Author: Spencer McClendon

Do you remember last month when we told you of the sad news that Samsung’s old TecTiles didn’t work with the new Galaxy S 4. Well cheer up my friends because Samsung TecTiles 2 are now available for you to purchase. For those of you that don’t know what a Samsung TecTile is, let me give you a quick refresher. They are smart NFC tags that can be programmed by the Samsung TecTile app to do many things. You can set TecTiles to change settings in the phone, call a specific number, or send a predefined text. As an example, you can place a tag at the office, and when you scan the it, it can set your smartphone to silent or it could bring up your work calendar. You choose what you want the tag to do when it is scanned, making the little tasks that much easier.

For those that have a Galaxy S 4 and want more info, check out the source.

Source: Samsung

Come comment on this article: Samsung TecTiles 2 Now available to purchase

This day full of Google goodness, keeps on rolling, and Google just made it easier to send money to our friends and family with the help of  Gmail and Google Wallet. The two have been integrated to allow you to send money. In Gmail there will be an option next to the attachments, in the form of a dollar sign $. By clicking on this button you can now send money to the people you care most about. There are limitations to the service however, which are covered after the break:

Fees

“It’s free to send money directly from your bank account or using your Google Wallet Balance. There’s a flat fee of 2.9% per transaction (minimum $0.30) to send money using a credit or debit card. Receiving money is always free regardless of the funding source the sender chooses, 

Limits

There’s a transaction limit of $10,000 USD and a $50,000 USD transfer limit per 5 day period. This includes both money sent to others as well as money transferred in and out of your Wallet Balance. Please keep in mind that these limits may be subject to change in the future.

Transfer times

Sending money with your Google Wallet Balance is always free and usually instant. You can also send money using your bank account, which may take up to 10 business days to complete. Sending money using your credit or debit card is almost immediate, and usually takes up to a couple of minutes.

Currently this is only available on the desktop, but can be used form the phone’s browser by going to wallet.google.com, and note that this isn’t expected to rollout for a couple of months here in the U.S. Checkout the video below to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Google Wallet
Via: Google Commerce

Come comment on this article: Gmail and Google Wallet can now help you get money to the people in your life

Google’s new Maps feature that we told about earlier today is officially a reality. So many things to list and such little brain power to remember them all. Let’s try and cover the stuff that got the most reaction from the crowd. There have been some major improvements to the 3D rendering. Getting to see St. Peter’s Basilica in 3D at I/O on Google Maps is excellent, but what really took the cake was the integration of user photos of the Basilica. By clicking on a user submitted Geo-tagged photo, Google Maps now helps to bring the interior of the Basilica on other wonders of the world right into your house through the browser.

And of course like all of the other neat services, Google Maps can now become more personalized as you use it more and more. Picture this: you see a restaurant that may be of interest to you in a particular area, so Google Maps will showcase only the important items like specific roads or landmarks it is for you to get to the restaurant, so Maps will only show the information to you that matters most. Oh and you have friends that may +1 a restaurant or locale, so Google Maps will begin offering you recommendations based off of your friends’ interests. Pretty cool indeed. So the more you interact with the map, the better it gets. When you set your Home and Work locations, star favorite places, write reviews and share with friends, Google Maps will build even more useful maps with recommendations for places you might enjoy.

Another feature that garnered a lot of applause from the crowd at I/O was the new planet view for day and night. The day view shows you the world with real time clouds, and the night view brings you a lite up Earth as seen from high above. Google I/O is moving right along and keeping up with everything they announce in the Keynote is taxing to say the least. Good thing this event goes on for the rest of the week and good thing we have our main man Rob Nazarian there to get all the details for you.

Keep it locked here and we will bring you the rest of the Google Maps story as we get.

source: Google Maps Blog | Maps Desktop Preview

Come comment on this article: New Google Maps makes the Map the UI just a little better and easier for all

If schools decide to give out tablets to each student, Google has now built a service with them in mind. Each student would be given a Google account which the teacher would have access to. Probably the coolest feature of the new service is taht the teacher can load an education related app onto the students tablet for the student to use. Schools will still be responsible for the cost of integrating tablets into their school, but Google is providing a framework for them to work with. Google has also add the option for schools to pay with a pay order instead of a credit card. Here is a pic of schools that already use Google apps in some way or another:

Sadly my school isn’t listed, maybe yours is, and if not hopefully with Google’s new move into education they will be added sooner rather than later.

