05/13, 5:54pm
Xperia ZL a strong offering from Sony
Described by Sony as a culmination of its greatest technologies, the Xperia ZL is an attempt to bring the company’s best offerings together in a single device. In many ways the ZL makes good on this goal, offering a superb display, solid camera, and sleek design. What’s even more impressive is the compact frame that Sony was able to pack all of this into. Despite the inclusion of a five-inch full 1080p display, the Xperia ZL is comfortable to hold, and -- thanks to the relocation of the power button -- can easily be operated with a single hand. In our full review we look further into the Xperia ZL's feature set and see if it has what it takes to compete with other top Android handhelds.
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05/12, 4:00pm
Gaming framework for Android could appear at Google I/O
Google may be revealing an entire gaming framework to developers at Google I/O next week, based on newly-released data. The Google Play Services component for Android includes support for various game-related features in a new update, including synchronizing saved games and various multiplayer components seen in a previous leak.
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05/12, 5:42am
Does the HTC One have what it takes to beat the Galaxy S4?
The HTC One is a crucial product for the Taiwanese smartphone maker. The company once was the market leading Android smartphone vendor and saw tremendous success and growth as a company. It worked with Google on the first Nexus smartphone and was often one of the first to market with new features, including the move to displays 4-inches or larger. However, the rise of Samsung as a smartphone maker has largely come at the expense of HTC, which has seen its fortunes rapidly decline as a consequence. See if HTC has done enough with the One to turn its fortunes around in our full review of the HTC One.
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05/09, 11:30pm
Survey includes notebooks, tablets, phones, excludes actual sales
In its latest report, industry research firm Canalys is reporting on what it calls "worldwide smart mobile device shipments" for the first quarter of the year -- a term that includes smartphones, notebooks and tablets. Of the 308.7 million devices that fall under one of those categories that shipping in Q1, around 60 percent were said to be Android devices, reflecting the platform's strength in smartphones -- the fastest-growing area of mobile electronics. Apple's iOS placed second again, despite a dominant presence in tablets.
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05/09, 7:05am
Nvidia, Occam Partners, Shasta Ventures provide Ouya funding
The makers of Ouya, the Android-based game console, has received extra funding from investors ahead of its launch. The additional outside investment has now allowed Ouya to set the date of the official public launch as June 25, allowing more time for it to manufacture consoles before shipping units to retailers.
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05/08, 12:21pm
Switch to subscription-based software suites could take ten years
Microsoft has laid out the various changes the company will make to Office Web Apps in the future, with a focus on social features, partly confirming a previously leak. It has also revealed that, unlike Adobe's recent announcement of switching focus to providing subscription-based products, Microsoft will continue to release packaged versions of Office for the next few years.
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05/08, 11:50am
Files statement opposing Google amicus curiae in first case
As a part of one of its lawsuits against Samsung, Apple is asking US Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal for access to Google's Android source code records, Bloomberg reports. The documents are being demanded as part of pretrial information sharing; Apple argues in a court filing that Android is used in all of the Samsung devices accused of infringing Apple patents, and "provides much of the accused functionality."
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05/07, 12:58pm
Uses 5-megapixel camera, unnamed Snapdragon processor
Details of a new mid-ranged smartphone from Sony has appeared online, complete with an alleged test of its 5-megapixel camera. The C1905 is said to be an Android Jelly Bean-based phone that will form part of the Xperia range, and will sit alongside the Xperia L in the company's product catalog, with the leak coming shortly after claimed specifications of the camera-oriented Xperia i1 Honami were reported.
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05/07, 10:48am
Apple pulls share from Android, smaller platforms
iOS made significant gains in US mobile web traffic during April, according to Investing Analytics data obtained by Piper Jaffray. The platform reached a 69 percent share, up from 66.4 percent in March. The growth primarily at the expense of Android, which declined from 28.7 percent in March to 26.5.
