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Sunday, April 7, 2013

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OUYA to Launch in 59 Days, Brings with it Software and Hardware Improvements
ES File Explorer Hits Build 3, Now Available for Testing Over at XDA
Wirefly Offers Sprint HTC One Pre-Order for $150
New SphereShare.net app provides gallery for Photo Spheres
Official Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Accessories Now Available for Pre-Order from GearZap
U.S. Cellular launches unique program to let customers test network
Facebook talks privacy concerning Facebook Home
TalkAndroid Daily Dose for April 5, 2013

OUYA to Launch in 59 Days, Brings with it Software and Hardware Improvements

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 05:14 PM PDT

OUYA has done a great job of listening to early adopters of their developer consoles, and has worked rigorously to address issues and concerns that have been reported. According to OUYA, they have fixed identified issues for their upcoming June roll out. Their promise to consumers, to “continue to obsess over quality and performance“.

Some of the overall improvements to the final product include both hardware and software improvements. Here is a list OUYA has for each:

HARDWARE

Problem: Battery Covers on front of unit fell off easily during shipping.

Fix: Add additional magnets to cover plats to improve security.

SOFTWARE

Problem: Current software iteration has a few key components issues, such as lack of storage, complicated installation processes, and a lack of controller support for video players.

Fix: Added numerous software fixes, to include options not necessarily addressed by developers, such as:

External storage for games
Simpler game install process
More metrics for developers
Controller support for video players
More payment options

No changes are planned to the UI at this time, as OUYA wants to keep it “simple, easy, and OBVIOUS!” for their users. To date, OUYA supports over 100 games, to include console exclusives, new developers, experienced developers, ports, and more. OUYA’s promise to you, “A world of great games among which you are sure to find new favorites!“. OUYA also promises that more games are in the pipeline and plan to launch them over the coming months.

To ensure continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, OUYA is asking for feedback from YOU! They are holding a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) event the beginning of May, and welcome feedback through their website.

Source: OUYA

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ES File Explorer Hits Build 3, Now Available for Testing Over at XDA

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:21 PM PDT

ES File Explorer has been on my phone for a long time. I love using it to manipulate and move files to and from various folders and the like. My only complaint was that the UI seemed a bit outdated and didn’t fit with the Holo style that the later versions of Android brought to the table. The devs must have read my mind though because they posted a test build of the newest version of the file manager sporting a new Holo-style theme. While it is marked for testing purposes, the app appears to be pretty solid. I have yet to see a hiccup in the short time that I’ve used it.

For those that are interested in tinkering with the app, you can download it or read up on it from the source link below. I’ve included a gallery past the break so that you can see the new UI in action. It should hit the Play Store sometime soon barring any major bugs. As far as I can tell though, it’s pretty close to a final product.

source: XDA

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Wirefly Offers Sprint HTC One Pre-Order for $150

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 11:50 AM PDT

If you’re a Sprint customer and have been salivating over HTC’s newest flagship phone, the HTC One, then you’re in for some good news. The folks over at Wirefly are offering the HTC One for $150 pre-order. Heck even if you’re thinking about switching over to the Now Network this is a good deal. For $50 less than what you’d be paying at Sprint you’ll be able to choose between Stealth Black or Glacial Silver. According to Wirefly it should ship April 19th and be at your door shortly there after. If you’re holding out for a better deal, I’m not sure you’ll find one. Hit the source links below to order yours and you better hurry. There’s no telling on how long this deal will go on.

sources: HTC One Glacial Silver, HTC One Stealth Black

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New SphereShare.net app provides gallery for Photo Spheres

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 11:38 AM PDT

One of the more popular features of Android 4.2 is the Photo Sphere function in the camera app. While many users continue to wait for Android 4.2 to roll out to their device, they can only look on with envy as their friends with Nexus devices post Photo Spheres to Google+ or they stumble upon one on Google Maps. Meanwhile, Nexus owners are only able to share their Photo Spheres with those in their Google+ Circles, which may make it a challenge to compare work with others. Developer Jakub Kinst hopes to address these limitations with a new app, SphereShare.net, which is now available in the Google Play Store.

