Android-Does

These Are Not the Droids You’re Looking For: The Best & Worst of Android

Coy Robison — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 03:10:26 +0000

When having an “Android vs Apple” discussion, unfortunately it’s not uncommon for me to hear people tell me about their “horrible” experience with Android and how “they wish they had an iPhone” or “are so glad they got an iPhone”. What’s my reply to these comments? Not all android phones are created equal. Why? Let’s get started.

The Best

I currently use the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) but here the list of some the best Android phones of 2012 (via CNET):

Having never used any of these phones, like you, I am probably just taking their word for it; but judging from the specs of each, I doubt they disappoint. That said, these phones all bolster some similar things; i.e. 4G speeds, dual-core or quad-core processors, large displays and plenty of memory. As of this post, none of these devices have the latest Android OS (4.1 JellyBean) but Ice Cream Sandwich is still impressive and the hardware helps out as well.

The Worst?

In my opinion, it’s anything running on Android 2.3 or lower; which according to recent reports from Google is a lot (72.6% of Android devices):

So maybe that’s a bit of generalization but as good as Android is now, I’m not afraid to admit that it has not always been so; these aren't the droids you're looking for. That said, Android took huge leaps forward with Honeycomb (3.1) and has been continuing to do so with every release since.

Android Progression

My first Android phone was the original HTC Incredible and although it was an impressive upgrade from my Blackberry Curve, it pales in comparison to Jelly Bean on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus. When I got the Incredible, it was running Froyo (2.2) and was upgraded to Gingerbread (2.3) shortly afterwards. I was first introduced to Honeycomb (Android 3.1) when I bought my first tablet, the Motorola Xoom; it blew my mind. Then came the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) and the improvements were incredible, again. Now I have the same Nexus with Jelly Bean (4.1) and I can’t believe I was ever impressed with Froyo or Gingerbread.

The Difference

According to the numbers I referenced above, about 3 out of 4 new android users are being introduced to much less impressive (older) versions of Android; less features and lower grade hardware. One of the great things about Android is the amount of customization that can be done. All of my devices are unlocked and rooted (it’s what we do), so even with some of the disappointments with early versions of Android, it wasn't that difficult to get apps or mods to boost performance. Anything from menu customization to hardware accelerations are available for the android hacker; but I do realize that we are not in the majority. Today, the rooting and unlocking process are much simpler than the past but the process can still be intimidating, especially for the new android user. People don’t want to “have to modify” their phone, they “just want it to work”. The good news is that many of the features that required root or modification in the past now come “out of the box”. The bad news is that you usually have to have one of the newest devices. Since Google is getting into the manufacturing side of things with their Nexus line of devices, it seems that they understand that this is an issue. But keep in mind that this is not a Google issue; this is a carrier issue (one of the few downsides of Android). Take a look at this post on Google+ by Jean-Baptiste Queru (a Google employee working on the Android Open Source Project); an excerpt from the post:

“The part that blows my mind is that some variants of the Google-engineered flagship devices still haven't received Ice Cream Sandwich (or are stuck with older versions of Ice Cream Sandwich) because of delays introduced by operator approvals. I'm very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere, and I'll be even happier when I see that program expanded to more countries.”

What’s Next?

In my opinion, this “carrier issue” is a big reason why people have “horrible” experiences with Android. People are stuck using a device with an older version of Android that let’s face, is not awesome because it’s cheaper, they don’t know any better or it’s simply the only one available from their carrier; there’s probably a million of other reasons I failed to mention. But if you’re a new android user, or just stuck on a older version of Android (2.3 or lower), please understand that not all android phones are created equal but with some time, this problem should begin going away and before you decide to jump ship and head to your nearest Apple Store, maybe try another Android device. There are rumors flying around that not only will the next Nexus device(s) be unveiled by the end of year and come loaded with the latest Android OS (4.2?) but that there may be multiple manufacturers producing a Nexus device. If these rumors are true, this should help put the latest and greatest of Android in the hands of more users; allowing more people to experience how truly great Android really is. Although it’s a tablet, I believe that the Nexus 7 from Asus was a step in this direction; even when I wrote about it back in May. What do you think? Share your comments below.

