Posts Tagged ‘Android’
Fitbit now syncs to Galaxy S 4, broader Android device support is coming
Author: Alexander McQueen
The state of Fitbit wireless syncing is far from ideal for Android users, but the company’s latest step is proof that it’s slowly getting better. Today, Fitbit updated its Android app to bring wireless syncing to the Galaxy S 4, which follows a previous update for the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. According to Fitbit’s blog, its difficulty in supporting more devices stems from software differences on various Android smartphones, which causes trouble regardless of whether the device includes Bluetooth 4.0. On the upside, just yesterday, the Bluetooth SIG announced that Android will gain support for Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart devices in the coming months, which Fitbit reckons will solve much of the compatibility issues that it and other device manufacturers have faced. So, if you have a Galaxy S 4, take the opportunity to get syncing your fitness data today — it won’t be long before other Android devices get to join in the fun.
Filed under: Misc, Software, Mobile
Source: Fitbit
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NVIDIA’s Shield Mobile Gaming System Feels Like The Way Android Games Should Be Played
Author: Brian McKinnell
NVIDIA brought its new Shield handheld gaming system to Google I/O this year, and was showing off a near production device. The Shield made its debut at CES this year, surprising most since it’s a consumer handheld device from a company that generally makes internal components, but it has some neat tricks up its sleeve, including a Tegra 4 chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 720p display and 16GB of internal storage.
The Shield units available at I/O this week were all running Android and showing off Android games with hardware controller support, and none were demoing the PC game streaming NVIDIA announced would be coming to Shield as a beta when it comes to retail in June.
My experience with the NVIDIA was limited to just a few games, including the Epic Citadel demo that always gets trotted out to demonstrate amazing graphics capabilities on mobile devices. There were also a couple playable cart racers in action, and all of the above performed well and really showed that the hardware is capable of rendering high-quality video smoothly and without any apparent effort. For a device that’s essentially a smartphone without the actual phone powers, but with more physical buttons for $ 349, that’s an important achievement to be able to claim.
Shield does its Android job well, and the hardware feels great to these gamer’s hands. Buttons are slightly clicky and the ergonomics are solid, and the thing doesn’t take up too much more space than an Xbox controller when the screen is folded down and it’s in travel mode. There’s mini-HDMI, which was outputting gameplay to a small HD television, and a micro-USB slot for charging. The onboard screen boasts “retinal” quality 294 PPI pixel density, which means video and games look silky smooth.
Maybe the best part is that Nvidia has gone for a pretty near stock Android Jelly Bean experience, which a rep from the company told me was a conscious choice they made after first trying a more involved widget overlay that ended up making for a much less pleasant experience. Navigating the stock Android with hardware controls (you can also always use the touchscreen) is also surprisingly intuitive.
All that said, this is a strange device with a market that’s probably going to be pretty niche. Really, it almost seems like a reference device designed to show off the power of Tegra, but Nvidia is actually shipping the thing, so those of us like me who actually have a hankering for this kind of hardware will really be able to buy it, even if it doesn’t become a runaway success.
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5.0″ Multi-Touch Screen Android 4.1 Dual Sim TV WiFi Mobile Smart Cell Phone 5MP
Author: Angela Stephens
Motorola Droid 2 Global A956 Android Bluetooth 5MP Verizon Touch Cell Phone
 | $45.95 End Date: Sunday Jun-16-2013 22:50:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: $45.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
10 inch Ainol Novo Hero 2 Quad Core Dual Camera Android 4.1 Tablet Pc
 | $149.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday May-21-2013 23:01:06 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
Unlocked HTC Inspire 4G PD98120 AT&T Android WiFi GPS 8MP Camera Cell Phone
 | $149.95 End Date: Thursday May-23-2013 10:20:05 PDT Buy It Now for only: $149.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
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Google To Begin Offering Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 With Stock Android For $649 On June 26
Author: Tyler Evans
Google is offering a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, arguably one of the top current Android devices, with Jelly Bean 4.2 unlocked on Google Play beginning June 26, the company revealed at I/O today. The news is big because it’s the first non-Nexus device to get blessed with this opportunity, and Google says it will be updated in time with all other Nexus devices.
The Galaxy S4 will cost $ 649 with no contract, and will be usable on both AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S., Google said today. At that price it isn’t exactly cheap, but people are probably willing to pay for an untouched Android experience on some of the most powerful smartphone hardware available.
The S4 is not only carrier unlocked, but it also has a fully unlocked bootloader. That means that owners of the device can load their own software on to the device, including things like CyanogenMod, which allows for extremely deep device software customization options. In other words, this new unlocked S4 will essentially be the ultimate developer plaything, but again it’s likely to have more or less niche appeal because of the high price tag.
