Thursday, November 29, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Pioneer AV receivers get update to support HTC Connect wireless music streaming

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:06 PM PST

If you’re rocking one of Pioneer’s recent audio video receivers, you’ll be excited to know that the company has just released a firmware update that allows owners to take advantage of HTC’s Connect technology. This means users can now use their HTC One X, One X+, One VX or Droid DNA smartphones to wireless stream music directly to their receivers via DLNA. The news comes just a few months following the initial introduction of Pioneer’s HTC Connect-compatible SMA wireless speakers.

Compatible units include:

  •  VSX-822-K
  • VSX-1022-K
  • VSX-1122-K
  • VSX-42
  • VSX-60
  • SC-1222-K
  • SX-1522-K
  • SC-61
  • SC-63
  • SC-65
  • SC-67
  • SC-68
To upgrade, you’ll need to either directly search for an update on your receiver, or download the update to to a USB flash drive, and install it manually depending on your specific model. For more information, be sure to check out the official press release after the break.

HTC CONNECT WIRELESS MUSIC STREAMING NOW AVAILABLE ON PIONEER AV RECEIVERS VIA FIRMWARE UPDATE

Pioneer Electronics has released a new firmware update for all Pioneer 2012 networked audio video receiver models to support the exciting HTC Connect™ technology, a feature that allows owners of compatible HTC smartphones to stream music content directly to their Pioneer Audio Video receiver(s) via a wireless connection*.  With HTC Connect, consumers can turn their phones into never-ending sources of entertainment, with the ability to control music playback and volume easily while simultaneously using the device for other functions, from making and receiving calls and taking pictures to downloading the latest apps and surfing the Web.

 

Pioneer is the first manufacturer to add compatibility with the HTC Connect technology through its line of SMA wireless speakers introduced in June, and is now expanding compatibility with its wide array of extremely popular Pioneer and Elite branded A/V receivers. Compatible receiver models include VSX-822-K, VSX-1022-K, VSX-1122-K, VSX-42, VSX-60, SC-1222-K, SX-1522-K, SC-61, SC-63, SC-65, SC-67 and SC-68, with suggested retail pricing starting at $379.99.

 

The Pioneer Audio Video receivers and SMA wireless speakers are compatible with the latest HTC series phones, a total of seven in their lineup, including three of the most recent introductions, HTC One X+, HTC One VX and HTC Droid DNA. A complete list of compatible phones and HTC Connect certified devices can be found on www.pioneerelectronics.com/htc orhere.

 

The firmware update to add HTC Connect is available through a simple network update on the compatible AV receivers or may be uploaded via a USB drive.

 

Pioneer's Home Electronics Division develops award-winning audio and video home theater products including A/V receivers, Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD players, and speakers.  The company's brands include Pioneer® and Elite®.  More details can be found at www.pioneerelectronics.com.

 

*        HTC Connect is defined as interoperability testing of music streaming performed between compatible smartphones and Home AV products using the HTC Connect Music Application.  Third party music applications, meaning apps other than  the HTC Connect-compatible smartphone's native music player, may not work with HTC Connect.


PIONEER, ELITE, and the PIONEER and ELITE logos are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.
HTC, the HTC logo, and HTC Connect are registered trademarks or trademarks of HTC Corporation.

HTC brings in new marketing executive in preparation for ‘Marketing 2.0′ project

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 04:49 PM PST

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has announced plans today to bring in a new marketing executive in an effort to help get the company get back on track. The new marketing lead, Benhamin Ho, who has served as CMO of Motorola and VP of business strategy and marketing at Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. will join the company in January. Current marketing and sales executive Jason Mackenzie will be shifted to focus solely on the company’s sales strategy, while CMO John Wang has opted to leave the company entirely.

HTC has struggled to match the competition in recent months, losing valuable market share to manufacturers like Samsung and LG. Ho plans to rebuild the company’s current marketing and business strategies, with his first project being titled “Marketing 2.0.” Mr. Ho will report directly to Chief Executive Peter Chou, who has been taking a bit of heat himself for the recent undoings of the company.

HTC went on to admit that it expects next quarter’s revenues to drop another 14.5 percent in the final quarter, equating to a total loss of 23 percent over the previous year.

Source: WSJ

 

Google Drive Gets Updated To Bring Even More Functionality For Users

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:49 PM PST

The Google Drive app has just been updated to include some major functionality improvements that should bode well for all of you power users out there. The latest update brings the app to version 1.1.470.11, which includes an improved UI and the following:

 

  • Edit Google spreadsheets in new native editor
  • Edit contents of tables in Google Docs editor
  • Formatting is maintained when copy/pasting within Google Docs
  • Single tap to enter edit mode in Google Docs editor
  • Add a shortcut to Drive files/folders to your homescreen for quick access
  • Send Link now supports copying link to clipboard

 

These certainly look to be welcome improvements, though we here at Talk Android have noticed that URLs don’t show up as linkable when typing them up within the app and need to be corrected from a desktop computer or laptop instead. Nevertheless— users of Google Drive should be pretty happy with the update and will be hard pressed to find anything else to complain about.

