Android World Update # Daring users can now alpha test Facebook for Android — here’s how to sign up and participate

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Daring users can now alpha test Facebook for Android — here's how to sign up and participate Oct 15th 2013, 13:33, by Quentyn Kennemer Developers have taken advantage of Google’s new Play Store feature that allows certain members to download different builds of an app, giving them an easy and pain-free way to facilitate beta updates for those who are brave enough to try them. Facebook was one of the first major proponents of this system, and now they’re taking things a step further — you can now be an alpha tester for the official Facebook for Android app! Head of mobile release team Christian Legnitto announced the news, telling folks that their goal is to get feedback as early as possible. You’ll be treated to bleeding edge features and changes, though there are a couple of things you need to consider: You may experience frequent changes to UI and features — something that’s there one day might not be there the next. You should expect bugs, and lots of them. (Of course, you should expect bugs in beta and even stable, too.) Legnitto mentions it’s “not for the faint of heart,” but Facebook wanted to give users a chance to participate in the earliest build stages to help shape future releases. Feedback will be crucial, of course, so don’t join up if you’re not interesting in submitting any. With over 1 million daily active users from over 150 countries, the Facebook for Android beta-testing program has been successful in giving us the feedback necessary to make Facebook for Android more stable for users. Our initial goals with the beta program were to expand our pool of testers and gain feedback across a more diverse set of devices. Our beta-testers currently use phones from over 50 manufacturers, run multiple versions of Android, and use our app in varying network conditions. So how can you get in on it? It’s simple, really — just follow the following steps: Join the Facebook for Android Alpha Testers Google group Allow alpha downloads by clicking "Become a Tester" in the Play Store (you need to join the Google Group before becoming a tester) Download Facebook from the Play Store to update your app Turn on automatic updates (probably optional, but the app will be updated several times a week) Report problems and give us feedback by using the “Report a Problem” menu item The Facebook alpha will take precedence over beta, so if you’re in beta you will instead be getting alpha. If you wish to leave alpha at any time, you can simply click the “Leave the test” link in the Google Play Store. Be sure to give it a try if you’re interested in seeing what Facebook is working on well ahead of time. [via Facebook]

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Android World Update # Android Community

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Sony SmartWatch 2 launches in the US Oct 15th 2013, 13:05, by Robert Nelson Sony originally announced the SmartWatch 2 back in June and at the time it was said the watch would be arriving in the third-quarter of the year. Well, it looks like the time has come for a US release. Sony has announced the immediate US availability for the SmartWatch 2 and users will be able to pick it up direct with Sony or with “other” online retailers. The watch is priced at $199.95 and Sony is touting features such as a long battery life, an IP57 (water-resistant) rating and extended compatibility. That last bit means the SmartWatch 2 should work with “most” smartphones provided they are running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or later. Other features of the SmartWatch 2 include a 1.6-inch (220 x 176) display, an aluminum body and silicon wristband, microUSB charging, setup with NFC and a bit about how the watch can function by itself. Sony mentions this as standalone watch functionality which includes an alarm and timer. Touching back on the display, that is transflective, which is basically another way to say the watch should be easily readable even in bright sun. Otherwise, the battery is touted as being “long” which in the case of Sony, means an average of 3-4 days under normal use conditions. Aside from the watch itself, Sony will also have additional wristbands available in various colors and materials. Lastly, one important aspect is the apps. The SmartWatch 2 uses the Sony Smart Connect app (found in Google Play and pre-installed on Xperia devices) for app discovery. At present Sony has said the watch has more than 80 fully optimized apps available. Story Timeline Sony SmartWatch 2 SW2 hopes 3rd time lucky for wearables Sony SmartWatch 2 UK shipments expected to begin in mid-July Sony Smartwatch 2 release date tipped for September Sony Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra US availability detailed Oct 15th 2013, 13:04, by Robert Nelson Sony has officially announced the US availability of the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra smartphones. The handsets are both arriving unlocked and by way of the online Sony store and in select Sony retail stores. And similar to what we have been seeing from Sony, both of these have arrived as waterproof. Not to mention, available in a variety of colors. Beginning first with the Sony Xperia Z1 and those considering a purchase have options for black, white or purple. Perhaps more important though, the specs. In the case of the Xperia Z1 that means a 5-inch Full HD display and 20.7 megapixel rear-facing camera. The camera also has some software perks which in this case means the ability to do live social broadcasting as well as Augmented Reality, time shift burst and more. Shifting over to the Xperia Z Ultra and we are looking at a handset with lower megapixels in terms of the camera, but with a big step up in terms of display size. The Xperia Z Ultra has an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with Exmor RS for mobile and a 6.4-inch Full HD display. The Xperia Z Ultra also brings some competition to the Galaxy Note 3 and users can write and sketch with a pencil or select stylus. Similar to the Xperia Z1, the Xperia Z Ultra is available in black, white and purple. The Xperia Z1 is priced at $669.99 and available with HSPA+ connectivity. The Xperia Z Ultra has options for LTE or HSPA+ connectivity. The former is priced at $649.99 (C6802) and the latter is $679.99 (C6806). Otherwise, touching back on the water-resistance. In this case both handsets have the IP55 and IP58 ratings which means they are both waterproof and dustproof. Story Timeline Sony Xperia Z Ultra lands on Three, O2 in the UK Sony Xperia Z1 unlocked bootloader camera issue confirmed Sony Xperia Z Ultra arrives unlocked for those in the US Sony Xperia Z1 first update already rolling out in India

