All about android

PowerA intros a pair of new MOGA gaming controllers for Android

2013-08-28T20:24:00.000+05:30

PowerA announced on Monday that a pair of new MOGA gaming controllers will be available starting in October. The Moga Hero Power and Moga Pro Power controller both feature a new MOGA Boost technology which will provide players with some power to juice up their smartphones while playing games. You can’t spend your entire lunch break playing Asphalt without impacting your battery.

The Moga Hero Power is essentially a beefed up version of the standard (Moga Pocket) controller while theMoga Pro Power is the same for the Moga Pro. Pricing looks to be $30 above the current generation; pre-orders are offered now with shipping expected in “mid-October”.

This Week in Android: Aug 19th – 25th

2013-08-26T21:32:00.000+05:30

If you’ve been having trouble with your Nexus 7′s multitouch display or have a hankering for comparison shopping while you’re wearing Google Glass, this week might have brought you some answers and solutions. Let’s jump in and take a look at the week’s best news in Android!
Nexus 7 Update Solves Multitouch Complaints

Google has released a software update for the 2013 model of the Nexus 7 in an effort to address complaints about malfunctioning multitouch detection on the device. Complaints about the device had originally described “phantom presses” on the display, multitouch events being registered that weren’t the result of user action.

The update began gradually rolling out to Nexus 7s on August 22nd and early reports have been positive.

Users had reported malfunctioning multitouch on Google’s recently-updated Nexus 7s.
Future Chrome for Android Updates

Google released the beta version of Chrome 30 for Android this week, bringing a number of significant additions and updates to the app.

For the user, the update introduces searching by images — using your default search provider — by long-pressing on them in the browser, in an attempt to simplify the previous method that required uploading the phone. New gestures have also been introduced, allowing you to perform simple actions like swiping across the toolbar to switch tabs and drag-selecting from the menu.

Chrome 30′s updates are already available through Google’s beta channel, and should be rolled out to all users soon.

On the developer side of things, Chrome 30 introduces WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D and 2D graphics in the browser, DeviceMotion Events, an API named MediaSource for generating adaptable media streams for playback and a variety of additional changes, detailed on the Chromium Blog.
More Google Glass Apps Released

Google Glass received some new apps of note this week, enhancing the feature-set of Google’s wearable computing product.

The product now supports a Field Trip app, showing contextual information about local points of interests when travelling. The app, which originally appeared on Android and iOS, uses a notification-esque system to deliver information about nearby attractions such as dining options, architectural sights and historic locations.

The Field Trip app on Google Glass.

VentureBeat featured another app which allows users to scan barcodes with Glass to research prices and product information online, in a similar way to traditional comparison shopping.
Other Updates
Samsung announced this week that the Galaxy Mega 6.3, a 6.3-inch device with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, will be brought to LTE carriers in the US. AT&T, Sprint and US Cellular are set to carry the device, with AT&T already doing so at $149.99 with a two-year contract.
The HTC One mini has gone on sale in the US through AT&T. The 4.3-inch device with Android 2.2.2 on a 1.4GHz dual-core processor will retail with the carrier for $99.99 with new two-year agreements.
The highly-customisable flagship handset from Motorola, the Moto X, will not be able to be engraved by customers as previously announced. Although this seems like a temporary issue, Motorola puts its reasoning down to difficulty of production and lacking quality.
Google has introduced realtime incident reports from Waze into the Google Maps for Android app. Reports of accidents, road closures, construction work and other events generated through the Waze community will show up on maps in the UK, US, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Switzerland.
Following legal action, Motorola has agreed to retire the Xoom brand, a title given to some of Motorola’s earliest tablet efforts.
Google updated its note-taking app Keep this week, introducing reminders with alerts. The update has already begun rolling out.

Indian school kids to design Android apps

2013-08-26T21:28:00.000+05:30

School students in the age group of 10-13 years will design mobile applications on Android platform in a countrywide contest.

"Students from schools across the country will participate in the first all-India Android mobile applications (app) design competition," Global Discovery Academy's chief product officer Vipul Redey said Bangalore Saturday.

"The contest has been designed to develop the thought process of students by exploring and generating their own unique concepts," Redey said.

The students will also compete in creating problem-solving applications in the areas of social concerns like environment, education, health, nutrition and civic amenities.

The criterion to participate is knowledge of computers and internet applications. The academy will provide training on mobile phone programming.

"We believe in leveraging technology as a tool to enhance conventional teaching and encourage students to ideate, explore and learn through exposure than rote-learning," Redey asserted.

In the three-stage contest, a participant has to describe to the academy by Sep 1 the app he/she will design and develop to serve a specific social cause, its functionality and user engagement.

In the second stage, a student has to submit a prototype of the mobile app to the academy for programme.

"Selected finalists will present the app idea and prototype at a special event in New Delhi and winners will be decided by a panel of judges on basis of creativity, effectiveness of the app and ease of its use," Redey added.

Samsung still top Android smartphone maker, but missing target on tablets

2013-08-24T21:14:00.001+05:30

According to the latest data Android users prefer smartphones rather than tablets. A new report by Flurry shows that only 12 percent of Android devices are tablets. In comparison, some 28 percent of Apple devices are either an iPad or an iPad mini, and only 72 percent are iPhones. Apple’s biggest rival is of course Samsung and while Samsung is still King of the Android smartphone market, the company does seem to be struggling with its tablets. Samsung’s smartphone/tablet ratio is less than the overall Android average and way less than Apple’s. The new data shows that while 91 percent of Samsung’s Android powered devices are smartphones only 9 percent are tablets.
For a company as large and successful as Samsung this is surprising as really it should be leading the way in Android tablets. Of course there is lots of competition in the tablet market and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab range competes with the likes of Google (with its Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 offerings) and with Amazon (and its Kindle Fire line-up). Pricing is always a key factor but so is specification and at the moment the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 beat Samsung’s offerings hands-down.

