Android

With Samsung’s rumored 5.7-inch Galaxy Note III seemingly confirmed, it now appears the notepad-sized device may have competition from a similar-sized HTC One Max.

German site MobileGeeks (via The Verge) claims the Max will also be launched in September, and lists the specs as:

• 6-inch 1080p Super LCD display 3
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800@2.3Ghz
• 2GB of RAM
• 32/64GB Internal Memory
• 3200mAh Battery … 
  Expand
  Expanding
  Close

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGU9t7NpaA

There’s a lot we already know about Motorola’s upcoming Moto X smartphone, and just the other day we got a glance at the device in white as Google’s Eric Schmidt appears to have already made the switch from his BlackBerry. While a leaked Verizon roadmap suggested the device would be arriving on August 23, today we get solid evidence with a leaked video from Canadian carrier Rogers (via Ausdroid) that not only confirms an August release in North America, but also shows off some of the unique features of the device.

As you’ll see in the video above, it appears Motorola will be making a point of highlighting the device’s always listening voice controls. Unlike other Android devices that require you to launch Google Now or hit a small microphone icon in order to initiate voice commands, the new Moto X appears to always be listening for voice commands, allowing users to initiate Google Now or other voice controlled tasks without ever touching the device. It will even apparently learn your voice, which will presumably make it so others can’t easily shout commands at your phone. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Following an import ban awarded to Microsoft last year that saw the ITC impose a block on imports of Google’s Motorola devices, Microsoft today filed a lawsuit accusing U.S. Customs of not enforcing the ban. Bloomberg reports Microsoft claims Google had “secret meetings” with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure the device continued to flow over borders:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Way back at Google I/O 2013, it was announced that Samsung would be partnering with Google to release a Galaxy S4 variant running stock Android. Nearly two months later, the device is finally available to the masses and I’ve been using one as my daily driver for about a week now.

When the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 was originally announced, I was really intrigued by the idea. Google has been releasing Nexus devices for the past few years, but I’ve never really fallen in love with one. They’ve all been good, but not great hardware. Nexus devices generally don’t feature top-of-the-line specs and are meant, in Google’s eyes, purely for developers to test apps their apps on.

Seeing how I had loved the original Galaxy S4, but couldn’t stand the bloated TouchWiz overlay, the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 seemed like the perfect device for me. Near-stock Android paired with high-end, future-proof ‘resistant’ specifications. A match made in heaven, so to speak.
Expand
Expanding
Close

When Dennis Woodside introduced the Moto X Phone back at the AllThingsD conference, he teased that he was carrying the device as his primary phone, but  he couldn’t show it to us. It turns out that Google chairman Eric Schmidt is also using the phone, but while at the Allen & Co. business conference, he didn’t make any attempt to hide it from the press, as Italian site Corriera.it has posted a gallery of photos of him using it (via The Verge).

Schmidt was pictured using the white model of the phone, though much like the white Nexus 4, the front remains all black. The phone appears to have a design that is thicker in the middle than around the edges, which means you won’t be able to set it on a flat surface and use it very easily. It looks like Schmidt has finally broken his habit of using a Blackberry, which he admitted was a pretty hard habit to break earlier this year.

Another leaked image of the device in black also recently appeared on Chinese site Weibo, though we can’t really tell much from it that we didn’t already know.

The X Phone is expected to be a device heavily customized by the user, so if you aren’t a fan of the white design, don’t get to worried. The release date is still up in the air, though a leaked document pointed at an August 23rd date for Verizon.

View all of the images below…

Expand
Expanding
Close

From 9to5Toys:

Staples offers the Google Nexus 7 tablet for $179 and $199 respectively in 16GB and 32GB configurations (already a low price). Adding coupon code 20098 drops the prices $30 again to $149 and $169. 

The Nexus 7 is google’s current flagship reference device running the latest Android 4.2.2 with a 1280x800HD display, NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth and much more.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Vine for Android has just been updated with several new features, which are very similar to what iOS users received last week. The feature that differentiates the Android update from the iOS update, however, is a new capture widget that you can add to your home screen. From there, simply tap it to go right into the recording interface.

In addition to the capture widget, the update also adds the ability to share or “revine” another user’s post, as well as new tools for recording, including a grid, focus enhancements, and more. Finally, Vine for Android also adds channel support, which means that users can now browse specific topics of interest from the Explore screen, such as Sports, Family, Dogs, Cats, and more.

This update to Vine is our biggest yet!

• CHANNELS
• Browse or submit your posts to 15 new channels
• REVINING
• Share your favorite posts with all your followers on Vine in one tap
• FAST CAPTURE WIDGET
• Instantly jump to the Vine camera right from your home screen
• NEW CAPTURE TOOLS
• Shoot with style using the new focus, grid, and ghost tools

The update is available in the Play Store now. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Even though other carriers have been offering the HTC One for months now, Verizon has yet to announce availability for the flagship device, simply stringing customers along as far as possible. According to a new document obtained by PhoneArena, however, we’re still a little less than a month away from a launch.

The leaked roadmap claims that we will see the HTC One on Verizon’s LTE network August 1st. This falls in line with what Verizon announced earlier last month when it promised a launch this summer. The document also claims that Verizon will release the highly anticipated Moto X Phone on August 23. We’re thinking that may be a pre-order date, however, as Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside said himself at the AllThingsD conference that the device is coming this October.

We all know that Verizon is almost always the last carrier to launch a phone when it’s released universally on carriers, such was the case with the Galaxy S4, but the carrier does have a good relationship with Motorola. The two have had a strong relationship because of the DROID line of devices, which could mean that they have advanced knowledge of one another’s plans and that Verizon could launch the X Phone ahead of other carriers.

