Android Gadgets, Android tablets, Android News, Android Phones, Android Softwares

Digitimes: Amazon to release color e-readers later this year, 6 millions units to be shipped in 2012

While not long ago, e-book readers were rudimentary devices far off from the capabilities of tablets, the thin line between a basic e-reader and a more complex slate becomes increasingly thinner and thinner and thinner.Amazon is the most important company “responsible” for mixing things up and the makers of the Kindle Fire are apparently planning [...]

Samsung touts the virtues of its hardware, takes a subtle jab at Apple [Video]

Samsung is not only the largest smartphone maker in the world, but also a top supplier of electronic components, from hi-resolution displays to processors and memory modules. It’s no secret that Samsung provides many of the components found in Apple’s wildly popular iPhone and iPad devices, including the much-touted Retina display and the A5X chip [...]

Microsoft playing dirty again, plans to ban Firefox on ARM-based Windows 8 PCs and tablets

Although for many it might be a model worth following, Microsoft has a longstanding tradition of not only discouraging competition, but trying to eliminate it by any means possible. That includes dirty, unorthodox, and sometimes even illegal moves through which they’ve managed to monopolize the desktop operating system market, and, for a long while back [...]

ASUS Padfone gets unboxing video, docks on docks on docks

The ASUS Padfone has been highly anticipated since it was first announced well over a year ago. After a bit of retooling it re-debuted earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, much to the intrigue of all in attendance. With a smartphone that docks into a tablet that in turn mates with a keyboard dock, [...]

Is your AT&T Galaxy Note hungry for ICS? A buttery-smooth leaked ROM might help

You’ve probably heard, read, and secretly wept knowing that folks in Europe that rock a Galaxy Note are now receiving the OTA update to Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Along with ICS, the update brings the promised Premium Suite for the Galaxy Note, which consists of several new S Pen-optimized apps.Stateside, the owners of the [...]

Tumblr for Android update brings faster load times and a prettier UI

April 12th, 2012

dantek

When talking about social networking, there are only a handful of services and websites that can be called truly popular for a very wide public right now. There’s Facebook , Twitter, and Tumblr, or the social trifecta, as I like to call it.

Tumblr, the microblogging platform that you are all probably familiar with, was launched in 2007, but unfortunately didn’t give much attention to mobile users for the first couple of years. An iPhone app was made available in 2009, while we Android enthusiasts had to wait until 2010 to get a taste of Tumblr on our handhelds. Furthermore, the Android app hasn’t exactly been what we all waited for, with a not-so-friendly user interface and slow loading times being just two of the major issues that made users turn their back on it.

However, the Tumblr Android app has just received an important update and the initial feedback indicates that some serious improvements have been finally made. First off, there’s a whole new redesigned user interface, which not only looks pretty great, but is also more interactive and user-friendly.

Secondly, according to the app’s developers, but also to several user reviews on Google Play, the app is consistently speedier as well, with significantly faster load times than before. These two are the most important updates, and, as far as I’m concerned, have come just in time to make more users interested in Tumblr.

The rest of the improvements are themselves pretty important, though, and should make a difference for the regular user. These include better photo browsing, a new feature that allows you to open notifications for multiple blogs in just one place, as well as Tumblr Radar, an editorial post review updated daily on your Tumbleblog by the Tumblr team.

The update is live in Google’s Play Store right now, so don’t hesitate to go there, download it, and try it on for size. After doing that, please check back to our website and let us know in the comments section below what do you think about it, how significant the improvements really are to you, and what else would you change about the app.

SOURCES The Verge

TAGS Android AppsTumblr

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IM+ for Android v6.2 now available in public beta

April 12th, 2012

dantek

IM+

If you don’t mind being a beta tester for a while you can now get in on the latest IM+. A whole laundry list of features has been added along with a rather nice looking dark theme available for use. SHAPE Services has pegged this as v6.2 and has taken the time to address a lot of user feedback with it as well as including a whole slew of bug fixes for notifications, contact lists, favorite lists and much more. If you’re looking to give it a shot for all your instant messaging needs, you hit the source link to grab the install file just keep in mind, it is a beta.