Flurry
The new report also looks at the amount of time spent using different types of apps. Android tablets owners spend 64 percent more time using apps than Android smartphone users. But smartphone users, on average, spend five times as much time using Business apps compared to tablet users. However education and gaming apps are favored more by tablet users than smartphone owners.
As for Samsung smartphone owners, they spend 14 percent more time using apps than owners of other Android smartphones, while Samsung tablet owners spend 10 percent more time using apps than other Android tablet owners. Does this mean that Samsung owners have more time on their hands? Well it might be so, because according to Flurry owners of Samsung tablets spend more time than other Android tablet users using communication apps like voice over IP and texting!

This hack lets you run Facebook Home on any Android device

2013-08-21T14:07:00.001+05:30

That was quick. Mere hours after Facebook Home arrived on Google Play, the launcher has been modified to remove the device-specific limitation. This means you can use the latest Facebook service on any Android device.
The brilliant hackers at XDA Developers have done it again. This particular hack was performed by XDA Senior Member theos0o; who provides details and download links here.
If you plan to do this, please be warned that you are taking the risk and could potentially break something, which would be entirely your fault. If you’re okay with that, the instructions are as follows:

Uninstall original Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Facebook Home if you already have them. If Facebook is pre-installed on your device, you may need root access to remove it.
Download the modified Facebook Home and optionally Facebook Messenger. Extract the .rar file.
Install the official Facebook app (com.facebook.katana), then the Facebook Home launcher (com.facebook.home), and then the Facebook Messenger app (com.facebook.orca).
Enable Facebook Home under the Facebook app settings. Reboot your device.
If you face any issues, reboot into recovery and wipe the Dalvik cache.

Right now, Facebook Home officially only works on the following devices: HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and the HTC First (the first device to come pre-loaded with Home). Facebook says that the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have the service in the future, but has not announced other devices yet.
This hack required a bit of modding of the APK files, but that’s it. Both rooted and unrooted phones can take advantage of the port.
XDA users have been reporting the modified version works just fine (there have been almost 300 replies in the thread so far). That being said, you of course shouldn’t expect performance to be optimized for your particular device if it’s not one of those listed above.
If you prefer having official support, it’s unclear how long you’ll have to wait as Facebook has not offered a timeframe for adding more devices. Then again, you might not be missing out on much right now as Home isn’t getting quite the welcome Facebook probably hoped for.

Top 5 must have games for Android

2013-08-20T20:51:00.001+05:30

Got a smartphone; get these games and enjoy

Times are changing-most people have moved from notebooks to tablets, which are thinner, lighter and much more fashion friendly than even the slimmest and most expensive notebook computers.

Well, since tablets have started becoming mainstream many developers have started turning their focus towards creating an application for the tablet and we can see a large number of friendly apps.

So here we have a collection of five must have games for anyone with an Android tablet. These games include different genres of gaming and all of them are free.

Cut The Rope

Cut The Rope is a physics-based game where you have to maneuver the candy to feed the green character called Om Nom. The game has nine different types of box with multiple levels inside each box. The different boxes include Cardboard, Fabric, Foil, and Magic Box, to name a few.

The puzzles in this game are pretty different and based on simpler physics, which makes the gameplay interesting and challenging at times.

The gameplay requires the player to collect all the stars from each level and eventually feed the candy to the Om Nom character. The supporting elements in each level are some key elements meant to be used with precise timing and super delicate control in order to manipulate the candy to take the stars. The ropes, bubbles and air pumps need to be chopped, popped and tapped respectively to maneuver the candy.

Dead Trigger

The world suffered a massive blow from the killer zombie making virus and now you and the other survivors are trying to make ends meet by simply shooting and killing the zombies who meet you on the way, while you perform day to day tasks. The tasks include collecting supplies, safeguarding or barricading doors, travelling and many more exciting things. But, ultimately, all you need is point, aim and shoot and bam there goes a zombie with its head exploding in full gory.

The game has been optimized for Nvidia Tegra 3 devices, which have additional effects such as water and ragdoll that you get if you kill a zombie while it is perched on top of the stairs or by simply pushing it somehow. But most modern day devices with enough processing and graphics muscle will be able to take advantage of its high definition graphics.

Users get to earn daily rewards in the form of casino poker chips that can be played for jackpot prizes. There are plenty of upgrades and improvements that keep the game exciting and the number of missions is more than one handle.

Temple Run 2

Temple Run needs no introduction but for starters it is an endless game where the character just runs accumulating coins, increasing the score and defying the ever increasing difficulty of obstacles by sliding, turning and jumping to stay away from tripping and being killed by demonic monkeys.

In Temple Run 2, the essence of the first version of the game is kept intact, but the graphics, sound work and even the difficulty have been improved a lot along with exciting new game play elements. Apart from the regular hill run, there has been a mine run also added to the game where the character has to maneuver the mine trolley or cart by tilting and steering to safety by ducking.

Players can get upgrades such as Shield to protect themselves from obstacles, Boost to overpower the demonic monkeys while running and Coin Magnet for getting all the coins attracted to each other.

