Thursday, October 18, 2012

AndroidGuys

AndroidGuys

Google throwing an Android event on October 29

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 05:20 PM PDT

Hmmm, we just got an email from Google inviting us to an event on October 29 which promises to be Android-related.  Teased with a phrase of “The Playground is Open” we can only hope that this is the Nexus 4 announcement.  The event kicks off at 10:00AM EST and will be broadcast live on the internet at YouTube.com/Android so it’s something all of you Android nerds can get involved with!

Considering that Andy Rubin is slated to speak that same day, shortly after the event concludes, we suspect he’ll be showing the new hotness off.  Make sure to set aside some time to follow the goings-on at All Things D.

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Swype beta intros trending words, dictionary sync, and more

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 01:08 PM PDT

The latest version of Swype beta is out and it’s packed with three awesome features that users will be sure to love.  Now, instead of teaching each of your phones and tablets a list of special words or names, you can synchronize your account across multiple devices.  What’s more, you’ll also benefit from having words automatically added to the dictionary, based on trends and hot buzzwords.  Swype beta now gives tablet users the ability to split your keyboard in half.  Oh, and now there’s nearly a dozen themes as well!

The Verge

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Add credit to your Google Play account from the web

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Google now lets users add credit to their Google Play accounts directly from the internet, bypassing the need for those physical gift cards.  You know the cards we’re talking about here – they’re the ones that aren’t anywhere to be found at least in our neck of the woods.  Digressing, it’s possible to add in denominations of $5, $10, $15, $25,and $50 values.  We’ve not heard of any other countries outside of the United States as of yet but we figure it will be a slow trickle to other markets

Continue reading: Add credit to your Google Play account from the web

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Don’t forget to request your Google Wallet Prepaid Card refund!

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:05 PM PDT

Those of you who have prepaid cards through Google Wallet are advised to request your refunds, as the feature is headed off into the sunset.  The process for obtaining your money isn’t all that difficult and requires just a few bits of information.  There’s a dedicated page setup for users to process their refund with credits coming back in the form of a check or prepaid Mastercard

Continue reading: Don’t forget to request your Google Wallet Prepaid Card refund!

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Google Play carrier billing coming soon to Verizon Wireless

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 09:44 AM PDT

Google Play Store offers a lot of goodies for Android users, like there is music, movies, books, magazines, and Android applications. Back in May, Sprint enabled the carrier billing for all the Google Play content, which means Sprint users can pay for the purchased content from the Google Play Store through their monthly wireless bill.

Now according to our friends over at Droid-Life, the same service will be available for Verizon customers from October 18, but there is a restriction. Once the service is live, you will be able to purchase goodies up to $25 per phone in the Google Play store, though don’t worry as it’s just a monthly limit.

However, you wouldn’t be able to purchase Google Nexus or Nexus 7, but still something is better than nothing. So Verizon Android users, are you excited? Tell us about it in the comment box below.

Source: Droid-Life

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Amazon offering Samsung Galaxy S III for as low as $99

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 08:35 AM PDT

Looking to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S III?  Get yourself over to Amazon and take advantage of their limited-time sale.  As of right now they are offering the popular smartphone for as low as $99 with two-year service agreement.  You can get the Samsung Galaxy S III for Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon for about half its original asking price.  Note that this is for both new single line plans as well as family accounts.

Heads-up that beginning today, AmazonWireless is hosting a limited-time sale that makes the Samsung Galaxy S III available starting at $99 with a new individual or family contract:

  • Verizon: $99.99 (regularly $139.99)
  • Sprint: $99.99
  • AT&T: $129.99 (regularly $139.99)

With a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen packaged in a sleek, slim and lightweight design, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the phone that many critics call the best Android phone on the market. The blue and white 16GB devices, among AmazonWireless' bestsellers, are eligible for this promotional price.

 

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Google’s $99 Nexus tablet still expected this year

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 07:45 AM PDT

Contrary to what you might hear from hardware players, Google is still expected to deliver a $99 Nexus tablet before the year ends.  According to a DigiTimes source, Google is working with Asus on a single-core Android tablet that should arrive before the holidays.  Considering the fact that DigiTimes has been off the mark on a number of previous rumors, we should temper our enthusiasm. With that in mind, the story is that Qanta is assembling the tablet with parts from WonderMedia (ARM processor) and HannStar Display.

