Sunday, April 15, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority

Desk Migrate: App for copying homescreens across different home launchers

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:03 AM PDT

One of the reasons why people love Android is how customizable it is. You don’t have to be stuck with the same out-of-the-box package as everyone else. Instead, Android allows you to tailor your mobile device experience to just the way you like it.

The Google Play Store alone is jampacked with all the apps one could dream of, and some apps even have customizable skins. A whole slew of ROMs have also emerged, some packing stock with a little extra touch. Others stripped stock of their unwieldy bloatware to give users a streamlined experience.

We’ve seen launchers that make your Android tablet look like it’s running iOS. Everyday dedicated Android developers are creating bigger, bolder, and better ideas to make Android devices indispensable in our day-to-day lives.  There’s no end to customization as far as Android is concerned. But, what if we could push that envelope further and customize an already customized experience?

Each ROM comes with unique looks. Some of them stick to stock firmware as closely as possible, while others have completely redesigned looks. The homescreen is the first thing the ROM greets you with, and from there, you can explore just what a ROM can do.

Sometimes we find ROMs that perform the way we like them, but don’t have the same aesthetic as another ROM we found appealing but just not in terms of performance. What if we could take that homescreen we loved so much and pasted it on the ROM that fits us best?

Desk Migrate does just that. Developed by Lucky Art, Desk Migrate allows Android users to copy homescreens from one launcher to another. You don’t even have to update your software to make it work. Simply install Desk Migrate on your Android device and you’re good to go.

Say that you’ve got an Android 4.0+ Ice Cream Sandwich device and you’d like the look of Apex Launcher. Copy Apex Launcher’s homescreen and stick it onto your Ice Cream Sandwich to give you a powerful and highly customizable homescreen replacement.

You can also take Nova Launcher’s homescreen for your Ice Cream Sandwich device. If you’ve long been admiring the sleek aesthetic of the iOS interface, you can check out Espier Launcher HD and apply its homescreen to your current software.

Pick a homescreen you love and copy it to the software that best suits your needs and workflow. The possibilities are endless. Desk Migrate allows you a highly unique Android experience that you can really call your own.

Copying homescreens using Desk Migrate is easy and can be done quickly. Unfortunately, Desk Migrate cannot copy widgets at this time, so users will have to reinstall them after copying the homescreen. Other users complained that Desk Migrate suffered a huge lack of instructions and that they were not sure what to do. These problems may be resolved in future updates of the Desk Migrate app.

If you’d like to start customizing your Android experience today, download Desk Migrate for free from the Google Play Store today.


NEXT: Make Your Home Screen Look Like Ice Cream Sandwich’s in Just 4 Steps
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This article, Desk Migrate: App for copying homescreens across different home launchers , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

A Review of the Archos 10.1 G9 Turbo 250 GB – Android 4.0 ICS out of the box with bottomless storage

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 11:47 PM PDT

When I first heard of the Archos tablets with an actual built in hard-drive I was very skeptical. A few questions popped in my head about battery life, response time, weight, thickness, and stability. Would I feel this tablet jerking around in my hands as I do with a normal external hard-drive picked up during use? So many pro’s and con’s  popped up in the equation with the addition of such a feature over normal flash memory. To me the Archos 10.1 G9 Turbo is a very interesting concept, read on to find out if Archos pulled this off successfully, or is it just a gimmick?

What's good:

The G9 Turbo had loads of storage space, a decent screen, a kickstand and Android 4.0, round that off with a $399 price tag and you have an awesome mobile media tablet.

What’s Bad:

The plastic feel of the tablet does not give it a solid feel. Also the battery life/charging speeds could be better, I found if I wanted a full charge I had to leave the tablet alone the whole time.

The short of it:

The G9 Turbo with Android 4.0 is an overall great tablet. Besides my few complaints with the build materials and charging issues, this tablet is a solid performer.