Real Racing 3

Car racing game lovers, this one is especially for you. Electronic Arts's popular real racing HD freemium game for Android-Real Racing 3.

Real Racing 3 has been developed by Firemonkeys and is one of the best racing games in terms of graphics. Apart from fun car and racing bits, the game also brings along Time Shift multiplayer gaming that allows the user to compete with fellow individuals and friends over the network.

The game has been developed ground up for the free to play model. It offers 46 licensed vehicles that cover three different classes, real world tracks, and over 900 events. The company plans to add more free content in the next update for Android.

All in all the game is a must have for those devices that can play it as it has slightly higher graphic requirements; but is ultimately fun to play and a great way to entertain oneself.

Arcane Legend

If you like playing online with your friends and family then the game Arcane Legends is a great addition to your gaming arsenal. Arcane Legends is a free to play fantasy adventure game. Take on the role of a deadly rogue warrior with the strength of arms to protect and devastate enemies while getting help from the sorcerer who wields elemental fury and aids companions in their quests.

This is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), allowing players to connect all over the globe, and it has an in-game chat for easy communication among players.

As you defeat enemies and destroy evil, you will unlock special abilities and find new pets that you may customize to suit your play style. During your travels, you will also find rare treasures and gear that will help you go farther and fight stronger enemies.

iOS 7 vs ANDROID 5.0(lime pie):The Battle Between Apple and Android Gets Even More Competitive

2013-08-20T18:07:00.001+05:30

Google has recently been developing the new ANDROID 5.0 key lime pie operating system. The release date according to TechBeasts.com is expected to be October 2013. With the recent release of Apple iOS 7 and its expected unveiling in fall featuring its tweaks to make the User Interface more beautiful and receptive to the user's wishes Android has a lot of catching up to do with its OS.

Google's OS's have been plagued with flaws and riddled with holes for viruses to creep in to the user's device; however Apple has been able to boast being nearly inaccessible to viruses and other flaws. This comes as a great advantage in the iOS 7 that recently came out as many feel a lot safer with Apple than Android in terms of virus, crash rates, and bug report occurrences among users. Still this doesn't hold back Google, with much more experience under their belts and many corrections of past mistakes, the new key lime pie OS is expected to be flawless for its users.

With the first device with the new key lime pie OS to be released this year with the release of Samsung Galaxy note III, the competition between Apple and Google will be heating up for the title of the best software, UI, and functionality of the tech using the software. Although Google has had its fair amount of scraped knees with its previous OS it aims to please with this new desert, but will it be able to contend against the already great iOS 7 that Apple has released to the public already to be unveiled in fall? The user's will decide soon this year upon the release of the new software.

The expected features according to techbeasts.com will be:
Performance Profiles:
-Different profiles for different times of the day; I.E. Sleeping, gaming, unwanted phone calls
Better multiple device support:
-Going from device to device will be easier in maintaining functionality; If you buy an app at the Playstore it will be on all your other devices as well.
Better Line-drawing keyboard:
-Many Android users are familiar with the rather hard to use Swype software as it can be horrible at predicting words, but google plans to make a much better and easier version of the software
Video chat app:
-Already installed video chatting app
Multi-contact select:
-Finally relief in sending texts to multiple friends, no longer do you have to search for the names individually
Cross-device SMS sync
-you will be able to back up your sms to your gmail and be able to access it on multiple devices.

special thanks to techbeasts.com

How to locate your misplaced android phone!!!!!

2013-08-20T17:45:00.001+05:30

Often we misplace our phone. If you muted the ring, then you can't even call from another phone to locate it.A lot of this happen with my wt19i That's when Android Device Manager comes in handy. Go to google.com/android/devicemanager. The site will automatically connect to your phone and display a message like: "Last located at 6:42 PM; jahangirabad bus stop,bhopal , India - Accurate to 354 meters. Last used August 14, 2013". To locate the device, click on Ring. The device will ring at full volume for 5 minutes. You have to press the power button to stop it ringing.

TOP 5 FREE MEDIA PLAYERS FOR ANDROID

2013-08-20T08:32:00.002+05:30

Helping you choose the best multimedia application that you must have on your android device.

If you are looking forward to enjoying videos on your mobile phone you would be needing media players to run them. Here are the top 5 media players for Android devices.

All these application are available free of cost from the Play Store and there are no charges associated with the usage of these applications as well.

Real Player

Real Player from Real Networks is one of the most popular and feature rich media players available as of today. It offers media playback for audio files, video, images and even network streaming all rolled in to one.

Real Player is the best way to search, discover and play online and on-device videos on your Android device. The application supports nine languages and popular features include online video search, an intuitive user interface, widgets, equalizer, lastFM scrobbling, metadata editing and optimized graphics for high-res devices as well.

The player lets users control their media even while the device is locked and the app supports media control keys in accessories as well. Users can select and save custom equalizers as well as use cross fading between music files for seamless enjoyment

VLC Media Player - Beta

Currently, Google Play Store offers several video playback apps that are standalone or dependent on certain codec packages for playback but VLC player application comes with integrated support for codecs. It thereby provides better video playback than most video players without the need for downloading codecs for different video formats.

Along with that VLC player also supports hardware acceleration as well and is very light on system resources, thus enabling faster playback.

VLC player application supports Android devices running version 2.1 up till Android 4.0, and it runs on most device hardware. This app is in beta phase and might have a few bugs

Dice Player

Dice Player for Android comes in as an all round media player alternative for users that offers a powerhouse of compatibility for applications. It also offers the ability to play content from storage in your local network or from an external USB storage device as well. The application with its integrated codecs runs most media file formats easily.

