Android

Everyone finds a holiday angle during this time of year, and after launching 18 new features, dubbed as “treats” wrapped together “in one holiday package,” Google+ is one of the many.

On the mobile side, according to the official Gplusproject blog, Google+ announced it added new Android features that include on-the-go profile editing
, streamlined ways to author content, a notice when there’s new content to read, and the ability to subscribe to mobile notifications from favorite circles and interact with Google+ Communities. Google+ also launched full-sized backups of photos, with up to 5GB free (turn on Instant Upload to start), and photospheres now appear in the mobile stream (Android 4.2 required to snap 360-degree panoramas, but Froyo or later users can enjoy them now).

As for connecting, Google+ pushed out extra features to make event planning easier that include the ability to message specific guests, view opened invitations, and invite people through Google+ by sending an event URL via email or IM. Guests can also now RSVP with the number of people they want to bring, and a new duplication feature allows event makers to copy their original event as Google+ pulls all the important details.

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Verizon confirmed today on its website that its variant of Samsung’s Galaxy S III would begin getting access to the latest 4.1 Jelly Bean update starting Dec. 14. While not all users will get access to the update right away, the carrier said it would roll out 4.1 in phases starting tomorrow and users that wish to download the update manually will be able to do so from the Settings menu within a week.

Facebook has launched version 2.0 of its official Android application. The new application has be re-written for speed. Facebook says that tasks will now be twice as fast. They will be most noticeable when launching the application and loading up photos within the app. The update will be available from the Google Play Store.

Earlier this year, Facebook launched a new iOS application that relies on native code. Much like this new Android app. Facebook’s engineering team explains some of the process on the company’s blog:

Over the last year, we’ve been retooling our mobile apps to make them faster, more reliable, and easier to use. Several months ago, we embarked on a major step change for iOS and shipped a native re-write of Facebook for iOS. With Android, we’ve moved to a fixed-date release cycle and have been steadily making improvements over time so that Facebook performs consistently across multiple platforms.  

Today, we’re releasing a new version of Facebook for Android that’s been rebuilt in native code to improve speed and performance. To support the unique complexity of Facebook stories across devices, we’re moving from a hybrid native/webview to pure native code, allowing us to optimize the Facebook experience for faster loading, new user interfaces, disk cache, and so on.

We rebuilt several of Facebook for Android’s core features in native code, including news feed and timeline, to create a faster experience whether you’re opening the Facebook app, looking at photos, or interacting with friends. Now, you can comment and like a story more quickly, and photo loading is optimized to be much faster. We also built a new, automatically updated story banner to bubble up the newest stories, no matter where you are in news feed.

Facebook says that the new faster app provides a foundation for future feature additions.

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Google has announced an update for its Google Currents for Android app this afternoon, adding a slew of features that will make it easier for users to consume news. Currents will now group similar publications into specific categories, like Sports and Lifestyle, so users can easily view headlines with just a swipe of their finger. The categories will be accessible via the sidebar, and editions (a.k.a. publications) can be organized into each category. Much like specific categories, users can also swipe their finger horizontally through a specific edition, like 9to5Google, to read the latest headlines and find a story of interest. The last update included a new breaking news section that uses Google Search technologies to deliver the hottest, most relevant news that is happening in the world. Grab the update from the source link below.

Source: Google Currents, Google Play
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[ooyala code=”dvandrNzr5e2Qtp2rNGoVpazhG8dO4j8″]

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt sat down with Bloomberg to talk Android vs. Apple, and the former CEO seems to think Android is leading over Apple at a rate similar to Microsoft’s growth in desktop software during the 90s.

“This is a huge platform change; this is of the scale of 20 years ago — Microsoft versus Apple,” said Schmidt to Bloomberg. “We’re winning that war pretty clearly now.”

Google cofounder Larry Page succeeded Schmidt as Google’s chief executive officer in April 2011, and now Schmidt, among many other tasks, acts as a kind of executive spokesperson for the Mountain View, Calif.-based company. During the last year alone, Schmidt talked publicly and candidly about Google’s position on free speech and privacy, the fearful repercussions of the Internet, and even robots and holographic telepresence.

