Monday, September 23, 2013

Android World Update # BREAKING: Blackberry reportedly selling to Fairfax Financial for $4.7 billion

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BREAKING: Blackberry reportedly selling to Fairfax Financial for $4.7 billion
Sep 23rd 2013, 17:42, by Quentyn Kennemer

blackberry_logo_post_image_600px

Forgive us for taking a break in news directly related to Android, but we thought this bit of breaking news was damned worth it. Reports are swirling in that Blackberry has agreed in a letter of intent to sell their company to Fairfax Financial for $4.7 billion.

Developing…

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Android World Update # Focal camera app hits the Play Store – lives up to its beta tag

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thumbnail Focal camera app hits the Play Store – lives up to its beta tag
Sep 23rd 2013, 16:26, by Adam Koueider

Focal (Beta) - Android Apps on Google Play

The Focal camera app has been in the news for all of the wrong reasons lately, after being excluded from CyanogenMod after disagreements between its creator and the Cyanogen team over the commercialisation of Cyanogen. Luckily it’s now been made available in the Google Play Store for everyone to enjoy, albeit in the form of a beta product.

The Focal camera app is by far the most comprehensive camera app on the Google Play Store, allowing the user to change the ISO, exposure, adjust the color and more. There’s also a plethora of camera modes with the regular single shooting mode, panorama, burst shot mode and a mode that is similar to Photosphere called PicSphere.

The side bar is brought up by a swipe from the left and allows you to pin settings so that they’re readily available. Remember that this is still a beta product, and as such there are a variety of issues including a rather big one that is present on my Nexus 4. The orientation of the pictures taken by the Focal app are incorrect and the app is a little sluggish overall, which is to be expected in a beta app.

However, if you’re looking for a replacement for your own camera app which is more in line with the Holo guidelines and offers heaps of settings for you to tinker with, hit the source link below to get started.

Focal camera app
focals
Picsphere

focal 2

Do you like the Focal app? Do you prefer it over the camera app your phone came with?

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Android World Update # Moto X update coming to T-Mobile version, improves camera quality

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Moto X update coming to T-Mobile version, improves camera quality
Sep 23rd 2013, 17:38, by Jerry Hildenbrand

Moto X updateA software update for the Moto X is rolling out to T-Mobile customers today, and mixed into the list of improvements and bug fixes is some news that most everyone is waiting to hear — Improved photos (color accuracy, exposure, focus speed). Also listed, and equally important (though not as high profile) are fixes for Moto Assist, "choppy" audio during voice calls and improved Touchless Control. Those are important, and it's great to see them addressed so quickly.

But the camera is what most users have been grumbling about. It's clearly capable of decent images, as you can see a few here and there. But often, the Moto X seems to struggle when trying to get the right shot. Hopefully, today's update helps.

There's no word on when or if we'll see this update for other carrier models, or the new unlocked developer editions, but we would expect that to happen. We've checked our AT&T units, of course, and will continue to do so.

For a great look at the camera improvements, hit up Droid-Life and see some side-by-side comparisons of old versus new.

Via: Android Central forums


    






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Android World Update # Android and Me

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OPPO N1 introduced with CyanogenMod option, rotating camera, rear touch panel
Sep 23rd 2013, 16:10, by Nick Gray

The Oppo N1 has been unveiled, featuring an impressive array of specs that pits the phone against other flagship devices currently on the market. But the Oppo N1 isn’t your run of the mill smartphone. Oppo has equipped the N1 with a few unique features, which give the phone functionality not found on any other device. Because CyanogenMod has been in the news quite a bit lately, we’ll confirm that the Oppo N1 will be the first OEM smartphone with the option of running CyanogenMod. Out of the box, the phone will be running Oppo’s Color UI, but handset owners will be able to easily switch over to CyanogenMod. Details of how the process works have not been revealed yet, but we should know more before the handset’s October release.

