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With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Reviews

Strategy & Tactics: World War II [Arcade & Action]

Fynch for Twitter [Social]

Apps

WWE Presents: Rockpocalypse now available in Google Play Store

3DMark comes to Android platform, now available in Google Play Store

Carriers

AT&T Working on HD Voice capabilities for its customers due for arrival later this year

Are Verizon and AT&T Working on a Vodafone Buy Out Deal? Verizon Says No

Google

Androidbooks, as in Android notebooks, could show up by Q3

Hardware

ARM Teams Up With TSMC To Create First 16nm Cortex-A57 Processor

Phones

Facebook phone images leak, likely to be called the HTC First

AT&T to offer the HTC One smartphone April 19th, will start from $199.99

Add Sprint to list of carriers offering HTC One on April 19th

LG confirms Optimus G Pro sales have already topped the 500,000 unit mark

Verizon Offering Dual-Core LG Lucid 2 For Free Starting April 4

Samsung Fonblet now known as Galaxy Mega and will come in two sizes

AT&T’s Galaxy S 4 hits the FCC

Tablets

$79.99 7-inch tablet from Ematic hits the market, powered by Android 4.1

Updates

Want to know if your HTC phone will get Sense 5 with Android 4.2.2? Here’s the latest list

Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Daily Dose for April 2, 2013

Looking for a way to find cool new apps? You might not have previously thought to check Twitter, but now your Twitter stream could start to look more like an avenue for app discovery.

Twitter announced updates to its Twitter Cards at a developer event in San Francisco on Tuesday, and the most interesting news is that tweets will now allow for third-party developers to include download links within those tweets, turning Twitter into more of an app discovery platform and showing users where content is coming from.

So for instance, if your friend posts a photo to the social network Path and cross-posts that photo to Twitter, and if you don’t already have Path installed, you’ll see a link where you can go download Path. And if you do have Path installed, the link can serve as a deep link that will allow you to head directly to the content in that app.

It might seem slightly counterintuitive for Twitter — why would the company want to send you elsewhere? But clearly Twitter has realized that people respond positively to visual, richer content within tweets, like the short basketball clips embedded in March Madness tweets. So if Twitter becomes a more interesting place, that’s obviously a win for the company.

Mike Isaac wrote for AllThingsD last week that the developer event would revolve around cards, and explained why the cards matter so much for the future of Twitter’s business. Facebook has built up its third-party developer community in recent years, and while Twitter struggled to work with developers last summer over API guidelines, this could be a new way for the company to build a more positive ecosystem around its product.

The updates to Cards also come with some changes to the types of content that can be tweeted out, including app descriptions, product details, and galleries, to show that more than one photo is being shared. The blog post from Twitter explained:

“We first introduced expanded Tweets with three card types: summary, photo and player/video. Since then, we’ve heard that publishers want to be able to share different types of content. With these new card types, more publishers can show more types of content on Twitter.

Finally, with this update to Cards, we’ve fundamentally re-architected the way Cards are created and delivered. The new Cards system lays a foundation that will make it easier for us to develop more types of Cards in the future and allow for greater customization by publishers and developers. Additionally, this new system is backward compatible; if you’ve already implemented Cards, your integrations will continue to work seamlessly.”

Twitter announced that its first partners for this roll-out include Delectable, Etsy, Flickr, Foursquare, Gumroad, Jawbone, Path, Rovio’s Angry Birds, SoundCloud, Storenvy, Wine Library and Vine.

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If you’ve been itching to pick up an Android tablet without breaking the bank, a new player in the Android tablet game has something that may pique your interest. Ematic has announced today that they’re releasing a 7 inch tablet running Jelly Bean, and it’ll only set you back $79.99. The specs are pretty on par for a tablet under $100, but it’s a great bang for your buck.

It packs a 1 GHz A4 processor and 512 MB of RAM under the hood, as well as 4 GB of internal memory. It also comes in six different colors, which is something pretty unique, and it features all of the core Google apps you’re used to, which is something usually missing from these cheap tablets. It weighs about 2 ounces less than the Nexus 7 as well, so if you’re looking for something light, this may be an option.

You can check out the full press release after the break. Anybody planning on picking one of these up?

Ematic Unveils Genesis Prime, a 7” Google Certified Tablet with Android 4.1, Jelly Bean Giving You Full Access to the Hottest Apps, Games and More, only $79.99

The device packs other Google services such as Chrome, Gmail, Maps and YouTube; Offers Access to Thousands of Movies, eBooks and more

LOS ANGELES- April 2, 2013- Ematic launches the Genesis Prime, its first-ever Google-certified tablet with complete access to Google Play.  For on-the-go users, this 7” Android 4.1(Jelly Bean) tablet is your hub for entertainment with access to thousands of today’s most popular apps, games, movies and more. 

