Sprint this morning announced that the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update is available for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The update will be pushed automatically to Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 over the next few weeks at which point it can be installed over the air. Details, of course, include features such as Google Now, the Project Butter smooth transitions, expandable and rich notifications, and the smarter widget placement.
AT&T finally decided to release Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the HTC One X, HTC’s 2012 flagship device. The global version of HTC One X received the update back in November, although it is better late than never. Right?
The update is now rolling over the air and you should soon see a notification. Or, you can give it a shot manually by going to Settings > About phone > Check for updates. Maybe it is your lucky day.
The update will bring Google Now, better and improved notifications, also some AT&T apps like:
AT&T Locker – Allows you to automatically store photos, videos and documents securely in the cloud, so you can access and share from your smartphone or computer.
AT&T DriveMode® - Helps curb texting and driving. The app can be set-up to automatically send a customizable reply to incoming messages once a vehicle starts moving 25 mph. The auto-reply message is similar to an "out-of-office alert" and can reply to texts, emails and wireless callers letting your friends know that you are driving and unable to respond.*
AT&T Messages – Displays all your texts, calls, and voicemail messages together in a single inbox, easily accessible from your computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
That’s a good package, and I am sure it will enhance the One X experience. So, is your One X rocking on Jelly Bean at the moment? If yes, then share your experience with us in the comment box below.
If you picked up a new television over the last couple of years the chances are good that you weighed the option of a “smart” TV. Thanks to HDMI and a growing assortment of add-on products, those who opted for a standard model can now smarten their TV up. One such device that’s is worth considering the FAVI Entertainment SmartStick.
At only $50*, this 4GB product plugs into the HDMI port of your television and gives it a full-on Android experience. Now, before going any further, I should point out that this is not a Google TV device; rather, this provides a nearly stock Android UI. It takes a bit of getting used to but it’s priced right and makes for a convenient, and familiar experience.
Setup is rather easy and the SmartStick comes with a very simple diagram of how to go about the process. In a nutshell, you connect to HDMI and your wireless internet. From there, you can hop to your input whenever you want.
In order to fully utilize the SmartStick you will want pick up the Wireless Keyboard with Mouse Touchpad. Yes, it runs about $40, bringing the total price to $90 or so. Without it, however, you’ll find navigation quite difficult. The desktop experience is a little awkward at first but gets easier with time. The remote control (IR port) that comes in the box works, sure, but games and clicking around on website are nearly impossible.
In the box:
SmartStick
Remote Control
HDMI Adapter
IR Receiver
miniUSB Power Cable
Quick Connect Guide
The desktop experience allows for widgets, which is nice for those who like to have weather or email notifications close at hand. In terms of apps that work well, think Roku and you’ll be on the right track. Netflix, Hulu+, HBO Go, Facebook, Pandora, Slacker Radio, and Flixter work great. Try playing a game, however, and you’ll come away upset. Another way the FAVI device works great is in using Google Play movie and TV show rentals and purchases.
Where I found the SmartStick to be convenient was in notifications and quick text replies (Google Voice). I like being able to tap out a message, reply to emails, clean up the inbox, and other things of the sort. The entire Google Play Store is available but your results with vary depending on the type of apps you want to use.
The FAVI SmartStick requires power at all times so keep an outlet free. What’s more, the add-on Wireless Keyboard needs to be charged up every so often, via miniUSB. There is an indicator light that tells you how much juice is left and we found it lasted longer than we expected.
For $50 you get 4GB internal storage with a microSD expansion card slot. If you need more, you can spring for the 8GB model for $79.99.
What we liked:
Works great as a Roku+ for streaming movie and audio
Access to Google Play suite and apps
Nearly stock Android experience
Smarter than the average “smart TV”
Room for improvement:
Trackpad for the Wireless Keyboard option is not as responsive as we’d like
Desktop experience takes some getting used to
Not all that great for playing games
Where to buy
You can learn more about the FAVI SmartStick at the FAVI website where you can also purchase the device and accessories. You’ll also find the 4GB model on Amazon for $49.99. We did find that the optional Wireless Keyboard was only $30, or roughly 25% less.
Sony recently introduced the Sony Xperia Z, which is their new Android flagship device. It’s a beautiful and slim smartphone, and experts believe that it will be a big success for Sony. DigiTimes is reporting that the Sony Xperia Z was fully booked on the first day in Japan, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Sony is planning to ship more than 50 million devices this year, compared to 34 million devices shipped last year. Gunning for the ‘number 3′ spot in the mobile market, Sony hopes to be the next name after Samsung and Apple.