“It’s not you, It’s me”: Why I Choose Android Over Apple iOS

Coy Robison — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:25:50 +0000

About a year ago, I uninstalled iTunes from my computer and my breakup with Apple was complete. Since I own and write for an android site, it’s no secret to those around me that I am Team Android. Because of this, most people naturally assume that I “hate” Apple and so moving away from Apple was not surprising to most. Although some of the reasons I choose Android over Apple are the same, some are not and I’d like to share those with you today.

Music and the Galaxy Nexus

Originally, one significant factor for this breakup was music. I love music and admittedly, uninstalling iTunes was a tough decision. I have a large music collection (approx. 20k songs) and had actually won an 8gb iPod Touch at a company party about a year before; I relied on that for all my mobile music. At the time, I had the HTC Incredible and at the time, mobile music options were limited. Sure I had apps like DoubleTwist, which allowed me import iTunes playlists and music but it was a third party app for iTunes and it didn’t always work right. I also used Pandora but had not yet started fully using Spotify; although I did manage to get an early invite for the initial US launch. But still, I did not have a 4G phone and so mobile streaming was shaky at best; but then all that changed. The first step in the change came when my iPod Touch was stolen. Yeah, it was stolen out of my car which I had left unlocked while attending a baseball game; lesson learned. Left only with my HTC Incredible, my music options were disappointing and I did consider buying a new iPod Touch. But after shopping around, I never convinced myself to buy one. Then, along came the Galaxy Nexus; with it all the hype of a Google phone and 4G speeds it was hard not to get excited. So I put some money aside and was ready to pick-up my Galaxy Nexus on release day (October); which I did. Next, there were the rumors of Google Music and if they were true, all I needed to do was wait for the release and the upload my music; and so I did. The release of Google Music came about a month later and that was about the same time I finally started using Spotify as well. Google Music allowed me upload almost my entire music library and with the app running with 4G speeds, I could easily stream all my music with little issue; for free. I quickly forgot about my iPod Touch and was rapidly learning to love Spotify more and more. Now almost a year later, Spotify and Google Music are the primary source of all my mobile music and I don’t miss iTunes at all.

“Beware, there be dragons ahead”

Of course rooting and then modifying my OS is something I want to do. A common phrase I’ve read while visiting other forums is that, “Beware, there be dragons ahead”. This is a way of warning users that what you are about to read (then probably attempt) could ruin your phone, if not done right or just because. Regardless, modifications are something I want to do; Android (Google) makes that easy to do and Apple does not. How easy? To unlock my Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 7 all I needed to do was install the Android SDK and push this command:

“fastboot oem unlock”

I realize that there are those out there who have no desire to modify their phones and that’s fine. Of course you can “Jailbreak” an iPhone and generally it’s the same as “rooting” but it is different; but that’s a discussion for another post.

Google & I

My relationship with Google gets deeper and deeper; every day I find myself turning to Google for more and more. I’m referring to Google Services including Gmail, Maps, Offers, Analytics, Adwords, Contacts, Google Now and more. These apps run fantastically, when built as core or system apps and syncing is easy. Google’s core apps have seen some great improvements since Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0, ICS) was released and got even better with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). Now we have cool features like “Google Now”, which is a great step towards the “Star Trek Future” Google has talked about.

Technology & Innovation

But perhaps the biggest reason I choose Android over Apple is because of technology and innovation. Had you asked me which was better between Android & iPhone, when Android first entered the mobile world, my answer would have probably been the iPhone. Admit it; the iPhone changed the mobile industry.

