13
Mar
mobilefuns4cases-2 (1)

More Galaxy S IV Case Designs Surface, Match Up With Shape Of Leaked Chinese Handset, Samsung Teaser

Posted by in Galaxy S4, Leaks, News, Rumors

With the Galaxy S IV launching tomorrow, it seems like Samsung is unable to stunt the flow of the internet leak machine (unlike last year): more Galaxy S IV case designs have shown up on the web today, and these ones seem to match up with some of the more convincing leaks we've seen thus far.

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The new cases bear a striking resemblance in shape and camera / speaker / port layout to the leaked Chinese photos of what is allegedly a Galaxy S IV. Samsung's own teaser image also has the same basic silhouette.

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While there's no way to be certain until tomorrow, the leaked Chinese photos are looking more and more to be the real deal - sounds like the S IV won't be getting a major stylistic refresh this time around.

13
Mar
so many androids

Google CEO Larry Page: 750 Million Android Devices Activated To Date - More Than 250 Million In The Last 6 Months

Posted by in Android OS, News

Imagine, if you will, that every man, woman, and child in Europe owned an Android device. That still wouldn't account for every device that's been made, sold, and activated, according to the latest blog post from Google CEO Larry Page. In the same message that revealed Andy Rubin would be leaving his position as the head of Android development, Page mentioned almost in passing that Android had surpassed 750 million activated devices, including smartphones, tablets, and various other gadgets.

The pace of innovation has never been greater, and Android is the most used mobile operating system in the world: we have a global partnership of over 60 manufacturers; more than 750 million devices have been activated globally; and 25 billion apps have now been downloaded from Google Play.

13
Mar
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LG Just Announced A Clone Of Samsung's Smart Pause Eye-Tracking Feature Before Samsung Could Even Unveil It

Posted by in Device Updates, LG, News, Optimus G Pro

Oh, LG. Sometimes I really do wonder if you come up with the good ideas first, or if it really is like everyone else sort of thinks it is. Korea's #2 smartphone producer just sent out a press release announcing LG Smart Video, a new feature in the Optimus G Pro. So, if you've heard about the Smart Pause feature that was recently discovered in some screenshots from a Galaxy S III Android 4.2 ROM, it's that. Literally, exactly that.

The feature is pretty simple in concept - if you're playing a video on your phone (unknown if it supports 3rd party video players), the front-facing camera tracks your eyes.

13
Mar
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[Lightning Review] Favi SmartStick: Turn Your HDTV Into An Android-Powered SmartTV For A Meager $50

Posted by in Other Reviews

While this isn't the first time we've looked at one of those "plug this in your TV and make it better!" Android-powered gadgets, it is the first one that can add some interesting features to your existing set for such a small price. Also unlike other solutions, the SmartStick is – as its name suggests – merely a stick that plugs into the HDMI port of your television.

In short, it's a stick that puts Android (and a custom skin) on your TV. And it's surprisingly not awful.

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Specs

  • 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • Wi-Fi b/g/n
  • 4 or 8GB storage, microSD card slot
  • One full-size USB 2.0 port
  • Android 4.0.4
  • Price: $50 for 4GB, $80 for 8GB
  • Where to buy: Amazon

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Yay

  • It's small.

13
Mar
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Breaking: Google Has Begun Purging Ad-Blocking Apps From The Play Store

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, Development, News
Last Updated: March 14th, 2013

According to Android developer Jared Rummler and a number of other sources, Google has begun purging known ad-blocking software from the Play Store today.

Popular app AdAway was among those removed, and received notice that its app was in violation of section 4.4 of the Play Store Developer Distribution Agreement. Here is the cited section:

4.4 Prohibited Actions. You agree that you will not engage in any activity with the Market, including the development or distribution of Products, that interferes with, disrupts, damages, or accesses in an unauthorized manner the devices, servers, networks, or other properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, Android users, Google or any mobile network operator.

13
Mar
nexttrial

GO's 'Next Launcher' Finally Gets A Trial Version So You Can Experience What Sixteen Dollars Worth Of Launcher Looks Like Without Spending A Dime

Posted by in Applications, News

Many moons ago – way back in December of 2012 – the GO Launcher team released a new thingy called Next Launcher. As its name suggests, it's a launcher. The next one, even. It was to take the place of Go Launcher, which was essentially defunct on Android 4.0+.

But Next came with a price. A $16 price, to be exact. And honestly, not many people want to shell out nearly $20 for any app – much less a launcher they can't try first. I guess after four months on the Store, the Go team finally realized this, as it has just released a 36-hour trial version of the app.

13
Mar
celltower

Verizon To Begin Using Its AWS Band Spectrum For LTE This Summer, Start Selling AWS-Friendly Phones Soon

Posted by in News, Verizon Wireless

According to Verizon CTO Nicola Palmer, the company's gargantuan hoard of AWS spectrum will be put to use beginning this summer as part of the carriers' ever-growing LTE network.

Spectrum isn't the world's most exciting topic, but if you're concerned about making an informed choice when you choose your carrier, it's definitely the kind of news you should be looking out for. Verizon currently operates its LTE network exclusively on Band 13 (in the 700MHz range), a band it controls nationwide. That has allowed Verizon to very rapidly and effectively deploy its LTE network - a deployment it expects to complete this summer, putting Verizon literally years ahead of the competition.

13
Mar
bwr

Battery Widget Reborn Beta Adds Support For DashClock Widget, Torch Functionality, Bug Fixes

Posted by in Applications, News

I've been a big fan of Battery Widget Reborn since we first covered it back in July of 2012. In fact, it's been installed on every device I've owned (or tested) since then. Why? Because it looks good, brings a lot of info to the table, and is constantly updated with new features.

One of my other favorite widgets is the more-recently announced DashClock Widget. There's a lot to love about it, too – like the fact that it supports extensions, making it infinitely customizable. Developers can easily add DashClock support into their app thanks to its handy API.

13
Mar
Kindle Fire HD - 8.9, Front

Amazon Slashes Prices On Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Across The Board ($30 Off Wi-Fi, $100 Off LTE), Now On Sale In Europe And Japan

Posted by in Kindle Fire HD, News

Whether to combat flagging sales or reflect lower component prices, Amazon dropped the price of its Wi-Fi 8.9" Kindle Fire HD today by roughly 10% - down to $270 for the 16GB model. The price of the 32GB model dropped by $30 as well, to $300. The LTE model received a much more substantial 20% cut, and now costs $400 - $100 less than the price it debuted for.

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The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 isn't exactly old news - it began shipping only 5 months ago in the US, and $300 for the entry-level model was scarcely believable even at that time.

13
Mar
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DxO Labs Issues DMCA Takedown Requests On 12 GitHub Repositories, Some CyanogenMod Repos Affected

Posted by in Legal, News

A French image processing company by the name of DxO Labs has filed a DMCA takedown request targeting 12 GitHub repositories containing device-specific code for ROMs, most of them maintained by CyanogenMod team members. The notice is vague, only citing:

[3] I have a good faith belief that the file downloads identified below (by URL) are unlawful under these copyright laws because among other things, the files circumvent effective access controls and/or copyright protection measures;

[4] Reason:

Content Type: "Custom Firmware" files

Violation(s): Trafficking a device that circumvents effective access controls and/or trafficking a device that circumvents effective copyright protection measures.

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