What’s interesting about this is that Samsung emphasized all its software additions to the stock Android experience at the Galaxy S4 launch event, and this is basically stripping all that away. Reviewers seemed more or less overwhelmed by Samsung’s software smorgasbord, so this might result in a much better device overall.
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Verizon offers VMware Horizon Mobile virtual workspace to Android users
Author: Matthew Baker
We’d heard talk long, long ago of Verizon hooking up with VMware for a virtual workspace on its smartphones, and we can at last say that it’s more than just chatter. Starting today, Verizon’s business customers can buy VMware’s Horizon Mobile for their Android devices. The solution gives corporate phones a common desktop with encrypted apps, data and policies that can’t be touched from the device’s regular environment. While this puts the Verizon-VMware partnership in competition with the likes of BlackBerry Secure Work Space and Samsung Knox, it won’t be a perfect match for those services: the two companies are asking $ 125 per person for Horizon Mobile, and the initial device support is oddly limited to the LG Intuition and Motorola Droid RAZR M (neither is pictured here). Nonetheless, the deal might be a good fit for companies that would rather tie their phones to a single carrier than any one hardware manufacturer.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Verizon, LG
Source: VMware
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EA working on ‘Frostbite Go’ game engine for Android and iOS
Author: Nancy Kennedy
EA has long been said to be working on a mobile version for its Frostbite engine, and now the company has posted information about the effort online. The Frostbite page officially reveals the existence of Frostbite Go, a “mobile division” meant to allow Frostbite-based games. While it says the Frostbite Go project will target “all major mobile platforms,” only iOS and Android are mentioned specifically. The company was hiring mobile developers last year, and an EA / Dice project manager mentioned a mobile team called Frostbite Go in April. Epic — whose mobile version of Unreal Engine 3 powers popular iOS game Infinity Blade — has long led the pack in bringing AAA engines to mobile platforms, but EA and Crytek have both previously…
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Leaf unveils next-gen LeafPresenter Android POS tablet for taking payments
Author: Tiffany Shoman
You’re at a coffee shop or restaurant and it’s time to pay for your sustenance. After reaching for your wallet, you’re presented with… an Android tablet? This particular scenario is taking place more and more often as small businesses are taking their point-of-sale systems mobile, and Leaf is one of the big contenders battling for market share in this industry. Its signature product, known as the LeafPresenter, is an Android-based tablet with a funky lip on the top right that allows for mag-stripe credit card transactions. While the first-gen version of the device has been out for some time, Leaf is ready to branch out later this summer with a new model that offers more functionality.
In addition to a newer forked version of Android (Leaf OS), the upcoming LeafPresenter throws in NFC, EMV and gift card support, as well as a 2MP front-facing camera, 1,280×800 display and better battery. Last but not least, the new device also includes support for a Leaf-branded third-party app store geared toward small business usage. While there’s no specific cost to the tablet itself, business owners will need to fork over $ 50 per month for the opportunity to use it. Check the press release after the break for more.
Filed under: Tablets, Wireless, Mobile
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HTC Windows RT Tablets and Android 4.3
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Rumor Roundup: HTC Windows RT Tablets and Android 4.3 Give Netflix a try for 30 days: http://www.netflix.com/buffalo Jon R is back to tackle the biggest tech…
Video Rating: 4 / 5
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PayPal’s new Android SDK offers multiple in-app payment options
Author: Margo Tipton
PayPal just announced a new Android SDK for developers. Previously released for iOS, the kit lets app devs integrate mobile payments via both PayPal and credit card. As the mockup above demonstrates, it’s very straightforward — and we’re pretty sure that’s the point. The SDK will support Android 2.2 (Froyo) and up when it becomes available to US developers on May 15th.
Filed under: Mobile
Via: The Next Web
Source: PayPal
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Hulu Plus for Android update improves player UI, expands compatibility
Author: Jade Kim
The Hulu Plus app for Android has a new update, and the most noticeable change is that its player UI to closer match the one on its website and in iOS. It also brings features from those platforms like 10 second skip back and a preview thumbnail in the scrub bar. Hulu also claims it’s rebuilt “for optimized awesomeness” with reduced buffering, better playback, and more device compatibility. Finally, in a move that should make plugging in your HDMI-out a little easier, it supports remote control navigation from game controllers and “similar peripherals.” A picture of the new UI is above, check out the old version after the break or just hit the source link to try it out for yourself.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile
Source: Google Play
