Android

As the PS4 keynote event unfolds, a new great feature has just been announced: Android tablets as game controllers. The specific reveal came along with the game Drive Club. It’s a first-person team-based racing game exclusive to the new PS4. EvolutionStudios, the brains behind the new game, are allowing users to create a game and challenge their friends with Android tablets while on the go. More information as to whether this feature is exclusive to this game or a new PS4 feature has yet to be announced, but we’ll be sure to update you as we get word.

Update: Well that’s all folks! The PS4 “reveal” event is over now (with no hardware sighting), and Drive Club is the only game with Android tablets as confirmed second controllers. As more games are announced and eventually released, we’ll probably see this feature included. But, for now, Drive Club is the only known game.

For years, technology lovers who lived in a Sci-Fi world have longed for a way to charge devices in seconds. Last year, Qualcomm hoped to be the one to bring that dream to reality with the release of “Quick Charge 1.0”. It certainly helped ease the pain of long wait times for a phone battery to fully charge, but it wasn’t the “Insta-Charge” solution everyone wanted. Today, the same company hopes to bring us one step closer with the announcement of “Quick Charge 2.0”. Qualcomm promised up to 75 percent faster charge times compared to 1.0, with up to a 60W power output in a single ‘Quick Charge’ outlet-plug. The new charging tech is planned to be released sometime in 2014, along with the special outlet-plugs needed to make the tech work to its full potential.

Qualcomm also announced today something completely new: “Snapdragon Voice Activation”. It’s a hands-free way to wake your phone up without the need to press any buttons or have an active Internet connection. Along with Quick Charge 2.0, Snapdragon Voice Activation is expected to launch sometime in 2014.

Source: Android Central 

We just got back from a number of briefings by HTC and the carriers following the One announcement. The big news is obviously the ultra-pixel camera that is really just 4 megapixels (think small file sizes) but also higher color per pixel and Zoe software. Other interesting notes include the super heavy Sense overlay with BlinkFeeds.

Honestly, this looks like an amazing device, but I’m not giving up my Nexus 4 until I have some time to check out the effects of the overlay. A video is below. Hopefully, we’ll go hands on before the late March launch.

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That’s it we’re done. Archive below…
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Samsung announced today on its website that it is officially launching a Wi-Fi-only model of its Android 4.1 Galaxy Camera lineup after originally making the device available in LTE and HSPA+ flavors at launch. By all accounts, this appears to be the same 4.8-inch, 16.3 megapixel device we played with before (minus the 3G/4G connectivity).

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today launched the Samsung GALAXY Camera (Wi-Fi), the newest addition to the GALAXY Camera lineup. Like the original GALAXY Camera, the GALAXY Camera (Wi-Fi) combines high performance photographic features with Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, making shooting, enjoying, editing and sharing images from a single device easier than ever before.

While Samsung noted the Wi-Fi-only variant would be more affordable than previous Galaxy Camera releases, Samsung did not give any details on pricing or availability in its press release.

It’s all but confirmed the HTC One is launching in New York today, but that didn’t stop French website NowhereElse from leaking a press shot of device today. The leak shows both sides of the phone, in both black and white, with a few apps running on the screen. On one phone, a video camera app is running while a photo gallery app seems to be running on the other. The phone in the middle is presumed to be the home screen with what looks to be a new version of Sense. It’s been rumored that Sense 5.0 is going to launch today, and that may in fact be true with this new leak. While the shots don’t seem to be Photoshopped, we’ll be sure of what is announced today, as we will be there live blogging the event at 10 a.m. EST.

Update: DroidLife has two videos of the phone, with one being sourced from Phandroid.

Update 2: Engadget spotted the HTC One. The shot is a close up of the back of the device. A red band that adds a nice accent is also shown on the device, but the red band is not shown in the reported press release photos above.

Over the last few days, HTC has sent out ‘teaser tweets’ pertaining to its upcoming announcement tomorrow. In its latest tweet from this morning, HTC showed a table with what looks to be new devices under black cloths. While it looks like there are over 12 devices under the cloths, one of them is substantially bigger than the rest. Moreover, it lines up approximately as the same size of a 10-inch tablet. While rumors of a tablet being announced tomorrow are scarce, judging by the photo, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if one does happen to be announced tomorrow. Take a look at the unedited picture yourself, but we’ll be there live tomorrow to blog the event!

As noted by Android Central, Google’s Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra yesterday made some comments about the quality of cameras in upcoming Nexus devices. While Google’s Nexus lineup has never been known for having the best cameras, Vic promised in the comments of a photography-related Google+ post that Google is committed to making improvements to the cameras in future Nexus phones.

Gundotra’s original post questioned if he should bring his DSLR in addition to his Android phone and Google Glass on an upcoming vacation. When asked by a commenter whether a future Nexus could replace a DSLR, Gundotra responded:

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This thing has the same specs as a laptop ‘shrunk’ to ‘phone’ size.