Xperia Z is a powerful device, and it will go head-to-head with the HTC One and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S 4. The competition in upcoming months will be really strong, as Motorola NXT a.k.a XPhone will be coming out soon.
So folks, are you planning to get the Xperia Z? If yes then tell us why are you planning to pick it over HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S IV or any other Android phone.
The US Patent & Trademark Office recently published a patent application from Google that shows their intentions to bring backside controls to future Android devices. These controls could possibly turn the page of an ebook, flip through photos, and even change music albums in a playlist.
Apple first introduced this idea back in 2006, but the idea was two hands holding onto a tablet, with the contact points on the sides of the device. Not surprising, just like many of Apple’s ideas, they never really acted on it. After a little bit of tweaking, it may be that Google is bold enough to take this idea and run with it, and leave Apple in the dust.
Thanks to Patentbolt, a conceptual drawing related to the idea shows an index finger scrolling through an article. To prevent any unintentional scrolling, the patent shows that the device will detect finger contact and then determine if it's strong enough to proceed. It appears that the feature will not act if the device is only being held, helping prevent any misleading actions. The backside controls may also provide visual or audible feedback, letting the user know that a tap or swipe has been detected.
Google’s patent application was originally filed in Q3 2012, but just recently published by the US Patent Office. What do you think of this possible feature? Do you think Goggle will actually implement it? Tell us what you think below!
We know Google as the famous search engine giant and the company behind our beloved operating system, Android, but Google also love to introduce some weird but creative gadgets as well. I am sure that everyone is familiar with Google Glass project, which is an amazing innovation in the technology industry.
Now at the SXSW event in Austin, Texas, Google showcased a talking Android shoe, a pair of Adidas sneakers hacked by Google’s experts, which can tell the person wearing them what they are doing, and it is linked to their smartphone via a speaker on the tongue of the shoe. However, you don’t need to get excited as Google promises they are not getting into footwear business.
So what’s different about it? If you are wearing a simple Adidas sneakers, and you are just being lazy, no one will make you move, but these Google Shoes are like a coach, and they will make you move from the couch by saying things like ‘Are you a statue?’ or ‘This is boring’. Google is not planning to launch it in market, as it is just an experiment, but you never know when they plan to surprise us.
So, are you impressed with it? Tell us about it in the comment box below?
The rumored Motorola X-Phone may feature a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4i processor, reports AndroidWorld. New details surfacing this morning indicate the handset’s more proper name could be the Motorola NXT and that the device will be very slim indeed.
Reportedly, the Motorola NTX will include a 4.7-inch Full HD 1080p display, a 16-megapixel (seriously?) rear camera, and 5-megapixel (seriously?) front-facing camera. Dimensions are said to be 131.2 x 66.7 x 7.9 mm or thinner than the Droid Razr HD.
The finer details indicate that the front-facing camera will pull double duty as a light sensor and utilize eye tracking for scrolling in emails and websites. Expected to run Android v. K(ey Lime Pie), the Motorola NXT is shaping up to be quite a remarkable device, if only on paper.
Verizon’s DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX are probably one of the best Motorola smartphones you can grab from Big Red. If not the best, they may among the most popular these last few months.
Verizon is currently deploying the Android Jelly Bean update for these two but you can also manually download it. To so do, head to settings and follow the typical procedure of upgrading your phone.
If you want to know what your DROID RAZR or RAZR MAXX will be able to do after upgrading to the latest version, you can check this full list over at Motorola.
Samsung has a very solid name in the smartphone industry with their Android powered phones, most notably with the Galaxy S series. When each successive release, experts debate about how amazing the display the device is and how it stacks up. It seems they will have plenty to debate for the Galaxy S4, if new rumors are true.
According to SamMobile, Samsung’s upcoming flagship device will feature a floating touch technology along with a new kind of AMOLED display, known as the "green PHOLED”. As the word green infers, the new technology will consume less battery power – at least 25% more efficient than the AMOLED display.
Reportedly, the Galaxy S4 will feature a 4.99 inch display, and with features like Smart Scroll, I am pretty sure that the phone will pose big problems for the HTC One.