Apple was an innovator and Android was late to the game but that has changed; Apple is not innovating any longer and Android is. Are iPhones still great phones? Yes. Are they miles ahead of the “next best thing”? Absolutely not. Take a look at this comparison chart of the just announced iPhone 5 and other comparable phones (via Mashable): Two of the phones shown are Android devices and between the four, there are only marginal differences. Not only are Android devices comparable but many are superior and that’s not based solely on my "biased" opinion; look at the specs. Now it seems that Apple is no longer interested in innovating but rather they have taken to the courts and adopted the litigation approach; including suing an online grocery store over their logo. Their recent win vs. Samsung will be interesting to watch unfold but in my mind, it’s a short term win.

People like Android and Android devices…but why? Because they are improving. Developers and manufactures are building on top of creations of others and driving innovation for Android and consumers are noticing. Here are the market share numbers from the 2^nd quarter of 2012 (via comScore): Apple is losing the market share battle because they are no longer innovating. A quote from a co-worker just today sums up why Apple is losing this battle; “I don’t feel like my iPhone is out of date”. She made this statement a few minutes after reading the announcement for the iPhone 5; she owns an iPhone 3G. I’ll say it again, Apple is not innovating.

So although I’m not a former Apple fanboy who’s converted to Android; I’m a tech lover who chooses innovation, options and quality over limitations. So now that I think about it, maybe it’s not me…maybe it is you (Apple). Share your comments below.

Remembering 9/11: Not Just Another Day For Us

Coy Robison — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:54:50 +0000

There are few things I love more than android but America is certainly one of them. So today, instead of just writing another post about android stuff, we will join in remembering the events and those that died on Sept. 11th. Don't worry, we'll be back to android soon enough but today, let's remember.

What Happened

On September 11^th, 2001, terrorists hijacked two commercial airlines and deliberately flew them into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center; and then the Pentagon. This act of terrorism resulted in the largest loss of life ever from a terrorist attack on American soil, with over 3,000 people losing their lives. This event changed America and so today we take a timeout to remember “9/11”.

At 5:45 AM that morning, hijackers Mohammed Atta and Abdulaziz al-Omari passed through security at Portland International Jetport in Maine. They then board a shuttle flight to Boston's Logan International Airport, where they connect to Los Angeles bound American Airlines Flight 11. Over the course of the next hour and a half, seventeen more hijackers board planes with knives, box cutters and other weapons concealed on them or in their carry-on luggage. Thanks to audio released from that day, we’re able to hear the first reports of the hijacking and much more. At approx. 8:19 AM EST, Betty Ong (Flight Attendant) calls in and describing the early events including saying, “I don’t know, but I think we’re getting hijacked.” According to Ong, other flight attendants had been stabbed, they were unable to reach the captain in the cockpit and no one could breathe because mace had been used on the passengers and crew (Betty Ong Recording) As news of the hijacking spread, American’s watched as the first plane hit the North Tower and at approx. 9:03 AM, Flight 175 hit the South Tower.

Although chaos ensued after the attacks, hundreds of NYC’s emergency personnel began responding to the disaster and then, the unthinkable happened. After what seemed to be an already outrageous morning, at approx. 9:59 AM the South Tower collapsed; followed shortly after by the North Tower. I remember where I was and what I was doing that morning. For a long time this entire event seemed like a distant memory; something that was real but that I couldn’t connect with at the deepest levels. But that changed for me this year, after I had the chance to visit the “9/11 Memorial” (Ground Zero) in New York City.

The 9/11 Memorial @ Ground Zero

It’s difficult for me to describe what I felt while visiting the memorial but as I stood there next to the pits that used to be a tower, looking up at the NYC skyline, imagining all the debris and chaos that came crashing down on that city, I was truly overwhelmed. In the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world, the memorial has a quietness that is quite amazing and although I will never know what the families of the victims feel, that visit helped to gain a much deeper connection to the events that transpired that day. But something rose up from the all dust, ash and twisted metal. America watched as a city united and then rebuilt itself emotionally, mentally and physically. Story after story is told of men and women who rose up as heroes while saving others. And while there is much going on in our lives today, let’s take a moment and remember the victims of that day. Remember those who died in the towers and planes, all the rescue workers that responded immediately and the ones that died doing so, the families of all those that perished and the military personnel that continue to fight for our freedom today. Now there are new towers, new symbols of American resilience and if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the “9/11 Memorial”, I recommend that you do. America is great place to live and mostly because of it's people. The events that took place on and after "9/11" proved that once again. We'll get back to our regular android updates later but for now, share with us your memory of that day in the comments and let's "Never Forget".

