Friday, November 1, 2013

Android World Update # Android and Me

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Android 4.4 KitKat update coming to Motorola's Moto X and new Droid handsets
Nov 1st 2013, 17:25, by Nick Gray

Motorola is following HTC lead, revealing that all versions of the Moto X and Droid Maxx, Ultra and Mini will receive the latest Android 4.4 update. The details come from Motorola’s support site which also lists the update status for its other phones. The Droid Razr HD, Razr Maxx HD and Razr M are listed as “future plan coming soon” which does not give us much confidence. The Droid Bionic, Razr Maxx and Droid 4 all fare a bit worse as Motorola’s site confirms they will not be updated past Android 4.1.2.

For now, we do not have any dates to tie the Moto X, Droid Ultra, Maxx and Mini Android 4.4 update to, but we suspect Motorola will keep us updated once they have more solid information to share.

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Android World Update # Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat video walkthrough

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Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat video walkthrough
Nov 1st 2013, 17:22, by Alex Dobie

Android 4.4 KitKat on the Nexus 5

Come take a look at the future of Android

The Nexus 5 is upon us, and with it Android 4.4 KitKat. The latest Nexus handset combines high-end Android hardware with the latest pure Android straight from Google. In the new OS version, KitKat, the stock UI has seen its biggest visual overhaul since Android 4.0, with brighter colors replacing the old "Holo" blue. Many of the staple Android apps have been overhauled too — text messages are now handled by Hangouts, the dialer has turned into a sort of digital yellow pages, and Google Now is now built into the stock launcher.

Software often soaks up much of the attention when there's a new Nexus phone, but the the Nexus 5's hardware is impressive in its own right. The (very soft) soft-touch back and sides . The jury's still out on the device's camera — we'll need to test it some more in the days ahead — but if nothing else it's a welcome improvement on the Nexus 4's disappointing shooter. And as we've seen on other high-end Android phones, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 CPU screams with performance.

All in all, we're looking at one of the most impressive Android phones of the year. Check past the break to watch our video walkthrough of Android 4.4 KitKat and the new Google Nexus 5.

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Android World Update # Round-up: everything you need to know about the Nexus 5!

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Round-up: everything you need to know about the Nexus 5!
Nov 1st 2013, 17:21, by Edgar Cervantes

Boy, was yesterday a wild day. Google decided to straight out release the Nexus 5, with no announcement or warnings. It took us all by surprise and we were running around the office trying to cover all the news and details for you. What about today? Today we are suffering from what I will start calling a “Nexus hangover”.

We now have our heads back where they should be, though. We are all calm and relaxed, so it’s time to take a look back and examine everything we saw about the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The sudden unveiling of the Nexus 5

nexus-5-picture

This has to be one of the weirdest launches in tech. There were no announcements or details from Google. We were literally about to start our weekly podcast when BOOM… the Nexus 5 is now available for purchase.

As it can be expected from a Nexus device, the Nexus 5 started selling out very quickly. We are sure many of you (us too) just went for it and bought it on first impulse. We can’t blame you, the phone is a beauty, with awesome specs and a price that is beat by none. What exactly are we getting for $349?Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 3.12.29 PM

Nexus 5 specs

  • 5-inch display with 1920×1080 resolution
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800, 2.3GHz
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8 megapixel rear camera, 1.3 megapixel front camera
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • 16GB / 32GB of internal storage
  • WiFi ac, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0 LE
  • 2,300 mAh battery with wireless charging built-in
  • microUSB with SlimPort
  • Yes, the phone is not “the best” in terms of specs, but it is very capable! More so than some of the other $600+ devices. And for the price, you really can’t complain.

    Finally – a Nexus device with a decent camera!

    We have some sample images from the Nexus 5 and boy are things looking good! Nexus phones have never been popular for having quality cameras, so this comes as a great Halloween treat to all of us. Below you will find one of the images, you can check out the Nexus 5 image samples post to see more.

    IMG_20131016_223412

    Nexus 5 official accessories

    You probably want to protect your investment with a case. Google has some nice ones for you, but they won’t be as affordable. We have a bumper case and a Quick Cover case, going for $35 and $50, relatively.