Tablets weren’t the only thing in the education spotlight. Chromebooks made an appearance, too as can be seen in the picture above. 100,000 Chromebooks have been used by schools world wide to date. This number continues to grow and all of these services to help move that growth forward. Google is making a push into education and it truly looks like they are going full steam at it. 

Keep in mind all of this is still in the early stages, but finally the ball is rolling on tech in schools in a productive way. Like all the other great things coming out of I/O we will get more information on this as the event progresses.

Come comment on this article: Google announces Google Play for Education at Google I/O 2013

Google I/O 2013 keeps churning out awesome new additions to services they offer, and the Google Play Developer Console is no exception either. As you can see in the picture above, the service includes Optimization Tips, App Translation Service, Usage Metrics & Referral Tracking, Revenue Graphics and the most applauded, Beta Testing & Staged Rollouts. All of these services are intended to help developers make better apps. App Translation helps users see were there app is used the most. If the developer see that his app is being used in Russia, however the app isn’t translated into Russian, the new service can help in that area.

As I stated earlier, Beta Testing & Staged Rollout got the most reception from the group at I/O. The service is just what the name suggests. Developers will now be able to rollout better apps in the form of betas as well as getting updates to them faster. Revenue Graphs allow developers track where they are making most of their money from, whether it be in-app purchases or the app itself.

Stay with us as we try to bring you all the info for these new features, as Google I/O progresses over the next few days.

Come comment on this article: Google Play Developer Console gets a major injection of new features

Google has been rumored to be working on a new version to Google Maps and last night the world stumbled across a sign-up page for it, giving the rumor more credence. With this discovery, we now have an idea of what Google has in store for us with the new version. Even though the sign-up page was removed just as quickly as it went up, some pictures and information was still gathered from it. In the pictures, we can see that Google’s new version of Maps is taking on the Google Now card look, as well as improving areas of functionality. 

The new features include a, “smarter search box” for all your quarries, there is also a feature that allows you to compare travel options, to find the best route for your destination. One of those options is the Flight Search, which helps you find a flight, ticket prices, and travel times. Google has also added some of the features from Earth in to the new version of Maps, giving it a 3D look in some areas. I wonder if the recent addition of Street View in Google Earth has a connection here because there was no mention if these features will be coming to mobile, however that is always subject to change.

I’m sure all of this will be announced today during the Keynote at I/O today, which can be watched live here as it happens starting at 9am PST. Our own Rob Nazarian is there to bring you the news as it happens. For now you can check out the pictures below for a better look of what’s most likely coming. 

Source: Droid Life

Come comment on this article: New Google Maps sign-up page goes live for a brief moment and gives us a glimpse of new features in the process

It doesn’t appear that any of the recent court problems that plague Samsung across the globe, have slowed it down any. Chosun Ilbo is announcing that Samsung has eclipsed their own record held by the Galaxy S III of 3 million units shipped worldwide in 21 days. The new record holder is their Galaxy S 4 which shipped 4 million units in 26 days. When asked for comment by Chosun Ilbo, Samsung had this to say:

“As of Friday, we have sold more than 6 million units, and we predict that we could break the 10-million mark by as early as the end of this month.”

Those are some pretty impressive numbers, and it doesn’t seem Samsung is phased by Apple’s recent addition of the S 4 to the pending 2014 trial of infringing devices. Like always we will keep an eye on this and let you know as soon as Samsung crosses the 10 million mark, which as it sounds shouldn’t be too far away. 

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S 4 breaks the S 3 record by selling 4 million units in 5 days

Oh CyanogenMod, let us count the ways we love thee. If we were to actually count, 5 million and change would probably be your stopping point— but thankfully we don’t have to count because CyanogenMod has done it for us. Using the latest report from the CyanogenMod statistics feature, the total number of installs has climbed to 5,071,645. What is especially interesting is the number of official installs of 1,881,796 v.s. 3,189,849 unofficial installs. There is a slight skew there, but it makes sense if you think about it. For example, I remember my Epic 4G Touch or Sprint S II doesn’t have an officially supported CyanogenMod ROM, but there are a few unofficial ones floating around out there.

