My quest to find interesting and useful productivity apps seems to never end, and this week I’m taking a look at Sulia Quick Launch. Quick Launch is a lockscreen replacement that offers users a bevy of functions and features to stay connected right from the lockscreen. Conduit, the creators of Sulia, also have a nice selection of other useful apps, including a more social version of Quick Launch. I found Quick Launch to be functional, easy to use, and just very handy to have. It’s a slight contrast to Active Lock Screen, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. For users that are more news-focused, Quick Launch may be worth a look.
Jumping right into the app, the basic layout is fairly simple. You’ve got a lock icon in the lower center of the screen, and pressing it brings up four options: Phone, Camera, Unlock, and Messaging. Each has an obvious function, but the unlock icon holds a secret gem. When the user drags the lock icon over the unlock icon, they’re greeted with the 5 most recently used apps. I’ve mentioned in previous reviews how useful something like this can be, and Sulia does a nice job of implementing it without giving users another icon to stare at.
On the left side of the lock icon, there’s a nice little slider for vibrate/silent functions. At the bottom of the screen, users are given a tab that slides up to reveal a settings button and the option to select which topics are shown in the stack.
The top half of the screen is occupied by what I like to call the carousel stack. Users can select up to four news topics from a typical list (I chose politics, technology, food & dining, and football). News articles on each topic are displayed in their own row. Users can swipe left or right within each row to see other articles (hence the “carousel”), or swipe up and down to get to one of the other three topic choices (hence the “stack). This is very well thought out, and it’s a different take on a widget or something along those lines that just gives users a boring, scroll-able list of words.
It’s interesting to me that Conduit didn’t stop with news here. There are also options to add Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram carousels, which appear at the bottom of the stack. Obviously the items in these carousels are not articles, but posts from social network friends. While this is fun and convenient, I did find a few minor issues. Namely, the Facebook carousel only shows photos from friends, and not regular posts. As nice as it is that I now get to facepalm at those duckface photos without even unlocking my phone, it’d be even nicer if I could see good old-fashioned image-less posts as well. Ironically enough, the Twitter carousel only shows tweets, and not images that my friends tweet.
The only other issue I’ve found with these social carousels is that each is restricted to its default app. If I want to comment on a Facebook friend’s photo from Sulia, the only option is to install the Facebook for Android app, which I haven’t used in at least six months. The same goes for Twitter and Instagram. The option to choose other apps (like Scope Beta, for example) would be a great addition to Sulia Quick Launch.
Above the carousel stack is a pretty little Sulia logo and a search bar. I do love that Conduit took the time to add that here. Users can search for anything right from the lockscreen, and Sulia takes them into the browser. I can only imagine how awesome this will be if Google Now is integrated into the search feature.
As far as usage goes, I’ve been very pleased with Quick Launch. From day-to-day, it’s served me fairly well without any major bugs or crashes. It’s smooth, fluent, and just downright useful. Aside from the minor grievances with the social features, Sulia Quick Launch is one of the most functional lockscreen replacements I’ve come across in recent memory. It’s right up there with Active Lock Screen in terms of usability and features, although Sulia seems to cater more to news-oriented users than users that are looking for a minimal look. In any case, it is nice that there are several great lockscreen options on the market. If you’d like to put Quick Launch through its paces, you can download it below.
What We Liked
Layout is interesting, very easy to use
Smooth and fast, with no major bugs
Users are able to customize what topics they see
Social network carousels are a nice touch
Room for Improvement
Ability to see more than just photos for Facebook, vice-versa for Twitter
Option to choose different social networking apps to view content
Looking to change up your Android home screen? It doesn’t get much easier than swapping out the wallpaper; it’s one of the quickest ways to breath new life into the mobile experience. We recently began curating a collection of wallpapers for you, dear reader, and are only too happy to share the goods!
We’ll be adding to the collection on a regular basis and will occasionally highlight a theme or specific artist’s work we really appreciate. This collection of wallpapers is centered around the common theme of “Paper, paper, paper!“.
Note that the wallpaper page may go through a few changes over the coming weeks and that your experience should improve with each update. If you see something that you think we’d like to share, drop us a line. What’s more, if you have created some wallpapers of your own and want help in spreading the word, we’re your guys.