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05/04, 6:37pm
Nexus 4 successor reportedly in the works
Google may be working with South Korean electronics manufacturer LG in order to develop a follow-up to last year's Nexus 4 handset. The rumored handset could be a retooling of the existing device, as was reported last month, but it may in fact be a new and distinct Nexus phone. The two companies are said to be discussing how they can further collaborate going forward.
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05/03, 7:00pm
Android, BlackBerry losing share months after iPhone 5 debut
Though the combined sales of Android smartphones continues to best Apple as a platform, Google's mobile OS continued to lose marketshare in the US in the latest quarterly comScore survey, as Apple solidified its position as market leader despite the lack of any new iPhone model in since before the holidays. Apple's share of the US smartphone market is now 39 percent, up 2.7 percent since December. Though Samsung was able to increase its US share slightly, the other three major Android vendors all lost ground in the most recent quarter.
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05/03, 1:15pm
Publisher misses December goal
Subscribers to the tablet editions of Hearst Magazines publications have finally broken past the 1 million mark, says company head David Carey. The executive at one point said the company would have 1 million subscribers by the end of 2012, but ended up with a figure closer to 900,000. "I’m glad we got there," Carey remarks. "We were just 90 days late."
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05/03, 12:37pm
Optional push notifications for billing, outages
Verizon has updated the iOS and Android versions of My FiOS, an app supporting the company's fiber service. Both apps have integrated important FiOS TV functions, namely TV listings, DVR scheduling, and a remote control. Previously the app's video functions were limited to watching video on demand.
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05/03, 5:54am
Hiring hints at gaming future for Android
Google may be branching out into making games, after hiring a games industry veteran. Noah Falstein, designer of a number of games over his 23-year career, has been picked up by the search giant and given the title "Chief Game Designer," suggesting that the company could be producing its own games, introducing gaming concepts to its products, or even building its own gaming platform on Android.
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05/02, 9:35pm
Samsung not forthcoming with user-available space on 16GB model
Early purchasers of the Samsung Galaxy S4 have discovered that approximately 45 percent of the storage on the 16GB model is occupied by Samsung's Android implementation, and unusable by the owner. Upon inspection of the device, the base Galaxy S4 model has only 8.82GB available to the user -- with the rest filled by Samsung with new features like the TouchWiz UI, Samsung Hub, and ChatON.
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05/02, 3:35pm
Android app gets grids, better upload quality
Instagram has launched a new service feature, "Photos of You," through updates to its iOS and Android apps. The option lets people tag others in their photos in a manner similar to Facebook; the collected photos will eventually appear in a Photos of You profile section. The tagging also works for corporate brands.
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05/02, 1:00am
Apple still tops all usage studies, suggesting stronger actual sales
Research firm IDC has posted the results of a questionable study on tablet "market share" that makes the claim -- not supported by sales evidence -- that Android has outgunned Apple in the tablet market, with 56.5 percent share in the first calendar quarter of the year, leaving Apple with barely 40 percent. The study also claims that Asus, not Amazon, is the third-largest tablet vendor with 5.5 percent of the market, having seen 350 percent growth year-over-year. The numbers seem unbelievable -- until one notices that IDC is estimating shipments, not sales.
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05/01, 10:22pm
Older operating systems decreasing, buoyed by older hardware
Google's latest Android adoption numbers, fueled by a recently-changed methodology, are showing improvements in adoption of Android "Jelly Bean" variants. The 14-day snapshot shows a 3.4 percentage point increase in Android 4.1 and 4.2 "Jelly Bean" to 28.4 percent with a contraction of Android 4.0.3 and 4.0.4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" devices to 27.5 percent, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points.
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04/29, 1:21pm
Fan schedules, companion apps get tweaks
Nest Labs is pushing out a v3.5 update to owners of the Nest Learning Thermostat at 9PM Eastern today. The firmware upgrade includes two new modes, beginning with Cool to Dry, which turns on air conditioning to reduce humidity. A Sunblock setting should meanwhile prevent the thermostat from turning on unnecessarily when direct sunlight is hitting the Nest's sensor.
