Meanwhile, the new flagship HTC product – the HTC One – along with many other HTC devices are working fine, and some people who own the EVO 4G LTE (both rooted and not) are working properly with it, too.

Speculation has run fairly rampant about it being the fault of release-day phones, certain batches of the EVO 4G LTE interacting badly with Google Navigation, or root/unrooted/ROM status, but there is still no official word on what’s happening.

The issue seems to affect devices at random, and other manufacturers’ flagship phones that went from ICS to Jelly Bean, so it’s not just HTC for once.

Various methods of working around the issue include viewing the navigation map in 2D mode as opposed to the overhead 3D, performing a full factory reset, locking the orientation of the phone, uninstalling and reinstalling Maps, and throwing salt at witches. For some these seem to work, and for others it’s just a wild goose chase.

The problem even persists for some between AOSP and Sense-based ROMs, although some users report that switching seems to fix the issue – at least for a bit.

There’s no solid reason ever given as to why it works on some phones and not on others. HTC’s not offered any reasons, and people calling in to Sprint generally get told both that this is a known issue and that it’s not a known issue and to bring the phone in to a repair center.

Unfortunately, replacing the phone seems to be the only way to get it to work, which is a pretty drastic thing to do considering other navigation apps work perfectly, if not as seamlessly.

In my circle of EVO 4G LTE owners whom I know personally, half have the problem, and half do not. None were launch day phones or the first batches, and none have anything user-related in common.

So, if you’re having navigation issues, it’s not you – it’s your phone. Unfortunately there’s no solution that can be offered at the moment, other than to complain to your carrier and get a replacement, and keep doing that until you get one that works. But in case you’ve found something else that works, though, please let us know.

The post Google Navigation is still broken for many on the HTC EVO 4G LTE appeared first on Pocketables.

I’ve previously written about how you can use AutoShare to access Google Now searches without having to split your voice command in two. That disables any voice feedback though, as well as other methods, which means that the alternative method- which does actually require you to split your command in two- is preferred by many. Personally, I don’t want to choose, so I merged them.

This is very simple and requires that you read the two articles linked above to actually understand each method. Once you’ve done that, create an AutoVoice Recognized-based profile with something like Google, Search, or something similar (or several) as the command filter.

For the task, recreate this:

Actions 2 and 4 are the respective main actions from the two previous articles, linked at the beginning.

What this does is simple. If you say just “google” (or whatever your trigger word is), it will open Google Now and start voice recognition, allowing you to speak the rest of your command, and get voice feedback and the other perks with this method. If you just need to do a search, however, you just continue talking, and it will instead use the AutoShare method to push your search query to Google Now without having to wait for Google Now to launch to continue talking. It does this by simply checking if %avcommnofilter is set; if it’s not, it means you stopped talking after you said the trigger word, and that means you want to use the Google Now voice recognition method.

It’s hardly the most advanced Tasker creation ever, but I think it’s a neat little trick, and it works well. This way you can quickly switch between which Google Now method to use, and you don’t even need multiple profiles and triggers.

The post Here’s a simple way to use Google Now dynamically with AutoVoice and Tasker appeared first on Pocketables.

Lots of people are sick of Microsoft’s “scroogled” campaign, which attempts to demonize Google’s long-standing practice of using automated machines to serve you targeted advertising based on your email. That’s why some Google fans have created the MicroShafted website that details some of Microsoft’s shadier practices, but perhaps most disconcerting is the news that Microsoft appears to be looking at private Skype messages that are supposed to be encrypted.

Ars Technica has confirmed that Microsoft regularly scans Skype messages, allegedly for signs of fraud, and the company logs its results indefinitely. Although Skype is supposed to be encrypted from end-to-end, Microsoft can only scan these messages if it converts them into a human-readable form.

Even worse, Ars Technica confirmed that several links sent through Skype were being visited by people or machines that originate with a Microsoft IP address. Apparently, “security” does not necessarily equal “privacy,” at least as far as Microsoft is concerned. Additionally, Microsoft does confirm that human beings are allowed to look at Skype messages that have been decrypted, and Microsoft has not confirmed or denied whether or not it gave the FBI backdoor access to communications over Skype when it requested that about a year ago.

So much for Microsoft’s privacy campaign against Google.

[Ars Technica via Venture Beat] Thanks, Paul!

The post Microsoft ends up “scroogling” itself by reading Skype messages appeared first on Pocketables.