In Brief is a compilation of notifications, rumors, photos, videos, infographics, and Android-related news tidbits which, for whatever reason, did not end up with a post of its own on AndroidGuys. These are things that we still feel are worth knowing, even if in a passing manner. Consider it a grab-bag of Android goodies. If you have something that you think is worth a mention on AndroidGuys, be sure to reach out to us via our contact page.
This week features Project SHEILD’s “Burn Zombie Burn!”, News Republic’s 3.0 update, Celltick’s Real Time Coupon Server, a new Magellan app, and much, much more!
Burn Zombie Burn! by Tick Tock Games will be coming onto the mobile scene for the first time this summer thanks to NVIDIA. This former PS3-only game puts the same graphics and nail biting action on NVIDIA’s Tegra 4, and will have you taking out zombies faster than the gang on Zombieland. Need a quick stress release after a long day, coming July 2013, you will be able to try this zombie-scorching game on Project SHIELD.
If you’re more in the mood for news rather than flesh eating monsters, Mobile Republic launched their News Republic 3.0 update this week as well. With 3.0, readers can easily organize their home screen to emphasize their favorite news from top rated media outlets, and headlines now update immediately on-screen. If you are looking to catch up on foreign media, News Republic is available in eight global editions and five languages.
In more media news, The New York Times also released The New York Times on Flipboard for Android and Kindle Fire. The launch is an extension of the NYT Everywhere strategy, which is designed to expand The Times's reach to users on third-party platforms. Following authentication within Flipboard, existing Times subscribers will have full access to all content on Android and Kindle Fire. As with other New York Times news applications, the Top News section is free. On Android, non-subscribers will be able to purchase a subscription from The Times directly within the Flipboard app.
Looking to save a few extra bucks? Celltick unveiled a real time coupon server and opened access to its 140 million user global coupon network at Mobile World Congress this past week. As part of the launch, operators can now leverage Celltick's mobile coupon engine to incorporate mobile coupons as part of the overall marketing strategy, and Celltick's unique pricing model allows merchants to offer mobile coupons at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Better price for the merchants means better deals for the consumer. So whether you are in the U.S. or feel a trip overseas is in order, you will have a coupon app you can take with you across the globe.
Since we are on the topic of travel, coming this Spring, Magellan plans on releasing the SmartGPS App for iOS and Android mobile devices. The SmartGPS mobile App will automatically display continually updating models that graphically flip to show reviews, tips, and offers from Yelp and Foursquare for nearby restaurants, stores, and services. This means users can now navigate to chosen locations directly from the SmartGPS App without needing to open an additional application or device. If you still need the turn-by-turn navigation, a premium edition will also be available from iTunes and Google Play.
Here’s a few things to think about. Have you ever wanted to run a web server from a phone? Have some Linux software you really wish you had no matter where you go? Want to have just one device that can do everything you need? A college student has launched a kick starter project, with the goal to raise enough funds to commit enough resources to the project and produce a polished and fully functioning method for installing Linux on top of Android. If interested, click here to back the project.
And to round off the week, here is a crazy statistic to bring you back to reality. 85% of people surveyed by Apigee in February 2013 admitted they would rather go without water than their mobile apps, and 82% of those surveyed said they can’t go a day without their critical apps! Can you check your email without an application? 42% said they wouldn’t be able to do it! Check out some of the findings of Apigee’s 2013 Mobile App Behavior survey of over 760 smartphone owners across France, Germany, Spain, the U.K. and U.S. and see where you may fit in:
18% of the French are unable to order dinner without using an app
32% surveyed said they can't wake up in the morning without an app
Some people use more than 50 apps per day
Many use apps to impress people
Surprisingly high numbers admit to using apps behind the wheel
First smartphone? Germans say no age is too young!
According to XperiaBlog, they have received leaked information about a new Sony Xperia device. The Sony C670X is looking to be a slightly altered version of the Sony Xperia Z (C660X) we saw at CES 2013. The C670X looks to pack some powerful specifications, with a 1.8GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600, Adreno 320 graphics, and a 4.8-inch 1920×1080 display. Other features include 32GB internal storage, 2GB RAM, and a 13MP camera, fancy.
While this is still just a leak, we are only left to compare this device to the Sony Xperia Z. Looking at the renders, the C670X seems to offer a more “aluminum” body, rather than the all glass design of the Z. Only time can time what we will really see; if we see this device at all. The Sony C670X is rumored to launch this summer which gives Sony a few months to potentially change the design, specs, and all.