The Most Expensive Clock I’ve Ever Owned: A Nexus 7 Review

Coy Robison — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:52:43 +0000

Ok…I should clarify, the Nexus 7 is not the most expensive clock I’ve ever owned; my Motorola Xoom is. In fact, I love my Nexus 7 and am going to tell you all about it. I bought my first tablet about one year ago and for most of us, buying a tablet is a considerable purchase and takes some evaluating ; probably some saving too. So when I started looking, I wanted to be sure I got something I knew I would be happy with for a long time. I looked at several tablets and narrowed it down the Galaxy Tab, Asus Transformer and the Xoom; I bought the Xoom. There were several reasons why I went with the Xoom and to be honest, I’ve never really had a complaint about it. When I was first looking at tablets, there were a few things I was considering:

Performance (hardware, software)
Ease of Modification (unlocking, rooting)
Manufacturer (history, etc)
Application (home vs work)
Cost

All three tablets I considered were fairly comparable in price and specs but I ended up going with the Xoom for two reasons; it “felt” sturdier when I held it and Google was in the process of buying Motorola. Like I said, since then I have really enjoyed having the Xoom; until the Nexus 7 came along that is.

The Nexus 7

When rumors of a “Google Tablet” began to circulate, my interest was immediately peaked; especially considering some of the rumors on specs and cost. I keep my ear to ground and watched Google I/O with much anticipation for the announcement. As anticipated, the announcement of the Nexus 7 was made and there was plenty to be excited about. The Nexus packs a lot into a 7” tablet, including:

7” 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
Quad-Core Tegra 3 processor (12 core GPU)
300 hours of standby
8 or 16 GB internal storage
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
And more

But perhaps what was even more exciting was the price; only $199 (8gb) and $249 (16gb). I immediately wanted one and pre-ordered mine within a couple of days from GameStop. Once I received my Nexus 7, I was anxious to put it to use. Of course the specs were impressive but let’s be honest, most of need to know how it functions in real-life; so I put it to the test. I committed myself to docking my Xoom and relying solely on the Nexus 7 for both home and office use for a week. Long story short, I created the most expensive clock I’ve ever owned, my Motorola Xoom. Yes, the 7 has completely replaced the Xoom for both my home and office use; my Xoom sits docked but proudly showing me the time. That said, here are a few things that I liked and didn’t like about the Nexus 7.

Liked

Size. Yes people size does matter, especially with tablets. What I love about the 7 is how comfortably it fits in one hand and that I can “stuff it” in my back pocket (sometimes front) if needed. It’s nice for those moments at a drinking fountain and even in the restroom (you know it happens). Full Tablet functionality. Something that the Kindle doesn’t provide with the Fire (another 7” tablet) is the full versatility of a 10” tablet. The Nexus 7 allows you to access all of the content in the Google Play Store and even comes with a credit to get you started. That includes being able to install the Kindle for Android app, so you can keep everything you’ve already downloaded (purchased). For me that meant using things like Evernote at work, among others. Operating System (OS). Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) really is that good. I’d been using Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) on both my Galaxy Nexus and Xoom for a while prior and was extremely impressed with the improvements in Jelly Bean. Google Now is also a cool new feature that I wrote about a while ago, that although needs some more work is still pretty cool. Price. Enough said.

Didn’t Like (Yes, there are couple)

No SD card. Although the 8 or 16 gb options are probably plenty for most; I want more. Not having an SD card slot was disappointing for me. No Rear Camera. I’ve probably taken a total of 10 pictures with the rear camera on my Xoom but still, it’s just a nice a feature I would like.

