Android Authority

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• Amazon Cloud Player now available for Samsung Smart TVs, Roku boxes
• Eset says more Android malware to hit in 2013, details most important malware types
• Amazon Kindle ebook store lands in China
• Samsung defends against China Labor Watch accusations, says all Chinese workers of proper age
• Puzzle & Dragons hits the Google Play Store, blocks rooted devices
• $49.99 Galaxy S3 available from Best Buy on December 16
• Dropbox acquires music streaming company Audiogalaxy
• Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade now available on Google Play
• Ray Kurzweil joins Google as Director of Engineering
• Braven 570 to sell for $99 via QVC starting tomorrow

Amazon Cloud Player now available for Samsung Smart TVs, Roku boxes Posted: 15 Dec 2012 06:04 PM PST Amazon has just released the much-vaunted Amazon Cloud Player on Roku Streaming Players as well as Samsung Smart TVs. This allows frequent buyers of MP3s on Amazon to listen to their cloud-based music purchases anywhere in the house whenever they like. So now, the Amazon Cloud Player works on not just Internet-enabled mobile devices but Internet-enabled TVs and media hubs, too. If you’re a Roku box user, all you need to do in order to start using Amazon Cloud Player is to download it from the Roku Channel Store under the Featured or Music category. It can be downloaded for free. Meanwhile, for Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Cloud Player is available as an app in the Samsung Smart Hub, a standard feature in all models that are part of Samsung’s 2012 Smart TV lineup. The Amazon Cloud Player is already available for a number of Internet-enabled mobile devices, namely the iPhone, iPod touch, Sonos music players, Android tablets and smartphones, and Amazon’s very own Kindle Fire. This move to release the same for Roku streaming boxes and Samsung Smart TVs only makes things more convenient for all those who get their music from Amazon. Related Posts Amazon brings cool new updates to the Cloud Player, including “scan and match” Amazon Cloud Player reaches UK, Germany and France Roku updates mobile app, adds ‘Play on Roku’ feature [video]

Eset says more Android malware to hit in 2013, details most important malware types Posted: 15 Dec 2012 06:01 PM PST Earlier today we showed you a new report saying that around 18 million Android devices will be affected by malware next year. And now we have another similar story. While the previous data came from Lookout Mobile, we're not looking at a PC World story based on Eset estimations. The company believes that 2013 will see "an exponential growth of mobile malware," with Android users being the most susceptible to such malicious attacks because of Android's important global share of the smartphone business. The report notes that Android now has more than 64 percent of the smartphone market, compared to 43 percent in 2011. “As Android’s market share rises and people use it more and more to store personal and corporate information, or for online banking or related services, cyber criminals will develop more malware to steal information, thus gaining illicit revenue.” The researchers predict that next year, 530 million people will access banking services from their smartphones; it’s a 76 percent jump from 2011, when only 300 million people banked on their mobile phones. So far Eset isn't telling us anything new. Obviously, the more people adopt one operating system, the higher the chances they end up using it for all sorts of personal transactions, personal finances included, and the higher the chances for certain individuals to try to take advantage of the available security flaws of the OS. And while malware is definitely a threat for Android devices, we're yet to see any #DroidRage reports detailing sever cases of individuals affected by Android malware. Moreover, there are ways to try to minimize the risk of running into a malicious app, from Google protection in Android 4.2 (albeit limited so far) to all sorts of anti-virus products that should prevent malware apps from running on your smartphone and/or tablet. Add to all that your own personal care and attention for the apps you download from untrusted sources, and you should get a malware-free mobile experience. Speaking of malware apps, Eset also mentioned the most popular malware apps that affect Android devices: Eset notes that Android malware typically contains one of three malicious payloads. A large number of malware programs (40 percent) clandestinely subscribed their victims to premium SMS services. About a third (32 percent) of bad apps turned the devices they infect into zombies, which can be controlled by an ether thief. More than a quarter (28 percent) of malicious apps steal information from a phone. Spreading pernicious payloads through infected websites will also continue to grow in 2013, Eset forecasts. So in case you get any malware on your Android device, chances are you’re going to get one of the three kinds mentioned above. Have you been affected by Android malware yet? Related Posts It is estimated that 18 million Android devices will get Malware in 2013 Android 4.2 malware filter works only with 15% of the… known malware, research shows GGTracker Malware Hides As Android Market

