07
Feb
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Google Introduces Chrome To Mobile Beta – Send Live URLs To Chrome For Android In A Snap

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, News

It looks like users lucky enough to be running Google's Chrome for Android Beta now have access to another sweet treat – Chrome to Mobile Beta. Reminiscent of Chrome to Phone, Chrome to Mobile Beta is an extension for both desktop and mobile versions of Chrome that enables users to send live URLs from their computer to an Ice Cream Sandwich-powered mobile device, also allowing copies to be sent for offline viewing.

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The extension is available for both smartphones and tablets, as long as they're running Ice Cream Sandwich with Chrome for Android Beta.

Chrome to Mobile certainly seems like it will make the Chrome experience on Android more practical and intuitive, allowing users to quickly grab a webpage, map, or video for mobile viewing on the go, and it will be interesting to see what other extensions are developed to help Chrome run seamlessly between devices.

07
Feb
CyanogenMod[1]

CyanogenMod 9 Update: Fewer Superfluous Features, Potentially Longer Wait

Posted by in Android OS, Development, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Steve Kondik (aka Cyanogen) put out a public update to the situation with CyanogenMod 9 earlier today, and revealed a few interesting tidbits about Team Douche's progress. Here's a few excerpts we thought were particularly important:

Android 4.0 contains many internal changes that require updated graphics drivers. Unfortunately, these drivers are almost always closed-source and don’t appear until a device or devkit is released with them. For many devices, our hands are tied...

We’ve eliminated the CMParts app, instead choosing to add our custom features directly into the main settings. We are also taking a “just works” approach when it comes to configuration- CM7 had too many options that just weren’t widely used...

06
Feb
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[Hands On] ICS Enhanced Ringer Control Is A Ridiculously Simple App To Control Notification And Ringer Volumes Independently In ICS

Posted by in Applications, Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

While I love most everything about my Galaxy Nexus, Google made one ridiculous omission in Android 4.0: they removed the ability to set separate notification and ringer volumes. On my previous phone, Tasker was set up to automatically mute notification tones and turn the ringer volume to three at 11:00 PM as long as the phone was on charge. This way, I wasn't bothered with constant email notifications throughout the night, but if someone needed to call during the late hours, it would wake me up.

With ICS, however, this isn't possible - the ringer and notification volumes are always the same, no matter what.

02
Feb
rhapsodylogo

Rhapsody Updates With New Tablet Interface For 3.0+ Devices

Posted by in Apps/Games, News

You guys remember Rhapsody, right? The music streaming service that was sitting in the back seat next to Rdio, MOG, and GrooveShark back when Spotify was stealing all the U.S. spotlight? Rhapsody was the one desperately trying to wash the stink of Real Player off its clothes. Well, it's back with another update to its mobile app, and this time it's bringing with it a sweet new tablet interface.

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Of the major music streaming services, Rhapsody appears to be the first to create a proper tablet interface for its mobile app. You're able to explore new and popular music or customized suggestions while your current playlist stays active in a sidebar.

23
Jan
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[Updated x3] Download: New 'Experiments' Gmail Feature Shows Up In Android 4.0.3 - Here's How To Get it On Your Android 4.0+ Device

Posted by in Applications, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

It has been two weeks since Android 4.0.3 started rolling out to the Transformer Prime, which made it the first tablet to officially receive the update. With a new version of Android, be it incremental or not, comes new and improved GApps, most of which we've already taken a close look at.

In Android 4.0.3, however, a new Gmail feature has been uncovered by ComputerWorld that is noticeably missing in its 4.0.2 brother: experiments. Sounds dangerous, no?

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As you can see, these "experiments" is really just a couple of useful options that someone at Google probably deemed "worth including, but not entirely stable."

The first option, Enter full text search, is pretty self explanatory - it indexes full messages, which allows you to search through all of the text for keywords; a useful feature indeed.

