Android Authority |
- Lenovo mid-range IdeaTab S2109 tablet unveiled, coming soon
- Report: the Google – Motorola merger has made Android manufacturers unhappy
- RIM removes PlayBook’s Android app sideloading feature, to avoid “the chaotic cesspool of Android market”
- Nvidia Tegra 4 vs Samsung Exynos: Rumor Roundup
- Team Kang brings Navigation Bar customization with AOKP build 30
- 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus to hit AT&T within the next month?
- Multi-touch hack for Nook Simple Touch lets you play Angry Birds on your e-reader
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 listed on QVC for $310
- WO Mic: Using your Android phone as a virtual mic for your desktop
- Facebook agrees to buy Instagram for $1Billion Dollars [Breaking News]
| Lenovo mid-range IdeaTab S2109 tablet unveiled, coming soon Posted: 09 Apr 2012 03:06 PM PDT Lenovo hasn't unveiled or released a tablet for a while now, which is not a very "standard" behavior for the Chinese-based technology company, but the silence is about to be disturbed pretty soon. The Lenovo IdeaTab S2019 is a mid-range Android-based tablet, and, even though it doesn't yet have an official release date or price tag next to its name, it should hit the market rather soon. With a 9.7-inch 4:3 aspect display (very similar to the one sported by Apple's iPad), the S2019 doesn't have a full spec sheet officially confirmed, but it’s likely that it will be oriented towards the mid-range market. The IPS panel will come with 1024 x 768 resolution, while under the hood we still don't know much about the device. Early rumors pointed towards either a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor or a 1.5 GHz Krait chipset, but the guys at SlashGear are saying that the tablet will in fact be powered by a TI OMAP proc. Lenovo's future slate should draw some attention with its looks, as it is set to come with a unibody shell, a "gunmetal" finish, and an 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) profile. As far as I can tell from the first official photos, the 10-incher does look elegant and slim, but it might actually not feature a metallic body. Other known features include a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a microUSB port, microHDMI, and a microSD card slot. The device will also feature four SRS Trumedia speakers on the back and a battery that should last for ten hours between charges, according to manufacturer claims (I would expect an hour or two less in day-to-day use, though). Finally, in terms of software, the Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and will offer both Google Play access and access to Lenovo's own app store. There are still a lot of unknowns about the Lenovo IdeaTab S2109, but, for the time being, I think it's safe to say that this is a pretty interesting tablet, which could draw some attention from technology enthusiasts in the near future. Stay tuned on our website for more details about the 10-incher, and, in the meantime, don't forget to let us know your opinions on Lenovo's future mid-ranger! This article, Lenovo mid-range IdeaTab S2109 tablet unveiled, coming soon , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Report: the Google – Motorola merger has made Android manufacturers unhappy Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:50 PM PDT
As it stands, Google's acquisition of Motorola is pretty much a done deal, despite the fact that China’s approval is still pending. So who's to say Google won't start favorizing their in-house manufacturer as soon as the next quarter? Apparently, nobody, as an industry insider recently told Business Insider that several Android manufacturers felt insulted by Google's decision to buy their own manufacturer. As it turns out, some companies believe that they will soon start being treated as second rate customers. The unnamed insider went on to confirm previous rumors on the subject by claiming that an increasing number of manufacturers plan to start releasing devices running forked (modified) versions of Android as soon as the end of this year. But as it turns out, manufacturers are so sick of being unable to distinguish themselves in the Android manufacturer jungle that they are also planning on developing their own operating systems. Forked versions of Android are reportedly considered as a solution only until the manufacturers in question are able to come up with a mobile OS of their own. Apparently, these manufactures felt highly encouraged by the commercial success of Amazon's Kindle Fire, as well as that of Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablets. While the names of the unsatisfied manufacturers are unknown, it is unlikely that successful manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, or ASUS would have any reason to turn their backs on Android. But it should be noted that Business Insider's source did mention that a big device maker has already completed work on a forked version of Android. I'm no prophet, but Dell and LG are a couple of names I'm willing to wager some spare change on. According to the source, the first Google Experience tablet will still be built by ASUS (as previously rumored), but its follow-up will be built by Motorola. Just so it's noted, even if Google doesn't start giving special privileges to Motorola, Big M is likely to be one of the Nexus device manufacturers in the future. HTC and Samsung also manufactured Nexus devices in the past, so why wouldn't Motorola get that chance? If you thought the Android ecosystem is fragmented at this point, I'm sure we'll have to come up with a more powerful word to describe the situation if an increasing number of forked versions of Android will soon populate the consumer market. I'm sincerely hoping this won't happen, but feel free to crush my optimism in the comment section below! No related posts. This article, Report: the Google – Motorola merger has made Android manufacturers unhappy , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:40 PM PDT As we've previously reported here at Android Authority, Research In Motion is currently suffering a sharp decline in sale numbers, with slim (if any) chances