Android World Update # Android and Me

Android and Me Meet Your New Android Friend. Your Community For All Things Google Android.

Nexus 7 Giveaway: Why do you need a Nexus tablet? Jul 19th 2013, 18:43, by Jess Blanchard The Nexus 2 7″ may sell for as little as $229 with a July 31 retail launch date, but you can have the original Nexus 7 for free this week! “How?” you ask. Well, we’re making it nice and simple. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments, why you need a Nexus 7 in your life. What will you do with it? How will it make your life better? The top five commenters (that’s right, we’ve got five Nexus 7 tablets to give away!) will each win a device. This could be you. For this contest, only commenters with an And Me account will be eligible to win. If you don’t have one already, sign up now. It’s free and easy. This contest will be open to continental US residents only. Sorry international buddies, but the logistics of expanding our giveaways to overseas audiences are impractical. Remember, you can embed images and gifs (that’s with a hard “g”) in our comments section. So, be as creative as you can with your post. Then vote for your favorite. You have until Tuesday, July 23 at 11:59 PM EST to earn votes. At that time, we will tabulate and begin contacting the winners. Happy commenting! Google Play Store serves up more than 50 billion downloads Jul 19th 2013, 18:21, by Dima Aryeh When Android was first released, application downloads did not look promising. One major reason was poor app selection; you can’t download something that isn’t there. As app available grew on Android, so did total downloads. Still, iOS outclassed Android by far when it came to app downloads, especially with such a strong head start. Overtime, the app catalog expanded exponentially. And as Android improved, so did the quality of the apps available on the platform. The hideous Gingerbread apps of yesteryear were replaced by apps decked out in the gorgeous Holo look and feel. This all contributed to accelerating app downloads. Back at Google I/O 2013, Google announced that the Play Store had reached 48 billion downloads. And now, a few short months later, Google reports that number is at a whopping 50 billion! The Apple App Store reached 50 billion downloads only a few months ago, so Android is hot on the heels of iOS. With 1.5 million Android device activations per day, it’s likely that Android will overtake iOS at the next major milestone. When do you think we’ll see 60 billion? Meet Android and Me: Steve Raycraft Jul 19th 2013, 18:08, by Steve Raycraft Hi there. My name is Steve Raycraft, and I’m another one of the new writers here at Android and Me. My story began in 1972 in Arcadia, a suburb of Los Angeles, CA. I grew up in a house full of technology, always playing on the ever-so-powerful systems of yesteryear. My dad loved technology and always wanted to make sure we stayed current with the latest video game system. We had most every system available including Vectrex, ColecoVision, Intellivision, and the Commodore 64. I believe this immersion in technology is the reason for my love of technology and gadgets. When I was 12, my younger brother and I moved with our parents to the small town of Port Angeles, WA. This picturesque town is roughly two hours from my grandparents in Seattle and about 17 miles across the water from Victoria, Canada. The house where we lived didn’t receive cable, so most of the TV stations were Canadian. Watching Canadian TV reignited my interest in hockey, which originated when my parents had season seats to the Los Angeles Kings and would frequently take me to games. I’m still a Kings fan to this day. After graduating from High School and going to the local community college for a couple years, I transferred to Washington State University. I was there for a little over two years and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Law and Public Policy. Portland, OR, was my next destination and my career in technology started when I got a job at a call center providing technical support for 3Com modems. I enjoyed Portland, but after 5 years I wanted to try living farther east, so I moved to Knoxville, TN, where I had extended family. Knoxville is a decent sized town, so the change from Portland was not too drastic. I did notice that the South’s reputation of being polite and friendly is fairly accurate. Most people I initially encountered were very friendly. I met my wife Tarci in Knoxville, and we now have a blended family with 6 children ranging in age from 6 to 29. Over the past few years as I’ve seen technology continue to grow, a new interest in Android has emerged inside me. After purchasing my first Android device, the Samsung Fascinate, I was hooked. The Android-flavored Kool-aid is coursing through my body, and I enjoy sharing that passion for Android with friends and family. I’ve always had an interest in writing, so I thought writing for an Android blog would be a great way to share Android with others. I’m excited to be part of the AAM team, and look forward to the future. When not writing or reading about Android, you can usually find me in one of a few different places. I’m a big soccer (football) fan and occasionally join friends on the pitch for a pick-up game during lunch. The end of the work day marks the beginning of quality time with my family. My wife and I love staying active together. We take Zumba classes at gym a couple times a week. After a rigorous class, it’s time to chill out and watch some of our favorite TV shows, including Burn Notice and Suits. What I’m excited about I’m excited to be part of a great group of writers that love sharing their insights about Android with the general public. I know there will be lots to learn, but I’m looking forward to what the future holds for the Android and Me site and the Android ecosystem. What I’m going to do here at Android and Me I’ve always loved the ability to use different apps on Android, and I thought taking over the Top 10 apps articles would be a great fit for me. I know what Taylor has done with these lists is very popular, but I want to hear what our readers want in terms of apps. Let me know if there are any other “app” articles you would like to see. I’ve toyed with the idea of a “Power Rankings” concept, showing the top 20 apps over the past two weeks and charting how apps move up and down over time based on reader interest. What devices have I owned? The list of devices I’ve owned is relatively small. They include the Samsung Fascinate, HTC Rezound and the HTC Thunderbolt. I’ve also owned an Acer Iconia a200 and I currently have a Nexus 7 tablet. What phone do I daily drive? My current device is the HTC Thunderbolt running an older ROM. I’m anxious for this Fall when I can upgrade and pick up one of the new phablets that will be available, like the Note III or rumored HTC One Max. Facts about me I’ve lived in 4 of the 5 states on the West Coast (including Alaska and Hawaii). I have 4 grandchildren. I’m a huge Starbucks fan. I golf left-handed, but putt right-handed. I’ve never seen Star Wars I, II, or III.