Keep in mind that this is a rumor and something like this could be faked pretty easily, but we’ll definitely keep you updated on further developments regarding these two devices.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Earlier this week Google rolled out an update to its Maps app with a new interface and several new features, but the update also removed a several key things, including the ability to save maps offline and the popular Latitude tracking tool. In a post on Google+ this morning, however, the Maps team announced that an update will begin rolling out to Maps users today that adds those two features back to the app.

We’ve been happy to hear so many of you enjoying the interface and features of the new Google Maps app for Android, but we know some of you are missing an easy way to access maps offline. That’s why our engineering team has been working around the clock to add a “Make this map area available offline” card below the search box for easier access. And, if you still want some #thumbercise, typing “ok maps” will work too!

With this update, we’ve also added a “Where’s Latitude?” link at the bottom of the side menu which provides more information about the future of location sharing.

The update will begin rolling out to users today, so be sure to keep an eye on the Play Store for it to hit your device.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Photographer Colby Brown is offering a free book on the Google Play Store about how to take better photos with Android phones and tablets. The book covers different grips you can use to get the best shot out of your device, as well as third-party apps that can help edit and share your photos.

This invaluable guide on how to better use the camera on your Android phone will make all the difference in the world as you capture and share the world around you with others.

The book is free for a limited time on the Play Store, though you must have a credit card associated with your account in order to send it to your device. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Shortly after images and specs for LG’s forthcoming flagship smartphone the G2 leaked, LG has shown off what it claims is the world’s thinnest full HD smartphone screen, at just 2.22mm (0.09 inches) thick.

The diagonal size? 5.2 inches. The reported screen size of the G2? Yep, 5.2 inches … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

The WSJ is reporting (via Techmeme) that Google is planning to allow Motorola to spend up to half a billion dollars to promote its forthcoming flagship smartphone, the Moto X. This would mean Motorola would spend more on promoting one handset than either Samsung or Apple spent in total last year across all their mobile devices.

Google is expected to allow its Motorola hardware unit to spend several hundred million dollars—and possibly upward of $500 million—to market the highly-anticipated device in the U.S. and some overseas markets, including in Europe, said people familiar with the matter.

All four major U.S. wireless carriers—AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp., and T-Mobile—are expected to make the device available to their customers this fall, in part because of Motorola’s marketing plans … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Just a day after Chrome 28 was released to Mac and Windows with rich notifications, the update is now available to Android devices with a its own feature set. With the update, Chrome for Android now offers built-in Google Translate support, meaning that if you visit a site in a different language, a bar will appear at the bottom asking if you wish to translate it. The update also adds fullscreen support for tablets, as well as a new interface for languages that are read right-to-left.

The full change log from Google follows:

• Fullscreen on tablets – Scroll to hide the toolbar
• Google Translate – Look for translation bar when reading web pages in other languages
• New user interface for right-to-left (RTL) languages, including Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew

The update is available on the Play Store now. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Just as several rumors suggested, T-Mobile has announced a new anytime upgrade plan at its press event today. ‘Jump’ will allow for customers to upgrade their phone more often than once every two years for an extra $10 a month every month. The plan will allow customers to trade-in their existing devices for a new one at the same or lower price. After a six month waiting period, customers will be able to upgrade their phone twice every year. The club will kick off on July 14th.

JUMP! from T-Mobile is designed to provide customers with total protection for one of their prized possessions: their smartphones. It offers the freedom to upgrade to a new device more affordably and protects against malfunction, damage, loss or theft — all for just $10 per month, per phone (plus taxes and fees). That’s just $2 more than most customers have been paying for handset protection alone.

“This is one of those things that annoys customers so much,” CEO John Legere said.
Expand
Expanding
Close

It looks like Motorola and Verizon are set to team up for yet another lineup of DROID devices this fall, as press images from @evleaks and story boards from Android Central have leaked. First off, the DROID MAXX looks to be the successor the popular DROID RAZR MAXX from last year. Specs are still a mystery for the most part, but seeing how the RAZR MAXX was a flagship last year, it seems likely that its successor will also feature high-end internals. The big selling according to the leaked ad, however, will still be the battery life. The ad teases that the DROID MAXX will have  “48 hours of worry-free battery life.” The RAZR MAXX was advertised with 32 hours of talk time, so two full days of usage is pretty impressive.

The DROID ULTA’s storyboard doesn’t really give us any hints as to what to expect from the device, but it does mention that the device will be “Only on Verizon. 8-8-13.” More than likely, the DROID ULTRA will be very similar to the DROID MAXX, but with less impressive battery life and a thinner design.
Expand
Expanding
Close

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sr1Qz63AzK8

Google announced on its Google Commerce blog today that it’s expanding the places you’ll be able to receive and save Google Offers. Previously, Google provided the deal service through its Google Offers website and the Offers and Google Wallet mobile apps, but it’s now also including Offers as ads in search results and on websites, as well as through the just released Google Maps for Android app.

If you find an offer you want, like a free appetizer at your favorite restaurant, you can easily save it to your Google account. The next time you’re at the restaurant, just show the offer on your phone screen to redeem. No need to hassle with clipping paper coupons, purchasing vouchers in advance, or forgetting your coupons at home.

Google will be making Offers available through search results and on websites through ads with a big “Get Offer” button that will allow users to save the Offer to their Google account and redeem later through the Google Offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. Offers will appear in the new Android app when searching for a restaurant or retail store:

Google has already partnered with Michaels Stores, RadioShack, Red Mango, Red Robin, and Ulta Beauty for Offers, but plans to roll out Toys”R”Us, Sports Authority, BJ’s Restaurant, Macy’s, Disney Store, and Payless Shoesource in the near future.

An image showing what the new Google Offer ads will look like is below:
Expand
Expanding
Close