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Feb

'Messaging + Google Voice' (Mostly) Combines Android's Stock Texting App With GV Integration

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Google Voice is a great service burdened by a lack of support, integration, and easy way to sign up (unless you're on Sprint, of course). Those who do decide to jump the hurdles and either get a brand new number—or port their existing one to Google—will find themselves in an uncomfortable paradise. On the one hand, you can text from your desktop, tablet, or phone completely for free which is awesome. On the other hand, you have to use the Google Voice app, which is not that great. 'Messaging + Google Voice', however aims to alleviate that problem a bit.

Dec

Facebook Messenger No Longer Requires A Facebook Account, So I Guess It's A Regular SMS App Now, Too

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Today, Facebook made an announcement that's probably bigger than it seems at first glance. Now, if you want to use Facebook Messenger, you no longer need to have an account with the social networking giant. This, quite simply, is a really big deal that could easily go overlooked. The app can be used to message contacts via just their phone number, create group conversations, and share photos. Of course, you could do this with Messenger before, as SMS was an available option. The difference now, is that it's open to everyone.

What this means is Messenger can now be counted among basic SMS-replacement apps like WhatsApp and Handcent.

Nov

Pixlr Express Review – Autodesk Gets On-The-Go Photo Manipulation Right (Again)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

When I first covered Pixlr Express a few days ago, I noted that the presence of a photo editing app was odd in Autodesk's lineup of powerful tools. Having developed apps like ForceEffect, 360 Mobile, and AutoCAD WS, you'd think Autodesk was marketing to power users who want to design, edit, animate, and engineer from the palm of their hand. Still, Autodesk's first foray into the mobile photo editing world – Pixlr-o-matic – was a hit. So much so, it appears, that Autodesk brought to market Pixlr Express.

Despite its name, the only thing "express" about Autodesk's new tool is the speed with which users can edit, manipulate, and overlay photos using a wide library of tools (when I say "wide," I refer to its selection of 600+ effects).

Oct

This May Or May Not Be A Photo Of Sony's Unannounced 5-Inch C650X 'Odin' Handset

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Leaks, News, Rumors, Sony

A couple of weeks ago, Xperia blog posted what appeared to be User-Agent Profile information revealing the existence of Sony's purported upcoming flagship, the C650X codenamed Odin.

The information seemed to point toward an Xperia device running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, with separate rumors suggesting a 5" display at 1080x1920 resolution (441ppi), a Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM.

Today, a photo has surfaced that, according to Concept-Phones, depicts the yet-unseen Odin. As with any other photo-based rumor, we had to take a closer look.

Aug

[Update: Probably Fake] Alleged Photo Of The Galaxy Note 2 Surfaces, Appears To Match Previously Leaked Digitizer

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, Leaks, News

Update: Looks like this may be another fake thrown into the game. A nearly-identical mockup was posted on Twitter not long ago, so this could just be another elaborate hoax.

Mockup (by Twitter user Daniel UY):

We've been hearing rumors of the Galaxy Note 2 for several weeks now, and a pretty believable image of the device has now made its way onto the net ahead of Samsung's August 29th event where we fully expect the device to be announced.

What makes this picture all the more believable is the fact that a previously leaked image of the purported Note 2 digitizer perfectly matches up with what we're seeing today.

Aug

Wi-Fi Shoot (Beta) Lets Users Share Photos And Videos Via Wi-Fi Direct

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

As of right now, very few Android devices support Wi-Fi Direct sharing, which was first implemented as part of Android 4.0. The protocol requires Ice Cream Sandwich, which is still only on 16% of Android devices. Beyond that, the device needs some software to take advantage of the new API. Some devices (like the Galaxy S III) include built-in support, but for others that either haven't included support in the OS—or that do, but don't work very well, like my own E4GT—you'll need some kind of app to take advantage of it. Luckily, we happen to have some kind of app right here!

Jun

Nexus 7 Shows Its Face Ahead Of Today's Announcement

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News

We've been hearing about the mysterious "Google tablet" for months now and, more recently, have seen quite a bit of supporting evidence that it will be called the Nexus 7. We've even seen the back and sides of the device. What we haven't seen, however, is the interface.

Until now.

What you're looking at there is an official image of the Nexus 7, directly from Google's Play Store servers. While it's nice to finally put a face to the name, this image raises some questions, like why does it have a phone interface? Surely Google wouldn't forsake its own tablet-optimized UI...

Jan

RIM's New CEO Says Android Devices Are "All The Same," We Beg To Differ - With Giant Comparison Pictures

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Editorials

Let's be frank: RIM's BlackBerry products are unilaterally, shall we say, unexciting. And RIM's new theme song should probably be this. And by "unexciting," I mean ugly, hopelessly dated, and so boring that a story about them spontaneously bursting into flames might actually give the company some much-needed edginess in their marketing campaigns. Maybe that's a bridge too far.

Anyway, when I read this morning that RIM's new CEO Thorsten Heins, speaking to CrackBerry, said Android devices are "all the same," I couldn't help but go slack-jawed in a combination of muted laughter and near disbelief at the irony.

Oct

First Blurrycam Shot Of The Nexus Prime Shows Up, Shows Off On-Screen Buttons And 320 PPI

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Of all the questions that have been surrounding the upcoming Nexus Prime, there has been quite a bit of intrigue about the buttons, or lack thereof, I should say. How will it work? What will the on-screen buttons look like? How will Ice Cream Sandwich work on device that already has physical buttons? ...and that's just the beginning of the inquiries.

While we still can't confirm how ICS will handle the latter, thanks to a leaked blurrycam photo obtained by GSMarena, we now have a better idea of what to possibly expect from the Nexus Prime and its button configuration.

Aug

Dat's Phat: DROID BIONIC Gets A Side Profile Shot, Has Junk In Trunk

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Bionic, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless

Not really. Actually, the BIONIC looks pretty svelte in these images leaked by the good folks over at Pop Herald. Here's the BIONIC stand-alone, and side by side with the DROID X2:

While the BIONIC clearly is thicker than the DX2, it's not by that much. Of course, press shots (which these likely are) have a tendency to play with lighting and perspective in order to make a phone seem thinner than it might actually be, so until you hold it in your hand, it's all kind of relative.

Still, based on these images, it's thinner than I expected.

Pop Herald via Droid-life