Play Store Download Link

QuickBooks Mobile update brings optimization for Android tablets

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:42 PM PST

As a small-business owner myself, keeping track of expenditures and invoices can be a thoroughly maddening task. Without programs like QuickBooks, many of us would be completely lost trying to keep track of everything ourselves, or completely broke hiring someone else to keep track of them for us. With the arrival of Quickbooks Mobile’s latest update, we can keep track of our expenditures from our favorite 7 or 10-inch devices. The app features complete Holo themes and cross-device syncing so you will always have the latest information. Currently available for free as long as you have a QuickBooks subscription, I know it will be one of my most used apps in the near future. Hit the break for download links and full presser

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Play Store Download Link

QuickBooks Mobile Now Optimized for Android Tablets

Helps Small Businesses Save Time Managing Their Finances on the Go

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Nov. 28, 2012 – Small business Android fans now have the freedom to complete financial management tasks wherever, whenever, on their favorite Android tablets. Design updates to QuickBooks Mobile for Android optimize the app for tablets, and make it easier to navigate and use on any mobile device. The app is available to download for QuickBooks Online subscribers on Google Play at no additional cost.

QuickBooks Online, from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), is the No. 1 small business cloud accounting solution. Nearly 400,000 companies and 1.3 million users improve productivity with QuickBooks Online and its suite of Intuit and third-party apps. As the most comprehensive companion app of its kind, QuickBooks Mobile enables small businesses to access customer information, create, send and review estimates and invoices, and record payments from Apple and Android mobile devices.

QuickBooks Mobile offers Android tablet users the same functionality provided to Android phone users, but with a native tablet experience. The app serves a burgeoning market of small businesses that want to accomplish more work on mobile devices. Industry analysts say the trend is on the fast track, with Android claiming a significant share:

  • 32.5 percent of small businesses currently own tablets, and 31.6 percent plan to purchase tablets in the next 12 months, according to an IDC report published in October.
  • 31.9 percent of small businesses purchased or planned to purchase tablets in 2012 to substitute laptops, according to an iGR study release in March.
  • The number of global tablet and smartphone users will surpass the number of PC users by July 2013, based on projections from KPCB partner Mary Meeker in a November presentation. She also noted that Android adoption is growing six times faster than that of iPhones.

"Small business owners want to get more done everyday, so mobile apps afford them a fantastic way to stay organized and productive from either their computers or mobile devices," said Dan Wernikoff, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit's Financial Management Solutions division. "In the past year, we've seen our QuickBooks Mobile users triple, and adoption amongst Android phone users outpace iPhone users.

"With tablets becoming pervasive, we're creating QuickBooks Mobile experiences that take full advantage of the devices' unique capabilities to help small businesses save time managing their finances. Today we're giving customers what they want – a native tablet experience for our fast-growing population of Android users."

 

Once again, Samsung has lost yet another patent dispute against Apple; This time the blue bounce effect is the culprit

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:21 AM PST

This certainly doesn’t surprise us, right? According to the courts in the Netherlands, Samsung has lost its battle against Apple regarding Apple’s patent of scrolling in the gallery (EP 2.059.868). Apparently, Samsung’s “blue bounce effect” (similar to the image above) found in their version of TouchWiz on Android 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3′s gallery must be taken out in a future update.

Apparently Samsung has 8 weeks to bring forth the update or else they’ll be forced to pay 100.00 Euros (128.93 US dollars) per day.

Samsung  just can’t catch a break with Apple, can they?

source: Sammobile

Android poised to take over tablet market share from Apple in 2013?

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:14 AM PST

We knew this Android thing was kind of a big deal, right? Well due to the fact that no other real competitor has stepped up to try and challenge Apple and Android, the two have benefited from the lack of competition in the tablet market. It was originally thought back in 2010 that both would lose market share in the tablet market due to outside competition. That hasn’t happened, and it’s lead to Android closing Apple’s market share gap – to the tune of only 11 percentage points separating the two (55-percent Apple to 44-percent Android). It also doesn’t hurt that Android has so many manufacturers making tablets that run Android OS.