CyanogenMod has gone through many changes during its time and this number represents their dedication to their fans and the Android community. My hat is off to the CyanogenMod team, congratulations and excellent job. Not to leave out the fans, because they deserve congratulations too. This accomplishment wouldn’t be achieved if it wasn’t for their love of CyanogenMod and their dedication to the ROM. Do you use CyanogenMod as your daily driver? If so tell us what you love most about CyanogenMod in the Comments section below.

Source: CyanogenMod Stats

Come comment on this article: CyanogenMod eclipses 5 million downloads and counting

How many times have we all been cooking something in the kitchen, using either your tablet or phone for the directions? Do you remember that on-edge feeling that something could spill on it? Well we can rest easier now, because Archos has got the answer for us in the way of their new tablet, the Archos ChefPad.

It doesn’t look like they are playing around either, as this thing comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and has an A9 dual-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, as well as a Quad-core GPU Mali 400 MP4 to go with it. It also has 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB internal memory, but that can be expanded up to 64 GB via a micro SD slot.

Even though they are selling this thing as a kitchen tablet, the hardware can still get down on some of the more processor heavy games as well. The tablet also comes pre-loaded with Chef Apps, OfficeSuite Viewer 6, and the Archos Media Center, and more. A protective case and stand also come with the tablet out-of-the-box.

No word on price for the device yet but that could change. We will keep an eye on this one and let you know as soon as we hear something worth sharing.

Source: Archos

Come comment on this article: Archos ChefPad appeals to the cook in us all

If you have a game and would like to port over to PlayStation Mobile devices, but can’t afford the $99 license fee Sony usually charges developers, then I have some good news for you. For a limited time this summer, Sony has decided to open its Mobile Development program up to all new developers, and waive the license fee.

This could turn out to be a fantastic opportunity for both Sony and developers. If this plan works Sony could see an upswing in development while developers add another platform to launch their games on. This isn’t only limited to Android certified devices either, it also includes development for the PS Vita as well. Let’s hope this plan works out better than expected and Sony makes it a permanent deal.

Check out the video for the PlayStation Mobile Development Program after the break. I feel like the guy in it myself, how many of you can relate?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: PlayStation.Blog
Via: Droid Gamers

Come comment on this article: Sony tries to lure developers by waiving the $99 PlayStation Mobile licensing fee

All Things D is reporting that Google has decided not to move forward with their own physical credit card. According to their sources, Google had planned to update Google Wallet with a physical card next week at Google I/O, but now sources are saying that those plans have changed a little and even though they do plan to update Google Wallet with new features, there are no plans for the debut of a Google credit card along with it.

Sources close to the matter said Google’s CEO Larry Page put an end to the project last week after a lackluster demo performance didn’t show any innovation.Those who had seen the card described it as a usual credit card, with the Google Wallet “W” in rainbow colors on top of a black background.  Google had hoped to use the credit card to gain more information about its customers spending habits, which would improve their ability to push ads to their customers.

This isn’t the first time Google has lost faith in a card. Back in October of last year they put the kibosh on the prepaid Google Wallet program.  So this is just one more thing to delete from Google I/O expectations.

Source: All Things D

Come comment on this article: Google cancels plans to unveil Google Wallet credit card at next week’s I/O

WeatherBug is, without question, one of the Play Store’s best weather apps and the recent update makes it even better with new features like these:

• NEW! Slide-side navigation – Get all your forecasts, conditions, and alerts with our new one-touch navigation right from the home screen!
• NEW! Spark Alerts – Spark, an exclusive WeatherBug feature, turns your smartphone into a personal lightning detector. Only WeatherBug can bring minute-by-minute, mile-by-mile lightning strike alerts to you, in real-time, based on data from the WeatherBug total lightning detection network!
• NEW! Photos Section – We’ve collected magnificent photography from our users for your viewing pleasure. Come see what others are sharing and enjoy the scenery!
• NEW! Enhanced Pinpoint Hourly Forecasts for Domestic and International Locations – 25% more accurate forecasts for the next 24 hours when compared to other forecasts! Know Before™ you head out!
• NEW! Home Screen Customization – Customize your home screen with new background themes and rearrange your live tiles to get the info that matter the most to you at-a-glance.

