Android Central |
- Android hits 500 million installs
- OfficeDrop refreshes Android app, releases tablet version
- Zuckerberg admits fault in Facebook's HTML5 focus, pledges native Android app
- Keep up with SAMCRO with the Sons of Anarchy app
- Motorola bringing the RAZR HD to Brazil, the country’s first 4G ready smartphone
- Samsung Galaxy Y Hello Kitty edition coming to Germany
- Motorola Droid RAZR M specs
- Motorola Droid RAZR M gallery
- Droid RAZR M review
- Ematic 9.7-inch tablet on sale today for $179.99
- O2 UK gets Xperia T 'Bond Phone' exclusive
- Vodafone UK announces Sony Xperia T and Xperia J
- Sonar's location-based friend-finding app for Android exits beta
- LG Escape Gallery
- LG Escape Specs
- What Android features will Apple 'invent' tomorrow?
- Verizon launches McAfee-powered Android security suite
- Google Play treats Android owners to free Boingo Wifi through September
- U.S. Cellular announces mid-range LG Splendor
- Hands-on with EE's new 4G LTE - fast network is fast
- News360 with an all new UI for Android tablets released today
- Sony Xperia V boasts 'sensor-on-lens' screen technology
- Jelly Bean still rolling out to Sprint Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G
- Motorola reminds us we're going to the edge next week
- Deal of the Day: Ballistic Life Style Smooth Series Case for Samsung Galaxy S3
| Android hits 500 million installs Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:38 PM PDT Hugo Barra, Google's director of product management for Android, just announced on Google+ that Android devices have officially hit the 500 million install milestone. That number sounds huge until you consider that 1.3 million phones and other devices are being activated daily. The folks on the Android team should be proud, and we'd all like to extend our congratulations to them on this feat. I'm sure many of you guys feel the same, so let 'em know how much we love them in the comments! Source: +Hugo Barra 
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| OfficeDrop refreshes Android app, releases tablet version Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:15 PM PDT OfficeDrop, a service -- and accompanying apps -- that helps you organize documents electronically by scanning them in via your device's camera, has released a tablet app and refreshed its Android phone app (the iOS app was refreshed as well, for those of you who use those kinds of things). The premise is simple but has plenty of potential. Whenever you have a document or something important that you'd like to keep electronic record of, you can open the OfficeDrop app and scan in the document, which is then uploaded to your account. With the latest version, document scanning has improved, with proper trimming and improved image quality. Once imported, OfficeDrop will perform OCR (optical character recognition) on the document, making it easily searchable not only by file name but by content. Documents in your account can be quickly shared thereafter in PDF form, which is convenient and platform agnostic. Hit up the full press release after the break, and find the OfficeDrop app at the Google Play Store link above. Source: OfficeDrop 
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| Zuckerberg admits fault in Facebook's HTML5 focus, pledges native Android app Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:38 PM PDT Over the summer, Facebook had a rocky update to its iOS app when they tried to shift everything away from HTML5. Ultimately focusing on HTML5 was a mistake, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a recent interview. He promised that we would see much better native apps (including one for Android at some point), and that mobile was going to be a huge part of the company going forward. Zuckerberg went so far as to say that Facebook is now a mobile company and that he expects mobile revenue to surpass desktop in the near future. As a side-note, Zuckerberg reiterated that no, they aren't working on making their own phone and that the strategy is still to wriggle onto every platform out there. How happy are you with Facebook's current Android app? What improvements need to be made? Will switching to a native framework fix everything? Which apps do you use to follow Facebook? Developers, is HTML5 a viable way to go, or is Facebook right to skip it in favor of a native app? Source: TechCrunch 
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| Keep up with SAMCRO with the Sons of Anarchy app Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:23 PM PDT
As season 5 progresses, you can access new content including production stills, alternate scenes, storyboards, trivia and more. Explore character bios and rap-sheets, and even shop for merchandise right from the app. One of the cool things about the shop, you can buy items you see your favorite characters wearing on the show! Some of the current content in the app includes Jax's rap sheet, Bobby's recipe for banana bread, an inside look at what it takes to be an SOA prospect, and a peek inside Happy's locker. With more to be added throughout the season, I am excited to keep up with the extras to tide me over each week while waiting for the next episode.
The Sons of Anarchy app is free to download and requires Android 2.3.3 and up. 