To offer more exciting usage the application allows for pop out playback as well. This way users can watch their favorite video while working on a document, or while checking out and email as well. It is especially useful for users having a 5 inch or bigger screen device.

The application works on all devices based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich version 2.2 and above. It comes with a pro version as well so users can check the free app and if they like they can get the pro version. Interested users can visit Google Play Store and get the application for their device.

Winamp

As one of the most popular music players on Windows it is also enjoyable on Android. To surprise many, the Winamp music player supports iTunes library import.

By default, Winamp is capable of playing a large variety of music files. For internet radio enthusiasts, there is a SHOUT cast feature for different online music stations. The developers offer a few luxurious features such as in-app purchases.

Lyrics, Album Washer and Pro bundle are three different in-app purchases offered just in case you want to enjoy all features and use it with your desktop client. The Winamp Pro bundle unlocks a 10 band equalizer, gapless playback, and most importantly, it removes ads. This music player also comes with two nice widgets that can be stamped on the home screen to control music.

QQ Player

QQ player is the prefect tool when it comes to video playback on Android. The QQ player supports all popular audio/video formats without any conversion so all you need to do is get the video on you device and just play it. Its smart core technology automatically detects formats and optimizes playback and result in better quality videos.

The QQ Player also supports swipe gestures for easy media playback control. The Player also supports private playlist: the user can save his favorite playlist and protect it from other users if need be and enjoy his favorite media all at once.

By default, the QQ Player supports all the popular video formats in the market, including AVI, FLV, MP4, 3GP, MKV and MOV. In addition, QQ Player also supports SRT, SMI plug-in subtitle and MKV embedded subtitle, as well as multiple audio tracks switching.

5 full-HD smartphones you can buy starting Rs. 14,999

2013-08-20T00:24:00.003+05:30

Smartphone shipments are expected to reach 1 billion in the year 2013, as per estimates by research firm IDC. The growing popularity of smartphone also means that an increasing number of people will be consuming media and news through their pocketable devices.
For enjoying multimedia content on their smartphones, users will be looking to have a device that has a great display. In the last one year, there have been plenty of full-HD smartphones launched to satisfy this need of consumers.
Here is our list of top full-HD smartphones that are currently available in Indian market.

1) Wickedleak Wammy Passion Z
Price: Rs. 14,990

Wickedleak Wammy Passion Z is currently the most affordable full-HD smartphone available in the Indian market. As far as the specifications for Wickedleak Wammy Passion Z go, the smartphone packs in Cortex A7 quad-core processor, which is capable of clocking speeds to the tunes of 1.2GHz. The smartphone also has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded by up to 64GB via a microSD card.
Wickedleak Wammy Passion Z comes with a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. It is a dual-SIM smartphone and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). For camera, there is a 12-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and BSI sensor. The smartphone also comes with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

2) Lemon A4
Price: Rs. 17,999.

Indian smartphone maker, Lemon has launched A4 smartphone, which comes with 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) IPS display. Lemon A4 is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 16GB of internal storage and can be further expanded by up to 64GB.
The smartphone is just 8.5mm thick runs on Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean). For camera, Lemon A4 packs in a 13.1-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. Lemon A4 is a dual-SIM with dual standby. The other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and aGPS. Lemon A4 packs in an 1,850mAh battery.

3) Lenovo K900
Rs. 32,999

The Lenovo K900 packs in 5.5-inch 1080p IPS capacitive touch display. The device packs in Intel Atom Z2580 2GHz dual-core processor clocking in at 2GHz, along with 2GB RAM and offers 16GB of internal storage. It has a non-removable 2500 mAh battery.
The phablet comes with 13-megapixel rear camera with a new Sony Exmor BSI sensor and a 2-megapixel front camera. It ships with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) on.

4) Sony Xperia Z
Rs. 38,990

Sony Xperia Z features a 5-inch full-HD display (1080x1920). The smartphone runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Internally, it packs in a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. For camera, there is a 13-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera.
The Xperia Z is also IP55 and IP57 certified, which makes it water and dust resistant smartphone. It comes with 2,330mAh battery. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.

5) Samsung Galaxy S4
Price: Rs. 41,500

Samsung Galaxy S4 is yet another 5-inch full-HD smartphone in the Indian market. This smartphone has a pixel density of 441ppi. Samsung Galaxy S4 is powered by 1.6GHz Exynos octa-core processor and comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
It sports a 13-megapixels rear shooter and a 2-megapixel one on the front. The Galaxy S4 also offers more camera features including dual-shot, employing the use of both front and back camera, an eraser shot mode to remove people from photos, and a Cinemagram like feature called Cinema Photo, among several other tricks.

How to manage popup notifications on Whatsapp on Android

2013-08-19T18:49:00.001+05:30

Follow these simple steps to manage popup notification from WhatsApp on your device.

WhatsApp is a great tool for communicating that offers ease of use as well as a cost effective alternative to SMS as well. But the popup notification feature of WhatsApp might be useful for many and irritating for others. So here are simple step by step instructions on how you can enable or disable WhatsApp popup notifications on your Android device.

Step 1

Access the WhatsApp application from within your device's application menu or from the home screen where the app icon is placed.