Amazon Kindle ebook store lands in China Posted: 15 Dec 2012 05:49 PM PST Amazon has been trying to expand more and more lately, rolling out all types of Kindle-related features and services to regions that are outside the U.S. Just a few months ago, it launched the Kindle ebook store in India. And it also opened the doors to its App store in some parts of Europe. In its latest move, Amazon has launched the Kindle ebook store in China, allowing users of Chinese iOS and Android apps to download and enjoy reading books of their own choosing whenever they like. There’s nothing new about this particular ebook store, as it’s supposed to work in the exact same way as the one that’s already available in the U.S. and other locations. But it has helped sparked an interesting rumor. Now that it already has a China-based version of the Kindle ebook store, there is speculation that Amazon might be gearing up to release its Kindle devices in China soon. Amazon has so far declined to comment but a Reuters report confirms it. Currently, the Chinese market is dominated by the Shandy Cloudary Bambook and ebook readers from an outfit called Hanwang Technology. So if Amazon proceeds to launch its devices in China indeed, it will be fighting an uphill battle. Related Posts Amazon might launch several Kindle devices in China in November Canadian page for Amazon’s Kindle Store launched Amazon opens Kindle Store in Japan, also brings Kindle Paperwhite, Fire and Fire HD

Samsung defends against China Labor Watch accusations, says all Chinese workers of proper age Posted: 15 Dec 2012 05:14 PM PST Bloomberg on Friday reported that Samsung supplier HTNS Shenzhen has hired "at least three girls under the legal working age of 16 in China," according to China Labor Watch. Just a day later the South Korean company issued an official response to these accusations. China Labor Watch also said that HTNS, makers of smartphone covers, force overtime and was responsible for poor air quality at the workplace. However, the main issue raised by the group was the age of certain employees, with HTNS accused to not having verified IDs properly, which lead to the hiring of underage workers. This isn't the first time we hear allegations that a Chinese parts supplier for important players in the mobile business are not playing by the rules when it comes to offering a decent working environment. Just recently, Samsung revealed that it was taking steps in order to "correct labor issues," with its suppliers, although child labor wasn’t one of the problems it encountered. Earlier today, Samsung stated that it has conducted an investigation and discovered that all three girls that China Labor Watch alleged were underage have been found to be over 18 of age: Our investigation into this matter included a meeting on December 14, 2012 with the alleged underage employee currently working at this supplier. A representative from China Labor Watch was present at this meeting in which she was confirmed as being of legal age. During this meeting she stated, “I do not understand why we are having this discussion. I am over 18 years of age.” We have also confirmed that two other alleged underage employees. who are no longer with this supplier were of legal age when hired. During the hiring process, their ages and identities were verified through an electronic device that detects fake ID cards. In its response, Samsung also revealed that it makes 90% of parts needed to conduct its businesses, the company is also relying on third-party companies such as HTNS to provide the extra 10%. Like it or not, most of our gadgets are manufactured in, or have parts that come from China, with local providers bending the rules as much as possible for a profit, especially when it comes to the highly profitable mobile business. And since every company that's relevant for the business also has Chinese suppliers, it means from time to time we'll continue to see such reports come out. Related Posts Chinese officials dispute child labor accusations in Samsung supplier facility China Labor Watch accuses Samsung of more violations of worker’s rights Samsung: no child labor in China, but will address labor issues in manufacturing facilities

Puzzle & Dragons hits the Google Play Store, blocks rooted devices Posted: 15 Dec 2012 05:06 PM PST Puzzle & Dragons, originally released for iOS last month, has now made its way to Google’s Play Store for Android devices. Unless you’ve rooted your device, that is. Described by developer GungHo Online Entertainment as a social puzzle role-playing game, Puzzle & Dragons mixes and matches elements of jewel matching puzzle games like Bejeweled with simple RPG elements. Ostensibly to prevent piracy, Puzzle & Dragons refuses to run on rooted devices. The game’s page in the Play Store spells it out plainly: Puzzle & Dragons will not run on Rooted/Super User Android devices. If you observe the application starts but closes before splash screen pops, your device is likely rooted. To start the app, please turn off the Rooting/Super User option of your device. Now, as most Android Authority readers are probably aware, rooting your device does not mean that you’re a pirate. Either GungHo is not aware of this, or they simply think that it’s worth alienating a large portion of its potential audience to prevent a few lost sales. It’s pretty clear that this move has users upset, as the game currently has a 2.4-star rating in the Play Store, with 1-star reviews greatly outnumbering positive reviews. If you want to see the game for yourself (and you’re not rooted, of course) check out the Google Play Store link in the sources section below the article. Are you running a rooted device? If so, is it keeping you from trying Puzzle & Dragons, or would you not have been interested anyway? Related Posts Snappy Dragons 2: Save the little dragons from the red mages Freeze! physics-based puzzle game is now available in the Play Store Total Defense 3D hits the Google Play Store