    What carriers can I activate the Nexus 5 on?

    We talked about this a bit in the podcast. A phone is really not much without service, and having nice options is always good. This is an unlocked device, so you can activate it with any GSM carrier of your choice. The “big guys” will be AT&T and T-Mobile.

    Nexus 5What about CDMA carriers? After all, the phone does sport CDMA radios. Well, you can leave Verizon out of the picture here. Verizon will not support anything that doesn’t come from them. Unless Verizon releases a Nexus 5 (and there seem to be no plans for that), you will not be able to use the Nexus 5 in their network.

    Now let’s go into the juicy stuff. The following news really threw me off my chair – you can purchase a Nexus 5 from the Play Store and activate it on Sprint! This is huge a huge move for a CDMA carrier. Such carriers usually keep things locked to their own devices, due to compatibility and support.

    Why is Sprint allowing this? Chances are their own device is the same and they are just going easy on it. Sprint and T-Mobile will have the Nexus 5 available soon, so you can also get the devices straight from them.

    Let’s talk Android 4.4 KitKAt

    android-kitkat

    Along with the Nexus 5 comes Android 4.4 KitKat. In many ways, software is much more important than hardware, so this could have been the biggest news for you. The improved Android version comes with some good updates, which you can read all about in our official Android 4.4 announcement article. You can also watch 56 minutes of video that will tell you all about Android 4.4 KitKat.

    The biggest step that Android 4.4 takes is that it is optimized to run even on lower-end devices (only needs 512 MB of RAM to run). Now this doesn’t mean all of our old phones will be updated. That is based on the manufacturer and how they choose to spend their time and resources. All this means is the manufacturer CAN update lower-end phones if it wants.

    Moto X video leak Hello Google NowMy favorite feature is the ability to launch Google Now via voice from the home screen. Simply say “OK Google” and you can start voice searching whatever your heart desires. This is not as awesome as Motorola’s always-listening features, but it’s cool nonetheless.

    Other improvements include the new Hangouts app, which is not complete yet (needs Google Voice calling), but it does support SMS and MMS now. There is also Caller ID for unknown numbers (mainly to identify local businesses), built-in Cloud printing and more.

    When will my phone get Android 4.4 KitKat?

    nexus devices nexus 10 7 4If you don’t have a Nexus or Google Play Edition device, you will more than likely have to wait months before you get a taste of delicious KitKat. We know what devices Motorola is planning to update, as well as HTC, but we don’t know when. Now if you happen to be under Google’s wing, things are very different.

    In fact, Nexus and Google Play Edition devices will be getting Android 4.4 within “a few weeks”. This includes the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition and HTC One Google Play Edition.

    We suppose those with older Nexus devices are out of luck. Everything that is born has to die some day, guys. Who knows, maybe Google will update those older devices later!

    Download the Android 4.4/Nexus 5 apps!

    Excited about Android 4.4 KitKat but won’t be getting the Nexus 5? Maybe you want to get a taste of what the improved experience will be like, so we took the Android 4.4 factory image and took it all apart. The result? The APK files for the new apps and software!

    Now, be warned that some of these apps won’t work. That or they have to be installed directly into system/apps, and even then they may crash. You have to know your way around. It’s kind of a hit or miss situation, but you can join the conversation in the articles’ comment sections to see how it is all working for others.

    The most popular problem we found was that Voice Search was crashing when installed (from the Google Experience Launcher article). One of our readers found a quick way to fix it, but we are not sure it will work for everybody.

    Here is the fix:

    • Long press the home screen, select Settings.
    • Select Voice.
    • Select Language to change the default.
    • Change to another language, I choose English – UK.
    • Hit Home.
    • Do a Google Search.
    • Repeat the first three steps.
    • Change back to English – US.

    If this doesn’t work, you may have to have root access in order to make this work. The library file can be replaced if you have root access, which can fix the problem permanently. Or the problem can come back after a reboot. Like we said, it’s all hit or miss… and can get complicated.