SamMobile is further reporting that it will come with a new camera feature known as Samsung Orb, a 360 degree photo capturing feature.
March 14 is just around the corner! Do you think the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the phone we all are waiting for? Tell us about it in the comment box below.
Looking to dip your toes in the comics waters but aren’t ready to spend much money? You may want to check out the limited-time Marvel promotion which offers more than 700 first issues for free. Note, this is for the “first” issues and not any one entire series. Still, it’s pretty awesome stuff.
If you’d like to read the first issues from various volumes of the Avengers, X-Men and Spider-Man then this is the deal for you.
The prime intention of Marvel #1 will be to invite new readers to the medium through the unparalleled reach of digital comics. No other comic book company to date has offered this much free content in one promotion covering such a wide variety of characters and creators. Marvel #1 represents a true first in the industry.
So how do you take advantage of the offer? Well, you have to hurry up and grab them through the Marvel App or website. This special promotion begins Sunday March 10 and runs until 11PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 12 as freedownloads via the Marvel Comics app and Marvel Comics Digital Comics Shop.
We’ve tried all morning long and keep running into connection and billing issues. Let’s hope Marvel is on top of things and gets it figured out. Either that, or they extend the deal a bit so we can all get a taste.
Well, it’s crunch time and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is breathing down our proverbial necks. Set to launch later this week (March 14), the flagship device has been the subject of many leaks and rumors. Here we are, three days until its debut, and we’re still getting new and juicy stuff.
It’s difficult to say for certain that the photos we’re looking at are, in fact, the Samsung Galaxy S4. On one hand we’re inclined to say, “Yeah, that looks pretty accurate and falls in line with rumors.” On the other hand, we’d be surprised if it leaked to the wild before the reveal. We could also be looking at an entirely different model, something else that could end up in the Samsung Galaxy line.
According to 52Samsung (translate), this is the GT-i9502 and it’s a dual-SIM verison of the GS4 headed to China Unicom. Details include Android 4.2.1, 2GB RAM, a (Samsung Exynos) 5410 (Octa) processor, 13-megapixel camera, and 1080p display.
For what it’s worth, this does have Samsung’s design cues written all over it and seems like an actual phone. On the contrary, it does not match up at all with the leaked cases from a few weeks back. One or the other, or both, are not the real deal.
We’ll be in attendance at the Galaxy S4 launch and are only too excited to share the news first-hand! Be sure to follow along this week as we get photos and videos and our first impressions!
With new rumors floating around the Facebook will be attempting to make another Facebook phone, we’re now seeing a few reports surface about the often-rumored Amazon Kindle smartphone. Apparently the phone is real, coming soon, but facing some delays and won’t be here as soon as Amazon was hoping. The release date was scheduled for Q2 of this year, but a few issues will see the handset delayed until further notice.
According to DigiTimes the Amazon Kindle Smartphone is more than just a rumor and is actually close to launching. Only the online retail giant is facing a few issues and will sadly have to delay their smartphone plans. I guess they need a little more kindling wood to get this fire blazing. Sorry, I had to throw that in there.
DigiTimes reports that the manufacturer will be Foxconn, but that they aren’t able to keep up with the demands and are also experiencing a few minor issues that will need to be ironed out. We have a feeling Apple is taking most of their time for the iPhone 5S, but hopefully they get to work on this rumored Kindle device.
At this time the device was to already be done with the “engineering verification test” phase and prepping for a Q2 launch, but now reports are claiming we could see the Amazon Kindle Smartphone arrive this summer – around June. Remember, these are all just rumors and we’ve still not heard anything that actually confirms Amazon’s aspirations. They’ll need something impressive to compete with Android, Samsung, HTC, iOS, and even Windows Phone 8. Stay tuned for more details.
Google made some changes to the web-based Gmail app for iOS users several months back, and well, as of today it looks like that same update has come available for other mobile platforms. This update includes Android, however users can also expect to see the changes when using a BlackBerry and also a Kindle Fire. And in addition to the update for Gmail on the web, Google has also updated the Gmail Offline app for Chrome on the desktop.
Basically, it looks like some Gmail related updates have arrived today. We suspect the web based version of Gmail may not be as important for Android users given you already have a solid app, but it is nice to see the release brought to parity with the iOS side of the house. Google hasn’t offered a full and detailed changelog, however they have said that it brings the redesigned user interface. You can get a look at the update in the above screen capture.