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| Motorola bringing the RAZR HD to Brazil, the country’s first 4G ready smartphone Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:14 PM PDT While Verizon in the U.S. is getting set to roll out their Droid RAZR HD, Motorola has made a few announcements surrounding other variations of the device. Rogers in Canada will have their version ready shortly and more recently, Motorola added Brazil to the locations of availability. The RAZR HD is being touted as the first 4G ready smartphone for the area:
At this point, no pricing has been announced for the device but Motorola notes it will become available in Q4 with Android 4.0.4 loaded. The full press release is available below for you all and be sure to check out out previous hands on with the Verizon version. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Y Hello Kitty edition coming to Germany Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:09 PM PDT If you're looking for a decidedly entry-level Android handset, have a fetish for all things Hello Kitty, and live in Germany this one's for you. Samsung will be releasing a special Hello Kitty edition of the Galaxy Y in the Fatherland, complete with all the pink trim you could ever ask for. With a special home button, a two-tone pastel pink and white case, and even special wallpapers and ringtones this one is sure to please your tweener daughter, or that creepy middle-aged guy you know. Unfortunately, there's no spec bump so you're left with a 3-inch screen, 800MHz CPU, and on old version of the software (based on Android 2.3). Clearly, the lure here is the pretty kitty and not the blazing speeds. We'll pass on this one, and wait it out for the Hello Kitty Galaxy Note 2. Be sure to click through and see the battery cover. ^_^ Source: SammyHub 
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| Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT
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| Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:55 PM PDT It’s been just over a year since Motorola took the wraps off of the Droid RAZR, the device the company was counting on to keep it competitive. And with an intense push by Verizon, the RAZR managed to hold its ground in 2012 against blockbuster competitors such as Samsung’s Galaxy line and HTC’s One series. And with its follow up RAZR Maxx, Motorola managed to finally break away from the pack into a niche that has attracted an almost cult-like following. For those craving as much juice as their battery can produce, there is simply no other alternative. With its revamped RAZRs, Motorola opted to add a third device into the lineup — the Droid RAZR M. It’s an interesting choice, considering that Motorola could have simply dropped the price of the RAZR and turned it into the entry-level device, ala what Apple does with the iPhone. Instead, Motorola took the original RAZR, added next-generation internals, shrunk it down without touching the screen, and slapped on a $99 pricetag. The result is a phone that impresses in both performance and aesthetics, and raises the bar for what entry level smartphones can achieve.
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| Ematic 9.7-inch tablet on sale today for $179.99 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:52 PM PDT We've got another entry into the budget full-sized Android tablet game today with the Ematic EXP8. Its got a 1.2Ghz processor (listed as an ARM Cortex A8), 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (with MicroSD support) and HDMI out. The 9.7-inch EXP8 seems to check all the boxes as far as specs go, and doesn't offer any more than you'd expect at the price point. For the sake of completeness, here's the full list of specs:
It's a tad worrying that no official screen resolution is listed other than "high resolution" and the sizes of the cameras are unknown, but the specs and looks of the device seem nice, and at $179.99 it's hard to argue with. The real question will be whether its worth the extra $20 to bump up to the Nexus 7, which is a known quantity. A full press release can be found after the break. 
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| O2 UK gets Xperia T 'Bond Phone' exclusive Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:21 PM PDT | ||||||
Season 5 of the critically acclaimed show Sons of Anarchy starts tonight, and many of us at 
And AT&T's branding rears its head in promo shots once again...
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Vodafone UK announces Sony Xperia T and Xperia J
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT
Three UK isn't the only one getting new Sony phones these days; Vodafone has announced the Xperia T and Xperia J will be "launched over the coming months". Vodafone wouldn't confirm the £415 SIM-free pricetag for the T or the £140 for the J. We had heard the Xperia J will be coming out this month, but no doubt we'll hear something official soon enough. We did have some hands-on time with both devices at IFA if you want to get the tour. Here's the short version:
Xperia T:
- 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU
- 4.6-inch 720p HD Reality Display
- 13MP camera
- 16GB of internal storage
Xperia J:
- 9.2mm slim stylish design
- Large 4.0” FWVGA Display
- Social media updates with illumination
- 5MP AF camera
- Front chat camera
- Available in Black, Gold, White and Pink colours
Anyone biting? That 13 megapixel camera on the Xperia T is awfully tempting to try out...
Source: Vodafone
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Sonar's location-based friend-finding app for Android exits beta
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:38 AM PDT
Sonar, a location-based social networking app for Android and iOS, has exited beta and is now available in Google Play for free.
Although Sonar plugs into Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Foursquare to keep tabs on your existing friends, it can also be used as a discovery tool to meet new people. Users can broadcast their presence to other local Sonar users, or go black if they want to stay off the radar for awhile. All of the usual social elements are there, such as profiles, direct messages, updating statuses, and plenty more.
Ideally, I stick with Latitude to keep up on where my friends are, but they're often scattered across multiple networks with their check-ins, plus meeting new people with similar tastes in hang-outs is always a good thing. To what extent do you guys use location-based social networking? Is Foursquare as far as you go? Do you ever actually meet anyone thanks to these networks? Is this sort of thing creepy, or the natural evolution of online socializing?
