Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Android Central

Android Central


NVIDIA Shield still on track for June shipping

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 02:10 PM PDT

NVIDIIA Shield

A few folks (including us) who have preordered the NVIDIA Shield controller have found themselves in possession of a snazzy new Shield T-shirt over the past couple days to go along with their $350 preorder. Accompanying the shirt was a note, which reads thusly:

Thank you for pre-ordering SHIELD. SHIELD is NVIDIA's first gaming portable, and has been a labor of love for us over the last year and a half since we started the project. Our vision was to build a dedicated, open platform gaming device that would allow you to enjoy a wide catalog of native Android and streamed PC games with full freedom and mobility.

To celebrate the arrival of SHIELD, we've designed a limited-edition SHIELD T-shirt and have included one in this package to thank you for your pre-order. 

On behalf of the SHIELD team, we hope you enjoy the experience!

Now us being the skeptical type, we checked in with NVIDIA to make sure Shield was still headed for customers' hands this month, as promised. And we're assured that while no shipping date has been announced, "late June" is still on track.

read more

    


How to change sync and notification settings in the new Gmail

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 01:19 PM PDT

New Gmail Sync and Notifications

Don't forget to turn on sync when you add new folders or Mail Categories

While the settings to enable and change sync settings for Gmail haven't changed in the latest update, many people are just being introduced to them for the first time with the addition of "Mail Categories" this last week. Simply enabling the new Mail Categories feature on the web view of Gmail will get the tabs to show up in your app, but unfortunately won't start syncing or notifying you of your mail to those categories by default. It'll take just a few taps through the settings of the Gmail app to have everything syncing and ringing once again though, so let's take a look at the process.

read more

    


HTC names new communications head

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 10:42 AM PDT

Lorain Wong

Lorain Wong will take up role as Vice President of Global PR, Corporate and Internal Communications from Taiwan HQ

HTC has named Lorain Wong as its new Vice President of Global PR, Corporate and Internal Communications. Lorain joins HTC from Chinese network services provider Pacnet. Prior to this, Wong had senior roles at Qwest Asia, Global One Asia Pacific and AT&T. She will assume her new role at HTC from the company's Taiwan HQ. HTC says her duties will include "public relations, media and analyst relations, corporate communications and issues management."

Wong replaces former VP of Global Communications Jason Gordon, who was one of several high-profile execs to depart HTC last month.

Source: HTC

    


Archos Titanium 97b comes to UK courtesy of Dixons for £199

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 09:54 AM PDT

Archos Titanium 97b

A solid set of specs and features for an extremely low price now available in the U.K.

Archos' top of the line 10-inch tablet, the Titanium 97b, will be available in the U.K. starting today exclusively at Dixons for the great price of just £199.99. Announced back in January and launched in the U.S. in March, the Titanium 97b is your standard large form factor tablet with a 9.7-inch 2048x1536 IPS display, 1.6GHz dual-core (an unnamed A9) processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with an SDXC expansion slot and USB OTG capabilities. The Titanium 97b has a sleek aluminum build, is just 10mm thick and weighs 650g.

On the software side Archos ships a pretty much unchanged build -- save for a few Archos media apps -- of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with access to the Play Store and Google apps. They aren't the highest specs in the world, but at £199.99 for a 10-inch tablet it's hard to find a better deal out there. The Titanium 97b will be available exclusively at Dixons stores in the U.K. or online (from Currys) at the source link below.

More: Currys

read more

    


The 'Anything but WWDC/E3 liveblog' giveaway!

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 09:16 AM PDT

White Nexus 4

Win a white Nexus 4 and bumper from us — just because 

It's WWDC day -- the day in which Apple will revolutionize the magical industry with features we've probably had on Android for some time now. There are approximately 14,629 liveblogs all blogging the same thing, which you can also stream live in an Apple-approved browser/device/cranial implant.

Oh, but there's more. E3 is getting underway in Los Angeles, with Microsoft showing off more Xbox One features. And, you guessed it, that means more liveblogs.

For what it's worth, we're glued to iMore's WWDC liveblog and WPCentral's E3 liveblog. And to keep things interesting, we're going to give away a brand-new, in-box, white Nexus 4 and bumper -- just because we can. Just leave a comment on this post and tell us what you're hoping (or not hoping) to see from WWDC or E3, or whether what you saw was interesting, or just meh. Contest is open to everyone, and we'll close things up at 5 p.m. EDT and pick a winner.