The RHA SA950i headphones are designed to deliver professional audio in a compact and lightweight form factor. Featuring 40mm titanium-coated mylar drivers, a detachable 1.5 meter fabric braided cable, adjustable chrome sliders for a better fit, and gold plated connections, it certainly seems like a lot of thought went into the design of this headset. And since RHA offers a three year warranty – a lot longer than is standard in the industry – it’s obvious that RHA believes in its product and is willing to stand behind it.

But is it right for you?

First, let’s talk specs: the frequency range is 16-22,000Hz, the impedance 32ohms, the rated maximum power is 300/100mW, and sensitivity 113dB. If you’re anything like me, these numbers don’t actually mean much. So let’s talk about my everyday experience with these headphones.

Arguably the most important question to ask when considering any headset is, “How does it sound?” While I’m not really an audiophile, these do sound great. I’ve been using them for several weeks now, and am continually impressed by the quality I’m hearing out of such a lightweight and inexpensive pair of headphones. It doesn’t really matter what I’m listening to, either – from podcasts to classical to Macklemore’s “Thift Shop,” it all sounds great. Bass is deep, high notes sound nice and crisp, and you can really crank these up without getting the distortion that some cheaper sets might give you. I’m told the great sound is due to the titanium-coated mylar drivers, but again, I’m not very technical when it comes to headphones, so I’ll just believe that.

It is worth noting that these aren’t as effective at noise cancellation as, say, my Jabra REVO wireless bluetooth headphones that Paul happened to review. However, at the same time, these are lighter and less bulky. I don’t think they’re really designed to be that effective at noise cancellation, so I’m not going to fault RHA on this.

It’s also worth pointing out that the detachable cable is the same type as the RHA MA450i earphones that I reviewed last month. In case you missed it, the fabric braided cable basically makes the headset a thousand times more valuable to me than other higher-priced earbuds. It doesn’t actually feel like a headset cable at all, but rather a very thin shoelace, or something similar. What this means for practical everyday use is that the cable really doesn’t get tangled up very much, and when it does, it’s extremely quick and easy to untangle. It straightens up quickly, even after several days of being wrapped around the headphones. Put simply, this feature alone is enough to make this headset really stand out from the competition, and I’m surprised to see that most other headphone manufacturers have not adopted this yet.

The included microphone hangs at just the right height, making this a great compliment to both my phone and my Chromebook, especially when I talk on Google Hangouts. It includes some basic multi-click controls for calls, music, and volume functions – these are designed by RHA to work with all iOS products, including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Since I live my life in the Google ecosystem, not all of these functions worked for me, but again, I don’t fault RHA for that. As long as I can answer calls and pause what I’m listening to, I’m set – and that works great on my HTC EVO 4G LTE.

I’ve also got a big head, but these have no trouble fitting comfortably. That’s worth mentioning, because those of us with big heads often do have trouble finding headphones that we can comfortably wear over long periods of time. These stretch out and extend down far enough to fit me just right. They’re also extremely light weight, coming in at just 105 grams, which is less than a quarter of a pound. The cushions around the ear pieces are just icing on the cake – these were definitely designed with comfort in mind.

I should also say that so far I enjoy wearing these a bit more so far during the warmer times of the year, as they don’t make me feel as hot as some other, bulkier, heavier headphones. If you live in Antarctica, or you insist on keeping your air conditioning set to sub-zero temperatures, this might not be a big deal to you.

Overall, I’m impressed at the quality, design, sound reproduction, and even the warranty that’s provided for the RHA SA950i headphones. And at the price they’re sold for, they are a downright steal. If you don’t believe me, just read the Amazon reviews for yourself.

The RHA SA950i headphones can be purchased for $59.95 with free shipping from Amazon.

The post RHA SA950i headphones review appeared first on Pocketables.

Disclaimer: The Tasker PAI series is a series of Tasker articles “Provided As Is“. They are marked as such because there’s an above average likelihood that something will break very badly when used by someone else, for whatever reason, and I don’t have the time to fix it for everyone that happens to. Read more here. Articles in this series are only published so that those who know what to do with it have the chance, but questions to these articles will be ignored. 

A lot of people seem to be trying to use Google Calendar data in Tasker, and keep finding an old article of mine that was never meant to show how to do anything other than the specific thing in it, namely fetch the next event.