Step 2

Once inside the application access the options menu. It can be accessed by pressing the options key on your smartphone. If you have a tablet then the same is located on the extreme upper right hand side of the device, denoted by three dots. From the popup menu select settings to proceed further

Step 3

Once the settings sub menu opens select the notifications tab. Here, settings related to popup behavior and notifications related to WhatsApp are located. Do not change any settings unless you completely understand what effect it might have on your device or application.

Step 4

From the following options select the popup notification tab. Again do not unnecessarily modify other settings

Step 5

The device will show a popup with in total of 4 options. The first will give no notification, the second options will offer notifications when the display is on. The third option will give notifications only when the display is off, and the last option will keep giving pop up notifications all the time.

Once you have selected the desired action exit the settings and although it's not necessary, a quick device reboot will allow the options to take effect more efficiently

The five reasons why Android is killing Apple

2013-08-19T18:06:00.002+05:30

Despite Apple’s best attempts to rejuvenate its stale software, and for all it’s glitz and glamour, I don’t believe that iOS 7 will change the current balance of power. My reasoning: because it fails to address key issues which separate Apple and Android.

I know some people will argue that Apple isn’t interested in the same markets as Android, and that it’s not the company’s goal to try and please everyone, which is fair enough. But my rebuttal is that the technology industry is brutal; it’s survival of the fittest, and those who don’t adapt will fall by the wayside.

So, in no particular order, here are my top five reasons for Android’s success over Apple:

1 – Hardware diversity

Android has a range of manufacturers producing a range of products. Without a central company dictating when new top of the line phones are released, Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc, are available to offer the very highest spec products as soon as new technologies become available, offering the best top of the line devices to consumers. We’ve seen over the course of just three months, faster and more powerful smartphones than ever before, whilst Apple is still stuck on last generation hardware technologies.

2 – Competition and innovation

But it’s not just a battle between Google and Apple, each manufacturer utilizing the Android operating system is in direct competition with everyone else, which had led to a much faster pace in innovation. There’s a distinct advantage in offering consumers something which they can’t get anywhere else — look at the recent top of the line Samsung and HTC products, the Galaxy S4 and the One, for example.

3 – Open source, free market system

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of Android’s strength stem from its open nature, which allows third parties to do what they want with the platform in order to offer consumers products which they would like to use. This has seen Android leap ahead of iOS in recent years, and has helped the platform capture larger and larger shares of the smartphone and tablet markets, but it’s also spun off a range of entirely new products.

4 – Strong developer community

This brings us neatly onto the next point, a strong and ever growing developer community.
We all know that there are a variety of custom ROMs for a start, each offering unique features, porting the default Android experience to handset which would otherwise go without, and some aiming to improve system performance. ROMs like CyanogenMod have proven hugely popular because of their punctual updates for handsets which otherwise would go without the latest versions of Android, and others like Paranoid Android are intent on innovating on the default Android experience.

5 – The Google ethos

Many of the reasons Android is doing so well listed above don’t really have anything to do with Google, but that isn’t to say that the company isn’t pulling its weight. Google has created a range of free applications which improve the users experience over the default operating system, and it’s constantly trying out new ideas and scrapping old ones which don’t work.

Latest Beta Of Facebook For Android Allows Home Users To Control Music Apps Directly Via Cover Feed

2013-08-19T16:56:00.003+05:30

The latest version of the Facebook for Android beta application includes an intriguing new feature, giving users of its Home Android overlay the ability to control music apps they are using directly via their lock screens.

Facebook described the new feature in a post for the Facebook for Android Beta Testers group, and TechCrunch elaborated further, saying that apps including Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, and Rdio can be controlled via notifications atop users’ Cover Feeds.

According to TechCrunch, users with Cover Feed activated will see double-tall notifications that feature the album artwork, artists, and songs being played by music apps, and tapping those notifications will enable users to pause songs, or skip to the next or previous tracks.

The social network is likely testing the feature in the hopes that it will encourage mobile users to stay on Facebook by eliminating the need for them to launch their music apps to control what they are listening to.

Other changes in the new beta version of Facebook’s Android app include:

    Some stickers are now animated, including Pusheen, Beast, and Anooki wave, dance, and wiggle.
    A bug that caused album covers to display, instead of photos selected by users, was corrected.
    Viewing photos in full-screen should no longer crash the app.

Contacts+ for Android Is One of the Best Contact Managers We've Used

2013-08-19T14:54:00.002+05:30

Android: Contacts+ is one of the most useful address books we've seen. It combines photos with information from all your connected services: Google and Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. One tap opens a contact card, another calls or emails a friend, and a few more catches you up with their digital lives.

Your contacts are all shown with their portrait photo next to them (synced from Google+ or Facebook), and you can toggle groups and favorites so you only see the people that matter to you. Contacts+ features an integrated dialer, so you can browse and call right from within the app. The app will even merge duplicate contacts to keep everything organized. In addition to the services above, the app supports geolocation via Foursquare and text messages through WhatsApp. You can tap on any of the icons on the left side of the screen to see your friends' latest updates on any connected service.

Contacts+ also has a home screen widget for quick browsing and calling, displays your contacts in a photo grid or a traditional list, features light and dark themes you can switch between, and even alerts you to your friends' birthdays so you remember to give them a call or send them a message.

The app works just as well on Android tablets as it does on phones, and has an optimized tablet version for large screens. Best of all, the app is totally free. Hit the link below to give it a try.

Contacts+ (Free) | Google Play.