Guy Kawasaki, former Apple evangelist and book author, announced earlier this week that he has gone Android by accepting an advisory role at Google-owned Motorola. His new role with Motorola will have him focused on product design, user interface, marketing and social media. One of his first duties was to create a Google+ community about mobile devices, and rumor has it that he is also working on an iPhone contender tentatively code-named X-Phone.
Kawasaki says "the sky is the limit for Motorola" and professes his love for "mobile devices, Android and Google", adding that Motorola is at the "nexus of these three passions".
A little history on Kawaski:
Kawasaki gained a job at Apple in 1983; worked as an Apple evangelist for four years.
He left Apple in 1987 for ACIUS, the maker of the Apple database software 4th Dimension and lasted there for two years before going freelance in 1989 to write columns and found Fog City Software, which created an email client that was sold to Claris.
Kawasaki returned to the iPhone maker as an Apple Fellow in 1995.
His venture capital firm Garage Technology Ventures backed The Motley Fool and D.light Design. Currently, he serves as a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures and has been involved in the rumor reporting site Truemors and the RSS aggregation Alltop.
Sprint today announced its latest smartphone, the Android 4.0 Ice Cream powered Sprint Force, is now available online and at retail locations around the country. Priced at $49.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year service agreement, the handset features a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch WVGA display, 5-megapixel rear camera, and 1-megapixel front-facing camera. Equipped for 4G LTE, the Sprint Force also comes with support for Sprint ID, the personalized theme packs of apps, wallpapers, and widgets.
Affordable and Feature-Rich Sprint Force 4G LTE Smartphone Available Now for Only $49.99
Sprint Force is available now in Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800- SPRINT1) and Web Sales for just $49.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Sprint Force features Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a 4-inch WVGA 480×800 touchscreen display that keeps the user connected, entertained and productive. Offering access to the Sprint 4G LTE network, Sprint Force offers a rich Web browsing experience.
It is also the newest Sprint ID smartphone. Sprint ID is an innovative way to personalize Android smartphones with apps, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones and more. ID packs deliver a complete mobile experience – based on consumers', students' or businesses' interests or favorite brands.
Additional features on Sprint Force include:
Dual cameras: 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus, LED flash and video capture and 1-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat
3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
Google Play™ with more than 600,000 apps, millions of songs and books, and thousands of movies
The folks from Google have a lot of different projects going on and while Field Trip might be getting overshadowed by Project Glass, it’s a neat app that has just received a nice little update this week. Field Trip is Google’s virtual guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you and launched back in September For the fans out there, you’ll be happy to know it got a nice set of new notification and snooze options recently.
Developed by Google’s Niantic Labs, who also is behind Ingress, Field Trip is a neat way to explore the world around you and find awesome places for a drink, historic landmarks, and multiple other things. It really is a virtual tour guide for anything and everything in your city. Today we have more sources to bring you even more content too.
For those enjoying the application Field Trip will now pull information from the Art Nerd New York, Cultureist, Mad Girl Eats, Weekend Sherpa, Wilderness Press and more along with everything else previously available. Then to make things even better (or finally good) the notification system was completely reworked. Before this app notified me a little too much and quickly got the uninstall, but now they’ve added snooze options and more to make it worth a second look.
Now notifications can be configured to go off but not wake up your smartphone display to save battery, as well as come through as standard Android notifications. Then they’ve added Snooze so it won’t keep bugging you while you’re enjoying that view of the Grand Canyon. When receiving a notification, a new unlock slider lets you swipe right to unlock, left to dismiss, or up to snooze. Once you snooze a notification it won’t bother you for the rest of the day.
The notification system was one of the biggest complaints for users that loved Field Trip, but felt it was a bit intrusive and always bugging them. This should certainly improve the overall user experience so hit the link below and give it another try today.
Rovio has shared the teaser for their upcoming game release. The game is based on an upcoming movie from DreamWorks Animation Studio and is called The Croods. Rovio and DreamWorks will be releasing the game on March 14, which comes one week ahead of the movie release. The Croods movie will make its way into theaters on March 22.
We have yet to see what the price tag will be when the game lands in the Google Play Store, however we do know that the Android release will come along with an iOS release. Of course, we suspect most of those reading here will be looking for the Android version. Anyway, the trailer for the game can be seen below and comes in at just over a minute in length. While it is fairly entertaining to watch, there is not much in terms of gameplay.