    Should I get the Nexus 5

    We put together an awesome comparison post. It includes the Nexus 5 (of course) and other popular phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5S. The Nexus 5 fairs very well against the big guys, but is it worth your hard-earned cash?

    It depends. If you are looking to get a phone off-contract and your carrier of choice supports the device, we say HELL YEAH! You won’t get more bang for your buck. There is simply no better phone at the Nexus 5′s price range.

    nexus5-inventory

    Check out all of our Nexus 5 and KitKat coverage to learn more. And don’t forget to join the conversation at the Nexus 5 forums!

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    Android World Update # 12-inch Samsung Galaxy Note tablet passes through the FCC

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    thumbnail 12-inch Samsung Galaxy Note tablet passes through the FCC
    Nov 1st 2013, 16:50, by Andrew Grush

    samsung galaxy note 10.1 aa (8)

    Going back as early as June we’ve heard several reports that Samsung is readying a 12-inch tablet that will possibly be part of the Note series. Since then, there has been continued whispers about such a device, and now it looks like the large-screened tablet might have even passed through the FCC.

    A new FCC filing for the Samsung SM-P905 reveals a tablet with a diagonal size of 14.1-inches, which means the display could likely be somewhere right around 12 inches. The information also details various Wi-Fi and mobile broadband standards supported by the device.

    FCC-note-12-tablet-2

    Interestingly enough, a concept photo of the back of the device also shows a notch that is likely the S-Pen holder. This gives further credence to the idea that this behemoth of a tablet is in fact a new 12-inch Samsung Galaxy Note tablet.

    While the FCC information doesn’t appear to reveal any other solid details on the tablet, other past rumors help us piece together the rest. For starters, we’ve already seen several rumors and leaks that suggest the tablet's resolution will be 2560×1600.

    FCC-note-12-tablet

    As for the tablet’s other specs, a recent AnTuTu sighting indicates the new tablet with have a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, an 8MP rear cam, 2MP front cam, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, a 12.2-inch display and will run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box.

    With all these leaks it's pretty clear Samsung is planning something, but until we have official information about Samsung's plans for the SM-P905, speculation is still advised.

    We have to admit that the idea of an over-sized Note tablet sounds pretty cool, especially for artists and other creative types out there. What do you think, would you be interested in a Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2, or is the form fact just too big?

     

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    Android World Update # New Android Design Comes to Pandora Radio 5

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    New Android Design Comes to Pandora Radio 5
    Nov 1st 2013, 16:33, by Anthony Muzonzini

    Pandora’s music experience for Android has been notoriously bad, but that is starting to change as the music streaming service has launched a new interface for Android tablets. The company has recently been focusing on improving the Android experience for its users. In fact before the new update had been introduced, Pandora didn’t have an app specifically for Android tablets and if you were using the smartphone version on a tablet the experience wasn’t up to par to be honest. A new UI arrived for iOS users back in September and now Android users are getting the same thing, at least those that haven’t already gone to Xbox Music, Rdio or Google Music.

    pandora1
    The new Pandora UI for Android Tablets is now providing a better experience for users / © Pandora

    (This is a preview - click here to read the entire entry.)

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    Android World Update # Android Community

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    Google Glass v2 hardware now arriving for Explorers
    Nov 1st 2013, 17:10, by Robert Nelson

    Google has yet to offer a public launch date for Glass, however they recently began opening the Explorer program a bit. Basically, hinting the program is going smooth. Anyway, Google mentioned that existing Explorers would be able to invite up to three more friends into the world of Glass. And along with that, there was also mention of updated hardware.

    IMG_20131101_103900

    At the time, Google didn’t offer much in terms of when we could expect the updated hardware to begin arriving. They did post an image showing Google Glass v2 shortly after the announcement, but now it looks like the units have begun arriving for users. Det Ansinn of BrickSimple LLC has recently shared some images on his Google+ page.

    bricksimple-glass-01

    Perhaps more important though, along with a real-world style image of Glass v2 being worn — we are beginning to get some details on the hardware. For example, there was mention of how the earbud will work with the old devices and about how the bone conduction remains the same. Nathan Russak, also of BrickSimple LLC said; “The earbud is simply an optional accessory for when you want some additional volume (for phone calls, etc) since the bone conduction speaker is pretty quiet.”

    bricksimple-glass-02

    While the new hardware sounds like a good option for those getting invited into the Explorer program now, there is the question as to whether existing Explorers should update. Of course, that is a personal decision and we suspect extending the length of the warranty (by getting new Glass) could be beneficial, but otherwise, it seems as if the hardware is largely the same.