LG just announced its 2013 flagship phone the Optimus G Pro that was leaked last month. The ‘Pro’ stands for huge and fast here, with the first Qualcomm 600 quad core processor running at 1.7GHz. The screen bests even the Samsung Note II phablet screen with a 1080p IPS (not OLED) over 5.5 inches—which is going to look marvelous at 400ppi. Cameras? Yes. There is a 13.0 around back and a 2.1 up front that is HD for video conferencing. Also: 2GB RAM, huge 3,140mAh battery, and Android 4.2—all coming in under 9.4mm thin.

No word yet on when we can grab one stateside.

Optimus G Pro Key Specifications:
• Chipset: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm? Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
• RAM: 2GB DDR
• Memory: 32GB / microSD (up to 32GB)
• Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels / 400ppi)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with LED Flash / Front 2.1MP
• OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Battery: 3,140mAh (removable / wireless charging capable)
• Size: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm

The press release and a larger picture are below.

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An extremely reliable source has confirmed to us that Google is in the process of building stand-alone retail stores in the U.S. and hopes to have the first flagship Google Stores open for the holidays in major metropolitan areas.

The mission of the stores is to get new Google Nexus, Chrome, and especially upcoming products into the hands of prospective customers. Google feels right now that many potential customers need to get hands-on experience with its products before they are willing to purchase. Google competitors Apple and Microsoft both have retail outlets where customers can try before they buy. Google’s retail move won’t be an entirely new area, however.

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Google Chrome pop-up stores

Google currently has Chrome Store-within-a-store models in hundreds of Best Buys in the U.S. and 50 PCWorld/Dixon’s in the U.K. These stores have Google trained employees who demonstrate the value of Chromebooks and can answer the multitude of questions people have before making a purchase. Our source told us the new Google Stores would be a much broader play. The Chrome SIS employees don’t have sales targets, and they are there mostly for educating. Best Buy and Dixen’s also handle product and monetary transactions, not Google.

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Google and Virgin also ran a limited test run of Kiosks in five major Airports, including this one at SFO  (Image Scott Beale)

My understanding is that these new stores will operate independently and make direct sales to customers from Google like the Nexus online store does currently. It might also make sense for Google to sell its apparel and other Google-branded merchandise in these stores as well, but that’s speculation on my part.

The decision to open stores, I’m told, came when drawing up plans to take the Google Glass to the public. The leadership thought consumers would need to try Google Glass first hand to make a purchase. Without being able to use them first hand, few non-techies would be interested in buying Google’s glasses (which will retail from between $500 to $1,000). From there, the decision to sell other Google-branded products made sense.

Along with Glass, Google will have an opportunity to demonstrate other upcoming and Google X projects like driverless cars and mini-drone delivery systems at its stores.

There are small bits of anecdotal evidence that Google is looking into retail. It is hiring folks to develop Point of Sale systems, for instance. We’re told, however, that most of the ramping up of these stores will be done by an outside agency.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told analysts that Apple Stores were more than just stores—but rather the face of the company.

“I don’t think we would have been nearly as successful with iPad if it weren’t for our stores. It gives Apple an incredible competitive advantage. Others have found out it’s not so easy to replicate. We’re going to continue to invest like crazy. The average store last year was over 50 million in revenue.”

Google may now understand that if it wants to roll out a new product category like Google Glass, it is going to have to dive into retail.
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At first glance, the alleged Samsung Galaxy Altius looks like something pushed out by Microsoft. However, this Windows Phone-esque device is said to be one of a kind. The Galaxy Altius is a rumored smart watch from Samsung and presumed to be a direct competitor to the rumored Apple iWatch and other speculative future wrist devices. Leaked screenshots today posted on Slashgear show different tasks running on the device, such as a clock app, the boot-up screen and alleged home screen, which show live tiles very similar to the ones seen in Windows Phone devices. The leaked shots are said to come from a Korean message board website. Slashgear said that because of the “SKT and SKTelecom” words found on some of the leaked screenshots, it’s implied that the watch will be tied to a carrier. It’s also said the OS on the device is not Android but rather a new operating system titled “AltiusOS”. This could imply it’s running a specialized operating system designed for future Samsung watches or an unannounced OS entirely.

Making do with what it has, Slashgear stated that judging by the screenshots the device would feature a 500-by-500-pixel display. And, since the home screen is in a slider like format, it’s presumed the device will in fact be touchscreen (unlike the other smart watch on the market, Pebble).