$49.99 Galaxy S3 available from Best Buy on December 16 Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:06 PM PST In case you still haven't purchased a Galaxy S3, the best-sold Android handset to date and one of Samsung's 2012 flagship products, you may want to do so tomorrow, as Best Buy is ready to offer you the device for just $49.99. This isn't the first time Best Buy is discounting the Galaxy S3, and just like before, the deal will be available for a limited time – in this case just this Sunday. Naturally, in order to take advantage of the deal, you'll still have to sign a new two-year agreement with the carrier of your choice – in this case either Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile. What's worth noticing is that this time around, Best Buy's Galaxy S3 deal is available with any of the four main U.S. mobile operators. While Android fans are already talking about the Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S3 is still a great handset and definitely a great Christmas present, despite being just six months old, which is a lot in Android time Are you buying the Galaxy S3 from Best Buy tomorrow, or are you looking for a different Android Christmas deal? Show full PR text One Day Special: Best Buy Offers Samsung Galaxy S® III for $49 on Sunday, Dec. 16 Best Buy will be bringing back a popular Black Friday offer to consumers for one day – this Sunday, Dec. 16 – when Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores nationwide reduce the price of the Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB model to $49.99. For this one day, customers will be able to save $150 with a two-year activation on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile and stay connected with what is arguably one of the hottest Android™ smartphones on the market. The Samsung Galaxy S III features Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), a 4.8″ HD Super AMOLED™ touchscreen display, Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 1.5 GHz dual core CPU and 2GB of internal RAM. Customers can choose between two popular colors – Pebble Blue and Marble White (additional colors available online). Best Buy offers consumers the ability to compare and choose between any carrier, any phone and any plan with lots of unbiased advice at all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores. In addition, Best Buy offers an array of services aimed at improving customers' experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy 24, and a full assortment of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their new mobile devices. Related Posts Best Buy Galaxy S3 sale announced for October 26, well ahead of Black Friday Deal: Sprint Galaxy S3 available for $119.99 from Amazon Wireless Get a $50 Google Play gift card for every Galaxy S3 purchase from RadioShack

Dropbox acquires music streaming company Audiogalaxy Posted: 15 Dec 2012 03:57 PM PST Dropbox has just acquired a personal music streaming company named Audiogalaxy. It is a service that takes your personal music combines it with millions of other songs in their unique version of internet radio. This acquisition could mean that Dropbox might be buffing up the already existing minimal functionality it already has for MP3s that you have stored. Could we be seeing a cloud based music streaming service from Dropbox soon? Audiogalaxy does have a legal record as it was originally a file-swapping service, but who wasn't back in 2002? The brand was shut down for several years, before it re-launched as a cloud-based streaming service closer to internet radio. It appears that the company will be assumed into the Dropbox team as opposed to remaining an independent entity. Audiogalaxy combines the streaming aspect of services like Spotify with a twist. It can take your own personal music, and find songs that match that music and then stream that music along with your personal music. If Dropbox could incorporate a suggestion service into every song you put into Dropbox, that could prove to be useful for a lot of users. Can Dropbox Make a Streaming Music Service That Will Last? It very well could, as it already has the cloud infrastructure in place and has a strong user base to which it could push its music streaming service. Dropbox could leverage Audiogalaxy's experience in both storage and streaming of the files. Having said that, penetrating this market would surely be an uphill task with players like Apple rumored to be launching their own Pandora-like service. Whether or not Dropbox can make this successful is also up to pricing. It will be interesting to see if Dropbox replicates the 'freemium' model which other players have in place or it could come up with some interesting business model which could make it really stand out. A possibility of ad-funded model is also there. However, today’s audiences want ad-free music, and they are ready to pay a price for that. What's your favorite cloud music service? Would you like to try out if Dropbox launches a streaming service? Would you pay for it? Let us know. Related Posts Sony launches Music Unlimited streaming service in Japan, offers access to over 10 million songs Dropbox introduces video streaming feature for Android 4.0 Beats completes acquisition of music streaming service MOG

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade now available on Google Play Posted: 15 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST For those who are looking for a unique new Android gaming experience with familiar characters, Square Enix’s recently released Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade might be just the right choice. If you are used to the full on Final Fantasy experience, this might not be to your liking, but if you're new to the social gaming platform and the types of games it includes, you will probably enjoy this game. In Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, you are working with others. Each player has their own ship, and you can form brigades with other players. Teams can take on bosses and get valuable gear to level up. Work to collect cards featuring Final Fantasy characters, join with your friends to defeat the boss, explore quest areas, and enjoy regular events. Like many other social multiplayer games for Android, this game uses the Mobage social gaming platform.  It is available for free from Google Play. Currently the English translated version of this game is only available on North America. It's hard to say when and if it will be available anywhere else. Have you tried Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade? What do you think? Related Posts Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade coming to North America Square Enix to release Final Fantasy Dimensions in summer Remake of the original Final Fantasy hits Google Play for $6.99, sadly it's an iOS port