Conclusion

The bottom line for the Nexus 7 is that there is no comparable device on the market, especially for the price and there is very little not to like. With news of a new Kindle Fire and a 7” iPad, there may very well be some competitive devices available soon; but I wouldn’t count on it. Even a new Kindle Fire will most likely be limited to Amazon content and I’ll be truly surprised if the iPad Mini can compete in price. For now (and probably quite a while), the Nexus 7 is the tablet to have; especially for the price. It performs as well or better than a full-sized tablet and you can get if for half the cost. So if you are looking at buying a tablet, it would be a shame if you didn’t consider the Nexus 7.

The Samsung iPad is the Same as the Apple iPad: More on the Samsung vs Apple Verdict

Coy Robison — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:51:27 +0000

Confused? Don’t be. Samsung doesn’t make an “iPad” but according to one jury, and some folks just reading about the Samsung vs. Apple verdict, they do. There’s plenty of talk about Samsung’s loss and what it means for the industry, so let’s dive in. If you don’t know already, Samsung and Apple have been locked in a patent battle for the last several weeks; the outcome of which ended up very favorably for Apple. How favorable? Well, the jury validated nearly all of Apple’s patent claims and awarded them nearly $1 billion in damages; Samsung won none of their patent claims. But should this have even been an issue in the first place? No and I blame the U.S. Patent Office. Granted, software patents are complex and the Patent and Trademark Office is understaffed and underfunded, however, the patents Apple was defending should have never been granted in the first place. Software patents tend to be both broad and vague, which means their owners can assert claims of alleged infringement against inventions not remotely anticipated by the original claims. "Software is a building block technology — you write code and someone improves upon it," Julie Samuels of the Electronic Frontier Foundation observes. Where does the patented invention end and the augmentation begin? Drawing the line can be difficult and the patent office has dumped these complexities into courts' laps. Patent examiners could have ended the Samsung case before it began by asking such questions as these before approving Apple's patent claims:

Are the rows of icons on the iPhone really revolutionary?
Is tapping a touch screen to execute a command really a patentable innovation?
Is making a hand-held phone flat and rectangular with rounded corners a unique idea such that all other flat and rectangular phones with rounded corners should be pulled off the shelves?

You see where I’m going with? What’s even more interesting to Apple’s claim is that if you look back through history, it could be argued that they’ve done the same thing. I’m talking about their own “signature innovation”, the graphical display feature of its pioneering Macintosh computer. The originator of the graphical display was Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, which in 1979 gave Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and the design team of Apple's Lisa computer, the Mac's precursor, a super-secret demonstration of the technology. Amazed at what he saw at PARC, Jobs ordered the designers to put something just like it into the Lisa, and subsequently the Mac. Later (1988), Jobs sued Microsoft for allegedly poaching the Mac interface to create Windows. Which produced this classic comeback from Bill Gates, "Steve, just because you broke into Xerox's house before I did and took the TV doesn't mean I can't go in later and take the stereo.” (in Trade Magazine, 1989)…but I digress. In the end, if this ruling holds, we as the consumers will suffer. Innovation will be stifled for fear of being sued by corporations and affordable products will become less available. But maybe Samsung can find some silver lining in scenarios like the one Enrique Gutierrez writes about while sitting at a local Starbucks.

Guy: "Wait, so what they're saying is, Samsung is the same as Apple?" Friend: "I know, right? Makes me think twice about how much I paid for my Mac Book" Guy: "Seriously" Not 10 minutes later, a husband and wife, same newspaper: Husband: "... Samsung's iPad is the same as Apple's iPad, and I paid how much for the Apple one Honey, I told you they were a ripoff", after looking up the Samsung tablet on his iPhone. Wife: "Oh wow," looking at the screen, "... that's a lot cheaper. Think we can return it?"

Enriquie writes,

“I'm writing this post after the FOURTH group of Starbucks patrons have made the connection that Samsung is now the same as Apple. They don't know the details, they don't really care, what they know is Apple is saying that Samsung is the same as Apple ... and with one simple Google Search, you get prices that are basically half for what seems to be the same products -- for nearly everything. Two of these groups (including the husband/wife) asked me about my Samsung laptop, the second group noticed my Galaxy phone (also by Samsung)... Best billion dollar ad-campaign Samsung ever had.”