In addition to the UI changes, this update also included search improvements and integration with Google Calendar. Otherwise, while we will most likely continue using the regular Gmail app on Android, the web version is nice in that a swipe down will bring easy access to the previously mentioned Calendar access. That same swipe down will also give access to Google+ and search (Web).
The Google Offline app is for Chrome and can be found in the Chrome Web Store. This app is still listed as being in beta, however that aside, it basically does what the name implies — gives you offline access to your Gmail account. That access includes being able to read, respond, search and even archive messages. Gmail Offline initially starts by syncing your account, and will then re-sync as you have connectivity.
We’re hearing lots of interesting news coming out of the annual SXSW show in Texas, but one in particular today has us rather interested. That being details regarding YouTube Co-founder Chad Hurley building and set to launch a new video platform and service that will potentially rival YouTube. Plenty have tried and failed, but he could have what it takes.
Chad Hurley who Co-founded YouTube, later left Google back in 2010, and since has been working on something else. According to Adweek that something else is a rival platform to take on YouTube. Hurley revealed in an interview with Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose that if SXSW was only a month later, he’d be announcing something major and even showing it off.
Hurley went on to say his new video streaming and sharing service is about a month away from launching, and he says the service will "give flexibility for people to work together and create content." It sounds like it will be an entire platform, and is coming extremely soon.
Interestingly enough, Chad Hurley also mentioned that they have no intentions of taking YouTube head on, or trying to kill it. “There’s always going to be a place for YouTube” and he states they aren’t setting up to “kill” YouTube or anything of that sort. Instead, their rival service will be better suited for collaboration purposes. I guess we won’t be seeing too many cat and Harlem Shake videos from Hurley and company.
Hurley then goes on to talk about Google acquiring his video service over 6 years ago for $1.65 billion dollars, negotiations with Eric Schmidt and Sergey Brin in a Denny’s restaurant, and much more. Pretty interesting. We’d love to see what he’s been working on.
The folks from XOLO have just launched their very first quad-core Android smartphone. The XOLO Q800 was detailed and launched late last week and arrives with some pretty good specs and hardware all for just $230. The only catch being we’ll probably never see this phone arrive stateside. More details on this new arrival is available below.
XOLO was one of the first smartphone manufacturers to add an Intel Medfield processor to one of their devices, but now they have a powerful quad-core in their latest offering. Keeping up with the times the XOLO Q800 offers a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, a 4.5-inch qHD display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a decent 8 megapixel rear camera. We don’t know who made that CPU and we’d love a higher resolution screen – but for $230 you can’t really complain.
Other specs for their new Q800 include 4GB of internal storage, micro SD support, an 8 megapixel BSI camera, and a 1.2 front camera is also available. It also supports dual-SIM setups and comes with a 2,100 mAh battery. XOLO’s biggest competitor in India, Micromax, have recently launched their own quad-core devices so XOLO is keeping up with the competition with their new Q800.
The all-new XOLO Q800 is available now for Rs. 12,499 (around $230 USD) and comes in cheaper than most of the competing devices in the region, including the Micromax A116 Canvas HD which has a pretty similar spec list. Overall the phone looks pretty slick and well designed, and even packs a YAMAHA 168 PA music system for enhanced audio. More details can be found below.
Reebok has become the latest to launch a fitness related app for Android users. The app is simply called Reebok Fitness and it will allow the user to build their own programs. Well, build their own programs with some guidance. This setup begins with you choosing the length (ranging from 6 to 12 weeks) and picking a few categories. By doing this, the Reebok Fitness app should help to keep your workout routine fresh and given some time, it should also help to improve your fitness level.
Anyway, some of those categories include walking, running, dance, yoga and general training. You will have to choose at least two, and worry not because the Reebok Fitness app also includes some instructional videos. You know, just in case you want to pick a category that you know little to nothing about. In fact, the app touts itself as being able to give tips from world-class fitness experts. You can also use the app to sync with your calendar which means workout reminders.
Upon creating your program you have to fill out your time to 100 percent. That is to say if you choose running and general training, you then break down how much (based on a total of 100 percent) of each you will have per week. A program based on 75 percent running and 25 percent general training over 12 weeks gave us a program summary that starts with four workouts per week. As per the breakdown, that was three running workouts and one fitness workout.