Ray Kurzweil joins Google as Director of Engineering Posted: 15 Dec 2012 02:10 PM PST Those who are looking forward to their Android devices becoming smarter have a small reason to celebrate, as author, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil is joining Google as Director of Engineering. While Kurzweil may currently be best known for his controversial views regarding the concept of a technological singularity, he has been a pioneer in fields like optical character recognition (OCR) and text-to-speech. It’s likely that his expertise in these areas has much to do with his new position at Google, though the released statement is vague, simply stating that he will be working on "new projects involving machine learning and language processing." In yesterday’s statement, Kurzweil said "I'm excited to share that I'll be joining Google as Director of Engineering this Monday, December 17," adding later that “I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Google to work on some of the hardest problems in computer science so we can turn the next decade's 'unrealistic' visions into reality." What does this mean for Android? Depending on where Kurzweil is focusing his efforts, it could mean a lot. The combination of machine learning and language processing mentioned in the statement would seem to point towards a more refined version of where we’re already headed: less typing and more talking. As technology improves, its not difficult to imagine our mobile devices taking a place as full-fledged personal assistants that work fully hands-free. What do you think Kurzweil will bring to Google? Is this a good move or a bad move for the company? Related Posts Google Has a 'Secret Project' with Former Apple Senior Director Palm webOS UI head joins Google’s Android team Autodesk ForceEffect: Simulating engineering design concepts on the go

Braven 570 to sell for $99 via QVC starting tomorrow Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:52 AM PST Back in October, we took a look at the Braven 625s portable Bluetooth speaker, and found it worthy of recommendation. If you’ve had your eye on the 625s but were waiting for something easier on the wallet, you might want to check out the Braven 570, which is about to go on sale via QVC. At a price of $180, we considered the 625s a good value for the money. The Braven 570 is going to sell for nearly half that at a price of $99.96. It has less battery life, but retains most of the features that we liked in the 625s, like hands-free and power bank functionality. QVC is going to start selling the Braven 570 tomorrow, December 16. For more details, see the press release embedded down below. Do you own a Braven portable speaker? What do you think of the sound quality? Would you recommend it to other Android Authority readers? Show full PR text BRAVEN 570 SET TO DEBUT ON QVC Provo, Utah – December 14, 2012 – BRAVEN has announced that it will offer the brand new BRAVEN 570, a colorful Bluetooth speaker with a built-in power bank that can charge a smartphone in an emergency. This event marks the debut of the BRAVEN 570 speaker, adding to its growing portable speaker line. Joining its counterparts in BRAVEN’s Six Series, this speaker is small, lightweight, and pairs with any Bluetooth-equipped Android or Apple smartphone to provide incredible sound. The BRAVEN 570 speakers will be available in Lunar Black, Arctic White, Fiji Green, Rio Purple, Monaco Blue, and Sahara Red. Aimed at the cost-conscious music lover, the colorful 570 offers 10 hours of play time, allowing users to jam to their music or blast their mobile games from virtually anywhere. The speaker connects via Bluetooth up to 33 feet away and has six watts of power encased in an impact-resistant polymer exterior. Providing the same industry-leading sound BRAVEN is known for, the new speaker also has the brand’s signature charging ability. With a 1200mAh battery power bank, users can charge their phones via USB while they stream or use the speaker as a back-up power source on the go. An internal microphone also provides speakerphone functionality. “We designed the 570 to appeal to a different audience than we’ve ever reached before,” explains BRAVEN CEO Warren Osborn. “With the bright, colorful options and new exterior, the 570 is an important part of expanding our line to offer a high-quality BRAVEN Bluetooth speaker that matches any style, need, or cost.” Bundled with a power adapter, the BRAVEN 570 has a value of $129.99, QVC will offer the 570 speakers at an exceptional value price of $99.96 on December 16th. The speakers will be delivered to customers by Christmas. For those who miss this opportunity, the black and white editions will be available in stores in January 2013 at regular price. To learn more about BRAVEN or find a retailer, please visit www.braven.com. Related Posts Braven 625s vs Jawbone Jambox: Bluetooth speakers face-off Braven 625s portable speaker review: sounds great for the outdoorsy Jabra Solemate on sale for $160 at Best Buy for the entire month of December

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Android Phone Fans

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• Android Overload: Google to close down ActiveSync, Save to Google Drive extension, great deals and more
• 20 apps to give your device a stock Android experience without root [GUIDE]
• The 16GB Nexus 4 is now officially sold out on the Google Play Store
• Samsung wishing you a happy holidays with the Galaxy Note 2 and this fun video

Android Overload: Google to close down ActiveSync, Save to Google Drive extension, great deals and more Posted: 15 Dec 2012 06:43 PM PST Welcome to your Android Overload: weekend edition. Saturday night festivities are about to begin as everyone’s vacations start. Before you head out and start enjoying yourself, go ahead and check out these stories. They didn’t make it to our home page, but they are still worth a good look! Save to Google Drive Chrome extension [Chrome Spot] Google’s Winter Cleaning: Google Sync and more going away [Google Official Blog] Allow more non-Verizon apps to be used with Multi-Window [XDA Developers] Remove non-Verizon SIM message and get APN data on VZW Galaxy Note II [XDA Developers] S-Pen optimized image editor open beta [XDA Developers] Samsung on child labor allegations [Samsung] Best Buy to offer Samsung Galaxy S3 for $49.99 on December 16 [Android Authority] 32 GB Nexus 7 going for $217 on eBay [eBay]