BBM COMING TO ANDROID IN SEPTEMBER

2013-08-19T07:26:00.000+05:30

BBM MESSENGER COMING TO ANDROID IN SEPTEMBER

BlackBerry on Tuesday announced that BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), one of the most-used features on the company's phones, would be available on Android devices and iPhones in the month of september. The BBM app for iPhones and Android devices will be available for free.

BBM, one of the key features that helped make BlackBerry phones popular, has lost much of its charm in the recent years due to its lack of support for iPhones and Androids. Instead, services like WhatsApp and Nimbuzz that run on almost all available smartphone platforms have become more popular. In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to use BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as have the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.

On Android, BBM will be available on all devices running Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich or newer version of the OS.

"It's time to bring BBM to a greater audience no matter what mobile device they carry," said BB CEO Thorsten Heins.

"For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We're excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community," said Andrew Bocking, executive vice president, software product management and ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

BlackBerry hopes that by making BBM available on Android devices and iPhones it will be able to draw more users to the service. Once a rage among BlackBerry users, BBM is nowadays mostly used business users as they perceive it to be more secure compared to other instant messaging services.

BBM has over 60 million active users. BlackBerry claims that of these 60 million users, almost51 million people use the service daily.

On Tuesday, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year.

Configure Android smartphones remotely using Zikk

2013-08-17T21:49:00.001+05:30

Today's smartphones are nifty little gadgets that can do all kinds of cool things – play music, take pictures, record video, run apps and what not. But for people who are new to modern tech, getting the hang of these handsets can be a bit difficult. That's why apps like Zikk exist.

Zikk is a simple, easy-to-use application that allows one Android smartphone to configure another Android handset remotely. For the purpose, both devices have to have Zikk installed, of course. Once the connection between the two is established, the user who is providing assistance may remove or download free apps, edit contact details, create reminders and alarms, connect to Wi-Fi networks, modify display and sound settings on the remotely controlled phone, and more. According to the software's developer, the process is secure so none of the personal information of the two parties is at risk.

At this time, Zikk is still in beta so it might not work perfectly, although it should be compatible with most Android smartphones running version 2.2 or higher of the platform. Compatibility with Android tablets is coming in the near future, and we hope to see support for even more settings added soon.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zikk.alpha <- CLICK TO DOWNLOAD APP....

Yahoo’s redesigned Weather app arrives for Android users

2013-08-17T17:50:00.002+05:30

Yahoo showed that forecasts could be beautiful when it launched a redesigned Yahoo Weather app for iOS users in April; now, it's bringing those good looks to Android users :). The updated Yahoo Weather client includes virtually the same stylized interface and location-sensitive Flickr photo backdrops as the iOS version. The improved functionality carries over as well, including longer-term forecasts and more detailed condition reporting, although Android users also get a new lock screen widget as a bonus. If your existing weather software is just a tad too boring, you can get Yahoo's new app today.....

There are also a handful of widgets available. In fact, it seems there should be enough widget options for just about any size or style preference. You can get a look at six of those widgets in the above screenshots. That all being said, those looking to check out the app can grab it anytime from the Google Play Store.

New Mashable Android app to predict virals of the future

2013-08-17T17:19:00.000+05:30

Mashable has revealed a sleek and stylish new Android app, bringing the best of its website to a simple mobile platform.

The company claims that it can predict what is about to go viral before it does, so those with the Mashable app can mop up the kudos of being the first to spread funny and fascinating content among their friends. Here’s a clue – it probably involves a picture of a cat.

The app is premiering exclusively on select Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Tab 3, before being given a full public release next week.

Mashable has developed a new algorithm which it calls Mashable Velocity, capable of scouring the social web to find the articles and internet pages that will dominate your feeds in the near future. The app will then send a notification to Android devices so you’ll never miss a trick.

A post on Mashable’s blog explained: “In much the same way that Velocity helps Mashable‘s human editors know what’s hot on the site, our new Mashable Android app (and our Mashable Velocity for Google Glass app) alert you just before a Mashable story goes viral.”

“With it — and an Android device or a pair of Google Glasses — you know what everyone is talking about on the social web, before they’re talking about it.”

As well as this genius bit of tech, Mashable’s Android app scores points for its beautiful and brilliantly uncomplicated design. The app is both responsive and adaptive, so whether you access it on a mini smartphone or a giant-sized tablet – it’s going to look great.

Owners of any of the Samsung devices mentioned above can download Mashable now viaGoogle Play. Not a Samsung owner? You’ll only have to wait until next week when you can install the app for free – we’d love to know what you make of it.

Samsung to unveil Android smart watch next month!!!

2013-08-17T17:01:00.003+05:30

Samsung Electronics will introduce a wristwatch-like device named the Galaxy Gear next month that can make phone calls, surf the web and handle e-mails, according to two people familiar with the matter!!!

The Galaxy Gear will be powered by Google’s Android operating system and go on sale this year to beat a potentially competing product from Apple, the people said. The device will be unveiled September 4th, two days before the IFA consumer electronics show begins in Berlin, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the plans are private.

Asia’s biggest technology company is racing other electronics makers, including Sony, to create a new industry of wearable devices as the market for top-end handsets nears saturation.

The global watch industry will generate more than $60 billion in sales this year, and the first companies to sell devices that multitask could lock customers into their platform, boosting sales of smartphones, tablets and TVs.

“It will carve a niche for sure as this is an initial product in the market,” said Chung Chang Won, an analyst at Nomura Holdings in Seoul. “Wearable devices could be one of the trends in the smartphone market, but I’m not sure yet whether watches or glasses will set the trend.”