Source: SHAPE Services

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HTC One X battery life – impressive performance after three weeks of use

April 12th, 2012

dantek

HTC One X - April 10 HTC One X - April 8

On the left is April 10, on the right is April 8 (April 3 is below)

Fun story about the HTC One X battery life. I’ve seen it be one of the worst performers (thanks to a since-squashed server-side bug), and I’ve seen it be one of the best. In addition to reviewing phones, we often end up as guinea pigs, using hardware that’s barely had time to let the glue dry, or software that’s not quite final. In the case of the HTC One X, it’s been both. The hardware is solid. I’ve got no concerns about that, save for maybe scratching the camera lens.

HTC One X - April 3 The software we’re running on our review unit actually is a tick above that of the retail units. I’m not sure if that’s causing some disparity. But more than that, my usage case is going to be different than yours. My network is different than yours. I am not a normal user.

That said, I’ve been pretty impressed with what I’m seeing after three weeks of use.

When I’m at home, working, I’m on Wifi. And that’s for a good chunk of the day. Not every day, though. So when I’m running around town, chasing after the kids or doing errands, I’ve been on AT&T. I’m pretty heavy on Twitter (and I’m back on Seesmic, since it finally updated for the HTC One X), Facebook and Google+ throughout the day. Browsing, too. And because the One X has that excellent camera, I’ve been taking more than my fair share of pictures (which I’ve got auto uploading to Google+ when I’m on Wifi).

So there’s your macro view of how I roll. And I’m getting well over 12 hours of use between charges. Hell, I’m getting well over 15 hours on a single charge. It’s a little ridiculous when I stop to think about it, and it makes me want to pick up the phone and use it some more.

We’re going to have to see how this changes once we get the AT&T version of the One X here in the states. For one thing, it’ll be using the dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor instead of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3. For another, it’ll have LTE data in some locales, and presumably it’ll have some fine-tuning for AT&T that this European GSM version won’t (though they do share the same radio frequencies, so maybe that’ll just be in our heads).

That doesn’t change the fact that when the One X battery is drained, you’ll be needing a charger. No swapping batteries. So keep that in mind. But once we get it on AT&T, it’ll be an interesting experiment, to be sure.

For more impressions, hit up the official HTC One X battery life thread.

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Netflix update brings stability improvements and improved volume control UI

April 12th, 2012

dantek

Netflix

Every ones favorite content streaming service, Netflix, has gone and pushed out a minor update to their Android application into the Google Play Store today.

It still isn’t the app we all want it to be, but it gets the job done. Todays update brings with it promised stability improvements, along with a handful of fixes for some pesky bugs. We also get an improved UI for the volume control function. Probably not top of your list of priorities, but it’s still nice they’re working on it. Download links can be found after the break.

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HTC One X screen flex ‘flaw’ — should we worry about it?

April 12th, 2012

dantek

Android Central

In the process of reviewing the HTC One X, CNET UK flagged up a potential build quality issue. On four different review units, they reported that pushing down on the edges of the screen caused it to flex and produce a series of discoloured pixels on the display. Going back to the Creative Director at One & Co, HTC’s design consultancy, they received the response, “we would never let that ship.”

So that would mean retail units shouldn’t be affected, yes? Well, no. See, I purchased a shiny new HTC One X on Three UK, and should I press down on the edges of the screen, I see exactly the same as CNET reported. HTC haven’t confirmed anything either way, but based on my retail unit alone I’d say that there’s little point in denying it.

A more important question should be, should you worry? Is this a reason to not buy the phone?

Any kind of design flaw is not exactly welcome, especially in such a high end, expensive device as the One X. But you have to press — really press — on the sides of the screen to replicate this yourselves. How many of us do that in general day-to-day use? Apart from this one time, in the name of research, I am pretty much sure that I won’t be doing it again. Neither will you guys most probably. The HTC One X is exceptionally well made, so much so that perhaps some have been looking for reasons to score it down. After all, how many of us have done something like this whilst trying out a new phone for the first time?

This is really a non-issue. If you’ve already bought a One X, or are planning on doing so, don’t worry and enjoy it. I know I’m enjoying mine a whole lot, and that’s all that matters. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our extensive review as well, just in case you need a little help deciding.