20 apps to give your device a stock Android experience without root [GUIDE] Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST As we all know, the Android OS is an open platform meaning just about anyone can take the software and do just about whatever they like with it. It’s this reason many handset manufacturers opt to forgo the standard Android design (sometimes referred to as “stock Android”), injecting their own flavor into the OS. I like to think of it like an ice cream shop. While every shop is selling ice cream, they all have their own unique flavors and mixins that go beyond just plain vanilla. Unfortunately, for the kids that don’t want HTC’s rocky road, or Samsung’s cookies n’ cream, there’s little that can be done for those who prefer just plain vanilla. Yes, for the truly dedicated, there’s always the method of rooting and installing the stock Android OS by way of custom ROMs. Only problem is rooting often times comes at the cost of voiding one’s warranty, buggy software, and even possible harm to the device by way of the dreaded “brick.” If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you’re not alone. But is rooting really the only way to a stock Android experience on your device? Not entirely. For our lovely Phandroid readers, I put together this handy guide showing you how, with apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, you can obtain a mostly stock Android experience out of your device — all without the worries that come with rooting, hacking, or voiding of warranties. Before we start, keep in mind that some of these applications will not run properly on anything but the firmware they were taken/designed from. For instance, an Ice Cream Sandwich browser will only work on your device if you’re running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not Gingerbread or Donut. Make sure you read the descriptions of the apps in the Play Store before you download. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s do this. Launcher The most dramatic way to get your device looking like it’s running stock Android is by simply replacing its homescreen. In fact, most people will usually stop right there and that’s fine, but it’s only the tip of the Holo iceberg. With so many launcher replacements on the Google Play Store, there are numerous options to choose from. If you want something more closely resembling the stock Android experience (that is the point of this post, after all) you’ll want to stick with all-in-one solutions like Nova Launcher which offers a wide range of customizing options. Where you can find completely stock Jelly Bean launchers on the Play Store, they ain’t gonna help you when it comes to switching up those ugly icons your phone came with. Nova Launcher on the other hand, comes out of the box with Jelly Bean icons allowing for easy themeing of the remnants left behind from your unsavory manufacturer UI. Yay. [Stock Jelly Bean Launcher | Nova Launcher | Apex Launcher] Lockscreen Another key ingredient to the stock Android experience is the first thing you look at upon waking your device — the lock screen. Once again, there are plenty of lockscreen options in the Play Store you can use to get your device looking like it’s running stock Android, the one with a heap of features being Widget Locker. I’ve been using Widget Locker for years now and while there are free lockscreen replacements (linked below), it’s WL’s feature set that keeps me coming back to it. The best part is you can use widgets from other apps, a key component if you want that stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean clock displayed on your lockscreen. [WidgetLocker | Holo Locker | Holo Locker Plus] Camera Ahhhh, yes. The camera. Chances are there is absolutely nothing wrong with the camera application that comes on your device. In fact, it probably runs perfectly well and comes with sh*t ton of features. There’s only one problem: it ain’t stock. This time around, we have a fewer options for stock Android camera applications from the Play Store, most of which are dependent on the version of Android your device is currently running. Got Ice Cream Sandwich? Well, then you’re going to have to stick to the ICS cameras (linked below). If you’re on Jelly Bean, you’re in luck. The Jelly Bean camera app in this case comes tied to the stock Gallery app. Not sure why it had to be that way, but consider it a 2-for-1 deal. [Camera Jelly Bean+ (with Jelly Bean Gallery) | Camera Ice Cream Sandwich (Free) | Camera Ice Cream Sandwich+] Gallery Probably my most frequently used app on my phone is the gallery app. I spend a lot of time in there sharing pics to my various social networks and it pains me when I see anything but minimal look of stock Android gallery app. If you purchased the Jelly Bean camera (linked above), you already got the Jelly Bean gallery app. Good for you. For those that didn’t, or simply didn’t want to bother with using the stock camera app, then you can download the free Ice Cream Sandwich gallery app. This is essentially the same as the Jelly Bean gallery, except you lose the notification bar. I’m sure this wont even bother most of you the way it did me (Jelly Bean FTW). [Gallery ICS (free) | Gallery Jelly Bean+ (with Camera)] Messaging I went nuts when Google finally updated the messaging app in Ice Cream Sandwich. Once a hideously dark and empty experience, is now clean and minimal. It took me awhile, but I was able to find the stock Ice Cream Sandwich messaging app that can be installed on any device running Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean. There’s only one problem — this stock messaging app can’t (at the moment) send off MMS/picture messages, so heavy sexters may want to stick with whatever messaging app is already