Specs

  • 1.2GHz OMAP4 dual core processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 10.1 inch (16:10) 1024×768 capacitive touchscreen,
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Google Mobile Apps Suite including Android Market
  • ARCHOS made multimedia apps for extra format and codec support including H.264 HP support
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and upgradable to 3G via the ARCHOS G9 3G Stick (sold separately)

Video Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP25zBIOw7k&

Build Quality

Being the proud owner of a Motorola Xoom it is hard to compare any other tablet to such a quality build. When I first picked up the G9 Turbo it felt completely foreign to me, so I handed it over to my fiance who proceeded to tell me it felt good.  Over the next few days I adjusted to the feel, while never feeling quite as solid as the Xoom does, it felt good. The outer shell of the tablet is hard plastic. While the material is easy enough to hold onto and seems durable enough; an extra layer of rubber around the edges would do some good for extra grip, and added protection.  Overall the plastic does get the job done but does leave something to be desired.

External Ports/Design

This tablet was built with the idea of portable media in mind. This was first obvious to me when I see an HDMI mini port along with a kickstand. Both of these features worked well, especially the kickstand, since I could charge and watch a video at the same time without having to fumble around due to the placement of the charging port. The power button is on the top as expected the but volume rockers on the other hand seemed to be placed in an odd spot, it is on the “bottom”. When I first got my hands on the G9 Turbo I kept on confusing the power button and the volume rocker. I wasn’t familiar with the device and kept pressing the volume rocker to try turn it on. It was not till I tried watching a movie on the tablet that I realized why the audio was placed where it was. When flipped horizantal to watch a movie, the volume rocker on the “bottom” makes much more sense.

It isn’t to often that I am happy to see a feature missing while reviewing a device. This was the case when I first noticed that the G9 Turbo did not have a rear camera. Most times we find ourselves using our phones to take pictures in the moment, rarely do we find ourselves scrambling for our tablets.  On the other hand if they had omitted a front facing camera I would have been displeased. While the 720p front facing camera is not ground breaking, it is included for good reason (Skype). Everything else is as expected, speaker is on the back, and some Archos logos here and there.

Display/Speakers

As a portable media device, you would expect a decent audio and video experience, this brings us to the display and speaker. First off let me start off by saying that display reminds me a lot of my Xoom, and when set side by side I can see no real difference. The resolution of the screen is 1280 x 800 bringing us in at 150 ppi, now days this is pretty standard for the average tablet. This may leave you wanting when compared to the displays on the Transformer Prime or iPad (see high resolution IPS displays).  Overall while watching videos on the G9 Turbo they looked clean, and the colors looked spot on (no over saturation here). Although it may not be the best or newest screen technology, it looks really good and was easy on the eyes.

The speaker sounded good as well. Although it is placed in the back it was loud enough that I never really had to strain to hear what was going on.  If watching a movie or playing a game, for the most part I could hear what was going on. I would have preferred the speakers on the front, but it seems all to rare that a company actually does this. Fortunately with the kickstand open the sound normally will get reflected back at you. But if the situation calls for it you can always switch over to a Bluetooth headset, or headphones.

Internal Hardware

The internal hardware for the G9 Turbo is pretty standard for the average tablet these days. With a OMAP 4 dual core processor clocked at 1.5 ghz, and 1 gig of ram you shouldn’t have any problem watching movies, or checking your email. The G9 Turbo being based off the OMAP 4 processor ensures that you wont have any problem playing HD video content, something that can be a problem if using a device based off of the Tegra 2. This absolutely is a must being that the G9 Turbo has an HDMI mini port, since its core purpose is streaming movies to HD TV’s. Overall I am completely satisfied with the specs of the G9 Turbo for the price.

Software

Often times you find a bunch of unwanted software or a skin installed on your phone or tablet.  With the G9 there are some pre-installed apps on the tablet, but they can all be removed. The important thing here is that a few of them are actually useful. The ARCHOS made multimedia apps for extra format and codec support was extremely useful, it will definitely save anyone looking for out of the box movie playback a few bucks.

From what I have read (and my experience with my Xoom) is that new life has been found with the introduction of Android 4.0 (ICS). The heart and soul running the G9 Turbo is pretty close to untouched ICS as you can get. As you can see from the video ICS on this run very smooth. I credit this to the fact that ICS was designed from the ground up to run on the OMAP 4 architecture, something that defiantly benefits the G9 Turbo.