20
Jan
notion_ink_adam

Notion Ink Teams Up With Texas Instruments - Adam II To Pack OMAP4, Other TI Components

Posted by in Adam, Android OS, News, Notion Ink

In a post to Notion Ink's official blog today, the Indian manufacturer announced a new partnership with Texas Instruments. The company indicated that the Adam II (a follow up on Notion's first Android tablet) will feature TI's OMAP44xx processor, as well as a few other TI components:

Adam II will be using OMAP44xx processor along with other TI components like Wi-Link 7.0 and Phoenix Audio Power Amplifiers. Adam II will also leverage the power optimizations achieved using mature combination of TI’s integrated power-management IC.

Additionally, Notion Ink revealed that the Adam II will be running Ice Cream Sandwich, and feature "the world's first Modular Based Software Architecture," promising drag-and-drop functionality for creating customized applications.

18
Jan
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[Updated x2] Ice Cream Sandwich Update (Android 4.0.3 IML77) For Wi-Fi Motorola XOOMs Now Live In The U.S.

Posted by in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Motorola, News, XOOM

A few days ago, Motorola pushed out a special soak test of the ICS update to a number of Wi-Fi XOOM owners in the U.S. Apparently, no serious issues were found by the company's engineers, as the very same Android 4.0.3 update (IML77) is now rolling out to everyone. Well, everyone in the U.S. with a Wi-Fi XOOM that is. This makes the XOOM the 2nd mainstream tablet device to officially receive ICS, losing out only to the Transformer Prime that beat it to the punch by only a couple of days.

Head over to Settings > About > System Updates to see if the 81.9MB update is available on your XOOM, let it do its thing, and enjoy the greatest version of Android Google has ever created.

17
Jan
iphone-vs-android

Editorial: Steve Wozniak Isn't Afraid To Criticize iOS's Shortcomings, And We Shouldn't Be Afraid To Call Out Android's

Posted by in Android OS, Editorials

When I read the comments of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in an interview with The Daily Beast, my first thought was "this sounds like an eminently reasonable man making some well-reasoned points." Of course, being an Android site, we took interest in Wozniak's comments on Android's superior (in some respects) voice commands, as well as his praise of its workable built-in navigation solution (something iOS currently lacks outright).

I've used Siri. It's pretty fun (and funny) at times. But in my opinion, it doesn't do many things better than Android's voice commands (word recognition is, perhaps, a little better - though I've not compared it to Android 4.0's instant STT engine, which I've heard is a big improvement).

13
Jan
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[Update: Install It Manually] Motorola's Xoom Update Is Ice Cream Sandwich (IML77) – Rolling Out Now To Testers

Posted by in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, XOOM

Well, it's official - the "project" Xoom owners have been waiting for is an update to Ice Cream Sandwich, meant as a soak test, expected to last through the weekend. Moto has begun pushing the new software as of 9pm PST. An anonymous tipster has provided us with shots of a private section of Motorola's official XOOM support forum, which confirm that the update is going live to those lucky enough to join the test group.

wm_IMG_20120112_215136 wm_IMG_20120112_223958

As you can see, Moto has indicated that they do in fact plan on releasing this software very soon, unless "there is some extremely serious issue."

While Xoom Wi-Fi owners lucky enough to participate in Motorola's project test out Ice Cream Sandwich for the tablet that launched Honeycomb, other users can look forward to an update to Android's latest and greatest iteration any time now.

12
Jan
design_elements_landing

[Updated: Announcement Video] Google Finally Launches An Ice Cream Sandwich Style Guide - Please, Please, Please Follow It

Posted by in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, Videos

Hey Devs! You've got work to do.

Google is finally showing developers what an Android app should look like. Android Design is Google's freshly launched style guide for Ice Cream Sandwich. It outlines everything developers should do to make a high quality app that "fits in" with the rest of ICS.

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Most of the big stuff is covered: Icons, color swatches, grid layouts, writing style, touch feedback - it's beautiful. Apps are normally all over the place, it will be really nice to see some consistency.

These are just guidelines, they won't be made mandatory in any way. So developers, I know this guide is insanely late, but please follow this.

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