Actually, the teaser doesn’t show much in terms of actual gameplay. The video is mostly animation but does give an ever so brief look at gameplay at the very end. Even then, it is small and hard to really make out. Nonetheless, given what we have seen from Rovio in the past, it seems to go without saying that the game will launch with some fanfare and excitement.
In terms of the story behind the movie, The Croods is described a being a “3D comedy adventure” and the actors include Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman. A bit more in depth, the movie will focus on what is said to be the world’s first modern family and the journey they undertake after their home (a cave) gets destroyed.
If you’ve never heard of the popular backpacks of all shapes and sizes from Powerbag prepare to get excited. Powerbag offers a wide array of backpacks, messenger bags, shoulder sling bags and more all with an integrated battery to charge our Android smartphones and tablets. What’s even better is you don’t have to remove it to recharge your bag. I have my own and love it for trips to CES, but today Woot.com has these impressive accessories nearly $100 off for just $39.99.
Today the popular deal site Woot.com has both the Messenger, and the Sling bags up for an extremely low price. If you’ve ever wanted a backpack that could also charge your tablet while you’re sitting at the subway, here’s your chance. They usually retail for well over $100, have amazing build quality, are durable, and offers multiple cords to even charge that iOS device for you traitors.
Both of these bags come complete with tons of pockets, cords for multiple devices, as well as an integrated 3,000 mAh battery. They are high output so will charge your tablet with ease, and will give most smartphones two full charges. For those who are out and about and never near an outlet, this is a good first step. You’ll have micro-USB, mini-USB, regular USB out, and the Apple 30-pin connector. The guys from Android Police found this neat video.
You can charge multiple devices at the same time which is nice, and there’s enough pockets for even crazy gadget lovers like myself. You have room for a 15-inch laptop, Nexus 10, Nexus 7, and your smartphone with room to spare. The best part is you don’t have to remove anything. Simply plug the bottom of your bag into the included wall outlet with the dedicated port overnight, and you’re all set for that morning commute and daily routine.
These bags are extremely well made, and should get you and your devices through a hard days work with ease. As usual with Woot the deal will only last a day, so you’d better hurry and snag one up while they’re still hot.
We are still expecting Samsung to announce the Galaxy S IV on March 14. In fact, Samsung recently announced the Times Square event that will allow anyone to watch the livestream of the actual announcement. Putting that date aside, the rumors seem to have slowed down, however they have not stopped entirely. To this we have a bit more today dealing with the internal storage, exterior colors and processor.
Starting with the storage, Samsung is said to be launching the Galaxy S IV with options including 16, 32 and 64GB of space. Of course, this will likely come in addition to microSD storage. This hasn’t been discussed as much, however it is believed that the microSD storage will support cards up to 64GB in size. That could make for a Galaxy S IV that has a total of 128GB of storage space.
Assuming these latest rumors prove accurate, the exterior colors would be a change for Samaung. The Galaxy S IV is now expected to launch in black and/or white. No mention of a blue model at the moment. As for the processor, this adds a bit of further confirmation to the report we saw a few days back. The one dealing with the Galaxy S IV having an Exynos 5 or a Snapdragon 600 depending on market.
Basically, SamMobile is now reporting based on the word of an insider that “Samsung is mostly sure to use Snapdragon instead of Exynos.” Jumping back to the previous Galaxy S IV processor story and we had talk of Samsung using the Exynos 5 in Europe and the Snapdragon 600 in the US. Rumors, rumors and more rumors. One thing is certain though, the announcement date is approaching quickly.
As of late January it became illegal to unlock your phone. This came as a result of some changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that were actually put in place back in October 2012. Basically, as it stands now — you are not allowed to unlock your phone. That simply means that you cannot buy a phone for one carrier and unlock it for use on another carrier.
This will probably not be all that much of an issue for most people, however putting that aside many feel that you should be able to do what you want with a device you paid for. To this point, a petition to make phone unlocking legal was started shortly after this went into effect. The petition hit the goal just a few days back and we have yet to hear any response on the matter.
More to the point though, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, in speaking at CrunchGov was asked about the topic. Genachowski did say that the "ban raises competition concerns; it raises innovation concerns." Further going on to note that this is “something that we will look at at the FCC to see if we can and should enable consumers to use unlocked phones."