Good luck!

    


GoStick II portable battery

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 08:54 AM PDT

GoStick II.

We hooked up with the folks from BTI recently in Las Vegas to take a quick look at their GoStick II portable battery. This is one of those "need-it-right-this-second" solutions that'll give you an extra charge in a pinch via microUSB. The GoStick II has a 2,600 mAh capacity, so you'll only get about one extra go with this thing. 

The GoStick II is nicely designed. It's about as big as a roll of quarters and finished with a soft-touch coating. The rounded triangle design fits nicely in your hand, which is a plus when you're using the included LED flashlight (long a favorite feature for me when it comes to portable batteries.) The five-stage charge indicator is easily visible but not harsh, and it lights up after you hit the button for 1 second. A 3-second hold lights up the LED flashlight.

The 5V/1.0A input and 5V/1.2A output are on the butt of the GoStick II.

The GoStick II is available now for $29 if you want to give it a go. We've got more pics after the break.

read more

    


Sprint ZTE Vital brings mid-range stock Android June 14 for $99

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 07:26 AM PDT

Sprint ZTE VitalSprint today announced the mid-range, 5-inch ZTE Vital, available June 14 for $99 on contract. The Vital includes a not-quite next-gen Qualcomm MSM8960 processor running at 1.5 GHz, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and a 5-inch IPS display at 1280x720 resolution. It's got a 2,500 mAh removable battery, 1GB of RAM and a microSD card to expand on the 8GB internal storage.

The Vital is LTE-capable, of course, and sports a 13-megapixel camera on the back and a 1MP shooter up front. It's also got the Sprint ID theme-switcher on board.

More: Sprint

    


Deal of the Day: Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for HTC One

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 06:56 AM PDT

Deal of the Day The June 10 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for HTC One. Made of a durable plastic, this hard case from Mobi Products is designed specifically for the HTC One, features a slim design and has cutouts for all ports and buttons while leaving the screen exposed for full functionality. Comes in black, blue, red, purple and pink.

The Mobi Products Hard Shell Case is available for just $8.00, 60% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!

    


The competition: Follow Apple's WWDC keynote with iMore

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 05:59 AM PDT

WWDC

iOS 7, OS X 10.9 expected - follow the announcements live on iMore

Whatever your mobile OS of choice, new stuff from Apple is big news. And at today's WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) in San Francisco, Apple fans are expecting major new versions of the company's mobile and desktop operating systems -- iOS and OS X. On the mobile side, iOS is expected to undergo its biggest visual overhaul yet, with new, flatter, more minimalist UI from designer Jonathan Ive.

You'll want to head over to our sister site iMore for live keynote coverage, including analysis and commentary on the announcements as they happen. The action kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT -- that's 1 p.m. EDT, 5 p.m. GMT, 6 p.m. BST or 7 p.m. CEST. Apple will also be streaming video of the event to Mac computers, iOS devices and Apple TVs (sorry, Windows/Linux/Chrome OS users.)

In the meantime, hit the comments and share any predictions about which Android features might finally be gracing the iPhone and iPad today.

More: iMore WWDC liveblog

    


BBC Weather app now available for Android

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 02:16 AM PDT

BBC Weather

Simple UI, Holo design language and ease of use make the BBC Weather app worth checking out

The BBC has released its BBC Weather application on Google Play -- and it's actually one of the better weather apps available for Android. The BBC Weather app keeps things simple, while paying attention to Google's application design guidelines. By default, the app shows you weather conditions wherever you are, based on telemetry from the UK's Met Office, and you can view more places by searching for them. A new-style slide-out menu bar allows you to view conditions everywhere you've searched, and individual entries are easy to re-order and delete.

The main view consists of several scrollable areas that let you change location and view forecasts for hours or even days ahead. UV and pollen levels, if relevant, are shown too, as are sunrise and sunset times, and wind speeds and directions. On the whole, the app is able to shown a great deal of information without becoming cluttered. There's also an attractive 4x2 widget that shows you current conditions and a four-day forecast, along with lock screen widget support. NFC forecast transfers are supported too, and there's even a DashClock plug-in that'll bring the BBC's forecasts to the popular third-party clock widget.

You can find the BBC Weather app for Android at the Google Play link above; it's available for devices running Android 2.2 and above. (Update: Unfortunately for those outside the UK, it looks like this app is limited to British users only.)