The Galaxy Gear being released next month won’t have a flexible display, though the company said to be continuing to work on developing a bendable screen. It will be unveiled the same day as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, a combination smartphone and tablet computer.

Apple had a team of about 100 designers working on watch- like device, two people familiar with the matter said in February. The Cupertino, California-based company is seeking to introduce its device this year, one of the people familiar said at the time.

Samsung became the world’s largest smartphone maker last year, overtaking Apple. The South Korea-based company had about 33 per cent of the global smartphone market in the second quarter, while the iPhone maker fell to a three-year low as more consumers chose inexpensive handsets from Chinese makers, according to researcher Strategy Analytics.

Samsung posted second-quarter earnings July 26th that missed analyst estimates as sales growth for the flagship Galaxy S4 was curbed by slowing demand for high-end handsets. Shares have fallen 15 per cent this year in Seoul trading, compared with a 4 per cent decline in the benchmark Kospi index.

Samsung released the Galaxy S4 smartphone in April and plans at least two other high-end handsets this year, including a device using the Tizen operating system.

Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, said in a March interview the company was working on a watch device. (Bloomberg)

If Android is so popular, why are many apps still released for iOS first?

2013-08-16T23:39:00.003+05:30

Android is big. Really big. According to research firm Gartner, 79% of all smartphones sold between April and June this year were running Android: 177.9m handsets compared to Apple's 31.9m iPhones.
Another research firm, IDC, estimates that 62.6% of tablets that shipped to retailers between April and June were running Android: 28.2m devices versus 14.6m iPads.
Meanwhile, Google says that more than 1.5m new Android devices are being activated every day, it's nearing 1bn activated in total so far, and that by the end of this year that total will include more than 70m Android tablets.
Big. Yet a lot of apps still come out for Apple's iOS first or even exclusively. Right now, if you own an iOS device, you can play Plants vs. Zombies 2, Clash of Clans and Worms 3, but Android owners can't.
Instagram launched on Android 18 months after iOS. Nike's Nike+ FuelBand still hasn't made the leap. Mailbox and Tweetbot are still no-shows, and while much-praised children's app-maker Toca Boca has 18 apps available on iOS, only one of them is also on Android.

Developer concerns about costs and complexity

Developing iOS apps means ensuring they work nicely on a small range of iPhones and/or iPads: generally 6-8 different devices depending how far back the developer wants to go.On Android, it's a different story: nearly 12,000 different devices out there in the hands of people, with a wider range of screen sizes, processors and versions of the Android software still in use.

Developer concerns about profits and piracy

When developers are slow to support Android, it's often not just about the money and time they'll spend getting there – it's concern about the money they'll make once on the platform.It tends to be a two-pronged thing: first, the perception that Android users are less likely to spend money on or in apps, and second, the belief that paid apps in particular suffer from crippling levels of piracy on Android.

Google+ App Updated To Version 4.1: Google Drive Support, Better Account Switching, Pull To Refresh, And Google+ Messenger Is Gone!!!!

2013-08-16T14:29:00.001+05:30

In a detailed post to Google+ this morning, Googler Virgil Dobjanschi announced new and enhanced features for the Google+ Android app. They'll be arriving in an update to version 4.1, set to go live today. According to Dobjanschi, the changes are focused on additions and revisions suggested by end users, and looking at the list, we're inclined to believe him.

First of all: no more Google+ Messenger. Since the new Hangouts app has effectively replaced G+ messenger on the web, the mobile version is following suit, meaning you won't ever have to see that extraneous icon in your app drawer again. Google+ now supports faster switching between accounts in the same way that Gmail does. Just open up the side navigation menu and tap your secondary account to get going. It works the same way for any pages you've created or been added to. (Dear Google: web writers everywhere thank you for this one.

Sharing your location gets a bit of fine-tuning. You can share exact location or a generalized location and select which circles get access to that information and which don't. Of course you've always got the option to keep your location hidden. Perhaps more importantly, Google+ users will be able to share photos and videos straight from Google Drive without leaving the Google+ app. Google Apps for Business users now have access to all Google+ features.

Dobjanschi also mentions other tweaks including a Gmail-style pull-to-refresh function, but we'll have to get our hands on the app itself before we can pinpoint them. The update is being rolled out in stages, so don't be surprised if you can't download it right away.

ESET updates its mobile security and antivirus app for Android in Google Play

2013-08-16T14:15:00.001+05:30

Popular antivirus product maker ESET has issued a major update for its Mobile Security and Antivirus app in Google Play. The new update not only brings a revamped user interface but also a host of new features including new scan levels and protection against the recently discovered Masterkey vulnerability.

“ESET is excited to offer a completely rebuilt version of our mobile security app with advanced features that protect your sensitive data from threats giving you peace of mind when browsing the Internet or downloading applications,” said Palo Luka, ESET Chief Technology Officer.

Here is the complete change-log:

Completely redesigned tablet and landscape-friendly user interface
Adjustable status bar notification icon
Scan level with variable depth of scanning (Quick/Smart/Deep)
Scheduled scan, Background scan
Anti-Phishing
SMS/Call filtering in specific times
Anti-Theft and Startup Wizard
Built-in USSD Control
Apps Audit to monitor permissions of installed apps
Advanced protection against recently discovered Android Master Key related vulnerabilities
If you don’t know about ESET Mobile Security and Antivirus, as the name suggests, it is a security app for your Android devices. It is available for free in Google Play, however it comes with some premium features that are only available to paid subscribers. The paid subscription is available as an in-app purchase.