“With Google Play, we [Ematic] were able to bring an entirely new digital experience to our consumers,” says Roy Rayn, President of Ematic.  “Intuitive and exciting, this tablet is ideal for work or play with faster web browsing capabilities and endless possibilities for entertainment.”

Google Play is a digital content experience providing access to music, movies, television shows, books, magazines, Android apps and games.  Users can browse this online market from the web or Android device for content to stay entertained for hours.  There are more than four million titles available in the eBookstore, thousands of TV shows and movies to stream directly to your tablet, and millions of music titles to peruse.  Additionally, with music on Google Play you can upload 20,000 of your songs for free, discover new artists, browse millions of tracks and share music you buy with your friends on Google+.

Google Now gets you just the right information at just the right time. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them. Google Now delivers the weather, Google Calendar appointments, reminders about when a user needs to leave their home or office to catch a flight, a heads up on nearby events, dinner reservations and much more.  The Genesis Prime also includes other Google services such as Chrome, Maps, YouTube, and Google Talk.

Lightweight and portable, the Genesis Prime is designed with the active, on-the-go user in mind.  The HD video player supports up to 1080p HD videos, and the tablet features a front camera to easily capture life’s memorable moments.  The tablet is loaded with a 1.1 GHz processor with dedicated GPU lets you get the most out of your favorite games and apps.  Additionally, the Genesis Prime has 4GB of internal storage available as well as 5GB of included cloud storage to store your important content and favorite multimedia.

The Genesis Prime is available at amazon.com for $79.99.

Technical Specifications
1.1 GHz processor
4GB on-board storage memory
5GB of included cloud storage
7” capacitive multi-touch screen
Built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
Front VGA camera
USB 2.0 port, 3.5 mm audio jack
Rechargeable battery- up to 4.5 hours of battery life
Weight: .59lbs
Dimensions: 7.56” x 4.92” x .39”
Android 4.1, Jelly Bean operating system
Google Play
Google Now
Other Google services: Chrome, Gmail, Maps, YouTube
About Ematic

Ematic is the leader in portable media and value tablets; offering high quality consumer electronics at an affordable price.  Founded in 1985, the company offers a variety of technology ranging from designer headphones to MP3 players and tablets.  Ematic prides itself on offering the latest in advanced technology that has undergone rigorous testing for quality performance and design.  

Come comment on this article: $79.99 7-inch tablet from Ematic hits the market, powered by Android 4.1

There was a news story circulating the tech world today suggesting that both Verizon and AT&T were working together on an agreement that would split up Vodafone. Verizon would take back the 45% stake in US relations that Vodafone has in Big Red’s company while AT&T would take control of non-U.S. action. The deal would give AT&T a big boost in achieving a foothold in other markets. After the transaction Vodafone at $245 billion. It was confirmed by “usually reliable people” and would be complex to complete. However Verizon took to the internet to squash this rumor. They were quoted to say:

“Verizon Communications Inc. (“ Verizon ”) notes the recent press speculation regarding a potential merger with or purchase by Verizon of Vodafone. As Verizon has said many times, it would be a willing purchaser of the 45% stake that Vodafone holds in Verizon Wireless. It does not, however, currently have any intention to merge with or make an offer for Vodafone, whether alone or in conjunction with others.”

Make of it what you will, but it appears that Verizon and AT&T won’t be playing together. While it could be the standard boiler plate media response to get rid of media attention, Verizon has at least let us know where they stand on the 45% stake Vodafone has. It also looks like AT&T’s big break into other markets will have to come from somewhere else. So at this point in time it appears that nothing’s changed and that these “usually reliable people” weren’t so reliable. We’ll keep you posted if anything changes but don’t hold your breath.

source: Financial Times

Come comment on this article: Are Verizon and AT&T Working on a Vodafone Buy Out Deal? Verizon Says No

Continue reading…

No matter what the platform may be, hardcore gamers are always seeking ways to tweak and improve the performance of their systems. To define that performance, a benchmarking tool is needed and one of the most popular over the years has been 3DMark. Android device owners can now access this popular application with today’s release of 3DMark for Android.

Developer Futuremark Oy indicates 3DMark will run on over 1,000 different Android devices, from smartphones to tablets. With the addition of an Android version, users can now compare benchmark scores with other Android device and Windows tablet users and eventually with owners of iOS and Windows RT devices. For Android devices, Futuremark Oy is making two versions of their Ice Storm test available to check both CPU and GPU performance.  The GPU’s capabilities are tested via OpenGL ES 2.0.