    


Galaxy Ace 3 is Samsung's latest entry-level device

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 01:34 AM PDT

Galaxy Ace 3New low-ender with a dual-core CPU and optional LTE connectivity.

Another week, another Samsung phone announcement. This time it’s the turn of the Galaxy Ace 3, the manufacturer’s new entry-level offering. The most recent device in Samsung’s popular Galaxy Ace line, the Ace 3 move things forwards with optional LTE connectivity, a dual-core CPU and the latest software from Google and Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 features a dual-core 1GHz processor (1.2GHz in the LTE version), 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 4-inch WVGA (800x480) display. On the 3G version there’s also 4GB of internal memory, of which just 1.77GB is available to use, so you’ll want to use that microSD slot to expand the available storage. The 4G version has 8GB, with 5GB usable. The Ace 3 also includes many of the headline software features of the Galaxy S4, such as S Travel, S Translation and S Voice, in addition to Easy Mode. That's due to its running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and the latest TouchWiz UI.

As we mentioned, the Galaxy Ace 3 will be available in 3G and 4G LTE flavors, and there’ll also be a dual-SIM option. While a European release is highly likely, there’s no word on any regional availability or release dates just yet -- we’ll likely learn more as Samsung’s offices around the world wake up later in the day.

We also imagine we’ll see the Ace 3 in London on June 20, at the company’s “Premiere 2013” event.

Update: Samsung tells us that the LTE version will be sold in the UK.

Source: Samsung Mobile Press

    


Monday, June 10, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung Galaxy Note 3 prototype device leaks

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 09:29 AM PDT

Today, Samsung’s upcoming and highly anticipated third Galaxy Note smartphone has leaked in the wild. Following a successful Galaxy Note II release, we’re getting our first look at the upcoming 5.99-inch Galaxy Note 3, or at least a prototype of some sort. One that’s obviously being covered in a protective shell to disguise the design and identity of the device. Which is nothing new. Read on for more details and thoughts.

Schermafbeelding-2013-06-09-om-12.17.531

We’ve heard a lot of different reports and rumors regarding Samsung’s plans, but nothing has been concrete up until today. This is our first actual image of the upcoming phablet, and it looks just as expected. Rumors have the Note III coming in with a 5.99-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD display and some other top-tier specs, but the design still looks eerily familiar.

Just like the Galaxy S 4 and GS3 before it, this leak comes by way of a device having some sort of case around it to hide the shape and final design cues, so we’re not getting the full picture today. However, we can clearly see that Samsung will be sticking to their familiar plastic design, and that massive dedicated home button. Nothing new here folks.

Rumors point towards a 5.99-inch 1080p HD display and Qualcomm’s impressive new Snapdragon 800 series 2.3 GHz quad-core chip. The S-Pen style is a given, and then a 13 megapixel camera will be on board. Then of course we’ll be getting the latest version of Android. Either 4.2 or 4.3 Jelly Bean if Google drops it by then, and it’s expected to be announced at IFA 2013 in Berlin in early September.

We can expect more pictures and details to make their way public soon enough so stay tuned.

Schermafbeelding-2013-06-09-om-12.21.251 Schermafbeelding-2013-06-09-om-12.17.531 Schermafbeelding-2013-06-09-om-12.14.111

SOURCE: TechTastic

Sony NSZ-GS8 Google TV set for release in July

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 08:25 AM PDT

Sony has officially announced their latest Google TV device. The model is called the NSZ-GS8 “Internet Player with Google TV” and availability is set to begin in July. With the GS8 in mind, this model is similar to the already available GS7, though there is one new feature worth mentioning. While the NSZ-GS8 is a full-featured Google TV box, one of the nicer perks comes with the remote control.

NSZ-GS8_B_UCL_ST

The remote has a full QWERTY keyboard and also allows the user to search by voice. For example, when using Chrome you will be able to use the remote to search without having to actually do any typing. The remote also has a clickable touchpad with pinch-and-pull zoom as well as a 3-axis motion sensor which should help those who are doing a bit of gaming.

Aside from the remote, this Google TV has Ethernet and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity as well as 8GB of internal storage space, two rear USB inputs, one optical audio output and one HDMI output. Of course, being the NSZ-GS8 is a Google TV box there will be the app experience. Users will find apps to include Netflix, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube pre-installed, but there will also be access to the Google Play Store for many more.