available on their device. Fooey. [Messaging] Keyboard When a manufacturer introduces their custom UI to a device, the first thing almost always kicked to the curb is the stock Android keyboard. This happens so often, you’d logically assume the stock keyboard is just that horrible, right? Couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Google has done some pretty awesome things with the Android keyboard starting in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich where text is more aggressively corrected, and in Jelly Bean, we even have next word predictions and Gesture Typing. So, there’s a couple of options here for heavy Android texters. You can download one of the modified stock Android keyboards below, or simply go with something like SwiftKey and use the built-in themeing options to make it appear more like stock Android. Either route would work. [Jelly Bean 4.2 Keyboard | Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard | SwiftKey 3] Clock In Android 4.2 Jelly Bean — the absolute latest firmware Android has to offer — Google decided to finally update the stock clock application. They did this by, not only giving the app a much needed visual overhaul, but making it more useful with the inclusion of timer and stop watch functions. One of the visual cues used to see which version of Android a device is running is almost always the stock clock widget, which was also updated in 4.2. Thankfully, a developer has uploaded both the stock clock app, with the included stock clock widget from 4.2 and it looks wonderful. Combine the Jelly Bean clock widget with the Widget Locker lockscreen replacement and you have yourself a faithful recreation of the lockscreen from Android 4.2 (for the most part). [Clock Jelly Bean+ | Clock Jelly Bean Free (no alarm) | Clock Ice Cream Sandwich (Free)] Calculator The calculator in Android has long needed an update and one crafty developer from the CyanogenMod team took matters into his own hands, introducing a revamped calculator into the Play Store complete with scientific and graphing functions. So, yes. This is in many ways better than the stock app, but still keeps the stock app look. The best part? It’s free to download so hop to it. [Calculator] Calendar Another application that’s almost always removed from manufacturer devices is the stock Calendar app. This allows Android OEM’s to introduce their own calendar app, usually heavily skinned and chalk full of features. For those that find the stock Android calendar sufficient — in looks and features — Google has actually made available the stock Android calendar for download in the Play Store. As so often is the case with Google’s apps, it’s available free of charge. [Google Calendar] Browser It was in Jelly Bean that Google made the controversial decision to remove their standard Android web browser (the one introduced all the way back in Honeycomb) from the OS entirely. Instead, they opted for their mobile Chrome browser, which offered better syncing across devices, but many found the browser slow in comparison to the previous version. While downloading Chrome from the Play Store would be the easy way at obtaining a “stock” Android look, the app doesn’t really feature Android’s Holo UI. For those wanting to take things back to the oldschool browser, there is one available from the Play Store, but you gotta be running Ice Cream Sandwich. Bummer. No Jelly Bean love here, folks. [ICS Browser+ | Chrome] Wallpapers The icing on the cake for obtaining a stock Android look is, of course, using the stock Android wallpapers. While downloading the official wallpapers found in Jelly Bean are easy (zip file provided below), it’s some of the stock live wallpapers that are a little harder to come by. When it comes to the Phase Beam live wallpaper — introduced way back in Ice Cream Sandwich — one thoughtful developer has uploaded the moving wallpaper onto Google Play for everyone to download and enjoy. While it’s not the exact same wallpaper found on stock Android devices, it does a well enough job at recreating the Phase Beam wallpaper, while adding a few tricks as well. [Nexus 4 Wallpapers | Phase Beam Live Wallpaper] Extras Google caused some buzz a few days ago when they introduced their music discovering app, Sound Search into the Google Play Store. Once reserved for Jelly Bean devices, Sound Search is now available to anyone with a device running Ice Cream Sandwich or above. It’s a great way to discover new music, download, and give your device yet another stock Android feature. [Google Sound Search] So, that just about concludes this guide. These are always the first apps I download whenever I receive a new device and aside from visiting my settings app, my eyes rarely see any trace of manufacturer UI. I think it’s clear Android manufacturers will never offer a “vanilla” version of the OS with any of their devices. For purists, we have the Nexus program for that. I’m fine with that, I really am. Individuality, options, and choice are good for Android and consumers. Still, there have been a vocal few screaming for manufacturers to make their UI an option (downloadable from the Play Store) and really, I think it’s Google’s responsibility to make this happen. Not by cutting off Play Store access, but simply by offering every single one of their stock Android applications in the Play Store for downloading. This, will give users the choice of downloading and getting a mostly stock Android experience, if they so choose. I’ll step down from my soap box now. Just some food for thought. If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to share with friends. Also, if you feel that I missed anything, or maybe you have a few apps you think should have made it into the post, sound off below. Cheers.