3DMark is 283MB in size, so you will probably want to grab this one while on WiFi. The app is free and will run on Android versions 3.1 or higher. If you want to give it a try, use one of the download links below after a short video and some screenshots of 3DMark in action.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Google Play Download Link

Come comment on this article: 3DMark comes to Android platform, now available in Google Play Store

More than half of all Android devices tracked by Google are finally running Android 4.0 software or better. The company posted an update on Google+ as well as its dashboard that helps developers target certain device types for their apps. Based on the most recent period of tracking, 54.3 percent of Android devices hitting the Google Play store run either the Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean variants of Android software.

Google did make a slight change in how it tracks and counts such information, however. Per the company’s Google+ post:

We’ve updated the way we calculate our device dashboards to make them even more useful, and have also updated the data on screen distribution. Note that as a result of these adjustments, some slices in the pie charts have changed more than usual.

The new device dashboards are based on the devices of users who visit the Google Play Store (rather than devices that have checked-in to Google servers). As a result, the dashboards more accurately reflect the users most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem—and thus most likely to download and use your apps.

This change makes sense from a developer’s standpoint: Instead of counting devices that “check in” — something that could be a simple as signing in or syncing through a Google service — devices that actually visit the Google Play store are counted. Those are the ones that developers are interested in, of course.

Since Android 4.0 was introduced in late 2011, it also makes sense for developers to be focused on writing software that supports Android 4.0 or better. I’m not saying Android 2.3 devices shouldn’t be supported any longer — they still account for 39.8 percent of all Androids — but they’re older devices that are likely to be upgraded soon through a new hardware purchase. Developers will get the most bang for buck by targeting Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean devices.

The hardware cycle refresh and momentum from handset makers to deliver Android 4.0 or better on new phones is partly why I said in October we’d hit this tipping point in four to six months. Lo and behold, six months later, that’s where we are.

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Continue reading…

With consumers largely ignoring Windows RT so far, Microsoft (MSFT) may be considering cutting licensing fees to make Windows RT tablets cheaper and help them compete with low-cost Android tablets. Topeka Capital analyst Brian White has released a new research note claiming that Microsoft is planning to release a cheaper version of Windows RT that could result in “a 35-40% price reduction” in Windows RT tablets going forward. News that Microsoft plans to push low-cost Windows tablets comes after the company made some changes to its Windows 8 hardware certification guidelines last week that significantly lowered the minimum resolution requirements for devices, thus potentially paving the way for OEMs to make smaller 7-inch tablets.

Verizon has a new mid-range device coming soon and will offer the LG Lucid 2 for free on a new two-year contract. We reported the news yesterday and instead of the Lucid 2 being available in retail stores starting April 4, customers will only be able to order online with the phone making its way to physical stores in the coming weeks. The LG Lucid 2 is actually the Optimus F5 and for an entry-level smartphone, offers very reasonable specs.

• 4.3-inch IPS display at 960 x 540 (256 ppi)
• 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 64GB
• 5 megapixel rear-facing camera
• 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• 2,460 mAh battery

The Lucid 2 is also capable of being charged wirelessly with the wireless charging cover sold separately. For users who want to tap into their Verizon Mobile Share plan, mobile hotspot functionality is built-in as well.

Source: Verizon Wireless

Come comment on this article: Verizon Offering Dual-Core LG Lucid 2 For Free Starting April 4

Fiber deployments aren’t just good for the consumers — for small to medium-sized telcos they are also good for the bottom line, resulting in an average operating savings of 20 percent. The data, which came from a Fiber to the Home Council survey issued Tuesday, also noted that the number of homes that can access fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks increased by 17.6 percent over a year ago to 22.7 million.

The number of households connected with FTTH now stands at 9.7 million, an increase of more than 20 percent over April 2012.

Most of the cost savings associated with FTTH deployments came from an end to costly maintenance and down time on telco networks, which one would expect if you are going from an aging DSL network to a newer network. However, offering fiber also enabled these smaller and mid-sized telcos to offer TV offerings as well as faster speeds, which enables them to compete against cable or satellite providers.

While in North America the lion’s share of fiber to the home deployments are deployed by Verizon’s massive FiOS build out and a similar (but smaller) Bell Aliant roll out in Canada, the survey notes that over 600 smaller ISPs have deployed fiber to the home in some or all of their footprints and about 100 municipalities have also built out networks. It also found that more than 640,000 North American households now get 100 Mbps service through a FTTH network, and many of those connections offer the same speeds for both uploads and downloads.

Google Fiber in Kansas City and EPB Chattanooga in Tennessee both got a shout out in the release accompanying the survey for their gigabit connections. And for those wondering why their ISP would spend the money to deploy fiber to the home, it’s clearly something customers are warming up to — there’s a 44.8 percent take rate in homes passed — a number that is on the rise.