of recovery. As if their current offerings weren’t already bested by almost any manufacturer out there, it is in this context that the Canadian company has announced that a future OS update will remove the user ability to sideload Android apps on the Blackberry PlayBook. On a slight upside though, the feature will continue to be available to app developers. According to a recent tweet by RIM's VP of developer relations Alec Saunders, the Canadian manufacturer was forced to take this measure in an attempt to fight the increasing Android piracy problem: "Piracy is a huge problem for Android devs, and we don't want to duplicate the chaotic cesspool of Android Market" he said. Given the fact that the sideloading feature is a major factor in the general developer dissatisfaction towards the RIM App World, many believe that removing the user ability to sideload apps is only an obvious move, given RIM's ambitions to tend to developer needs. Indeed, if the App World should stand any chance against its major competitors (Apple's App Market, Google Play, and the Windows Marketplace), RIM's platform needs to be in increasingly better relations with app developers. On the other hand, as RIM officials have declared that the company will pay more attention in the future to the enterprise market, it only makes sense for RIM to make their platform even more secure than it already is, thus increasing their advantage in this sector. Although removing the sideloading ability is obviously a positive step towards making the platform more appealing to developers, it is definitely also something that no PlayBook owners is going to enjoy. For many, the PlayBook's ability to also run Android apps was a strong selling point for the RIM tablet. With this move, RIM might have won a few developers to their side, but they've also pushed a lot of prospective buyers away. What do you guys think? Is this a good move from RIM? Or will it bury the company even deeper? Let us know what you think in the comment section below! No related posts. This article, RIM removes PlayBook’s Android app sideloading feature, to avoid “the chaotic cesspool of Android market” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Nvidia Tegra 4 vs Samsung Exynos: Rumor Roundup Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:23 PM PDT When the Nvidia Tegra 3 platform was first announced, with its four (plus one) Cortex-A9 cores, it was unquestionably, the best SoC on the horizon. Since then, we’ve seen competitors such as Qualcomm pushing the limits of dual-core processors, as seen with benchmark comparisons of Tegra 3 vs Snapdragon S4. But slowly, the once highly-acclaimed Tegra 3 processor begins to lose its luster. Adding to the problems for Nvidia, Samsung will likely use its Exynos quad-core processor (expected to be clocked at 1.8Ghz) paired with 2GB RAM, to power the most awaited Android device of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S3. So it might already be time for Nvidia to look towards the future. And it seems that’s exactly what the Santa Clara-based giant is doing, if a leak reported by VR-Zone is to be believed. Based on this leak and on the other rumors, here’s a brief summary of what we know about the two upcoming powerhouses, the Nvidia Tegra 4 and the Samsung Exynos 4412. Nvidia Tegra 4If the above “leak” is trustworthy, and I’m not entirely sure it is, it seems that Nvidia is preparing to unleash its quad-core processors featuring ARM Cortex-A15 cores, clocked at 1.2 to 2.0 Ghz, and pegged to arrive as early as Q1 2013. This roadmap would be in line with remarks made by Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, that we should expect “a new Tegra every year.” This move to Cortex-A15 cores is an overdue step in the right direction for Nvidia, with the A15 cores (used in Qualcomm’s Krait designs that put the Tegra 3 to shame in benchmarks) being far superior to the A9 design found at the core of the Tegra 3 chip. Samsung: Exynos 4412 and Exynos 5250With the Exynos 4412 already clocking a rumored 1.8 Ghz, Nvidia’s efforts to beef up the upcoming Tegra 4 chips might be (again, if the leaks and rumors are true) a case of too little too late. The Exynos 4412, as presented at MWC, will be clocking an expected 1.5 Ghz, which would translate to 35-50% better performance compared to Samsung’s previous chips, without compromising battery life. Moreover, rumors have surfaced that Samsung will be using an Exynos 4412 processor in the Samsung Galaxy S3, clocked at no less than 1.8Ghz, making it the most powerful Android phone to arrive to the market this season. LTE compatibilityCurrent quad-core processors don’t integrate LTE radio, forcing manufacturers to look for workarounds, as exemplified by the utilization of dual-core Snapdragon S4 processors for the US versions of the HTC One X (featuring Tegra 3 in the global version). With every major carrier moving to 4G LTE networks, it might be a while until US consumers get their hands on some quad-core delight. From the above “leak”, it looks like Nvidia is addressing this concern with the SP3X processor, which has in-built LTE capability (probably courtesy of radio tech from Icera, acquired by Nvidia a while ago). But with an expected (if the information is accurate) Q3 2013 release date, Nvidia’s LTE-enabled SoCs are a very long time away. There is no information on whether Samsung’s future Exynos designs will have LTE radio functionality built-in, but if it does, and it’s a big if, it could be a game-changer for Samsung in the US market. ConclusionProcessor technology is evolving at a furious pace, with chips getting smaller and pushing out more power with every design iteration. It’s too early to come up with definitive analyses on which company will come on top in the “processor wars” but it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. This article, Nvidia Tegra 4 vs Samsung Exynos: Rumor Roundup , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Team Kang brings Navigation Bar customization with AOKP build 30 Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:19 PM PDT One of the biggest selling point of Android is its open source nature, that