Maybe that’s the silver lining. It’s not likely that software patents are going anywhere soon but fortunately the Electronic Frontier Foundation is working on reform in that arena. But maybe it won’t really matter. With Android growing as rapidly as it is, short product cycles and the global nature of the smartphone industry, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could really deliver a mortal blow to Google (Android); especially through litigation. After being surprisingly silent through all this, Google did finally release this statement:

"The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that.” – the Verge

So with a broken patent system and companies like Apple winning cases like this, the battle will rage on. Samsung will certainly appeal the recent verdict and with the number of issues with the verdict that Groklaw has pointed out, I’m sure more interesting developments are to come. We’ll keep you posted but in the meantime, what do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Android Tip: Google Wallet Updated, Now Accepts All Major Credit Cards

Coy Robison — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:28:17 +0000

Well, it's been a little quiet on the Google Wallet front but a recent update is causing a bit of excitement. An update has just been announced and pushed to Google Wallet and it is now accepting all major credit cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. If you're totally in the dark with Google Wallet, this may help: For those familiar with the ongoing Google Wallet debacle, you know there have questions around "security" and Verizon does not officially support the app. To address this issue, Google Wallet has gone to the cloud, from Google:

To support all credit and debit cards, we changed our technical approach to storing payment cards. The Google Wallet app now stores your payment cards on highly secure Google servers, instead of in the secure storage area on your phone. A wallet ID (virtual card number) is stored in the secure storage area of the phone, and this is used to facilitate transactions at the point of sale. Google instantly charges your selected credit or debit card. This new approach speeds up the integration process for banks so they can add their cards to the Wallet app in just a few weeks. Banks that want to help their customers save cards to Google Wallet, including their custom card art, can apply here — there is no cost.

When Google Wallet was first debuted, I was pretty excited. However, was disappointed when I found out that I needed to have a CitiBank credit card or rely on the virtual MasterCard provided by Google. Not only have the security issues been addressed but I can use my existing Visa card for transactions. This is not only good news for me but should help with more widespread adoption. Officially, there are only 8 devices supported on the Google Wallet site:

Because of the issues with Verizon, the Galaxy Nexus isn't listed...of course, we'd never let something like stop us. Thanks to the boys over at Android Police, here's a link to the .apk, if you feel like testing it out.

Here are a few screenshots from my Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus (Toro):

So with that, I"m all set up...now I just need a more places to start accepting NFC payments and I'll be all set. I expect with this new update that we should see some advances in that area now.

But what do you think? Is this a big deal? Share your comments below.

Source: ZDnet

Google Now: One Step Closer to a Star Trek Future

Coy Robison — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 03:50:51 +0000

In a conversation with a co-worker some time ago, I half-jokingly made the comment, “I hope Google learns enough about me to tell me what I’m searching for, before I actually search for it”. Imagine my surprise while watching Google I/O 2012 and the introduction to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and the arrival of “Google Now”; a new tool that allows devices to perform searches and tasks when circumstances prompt it, rather than when a stated query or command does. Yeah, Google is going to push info to me rather than me having to “request” it; amazing. Naturally, I had to have it but that required a little work. Thankfully not much work needed to be done and after flashing the “Vicious Jelly Bean” ROM, I had Android 4.1 working on my Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus. "Google Now" is pretty impressive if you ask me. I’m already getting “cards” delivered to me with details on how long it’s going to take me to drive home from work and other random places. Here are some screenshots of what it looks like: So is “Google Now” the future? I think so. People will call it “Siri Competitor” or even “Siri Killer” and maybe it is; but I think it’s much more. For a long time, Google has said it wants to build a “Star Trek Computer” and we’ve seen steps in that direction for some time. For example, Google bought the voice synthesizing company Phonetic Arts back in 2010: From Google:

“In Star Trek, they don’t spend a lot of time typing things on keyboards—they just speak to their computers, and the computers speak back. It’s a more natural way to communicate, but getting there requires chipping away at a range of hard research problems. …That’s why we’re pleased to announce we’ve acquired Phonetic Arts, a speech synthesis company based in Cambridge, England. Phonetic Arts’ team of researchers and engineers work at the cutting edge of speech synthesis, delivering technology that generates natural computer speech from small samples of recorded voice. …We are excited about their technology, and while we don’t have plans to share yet, we’re confident that together we’ll move a little faster towards that Star Trek future.”