There is one drawback here in that these workouts are not necessarily perfect for where you live and they don’t seem to take your current fitness level into consideration. For example, week 1 gave me a hill repeat workout (Florida doesn’t have many hills) and a long run of 45 minutes. Not trying to brag, but that is a short run at this point. Of course, using Reebok Fitness as a guide and schedule, we suspect they can be varied a bit.
Of course, the app includes the ability to share your progress with your friends. All said and done, while we have yet to set out on the provided plan, it does look to have some potential. In fact, it is looking like that 12 week routine will be followed through. Those interested can grab Reebok Fitness for Android from the Google Play Store using this link.
Hot on the heels of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 announcement and unveiling this week, the folks from AT&T are looking to rid their shelves of a few Galaxy Note II smartphones. For those who love the idea of a 5.5-inch screen or want to save a few bucks AT&T has refurbished Galaxy Note II’s on sale for just a buck. More details available below.
This week Samsung will be announcing their new flagship 4.99-inch 1080p FHD Galaxy S4 smartphone, and surely many of you are patiently waiting for the details to arrive. While the phone will be a huge success, not everyone needs the latest and greatest. Especially when you can get the “next big thing” but with a bigger screen and S-Pen stylus for just $0.99 from AT&T.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II brand new from AT&T runs you $299 with a new 2-year contract, so it’s certainly not cheap. However, if you’d be comfortable with a factory refurbished model that will only run you one dollar. Yup, I’d say that’s one heck of a deal. You’ll be getting Samsung’s latest and greatest device for nearly free.
That’s incredibly cheap and basically free for Samsung’s current highest end smartphone. Offering a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, an amazing 5.5-inch 720p HD display, 8 megapixel camera and more. Oh and the device is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean so you’re already pretty up to date. We’re not sure how long this deal lasts, so you might want to jump on it soon – even if the Galaxy S4 is getting announced on the 14th. Who’s buying?
It seems to have been a little while since we last heard any chatter about the HTC One (or a variant of) coming to Verizon Wireless. Those previous reports had the handset dubbed as the DLXPLUS and although we can think of it as the Verizon version of the HTC One, the name of the handset does remain in question. You see, the DLX portion of that name comes in from the Droid DNA.
The Droid DNA sports the model number of DLX and is the HTC 6435LVW. This new chapter of the story comes with a Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) filing for the HTC 6445LVW. The question about the name remains because it would seem this new handset would be the Droid DNA Plus, or something similar. There are the specs to consider though and that is where the HTC One connection comes in — the specs seem to closely match the One.
Regardless of what Verizon Wireless and HTC end up calling the 6445LVW, it looks like the carrier has something new in the pipeline. Previous reports have suggested the DLXPLUS as having a 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Jelly Bean.
Given this latest mention of the handset is coming by way of the Bluetooth SIG we have no further details in terms of a possible release date. As always though, we will remain alert for further leaks and rumors as well as an announcement from either Verizon Wireless and/or HTC.
Today is turning into a rather fun day in the world of Android leaks. First some supposed pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S4 arrived, and now we’re getting some leaks of the rumored Motorola X-Phone with new specs and all. Sadly both are probably fake, and we can obviously confirm the render below making the rounds has been falsified and is just a mock-up by an eager fan.
The leak shows an oddly shaped device with the name “Motorola NXT” and given their history, I could see Motorola launching a device with a terrible name like that. Then along with the leaked “first look at the X-Phone” above, we also got a nice new list of specs for the Google/Motorola flagship device. They all sound great in theory, and some could be correct, but we’ll take it all with a grain of salt – as should you.
According to the leak found (and proven false) by AndroidWorld, the X-Phone will sport a 4.7-inch full HD 1920x1080p display and be powered by NVIDIA’s new Tegra 4i quad-core 2.3 GHz 4G LTE processor and 2GB of RAM. Then the leak goes on to state a 16 megapixel camera (really guys) and a 5 megapixel front shooter for video chat with Google Hangouts and Google Talk. It all sounds nice but we need better cameras, not just higher megapixel counts. Then here comes the good part.
The image above is the real version without the angle, blur, and “leaked” look. The person who made it has confirmed it to be fake, and basically is telling us all to continue on with our day. And that’s exactly what we should do. While we’re all extremely excited to see what Google and Motorola can come up with, it doesn’t look like that will be coming soon. We might not even see it at Google I/O if recent comments from Google prove to be accurate about certain devices still in the pipeline before Google can make any impact.