During Schmidt’s hour-long interview with Bloomberg (see video above), he discussed—aside from Apple—everything from economic growth in the United States and China and tax shelters to Google+ and spectrum sharing. Schmidt is a member of a White House advisory group and supports a proposal that urges federal agencies and commercial users to share airwaves.

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I (and, to be honest, more my kids) have used the Kindle Fire HD for over a month, and I thought I’d share some thoughts from an iPad/Android user’s perspective.

The hardware is excellent and a significant upgrade from the original Fire. It feels extremely solid and the 1,280-by-720 HD display looks great. The speakers are better than either the iPad Mini or the Nexus 7 and not barely — by a long shot. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are “stereo speakers” (it is a 7-inch device obviously and there is little separation), but they are both louder and clearer than the competition. The HD is also noticeably thinner than the original Kindle Fire, but that comes at the expense of bigger bezels that give it a bigger footprint than the same-screened Nexus 7 and similar size to the bigger-screened iPad Mini. This is unfortunate because one of the nicest things about the size of a 7-inch tablet is either it can squeeze into a back pocket or, more likely, a coat pocket…and those inches count. Neither the iPad Mini nor the Kindle HD fit in my jacket pocket as well as the much more slender Nexus 7.

But, that’s not the biggest problem…

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PureGear makes a bevy of highly rated products for mobile devices, and we at 9to5Google decided to test out some of its more popular cases and accessories for the Samsung Galaxy S III and subsequently help last-minute holiday shoppers with a few stocking stuffer ideas.

Also, 9to5Google is giving away two PureGear Slim Shell cases ($24.99 value each) in black and white/clear. So, check out the review roundup below, leave a comment, and we will contact the winners in 9to5Forums.

An image gallery is below.

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Samsung just confirmed the Galaxy Camera will come to Verizon’s 4G LTE network starting Dec. 13 for $549.99. The Android 4.1-powered camera will land on the carrier in two colors, including the white model we’ve seen before and Cobalt Black exclusive to Verizon. Samsung also noted “users will be able to add the Samsung Galaxy Camera to their Share Everything account for the promotional price of $5 per month.” The device will initially be available online through Verizon.

The full press release is below:

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Twitter has updated its official application for Android OS with Instagram-competing photo filters.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2giNzaZunqE]

These filters are powered by Aviary, a notable photo-editing SDK.

Create beautiful photos right within Twitter, with filters powered by Aviary.
– Apply one of eight different filters to instantly add a new look and feel to your photos
– Choose a filter by comparing all your options in a convenient grid view or by swiping through each version
– Make your photos pop with balanced light and colors by tapping the auto-enhance wand
– Crop and scale to frame the action the way you want
We’ve also added many other improvements and fixes to this update.

Twitter says that the update includes eight easily-appliable filters. An auto-enhancement button, cropping, and other photo editing tools are also available.

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Google has released version 3 of its in-app billing platform this afternoon, which is behind the service that allows customers to purchase items/services from within an Android app. The new version, highlighted on the Android Developers Blog, features a brand-new design for easier application writing and keeping it maintained, a more robust architecture, local caching for faster API calls, and the ability to consume managed purchases and query for product information. Additionally, Google brags there is less code to deal with now, which is always welcomed. You can hit up the source link below for all the technical details.

Source: Developers Blog

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One of the more interesting products released in 2012 is the $500 Samsung Galaxy Camera— a little combination of an Android smartphone and a high-end point-and-shoot camera with a 21X optical zoom.

Samsung isn’t the first one on the scene with an Android point and shoot. That award goes to Nikon with its $350 Coolpix S800c, and technically Polaroid, too. However, with Samsung’s leadership role in smartphones, as well as a strong point-and-shoot camera business, this one is the most anticipated with knock-your-sock-off specs.

But, how does this translate to real world?

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HTC looked to make a mark on the world with the arrival of the HTC One X in the spring. The device provided a new look into Android devices that veered away from its previous bulkier and heavier line of otherwise solid products. The One X was arguably one of the best, most designed Android devices we saw out of 2012’s Mobile World Conference, but it didn’t fare well against the Samsung Galaxy S3 line once the two went head-to-head.