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Android World Update # The Best Screen Protectors for the Samsung Galaxy S4 (video)

Android Authority Android News, Reviews, How To

The Best Screen Protectors for the Samsung Galaxy S4 (video) Jul 19th 2013, 18:16, by Brad Ward The Samsung Galaxy S4 costs a pretty penny, especially when you purchase it outright. On Amazon, it can be found unlocked for anywhere between $619USD and $700USD. That’s a lot of money to lose if you drop your new device and shatter or badly scratch the display, and that’s why you should always protect your investment. How do you protect it? By using protective cases and durable screen protectors, of course! We’ve already covered some epic cases for the Galaxy S4, and now we’re going to look at some awesome screen protectors that’ll keep your new device scratch free! In a rush? Jump straight to the video, otherwise, stick with us as we take a closer at the best screen protectors for the Galaxy S4! Spigen Steinheil First up is the Spigen Steinheil Ultra Crystal screen protector. This comes with an array items to successfully apply the screen protector on your device. In fact, if you mess up the application process or it’s time for a replacement, a second screen protector is bundled in the package. The first step to installing the screen protector is to thoroughly clean the Galaxy S4′s screen with the included cloth. You don’t want pieces of lint and dust on the inside of your screen protector. There’s also dust removal stickers you can use the ensure that there won’t be any air bubbles or anything of the sort. Finally, take the screen protector and remove the plastic cover, revealing the adhesive side of the screen protector. Carefully place it on your device, and smooth out any air bubbles that surface; you can usually get most of them out with your finger, but you can also use the included squeegee to gently work them out. After that, your Galaxy S4 is ready to go! There are four different models — the Ultra Oliophobic, Ultra Crystal, Ultra Fine, and Ultra Optics. The Ultra Crystal is very true to its name, though it does catch the glare of the sun. Regardless, it’s a great screen protector, and it’s optimal for all of your media consumption! You can get the Ultra Crystal model from MobileFun for a mere $14. Screenwear The Screenwear screen protector comes with a cloth, squeegee, and a single screen protector. Just like we did with the Spigen, you want to clean up your device with the cloth as much as possible. After that, remove the plastic from the screen protector, revealing the adhesive side, and using the home button. carefully align the protector with your Galaxy S4. As usual, use the squeegee to carefully rid of any air bubble that surface. Overall, the Screenwear screen protector looks excellent on the Galaxy S4, and it provides a crystal clear viewing experience. It offers some great protection, and it’s pretty thick in the hands, so it shouldn’t be easy to puncture this one. Casemate HD Next is the Casemate HD screen protector. Much like the others, it comes with a cleaning card, a cleaning cloth, and a single screen protector. As we did with the others, use the cleaning cloth to remove all of the dust, lint, and smudges on your smartphone. Like always, remove the top piece of plastic to reveal the adhesive side. Then, using the home button, align the screen protector with your handset, and carefully apply it. If you have any air bubbles surface, use the cleaning card to remove them. This is an anti-glare screen protector, so it does protect against the glare you would normally get from the sun when outside. Overall, it looks really great when installed, and it really prevents any sort of glare really well, making media consumption fairly nice when out and about. You can pick up the Casemate from MobileFun for $15.49. Muvit Next up is our Muvit screen protectors — one is glossy and one has a matte finish. We have our usual installation procedure here, including the cleaning of the screen with the supplied cloth. Now, we’re going to go ahead and install the matte screen protector, and like most in our lineup, just remove the plastic, revealing the adhesive side of the protector. As usual, carefully align the protector with the home button, and then simply apply it. Use your finger and installation card to remove the uninvited air bubbles. The Muvit matte screen protector looks awesome on the Galaxy S4, and to be honest, it looks nicer than the Casemate HD. It stops the glare nicely, and it doesn’t have a pixelated display when using the Muvit protectors. Overall, it’s a really nice experience. These are available from MobileFun for $12.99. InvisibleShield Last up is the Zagg InvisibleShield screen protector. I opted to not use the full coverage, as I just wanted to focus on screen protection in this video. Now, this is a wet application screen protector, so unlike the others, you should power off your device before applying it. As usual, clean off your device with supplied cleaning cloth. Next, you’re going to want to spray the application fluid on your hand just so you don’t get any smudges or finger oils on the InvisibleShield. Peal off the plastic from the InvisibleShield, revealing the adhesive side, and spray the application fluid right on that adhesive side. Never spray it directly on your smartphone. Finally, line the protector up with the home button, and carefully apply it on the Galaxy S4. Use the squeegee to work out the application fluid towards the sides of the device. You’re going to want to clean up the liquid with the cleaning cloth, as you don’t want it getting on your handset. In my opinion, out of all the screen protectors, the InvisibleShield offers the most protector. After all, it is a military grade screen protector, and them materials are used to coat helicopter wings. That should be a testament to its durability. Overall, the InvisibleShield is very nice, though it doesn’t have any anti-glare properties. Regardless, you can pick it up from MobileFun for $18.99, which is a great price for this particular screen protector. Video review Wrap up And that’s it folks. While screen protectors aren’t a requirement, they do ensure the protection of your screen. After all, you don’t want any bad scratches on there, and it’d be a tragedy if you dropped your device and your screen shattered. Screen protectors don’t stop complete shattering, but they can prevent a lot of that extra damage, allowing you to continue using your device without harming yourself. We’d like to give a huge shout out to Mobilefun for providing us with all of these screen protectors. You can find their full list of Galaxy S4 protectors here. Check ‘em out!