We were overly excited to possibly be learning more about the X-Phone, but today is not the day. We’ll keep our eyes open and ear listening though. Drop us a comment with what you’d like to see in the X-Phone.
Samsung is now topping the charts in China. The company recently moved into the number one position in terms of the smartphone market in China. Of course, with some of the recent reports dealing with Samsung, the fact that they are now topping the chart in China comes with a bit less in terms of surprise. More to the point here, will we see the Samsung share increase with the upcoming March 14 announcement?
Putting thoughts of the future aside and we have seen numerous reports about Samsung in the global market. We also saw the recently published paper coming from China’s Ministry of Industry. You likely remember that one as it was where they were worried about the dominance of Android within the country. Well, having Samsung in number one only makes sense. Perhaps more interesting here, not only did Samsung move into number one, they did so by tripling sales from the previous year.
According to the Strategy Analytics report, Samsung sold 30.06 million smartphones in China in 2012. That was up from 10.9 million in 2011. What this means in terms of a market share percentage is that Samsung is now at 17.7 percent. Giving a look at those trailing Samsung and we have Lenovo, Apple, Huawei and Coolpad. Positions two through four are taking 13.2 percent, 11 percent, 9.9 percent and 9.7 percent respectively. This also shows a nice step for Samsung when a separate report had them sitting much closer as of November 2012.
One interesting aspect here, while Samsung takes top honors for the year, Apple took top honors for the fourth quarter of 2012 in terms of the global market. According to data coming from this same report, Apple had 42.7 percent of the market with Samsung holding 28.7 percent. Needless to say, some of that can likely be due to the timing of the product launches. Apple had the iPhone 5 and we waiting for Samsung to announce and release the Galaxy S4.
Samsung is going to be unveiling “The Next Galaxy” in the not to distant future and while we have seen plenty of spec related rumors up until this point in time, it seems they are not going to die down before the announcement. Of course, these details are all being mixed in with some official teasers from Samsung. Anyway, the latest Samsung related information is coming by way of a few patent filings.
In this case we are referring to a pair of patent filings. The timing would suggest that these could be related to the Galaxy S4. But the again, the timing could also be nothing more than a coincidence. The first filing is dealing with a 3D camera feature and the second is dealing with a panoramic camera feature.
Th 3D related patent is thought to mean that the Galaxy S4 could be capable of producing 3D video as well as 3D still images. This patent was published earlier in the month and is showing as being “application software for smart phones.” Well for smartphones as well as for tablets, digital cameras and numerous other devices including portable media players. Basically, this is looking like the 3D will come in after the image or video has been captured (as opposed to having a dual-camera setup that captures 3D while recording).
We have yet to see any previous rumors suggesting this, but as always — time will tell just how accurate these rumors actually are. The second patent is the panoramic and based on what we have seen, this one seems a bit more likely. This is also the one we would rather see come true. According to details in this filing, Samsung is looking to be able to prevent things such as image flare and in general, improve the overall image quality.
Otherwise, these two aside, previous reports are still looking like the Galaxy S4 will arrive with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and hardware to include a 4.99-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of internal storage, 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera and a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera. The processor looks to be varied depending on market with talk of a quad-core 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 600 in the US and an Exynos Octa 8-core for those in Europe.
Google Glass has already been discussed in terms of privacy, and the potential lack thereof for the person that would be in presence of someone wearing the glasses. Of course, many could argue that the same could be said for many other things such as smartphones and even security cameras. But on that note, at least one Seattle business has taken a proactive approach and banned the glasses.
Honestly, this move seems a bit silly and in fact, it was done sort of in jest. The bar owner, Dave Meinert originally posted the message on Facebook and noted that “ass kickings will be encouraged for violators.” By violators, he was referring to customers that were wearing a pair of the glasses. Meinert then later admitted that the original post was mostly in an attempt at being funny, telling some of the other commenters that they should “get a sense of humor.”
Funny part aside, it seems there is a bit of truth to his statement though, not necessarily in the part about Google Glasses being banned, but in that they do not “allow any photographer or videotaping in the 5 Point without our permission.” Basically, the bar does not seem to be anti-Glass, just anti-capturing. He also went on to state that it is “okay if you wear them” but that he doesn’t “want them worn inside.”