A $250 iPad Mini would definitely eat into the market currently occupied by the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire.  Even with new stuff from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Apple is just the company to steal away sales.  A $99 tablet from Google, however, is just the game changer the industry needs.

DigiTimes

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Samsung: Jelly Bean rollout to begin for U.S. Galaxy S III

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 07:09 AM PDT

Samsung has just announced that they will begin rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the U.S. versions of the Galaxy S III.  Stopping short of any particular time frame, the hardware maker promises only “the coming months.”  According to Samsung, each carrier partner is expected to make their own respective announcements as it pertains to the Jelly Bean update.  What’s more, some wireless providers may adopt a different deployment strategy from others.  Samsung advises that the update can come in either over-the-air or Kies fashion

Continue reading: Samsung: Jelly Bean rollout to begin for U.S. Galaxy S III

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5-inch 1080p HTC J Butterfly announced for Japan

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 06:42 AM PDT

Well, well, well.  Looks like the rumors of a 5-inch HTC smartphone with a 1080p HD display turned out to be true.  HTC has announced a new device for Japan, the J Butterfly, which will likely end up in the United States in some capacity

Continue reading: 5-inch 1080p HTC J Butterfly announced for Japan

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Dynaflo Liquid-Armor review

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Take a look at the phone or tablet of yours and be honest with yourself.  It’s smudged or dirty, isn’t it?  OK, so maybe not right now, but at some point today it is going to get a little greasy or pick up some fingerprints.  That’s quite alright, though, as there’s a few options at your disposal, one of which doesn’t involve spit.

One such option that we recommend checking out is Dynaflo’s Liquid-Armor screen protector and dust repellant.  It’s essentially nothing more complicated than a spray and a cloth but it’s got some sort of magic beans or something inside.  Not only does the spray help clean your phone or tablet screen, but it also leaves a nice layer of protection to keep it from getting dirty anytime soon.  Further, you can also use the formula on your gaming controllers, cameras, and other electronics.

According to the company’s own product description, Liquid Armor is designed to replace those film screen protectors.  As you can see from the video above, it’s allegedly strong enough to withstand scuffs and scratches from the stuff in your pocket or purse, including keys, pens, and coins.  In our moderate testing we were pleased with the results, but stopped short of a drawing across the display with a nail or anything silly.  Our overall consensus was that this was more than enough to protect against the little stuff that goes in your pocket.  That said, this is not to be construed as any sort of guarantee on our part.

Features:

  • Specially designed with an antistatic, dust repellant and weather-resistant formula to keep device protected in most conditions
  • Preserves screen sensitivity and vividness of display with a high gloss finish despite normal wear-and-tear
  • Unlike plastic film protectors, Liquid-Armor guarantees it will remain bubble-free
  • Uses Nanotechnology for  protective molecular structure and density so even the smallest particles slide off screen
  • Liquid-Armor can be used on all devices with a glass screen including all smart phones, tablets, gaming consoles, cameras and more.

What we liked:

  • One spray is all you need for a phone screen, two pumps per tablet.
  • Odor free
  • The included 8″ cloth is perfect companion for spray

Room for improvement:

No need for much more than a few sprays to last you a year or two.  The full-sized bottle is a little bit of an overkill.  With that in mind, we noticed that Dynaflo also offers disposal, single-serving wipes.  Read the reviews on Amazon and other outlets and proceed as you see fit.

Where to Buy:

As is the case with just about everything we review here, you can find a lower price on Amazon than through the manufacturer website.  The kit we tested retails for around $25 however Amazon is currently offering the same thing for less than $20.

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Get this look for your Android smartphone: ALEX T style

Posted: 16 Oct 2012 05:15 PM PDT

One of our absolute favorite things about Android is the fact that you can bend and tweak the platform to your needs.  Sure, there’s rooting and modding for deep level personalization, but that stuff does not always concern the everyman user.  Some of just like to change the home screen around a bit and create a new user experience.

There’s a wonderful website that we’ve long appreciated called MyColorScreen which aims to shed light on all the great ways you can modify your home screens. To that end, we’ve created a series of posts on AndroidGuys where we will highlight an occasional design and its accompanying apps.  In a nutshell we will show you a new look for your Android handset and tell you which apps you’ll need if you want to mimic the feel. Please note that the following details are but the ingredients to which you can create your own delicious Android dish – results will vary.  And that’s awesome

Continue reading: Get this look for your Android smartphone: ALEX T style

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