Memory (Hard-drive)

After being limited to at most 48 gigs of space at most on my Xoom or Rezound, I found the G9 Turbo’s 250 gb hard-drive refreshing. The thing is though how well does it work? Lets just say besides the thickness of the G9, I would have not even noticed it was there. Not once could I feel the tablet vibrating in my hand, or lag due to a large file being opened. After doing some research I found out why, the G9 Turbo uses a Momentus Thin Hard Drive. Well what does that mean? Archos website describes it as “Wanting to give users the best of both worlds, ARCHOS paired the Seagate® Momentus® Thin hard drive with a dedicated 2GB1 flash caching system. This ARCHOS engineered hybrid solution offered on all ARCHOS G9 hard drive tablets is designed to limit spinning and to keep the drive powered down when not in use, which will protect it when on the go as well as preserve battery life. These unique features combined with ARCHOS' changes in Android to allow for hard drives means that your 250GB1 HDD feels like it's an SSD.” Overall I came away very satisfied with the experience of the hybrid hard drive.

Verdict

When I first got my hands on the G9 Turbo I wasn’t so sure about it, the feel to me was off, and felt a little thick. After some hands on time with it though I really found its potential. With a massive amount of hard drive space, a kickstand, and some good media software I was ready to transfer all my media files over to it. The G9 Turbo isn’t perfect, but it is a great mid-range tablet; especially for those people looking to bring their media on the go.

Any thoughts? Let us know if you have any questions below!


NEXT: International giveaway of the ARCHOS G9 101 Turbo!
ARCHOS-G9-tablets ARCHOS Releasing Honeycomb Tablets Starting September 20 with up to 1.5 GHz CPU, 250 GB of Storage ARCHOS-G9-tablets Seagate, Archos Team Up for Low-Priced Tablets with up to 250 GB Storage

This article, A Review of the Archos 10.1 G9 Turbo 250 GB – Android 4.0 ICS out of the box with bottomless storage , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Quad-core processors: A layman’s guide

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 11:27 PM PDT

The advent of the smartphone brought with it a dramatic shift in how people work, communicate, and play. Of course, the primary use of the ‘cellphone’ is still to make and receive phone calls, but our mobile devices are increasingly being utilized for a wide variety of other purposes. Email, social networking apps, internet browsing, and serious gaming capabilities mean that we have all the information we need at our fingertips and are never far away from breaking news or the next party invite.

Quite simply, the increasing demands we are placing on mobile devices have brought about the necessity for more powerful processing. We have moved on from “weak” processors to dual-core powerhouses and now, we are seeing the steady introduction of quad-core devices. Granted, we are seeing this shift to quad-core only for Android devices so far, with Apple relying, for now, on dual-core processors, and Nokia featuring a single-core processor to power its Windows Phone 7 handsets.

Here, we will talk about some of the fundamental features of mobile quad-core processors. We will discuss not only what makes the quad-core chip a big step forward for mobile tech, but also the situations when more cores can actually lead to an inferior user experience.

What is a quad-core processor?

As the name suggests, a quad-core processor is a System-0n-a-Chip (S0C) equipped with a four CPU cores . Every “core” is a single ARM processor, with the four put together to create the complete chip. ARM designs the architecture of chips used in almost every smartphone available in the world. You can see  a chart above of how ARM core processors have advanced over the years, with each iteration being more powerful.

So, it is obvious that a dual-core Cortex-A15 processor will be more powerful than a dual-core A9 processor, and that a quad-core A9 processor (such as the NVIDIA Tegra 3) will be more powerful than a  dual-core A9 processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2). A lot of processor manufacturers also buy the right to tweak the basic structure of the ARM design, as is seen with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 4+1 core setup, that incorporates a companion (ninja) core for low-powered activities, to offer extended battery life.

What we expect from a quad-core processor

This is typical of marketing graphics, that always claim more performance, less power consumed

At the most basic level, we expect that doubling the number of cores, from dual-core to quad-core, would double the speed of running applications. Imagine a dual-core processor device running eight applications. This will, ideally, divide four applications across two cores. With a quad-core device, you would be, again ideally, running two applications over four cores. In essence, doubling the efficiency and speed of the device.