This bar and the possibility of getting some publicity aside — there is an interesting aspect here. How will people react to Google Glasses being worn. For now, they may look weird, but they may also go unnoticed in terms of what they can do. Does anyone think we may start to see some bans once Google has these available for the public, or will they just become accepted as part of the world we now live in?
Samsung began talking about a game called Unicorn Apocalypse in some commercials a little while back. The latest commercial began airing about a week ago and as of today — the game is available by way of the Google Play Store. Yes, Samsung has released Unicorn Apocalypse and you can download and begin playing it right now. The game is free and requires nothing more than a device running 1.6 or later.
Unicorn Apocalypse comes by way of Liquid Gameworks and was actually a contest winner. While neat to see Samsung actually release this game, and possibly even cooler — with such a fun looking app icon, but unfortunately, the game does not seem to be all that good. In fact, we are sort of glad it is available for free.
The game is fairly simple, you run the unicorn and jump from building to building avoiding the fire below. There is also some obstacles in the form of traps and people shooting. The controls are also simple, you either run at regular speed, jump or dash. Basically, the game will likely be fun for a few minutes time, or for when have a few minutes to spend doing nothing and don’t want to get super involved in anything.
If you hadn’t already guessed, you are playing as the unicorn and your role is to avoid the soldiers in the Anti Unicorn Force (AUF). Otherwise, Samsung notes that there is linear difficulty scaling, three menacing boss types, an epic metal soundtrack and an engaging apocalyptic environment. We will let you be the judge of how accurate those descriptions are. Those interested should follow the link below.
Samsung has posted the latest Unpacked teaser video. This one arrives as part 2 and once again features Jeremy Maxwell guarding the secret. In the previous video we saw Jeremy taking, and then leaving the secret meeting. This one picks up with Jeremy entering his home and once again avoiding his little friend and mother.
We still haven’t seen anything solid in terms of what we can expect the Galaxy S4 to be, but we do know that there will be a third installment of this teaser video series. This one measures in at just shy of a minute and a half, but is actually a bit shorter given the beginning kicks off with a reminder of what happened in the first video. What we have in the video is basically just a bunch of teasing. Jeremy mentions that what is in the box is “pretty irresistible” and states that it will “blow you” away.
He also calls it “beautiful” and says that it is his “favorite color.” One interesting aspect is that the color of his tie matches the colors on the box. Not the ‘power tie’ from the end, but the tie he is wearing in the rest of the video. Otherwise, if you want to really take a deep dive into speculation, the end does suggest a bigger phone. The mother says this is his big day and then Jeremy repeats the phrase big day two times. But really, that thought is probably just based on the previous rumors which have already pegged the Galaxy S4 as having a bigger display (as compared to the Galaxy S III).
Either way, we still have at least one more of these Unpacked teasers to look forward to seeing and then of course, the official announcement will be happening on March 14. With most of the specs having been discussed, lets ask the next question — who thinks that Jeremy will be the one to walk the Galaxy S4 out onto the stage? With all the focus Samsung seems to be putting on him, it almost seems like they have to.
Last week brought us details of the LG Optimus F7 launch and as of today we have some details on the launch of the Optimus L5II. LG had this particular model on display during Mobile World Congress and today we learn where the handset will soon be available. As expected, LG is launching the Optimus L5II in a single- and dual-SIM model and the global roll-out will begin in Brazil.
LG has said that the Optimus L5II will also be coming to South and Central America as well as Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Africa. The one catch here, the exact timeline remains a mystery. Specifically, what we have seen from LG includes that the handset will be “initially available” in Brazil and then “followed” by those remaining countries. Otherwise, as we have seen a previous announcement and also a hands-on report, these specs may sound familiar to some.
The LG Optimus L5II will arrive sporting a 4.0-inch WVGA display, single-core 1.0GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 1700 mAh battery and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash. The handset will be available in several colors to include black, white, pink and titan. the single-SIM version of the handset will measure in at 117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2mm. The dual-SIM model will be just a tad bit taller at 118.4mm.
Otherwise, LG has said the Optimus L5II will launch with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and other software to include Quick Button, QuickMemo and Safety Care with that last one being able to provide real-world assistance to include Emergency Call Forwarding, Phone Non-Usage and My Location Notice. Finally, as of now we have yet to seen anything in terms of a US release.