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Android World Update # Top New Games in the Google Play Store

AndroidPIT News + App Tests RSS Feed This feed includes text previews of the latest news articles and app tests on www.androidpit.com. Click on the article title to read the entire article.

Top New Games in the Google Play Store Jul 19th 2013, 18:00, by Kris Carlon For a successful start to the weekend, we again gathered the latest games from the Google Play Store for you. Have fun while gaming – but don't forget the beautiful weather! © AndroidPIT (This is a preview - click here to read the entire entry.)

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Android World Update # Larry Page confirms 1.5 million Androids activated daily

AndroidGuys Android news and opinion

Larry Page confirms 1.5 million Androids activated daily Jul 19th 2013, 16:34, by Scott Webster Google CEO Larry Page confirmed on Thursday that there are more than 1.5 million Android devices activated every day. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this figure; Eric Schmidt also made the claim earlier this year. With more than 900 million activated devices as of Google I/O 2013 (May 15), the current rate should see the lofty 1 billion mark by the end of summer. For the sake of comparison, Google I/O 2012 had the figure at 400 million.  Talk about momentum. Header image courtesy of Jason Hardman (Google+) The post Larry Page confirms 1.5 million Androids activated daily appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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Android World Update # Yet another Nexus 7 leak confirms hardware

AndroidGuys Android news and opinion

Yet another Nexus 7 leak confirms hardware Jul 19th 2013, 16:59, by Scott Webster Assuming the rumors are correct, we’re less than a week away from learning about the next-generation of Nexus 7 tablets. Google has scheduled a “breakfast with Sundar Pichai” where it is expected that we see the introduction of the new tablet and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.  The refreshed Nexus 7 has rumored for months now so we’re glad that this could finally be put to bed next week. Details have slipped through the cracks for some time now, some conflicting with other reports. Things do, however, seem to be coming to a head now. Engadget has obtained a leaked document which spells out the main hardware specs. The document lists the new Nexus 7 as featuring a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 7-inch display, 1.2MP front-facing camera, and 5MP rear-facing camera. Slated to go on sale at Staples on July 31, the tablet also offers wireless charging as well as a slim port for 1080p video output. All of this is, of course, running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Indeed, this does match up with the recent Android Central report. It’s still unclear what the resolution is for the 7-inch tablet but rumors suggest something at 1920×1200 may be in order.  Also uncertain is whether that 4GB RAM is legit or not – we think it’s likely 2GB. Engadget The post Yet another Nexus 7 leak confirms hardware appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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