The survey was conducted for the council by RVA LLC and involved more than 350 telecommunications providers across North America.

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In a post earlier today, I took a look at what the new owners of the Orange County Register have been doing to try and revive the newspaper, based on a long interview I had with co-owner Eric Spitz — a list that includes the hardest of all paywalls, killing off most of the paper’s blogs, and doubling down on print as a source of revenue. Even though I disagree with their approach in almost every case, Spitz and his partner Aaron Kushner deserve some credit for putting their money (a substantial amount of it) where their mouths are.

I confess I’ve been rather fascinated with the Register ever since Spitz and his partner Aaron Kushner acquired it last year and almost immediately started implementing some fairly dramatic changes. Unlike some newspaper owners, they didn’t just start cutting costs to try and save money — the way Advance Publications has with newspapers like the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, for example (media analyst Ken Doctor has called Kushner the “anti-Advance”).

Serve your readers — everything else is secondary

Instead, Kushner and Spitz started spending money on the newspaper, pouring tens of millions of dollars into the Register newsroom — which is now a staggering 50 percent larger than it used to be — hiring reporters and editors, and launching almost a dozen new sections.

However you look at it, that’s a substantial commitment to the principle Spitz and Kushner operate on, which is that serving subscribers is the only thing that matters — not advertisers, not free readers on the web, not the “social conversation” around their content. Just readers who pay. In a sense, it’s a more extreme version of the philosophy that led Andrew Sullivan to launch a subscription-based site with no advertising (although Sullivan, who will be at our paidContent Live conference on April 17, allows for casual web reading).

As a number of media observers — including me — have pointed out, if you are going to put up a paywall, your content had better be exceptionally good. Spitz says he and Kushner are trying to boost the value they are offering to readers by putting resources into the paper (although whether enough people see that value in the same way remains to be seen).

A strong commitment to a vision

If you think of the media industry’s approach to the web as a spectrum, the Daily Mail is at one end, with a totally web-native and non-paywalled strategy: like BuzzFeed or any number of other web properties, the Mail is going to live or die based on viral content, millions of readers and digital advertising. The Orange County Register is at the complete opposite end: no free content whatsoever, a hard paywall and no interest in viral content or social media (readers can always email Register writers if they have something to say, Spitz told me).

To be clear, I think the anti-social aspects of what the Register is doing are bad — not just for the newspaper, but for society as a whole, since discussion around news events has public value, and engaging with readers has journalistic value. And I’m not sure I buy the argument that print-advertising revenue will rebound and even grow if the Register puts more money into the paper. I think the advertising industry is being disrupted just like the media industry is, and I’m not convinced the genie will go back in the bottle quite so easily.

That said, however, at least the Register isn’t trying to suck and blow at the same time, the way so many other newspapers are. Spitz and Kushner aren’t trying a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and hoping that they can be both web-native and print-focused at the same time — they are unabashedly committed to their view, and they are pouring everything they have into it, and that deserves some respect.

Post and thumbnail images courtesy of Shutterstock / Voronin76 and Flickr users 401K and George Kelly

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Investors continue to bet on databases that can handle large swaths and wide varieties of data. The latest proof point:  Deep Information Sciences on Tuesday said it has $10 million in new Series A funding to fuel what it calls a high-performing transactional and analytic database. Funding sources include Stage 1 Ventures, Robert Davoli and angel investors.

Based in Portsmouth, N.H., Deep rejects the usual SQL, NewSQL, NoSQL, columnar, streaming and in-memory terminology, preferring the term “general-purpose database.” It handles structured and unstructured data and claims to keep latency low for writes, reads and queries. It aims to efficiently use all the cores of available processors, whether on premise or in the cloud.

One customer, Global Relief Technologies, sped up the work of updating its database with DeepDB with data from employees who log information on their tablets. A process that once took more than a day now takes 17 minutes, according to a Deep spokeswoman.

Other companies offer databases that mix transactional and analytic capability, including SAP, with its HANA database, and JustOneDB. Deep, which has two commercial customers, responds to the differentiation question by claiming DeepDB performed better in tests for many use cases. In one test, it reportedly blew through 1.72 million transactions per second, compared with 32,000 per second in MySQL using the InnoDB storage engine.

The <a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/01/08/idc-says-big-data-will-be-24b-market-in-2016-i-say-its-bigger/"willingness to spend on big data has set the stage for a large pool of database providers, and many claim they have unique products. At the end of the day, it could be that enterprises will want multiple types of databases for multiple purposes. If that’s the case, Deep will need to add customers and use cases demonstrating that DeepDB can beat existing options in the transactional market as well as the hot analytic space.

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