Android fans all around the world are looking forward to the launch of the Galaxy S for smartphone on Thursday. So far, we’ve seen some details of the smartphone leak ahead of the Unpacked event where the phone will go official. Some new details from China have leaked showing what appears to be an S IV test device in the wild.
The screenshots of the device list the name GT-I9502. The images show a smartphone that doesn’t look that much like what we’ve seen in other leaked photos over the last few weeks claiming to be the S4. Sister site SlashGear reckons that what we might be seeing is Galaxy S IV hardware packed inside of a case that closely resembles the Note II style to keep a low profile during device carrier testing.
The leaked images show a few details from Antutu indicating that the device has an Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU with OpenGL ES 2.0 support. The screenshots also show that the version of Android on the devices 4.2.1 and it has 2 GB of RAM. We also see a 13-megapixel camera leaked, all of which dovetails nicely with previous hardware rumors for the S4.
For those of you who can’t wait to learn more about the S IV, and only have a few more days to wait. We will be at the event in New York City on Thursday and will bring you all of the details as they are announced. It will be a long few days for android fans.
A new Android tablet has launched from a company called Lava called the E-Tab Connect 3G. The tablet has a seven-inch screen and supports voice calls. The operating system for the tablet is Android 4.0.
The seven-inch screen features WVGA resolution and the tablet uses a 1 GHz QUALCOMM Snapdragon processor. The tablet has a two-megapixel rear camera and a VGA resolution front camera for video conferencing. Power for the tablet comes from a 3000 mAh internal rechargeable battery.
The 1 GHz processor is paired with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. The tablet also comes preloaded with a number of applications including apps from Hungama, Bigflix, Edukart, Meritnation, Diamond Comics and Readwhere. Other hardware features of the tablet include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and integrated GPS.
The tablet measures 194 x 123.3 x 9.8 mm. The seven-inch screen supports capacitive multitouch technology. The 3G connectivity supports GSM 900/1800 MHz networks as well as WCDMA 2100 MHz networks. The tablet does have a memory card slot supporting up to 32 GB of additional storage. Pricing for the tablet is Rs. 9, 499.
Every smartphone platform on the market is susceptible to malware and viruses. The Android platform is perhaps more successful due to its broad use and the fact that users are able to download and install apps from third-party application stores. This is one of the reasons why Android has more malware than any other platform.
That means that many Android users are very concerned with security and keeping their device free from viruses and malware. Trend Micro has announced the launch of the new mobile security application called Mobile Security 3.0. The app is designed for Android devices alone and is able to scan apps that users have downloaded from malware.
The application also allows users to remotely locate, lock, and wipe data from the smartphone or tablet if the device is lost or stolen. Users wanting to back up data including contacts, text messages, and media to the cloud from the device will have to use Trend Micro’s Mobile Backup and Restore application. Backup functionality is not included in the security app, but there is a link to the backup application.
Trend Micro also has another app that was recently launched called Privacy Scanner. This app makes it easy to manage Facebook privacy controls and making recommendations and allowing users to change Facebook settings immediately to keep their personal information protected. Mobile Security 3.0 has links that will take users directly to the Play store to download Privacy Scanner Beta and the Mobile Backup application.
If you’re looking for a new game for your Android smartphone or tablet, Metal Slug X is now available to download. The game is a remake of Metal Slug 2 and has a number of new features that promise to make the game very entertaining. Screenshots for the game show a decisively old-school feel.
This game originally launched for the NeoGeo and is a 2-D run and gun series from back in the day. The developers of the Android gave promise an arcade-perfect port of the original game from the Neogeo console. Once you clear an individual mission, you can select that mission and play it individually in the game’s Mission Mode. That feature allows you to replay your favorite stages and practice for stages you have a difficult time on.
The game features customizable controls, including an Auto fire function allowing for rapidfire action by holding down the shoot button. The game also allows users to reposition the virtual buttons outside of the game screen area using a Window Mode. The app also supports multiplayer gaming using Bluetooth connectivity.
Players can play head-to-head against their friends and team up to assist friends on difficult missions. The game also supports network ranking functions allowing users to compete for the best scores with other gamers from all around the world. The game is available on Google Play for $3.99 for devices running Android 2.3 and later.
Setup is rather easy and the SmartStick comes with a very simple diagram of how to go about the process. In a nutshell, you connect to HDMI and your wireless internet. From there, you can hop to your input whenever you want.