SphereShare.net acts similar to photo gallery apps for traditional images, like Flickr or Picasa. Users can post their Photo Spheres to the service, which then makes them available for other users to check out. Even if you don’t have a Photo Sphere capable device, with at least Android 4.0 or better you can still install the app to view Photo Spheres posted by others. Options are available to share to popular social networks.

Use one of the download links below to grab the free app and start checking out what folks have been able to create with Photo Spheres.

Google Play Download Link

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Official Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Accessories Now Available for Pre-Order from GearZap

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 11:10 AM PDT

Now that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 has been announced and since released, at least in the UK, it would only be a matter of time before we saw official accessories come out. Items like cases, screen protectors and even extra S-Pens should be apart of the mix and all we would have to do is sit and wait for that fateful day to come. It looks like that fateful day is today as GearZap, part of Mobile Fun Limited, is the first to offer these official accessories. Right now they’re only available for pre-order but they should be released quite soon. We see the standard assortment of accessories as well as a few unique ones. Besides the book covers and S-pens we see a car dock and a pouch stand. The pouch keeps your device protected when not in use, while giving you the ability to prop up the tablet for hands free use. Hit the break to check them out.

Samsung Book Cover £37.99 ($58.27)

Samsung Pouch Stand £29.99 ($46.00)

Samsung Car Dock £44.99 ($69.00)

Samsung Screen Protector £16.99 ($26.06)

So there you have it. The S-Pen is up there as well and comes in at £19.99 ($30.66) should you break or lose your original. If you’re interested in checking out the details on these accessories then hit the source below. Now that we’re seeing these in the UK they should hopefully be in the U.S. shortly after the tablet makes its debut here in the States. Enjoy!

source: GearZap

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U.S. Cellular launches unique program to let customers test network

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 11:03 AM PDT

One of the big challenges for any consumer buying cellular service is trying to figure out whether the service really is better than what they currently have. Invariably it seems that no matter what network one is on, there is always that friend or family member that seems to have better coverage with their carrier, but researching the matter usually yields conflicting information. Wireless carrier U.S. Cellular hopes to address this problem with a new program that lets potential customers test their coverage for a week with no strings attached.

In announcing the new program, the U.S. Cellular web site indicates:

“You deserve to know what to expect from a wireless network before you sign on the dotted line. That’s why, for a limited time, you’re invited to test-drive the U.S. Cellular network for a whole week without signing up for service.”

There is no cost and no commitment for the “test-drive.” The U.S. Cellular web site indicates the offer is only available at participating locations. You can hit the source link to enter your zip code to see if there is a store near you.

Would you like to see more carriers offer the ability to test cell service in the places you use your phone and in the ways you use it?

source: U.S. Cellular

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Facebook talks privacy concerning Facebook Home

Posted: 06 Apr 2013 10:24 AM PDT

Facebook is rarely on the right side of the fence when it comes to privacy, so it’s natural to be a little cautious when buying a phone that’s completely run by Facebook. Fortunately, Facebook looks to be trying to clear up some of the scary privacy concerns right out of the gate.

They’ve released a privacy FAQ on Facebook that addresses the major points about the phone, and reassures users that there really isn’t anything to worry about. Basically, Facebook Home can’t get any information from you that the Facebook app can’t. It’s just an application from Google Play, so if you decide you don’t like it anymore, it’s one uninstall button away. While installed, though, it does collect generic Facebook activity, location, Facebook messages, and the apps in your Home app launcher, and that information remains user-identifiable for 90 days. In reality, it really isn’t much different than the Facebook app.

It does change a bit if you’re using the HTC First, though; Facebook can then track apps that generate notifications, but not the content of the notifications. So it has access to a little more information, but not much.

Personally, I think Facebook is being pretty transparent with what data they collect, and they aren’t asking for much more than what a social networking app needs, anyway. Ultimately, though, it’s up to the user to decide if that’s too invasive or not. Hit the source below to read the full FAQ.

source: Facebook

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TalkAndroid Daily Dose for April 5, 2013

Posted: 05 Apr 2013 08:30 PM PDT

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!