    To that point, both Ansinn and Russak had similar comments on the new hardware. Ansinn mentioned how “there are no obvious physical changes with the hardware” and Russak said there is “no noticeable physical change to the device.”

    PLAiR 2 streaming dongle unveiled with Android app support
    Nov 1st 2013, 17:03, by Robert Nelson

    PLAiR may not be a name that everyone is familiar with, however the functionality of the PLAiR 2, which has been announced today will be familiar. Basically, you can think Chromecast, but with much more ability. PLAiR 2 is, as the name would imply, a second-generation device and this time around there has been some added functionality as well as a drop in price.

    plair-540-02

    PLAiR is a dongle, again similar to the Chromecast. It measures in at 4.0 x 1.4 x 0.46-inches and attaches to your television using HDMI. The PLAiR 2 also has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for connectivity, a micro-USB port for power and will support streaming from a wide variety of Android devices. Basically, anything running Android 2.3 or later. There is also support for Windows (XP or higher) and Mac (OS X 10.6 or higher) computers as well as iOS devices.

    plair-540-01

    The kicker here, the PLAiR 2 brings support for Android apps. Users will be able to install these apps directly to the PLAiR 2. The apps can be installed from the Google Play Store or the Amazon Appstore and some of the specifics mentioned include Netflix and Hulu Plus as well as games such as Angry Birds. The PLAiR 2 is also able to stream local content such as images and video.

    plair-android-remote-nexus plair-android-remote-smartphone

    On the computer side, that means local content and web content streamed by way of a Chrome extension. Users on both a computer or mobile device will also be able to stream locally stored presentation files to the television. The PLAiR 2 supports AAC and MP3 for audio and JPG for images.

    PLAiR 2 will be available for pre-order beginning today and is expected to begin shipping on November 8th. Those looking to make a purchase can expect to shell out $49, which is down from $99 and the unit will be available with Amazon, Newegg and direct from the PLAiR website.

    SOURCE: PLAiR

    tv_appsScreen_allapps tv_appsScreen_angrybird tv_appsScreen_home_angrybird tv_appsScreen_home_netflix tv_appsScreen_home_spotify tv_appsScreen_home tv_appsScreen_netflix tv_appsScreen_spotify tv_appsScreen_xfinity

    Google sued by Microsoft/Blackberry owned Rockstar
    Nov 1st 2013, 16:31, by Nate Swanner

    The seemingly endless litigation tech companies engage in just took a very serious tone. While suing over iPhone designs or WiFi radios is important, even interesting, it's not necessarily crucial to the way a company does business. A new lawsuit filed against Google threatens the absolute core of what Google does, and it could get ugly.

    google_logo_flat_print_hires-540x178


    Rockstar — a company owned by heavy hitters like Apple, Microsoft, Blackberry, Ericsson and Sony — has filed suit against Google. The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court, claims Google infringed on several patents that have to do with search results and advertising. More to the point, the lawsuit claims Google is infringing on patents by using search results to return targeted advertising.

    We see the action daily, even if we choose not to pay it any mind. You search for something like pocket knives, then you visit some random website. Lo and behold, there's an ad for pocket knives — even if the site has nothing to do with knives, or camping, or anything that could possibly be related to your search. That's the most glaring example of how your search results are targeted to advertising, and it's a massive part of Google's revenue stream.

    These patents are all from a company named Nortel, which Google tried to purchase when the company went bankrupt in 2011. Google's initial offer for $900 million found it's way to $4.4 billion through a bidding war with — you guessed it — Rockstar. Rockstar ended up with Nortel's patents, and Google ended up purchasing Motorola shortly thereafter, in what many felt was a patent grab. Now, Rockstar is aiming their patent cannons at Google, and this one will be war.

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