The 16GB Nexus 4 is now officially sold out on the Google Play Store Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:45 PM PST We were beginning to wonder if Google was ever going to list the device as sold out, or simply continue pushing back the shipping date. At one point listed as shipping in 8-9 weeks, the 16GB Nexus 4 is now officially listed as “sold out ” on the Google Play Store. We’re not sure how long before LG replenishes some of Google’s supply but hopefully it wont be long. We seen it drop to out of stock status on the first day of December, but that was the 8GB model (which is still listed as sold out). As it stands, it looks like the chances of snagging one of these before Christmas are slim. [Google Play]

Samsung wishing you a happy holidays with the Galaxy Note 2 and this fun video Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:38 PM PST I’ve always been a sucker for a good ad spot and it seems that lately, Samsung has been on fire releasing clever (and sometimes provocative) commercials for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 handsets. Today, Samsung uploaded another fun commercial showing off what happens when you combine the art of Kirigami and the ridiculously large display of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The results are magical. Take a look.

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Android and Me

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Day 15: Win a Sony Android Walkman Z Posted: 15 Dec 2012 09:45 AM PST Day 15 and we’re back on the scene. If you've been following along, you know that we're giving away a new device daily til Christmas, as part of our yearly tradition, 25 Days of Tegra. To enter to win today, all you'll need to do is be logged in. The Prize: Sony Android Walkman Z [...] Visit our site to read the full article.

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• [Deal] Best Buy offering Samsung Galaxy S III for $49 on December 16th
• AT&T Motorola ATRIX HD receiving Jelly Bean update
• ForeverMap2 now available in Amazon App Store for Amazon Kindle Fire owners
• 11 Bit Studios Unveils Anomaly Korea Trailer
• Sony Xperia E budget phone appears to be landing in the UK this February
• All Rovio HD games on sale this weekend for 99-cents
• Limited edition red DROID DNA for Verizon employees pictured

[Deal] Best Buy offering Samsung Galaxy S III for $49 on December 16th Posted: 15 Dec 2012 02:49 PM PST Best Buy has been known to have some pretty good deals, but this one should have any Android fan pretty excited. Tomorrow only, Best Buy will be offering the famed Galaxy S III for only $49.99 with a new or renewed contract. This offer is good for all four major carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. You’ll be able to pick up your shiny new Galaxy S III in any Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile store. This is a great deal for any of you looking to own one of the best Android phones around without breaking the bank. You might want to get to Best Buy early tomorrow, with a deal like this they might sell out as quickly as Google’s Nexus 4 did.  Anyone planning on picking one of these up tomorrow? Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

AT&T Motorola ATRIX HD receiving Jelly Bean update Posted: 15 Dec 2012 09:04 AM PST AT&T announced on their Consumer Blog the availability of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Motorola ATRIX HD. The update follows the release last week of a Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S III devices. The Motorola ATRIX HD joins the Galaxy S III, the Samsung Galaxy Note II and the HTC One X+ as devices in the AT&T portfolio boasting Jelly Bean. The update is available as an over-the-air (OTA) update via Wi-Fi. Users can can get the update by going to Settings -> About -> Phone -> Software Updates on their device. source: AT&T Consumer Blog Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