Add the “Google Knowledge Graph” to that effort and we are well on our way to that goal. “Google Now” is more than an assistant; it tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team's score while they’re playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them. I don't know about you but the possibilities from here are pretty exciting; let us know what you think in the comments.

Finally…Spotify for Android 4.0! Cleaner, Faster, Better.

Coy Robison — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:51:38 +0000

Well, if you haven't heard already, Spotify for Android app has a new update and it comes with plenty of goodness; specifically, total Android 4.0 support.

Here’s what you get:

Totally new app with full support for Android 4.0

Top-to-bottom redesign

All-new slide-out navigation

Even more social - check out friends’ profile pages and playlists on the go

Artist imagery in high resolution

Related artist view - available for the first time on mobile

‘Extreme’ sound quality setting for 320kbps listening

So much faster!

Plus, since the preview release we’ve added:

Play queue

Last.fm scrobbling

Crossfade/gapless playback settings

Widget – control Spotify from the home screen

Folder support

This is actually a pretty impressive list of upgrades and I'm loving it so far. Head over to the Google Play Store and get your update. You'll still the a premium but you can get your free trial here. Source: Spotify

Google & Android: The Plan Begins To Unfold

Coy Robison — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:08:15 +0000

Today, a lot of people will be talking about Facebook’s billion dollar IPO and what it means for the tech community; we’re certainly happy for Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebookteam. But meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away…Mountain View, Ca. to be exact, the folks at Google are supposedly working on their next big move in mobile, and we’re more interested in that. Lately there’s been a lot of discussion regarding mobile, tablets and Google’s role in all of this and whenever “they” start talking, rumors are certainly going to surface. So what’s the rumor?

Rumor: “Google has partnered with ASUS to release a 7-inch tablet that will become a pure Google Experience Device. The tablet will retail for $199, include a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and ship with stock Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich.” via AndroidandMe.com

Mobile is still a giant that has yet to be slain. In fact, in an amended filing, Facebook said that growth in the number of users using Facebook on mobile devices, which is hard to monetize, "may negatively affect our revenue and financial results." So in the midst of one of the largest initial public offerings, it’s apparent that mobile is growing and companies better catch up.

What's next for mobile, tablets?

So let’s talk mobile but more specifically, let’s talk tablets. You see, what we learned from Amazon was that people want cheap tablets (i.e. the Kindle Fire). Although still well behind the leader, from the sales figures below, you can see impressive sales from Q3 2011 to Q4 for Amazon.

Since the Kindle Fire runs on Android, you might think this would be a win for Google; think again. Amazon was able to replace the Android ecosystem (now Google Play Store) with it’s own (Amazon App Store); leaving Google with nothing in terms of revenue. Which brings us to the present; recently the Wall Street Journal reported:

“Google is shifting its strategy for its Android mobile operating system, in a bid to create a united front with smartphone and tablet makers to take on rivals like Apple and prevent wireless carriers from controlling the devices.”

In short, Google wants to take the power back. The first signs of a shift in the tablet space showed up in January, at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At CES, Asus showed off a 7-in. tablet that was powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Jen-Hsun Huang (Nvidia CEO ) declared, "One size doesn't fit all" and stated that there was a need for "different strokes for different folks." Asus and Nvidia detailed a tabletthat would run Android 4.0, a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) and an early prototype featured:

1280x800 resolution
IPS display
1GB of RAM
Micro-USB
Micro-HDMI
MicroSD ports
Two cameras (including an 8-megapixel rear-facing lens)

Hands-on reviews were very positive and along with all this goodness came the price tag, a whopping $249; not bad for a device packing so much punch.