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Android World Update # First unboxing video of Galaxy Round shows elongated battery

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First unboxing video of Galaxy Round shows elongated battery Oct 15th 2013, 12:53, by Bogdan Petrovan After many rumors, the Galaxy Round launched with great fanfare, but the public's reaction to the world's first curved screen phone hasn't been that enthusiastic. Regardless of how you feel about it though, the Round is just a first step down the road that will eventually take us to the wonderful world of flexible displays. But to achieve mode radical designs, manufacturers need to rethink other crucial components besides the displays, including batteries. LG already showed us the curved battery that will power the upcoming G Flex curved phone, but how did Samsung fit the battery in the slightly curved Galaxy Round? It turns out Samsung took the easy way out and simply used an elongated battery that fits inside the Galaxy Round without having to be curved, as you can see in this unboxing video from UnderKG. The Galaxy Round is now available in South Korea from SK Telecom, selling for a pricey 1.09 million won ($1,015), slightly more than the  1 million won ($940) price tag of the Galaxy Note 3. No news yet on when, if ever, the Round will be available outside its home market.

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Android World Update # Deal of the Day: Seidio SURFACE Case (with kickstand) for Samsung Galaxy S4

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Deal of the Day: Seidio SURFACE Case (with kickstand) for Samsung Galaxy S4 Oct 15th 2013, 13:08, by ShopAndroid.com The Oct. 15 Deal of the Day is the Seidio SURFACE Case (with kickstand) for Samsung Galaxy S4. The SURFACE Case is the perfect Galaxy S4 hard case; combining a super-slim design, protective outer shell and a magnetic kickstand for convenient viewing. The exterior features a custom soft coating that provides additional grip to help prevent accidental drops. The Seidio SURFACE Case (with kickstand) is available for just $18.49, 47% off today only. Grab yours while supplies last Check out our entire selection of Samsung Galaxy S4 cases at ShopAndroid.com!

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Android World Update # How Sony got the mini recipe right with the Xperia Z1 f

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How Sony got the mini recipe right with the Xperia Z1 f Oct 15th 2013, 13:00, by Kris Carlon We have been fans of the Xperia Z1 f from way back when it was still known as the Honami mini. When the device was finally revealed last week by the Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, it lived up to the almost ridiculous expectations we held for it. It is, in almost every way, and certainly in every significant way, simply a smaller screened version of the Xperia Z1 flagship. While the price may still be high, Sony has tapped into the right recipe for mini smartphones that every other manufacturer has messed right up. The major league mini smartphones. / © AndroidPIT/Sony/Samsung/HTC (This is a preview - click here to read the entire entry.)

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Android World Update # Samsung may launch wireless chargers that work from a distance by mid-2014

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Samsung may launch wireless chargers that work from a distance by mid-2014 Oct 15th 2013, 11:35, by Bogdan Petrovan The development of wireless charging has been plagued so far by high-costs, immature technology, and competing standards. Currently, industry players have grouped around two technologies, inductive magnetic charging and resonant inductive magnetic charging, but only the former has made it into actual products, in the form of the Qi wireless charging standard. As the largest smartphone maker in the world, Samsung has a big influence over the development of wireless power transmission, and it looks that the Korean giant is betting on magnetic resonance technology. Samsung recently acquired a stake in Power by Proxi, a supporter of the Qi standard that specializes in magnetic resonance power technologies. But Samsung is also developing magnetic resonance chargers internally, and plans to commercialize the technology by the middle of 2014. According to a "Samsung insider" cited by the Korean IT news portal ETNews, the company actually tried to equip the Galaxy S4 with magnetic resonance charging, but cancelled the feature after it malfunctioned in tests. However, Samsung has ironed out some of the wrinkles: "the magnetic resonant reception chip performance has been improved to be suitable for system application," said the insider. Here’s a video demonstrating the technology developed by Power by Proxi: Why is magnetic resonance charging important? Because it allows for charging at a distance, unlike the current Qi standard, which requires the phone and the charger to be very close and properly aligned. In other words, instead of having to place your phone on a charging mat or on a charger like in the case of the Nexus 4, with magnetic resonance chargers, you'll be able to place your phone anywhere near the charger, without having to carefully align it. Depending on the implementation, magnetic resonance technology should enable charging at distances of several inches or more. Check out this overview for more info on wireless charging, the difference between inductive and resonant magnetic charging, and the competing standards that support them. Media files: samsung wireless charging

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Android World Update # Is this the first look at Android 4.4 KitKat?

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Is this the first look at Android 4.4 KitKat? Oct 15th 2013, 10:51, by Asad Rafi Just a few days ago, we saw a glimpse of Android 4.4, and also there was a reference to Key Lime Pie as well. What we know right now is that Google will release the Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 on October 15, so we might see the next big thing by Google anytime now. However, folks over at ZDNet released some images and screenshots of the upcoming Android version labeled as Android 4.4 KitKat. Although, there are a lot of chances that this is “photoshopped” as there are few things which are different from the previous leaks, also we can see the “Key Lime Pie” as well, or it is possible that this might be the leaked shots of the early version, however we can still wait for Google to come out and officially spill the beans. Google is looking forward to launch Android 4.4 as a ‘polished’ and ‘mainstream’ version, which is easy to use. What are your thoughts on the new version? Tell us about it in the comment box below, and don’t forget to check out the gallery.Click to view slideshow. . The post Is this the first look at Android 4.4 KitKat? appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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