Chennai Express game launched for Android and Java phones for free

2013-08-15T19:02:00.002+05:30

Sharukh Khan’s movie—Chennai Express has come to your mobile handsets in the form of a game. Disney UTV’s digital arm has launched this movie-based game titled Chennai Express: Escape from Rameshwaram.

This game belongs to the running genre, joining the likes of Temple Run and Subway Surfer among others. Users take control of Rahul (SRK in Chennai Express) where he runs to try and escape Rameshwaram. On the way he has to fight goons and dodge a variety of obstacles ranging from trucks, buses, autos, coconut carts and much more. One can also unlock Deepika Padukone’s avatar by collecting more than 10,000 coins in one game session. ;)

The developers have promised special power-ups and upgrades in the future updates of the game.

You can download the Chennai Express: Escape from Rameswaram for Android from the link "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Indiagames.ChennaiExpressEscapeFromRameshwaram&hl=en"

MUST HAVE 5 APPS AND GAMES FOR ANDROID

2013-08-15T18:05:00.001+05:30

FIVE APPS

1.Swiftkey keyboard

Its a very good app for those who really hate the inbuilt keyboard of there phone ...I am one of those guys,
my phone have 4 inbuilt keyboard options but still I have installed swiftkey on my phone as it is user friendly,it supports variety of themes,can be used both in potrait and landscape mode.
It is easily available on play store.Google have launched its trial version also so you can check it out

my rating 4.5/5
-0.5 due to its high purchase cost

2.Magisto Video Editor & Maker
i personally recommend this app if you chose to edit the video
its a very good rather a fabulous app.The process is stupid simple. You take video with your phone's camera, then select which clips you want to include. If you want to have any kind of control over what goes in your video, this is the closest you can get. While you can choose what source material goes in to your final product, ultimately it's up to the Almighty Algorithm to decide what makes the final cut. So, improve the source material, improve the final product. That's about the best you can do.

my rating 4/5
-1 because of the fact it's a bit of a sad state of affairs when the best video editor on Android doesn't even let you actually edit anything.

3.virtual city playground

thank you G5 Entertainment personally it is the best game i have ever played
Virtual City Playground is a sequel of sorts of the original Virtual City that released last year on the iPhone and iPad. Upon launching the game, I was greeted with a small tutorial noting how to play and immediately noticed that this was not exactly the Virtual City I used to know and love, this was now a different animal.You will love this game if you have ever played any city game....
the only thing hurt me about this game is Slow progress in gameplay. Economy is out of whack. Missions are too simple. Not enough new ideas for seasoned players.

my rating 5/5

4.subway surfer

Reports claim that it is the most played and most downloaded game in the Google Play.Subway Surfers is an endless game, which keeps on running continuously. The basic concept of the game is to collect coins and doge the trains which come in your way to put hurdles. If you succeed in evading the trains in the subway and keeps on running, he gains score. Another trap is the ticket officer. If you are unable to run or cross the obstacles, the strict officer will be chase and catch you.The goal is to earn as much coins as possible and also find the hidden keys.

my rating 4/5
-1 because i am selfish..:) the only reason for -1 is it doesn't work well on my wt19i.Its keep on stucking everytime,otherwise everything is fine

5.temple run oz

When you first launch the game, you’ll get a quick tutorial and then you’re off. The Wizard is running on the yellow brick road over in Whimsical Woods, where you’ll stay until the game gives you the option to download the Dark Forest level. Besides looking for transitioning tunnels to change levels, you’ll sometimes also be able to catch the hot air balloon and fly for a bit. The ride and the zone change are both optional, and require you to make a snap decision (turn left or right) to point Oz in the direction you’d need to go. my rating 4/5

its music is similar as it was before..nothing much to attract the hard gamers

Google confirms Android flaw that led to Bitcoin theft!!

2013-08-15T16:21:00.001+05:30

Google has confirmed a flaw in Android's operating system, which could make Bitcoin digital wallets vulnerable to theft.

Android security engineer Alex Klyubin penned a blog post on Wednesday outlining the root cause of the vulnerability.

"We have now determined that applications which use the Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA) for key generation, signing, or random number generation may not receive cryptographically strong values on Android devices due to improper initialization of the underlying PRNG," Klyubin wrote. "Applications that directly invoke the system-provided OpenSSL PRNG without explicit initialization on Android are also affected."

The flaw was discovered on Sunday by Bitcoin developers. The vulnerability apparently occurs in an Android component that generates secure random numbers (PRNG). Because the problem is rooted in the operating system, every Bitcoin digital wallet generated by an Android app can be affected by the weakness.

According to Ars Technica, this flaw led to the theft of roughly $5,720 worth of Bitcoins last week. And, Symantec researchers warned Tuesday that as many as 360,000 other apps could be vulnerable to similar attacks since they use Android's SecureRandom class.

"Certain bitcoin wallets applications using Android's Secure Random signed multiple transactions using an identical 'random' number," Symantec wrote in a blog post. "Since transactions are public on the bitcoin network, attackers scanned the transaction block chain looking for these particular transactions to retrieve the private key and transfer funds from the bitcoin wallet without the owner's consent."

Android engineer Klyubin recommends that developers who use JCA for key generation should update their apps to initialize the PRNG with different code; they should also look into regenerating cryptographic keys. In the meantime, Klyubin said that Android has created patches that ensure Android's OpenSSL PRNG is initialized correctly.