If you haven’t tried WeatherBug yet, you should. Now would be the perfect time to try it and check out these new features. I personally like the new Spark Alerts. There is an ad supported version and a paid “Elite” version to chose from. I have the ad supported version loaded on both of my devices and it comes in handy here in the Colorado Rockies. Click on the link of your choice below, and then come back and tell us what you think of it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link – Free

Play Store Download Link – Elite

Come comment on this article: WeatherBug gets a new update that brings redesigned user interface, hourly forecasts, and more

CyanogenMod has announced they have release candidates ready for a few select devices. OK so the word few isn’t really accurate,  40 is the actual number and the list is impressive. For those of you who don’t know what CyanogenMod or CM 10.1 is, it is a custom ROM for select Android devices, CM 10.1 is the latest from the CyanogenMod crew and it is based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean source code.

The devices listed for rc1 consideration is a who’s-who of current and former top end devices. The current lineup of Nexus phones and tablets are there, as well as the Nexus Q for those who happen to own one. The international HTC One X is there as well, and a few U.S. variants of the Samsung Galaxy S III.

The list is too big for me to run through all of them, so click on the source and see if your device is listed. If not, be patient it may make the list sooner or later.

Source: CyanogenMod

Come comment on this article: Release candidates for CyanogenMod 10.1.0 start making their way to select devices

Apple is trying to bring Google into their lawsuit with Samsung in a roundabout way. Apple wants a judge to ask Google to turn over documents related to the Android OS. Apple argues that by having a judge force Google to turn over the documents, it will help prove their case of Samsung’s alleged infringement. Android runs in all of Samsung’s devices that Apple has a problem with and Apple argues that Android “provides much of the accused functionality“.

A lawyer for Apple claims that Google is not doing a full search for said documents, but the lawyer representing Samsung in this case and who also represents Google as well, said that this was part of Apple’s “strategic decision… to keep Google off the complaint” in this case. By not listing Google as part of the complaint, Google is not entitled to the same reciprocal discovery process as Apple and Samsung. If a judge orders this evidence to be turned over Apple, they could possibly be handed something they could use to try and come after Google, that they would not have got without a judges order.

This is the second trial for Samsung and Apple. The first one didn’t go as well as Samsung had hopped, having received a judgment of $1.05 billion which was later reduced to $639.4 million by the same judge, who also order a new trial. As always we will keep an eye on any developments in this case and bring them to you as soon as we hear them.

Source: Bloomberg

Come comment on this article: Apple wants source code records in Samsung trial and looks in Google’s direction in the process

Samsung has upgraded the Galaxy S 4′s NFC chipset in a way that it no longer communicates with older Samsung NFC tags called TecTiles. When asked about this problem Samsung had this to say:

Samsung is introducing TecTile 2, an update to the original TecTile NFC programmable tags, which will be available in the coming weeks. TecTile 2 will use the current NFC technology on the market, allowing Samsung customers to further incorporate NFC into their daily lives and to use with the latest Samsung Mobile products and services, including the Galaxy S 4. As industry standards continue to evolve, Samsung remains committed to meeting those standards and adapting its technologies if necessary. Samsung customers can also fully utilize TecTiles 2 with existing Samsung Mobile NFC-enabled Android smartphones currently in market.

This is good news for the new people adopting the technology, but I can’t help to feel sad for all the people that were given the orginal TecTiles and now have to buy something else along with a new phone. That’s the accessory business.

Source: AnandTech
Via: GSMArena

Come comment on this article: Old Samsung NFC TecTile tags don’t work with the Samsung Galaxy S 4

We love it when the crew over at ifixit get their hands on the latest device. For those of you who don’t know what iFixit is, they are a group of individuals who like to take shinny new smartphones apart just to see what makes them tick. Now I know some of you may be thinking why on earth would anyone do that to such an expensive device. Well it’s simple really, for you of course. Their exploration helps you fix your new phone instead of having to buy a new one after a crazy weekend of fun, or bad luck.

