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Hold on to your hats, boys and girls – things are about to get real. Since the dawn of time, we've been asking – nay, demanding – an official Twitter app with tablet optimizations. Just when we thought our pleas were going unheard, Samsung unintentionally showed us what's up during its Unpacked event today at IFA.
If you've been following along with ASUS' recent releases, you'll already know what's coming with the MeMO Pad 8 and 10: a couple of budget-friendly tablets sporting screen sizes equivalent to their model names. This duo is brand-spankin'-new and falls right into place in the existing MeMO Pad line.
Traditionally, Google has stuck with generic names for Android versions: Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. Thus, when the big unveiling of 4.4, codenamed KitKat, happened out of nowhere this morning, the web was abuzz with questions. How can they do this? Is this a joke? I thought the name KitKat was "trademarked!" Well, there's a very simple answer to all these questions: it's a mutual partnership.
If you missed out on the ruckus Google caused this morning, here's a quick briefing: the upcoming version will not be 5.0, nor will it be called Key Lime Pie. Instead, it's 4.4 KitKat. No joke – this is legit. Sundar Pichai even put a picture of the new statue up on Twitter and G+. This is happening.
A few weeks ago, we caught a glimpse of a new camera attachment from Sony that appears to put an entire camera on the back of your mobile device, in addition to the existing camera. I have to admit – it's kind of a neat concept, if properly executed. Today, a few new images – as well as some details about how the lenses will work – have surfaced over at Sony Alpha Rumors.
If you're into the idea of a smartwatch but haven't quite been swayed by the current offerings, Samsung's Galaxy Gear is likely on your radar. If you thought that's the only watch tech to look forward to, however, think again. Word just broke that Google purchased a smartwatch manufacturer about a year ago, right under everyone's noses.
My first Android phone was the original Motorola Droid. The day it was released I happened to walk into Verizon to get an issue with my bill cleared up; I had been following the Droid leaks for some weeks before, so I was really excited to check it out in person. I walked in, picked it up (along with the Droid Eris), and played with it for a few minutes before explaining to the salesperson what Android was. It was so new that she had no clue what I was talking about. I didn't actually buy the phone that day, though – it was some months later before I actually picked one up when my dated Motorola Q kicked the bucket. I'd be lying if I told you that phone didn't, quite literally, change my life. Had it not been for the Droid, I wouldn't be here today, writing the words that you're reading. Sentimental as it may be, that phone will always be very special to me.
If you haven't yet picked up the stunning puzzle game The Room, then you're missing out on one of the best games to hit Android in the last year or so. It's still on sale right now, and for a single, solitary dollar, it simply cannot be beaten. I grabbed it a couple of days ago and was almost immediately absorbed into its captivating world of puzzle and mystery. Yep, it's great.
If you're a SHIELD early adopter, you may want to head into the settings menu and grab the latest update – it's a good one. Update 59 brings improved PC streaming stability, along with support for more PC Games, like FIFA 13, Call of Jaurez: Gunslinger, Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, and several other. There are now 31 officially supported PC titles. Not bad.
While Twitter may be doing certain things to kill third party applications (or at least slow them down), it's also making strides towards bettering its own application, too. Take today's update, for example – it brings a few goodies to the table, most notably an improved conversation experience.
The biggest brother of the One family has once again smiled for the camera on Chinese site ePrice, showing off a few things that we've yet to see on the 5.9-inch beasty. For starters, this model feature a removable back, but before you get too excited about that, we'd like to throw out the reminder that most HTC devices for the Chinese market have removable backs. That's just a thing over there.
Wow – Google just dropped the price of both Nexus 4 variants by $100.
The built-for-kids tablet market is growing at a pretty rapid pace, with companies like Fuhu and OLPC leading the pack – until now, anyway. Samsung just announced the newest member of the Galaxy family: the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids. This is Samsung's first real foray into the world of children's tablets, but judging by the included software features, it looks like the company is coming out swinging.
How many times has this happened to you: you're out for a day of shopping/running errands and get home only to find out about a handful of good deals that you drove right past throughout the day? That seems to happen to my wife and me nearly every time we go somewhere; fortunately, there's a new app that aims to keep that from happening again. It's called Clipless, and it essentially runs in the background, just waiting to alert you of a nearby deal. Here's the official description, according to the Play Store listing:
Perhaps you noticed that I was a little light on post activity last week – that's because I was on a road trip to visit my family in Virginia. Just before I left, Arkon contacted me about a new product in their car mount lineup: the IntelliGrip NFC Car Mount ($35). Considering the timing, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.
Avast's Android offering has been a top-notch product since it was released, and the company has put in a lot of hard work to continuously make it better since then. Recently, it launched some Premium features for its Mobile Security app, which offer some incredible functionality for only two bucks a month ($15 if you pay for a full year). Before we get into our newest Mega Giveaway with avast!, let's take a closer look at some of the features unlocked in Mobile Security Premium.
If you're running a stock, rooted Galaxy Note II or Galaxy S 4 and want easy access to some things that normally require manually editing system files, we've got the app for you. It's called Note 2 Hidden Settings, and does exactly what you'd expect: offers access to otherwise hidden system settings.
If you're looking for a good throw-in-your-bag tablet with an excellent form factor and beautiful display, it's hard to beat Amazon's 8.9-inch Kindle Fire. Sure, it doesn't have the Play Store, and belongs in a completely different playing field than something like the Nexus 7, but for a consumption tablet, it can deliver the goods with the best of 'em thanks to Amazon's massive collection of Kindle books and quick access to Instant Video for Prime members.
Automatic app updates are a convenient way to stay up-to-date. The problem is, not everyone wants every app to update automatically. Thus, the Play Store has had an option for a while to disable automatic updates for specific applications, which could then be manually updated at the user's discretion.
Have you heard Fran Bow's story? It's a tragic tale of a tortured girl who lost both of her parents in a violent manner – they were hacked to pieces. Naturally, she's traumatized by the event, but there's more to this story than meets the eye.