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04/27, 8:00pm
Budget 7-inch Android tablet now available from HP
HP has finally launched its latest foray into the tablet segment, making the HP Slate 7 available for purchase on its website. The 7-inch Android tablet is a mid-level offering that HP is touting largely on its price. It also features integrated Beats Audio processing, a feature that — along with a $170 starting price — HP hopes will attract buyers.
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04/27, 5:27pm
Android 4.3 appears to still be Jelly Bean
Google appears to be hard at work on the next update for its Android operating system, and that version would appear to be Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Devices apparently running Android 4.3 have shown up in the server logs of tech blog Android Police recently, indicating that Google may be on the verge of releasing an update. The retention of the Jelly Bean moniker may indicate that the next update of Android will not mark a significant departure from the current versions.
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04/26, 3:21pm
Support for non-Gmail accounts also a possibility
An iPad edition of Mailbox is in development, as are Android and desktop versions, tweets by the app's development team indicate. The iPad app is said to be "coming soon," while the Android and desktop apps are on a longer-term roadmap. Support for other platforms may also be possible.
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04/26, 8:09am
Vine confirms Android version of video app in the works
Popular video app Vine will be headed to Android in the future. Co-founder of the Twitter-owned app Dom Hofmann confirmed to The Verge it will be ported, following its successful launch on iOS devices. The app, which allows users to create six-second video clips for sharing on social networks, is also reportedly going to include the ability to tag friends to a clip, in order to foster more sharing between users.
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04/26, 6:01am
Policy change to affect Facebook, other independently-updated apps
Google has updated its Play store with a small change to its developer program policies, to prevent malicious code appearing on devices. The small change now forbids applications supplied through the Google Play store from receiving updates using another process, in an effort to improve the overall security of apps provided to Android users.
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04/25, 7:07am
Benchmark shows 'Google X' device running on Key Lime Pie
The Motorola X phone may have appeared in smartphone benchmarks, if a screenshot is confirmed as true. The image, showing the phone as running Android 5.0.1 comes at the same time as other rumors suggesting that the Key Lime Pie version of the mobile operating system may not make it in time for a reveal at Google I/O.
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04/24, 11:00am
New features for Galaxy flagship
Samsung's first batch of Galaxy S 4 smartphones is set to arrive at US carriers this week. Electronista checked out the flagship Android phone at the company's New York launch event, when the software bugs were still being worked out, but now we've taken a closer look at the production model that will be headed to Sprint on April 27.
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04/19, 11:41pm
Twitter to kill off mobile Tweetdeck for good on May 7
Twitter, which has made something of a hobby of restricting, hobbling and subsequently killing off mobile Twitter clients, will be putting the well-received mobile version of Tweetdeck out to pasture on May 7, the same day that Facebook integration will also end. All iPhone, Android, and AIR versions of the app will cease to function on that day.
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04/19, 3:00am
While iPhone fights competitive battle, iPad clears the field
A pair of new studies have found that, even years after they were first introduced and months since the latest models debuted, Apple's iOS platform and its iPad tablet are actually growing their share in two key metrics: the iPad and iPhone are actually taking usage share away from Android in the US, and the iOS platform has increased its dominance in mobile ad spending, a key metric for developers. Recent stats from March show the iPad gaining 1.4 percent in usage share, and iOS taking now 75 percent of mobile ad spending.
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04/18, 10:30pm
In the US, Android use has levelled off over past two years
An analysis by London-based tech and telco analyst Benedict Evans has compiled statistics for US smartphone sales from the two largest carriers -- AT&T and Verizon -- and concluded that all new growth in the past two years from both carriers has come as a result of the iPhone. By comparison, Android sales have remained basically flat since at least 2011, with an actual drop in the most recent quarter. The analysis reinforces the notion that Android and iOS customers are entirely different groups, and should be marketed to differently.
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04/18, 4:04pm
Files found within Google Glass app include multiplayer features
Google may be creating its own gaming platform, according to a report. The MyGlass companion app for Google Glass was found to contain a folder labeled "games" that held a number of files relating to various game-related functionality, something that the search giant could allow developers to implement for all apps downloadable through play, not just for Glass.