Source: CNET UK

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Motorola XOOM 32GB tablet on sale at 1SaleADay for only $329

April 12th, 2012

dantek

Motorola XOOM

If you have been looking to get your hands on an Android tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich, but aren’t fond of the price tags you’d been seeing, 1SaleADay has a good one in store for you. For today only you can grab a 32GB Wifi Motorola XOOM for only $329, saving yourself $170. At the price point you get 32GB of storage, a 10.1 inch display, ICS, and plenty of other goodies, so it’s definitely worth a look.

Hit the link below and grab one for yourself. The offer closes at midnight EST.

Source: 1SaleADay

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A phone that can scream for help? Only from T-Mobile and Lookout Mobile Security

April 12th, 2012

dantek

If one of the longest relationships you’ve had in your life was with your smartphone, you surely know how heartbreaking it can be to lose a phone. Yes, it’s better to have loved and lost a phone, rather than to never have had one at all. But losing the important documents and private pictures we all keep on our phones still sucks big time.

Nevertheless, losing your precious device might be something you won’t have to go through if your mobile device runs the Lookout Mobile Security app, for it will “scream” for help once you remotely activate the alarm.

T-Mobile is partnering with Lookout, a mobile security firm based in San Francisco, in bringing the Lookout Security & Antivirus app to its smartphones. With the Lookout app, you can locate your missing smartphone on Google Maps, and, once you get to it (assuming it’s still nearby), you can activate the sound alarm to help you with the rescue. The sound can be anything from a T-Mobile jingle, a train whistle, a wolf howl, a Star Trek zooming sound, or a simple siren, and is considerably louder than a regular ringtone.

Apart from the ingenious Find My Phone feature complete with Scream (I mean wolf howling) tones, the security app also comes with a Remote Lock & Wipe feature, and provides protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and Trojans. By the way, you can actually download the Lookout security app for free on Google Play even if you’re not on T-Mobile. TMo customers just have it easier since the app will come preloaded on the phone.

Do you ever wonder what are the most common places for people to lose their phones? This list right here is quite interesting, we think. In any case, better safe than sorry, folks!

SOURCES Venture Beat

TAGS lookout mobile securitySecurityT-Mobile

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POGO Games bring Poppit, Word Whomp and other favorites to Android

April 12th, 2012

dantek

POGO Games

If you have ever been bored on the computer and looked to kill some time, odds are you have stumbled across some of the POGO Games. Today the folks at EA have made some of the classics from POGO available on Android devices. Bringing titles like Poppit!, Word Whomp, Turbo 21, Sweet Tooth 2 to Android is a great thing.

In addition to access to these free games, you have the ability to unlock World Class Solitare, and if you are interested in joining Club POGO you will gain access to 40 more games, plus the removal of adds. If you want to get down with some of your computer classics, be sure to hit the break and download this today!

Download: North America; rest of world

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Best Keyboard Apps for Android

April 12th, 2012

dantek

If you’ve just recently ditched physical keys for a sleek touchscreen phone, typing on imaginary letters on screen can be quite a challenge. Thankfully, Android is all about options, but with so many options laid out in front of you, how do you know which ones to go for? Which ones of the dozens of keyboard apps on the market should you commit to?

For those of you who haven’t quite made that choice, look no further. We’ve rounded up some of the best keyboards that have gotten the love of Android users across the Internet.

Here’s a list of a few keyboards that may suit your needs, in no particular order:

The first thing you’ll notice when you launch SwiftKey is its gorgeous design but SwiftKey’s true power is its function. SwiftKey relies on predictive text, and suggestions pop up above your keyboard when you type in a word.

SwiftKey takes conversation patterns into account, and not just by the letters you’ve typed. This keyboard can even learn more about your typing habits through Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and your SMS messages, if you’re comfortable with that.

SwiftKey is available on the Google Play store. You can visit SwiftKey X Keyboard Free for the free trial version or SwiftKey X Keyboard for the paid version.

If you’re a slow typist, then Swype may be for you. Rather than using your thumbs or index fingers for hunt-and-pecking, this app lets you drag your fingers through letters to spell a word. Typing then becomes a one-handed process so you can free up your other hand to do other things.