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Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:25 AM PDT
- 4.3” qHD true-color IPS Touch Screen with Gorilla® Glass durability
- Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- AT&T’s 4G LTE Network
- 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor
- 2,150mAh battery
- Advanced 5 MP camera with time catch shot, “cheese shutter,” and different shot modes including Normal, HDR, Continuous and Panorama
- 1.3 MP front-facing camera and camcorder
- True-to-Life 1080p HD recording
- Video resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 full-HD
- Bluetooth v4.0
- Data sharing with Android Beam and NFC Technology
- Add music and themes to videos and photos with Video Wiz
- Google™ Integration with Google Play, Google Maps™ Navigation and other preloaded Google apps
- Simultaneous GPS for Enhanced Location Accuracy
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What Android features will Apple 'invent' tomorrow?
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:54 AM PDT
Tomorrow's iPhone Day, in case you haven't heard. Or it's Apple Day. Either one is fine, we're told.
Us? We like to refer to it as Rex Manning Day.
Anyhoo. You've got to be at least a little excited to see what Apple invents tomorrow. A 4-inch display? NFC? On-screen home buttons? Who knows! It's just all so exciting!
We'll be watching it all go down at our sister site, iMore.com.
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Verizon launches McAfee-powered Android security suite
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT
Verizon has just launched a mobile security service powered by McAfee with a whole bunch of useful security tools. The free version provides protection against spyware keyloggers, and potentially harmful sites that are visited in the native Android browser. For $1.99/month (or $1/month if you have Total Equipment Coverage already) you gets you remote tracking, audible alarm sounding, locking, and wiping, along with App Alert, which flags apps that are accessing personal data.
While I'm not personally concerned about viruses in the traditional PC sense, there's plenty of malware out there that's worth protecting against in some form or another. How do you guys make sure your personal data is safe from malicious apps? Is it worth paying a monthly fee for protection?
Head on over to Verizon for more information or to sign up for Verizon Mobile Security.
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Google Play treats Android owners to free Boingo Wifi through September
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT
If you're trucking through an airport or are near one of the any other 4,000-some Boingo Wifi hotspots, you'll be able to connect for free through September, thanks to the fine folks at Google Play. But only if you're using an Android device, or a Mac or PC. iPhones and the like are excluded from this promotion, Boingo confirmed to Android Central.
So sowwy.
On the other hand, it's Google promotion, to do with as it sees fit. And we're cool with that. And if you're at JFK, O'Hare, Sea-Tac, a handful of Manhattan subway stations, or a bunch of malls and other places -- and if you're rocking Android (you should be) or a Mac (acceptable answer) or PC (we'll take it, too), you can get your WIfi on for free. Be sure to thank the folks in Mountain View when you see 'em.
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U.S. Cellular announces mid-range LG Splendor
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:05 AM PDT
The LG Splendor will be in U.S. Cellular stores starting tomorrow for $79.99 after mail-in rebates. We caught a glimpse of this one a few days ago with a hint that it's sporting a 1700 mAh battery. As far as official specs go, the LG Splendor has a 4.3-inch display, 1 GHz processor, and a 5 megapixel camera on the back with a nifty voice-activated shutter - just say "cheese". It's only 0.34 inches thick, though it only hosts 2 GB of internal storage plus the 4 GB microSD memory card it comes with. On the software side, the LG Splendor is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and has a cool Smartshare DLNA app for shunting photos and video to the TV, as well as QuickMemo, for handwriting notes on top of pictures.
Sure, it's dab smack in the mid-range, but since we're in the thick of back-to-school, affordability is king. Any U.S. Cellular customers in the house looking for a new phone?
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Hands-on with EE's new 4G LTE - fast network is fast
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:14 AM PDT
In Central London earlier today, the newly-rebranded EE mobile network was launched, promising the UK's first 4G LTE services in the coming weeks. EE plans to bring a number of Android handsets to its new 4G network, including the Galaxy S3 LTE and HTC One XL. Mobile Nations' James Richardson and Richard Edmonds were on-hand to test out EE's 4G speeds using the Speedtest.net app and downloading Angry Birds from the Google Play Store.
Needless to say, the speeds we enjoyed at today's event were considerably higher than anything we've seen from the UK's existing HSPA+ network, delivering speeds of around 30Mbps down and 20Mbps up. Impressive as that is, we'll have to wait and see how the network holds up under real-world usage, as EE's 4G isn't yet available for public use. Check out our video above, and for more on today's EE 4G announcements, check our earlier summary.
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News360 with an all new UI for Android tablets released today
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT
About a year ago News360 for tablets came on to the Android scene, and ushered in the era of personalized news feeds in an aggregator that looked as good as it worked. Today, they have upped the ante with an all new UI that not only makes everything more intuitive, but looks even better.