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04/17, 3:33pm
Voice assistant app for Android or iOS
Amazon has reportedly acquired voice-assistant app developer Evi Technologies, unnamed sources have told TechCrunch. The deal, which is said to be worth $26 million, is said to be focused on Evi's mobile apps for Android and iOS, which provide functionality similar to that of Apple's own Siri technology, though both parties have yet to make an official announcement.
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04/17, 12:43pm
Developer revenue more than 2.6 times higher on iOS side
The Apple App Store and Google Play are now nearly equal in terms of download volume, according to new data by analytics firm App Annie. "While the iOS App Store and Google Play both had solid gains in app downloads last quarter, Google Play had a higher percentage growth rate as well as a greater gain in absolute downloads," the firm writes. "As of Q1 2013, Google Play’s app downloads were close to 90 percent of iOS App Store downloads." The App Store is, however, continuing to do far better than Play in terms of generating revenue.
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04/17, 10:27am
Sprint promises discount for new customers
Several carriers have announced release dates for Samsung's Galaxy S 4, which will land at T-Mobile on April 24 before arriving at Sprint on April 27. Sprint has chosen $250 as the standard subsidized price for the Android flagship, though a $100 instant credit is offered for new customers who switch from another carrier. Keeping to its new "un-carrier" branding, T-Mobile is advertising $150 as its up-front cost ahead of monthly device payments.
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04/17, 8:24am
Facebook home downloadable in UK, Canada
Facebook Home is now available to Android users in the UK and Canada, after the limited launch in the US. The Home launcher, replacing existing front end software used on Android smartphones, allows users to see their Facebook news feed from the home screen, and includes a number of socially-focused elements, including the Chat Heads system released earlier in Facebook Messenger. The initial range of devices that can use the Google Play download remains unchanged, populated by the Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III, HTC One X, One X+, and One.
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04/17, 7:10am
Nearly 200 countries will be able to buy apps from Amazon
Amazon is looking to expand its Appstore for Android into nearly 200 countries in the next few months. The retailer has announced that app developers will be able to submit their products to the store for distribution in the new locations, with those registered for international distribution becoming automatically available to download in countries as the store expands.
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04/17, 5:59am
Motorola design chief pushing for move away from bigger screens
Motorola is concentrating on making smartphones that forgoes the larger size trend in favor of improving quality, according to company design chief Jim Wicks. The first devices designed post-Google acquisition will apparently follow the doctrine of "better is better" instead of "bigger is better," as seen in other recent smartphone announcements.
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04/16, 2:32pm
Sub-$100 smartphones key to developing markets
Google has seen Android activations increase to hit 1.5 million every day, and could reach 1 billion total activations by the end of this year, according to executive chairman Eric Schmidt. The level of activations have gone up from the 1.3 million seen in September last year, the 900,000 reported in June, and the 700,000 in December 2011.
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04/16, 1:30pm
Company promises Home for international Android users 'later today'
Facebook is today releasing a major update of its iOS app, v6.0. The biggest addition is Chat Heads, something recently introduced to Android via Facebook Home and an updated Messenger app. Unlike Android, the iOS Chat Heads can only run within the Facebook app, but do let people keep tabs on conversations without having to leave other views. Heads can be dragged around a screen or dismissed entirely.
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04/14, 3:51pm
Runs Android when used as tablet, Windows 8 PC in dock
Asus has put its combined all-in-one desktop PC and tablet on sale in the United States. The Transformer AiO runs Windows 8 while docked, for use as a computer, which then switches to an Android-powered slate. This in theory would allow users to just use one device for two completely different purposes.
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04/12, 12:34pm
Messaging system from Facebook Home included without launcher
Facebook has rolled out part of its upcoming Facebook Home launcher in an Android app update, before the company released its new phone software initiative. Facebook Messenger (Google Play) now has the option to enable the Chat Heads pop-up contacts onto phones and tablets, without the need to install the complete Facebook Home suite itself.