allows users to customize the OS to suit their own needs. Of course this requires a certain degree of technical competency that a lot of “regular” users lack. Luckily, actual “computer scientists” have been working hard to create custom ROMs for the everyday user to enjoy. One such group of custom ROM creators is Team Kang, responsible for bringing to you the Android Open Kang Project (AOKP). The AOKP ROMs provide extensive customization and have gone from strength-to-strength in over 30 builds, to become one of the most popular Android custom ROMs around. If you were impressed with Team Kang and the AOKP so far, the next customization takes it to a whole new level. The three-button navigation bar on Android 4.0 devices has, till now, served as a replacement for physical menu buttons. But with the AOKP build 30, that is not the case anymore. The latest release from Team Kang brings the possibility to fully customize the navigation bar, with features including:
You can watch a video of the customization abilities of the navigation bar here, courtesy of Team Kang member Zaphod-Beeble: Apart from the awesome navigation bar mod, the build also fixes some previous issues with the ROM including:
You can read the complete changelog and find download and installation instructions here. Of course, flashing your device with a custom ROM comes with a set of standard warnings. There is always a small risk of something going wrong, leaving you with a previously-expensive brick. Always remember to backup your device before going through with custom ROM flashing, and being somewhat familiar with the process helps. What are your thoughts? Is the customization of the navigation bar important to you? What are the first apps or actions you will add to the navigation bar? This article, Team Kang brings Navigation Bar customization with AOKP build 30 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus to hit AT&T within the next month? Posted: 09 Apr 2012 02:01 PM PDT Even though it's still one of the most important and popular Android-based smartphone around, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has managed to put technology enthusiasts in America in a total haze due to its limited availability. There is only one 4G LTE version of Google’s flagship device (on Verizon) on the market today, and no GSM/UMTS models officially available in the US. According to a fresh rumor from Androrev, which supposedly comes from very close to "the inside", there might finally be a 4G LTE version of the smartphone available on AT&T soon. If this proves to be true, customers craving a Galaxy Nexus will have a pretty wide choice, with Sprint also planning a 4G version release sometime this month. The rumors seems pretty legit – not only do the guys at Androrev are saying that they have gotten word from "a very good source", but they also claim to know the SIM card SKU numbers of the handhelds currently in testing. While we surely welcome the news (or rumor, whatever), we can't help but wonder if it won't be a bit too late to draw the attention of customers and fans. I mean, like I said, this is still a very popular and cool smartphone, but with HTC One X's imminent release and with the Galaxy S3 also coming (sort of) soon, I don't know how many of you will be interested in getting the Nexus these days. While I am not usually a betting man, in this particular case, I am almost sure that we will be hearing soon from AT&T about an official 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus release. When will this happen is still unclear, but I suppose it will be very close to Sprint's launch of the 4G Nexus, suspected to take place on April 22. We should also mention the fact that, according to the same rumor, AT&T is currently testing the GNex with standard-size SIM cards, and not micro-SIM like Verizon's recent 4G devices, which is a bit strange, if you ask me, but it won't make very much of a difference for the average customer. So, how about it, guys? Is it too little too late for the GNex, or is the Galaxy Nexus still on top of your shopping list for the near future? Hit us with your comments and let us know! This article, 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus to hit AT&T within the next month? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Multi-touch hack for Nook Simple Touch lets you play Angry Birds on your e-reader Posted: 09 Apr 2012 01:30 PM PDT If you don't want to cough up the extra money to get Barnes & Noble's Nook Color, which is one of the cheaper Android tablets in the market, but you are willing to engage in some Frankenstein-style experiments with the Nook Simple Touch, the following hack will turn the monochrome e-reader into a respectable Android tablet, complete with multi-touch capability! The bright minds at XDA-Developers have found new ways for you to be more productive when using the Nook Simple Touch. Well, it remains to be seen how productive you will be once you discover that you can play Angry Birds on the Nook Simple Touch’s monochrome e-ink screen. While B&N’s e-reader has seen its fair share of Android-related hacks, one can argue that this is the best one yet. Aside from increasing its usefulness when playing games, you can also use multi-touch gestures when browsing the web or reading PDF files. As you can see from the videos below, the hack works pretty smooth. Just to understand the risks associated with such undertaking, some users have reported screen lockups on their Nook Simple Touch after performing the mod. If you feel that it's a risk worth taking, you can head down to the source to download the zip file and flash it to your Nook Simple Touch, via ClockworkMod recovery. Note that a rooted device is mandatory for the hack. Alternatively, you can just get the Nook Color for $169, which is just $70 more than the Nook Simple Touch. You'll get to read, play, and browse on the tablet's 7-inch multi-touch IPS display, all in full color. But whatever floats your Android boat and all that. This article, Multi-touch hack for Nook Simple Touch lets you play Angry Birds on your e-reader , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 listed