Another major expectation that many have is that a quad-core processor should significantly increase the battery life of the device. With the presence of more cores, executing a task should exert less pressure on the processor and therefore require less power from the battery, right? Users should enjoy a substantial increase in battery life.

We’ve been seeing a significant number of classic PC games being developed for handheld devices. There are also a large number of graphic-intensive games available for Android devices. As more and more of such games become available, quad-core processors are expected to provide a major improvement in the user’s gaming experience.


What actually happens

The first misstep when it comes to complicated processor architecture and technology is the basic assumption that 2+2=4. Ideally, that is exactly how it is supposed  to work, but that does not happen, at least not yet. Let’s take a look at why.

  • When moving up from dual to quad-core processors, although the number of cores are doubled, the other systems are not. The four-cored processor is still relying on one, albeit slightly more powerful, memory pool, battery, etc.
  • The example given above about four cores working at double the capacity, holds true only if there is an equal sharing of tasks. Unfortunately, that is not the case so far. The OS itself needs to support “multi-threading,” that is, assigning a part of the task equally to all cores.
  • For a quad-core device to work efficiently, developers need to write code for programs and applications while keeping multi-threading in mind. The issue being that not only is writing such code for apps much harder, but also increases the complexity of debugging such a program of something goes wrong. Apps created for multi-core processing are simply much more difficult to create and maintain.
  • At this point, quad-core efficiency will significantly improve only with apps that are specifically made for multiple core use.

There has been some disbelief about the expected increase in battery life. There is a very good reason to think so. When it comes to battery life, one of the biggest consumers is the processor, the display, and the cellular radio. While processors have become more battery efficient, the others have not. Every high-end smartphone features a high resolution display which requires a lot more power, and we all know the affect 4G radios have on battery life. So again, while there might be an increase in battery efficiency due to quad-core processors, it not as significant an improvement as we would hope.

The only area where quad-core devices completely meet our expectations is gaming. Most gaming applications take advantage of multiple threads, and the increased number of cores provide a more efficient and much smoother gaming experience. Plus, it’s important to remember that games and other advanced applications that need as much power as possible are only as good as the code they are written on. In the case of the Tegra 3 SoC, which is found in many of today’s hottest devices, including the Transformer Infinity Pad 300, the original Transformer Prime, and the HTC One X (non-LTE), NVIDIA has employed its vast expertise in creating world-class hardware, and has collaborated with developers to really optimize these gaming titles, and do so in such a way that they take advantage of all of those latent cores.

The Present

The current crop of quad-core processors (Nvidia Tegra 3, Samsung Exynos 4412, etc.) feature ARM’s Cortex A9 architecture. The Tegra 3 processor is far better than the dual-core Tegra 2, with similar architecture. But this does not seem to be the case against Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with its Krait cores, as seen from some benchmark tests. This can be attributed to the fact that the Krait core is more akin to the Cortex-A15 architecture, but the benchmark tests are still quite surprising. We are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S3 with a quad-core Exynos processor, and the Huawei Ascend D Quad, dubbed “the world’s fastest smartphone” with Huawei’s own K3V2 quad-core processor. But for now, it seems as though quad-core processors aren’t as powerful as most would expect.

The Future

We’ve already seen some rumors that indicate that we should see the introduction of the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor as early as Q1 of 2013. There have also been some leaks on a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor in the works along with continuous upgrades for Samsung’s Exynos processor lineup. We cannot say exactly what is coming in the future, but we do know that it will only get even better from here on in.

Conclusion

Quad-core processors are a big step up in CPU technology, and they undoubtedly represent the future of mobile processors. The real question of whether they fit into the present is debatable. The more we examine it closely, the more it becomes apparent that we will have to wait for app and game developers to catch up before we can truly enjoy what today’s and tomorrow’s quad core and octo-core (8) SoC’s are bringing to the table.

As it stands, quad-core technology isn’t “all that,” at least, not yet.