WeeManFoo, a user on the popular Internet board site Reddit, claimed his Galaxy Nexus received a OTA update of Android 4.2.2 this morning. Judging by the comments, it seems the update was only rolling out to GSM Galaxy Nexus’, but download links and a screenshot from a Google+ user seems to put the kibosh on the rumor. While there’s no word on what the update holds, because it’s an x.x.1 update, it’s probably a mix of bug fixes and minor improvements. More on what the update holds as information comes in. In the meantime, get downloading!

There have been rumors of an upcoming Optimus device from LG, dubbed the “Optimus G Pro”.

Official press material for the device leaked last month alongside some specs that included a 5-inch 1,920-by-1,080 display, 1.7Ghz Snapdragon S4 processor, and a 13-megapixel camera. Japanese carriers recently confirmed that device, but today PhoneArena posted images and specs for an Optimus G Pro variant with a 5.5-inch display.

Apart from the slightly larger display on the device pictured above, which could be headed to United States and European Union markets, the majority of the specs for the device are the same as previous leaks.

According to the report, the device will include a 5.5-inch 1,080-by-1,920 full HD IPS-LCD screen, LTE, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel rear camera, 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor. Other specs include a 3,140-mAh battery, microSD card slot, 32GB of onboard storage, and slim port for HDMI out.

There’s a good chance we’ll get our first official look at the device next month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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HTC’s CEO holding what a appears to be an unreleased M7

This morning, the folks over at UnwiredView claimed to have a spec list of two unannounced HTC phones said to launch sometime after HTC’s Feb. 19 M7 announcement. The first phone, named the “M4”, is said to be a mid-range phone, being a step-down from the M7 and a step-up from the G2. Its specs are displayed in the chart below.

UnwiredView’s alleged M4 spec chart.

The chart shows the device to have a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, and a 13MP camera. With phones in the ‘low’ 4-inch range nowadays light on specs, HTC seems to want to turn that around with the M4.

The second phone UnwiredView claimed to have the specs for is the G2. The G2 is a budget-phone that, if the charts are to be believed, won’t even launch with Jelly Bean but rather Ice Cream Sandwich. Since the M4 is supposedly launching with Jelly Bean, one can infer it will never get an upgrade to Jelly Bean if the G2 launches with ICS.

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While all signs point to HTC launching these two devices at MWC, UnwiredView claimed these phones won’t launch at February’s press event or MWC—but rather much after.

The Federal Trade Commission released a report today that recommends how owners of mobile platforms can better inform consumers about how their data is being handled. The FTC named a number of companies in its report, including: Amazon, Apple, BlackBerry, Google, and Microsoft, as well as “application (app) developers, advertising networks and analytics companies, and app developer trade associations.”

The recommendations follow the FTC updating its online child privacy law to require parental consent before collecting data from children under the age of 13. It also came as Path agreed to pay an $800,000 settlement to the FTC over last year’s privacy controversy.

In the report, titled “Mobile Privacy Disclosures, Building Trust Through Transparency,” the FTC issued a number of recommendations. The FTC recommended that all platform owners “Provide just-in-time disclosures to consumers and obtain their affirmative express consent before allowing apps to access sensitive content like geolocation.” It recommended app developers take the same measures in addition to having “a privacy policy and make sure it is easily accessible through the app stores.” The report also suggested that companies implement a ” a one-stop “dashboard” into their operating systems so consumers can easily view how their data is being handled by specific apps.

Other recommendations the FTC asked Apple and others to implement include new icons that “depict the transmission of user data” and a “Do Not Track” option for users to easily opt out of their data being sent to third parties.

“FTC staff strongly encourages companies in the mobile ecosystem to work expeditiously to implement the recommendations in this report.  Doing so likely will result in enhancing the consumer trust that is so vital to companies operating in the mobile environment.  Moving forward, as the mobile landscape evolves, the FTC will continue to closely monitor developments in this space and consider additional ways it can help businesses effectively provide privacy information to consumers,” the report states.

A full list of the recommendations made by the FTC for mobile platform owners, advertising agencies, and app developers is below:

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It’s been hinted about by CEO Larry Page, rumored about by the Wall Street Journal, and now it’s been mentioned in a new job listing on Motorola’s website. The top-secret X-Phone would be Google’s first collaboration with Motorola since it purchased the handset company in August 2011. The phone was mentioned this morning in a job listing described as “Senior Director of Product Management for Motorola, X-Phone”. The listing has now removed all mention of the X-Phone, but it is still available to see and apply to.

While the phone is rumored to be a continuation of the Nexus line, even possibly replacing the Nexus 4 come I/O this year, CNET claimed the ad listing—judging by the blurb from the listing that quotes “product customization requirements”— implies it will be a carrier-customized device. CNET also said the X-Phone is not the only device launching by Motorola soon, because multiple products are on the way  if the bullet point “high level schedule for future products” means anything. One thing is for sure, though. Rarely do rumored names turn out to be official. So, with such a generic name like ‘X-Phone’, you can bet the final product will have a much more creative name.