NSG-MR7_B_-Both-Sides

Facebook and Twitter will also be available by way of the Socialife app which optimizes your social stream for a big screen. Similar to how searching is made easier with voice, Google TV users will also see the PrimeTime app which lets you browse live television as well as shows that you have already watched and suggestions for other content.

The NSZ-GS8 will be selling for $199.99. Those interested in making a purchase will be able to find this model direct from the Sony stores as well as with other electronics retailers. Finally, Sony has yet to reveal a specific release date, nor have they begun accepting pre-orders, however the NSZ-GS8 does have a “notify me” style listing on the Sony Store website.

SOURCE: Sony

Huawei Ascend P6 talked up by CEO Richard Yu

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 07:40 AM PDT

We are still expecting Huawei to announce the Ascend P6 during the upcoming “Beauty” event. This is set for June 20th, however in the meantime we have been seeing quite a few leaks. Thankfully though we have also seen a few legitimate teasers direct from Huawei. Back towards the end of May we saw an image revealed. That image reveal was also the time when Huawei confirmed the upcoming event would be the unveiling of the Ascend P6.

5001_525349327528640_209217619_n

Anyway, while June 20th is getting closer and closer, it looks like CEO Richard Yu has recently shared some of his first impression thoughts. Not to mention, Huawei also shared another image of the Ascend P6, which can be seen above. As far as the thoughts from Richard Yu, this is what he had to say;

You know, after using the P6 more and more, I’ve begun to notice how nice the side keys were designed and how good it felt to press them. Their positioning along the edge felt just right and natural. They aren’t protruding out too much so you don’t have to worry about the wrong button being pushed when it’s in your pocket, nor are they too flat that they’re uncomfortable to feel. We were able to find that “sweet spot.”

Again, the Ascend P6 is the handset that is rumored to be 6.2mm thick. That topic wasn’t addressed in the above statement, however the image does lead one to believe that could be an accurate measurement. This latest image is a nice follow-up to the last. That earlier image can be seen below and that gave a look at the top right-hand corner while this new image shows the bottom right-hand corner.

484864_546067775439570_237352047_n-540x405

Previous sightings of the handset had that metal band looking rather similar to the iPhone and while that is still somewhat accurate, it is nice to see that the metal band does not wrap completely around the device. Otherwise, the still rumored specs include Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean along with a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.

VIA: phoneArena

SOURCE: Facebook

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 unveiled with optional dual-SIM and LTE support

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 06:57 AM PDT

Samsung has officially announced the latest in the Galaxy Ace series of handsets. This one is arriving as the Galaxy Ace 3 and some of the specifics will vary from market to market. For example, the handset does have a dual-SIM option available. Not to mention, the market availability will depend on whether you see a 3G or an LTE compatible handset. That said, Samsung has the Galaxy Ace 3 running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and with the line of “S” branded apps.

samsung-galaxy-ace-3-540

Hardware features include a 4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display along with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage (with roughly 1.77GB available for the user), a microSD card slot and 1500 mAh battery. The Galaxy Ace 3 will also have the basics to include WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 and A-GPS/GLONASS as well as an accelerometer, digital compass and proximity sensor.

Samsung has the Galaxy Ace 3 equipped with a VGA quality front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash. Coming with the camera hardware, the handset also has features to include Sound & Shot, Best Shot and Best Photo. Those “S” branded apps include S Translator, S Travel, Smart Stay, S Voice and Easy Mode. As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Ace 3 will be available in a 3G and LTE compatible model and while many of those specs will remain the same, there are some bumps for the LTE model.

The LTE-equipped Galaxy Ace 3 will have a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage (with 5GB available for the end user) and an 1800 mAh battery. Otherwise, the network support for the LTE model will include;

  • LTE: 150/50Mbps 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
  • 3G: HSPA+ 42/5.76Mbps 850/900/2100 MHz

The 3G only model will bring the following for network support;

  • 3G: HSDPA 14.4Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps 900/2100 MHz
  • 2G: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Otherwise, while Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Ace 3 and offered a complete breakdown of the specs, they have yet to mention some of the finer points. You know, the pricing, availability date and the markets where the handset will be available. Needless to say, Samsung still has the June 20th event in London and we are expecting to learn a bit more at that time.  

SOURCE: Samsung

AT&T upgrade cycle increased to 24 months

Posted: 10 Jun 2013 06:19 AM PDT

AT&T has announced a change to the upgrade cycle and moving forward users will need to wait a full 24-months before they will be eligible. According to details coming from AT&T, the carrier has said this change will allow them to align the “device upgrade eligibility with our standard two-year wireless agreement.” Moving forward this will affect all users, however there is a grace period before it will kick in for everyone.