ForeverMap2 now available in Amazon App Store for Amazon Kindle Fire owners Posted: 15 Dec 2012 08:40 AM PST While many people were occupied in recent days with news of Google Maps return to the iOS platform, owners of Amazon Kindle Fire devices continued to make do without a pre-installed mapping app. Yesterday, skobbler announced the availability of ForeverMap2 (Kindle Tablet Edition) through Amazon’s app store. ForeverMap2 is free to download and install for Kindle Fire owners. ForeverMap2 provides the expected map functions like routing and search. skobbler claims to provide an excellent visual experience and due to the map database, the product is especially strong when off major roads according to reviews. ForeverMap2 is based on the OpenStreetMap database, a crowdsourced project similar to Wikipedia. The OpenStreetMap project boasts 900,000 contributors using a variety of methods to update the database. In addition to the free app, users can buy downloadable maps. Doing so provides users with the ability to use the app online or offline. Hit the break for the full press release and a download link (just for Amazon Kindle Fire users). ForeverMap 2 Arrives on Amazon's Kindle Fire™ Friday, December 14th 2012 skobbler | New York, NY Popular Mapping Solution is Poised to be the Standard on Kindle Fire Tablets —skobbler (www.skobbler.com), a leading provider of mobile map-based solutions, today announced that ForeverMap 2 is now available for Amazon's Kindle Fire for FREE by visiting Amazon's App Store. Through a series of impressive features including seamless online-offline functionality, and a unique integration with the OpenStreetMap database, ForeverMap 2 delivers the most detailed and versatile digital map service today, and is poised to become the standard map app on the Kindle Fire—which has no preinstalled map solution, like Google Maps, available on the device. A worldwide crowdsourced project similar to Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap—a free and editable map of the world built by over 900,000 voluntary contributors using data from satellites, GPS logs, local knowledge, and other sources of geographic information—provides users with constantly evolving information about their surroundings and is simply unmatched in terms of detail—especially beyond road networks. As a result, by harnessing OpenStreetMap's vast dataset, ForeverMap 2's hyperlocal information is a key differentiator when compared to other mapping platforms. In addition, ForeverMap 2 is one of the only map apps on the Kindle Fire that can offer "hybrid" functionality, allowing users to switch between online or optional offline map access through in-app purchases of downloadable maps. Optional offline map upgrades store locally, allowing for fast and reliable results and providing a flexible mapping service without the constraints of cellular carriers and excessive data or roaming fees. Meaning, whether you're trying to find directions to the nearest supermarket or are off to take in the sights from around the world, ForeverMap 2 delivers worldwide map data to your disposal, making traveling a breeze—anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, ForeverMap 2 is one of the only map apps in the Amazon App Store that offers unlimited offline functionality upon purchase of a downloadable map upgrade, meaning routing and essential search capabilities, including local and category or point-of-interest search, are all provided. Other map offerings on the Kindle Fire currently don't deliver this degree of map functionality or use while offline. Users can download ForeverMap 2 for FREE on Kindle Fire (first and second generation), Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HD 8.9", with continuous free software and map updates provided and absolutely no restrictions while online with the option to install the downloadable map upgrades for full offline use. Users can purchase nearly 1,000 in-app upgrades of city ($0.99), state ($1.99), country ($2.99) or continent ($5.99) maps. They can also purchase a worldwide map ($9.99), which includes access to all available in-app map upgrades. Each purchase is a one-time payment, no subscriptions required. OpenStreetMap data also provides ForeverMap 2 users with unmatched information that goes beyond just their desired route, making it ideal for itinerary changes, or outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping. Intuitive map interactions and cutting-edge visuals, plus a user interface that quickly adapts to the Kindle Fire screen, are powered by skobbler's advanced NGx map engine for mobile and make it easier than ever to interact with the map. Various search modes, car and pedestrian routing information, Wi-Fi positioning and optimal synchronization capabilities with skobbler.com, combine to make ForeverMap 2 one of the easiest and most reliable mobile map resources within Amazon's App Store. "Amazon’s devices do not include pre-installed maps and Google Maps isn’t even available,” said Marcus Thielking, Co-Founder of skobbler. “By coupling unlimited 'hybrid' functionality with OpenStreetMap data, we offer Kindle Fire users a solution that's second to none in the Amazon App Store. From its unmatched hyperlocal detail, to its constantly evolving data and incredible affordability, ForeverMap 2 is not only the go-to map service on the Kindle Fire, it is Kindle Fire's standard mapping service, bar-none." For further information on recent developments at skobbler, please visit http://skobbler.com, http://blog.skobbler.com, http://fb.skobbler.comor http://twitter.com/skobbler. About skobbler Founded in 2008, Berlin-based skobbler (www.skobbler.com) is one of the premier players in mobile location-aware services. With over 3 million customers on iOS alone, skobbler has regularly topped overall and category app charts in more than 20 countries, leading the way in the development of location technology and end consumer products based on the OpenStreetMap. This experience also facilitates skobbler's development projects for third parties. Based on the skobbler GeOS map access technology, companies can base their location-aware web or mobile services on the OpenStreetMap. Amazon App Store Download Link Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

11 Bit Studios Unveils Anomaly Korea Trailer Posted: 15 Dec 2012 08:29 AM PST   You can never have enough games featuring explosions, machines and overall destruction, right? Well that’s what 11 Bit Studios believes with its brand-new Anomaly Korea game. The game is the follow-up to Anomaly Warzone Earth and has all sorts of new goodies like 12 new missions, new power-ups and new special units. There’s no word on whether or not the game will utilize a multiplayer mode, but based off of what’s included in the game, the single player campaigns may be more than sufficient enough for most gamers. The game is due to arrive “Christmas Time”… whatever that means. But while the gaming world waits for the new beast to be released, 11 Bit Studios has released a trailer highlighting the game’s features and capabilities in the meantime. You can check out the game in its full glory once you hit past the break. Click here to view the embedded video.     Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Sony Xperia E budget phone appears to be landing in the UK this February Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:24 PM PST When it comes to releases, Carphone Warehouse seems to always give us a good indication on dates. Sony already announced the Xperia E budget phone, but didn’t tell us anything more than to expect it Q1 2013. Well Carphone Warehouse has a page to pre-register for the dual-SIM device, and it clearly states that it’s expected February 2013. Pricing should be around £130-£140 ($210 to $225). source: xperiablog Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

All Rovio HD games on sale this weekend for 99-cents Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:59 PM PST Rovio is celebrating the holiday season with a sale this weekend. All HD games are on sale for Android and iOS. All Android titles are just .99 cents in the Google Play Store. The sale ends this Monday, December 17, but why wait? Hit the download links below to get in on the action before it’s too late. Note: Bad Piggies is showing as Free at the time of this post. Amazing Alex HD Angry Birds Space HD Angry Birds Star Wars HD Bad Piggies HD source: Rovio Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Limited edition red DROID DNA for Verizon employees pictured Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:40 PM PST Verizon has been making a habit of offering special edition DROIDs to their employees. A few months ago, it was the DROID RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD, and now the DROID DNA gets the same treatment. As you can see the back is the same color red as the side grills that are on the normal retail model. It’s pretty cool looking, but might be a little too loud. If you’re looking to get your hands on one of these, you might want to check out eBay since you won’t find them in stores. A couple of more pictures after the break.  source: droid-life Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

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