As for if this will bring any change, maybe, but maybe not. If you look at the wording in that last statement you will notice the “see if we can and should” — it is the latter that implies they are just going to investigate. Still, while this may not bring any change, it is nice to see that the FCC doesn’t necessarily fully agree with the fact that it is now illegal to unlock a smartphone. This combined with the petition and maybe we will see some serious further discussion on the matter.
Google gave a bit of a look at Glass a short while back when they released the How It Feels video. Whether this is how you had expected Glass to be, we think most will agree that video was able to provide a level of expectation as to how they will function in daily use. Still, there are some unknowns and other use cases that we have yet to see. One being while traveling. Enter the latest mock up from Jet Blue.
The airline has recently posted some images on their Google+ page showing how Google Glass could function in an airport. We should make it clear that these are just some mocked up images based on what this airline would like to see. Or more specifically, how Jet Blue would “continue to help the world view air travel through a whole new lens.” These images can as a result of the #ifihadglass hashtag.
Regardless of how they came to be, they do show Glass being used in a rather practical manner. They basically just guide you to where you need to be and to things that may be of benefit. Of course, we are probably far off for some of these items, but at least in the case of being able to show you where the available power outlets are located — we can only hope something like this comes in time.
Other potential use cases shown by Jet Blue include arriving at the airport and being guided to the parking garage with mention of how full that garage is at the moment, to entering the airport and being given your flight details including if the flight is on time, to being guided to the baggage claim (and being told how many minutes until the bags arrive), to leaving the airport and getting fare estimates for those needing a taxi.
NVIDIA has returned with another game title that will be released for Project SHIELD. This latest demo is coming out of Mobile World Congress and is showing a game that was formerly available only on the PS3. That game is Burn Zombie Burn and it comes by way of Tick Tock Games. And as we have seen with the other Project SHIELD game teasers — this one will also be optimized for the Tegra 4 processor.
The Tegra 4 optimizations include full console-quality graphics as well as light bloom effects, better fire and flame effects and enhanced explosions. Sounds like a winner. As this was a former PS3 only title, this release will mark the first time it will be available for mobile devices. The key here, as we have seen with these other Project SHIELD game teasers, we have yet to learn a release date.
You can get a bit of a look at the game play in the video sitting below. Some of the points mentioned in the video include some of the weapons that will be available in Burn Zombie Burn. These include a machine gun, shotgun, chainsaw and even a flame thrower. The video also gives a look at the controller, specifically using the left joystick to control the movement and the right joystick to control the aim of the gun. The right trigger will fire the weapon.
From what we can see the game looks pretty good. But as always, these Project SHIELD teasers simply leave us wanting more — which probably means that NVIDIA is doing something right. Still, it will be much nicer when we get some additional details in terms of when we will be able to buy this device and how much we will have to shell out to do so.
Details of an upcoming Xperia branded handset have leaked. The device is the Sony Xperia C670X and it looks like we are talking about a handset that will be available sometime this summer. Of course, that timeline, along with the specs have yet to be confirmed by Sony. In other words, we are talking unconfirmed details so make sure and treat them as such.
That warning out of the way, lets get into the specs for the Xperia C670X. The handset should arrive with a 4.8-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080 and with a quad-core 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, Adreno 320 graphics, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Additionally, the handset should have a 13 megapixel Exmor RS camera and arrive with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Aside from the specs, this leak also came with an image, which can be seen below. The catch with the image, there is some uncertainly as to whether this is a stock image that is used by Sony, or a render of the Xperia C670X. Assuming this is a render of the device, we can see the expected goodies such the notification light, sensors (proximity and light) and front-facing camera. We have yet to learn any details on the front camera though.
Otherwise, we are obviously still in need of some finer details. Or perhaps more important, some official details. You know, the goodies such as when the handset will be released, how much it will cost and which carriers will be offering it. While we wait for those, it seems to go without saying that additional leaks and rumors for the Xperia C670X will surface.
It looks like the Jelly Bean update process has begun for the AT&T branded Sony Xperia TL smartphone. Unfortunately that bit of good news does come with a catch. The update process has just begun and at the moment we have yet to see any reports of the update arriving over the air. Basically, Jelly Bean is coming for the AT&T Xperia TL, however there is a bit of a hassle to get it updated at the moment.
If you are willing to go with the PC Companion route you can have Jelly Bean now. Specifically, this update will bring you up to Android 4.1.2. Otherwise, it may be a bit easier to try and keep that update excitement in check and simply wait for the over the air update process to begin. We should point out that we have yet to hear anything from AT&T as to when that may happen.