ATT-Mobile-Phone-Wireless-Logo-Store-Window-540x30412123111

The carrier has said this change will apply to all users whose agreement expires in March 2014 or later. Or in other words, if you current agreement ends in February 2014 or earlier — you will still be able to grab your upgrade after 20 months. Otherwise, from March 2014 and after you will be waiting the full 24 months between available upgrades. AT&T did offer some options, however we suspect they will not apply for many users.

It looks like AT&T users will still be able to share an upgrade (with another person on the same account), purchase a device at full retail price, bring a compatible handset or trade-in your current handset towards the purchase of a new device. Of course, said new device would still be charged at the full retail value. There is one option that may be of benefit though.

AT&T users are eligible for early upgrades after 6 months. The carrier has said that after you complete 6 full months on your agreement you will be eligible for a partial discount off the full retail pricing. Granted, this is not going to be quite a low priced as a fully subsidized handset, however it could help those who find themselves stuck with a handset that don’t like or even one they damaged.

Finally, while AT&T has just recently announced this change, it is one that should sound familiar to Verizon Wireless users. In fact, Big Red announced this change back in mind-April. The details between Verizon and AT&T are rather similar, however Verizon did offer one bit that may help some users — they also announced a device payment plan which could help those needing to purchase a device at full retail.

SOURCE: AT&T

Samsung Galaxy S 4 gets custom colorful paint by way of Colorware

Posted: 09 Jun 2013 03:47 PM PDT

White or Blue not your colors? Perhaps you’re more of a Mocha Brown person? Maybe you’re a Midnight Purple aficionado? Thankfully Colorware has your answer and will let you “color customize” your Samsung Galaxy S4 for a not-so-inexpensive 1000 U.S. Dollars.

color_spectrum_635

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 being a hot seller (although who’s to say how long that will last) with over 10 million units sold last month, anyone in the know will gladly admit that its color palette is quite… small. Even though rumors are on the rise that there will be 4 new colors headed our way this summer, it still doesn’t quite fit the needs of some people seeking individuality.

Now, using a full color spectrum to allow you to choose from an endless supply of colors, Colorware has been the first one to take the step to a whole, new, colorful S4 world. You can have your phone in any color you want, but at the mind-numbingly, heart-achingly, bank account drainingly, astronomical price of $1000.

I’m sure you’re now wondering how you’re going to come up with coin, especially seeing the fact that to set a specific color to your phone will set you back almost twice the phones price itself. Perhaps selling off your car, or your house, or a kidney (or two if you’re feeling lucky) might be a good idea.

What you’re paying for though, is a labor of love. The Galaxy S4 is disassembled, cleaned, masked, painted, inspected, buffed, and then reassembled. This likely takes a few hours. Is it worth the $1000 in labor and paint? The decision is up to you.

As it stands now, we’ll take ours in a nice, vibrant, Lemon Lime, thank you very much.

SOURCE: TalkAndroid

Waze likely headed to Google through a 1.3B dollar takeover

Posted: 09 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

Google has apparently just purchased Waze, the Israeli maps application organized via crowd-sourced data with the emphasis on social networking through location detection. With previous reports of serious mergers between Waze and other stronghold software conglomerates, the purchase of Waze through Google comes as a surprise to no one. The biggest question however is, “What will they do with it?”

waze-app-1024x682

Last year there were numerous reports of a possible Apple merger with Waze, but according to Apple, through a conference held at D11, no such talks took place. Facebook was also interested, but that deal also fell through. With Google heavily involved in the maps application world itself, it made sense that they too would follow in the footsteps of other major players, and take the plunge.

The final result is an astounding takeover through a 1.3 Billion dollar acquisition. This puts Google in a situation where they can utilize interesting Waze features such as Live Lane Assistance, Hazard Reporting, Traffic updates, and more. The possibility of a merger between Zagat and Places via Google+ also remains a strong possibility. Waze itself was founded in 2009, with 2012 being an incredibly industrious year, bringing a 30 million dollar investment from Horizons Ventures, iFund, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Ultimately however, time will tell what it is exactly that Google is planning to do with Waze. Certainly they themselves have some serious money invested into it. Some theories have arisen that its features will be implemented in a 2014 update. When and if they are, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

SOURCE: Globes