Maybe that is why we were a little surprised with the announcement of the HTC One X+ in early October. Everything looked to be the same on the outside, but the internals packed some serious upgrades. The HTC One X+ went on sale at AT&T yesterday for $199 and Amazon for $139. We have spent the better part of a month testing the One X+ to answer the simple question: Is this your next handset? First, let’s get started with the overall design.

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The most recent update to Android’s Google Now voice feature, as noted on the Android Google+ account, includes a very handy new “what’s this song?” feature.

The enhancement is reminiscent of the popular Shazam feature: simply ask your device “what song is playing?” and your device’s microphone will listen to your music, interpret it, and then notify you of the song’s name.

Additionally, the feature can even speak the song title back to you. Artist information, and pricing and download access via the Google Play music store is also available directly via Google Now.

According to comments on the Google+ posting noting the feature, it appears that it may currently be exclusive to users in the United States.

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We loved it. You might too. Today, Amazon is offering the HTC DROID DNA for only $149.99—down from the regular price of $199.99. For those who need a spec refresh, the DNA features a 5-inch, 1080p 441PPI display, which seemed a little “too good” to be true, 8-megapixel rear-camera, 2.1-megapixel front-camera, embedded Beats audio, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4. Check out our review for more.

[Amazon]

Facebook announced an interesting new feature for its updated Messenger for Android app today: the ability to sign up/in using only a name and phone number. The announcement marks the first time Facebook is offering one of its core services and apps without the need of an actual Facebook account. The feature will initially roll out to select markets, including: India, Indonesia, Australia, Venezuela, South Africa, and more countries to follow. Facebook also told us it plans to open the feature to iOS users in the future. Since these users will not have a Facebook account, the app will pull the device’s contacts to start direct or group conversations.

An update to Messenger for Android is available today, and Messenger accounts will become available over the next few weeks

Facebook plans to officially announce the new feature at Le Web today at 6:25 a.m. PST. You can grab the livestream here. 
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TL;DR: This is the first Chromebook effort that fulfills the ChromeOS mission: good quality, excellent (MacBook Air-like) design, low cost and functional, and easy to use. It won’t replace a mid-high end machine, but, for people with basic needs or who want an inexpensive second computer, this is a no brainer at $250.

Background:

Google’s Android and ChromeOS  represent two different visions of the future of computing from inside the same company. The Android vision is a touch-enabled platform with apps that has been in vogue since the iPhone was released in 2007. The ChromeOS is the realization of the decades-old network client computer—which is just a browser as a user interface for a bunch of cloud services.

Android has clearly been popular on both phones and now tablets, but Chrome sales have been pretty lackluster until now. From my point of view, that’s due to a couple of reasons. For one, the devices, made by Samsung and Asus, were lackluster in speed compared to the Windows and Mac counterparts. ChromeOS devices should be faster than comparably equipped Macs and PCs because there is no overhead—it is just a browser. Yet the CR-48 and again with the second-generation Chromebooks weren’t noticeably faster than cheap netbooks. That’s the other problem: Chromebooks weren’t cheap – compared to similarly specced PCs, anyway. Often, you’d be able to find a cheaper Windows PC on sale that otherwise was the same or better.

So, to break it down: Chromebooks were overpriced and slow (and the design wasn’t very inspired).

Then came the third generation…

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Google announced today on Google+ that version 4.2.1 of the Gmail app for Android is now available to users running Android 4.0 and up. The update focuses on making it easier to view and read messages, including auto-fit messages and zooming features:

No longer will your favorite email newsletters get cut off at the edges; with this latest version, you can now choose to have the emails resized to fit neatly on your screen and pinch to zoom for a closer look.  You can turn on auto-fit underSettings > General Settings.

Other features in the update now available on Google Play include swipe to archive or delete, larger photo previews, and more:
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Google resumed sales of its Nexus 4 in the United States for a short while last week after the device officially sold out following its Nov. 13 launch. Now, Google is informing consumers in Canada that the Nexus 4 will be available to purchase starting later today at 12 p.m. PST (via Phandroid). Orders of the device in the U.S. have been pushed back up to six weeks, so it’s unclear how much stock will be available to purchase for Canadian customers. 
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