Even if you miss swiping over a key, Swype usually figures out what word you want. If it doesn’t work out quite right, then Swype offers you a set of options that you can tap to insert. If you need to enter a word that may not exist in the dictionary, tap on Swype’s keys like a normal keyboard. Swype offers haptic feedback, but you can toggle it off and on. There’s unfortunately no way to set for a more gentle vibration.

You can sign up for a beta-version of Swype from its developer’s website. Simply register with an e-mail address accessible via your Android device and receive a link to download Swype.

Smart Keyboard Pro supports control of the keypress vibration and sounds, user configurable swipe gestures, and a number of built-in skins. Though it may look similar to the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, it unfortunately isn’t quite as good.

It is, however, an improvement over the stock Android keyboard. Keypresses are usually detected accurately and text predictions are pretty good, as well. Smart Keyboard Pro offers you a number of advanced settings so you can tweak the keyboard exactly the way you like it. This keyboard uses a QWERTY layout and gives you settings, including a smart dictionary which learns the frequency of words you type to improve suggestions.

Smart Keyboard is available on the Google Play store, in either Smart Keyboard Trial or Smart Keyboard Pro versions.

Instead of giving you just one option, FlexT9 gives you four in one app. FlexT9 is powered by Dragon that allows you to pick whichever keyboard style fits your mood. Speak to your phone and see your talk turn into text. Trace and glide your finger from one key to the next. Use your finger to draw anything you’d like to type. And, if you’re more old-school, tap away at the keys. FlexT9 gives you all the options you’d ever need, even if it’s a little simple in the aesthetics area.

Download FlexT9 from the Google Play store today.

Last but not the least, Ultra Keyboard comes packed with a ton of features geared towards giving you a better Android experience. A feature filled toolbar allows you to flick through to see all it offers, and to quickly change settings, navigate through text, cut and paste, change dictionaries, change themes and more.

Just like the host of other keyboards we’ve presented, Ultra Keyboard suggests words as you type. Its suggestions box has been designed to be smart, fast, and easy to use. Ultra Keyboard even offers you word replacements, so if you’re in a hurry simply type “brb” and see it transform into “be right back” on the screen.

Ultra Keyboard’s features don’t end there; it comes with a dynamic UI, multi-touch support, secondary characters, word tracing, speech-to-text and translation.

You can purchase Ultra Keyboard from the Google Play store today.

What about you? What do you think is the best keyboard for Android?

TAGS Keyboard

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How Samsung creates the true HD Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S3

April 12th, 2012

dantek

As the world waits for the impending arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S3, more details trickle out about the flagship phone, making tech pundits pore over every little scrap of information, in a sort of virtual feeding frenzy. Coming from the same source that revealed the physical home button and 5-column layout of the phone, a new report allegedly reveales the process used to produce the true HD Super AMOLED display of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

The display on the Samsung Galaxy S3 will improve upon its predecessor — that much is a foregone conclusion. Moving away from the 4.3-inch screen of the Galaxy S2, the successor will carry a 1280 x 800 resolution, like the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus, on an screen that measures at least 4.7-inch (or 4.65 according to other rumors). Many reports have that the Samsung Galaxy S3’s display will boast a 316ppi pixel density, which will be a significant improvement over the 250ppi found on the Galaxy S2.

The fact that the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus come with a PenTile matrix arrangement didn’t go down well with those that demand display perfection. But Samsung, it appears, has found ways to produce a normal RGB matrix for the Samsung Galaxy S3 (without the burdening cost), by combining the Fine Metal Mask (FMM) process used in AMOLED screen production with the new Laser-Induced Thermal Imaging (LITI) method. The latter helps Samsung produce pixels as small as 2.5 micrometers. While the FMM is used to produce blue pixels, the LITI is utilized for the red and green pixels. In short, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is set to have a gorgeous Super AMOLED screen with true HD resolution that will probably satisfy even the most demanding of screen purists.

The mainstream consumer probably doesn’t want to know the process that takes place behind the making of those fine gadgets that they’re holding in their hands — and that’s fine. But knowing the length that manufacturers went through to create them does make you appreciate technology even more. Now, please hurry up and announce the Samsung Galaxy S3 already!

SOURCES Softpedia

TAGS FMMLITISamsungSamsung Galaxy S3

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