At it's core, it's still the same app you've been using. You can set up customized feeds from over 20,000 different sources, or use your own Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Evernote, or Google Reader account to tailor what you see. The app then presents the feeds in a Web 2.0-esque block layout, or you can switch to a column view if that's what you prefer. Navigation is as easy as swiping and tapping, and the whole app is fluid and responsive. Instapaper and Pocket are integrated, as well as offline page saving in the News360 app itself.
What's really cool is how you can dive deep into a category and tailor the feed more to your liking. Want to follow the gadgets feed, but not interested in televisions? Edit the feed and uncheck TVs, and you're good to go. Your Google+ "feed" and Google Reader account work the same way -- they're parsed, and broken into subcategories -- like psychedelic music or cameras. Mix and match to get exactly what you're looking for. Finally, News360 analyzes your viewing, and can help promote and recommend things you'll want to see based on things you've already looked at. We love it when apps do all the hard work.
Yes, there are plenty of news aggregators for Android out there. Some even look as good as News360, but if you're the kind who wants to get under the hood and tailor things exactly the way you like, News360 is one you want to have a look at. Grab it from Google Play, and check out the video and gallery after the break.
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Sony Xperia V boasts 'sensor-on-lens' screen technology
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:53 AM PDT
Sony's late 2012 Xperia smartphones are about to hit store shelves in Europe, and among them is the LTE-capable Xperia V, a 4.3-incher with similar internals to the larger Xperia T. One feature that's unique to the V, however, is Sony's "sensor-on-lens" screen technology, which integrates touch sensor directly onto the surface of the display. Similar techniques like have been employed by manufacturers like ASUS in the Nexus 7, and Apple's iPhone 5 is widely rumored to have similar tech lurking within its display.
The result of combining these parts into a single layer is a brighter display -- Sony estimates a 5% improvement in luminance -- with less distortion when viewing the screen off-angle. The closeness of the touch sensor to the display, Sony says, should also remove the parallax effect involved with using traditional touchscreens.
The Sony Xperia V should arrive sometime in Q4. Unlike the xperia T, we've yet to hear any specifics regarding pricing of launch markets.
Source: Sony Developer Blog
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Jelly Bean still rolling out to Sprint Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:51 AM PDT
Sprint began rolling out Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) to the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G last week, but they've just announced that the update will continue. We already knew the OTA will come in waves, but it's a great way for Sprint to stay in the headlines during all of the other news this week. The bottom line: if you have a Nexus S 4G or a Galaxy Nexus and haven't received your update yet, hold tight, it's coming.
Once again, here are the improvements that come with the 4.1 update:
Upgrades phone operating system to Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)
- Smoother user interface
- Enhanced Accessibility functions
- Bi-directional text and other language support
- User-installable keyboard maps
- Expandable notifications
- Ability to turn off notifications on an application specific basis
- Shortcuts and widgets can automatically be re-arranged or re-sized to allow new items to fit on home screens
- Android Beam – Use Android Beam to Bluetooth transfer data
- Offline voice dictation
- Improved voice search
- Improved camera application
- Google Wallet (for the Nexus 7)
- High resolution Google+ contact photos
- Google Now
- Multichannel audio
- USB audio added for external sound Digital to Analog Conversion
- Audio chaining also referred to as Gapless Playback. Gapless playback is the uninterrupted playback of consecutive audio tracks
Discontinuing support for Adobe Flash Player:
- Adobe will not be certifying the Adobe Flash Player for Android Mobile devices that either release with or update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).
- Devices that upgraded from Android 4.0 to Android 4.1, may exhibit unpredictable behavior, as it is not certified for use with Android 4.1. Adobe recommends uninstalling Flash Player on devices which have been upgraded to Android 4.1.
Many of our Forum members have received the update, so if you want to discuss yours or find out how the improvements are, head over to our Sprint Galaxy Nexus Forum or Sprint Nexus S 4G Forum.
Source: Sprint
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Motorola reminds us we're going to the edge next week
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:43 AM PDT
Ol' Motorla's posted this little teaser video for next week's event in London, where we'll apparently be taken to "the edge," with Intel along for the ride. So pretty much we're expecting some Medfield action -- that's Intel's first foray into the Android world -- and dollars to doughnuts (not donuts) we'll see a display along the lines of the recently announced RAZR M, with its "edge-to-edge" glass.
Anyoo, we'll be there next week to bring you the whole thing live and in living color, so stay tuned.
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Deal of the Day: Ballistic Life Style Smooth Series Case for Samsung Galaxy S3
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:52 AM PDT
The Ballistic Life Style Smooth Case is available for just $17.00, 43% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.
Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!
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