Android, open-source and the future...

We all love the open source model and let’s be honest, it’s probably what has fueled the momentum needed for Android to go big; but it has its downfalls. OpenSource means that anyone can modify it; hello carriers. With carriers come unwanted software (bloatware/crapware) and extended delays for the most recent OS (how many of you are still on 2.3?). We even run into issues with certain apps being blocked by carriers, i.e. Google Wallet. From the beginning, Google has wanted to control the user experience from start to finish. Remember the Nexus One? Google tried to control the direct sales with Nexus One but carriers fought back; and won. But that was then and this is Google; Android was young then and hadn’t really broken through. Today, Android is the top mobile OS and Google is a company that isn’t afraid to test something, analyze and then learn from their mistakes. Google has already started selling their devices via the Google Play Store, you can get your Galaxy Nexus nowfor only $400; Pure Google, No Contract, No Commitment. That’s where all this starts to come together and make no mistake my friends, it’s a big deal. If these rumors are true and Google does end up partnering with the alleged 5 manufacturers, then you could buy a high quality Google phone and be free of contracts, bloatware/crapware and all things considered, probably save yourself a few bucks. That’s what John Bowdre did.

“Bowdre's an IT manager and avid Android fan…He told me how he's using a Galaxy Nexus on T-Mobile's network, paying just $30 a month for service -- and quite frankly, I was a bit miffed I hadn't thought of (and done) that myself. Bowdre bought his Galaxy Nexus unlocked and unsubsidized from dailysteals.com for about $560 (you can find the phone for anywhere from $450 to $600 nowadays, depending on what deals are around when you look). Doing his homework, he knew that T-Mobile lets customers use any compatible device with its Monthly 4G prepaid service -- something other prepaid carriers don't allow. So Bowdre took his new Nexus, signed up for service with T-Mobile, and got himself up and running in no time. For $30 a month, he's now getting 100 minutes, unlimited texting, and 5GB of 4G (HSPA+) data. The closest equivalent on Verizon -- 450 minutes a month, 5GB of 4G data, and unlimited texting -- would cost nearly four times that amount. Even factoring in the unsubsidized cost of the phone, Bowdre's saving nearly $1700 over two years' time. Not too shabby.” via ComputerWorld.com

So if these rumors are true and Google can make this work, then expect big changes in the way the mobile world operates. Here’s hoping that this it will work because when I read about things like Verizon getting rid of all unlimited data plans, even for those that were previously grandfathered in, it makes Bowdres approach much more appealing. Of course, Google has had no comment on any of this, so we'll just have to wait and see; tell us what you think in the comments below.

Flipboard: Not Just for Apple, Get Yours Now!

Coy Robison — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:39:14 +0000

Flipboard, once an iPhone/iPad exclusive, is now available on Android...well sort of. Even though Flipboard.com still says, "Coming Soon to Android", you can get your's a little early. Don't know what Flipboard is? Well, it may be just another news reader, but it's the news reader you want on your device so continue reading.

Here's how. When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S III last week, they also announced that Flipboard for Android would be exclusive to the device for a while after the launch. But, thanks to folks over at XDA & a forum member, the APK is out and available for download right now.

Installing the APK on your Android device is straighforward, just follow these steps:

Head on over to this XDA Forum post and download the APK.
Download the file.
You can then either e-mail it to yourself, or add it to a Dropbox folder (Google Drive, Box, etc.) to access it on your device. (I just navigated to the post from my Gnex and downloaded straight to the phone)
Once you have downloaded it to your device, tap on it and it will install.

Be sure to allow installation of apps from unknown sources located in Settings > Security on your device. As per usual, the app may not run properly on all devices because it's not "officially supported"; so try not to complain to much. But having said that, go get the app and be sure let us know what you run into and what you think, in the comments below. Screenshots: