Android World

Monday, May 6, 2013

Android and Me

Posted: 05 May 2013 06:49 AM PDT

I watched Saturday Night Live last night and it was pretty bad, but the Weekend Update did make me laugh. Check out tech correspondent Randall Meeks as he shows off the new Google Glass.

Android Phone Fans

What I expect to see at Google I/O

Posted: 05 May 2013 09:27 AM PDT

Google I/O 2013 is nearly upon us, and we should be seeing some big announcements on the Android, Chrome, Nexus and Google TV front.

Google Android News Android Forums

NASA receives images from Nexus PhoneSat satellites

Posted: 05 May 2013 06:43 AM PDT

NASA certainly isn’t new to the task of taking images of the earth from space— however, this would be the first time that these images were taken using “PhoneSats,” a new, super-cheap, super-small type of satellite powered by Android smartphones.

Launched into orbit last month with the goal of showing that it is possible to create space-worthy hardware from consumer-grade devices, Alexander, Graham, and Bell (the names of the three satellite devices) returned blurry images before burning up in the atmosphere as planned on April 27th.

Using their stock cameras, the three satellites, built from two HTC Nexus One smartphones and one Samsung Nexus S smartphone, snapped images and transmitted them back to the earth in separate pieces, as packets of data over the UHF radio band.

Surprisingly, the project only cost NASA $3,500 per satellite, including build and launch. The next generation of the PhoneSats are expected to launch later this year, with added functionality and increased longevity.

Source: NASA

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Fullscreen BEAM app helps Google Glass users share videos

Posted: 04 May 2013 04:26 PM PDT

Although Google Glass is not yet in the hands of many owners and retail availability may be a year away, developers are moving full steam ahead with the development of apps. Fullscreen Labs has jumped into the fray with a new app called Fullscreen BEAM that enables users to upload videos from Google Glass directly to their YouTube account.

Like other apps we have seen, the process of “installing” the app really just consists of visiting a web site, signing up, and associating your Google Glass device with your account. Once that step is completed, Fullscreen BEAM app users can upload their videos straight to YouTube. A couple options are available, including the ability to mark videos as private when uploaded. Doing so might be a good idea for users who can review the videos at a later time to decide whether it is really something they want out in public. The app also has options to configure a user’s Twitter account so links to new videos can be tweeted automatically.

Check out the video below to see a small sample of how it works. If you are one of the lucky few with a Google Glass device, you can check out the app by visiting https://beam.fullscreen.net/about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: SlashGear

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Android Central

From the Editor's Desk: Quick hits
The Head and the Heart - a rising band available on Google Play
Three ways to add camera shortcuts to the Galaxy S4 lock screen
International roundup: Galaxy S4 launch, HTC One update and Sony Honami rumors
'SNL' skewers Google Glass
Testing builds of Paranoid Android with Halo now available for Nexus 4 and Nexus 7
Mystery LG handset leaks out with no physical buttons

From the Editor's Desk: Quick hits

Posted: 05 May 2013 04:06 PM PDT

Android Central

We've reached another Sunday. The beginning of a new week, or maybe the end of the last one, depending on how you roll. We've got a ton of phones on our desks, so many words to be written, and a few more trips hitting the itinerary.

So, let's not dilly-dally. A few quick hits for this week's effort:

The Head and the Heart - a rising band available on Google Play

Posted: 05 May 2013 12:15 PM PDT

the head and the heart

I’m a huge music fan and I tend to enjoy all genres. If you’re not fond of much of the music today that is too often full of auto-tune and artificial sound, I have a recommendation for you. The Head and the Heart is a band that originated in Seattle and boasts many different styles, specifically folk, rock and Americana. I discovered them a few years back after they released their self titled debut album and I was fascinated by the lyrics and melody put forth by the three lead singers. From their songs and several YouTube videos that I checked out, I was immediately struck by their passion for authentic music and sound. They are a talented band and deserve a lot more attention in the age of auto tune. Their first album can be bought for $9.49 from Google Play.

The Head and the Heart - "The Head and the Heart" from Google Play

Three ways to add camera shortcuts to the Galaxy S4 lock screen

Posted: 05 May 2013 08:09 AM PDT

As with many features of the Galaxy S4, there's more than one way to get a camera shortcut on the lock screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is brimming with features, but right out of the box you could be forgiven for thinking there's no way of unlocking the phone straight into the camera app. Like many of the S4's advanced features, this is optional, and disabled by default. Enabling it is easy enough, but as it turns out there are three different kinds of camera shortcuts you can put on the Galaxy S4's lock screen.

International roundup: Galaxy S4 launch, HTC One update and Sony Honami rumors

Posted: 05 May 2013 06:42 AM PDT

Galaxy S4, HTC One

It's been a bit week for Samsung, with the European launch of its Galaxy S4 handset getting underway in full force. Meanwhile, the HTC One got its first over-the-air update, fixing bugs and tweaking the phone's "Ultrapixel" camera. And on the subject of cameras, we heard the first news of what might be Sony's mid-year refresh, with new Cyber-shot imaging tech on-board.

Get caught up on the week's international Android news after the break.

'SNL' skewers Google Glass

Posted: 05 May 2013 05:27 AM PDT

Probably funnier if you haven't already been subjected to this. Still, not a bad effort.

Source: NBC

Testing builds of Paranoid Android with Halo now available for Nexus 4 and Nexus 7

Posted: 04 May 2013 05:44 PM PDT

Halo

New Halo notification system is ready for testing, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 owners can download today

A couple of days ago we talked about the upcoming Paranoid Android ROM and its new Halo feature. Part chat heads, part awesome, and a rewrite of the Android framework make this one of the neatest tricks we've seen in a while from any third-party development team.

Starting today, those of you with a Nexus 4 or a Nexus 7 can give it a try, as the team has made some early testing builds available for download. Be warned, these are by no means finished, and will surely have a fair share of bugs. We know that's hardly going to stop a slew of people from giving this a try.

A build for the Oppo Find 5 is also in the works, and a Galaxy Nexus version is promised when there's time. If you are feeling a little adventurous, and not afraid to try something new, hit the source link for the details and download links. The video of Halo in action is after the break as a refresher.

Source: +Paranoid Android. Thanks, David!

Mystery LG handset leaks out with no physical buttons

Posted: 04 May 2013 05:42 PM PDT

Evleaks offers first glimpse of buttonless LG phone with unique earpiece

Prolific leaker Evleaks has posted images of what could be a future LG handset. The device, pictured on Facebook, shows a spartan front face with only an LG logo down below. There's also a curved glass front and an unusual looking reflective earpiece. In today's post, the leaker offers a guess that this might be the rumored Optimus G2.

The mystery phone seems to share some design cues with the Nexus 4, but there's no suggestion at all that this is a Nexus device -- for one, LG's branding is very much front and center. But it could indicate a change of tack for LG, if it's to join the likes of Motorola and Sony with a push towards on-screen buttons. (It's a move that would undoubtedly please Android purists.)

For the moment that's about all we can surmise from an image showing a featureless phone with a blank screen. If you've got any theories of your own, be sure to shout out in the comments. The original image is linked below, as is a close-up of the bezel.

Phil weighing in here: The Optimus G Pro has nicely hidden buttons as well. I'm willing to bet there are a couple on either side of that LG Logo.

Source: Evleaks (Original, bezel close-up)