Tag Archives: JellyBean

Android 4.3 may let third-party apps take control of notifications

Posted on by

Android 43 leak hints at notification listening service

Now that a leaked build of Android 4.3 is in the wild, curious users have been poring over the code to see exactly what's new. Kevin from TeslaCoil Software may have found one of the first real gems: there's now a notification listening service under the hood. The feature would let third-party apps read notifications and perform common notification-level tasks. While we don't have new software to show exactly how the service will work, it's possible that future apps will have limited control over each other without relying on the hacks that we see today. We'll know the full story when Google makes Android 4.3 official -- whenever that is.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: Phone Arena

Source: Android Police

HTC confirms One S will no longer receive Android updates

Posted on by

HTC confirms One S will no longer receive Android updates

It's not a Nexus, so suspend your disbelief: HTC's One S will not be getting any further Android updates. That's right, One S owners, your device is now officially a relic. In a statement released to the press, HTC today confirmed that the mid-ranger, which bowed last year in tandem with the One X, will remain frozen on 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. That means current owners will have to look elsewhere (read: developer forums) for unofficial access to Sense 5 ROMs and the latest tweaks Google's packed into Android 4.2 updates. We can't really lament the loss of BlinkFeed, but it sure would've been nice to see HTC port Zoe over to the device. At the very least, this makes a strong case for that Google Play edition One and its promise of consistent updates.

Filed under: , , , , ,

Comments

Vivo’s Y19t is a phone built for China and aimed at ladies, has front-mounted flash for well-lit selfies

Posted on by

Vivo's Y19t is a phone built for China and aimed at ladies, has frontmounted flash for welllit selfles

Vivo may not be a well-known smartphone brand here in the states, but the firm's been pushing out audio-centric phones in China for more than a minute. Its latest handset, the Y19t, is aimed at the female market (hence the hot pink exterior) and is a more imaging-conscious unit -- it's got a 5-megapixel camera and flash on its front complementing an 8-megapixel shooter round back. The phone's also equipped with a 4.5-inch, 960 x 540 IPS display, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and dual SIM slots (one for micro and one for nano SIMs).

Like its cousin, the X1, the Y19t has a MediaTek SoC and a non-removeable 2,000 mAh battery, but unlike its predecessor, this new phone has an MT6589 1.2Ghz quad-core chip inside its 7.4mm thick chassis. Naturally, it has Chinese-friendly TD-SCDMA and GSM radios and comes running Android 4.2.1 skinned with a Vivo UI. Like what you've seen (and heard) so far? Head on down to the source to see some screenshots, more device pics and a review of the Y19t's capabilities, but you might want to bring a translator with you -- it's written in Chinese.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: PC Online

Refresh Roundup: week of June 24th, 2013

Posted on by

Refresh Roundup week of June 24th, 2013

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

BlueStacks introduces the GamePop Mini, its first subscription-based ‘free’ game console

Posted on by

In an effort to outdo itself, BlueStacks is announcing the GamePop Mini for the cube-averse. The biggest difference between the Mini (seen above on the left) and the cube (the... uh... cube above) isn't the form factor; it's in pricing. Where the regular GamePop is $129 (unless you act soon) the Mini is "free" after a 12-month subscription of $7 per-month, or $84 total. At this price, it costs less than an OUYA, but slightly more than a GameStick. "If you keep it more than 12 months, you keep it forever," BlueStacks' Head of Marketing and Business Development John Gargiulo told us. Of course, there's not much to do with the Mini without a subscription. "It'd be like if Netflix did it this way and had hardware -- the unit would be useless without the subscription," he added. Additionally, if you return the Mini inside of 12 months, there's a $25 restocking fee.

The subscription gives users access to a plethora of games from 500 "popular mobile game partners." Those partners include the teams behind Jetpack Joyride and Fieldrunners. "Getting the kind of developer support we've gotten, it sets us apart," Gargiulo said. "We saw what happened with the Dreamcast and we saw what happened with the Wii U. You need to have good launch titles; there needs to be games everyone recognizes and wants to play."