To try to make something a bit more universal, I sat down and created what’s best described as a Google Calendar plug-in for Tasker. If you feed it your private URL for a calendar, it will chop it up into tiny pieces and sort data into arrays that you can access.

This task is something I created fairly quickly, tested very briefly, and don’t plan on spending more time on. I’m 98% certain that there are better ways of doing this, but it’s not something I’m going to spend time on figuring out, because I have no use for it. I’ve successfully gotten it to work with both all day and more specific tasks (that’s what those If groups are for), but it will probably break for the weirdest of reasons, like time zones, Google Calendar format, device date settings, or who knows what. As such, I will only explain how it’s supposed to work, and beyond that, I can’t help you:

• Action 5 needs to be edited, and Path needs to be replaced with whatever comes after google.com/ in your private ICAL download link of your calendar. Not a public calendar, not an XML link; pricate ICAL. It should go something like https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/emailstuff/codestuff/basic.ics, where you copy the part in bold into the path field. You find the option in your calendar settings, Calendars, and then whatever calendar you want to use. 
• Action 9 controls how many events it fetches. %cal1 makes it fetch event 1, %cal2 makes it fetch event 2, %cal(1:10) makes it fetch events 1-10, and so on. %cal() makes it fetch all events and will likely take a while, since the ICAL download seems to contain a bunch of events. Look at the variable array section on this link to understand howto “program” this part.
• Actions 56-58 are disabled Flash actions you can use to test to see if it works, and also demonstrates how the variables created by this work.

When run, the task will generate 7 local variables for each event. It does so by creating 7 separate arrays. Each array will have one element (variable) for each event you fetch. The arrays are:

• %caltitle – the title of the event
• %calstartdate – the start date of the event
• %calenddate – the end date of the event
• %calstarttime – the start time of the event
• %calendtime – the end time of the event
• %calstartsec – the start date and time in seconds, Tasker standard
• %calendsec – the end date and time in seconds, Tasker standard

This means that if you have it fetch 3 events, you will have %caltitle1, %caltitle2, %caltitle3, and similarly for all the other arrays. The information for event 1 will be spread across %caltitle1, %calstartdate1, %calenddate1, and so on, and similarly for event 2, 3, etc. Event 200 will have its data in %caltitle200, %calstartdate200, and so on, if you try to fetch that many.

This uses local variables because otherwise it would be too slow. Transfer the data you actually need in intelligent ways if you run this externally.

Download: Calendar_Sorter.tsk.xml

The post Tasker PAI series: Google Calendar multi-event fetcher appeared first on Pocketables.

Most of the time, my Tasker articles talk about general concepts and ways of doing things, rather than provide step-by-step instructions. When I do provide something that looks like that kind of instructions, it’s normally in the form of examples. This has caused me to get a lot of requests for more detailed instructions, perhaps with a project download at the end, and sometimes I cave and do just that. It rarely ends well.

Tasker is a very unique app. You can have your first creation working after five minutes, and then a year later, you can still have problems getting something to work. It’s an app that has multiple levels of mastery built into it, and it’s only by exploring, trying, and failing that you will be able to learn how it works, and how to make something work.

Unfortunately, there’s a way to skip this natural learning curve: by looking for detailed instructions. The idea is that if you can just find someone who have or are willing to describe how to do something in extreme detail, you can just copy it, and everything will be peachy. That logic sounds solid, but unfortunately it’s about as wrong as it gets.

Android is fragmented. Extremely fragmented. The ridiculous number of hardware and software combinations is unbelievable, and that creates havoc for an app like Tasker, which taps into so many aspects of the OS. Many of Tasker’s abilities are completely and utterly dependent on factors such as hardware and software, and you have absolutely no guarantee that something that works on one device will work on another. Even two different ROMs based on the same version of Android and running on the same device can have drastic differences that will affect Tasker in various ways, and that’s the problem.

Detailed instructions create the illusion that when implemented, it should work. Sometimes it even does that, and everything is perfect in the world. More often than people realize though, issues pop up that throw the entire thing off, and what then? Well, if it had happened to the person who created the task/profile/whatever to begin with, it would likely take a minute or two to pinpoint the issue, because that person knows exactly how it works, and where things can go wrong. Then it would be a matter of finding a fix, which may or may not be possible, but at the very least the person would know what the problem is.

Unfortunately, the problems tend to happen to the people who try to copy something blindly, and they have no clue how anything works, which is why they copied it in the first place. So, how do you fix something that you have no clue how works? You don’t. Most of the time, that person then goes back to the person who initially created the instructions, asking why.