The other two features that set the Oppo N1 apart from the competition are its rotating camera and rear O-Touch Panel. Rather than equipping the N1 with a front and rear facing camera, Oppo has introduced the first Android phone with a camera that can rotate to take images from multiple angles. Why have a 2 megapixel front-facing camera when you can have a 13 megapixel rotating camera with a dedicated LED flash for softer light to capture that illusive perfect selfie? The O-Touch Panel is a 12 square centimeter touch panel built into the back cover of the Oppo N1, giving users the ability to scroll through email, websites or contact lists, tap to select on-screen items and even trigger the camera’s shutter button without the need to touch the phone’s display.

Gallery

n1-1 n1-2 n1-3 n1-4

Other specs on the Oppo N1 include a 5.9-inch handset that sports a 1080p IPS display, 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, with 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB of internal storage and an astonishing 3610mAh battery. Oppo is still trying to make a name for itself as a high-end Android smartphone maker, but we see no reason why the Oppo N1 can’t compete directly with the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 or even the new LG G2. If the price is right, will you be considering the Oppo N1 when purchasing your next Android device?

Show Press Release

OPPO N1 – Return to Innovation

OPPO N1 Redefines Smartphone Photography with 5.9" Screen, Rotating Camera, and Rear Touch Panel

BEIJING – September 23, 2013 – OPPO today announced the launch of the OPPO N1, the first smartphone from their new N-Lens flagship series. The OPPO N1 was revealed to a crowd of over 600 international press, fans and developers in a stunning visual presentation at the AOYA Exhibition Center in Beijing. Withthe groundbreaking OPPO N1, the large screen, rotating camera, rear touch panel, and incredible design come together to create a whole new smartphone experience.

World's First Rotating Smartphone Camera

The OPPO N1 realizes new possibilities in smartphone photography as the world's first smartphone with a rotating camera. Its revolutionary camera rotates 206-degrees, and will securely lock at any angle.

To help you capture breathtaking and vividly realistic images, OPPO N1 comes with Pure Image, a hardware and software photography solution. Pure Image on OPPO N1 features six physical lenses, an upgraded type 1/3.06 imaging module and f/2.0 wide aperture. Furthermore, OPPO partnered with leading optics companies to tailor make an image-processing solution for improved white balance, exposure and focus.

OPPO N1 has a special light-diffusing LED flash design consisting of a normal flash for back facing shots, and a softer, diffused light for front facing shots, with brightness tunable from the OPPO N1 camera software. Your front facing shots will not only be just as good as back facing shots, they will also be perfectly lit. Easily accessible, the OPPO N1 camera will boot from a sleeping screen in just 0.6 seconds via a simple 120° rotation. The OPPO N1 camera also supports long exposure photography of up to 8 seconds.

Beautiful Technology

The OPPO N1 is wound by two finely cut chamfers running along the sides of the device which guard the immersive 5.9-inch display. More than a year of work and over 20 different designs ultimately led to the simple brilliance of the OPPO N1 and the small but intricate camera, tested to last through 100,000 rotations. Its full metal aluminum alloy frame is produced over a 20-day period, during which it undergoes a 14 step polishing process involving more than a dozen suppliers. Strengthening the core of the phone, the frame adds an air of solidity and style to the OPPO N1. The OPPO N1 phone body is made with a smooth, ceramic-like material designed to keep your device free of fingerprints and smooth to the touch.

O-Touch Panel

O-Touch is an entirely new way of using your smartphone. A 12 cm2 rear touch panel makes one handed use for the large N1 screen comfortable and easy. With O-Touch you can scroll, tap, or snap photos – all without your fingers blocking the display.

O-Click Control

O-Click lets you remotely operate the N1 camera even when you're away from the device. Simply position the N1 and step back. If you misplace your device, find it by setting off an alarm on the phone. O-Click fits on your keychain and supports a range of up to 50 meters, staying connected to your OPPO N1 via Bluetooth (BLE).

Innovation in Choice

OPPO is committed to serve the smartphone market with an open attitude. OPPO N1 ships with Color (based on Android 4.2), a unique Android operating system with over 400 unique features and improvements over stock Android. CyanogenMod is the world's most popular aftermarket Android operating system. International versions of the N1 come with Color, and also the ability to flash CyanogenMod directly from stock recovery. A limited OPPO N1 CyanogenMod Edition will ship with CyanogenMod preinstalled, the first CyanogenMod hardware product in the world.

Available in 16GB or 32GB internal storage, the OPPO N1 is set to launch in early December.

OPPO N1 Specifications:

  • Color: White
  • Dimensions: 170.7 x 82.6 x 9 mm
  • Weight: 213 g
  • Operating system: Color, based on Android 4.2
  • Processor: 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad Core
  • GPU: Adreno 320
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage: 16 / 32 GB
  • Battery capacity: 3610 mAh
  • Screen: 5.9-inch, 1080p Full HD IPS display (1920 x 1080 pixels), 377 PPI, 16 million colors
  • Touchscreen: Multi-touch, capacitive screen
  • O-Touch: Slide up or down, left or right, tap, double tap and long press for different functionality
  • Rotating Camera: 13-megapixel sensor with dedicated ISP, Dual-mode LED, Aperture f/2.0
  • Scene modes: Normal, Panorama, High Speed, Rewind, Beautify, and Slow Shutter
  • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • WCDMA: 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
  • USB OTG, Bluetooth 4.0, 5G Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, GPS, Distance sensor, Light sensor, G-sensor, 4D Gyroscope
  • In the box: OPPO N1, O-Click Bluetooth Remote Control, In-ear type earphones, Micro USB cable, Charger, SIM ejector tool

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Android World Update # JackThreads does us a favor and redesigns their awful Android app

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JackThreads does us a favor and redesigns their awful Android app
Sep 23rd 2013, 17:00, by Quentyn Kennemer

jackthreads android app

When JackThreads first launched their Android app last year, it sucked. (Sorry, Thrillist, but it did.) We were happy that the discount clothing store finally came to Android, but the app made me want to visit the website anyway.

Thankfully, that is no more — the app has been updated with an all new design, with the folks at JackThreads bringing us a taste of Holo for those running Android 4.0 and higher. The app will allow you to browse all of the place’s wares, order items through the app, and stay up to date on all the great sales they tend to put on.

While some may have their reservations on the urban-centric fashion this store specializes in, they shouldn’t have any qualms with how nice this app looks. If you’re a JackThreads customer you’ll definitely want to download the app to your Android phone or tablet and give it a whirl. It can be had here for free in the Google Play Store.

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Android World Update # QSlide on the LG G2: A quick way to access frequently-used tools

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QSlide on the LG G2: A quick way to access frequently-used tools
Sep 23rd 2013, 16:31, by Andrew Martonik

QSlide

Simple access to functions that usually sit in a 'tools' folder on your home screen

LG is using the G2 as a platform for launching many new software features, one of which is QSlide — a new way to use small utility apps quickly without pulling you away from whatever else you're doing. Not to be confused with "Slide Aside" (that's a full-app multitasking feature), QSlide is a collection of apps launched from the notification shade that pop up over your current activity so you can multitask in a different way.

Simply pull down the notification shade and tap one of the handful of available options under the quick settings: Richnote, Videos, Email, Phone, Voice Mate, File Manager, Calendar or Calculator. A small windowed app will pop up without exiting your current app, letting you quickly get a task done and go back to the first. If you need to reference something else while you have a QSlide app open, just use the slider at the top of the window to change the transparency.

Once you've set the app to be transparent, you can interact with anything that is "underneath" it just as if it wasn't there. Go copy text, reference a web page or whatever else and then come back to your Richnote or Calculator entry. The apps can also be expanded to a full screen with just one tap. QSlide is an interesting feature that can save you from having a "tools' folder on your home screen for these common functions. Hang tight after the break for a video walkthrough of using QSlide on the LG G2.

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