What are your thoughts? Would you wait on getting a quad-core device or is it a must-have right now?


NEXT: Quad Core Smartphones: What's In It for You?
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This article, Quad-core processors: A layman’s guide , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Asus to ship the Transformer Pad 300 on April 22, goes head to head with Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 10:03 PM PDT

Have you been eyeing the Asus Transformer Pad 300, wondering when the budget tablet offering from Asus will be available in the US? Better get your wallet out soon, because according to the folks at PC World, they have received confirmation from an Asus spokeswoman that the Transformer Pad 300 will hit retail stores on April 22.

Although the price of the Transformer Pad won't be revealed until April 22, we already have a fair guesstimation of how much the Tegra 3-touting tablet will cost. No less than two online retailers have pegged the tablet's price at $399 for the 16GB model, which will effectively put it on a collision course with another budget tablet from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. This calls for a quick specs comparison between the two.

Asus Transformer Pad 300

  • 10.1-inch IPS display, 1280 x 800 resolution (149 ppi pixel density)
  • Quad-core 1.2GHz (or 1GHz) Nvidia Tegra 3 processor
  • 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD card slot
  • 8MP rear camera with auto focus, 1.2MP front camera
  • HDMI port, WiFi b/g/n
  • 263 x 180.8 x 9.9 mm – 635 grams
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

  • 10.1-inch PLS display, 1280 x 800 resolution (149 ppi pixel density)
  • Dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex A-9 processor
  • 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD card slot
  • 3.15MP rear camera, VGA front camera
  • TV-out, WiFi a/b/g/n
  • 256.6 x 175.3 x 9.7 mm – 581 grams
  • Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich

 

Looking at the specs, it might be tempting to dismiss the dual-core processor of the Galaxy Tab 2, since it's the same chip found on last year's Galaxy Tab 10.1 – while it’s at least clocked at a higher speed. The Asus Transformer Pad 300, on the other hand, will join the ranks of other quad-core tablets in the market. Note that the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 won't be out until May 13, or a good three weeks after the Transformer Pad 300.

Regardless of what you'll choose, it's refreshing to see 10-inch slates coming down in price. This bodes well for future Android tablets in the market.

Any thoughts? Is $399 the ideal price for a tablet? What would you like to see them priced at?


NEXT: Asus Transformer Going on Sale in Canada April 26!
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This article, Asus to ship the Transformer Pad 300 on April 22, goes head to head with Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

HTC announces unimpressive trio of ICS smartphones bound for the Chinese market

Posted: 14 Apr 2012 09:55 PM PDT

Although HTC previously announced that they will release fewer smartphones in 2012 and focus on the quality of the handsets instead — a vision that should be shared by all OEM’s, as I'm sure you'll agree — it looks like the Taiwanese manufacturer is still pouring one Android smartphone after the other in various markets. While earlier today Bams told you about the HTC Golf (judging by the leaked specs and pics, the Golf will be a lot like a 'mini' version of the HTC One S), now I'm here to report on a trio of smartphones that HTC plans to release in China by the end of the month.

Commercialized as the HTC VT T328t, HTC VC T328d, and HTC V T328w (dull names, right?), all three handsets are part of the HTC Desire series and will run the latest version of Android, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Unfortunately for HTC fans in China, that's the only item in the 'specs we like' list. Despite having different designs, all three smartphones feature roughly the same specs, such as a 1GHz single-core processor, 4-inch S-LCD WVGA display, 512 MB of RAM, 5MP camera and 4GB of internal storage space (expandable via the MicroSD card support). Oh, and that over appreciated EQ known as Beats Audio processing is included as well. Notably, only the HTC VC T328d, and HTC V T328w will feature dual-SIM support.

The exact pricing is known only for the T328w model (1,999 yuan = 318$), but considering that the three handsets are very much alike, I wouldn't expect big pricing differences between them. As you probably guessed it by now, these three unimpressive HTC smartphones will probably be launched exclusively for the Chinese market. Do you find any reasons to be envious? Drop us a line in the comment section below and let us know!

No related posts.

This article, HTC announces unimpressive trio of ICS smartphones bound for the Chinese market , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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