on QVC for $310 Posted: 09 Apr 2012 12:48 PM PDT Following in the footsteps of variou Z-list celebrities who sell various products, such as jewelry, clothing, or perfume on TV, Samsung has apparently listed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 on the The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 was briefly available for order on QVC's website today, until it was taken down just moments ago. We don't know if someone put the product page up too early, but this clearly fits in with previous reports about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 series being delayed for the end of the month. One good piece of news that we can extract from this incident is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will most likely be in the $300-$350 price range. The 8GB variant of the mid-range slate was priced at $310 on QVC. Given the home shopping network's tendency to discount their TV offerings, we reckon the regular price of the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 would be a few bucks more than what was listed online. We're thinking something along the lines of $350 or less. So now we know more about the devices in Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 series and their pricing. As we reported on Saturday, a leak originating from Office Depot revealed the price of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which is set at a cool $399.99. Seems like a rather pricey bunch for mid-range Android tablets, isn’t it? Selling the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 on QVC is by no means a bad move, and Samsung has done it before with their previous tablets. Just think about the exposure that the device will get as the network regularly repeats the segment throughout the day for as long as the deal lasts. Samsung probably has its eyes set on soccer moms that just don't know yet that they need a tablet in their life. What do you think about the price tags of the upcoming Tabs? No related posts. This article, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 listed on QVC for $310 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| WO Mic: Using your Android phone as a virtual mic for your desktop Posted: 09 Apr 2012 11:05 AM PDT Our Android phones and tablets can perform numerous functions besides mere phone calls, SMS texting, and web browsing, but often take these things for granted because most of the time we use it for playing games, watching videos and using other apps. In turn, we don’t get to know some of the things that our Android devices can do for us. For example, maybe you don’t know that you can actually use your device as a backup modem, speaker, and virtual microphone–with the help of an app such as WO Mic, that is. Why on earth would you make your phone as a microphone if you can just buy a backup mic? First of all, that’s kind of bulky, and second, if you really are in a hurry, your phone is one of the things that you probably would not forget. So, if you are in an important online meeting and your microphone suddenly jammed, you can always grab your phone and let the show go on. WO Mic makes these things possible. This application is developed by Wireless Orange and it is made for the sole purpose of turning your Android device into a virtual microphone. How it worksAll you need to do is to install this app on your device and install the WO Mic desktop client on your computer, and you are good to go. Of course, you have to connect your phone to your computer for it to work. The great thing about this is that when you are really in a hurry and you forgot to bring a USB cable, it will still work because you can also connect your device to your PC via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Setting up this application is just quick however, you probably need to install software or a driver so that your computer can recognize your device as a microphone, but you can do that very quickly, as well. This app really is simple but handy especially if you are a busy person in terms of online chatting or a frequent user of Skype. In terms of compatibility, there is a setback, because this app only supports Windows PCs, but hopefully a new multi-platform version will be developed in the coming months. This app really is not that sophisticated and comprehensive to address all your possible PC needs, but it sure is a great thing to have for emergencies. So, if you think you can benefit from the functionality that WO Mic brings, why not give it a try? Who knows you might even like using your phone as a virtual mic than you would an actual microphone. You can download WO Mic from the Google Play Store, and the WO Mic desktop client for your computer can be downloaded from here (with instructions for configuring the drivers). This article, WO Mic: Using your Android phone as a virtual mic for your desktop , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Facebook agrees to buy Instagram for $1Billion Dollars [Breaking News] Posted: 09 Apr 2012 10:27 AM PDT A few days ago we had some articles on Instagram, the immensely popular photo-editing and sharing application. It gained unbelievable momentum on iOS, and was released to Android late last month. Facebook’s owner Mark Zuckerberg announced their planned acquisition of the application for One Billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) on his public Timeline. This compensation is understood to be a mixture of Cash and Stock. It seems that Instagram will continue to be built as a separate entity to Facebook, but the services will start to have increasing inter-network ties to one another. An important point to note in the letter is:
Instagram’s CEO has made a public letter on their blog. This announcement contains a section similar to Facebook’s:
We shall bring you more on this story as it unfolds, as well as updating this article. Go ahead and let us know your thoughts on this announcement. Here is Mark Zuckerberg’s public letter in full:
This article, Facebook agrees to buy Instagram for $1Billion Dollars [Breaking News] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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