If Android does overtake Apple in tablet market share in 2013, they would have done it two years faster than some analysts initially predicted. I don’t think it’s that much of a surprise, right? I mean the shear volume of Android tablets out there is dizzying, and most of the prices are very comparable, if not affordable, when compared to Apple. Additionally, it didn’t hurt releasing 7″ tablets in Android flavor at a sweet price point to put a dent in market share, all but forcing Apple to do the same. Fortunately for Apple, it’s one of those companies that has the name going for it that folks of all ages can relate to. Sometimes it’s just convenient to grab an Apple as opposed to doing a little research, I suppose.

source:  TechCrunch

Adobe Photoshop Touch updated to be optimized for 7-inch tablets

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:12 AM PST

Adobe Photoshop Touch has updated their app and optimized it for 7-inch devices. The screen resolution of the device must meet the standards of 1024×600 for the optimization to take into effect. Other than that, here’s what you can also expect within the new update:

  • Optimized user interface for 7-inch devices (minimum screen resolution 1024×600)
  • Smoother brush strokes
  • Two new Effects: Lens Flare (under "&" menu) and Stamp Pattern
  • Improved grid layout for projects, tutorials, and images
  • New support for sharing to Facebook, Twitter, and other registered apps
  • Quick access to last 5 colors with new shortcut (drag down on Color)
  • Various bug fixes

The update brings the apps version to 1.4.1 and is available for $9.99 on the Google Play Store. Download links will be provided after the break!

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Play Store Download Link

Verizon finally reveals launch date of their Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – November 29th

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST

After a long period of pre-orders, Verizon has finally revealed November 29th as their official launch date of their Samsung Galaxy Note 2. With the ugly Verizon branding on the home button and all, the Note 2 packs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with a quad-core Exynos processor amd 2 GB’s of RAM. Of course you can’t forget about the gorgeous 5.5″ Super AMOLED HD display.

The device will set you back $299 on contract in stores and online. Any Verizon readers out there waiting for this device?

source: Verizon

Planet Hoth to be added to Angry Birds Star Wars in tomorrow’s update [Video]

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:00 AM PST

Now that you have had a great deal of time to play it, how have you guys liked Angry Birds Star Wars? Was it what you expected? Either way, Rovio isn’t stopping and plans on updating the game even further. For tomorrow’s update, Rovio has brought forth Planet Hoth, and I’m sure this will make Star Wars fans happy. You can check out the mini teaser below and a download link after the break!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Play Store Download Link

Featured Android Game Review: Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD for Tegra 3 devices [Arcade & Action]

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:37 AM PST

It’s been pretty popular on the PC and consoles, but now it’s available on Android Tegra devices. Hamilton’s Great Adventure by Fatshark just landed in the Google Play Store and TegraZone. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s an action-puzzler that features some really sweet graphics. In fact, this version retains the depth and visual quality from the console.

There are two separate apps to this game, and the first part features 24 puzzles and 22 levels, located in the steam jungle of the Amazonas or the windy mountain sides of the Himalaya. The second part, called the expansion pack, is another download entirely (you must have the first part installed) and it also has 24 puzzles and 22 levels, but it’s set in the ruins of Egypt or the mysterious lost continent of Maralidia.

You play Ernest Hamilton or his trusty parrot friend, Sasha. Between the two of them you need to find treasures, collect dust for powering Hamilton’s abilities, and find the key to exit each individual level. It’s not just about finding your way because you will have to deal with Piranhas, flying Exocets, Golems, and cunning Agents. Controls are fairly easy. To the bottom left is where you control Hamilton and to the bottom right is where you control Sasha. Both are controlled by thumbpads and there are mini buttons to tap for certain actions. For Sasha, you also need to tilt your device up or down for height. The game also has controller support if you own a bluetooth controller such as the OnLive gaming controller.

The graphics are breathtaking and really shows off what a high end Android device can do. I played it on the Nexus 7 and I did have some force close issues, but I am sure that will be resolved quickly. Both the first part and the expansion pack is $3.99 each and you will need a total of 1GB of space for each part. Check out my quick hands on video as well as their trailer video below and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think.

Features:

  • 1st part – 22 levels divided in between two unique worlds (Jungle of Amazonas and Mountains of Himalaya).
  • Expansion pack - 22 levels divided in between two unique worlds (Ruins of Egypt and the Lost continent of Maralidia).
  • Two boss levels .
  • Two playable characters, the adventurer Hamilton and his bird Sasha. Use Hamilton to progress in the levels and collect gold and keys while Sasha distract enemies, fly to secret levers to open doors and collect dust to power Hamilton's abilities.
  • You will encounter everything from hungry Piranhas, flying Exocets, slow but unstoppable Golems and cunning Agents.
  • Get help from Hamilton's gadgets –the Spyglass and Booster boots
  • Achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold on every level.
  • Enjoy all story content from PC game's first two chapters (the following two chapters are available in Hamilton's Great Adventure: THD Expansion.

**Please note that the game only run on Tegra 3 powered devices. Ensure that you have at least 1GB of free space before installing Hamilton's Great Adventure: THD.

 

Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_01 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_02 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_03 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_04 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_05 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_06 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_07 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_08 Hamilton's_Adventure_THD_Splash_Banner

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Play Store Download Link

TegraZone Link

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Play Store Download Link – Expansion Pack

(first part needs to be installed for expansion pack to work)
Posted by at 7:03 AM

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