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04/10, 3:44pm
Also lays out timetable for Mac, Windows, Windows RT Office releases
Promised iOS and Android versions of Office won't launch until the fall of 2014, according to a leaked roadmap obtained by CNet. The document describes a project called "Gemini," said to be Microsoft's plan to incorporate the Metro user interface into Office. The first "wave" in Gemini is expected to be an October 2013 update of the core apps -- Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote -- that will run on mobile versions of Windows 8 and Windows RT. The software will allegedly supplement the desktop Windows suite, instead of replacing it.
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04/10, 12:30am
Numbers on teen demographic largely unchanged from fall
A new poll by stock analysts Piper Jaffray shows very little change since last fall in the status of the iPhone as the coolest electronic device among teens. Nearly half of all of the 5,200 teenagers polled said they already owned an iPhone, a rise of eight percent from the previous survey. Some 62 percent said that they plan on buying an iPhone as their next device (about the same number as said that last time). Only 23 percent of teens indicated they were planning to buy an Android phone, but this did represent a one percent gain from the fall.
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04/08, 9:55pm
New Fairsearch Europe complaint adds Android to monopoly list
Possibly adding to the complexity of Google's negotiations with the European Commission, the regulator has received an additional antitrust complaint. This time, Google's Android is under assault by Fairsearch Europe, a group consisting of Nokia, Microsoft, Oracle, and others. The complaint accuses Android of being "a deceptive way to build advantages for key Google apps in 70 percent of the smartphones shipped today."
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04/07, 3:06pm
Austrian Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus owners get Jelly Bean
Samsung this weekend began rolling out Android software updates for owners of its Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet. The update has reportedly begun rolling out for Tab 7.0 Plus owners in Austria, and other countries are expected to receive the update in the near future. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus was most recently running Android 4.0.4, and the update to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean means users will have access to a range of new features.
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04/06, 6:52pm
Facebook phone first with non-Sense Android install since 2010
The HTC First, the upcoming smartphone preloaded with Facebook Home, will give users the option of turning off the Facebook launcher. Those opting to remove the socially-focused user interface will be able to use a stock installation of Android, and effectively becomes the first phone from the manufacturer to run without an overlay, such as Sense, since the T-Mobile G2.
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04/05, 6:49am
Apple leads in Smartphone OEM market share rankings
Android is losing market share to iOS in the US smartphone market, according to the most recent ComScore results. In a three-month period ending in February, Android went from 53.7 percent of the market to 51.7 percent, a drop of 2 percent, while iOS gained 3.9 percent from the 35-percent share in the previous 3 months, hitting 38.9 percent.
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04/04, 2:04pm
Handset carries entry-level price
Confirming earlier rumors, HTC has introduced its First smartphone as an AT&T exclusive. Although the device is not designed by Facebook or powered by a Facebook-developed operating system, it is the first to designed specifically for the social network's new Facebook Home experience that was introduced earlier today for Android phones.
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04/04, 1:59pm
Android launcher brings messages from contacts in front of apps
Facebook has officially announced its previously leaked, social network-based launcher, one that is said to center the experience around people rather than apps. The Facebook Home launcher replaces the typical home screen seen on Android, and brings conversations with contacts to the foreground, rather than leaving them confined inside individual applications.
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04/04, 8:15am
Google Now adds real-time package tracking, improved settings menu
An update to the Google Search app on Android has added package tracking to Google Now. New cards will show updates to shipped online orders from retailers in real-time, including an estimated arrival date, according to Droid-Life. Individual cards also have an info button, providing quick settings for the card's contents, while the overall settings menu for Google Now has been reorganized with each section having their own toggle options, and a separate "My Stuff" section for quicker alterations to sports teams and stock choices.
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04/03, 3:28pm
App launcher adds Facebook status buttons
Images reportedly showing Facebook's new Android user interface and app have appeared online. The shots of Facebook Home, accompanied by a render of a smartphone said to be revealed at tomorrow's event, appears to display a Facebook-centric interface, along with an extremely minimal Android home screen, and a lock screen with notifications.
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