hand. My wife is a pretty small person and was super excited when she first picked up the new Nexus 7 and realized she could easily one-hand the device. I definitely feel like Google stepped it up with the feel of the device.

As far as the hardware goes, the 7-inch 1900 x 1290 pixel 323 ppi highest-resolution-Android-tablet-display-ever looks really great. It’s bright and very crisp. The colors look great. I’ll have more details to share when I can get down to the nitty gritty and compare the tablet side-by-side with other devices. I’ve just been playing with it so far. One cool feature about the new Nexus 7 is the dual speaker setup. When the new Nexus 7 was announced, they talked about the “virtual surround sound” feature. This is actually a feature of Android 4.3, but the new Nexus 7 definitely takes advantage of it. Judging by the few times I’ve watched shows or movies on the device, the sound quality is very good. But, I wish it were louder. The dual speakers on the new Nexus 7 are rear firing, so in my noisy house with kids I still had to wrap my hands around the device to be able to hear conversation in the movies. If I really cared about hearing videos in my noisy house, I could always throw on a pair of headphones. But this is just something I noticed about the speakers. I wish they would’ve figured out a way to make the speakers front firing.

A few more comments on the hardware: The new Nexus 7 will support smart cases. It has a magnetic trigger just like the old Nexus 7. Additionally, the new Nexus 7 includes LED notification unlike its predecessor, which is a huge plus in my book. Unfortunately, the new Nexus 7 DOES NOT have haptic feedback. I was super disappointed to find this out, but it is what it is. Maybe next year.

The performance of the tablet has been fantastic so far. It’s snappy and smooth. That butteriness is one the biggest things I’ve noticed when using the device. Scrolling during web browsing or through menus is noticeably and surprisingly smooth. I didn’t even realize that my Nexus 4 wasn’t smooth before the new Nexus 7. I also tried some online gaming with the new Nexus 7. The device handled Riptide GP2 impressively. There hasn’t been a hiccup yet when using the device. Battery life also seems respectable so far, but I’ll try to do a more standardized test for the full review.

So what are my overall thoughts on the device? I really like it. It think it’s a fantastic piece of kit for $229. Is it that much better than my old Nexus 7? I’m still undecided. If you’re a videophile or someone with money burning in their pocket, you’re not going to be disappointed with this new tablet from Google. But is it a big enough upgrade to justify the jump from the old one? I’m going to do a side-by-side comparison of the new and old devices. Hopefully that’ll help me make up my mind, and I’ll give you my opinion then. For now, I really like it, and it’s dang fun to have around.

Be sure to stay tuned if you want to find out more about the new Nexus 7. Let me know if you have any questions about the new device by commenting below. Also, if you want to make sure I cover a specific topic in the full review or side-by-side comparison, you can comment below or let me know in the Threads. I’d love to hear from you guys and get you involved in the review. Happy new Nexus 7 launch day!

New Nexus 7-2 New Nexus 7-3 New Nexus 7-5 New Nexus 7-4

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