Sometimes that’s worthwhile, but I dare say that the majority of the time, it’s completely pointless. Without holding the device in question in your hand, seeing how everything works, trying to fix something that works for you but doesn’t work for someone else is just not realistic.

Personally, I hate posting anything that even remotely looks like detailed instructions. I still do it, because I feel obligated to help as many as possible, even though I know it’s likely going to blow up in my face. It’s amazing how very simple things can go horribly wrong when provided as detailed instructions, with a prime example being my Galaxy S4 wave-to-call profile. The profile took me mere minutes to set up, and everything worked 100% right away. I posted it, and the issues started coming in. Proximity sensors not working, call answering not working, microphone being muted, speaker being muted, and who knows what else. So much for the idea of a profile so simple that anyone could do it, which was what I thought it was when I posted it.

My advice to anyone new to or inexperienced with Tasker is to follow the advice from the first part of my beginner’s guide:

Bottom line, learning Tasker takes time. If you’re not willing to put in that time, you shouldn’t get the app. It’s that simple. Buying the app doesn’t entitle you to have someone program it for you, and user error isn’t an application bug. If you do put in the time and learn it, however, it will very likely revolutionize how you use your device.

There simply are no shortcuts when dealing with Tasker.

The post Why detailed Tasker instructions are not a good idea appeared first on Pocketables.

Google I/O didn’t bring along too many new products, whether devices or software. One service that did get a decent update, though, was Google Play Music, which added new All Access streaming, as well as a completely new interface to the Android app. However, a few users have noticed that the update actually removed one noteworthy feature: Nexus Q support. This shouldn’t be unexpected, as there were hints that the Nexus Q was dying off early this year, but as someone who was holding out hope for a new Nexus Q, this isn’t good news.

Previously, one of the most useful features of the Nexus Q was the ability to play music through the Q from Google Music’s Android app. Now, Q fans not only are left with the disappointment of not getting a new Nexus Q from Google I/O, but also the increasing fear that Google’s streaming orb is dead. While nearly all Nexus Q users did get their device for free either from Google I/O last year or ordering before Google cancelled the Q, there are a small number who did pay for the streaming device on sites such as eBay. I was almost one of them, and at this point I’m quite happy that I didn’t elect to purchase a current Nexus Q, as I would be left with a good looking brick at this point

An official Google forum spokesperson said that the Nexus Q is currently incompatible with the new version of Google Play Music, and went on to justify the decision by noting that most Nexus Q users got the device for free. Still, he avoided making it totally clear that the Nexus Q wouldn’t be supported any longer, so perhaps there is some hope. In addition, Google’s support pages were updated to note that “All Access … is not compatible with the Nexus Q.” While again inconclusive, this seems to be trying to avoid saying that the Nexus Q is dead or alive, which leaves at least some slim hope that it could still live on.

Still, the current predicament is probably quite frustrating for Q owners. Even though I don’t have a Nexus Q, I’m still hoping that an update will restore some functionality to the original device, and that Google will eventually continue the line with new hardware.

[Droid-Life]

The post The Nexus Q is now on life support, isn’t supported by Google Music All Access appeared first on Pocketables.

Few people probably remember Jolla, the Finnish company comprised of many who left Nokia after the Windows Phone deal. Instead of producing Windows devices, the company decided to continue making Nokia-esq smartphones with the Sailfish operating system, based on MeeGo, which is in turn based on Linux. A November deadline for hardware was missed last year, but the company has continued its efforts albeit very quietly. After a long spell of silence, Jolla today announced somewhat unexpectedly the first real Sailfish smartphone.

While the name isn’t made clear on the website, the device appears to be called the Other Half. This seems to be because the back panel can be ordered in different colors, and customized by the user. What is clear is that it will include a 4.5-inch HD Estrade display, dual-core processor of unknown manufacturer, 4G LTE connectivity in some markets, 16GB of internal memory with a microSD, 8MP camera, user replaceable battery, and of course the Sailfish OS.

Interestingly, the device is also said to be Android app compliant, so while it won’t have the official Play Store or Google approval, it sounds like Jolla’s Sailfish will run Android apps much like the BlackBerry PlayBook (making third party app stores such as GetJar and the Amazon App Store viable options).

In addition to Android apps, the Sailfish OS will also include support for Jolla’s Linux apps for basic functions. The OS also has a custom “gesture based” interface, which looks at the very least quite interesting. The flat aspects of the interface remind me of Windows Phone and live tiles, while whatever is pictured in the image above seems at least a bit different from what we are used to seeing in smartphone software. As far as hardware goes, Nokia’s influence is clear, and the device looks fairly sleek, simple, and solid.

For now, the Other Half from Jolla is only scheduled to ship in Europe by the end of this year, but I’ll certainly be watching to see if it ever comes stateside.

[Jolla via Liliputing]

Update: According to Engadget, the device will actually be called simply the Jolla.

The post Jolla actually made a Sailfish smartphone with Android app compatibility appeared first on Pocketables.

Those of you who decided to opt for the GSM unlocked developer version of the HTC One should start hitting your update buttons. The device is receiving a small OTA update that weighs in at 17.14MB, bumping the software version up to 1.29.1540.16.

This is definitely not the much-anticipated update to Android 4.2.2, and the changelog lists only a single “system enhancement.” Since the actual update is so small, and there’s nothing else listed in the changelog, it’s safe to assume that the update does not bring any new features, and is instead just to fix a few bugs.

Of course, whenever a new update comes out, there could always be new bugs, so be sure to let us know if you notice any changes on your own device after applying this update. And, as always, if you’re rooted take this at your own risk. Luckily, since the bootloader is already unlocked, it’s really easy to regain root in case you accidentally lose it with this update.

[Droid Life]

The post HTC One US developer edition gets OTA update to 1.29.1540.16 appeared first on Pocketables.

Thanks for all of your feedback on last week’s Hangouts launch. I wanted to quickly talk about 1) making/receiving phone calls in Gmail, and 2) Google Voice support more generally.

1) Today’s version of Hangouts doesn’t yet support outbound calls on the web and in the Chrome extension, but we do support inbound calls to your Google Voice number. We’re working hard on supporting both, and outbound/inbound calls will soon be available. In the meantime, you can continue using Google Talk in Gmail.

2) Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice, and making/receiving phone calls is just the beginning. Future versions of Hangouts will integrate Google Voice more seamlessly.

This is certainly great news, and it’s what many people were actually expecting already before Hangouts officially launched. However, while this specifically addresses many of the concerns I raised last week, I still would have preferred to see the new Hangouts app a bit more polished before launch.

It’s also still unclear whether or not Google will continue to support all of Voice’s extra features when the merge with Hangouts is complete, such as selective call forwarding, call screening, and call recording. Right now, none of this is available in Hangouts – you can only receive calls and add phone call to video Hangouts. All in all, it’s very clunky right now, but I’m confident Google will make everything much more seamless soon. I just hope that we don’t lose any more features in the process.

[Google+ via Google]

The post The future of Google Voice is Google Hangouts appeared first on Pocketables.

Longtime Pocketables reader and commenter Fifth313ment recently wrote in to tell us about a problem he’s noticed with his phone ever since the Google Play Services system app was updated during Google I/O. The problem seems to be linked to Google’s new location APIs, and it’s affecting mainly HTC users.

As Fifth313ment (a.k.a. Brandon) describes it:

Something happened with HTC phones and the recent Google Now and Google Play Services updates. I personally believe it’s the Google Play Services Location API that is having an issue. This causes all network location services to stop functioning on the affected phone.

In Google Now, it will persistently tell you that Google location services are off and need to be turned on, even if everything is already on. GPS will work with only GPS on, but if GPS is off, location will not function – even if you’re on WiFi. Apps like Flixster, HTC Weather, and Google Now won’t be able to find your location and will report errors. Many of the affected users are using mostly HTC phones, and it seems to have started Friday or Saturday night for most. Many have tried cleaning caches, uninstalling apps, etc., but mine was only fixed with a hard reset.

Some quick searches will reveal discussion threads around the internet about this very issue, including at Android Central and even Google’s own product forums. A Google employee has chimed in to say that the issue is “still on our radar,” but as usual there’s no estimated time frame for an official fix.

Right now, the only solution seems to be a hard reset, but if you’re willing to live with the problem for a little while, Google might be able to roll out a fix. In the meantime, let us know: are you affected? If so, what’s your device, and what ROM are you running?

The post New Google Play Services causes location errors on some HTC phones appeared first on Pocketables.

The back plate has a carbon-fiber look, while the front flip-cover kind of looks like polished blue steel on the outside. There is a pressed / hardened felt texture on the inside that will press up against the screen, and the back plate looks almost exactly like the stock back plate for the S4, with the only difference being the side, which has a spine connecting to the front.

There are, of course, all the requisite cutouts for the Galaxy S4, although you will need to flip the case wide open to access the volume control, and I’m not sure how annoying that actually is in use.

Packaging is a bit generic for an official flagship product

The rear of the case picks up fingerprints like Scotch Tape, and I don’t think I’ve ever owned a case that showed fingerprints to the level that this case does. The front also seems designed to snag lint, bread crumbs, and anything else that will break the illusion that you care that you’re carrying a wicked cool sleek device.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Flip Cover case wrap up

Overall I’m not a fan of the backing, it doesn’t breathe, and it shows fingerprints like it was designed just to do that. The front of the case will have to be lint brushed quite frequently, and the protection this case offers is more aesthetic than anything else, as there is no corner protection to speak of. Unfortunately, mine quickly looked like a child had been palming it while eating a greasy slice of pizza very quickly.

However, it still looks neat, if you’re into that sort of thing and you keep it clean, but really won’t do much to protect the phone in the event of a drop.  The closed cover also won’t particularly protect the screen from other objects in pockets as they tend to bypass screen protection measures.

The case also comes with a manufacturer’s warranty of six months against design and quality defects, so if it falls apart on you, you’ve got somewhere to turn to get it replaced, which is pretty nice.

While I’m not the biggest fan of the case, I also don’t hate it. For an OEM accessory, it gets the job done nicely.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Flip Cover case is available for £19.99, or about $30 from GearZap, with roughly$6 shipping to the United States. You can also check out GearZap’s large selection of other Samsumg Galaxy S4 hard cases, too!

The post Samsung Galaxy S4 Flip Cover case review appeared first on Pocketables.

Normally, most of the product rumors come out before a company’s big announcement, which is why I was half expecting an updated ASUS Nexus 7 with a high-resolution display from Google I/O on Wednesday. Sadly, though, Google didn’t release any new Nexus devices, and instead showed off a stock Samsung Galaxy S4 and spent the rest of the time on mostly software products like the new Hangouts.

While the new Hangouts service is still more of a work in progress than a polished product, one of Google’s promotional videos for the service revealed something potentially interesting about the Nexus 7. In the video, a tablet looking almost exactly like the current Nexus 7 is shown, except this version has a notification light much like the one on the LG Nexus 4. This certainly isn’t a conclusive indication, but it doesn’t seem likely that Google would opt to photoshop a feature onto its tablet that isn’t really there.

Then again, the Nexus 4 used in the video is held upside down, and appears to be running the older Android Ice Cream Sandwich. As a result, it is quite possible that what appears to be an updated Nexus 7 in the film is just a fluke. Of course, I still think Google might update the Nexus 7 about a year after its release (July 13, 2012, for those who are curious), so I’m currently hoping that it could be released with Android 4.3 and the white Nexus 4.

[Reddit]

The post A Google Hangouts commercial seems to show an updated Nexus 7 appeared first on Pocketables.

To those of you with an HTC EVO 3D, make sure you hit that update button! An OTA update started rolling out last week, bumping the software version up to 2.95.651.6. It’s a small update, with only one item in the changelog: “Swype functionality improvements.”

We first reported on this issue last March, and it’s since taken Sprint and HTC almost two months to resolve it. Apparently, in the area where Swype usually suggests a word, it would say simply, “Please Try Again.” A hard reset did not fix the issue, and one person even claimed that a Sprint rep simply advised him to upgrade to a new phone!

While I’m happy that it’s now resolved, I’m shocked it took this long. Then again, the EVO 3D has never received much love from Sprint – its Ice Cream Sandwich update was delayed more times than I care to remember, and its lifespan before it got “end of life” status from Sprint was also much shorter than the original EVO 4G. Well, you know what they say – only the good die young!

[Sprint] Thanks, Craig!

The post HTC EVO 3D gets OTA update to 2.95.651.6, fixes Swype appeared first on Pocketables.

This news comes just several weeks after we asked whether HTC’s most recent financial are finally starting to turn the company around. As we know, the HTC One had a rocky launch due to supply shortages, and there were even rumors that HTC’s suppliers weren’t taking the company seriously anymore. Obviously, this seems to be changing.

HTC’s still not even in the same ballpark as its largest Android competitor Samsung, but the HTC One has generally gotten very good reviews from critics and consumers alike, with many giving the HTC One a slight edge over Samsung’s new flagship, the Galaxy S4.

Of course, only time will tell if HTC is really headed toward a full recovery, or if this is all just a bunch of false hope. Personally, I’m rooting for HTC to keep it up, but we will see.

[Focus Taiwan via ZDNet]

The post HTC doubles production of the HTC One under increased demand appeared first on Pocketables.

Sprint announced today that it closed its transaction to acquire US Cellular’s spectrum and customers in select Midwest markets, including Chicago, Springfield, Champaign, and Effingham in Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Benton Harbor, South Bend, and Fort Wayne in Indiana. According to Sprint, “[t]he additional spectrum will significantly increase Sprint’s network capacity and further improve the customer experience in these markets.”

We first reported on this in November last year, and the acquisition will affect around 420,000 US Cellular customers. Sprint and US Cellular have already started the process of notifying affected customers, and the two companies are offering special incentives to get US Cellular customers to switch to Sprint devices and plans with little or no upfront costs. US Cellular will not charge early termination fees for anyone in these markets who cancels their service.

Sprint has set up a special site for affected customers at sprint.com/uscellular, where current US Cellular customers in the affected markets can receive a $50 bill credit and waived activation fees when moving to Sprint.

According to US Cellular, all US Cellular retail locations in the affected area will be closed soon, with five stores in the Chicago area remaining open for only 90 days in order to provide limited account support, such as making cash payments. However, current customers can continue to use their US Cellular service until notified by Sprint that they must transition their service to Sprint. The transition to Sprint’s network will not happen automatically – customers have to be proactive about this.

Personally, I have several opinions about this transaction: First, I live in the affected area, even though I am already a Sprint customer. However, data speeds, call quality, and general network conditions have steadily declined over the previous three years, to the point of being almost unusable at times. The Sprint’s acquisition of US Cellular does not include any network equipment like towers or backhaul – Sprint is just purchasing the rights to use spectrum, and US Cellular’s existing customers. In other words, an already struggling network is about to get almost half a million more customers, which could cripple it even further. I doubt Sprint will be able to duplicate all of US Cellular’s current coverage in this area on its own, in the time it has available now. To me, this spells disaster.

Additionally, Sprint and US Cellular both run on CDMA networks. US Cellular customers can seamlessly roam onto Sprint, and vice versa. Why is Sprint making all US Cellular customers be proactive about switching devices, when it could just as easily push a PRL update to all existing US Cellular customers that will cause them to use the new network? It doesn’t make any sense, and will only make existing US Cellular customers angry.

Are you in the affected markets? What do you think?

[Sprint | US Cellular]

The post Sprint finishes deal to acquire US Cellular spectrum and customers in the Midwest appeared first on Pocketables.

We’ve known for some time now that the HTC EVO 4G LTE would most likely receive the new Sense 5 UI in a future OTA update – HTC confirmed that the One X, One S, and a few other devices would be getting this update, and so far the EVO 4G LTE has followed an identical upgrade pattern to the One X. However, it was a bit unclear which features would actually make their way to these older HTC devices, as HTC specifically noted that “some features enabled by the new HTC One hardware will not be available in the software updates.”

But according to developer LlabTooFeR on Twitter, the One X will indeed receive Zoe and BlinkFeed in a future update, thus pretty much cementing a similar fate for the EVO 4G LTE, too. For you naysayers out there, this is also the same developer who tweeted about the One X receiving Jelly Bean, too, when it was still uncertain whether or not the phone would get that update.

We still don’t have a specific timeframe for when we can expect this update, but my personal guess is that it won’t appear until late summer at the absolute earliest. As we know all too well, Sprint can take its time approving these updates, and HTC also doesn’t want to potentially cannibalize new sales of the HTC One, either. Of course, we’ll let you know as soon as it is available for download.

[Twitter via Ubergizmo] Thanks, Bill!

The post HTC EVO 4G LTE most likely to receive Zoe and BlinkFeed in future OTA update appeared first on Pocketables.

Coming in at 23.89MB, the official changelog lists this:

• BlinkFeed improvements
• New Sprint Zone client
• Improved Back and Home key sensitivity

One Pocketables reader did confirm that the update fixes the capacitive button sensitivity issue, and others are reporting that this update does not give users the ability to turn off BlinkFeed. Other than that, we’re not hearing much.

If you receive this update, let us know if you can confirm that the capacitive sensitivity issue has been fixed, along with any other bug fixes and new features that may have been stuck in.  As always, if you’re rooted, accept this update at your own risk.

[Sprint | AndroidSPIN] Thanks, Bill!

The post HTC One on Sprint gets OTA update to 1.29.651.10 appeared first on Pocketables.

The Google Now method

Google Now is capable of auto dialing, but it’s not as hands free friendly as the voice dialer. Specifically, it falls short when there’s multiple options available, like multiple contacts matching your query, or multiple numbers for a contact.

The way to get around this is to be specific. Use first and last name if you have multiple contacts with the same first or last name, and if the person you’re calling has multiple number stored, mention which one you want. When it comes to the latter, you do need to add some filler words to actually make it understand what you want it to use, at least I have to do that on mine. For instance, “call Andreas mobile” just brings up a message saying contact not found, however “call Android on mobile” works. If you do this right, it should show a card with the contact, with a thin blue line that “counts down” until it audio dials.

To actually open Google Now in voice mode from AutoVoice, install Secure Settings. In Tasker, add the Secure Settings action from the Plugin folder, hit Edit next to Configuration, and then select Lanuch Activity. Select Google Search as the app, and then .VoiceSearchActivity in the drop down menu. Use this action in a task that you combine with an AutoVoice Recognized context for whatever word you want to use to trigger Google Now.

It’s also worth noting that Google Now needs to have been opened in voice mode for it to auto dial. By voice mode I mean that you need to trigger Google Now’s voice input option, not use it using the AutoShare method.

Advantages: 

• Doesn’t require a Bluetooth headset
• Same system as rest of Google Now

Disadvantages

• Not 100% hands free unless you’re specific
• Has an odd issue where it won’t call any contact whose name isn’t a person’s name. Seriously, try making a contact called “pizza” and try to have it call it, it will Google “call pizza” instead. How does this sort of thing make it into a final product, Google?

The voice dialer method

If you instead want to use the actual voice dialer, not Google Now, that’s possible too. To do this, you need to use Tasker’s Send Intent action, found in the Misc category. You need to configure it as follows:

Action: android.intent.action.VOICE_COMMAND
Package: com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
Target: activity

Use this action in a task that you combine with an AutoVoice Recognized context for whatever word you want to use to trigger the voice dialer.

Advantages: 

• 100% hands free
• Doesn’t try to Google your contacts…

Disadvantages

• Voice recognition seems less accurate in some cases
• Annoying delays before you can speak
• Bluetooth only

In practice

The post How to voice dial with AutoVoice appeared first on Pocketables.

We don’t usually put too much stock in rumors and hearsay, but when certain devices continue to leak and show up different places, it becomes at least a little more likely that they are real. For example, the white Nexus 4 first showed up early this year, but then didn’t make an appearance at Google I/O yesterday. A few new shots leaked before the conference, but they were dismissed when Google didn’t announce the device. Now, a new leak has once again renewed the possibility of a white Nexus 4, as well as brought news of Android 4.3.

Coming from Android and Me, the white Nexus 4 was supposedly obtained at Google I/O, and appears to be an exact copy of the current Nexus 4, only in white. Obviously, the device does exist, and it even looks like a current “updated” Nexus 4 model, as you can make out what look like bumper tabs at the bottom of the device. This still doesn’t mean that the phone is being produced for consumers, but it does show that a new batch of white Nexus 4′s has likely rolled off of the production line.

The lighter colored Nexus 4 is said to be slated for an appearance on the Google Play store June 10, along with Android 4.3, but little fanfare from Google’s side. The apparent reason for the non I/O release is that Google wanted to show off their ability to update APIs and add new services to Android without an entirely new version, and presumably also wanted to release Android 4.3 with a “new” device. As a result, the white Nexus 4 was not announced at Google I/O, and instead was saved for a quieter reveal early next month.

Although I’m not likely to be upgrading to a new Nexus 4 just for the color change, I know quite a few people who prefer to buy white smartphones. However, I’m more interested in Android 4.3, which, while a minor update, will hopefully bring along at least a few of the features that we have been waiting for. With the new white Nexus 4 becoming more likely, I’m beginning to think that Android 4.3 may really have been pushed back to June 10, even though the decision seems a bit odd to me.

[Android and Me]

The post White Nexus 4 spotted again, scheduled for June 10 release with Android 4.3 appeared first on Pocketables.