Liam Spradlin
Contributing since August, 2011
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1523articles
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About Liam Spradlin
Liam loves Android, design, user experience, and travel. He doesn't love ill-proportioned letter forms, advertisements made entirely of stock photography, and writing biographical snippets.
Latest Articles
A court in Tokyo returned a favorable ruling for Samsung Friday, finding that Samsung's mobile devices were not in violation of an Apple patent related to inter-device media transfer.
BaconReader, one of the most popular Reddit-browsing clients available for Android, has just received a major update to version 2.1. Among other things, the update brings a new "Welcome Guide" for new users, access to subreddit sidebars, subscription functionality, support for spoiler alerts, a dark theme for the app's "large" widget, and a few minor fixes.
Skype Updated To Version 2.9.0.315 With Bluetooth Improvements, Bug Fixes
Skype Updated To Version 2.9.0.315 With Bluetooth Improvements
Skype, providers of one of the most popular IM and video calling clients available, deployed an update for the service's Android app today, bringing it up to version 2.9.0.315 and packing a few minor, yet very much needed fixes and enhancements.
Home Box Office Inc. brought updates to their HBO GO and HBO MAX apps today, adding various bug fixes, performance enhancements, and support for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
You likely noticed our coverage regarding the arrival of official CyanogenMod (experimental) nightly builds for, among other devices, HTC's EVO 4G LTE. As someone who's lived with the EVO LTE for several months now, this was big news.
Huawei's list of announcements for this year's IFA conference is busting at the seams with a whopping four phones and two tablets, all with different screen sizes, specs, and prices, all slated for a 2012 introduction to the German market, with launch in other markets to follow, though we aren't privy to specific dates for other regions.
It looks like Chinese manufacturer ZTE may have beaten Motorola to the Intel-powered phone announcement punch, today unveiling the ZTE Grand X IN. You may remember that Motorola is planning an announcement involving Intel for September 18th.
One of the highlights of Samsung's Galaxy Note II announcement at IFA yesterday was the increased functionality carried by the device's hallmark S Pen stylus. The Note II's version of the Pen, besides being "ergonomically designed for the perfect grip," allows users to quickly clip, crop, and edit screen content, adding further illustration and handwritten keyword recognition. The Pen now also features a unique "hover" functionality, whereby an app can recognize that the Pen is near the screen and react accordingly with contextual menus or other activities.
Amazon, in a press release posted this morning, announced that its "#1 best-selling product," the Kindle Fire, is now sold out. The release boasts the Fire's millions of sales, noting that it managed to eat up an impressive 22% of tablet sales in the US, and added to the overall success of Amazon's digital product sales.
PayPal's official Android app received a big update recently, bringing it up to version 4.0.0.1. The update carries a much-needed interface redesign, bringing the web payment solution's mobile client more into line with Android's design language. Using a warm, espresso-and-orange color scheme with a few well-placed textures and conservative gradients, the app's new interface looks infinitely better than its previous iteration.
Update 8/29/12: The deal is back (Amazon Wireless, Wirefly), though only until August 30th (tomorrow). Remember, you'll need to activate a new line of service and subscribe to the Share Everything plan to get the $40 bill credit.
Samsung's rumored Galaxy Camera, which we saw leak just a short while earlier, is now official. The Jelly Bean packing point-and-shoot is Samsung's first foray into Android-powered cameras, and is in fact helping to shape what could become a successful niche market (after all, we did just see Nikon unveil a new Android-powered point and shoot).
Sony, as part of a trio of new phones, today announced the Xperia V at IFA. The Xperia V carries specs similar to the newly-announced Xperia T, but has a unique twist: the device is water and dust resistant, with the ability to withstand full submersion as deep as a meter for an estimated thirty minutes.
Sprint Continues To Build LTE Network, Lights Up 4G In Four New Cities
Sprint Continues To Build LTE Network, Lights Up 4G In Four New Cities
The Now Network continues to march forward in its 4G LTE Network Vision build-out, today announcing four markets in which the LTE switch is being flipped. You may remember Sprint's July statement that it would be bringing LTE to four new cities by September 3rd, and it looks like the carrier has already made good on that promise, with one exception – the list has dropped Sherman-Denison, TX in favor of Sedalia MO. Here's the full lineup of newly christened LTE cities:
Owners of Sprint's One X-inspired EVO 4G LTE may be interested to know that they can expect a minor software update to begin rolling out over the air today. The update, which carries software build 2.13.651.1, brings the device up to Android 4.0.4 with Sense 4.1 on top, meaning the menu bar fix the HTC One X got a few weeks ago has arrived, among other things.
ARCHOS, in an announcement that ambitiously looks to "revolutionize" Android gaming, has just unveiled the GamePad – a 7-inch, dual-core gaming tablet with built in controls (including buttons, a d-pad, triggers, and analog sticks) that remind us a little bit of Sony's PSP.
Facedroid, Platinum Apps' tablet-centric Facebook client, got a major update today, bringing the app up to version 2.0.
The LG Optimus G, the tantalizing flagship device for which LG released an teaser video last week, is finally official.
True to a rumor we saw earlier this month about a possible addition to Samsung's Galaxy Player line, the Korean manufacturer has just unveiled – via Samsung Tomorrow – the ginormous Galaxy Player 5.8.
Most Patent Claims 'Don't Relate To The Core Android OS' Says Google, Samsung Releases Own Memo
Most Patent Claims 'Don't Relate To The Core Android OS' Says Google, Samsung Releases Own Memo
The reading of Friday's verdict was no doubt an intense moment for just about everyone interested in the mobile tech world. Apple swept up decisions for $1.049 Billion in damages, Samsung was denied its claims against Apple across the board by the nine-person California jury, and both sides immediately released impassioned responses to the decision, calling on the feelings of spectators and case-long mantras that kept onlookers from both sides in rapt attention.