Their new victim is the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and except for the glass this phone is rather easy to repair. As with all phones torn done by the ifixit crew, they give each a repairability score, and the Galaxy S 4 received an 8 out of 10. None of this should come as a surprise because Techno Buffalo did their teardown not too long ago and came up with the same answer. This phone is really repairable. Hit the break for all the teardown goodness and let us know if it changed your decision to buy the Galaxy S 4 or not.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: ifixit

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S 4 gets torn down by iFixit

How many of you think it matters how many cores the processor in your phone has? It doesn’t matter, or at least that is what the head of IT and Mobile Communications and co-CEO of Samsung J.K. Shin would like you to believe. While Europe and the U.S. will get the quad-core Snapdragon version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, other markets will see the Exynos 5 octa-core variant. This decision has ruffled some feathers with consumers hoping to get their hands on the Exynos version here in the states without having to import it.

J.K. Shin believes this to be a moot point according to CNET, because the processors are similar enough that the average consumer wouldn’t be affected. If this doesn’t help you to understand Samsung’s decision, maybe this will: the real reason why  Samsung chose to launch different specs in different markets was a supply issue. Most of us can probably agree that if you only have enough to supply your home market or an outside market, we would all chose the home market, and that’s what Samsung did.

There you have it folks, the reason why your shiny new Samsung Galaxy S 4 doesn’t have a Exynos 5 octa-core processor is a supply issue, but it doesn’t matter anyways. He is probably right. I’m sure the average consumer could walk out of the store with either variant and never know the difference. However for developers and gamers, a processor can mean whether their game is better then the next guy’s by pushing the limits of mobile gaming.

So do you guys agree with J.K. Shin? Do you think you could tell the difference?

Source: Tech radar

Come comment on this article: Quad-core or Octa-core, it doesn’t matter says Samsung’s J.K. Shin

The Acer Liquid E2 is the follow up to the E1. The specs include, a 4.5-inch IPS display, Optional dual-SIM support, an 8MP rear camera with zero shutter lag, 2MP front camera, a microSD card slot, and the radios are WiFi Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio, and a 42 Mbps HSPA+. The picture suggests that it is running Android, what we don’t know is which version it is. The E1 came with Jelly Bean 4.1, so it would be safe to assume that this would be running the same or later.

The device has been announced for many parts of Europe;  Belgium, Netherlands, Ukraine, France, Spain, the UK, Italy, Germany, and Russia. No word on a trip across the pond for us yet though. If you live in any of the areas I mentioned you can get the device around the middle of May for €229 ($297.40). Let us know if you plan on picking one of these up. Or maybe you plan on waiting for something better, either way we would love to hear about it.

Source: Unwired View

Come comment on this article: Acer adds the Liquid E2 to its smartphone lineup

Do you remember back in March when we told you of the leaked launch date and pricing for Lenovo’s new Intel powered Ideaphone K900? What about when it showed up in benchmarks barely beating the Samsung Galaxy S 4? It looks like China is going to start selling it on May 6th, however we don’t have any pricing for the device, nor do we know if it will ever make it out of China as of yet.

The Lenovo Ideaphone runs on Intel’s  Atom Clover Trail+ processor clocked at 2 GHz, has a full HD 5.5 inch screen, 16 GB of storage and a 2500 mAh battery that charges in just 90 minutes. The device runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and has Wireless Display which is a feature that allows the user to play media on the TV without, you guessed it, wires. The specs just keep coming, it is 6.9 mm thick, and has the same 13 megapixel camera that can be found in the Sony Xperia Z.

I don’t know about you, but I would really like to see this phone in my region some time soon. Would you buy this if it came to your area?

Source: GSM insider

Come comment on this article: Lenovo Ideaphone K900 available May 6th in China

Recently Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt appeared on the Martha Kearny show on BBC Radio 4. At about the 4:27 mark in the interview, he describes how Google Glass looks and works, and he likes that we can talk to it. When asked when we could expect to see them on the market, his response was “probably a year-ish away”, but they will monitor the feedback they get from the developers who will be getting their Explorer Editions in the coming months.

The interview is 13 and half minutes long, and in that time he covers a wide array of topics including Google’s self driving car, the impact of being connected, his visit to North Korea and more. Check out the source for the video and give us your thoughts in the comment section.

Source  BBC Radio 4
Via: TheVerge

Come comment on this article: Google Glass “about a year-ish away” according to Eric Schmidt