To make GamePop more enticing to developers, BlueStacks created Looking Glass -- proprietary tech allowing iOS-only apps to run on its Android-4.2-based console. When an iOS app makes calls to Apple's hardware, Looking Glass interprets those calls and translates them to the GamePop Mini's hardware. Of course, a few changes within the code are necessary. "[Porting is] not easy, but I would submit it's not hard, relatively speaking," Gargiulo said.

Filed under:

Comments

Google Search Android app updated with location-based offers, voice-activated music playback

Posted on by

Google Search Android app updated with locationbased offers, voiceactivated music playback

Jelly Bean users running Android 4.1 or later can now snag a few more features with Google's Search app. The update (version number varies depending on your device) delivers three notable additions. The first tool pushes saved offers as you approach a redemption location, reminding you of forgotten deals when they're most relevant. Next up is a new voice action, which lets you control music playback -- both on your device and in the Play Store -- by speaking to your handset. (Voice action tips also make a debut with this refresh.) A third addition enables instant access to information about television programming you're currently consuming, assuming your HDTV is connected to the web and on the same WiFi network as your device. Get your download on at the source link below.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Via: Droid Life

Source: Google Play, Google+

HTC One Google Play edition hands-on (video)

Posted on by

HTC One Google Play edition handson video

Samsung might have pleasantly surprised us with a Galaxy S 4 running stock Android at Google I/O last month, but it wasn't long before HTC followed suit with its own announcement regarding the One. Officially known as the HTC One Google Play edition, the phone is now available in the Play store for $599 alongside the aforementioned Galaxy S 4. When it comes to specs, the handset is a dead ringer for AT&T's 32GB version and incorporates the same radios (with LTE support). It features Qualcomm's 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC with 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 display, an Ultrapixel camera (4MP) with OIS and flash and a sealed 2300mAh Li-polymer battery. We finally played with it yesterday and came away rather smitten. Read on for our first impressions and hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: HTC One Google Play edition hands-on

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Source: Play store

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition hands-on (video)

Posted on by

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition handson video

It's probably not a huge stretch to say that Samsung's Galaxy S 4 running stock Android was the biggest surprise to come out of Google I/O last month. The handset -- officially called Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition -- is now on sale in the Play store for $649 alongside a special version of the HTC One. Spec-wise, the phone is identical to AT&T's 16GB model and supports the same bands (including LTE). It's powered by Qualcomm's 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB or RAM and features a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera with flash, removable 2600mAh Li-ion battery and microSD expansion. While we briefly handled the phone at I/O, it wasn't until yesterday that we got to spend some quality time with it. Hit the break for our first impressions and hands-on video.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition hands-on

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

T-Mobile Prism II from Huawei is official, yours tomorrow for $116 outright

Posted on by

TMobile Prism II from Huawei gets official, yours for $116 outright

If you're looking to tap into one of T-Mobile's low-cost unlimited plans but are feeling squeamish about paying for your phone outright, then you might be curious about the Prism II: a new budget smartphone that's about to hit widespread availability at T-Mobile. The handset has been on our radar for some time -- ever since it was first outed by @evleaks in March -- but just recently became official with a wallet-friendly price of $116 outright. The Prism II arrives as a successor to the original model from Huawei, but with added horsepower and a fresh version of Android. In all, it brings a 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) display, a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 4GB of expandable storage, a 1,750mAh battery and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). The Prism II is currently listed as "Coming Soon" on T-Mobile's website, but carrier reps tell us that it'll hit nationwide availability on June 26th... in other words, tomorrow.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: PhoneScoop

Source: T-Mobile (1), (2)

Sony starts upgrading Xperia Z to Android 4.2.2

Posted on by

Xperia Z review

We dinged Sony for shipping the Xperia Z with an old version of Android, but the company is catching up today by posting an upgrade to Android 4.2.2. Most owners receiving the update are carrying unbranded HSPA+ and LTE models at this stage, although there are reports of at least a few carrier-specific phone variants getting the refresh. As with the Xperia ZL update, most of the user-facing changes are minor. The biggest addition is support for lock screen widgets; there's also slight (if noticeable) tweaks to the interface look and feel. If those revisions are still meaningful enough for you, we'd suggest a quick upgrade check through the usual desktop and OTA channels.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: Xperia Blog, Phone Arena

Source: Sony Mobile forums