The details for the update are coming by way of the xda-developers user forums and there are some solid reports coming in. One user in particular (hulkdad) has said that his Wi-Fi connection seems more stable, that the keyboard response is a little more fluid and in general, it feels like he has gotten a brand new phone. Needless to say, while the update is hard to resist once you know it is available, remember the over the air update process is generally a bit easier.
Of course, these comments aside, getting Jelly Bean means goodies such as Google Now, the improved notifications and the smoothness that comes along with Project Butter. Some of the other changes noted in regards to this update touch on the camera. Specifically, it was said that the handset now has HDR capability, but does not have any burst mode. So how about it, any AT&T Xperia TL users going to take the leap now, or sit back and wait for the OTA update notification to arrive?
Today those folks from Google have issued a quick update to their increasingly popular Google Play Books application for Android. The update added a few new features, fixed a truckload of bugs it apparently had, and even added support for India to now enjoy a good read. Apparently Books had some issues, because Google promises to have fixed tons of them.
I haven’t had too many problems with Google Play Books while reading Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk lately, but according to good ol Google the application had more than a few bugs they’ve now ironed out. Today’s update states that “over 90 issues, including crashes” have been fixed. So users should be having zero issues and much improved stability.
Then at the same time our friends in India will now be able to take part in the Google reading experience, as the app is now live for them. Google’s also added some exclusive content for the region. On the other side of that, we’re hearing multiple credit cards in India aren’t supported by the Play Store so some might not be able to make those purchases.
Lastly Google’s added a few user interface enhancements and tweaks for all you book and magazine readers. They’ve implemented multiple new UI features including an added drop-down menu in the library to filter books by type, as well as identifying place names when the reading controls option is enabled. Now would be a good time to try Google Books so get it now from the via below.
Some interesting news on the Motorola front has surfaced today. The once Apple legend, marketing guru, and chief technology evangelist Guy Kawasaki has recently confirmed that he’s accepted a job and role with Motorola – who’s now owned by Google. Guy took to his Google+ page to confirm that he’s now an advisor for Motorola Mobility.
Guy Kawasaki only worked for Apple for a few years, but he’s one of only nine Apple Fellows recognized for his extraordinary contributions to personal computing. Another being Steve Wozniak. Yesterday evening he confirmed both on Google+ and Facebook that he’s now an advisor to Motorola, and even details why he took the position.
Kawasaki will be advising multiple teams at Motorola. Those include the product design team, user interface, marketing, and then social media. One of the first things he’s done is create a Mobile Device Google+ Community. It isn’t just Motorola either, but all mobile devices in general. He’s one of two moderators for the new community.
“Motorola reminds me of the Apple of 1998: a pioneer in its market segment, engineering-driven, and ripe for innovation. I believe that great products can change everything.”
The above quote comes right from Guy himself, as he states that Motorola is ripe for innovation and that the sky is the limit for both Google and Motorola. Back in December he openly admitted his switch to Android, claiming the big screen and 4G LTE of the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX was one of the first Android devices he fell in love with.
This is certainly an interesting development for the team at Motorola, add in the Google acquisition, and hopefully things really start rocking as Moto heads back to the top.
Today we have some bad news for the millions of users that enjoy Pandora free online radio streaming. It looks like the personalized radio service will soon be adding limits to us mobile users. For those that enjoy the mobile app on Android you might want to listen up. According to new reports mobile users will be limited to 40 hours of streaming a month. After that they’ll have to pony up some cash to keep listening.
Due to rising royalty costs for all the music Pandora has to offer, the service is going to be adding some caps and restrictions to all of us Android-toting listeners. Not just Android, but all mobile users will now be put on a limit. It isn’t all bad news however, as their CEO had some interesting things to say regarding their users.
Pandora founder Tim Westergren explained the change in a recent blog post, claiming that royalty costs have increased over 25% in the past 3 years, not to mention 9% higher in 2013 alone. So they’ll sadly be going against their “mission” of offering free unlimited streaming, and be adding a few small limits.
The good news here being that Tim states the average user doesn’t go beyond 20 hours of streaming in a months period, and that only 4% of their user base actually streams more than 40 hours per month. So for those that do, once you meet that 40 hour limit you’ll have to pay $0.99 to finish out the month. That or pay the monthly fee to become a premium user – which also removes ads. Overall this shouldn’t be a cause of concern for most customers, but some of you might want to decide if Pandora is still right for you.
Get ready for the ultimate battle of Alien vs Predator. The folks from FOX have been teasing this game for some time, but today it finally landed in the Google Play Store. Instead of being in the middle of a war you’ll actually get to participate and it looks like loads of fun. Any AvP fan will surely want to check this out.
This brand new game AvP: Evolution brings the classic movies to our favorite Android devices. What’s even better is you’ll get to play both sides too. Yup, you can be Alien or Predator in this new mobile game. You’ll have to fork over $5 to enjoy this title, but the video below will give you an idea of what to expect.
As Predator you’ll be able to fight against the hordes of enemy Aliens in an attempt to save the clan, and as Alien you’ll be saving the Alien race from enslavement by the Predators. It’s basically a nice twist on the classic movies, and has plenty of violence and gore. Take a peek below.
While $5.00 for a mobile game isn’t cheap the graphics are decent, and they promise hours of fun gameplay. Plus any fan has to get this for his collection. It offers fierce combat and tons of character level-ups to increase and enhance gameplay. FOX also added controller support too, so for those with a Bluetooth controller you can enjoy this new game even more. For those interested head to the Play Store and give it a try today.
As you all probably know, switching out the launcher for our Android phones is one of the easiest and quickest ways to change and personalize our devices. Today we’ve been shown an awesome brand new option for Android phones that’s currently in beta called Vire Launcher. It has some of the best visuals and animations we’ve seen yet, is free at the moment, and runs amazingly smooth. Check out our hands-on video below.
The guys from PocketNow call this the most visually impressive launcher they’ve ever seen, and we’d have to agree. Vire just recently launched on the Play Store in a limited free beta testing phase, and is certainly worth checking out. It’s blazing fast, fluid, and highly customizable.
Vire Launcher offers some of the most impressive animations I’ve seen on a launcher, and I’ll be showing this off for a while. It offers real-time lighting and reflections, beautiful 3D transitions, and will offer automatic theming of all UI elements, including widgets and icons. Once this thing gets more traction it should be extremely popular. Take a peek at the hands-on below, and fast forward to 4:30 seconds to see the best part – tile 3D animations.
It runs great here on my Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.2.2, and the developers state, “Vire makes low-end Android phones feel high-end and adds realistic 3D effects into all devices.” I’m also really liking the multi-functional Vire clock widget. It’s a regular clock widget, but a quick swipe down brings open another tray to add additional widgets inside the clock widget, and you can even add apps or settings icons here for quick access. It’s a different approach but we like where it is headed.
The Vire Launcher is visually impressive, runs extremely fast (but doesn’t like my 4.2.2 lockscreen) and is currently free and in the beta stages. They state the UI and launcher is built from the ground up for multi-core devices and will only get better in time. Get it from the link below right now!
Lately there’s been lots and lots of talk about what’s coming from the folks at Motorola. Now that Google is in charge many are expecting an entirely new Motorola, stunning devices, and better update timelines for our favorite smartphones and tablets. We’ve heard tons about this new “game changing” Motorola X-Phone too – but this all might still be a bit premature.
While we obviously don’t know all the details, Google’s CFO shared a few comments today that are a little depressing to say the least. Basically stating that Motorola’s devices that were in the pipeline when Google took over didn’t “WOW, by Google standards.” Essentially meaning they weren’t impressed, and probably don’t think we the consumer will be either.
Take that comment however you’d like. The DROID RAZR HD is one of Verizon’s top selling devices, and the RAZR MAXX HD has some stunning battery life. However, Google feels they can and will do things better. Back in January Google CFO Patrick Pichette stated they inherited roughly 18 months of product already in the pipeline. Some might have been scrapped, others not, but we still don’t know exactly where in that 18 month period we are today.
This takes us to the Motorola X-Phone rumors. Stated to be co-developed by Google and a real game-changer device. It’s probably still coming, but Motorola’s next device release might be something different and not the X-Phone at all. That also puts out the flaming hot rumor of the X-Phone launching at Google I/O in May. For now nothing is really confirmed, and anything is possible, but it looks like we won’t see the true affects on Motorola for a little while longer.
In the end we can only speculate on the future. It looks like we still have a few more Motorola devices coming from the pre-Google era. Thoughts?
