Android

769 'Android' stories August 2010 - April 2014

Vine adds private video messaging, profile theming in latest update

Benjamin Mayo Apr 3 2014 - 12:36 pm PT

Vine has just released its ‘biggest update yet’ to the App Store, bringing one-on-one video messaging to the service for the first time. Analogous with Twitter DM’s, Vine’s VM’s work in the same way — hosting private conversations outside of the main stream. As you might expect, conversations can include short video clips as well as text messages.

You can start a conversation directly to a recipient, or bounce off a public Vine for inspiration. Just share the Vine to as many as friends as you want to start a message. It’s important to note you cannot have group conversations (yet). If you share a Vine to more than one person, a separate thread is created for each recipient.

Version 2 also adds some new customization options for your Vine profile. In Settings, you can theme your profile with a specific color which then shows to all other Vine users.

Vine can be downloaded on the App Store, for free.

The research that shows Apple is right to take its time over the iWatch

Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2014 - 6:25 am PT

14 Comments

New research from Endeavour shows that more than half of U.S. consumers who have owned a wearable device no longer use it, and of those two-thirds stopped using it within the first six months of ownership. This is up from the 40 percent abandonment found by a similar survey by CSS Insight last fall.

The Guardian newspaper in the UK has a supporting piece in which it found more than 900 Galaxy Gear watches for sale on eBay, with asking prices as low as a third of the purchase cost.

While the data may be bad news for existing smartwatch and fitness band suppliers, The Guardian has an apposite comparison with early mp3 players, which also suffered high abandonment rates a decade ago.

So lots of those early MP3 players eventually ended up in drawers; but that didn’t stop the sector becoming huge.

And the company responsible for that shift was, of course, Apple: the company which took its time getting both the device and the user-interface right.

Spotify dramatically overhauls its iPhone app with new design, adds ‘Your Music’ section

Benjamin Mayo Apr 2 2014 - 3:58 am PT

4 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1I6-wv0p8k

Spotify has released a major update to its iPhone app, bringing a new dark look and feel. The new layout relies heavily on the contextual blurring and geometric motifs of iOS 7.

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MLB At Bat app updated for 2014 season w/ new expanded instant replay feature

Jordan Kahn Mar 31 2014 - 10:02 am PT

2 Comments

This season will be the first that Major League Baseball uses a new expanded instant replay system that it first announced back in January. Now, the MLB At Bat app for iOS devices has been updated with support for the 2014 season and the new replay system. That means that users of the app will be able to view “every decisive instant replay video clip and review explanation,” the same footage the umpires review, through the app’s Gameday feature.

A little more on the new replay system from the MLB’s announcement:
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Is Android the real target of latest Apple vs Samsung patent battle that starts today?

Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2014 - 4:21 am PT

19 Comments

Photo: Reuters

Pieces in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal suggest that the real target of Apple’s second courtroom patent battle with Samsung may be Android.

Some features in Samsung devices that Apple objects to are part of Google’s Android operating system, by far the most popular mobile operating system worldwide, running on more than a billion devices made by many manufacturers. That means that if Apple wins, Google could have to make changes to critical Android features, and Samsung and other Android phone makers might have to modify the software on their phones …

Jury selection begins today for the second patent case between the two companies after mediation attempts failed. Apple is seeking around $2B in damages for five patents it alleges Samsung has violated, while Samsung is counter-claiming that Apple is in violation of two of its own patents.

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HTC unveils new One (M8) with dual-LED flash, Sense 6 software, Gunmetal design

Chance Miller Mar 25 2014 - 9:05 am PT

27 Comments

: iPhone 5s True Tone

: HTC One M8 camera & flash

HTC has just announced its 2014 flagship in New York. Dubbed the new HTC One (M8), the device is just as all the leaks have depicted it over the past few months. Most notably, HTC is touting the device’s high-quality metal construction, which it describes “like a premium watch.” (Remember when Jobs described the iPhone 4 as a “a beautiful old Leica camera”?) The device is available in a new Gunmetal Gray Hairline Finish that makes it look significantly more high-end than its predecessor. Taking a page out of Apple’s book, the device features a dual LED flash on the back, much like the iPhone 5s.

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Google Now notifications now available in Chrome for Mac

Benjamin Mayo Mar 24 2014 - 11:03 am PT

6 Comments

After spending about a month and a half in the beta channel, Chrome is rolling out Google Now notifications to all users. To activate the feature, Google says to sign in with the same Google account used on iOS.

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Non-poaching emails show Jobs was warring with Google long before iPhone was launched

Mike Beasley Mar 23 2014 - 8:08 pm PT

21 Comments

If you’ve paid attention to the ongoing feud between Apple and Google in recent years, you might think that the conflict is the result of Google’s decision to create a competitor to the iPhone after working in tandem with Apple to create the iconic device. And you’d be forgiven for thinking that.

But according to some emails sent by Google’s Sergey Brin back in 2005 that recently surfaced during a class-action lawsuit over the do-not-hire policies of the two companies (among others), that may not be the case. This “thermonuclear war,” as Steve Jobs put it, was a long time coming. Android was just the last straw.

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Report: Apple considering iTunes Store for Android & on-demand streaming service

Zac Hall Mar 21 2014 - 1:44 pm PT

39 Comments

According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is considering launching an iTunes Store app on the Android platform to combat declining music sales on the digital platform. The report also says that Apple execs are in talks with high level label executives to discuss debuting an on-demand streaming service.

Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.

The move to an on-demand streaming service could transform iTunes Radio from the Pandora-like radio model to the more robust on-demand model used by Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and others.
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Opinion: Why the upgrade cycle means the ‘Apple tax’ is lower than it seems

Ben Lovejoy Mar 21 2014 - 7:48 am PT

124 Comments

Photo: mashable.com

I’m sure most of us have at some point had Windows- and Android-using friends ask us why we pay the ‘Apple tax’ – the price difference between an Apple product and what they perceive to be an equivalent competitor product.

A large part of the answer, of course, is that the competitor product isn’t equivalent at all. You can’t compare a MacBook with its premium materials, build-quality, high-spec components, screen quality and aesthetics with a low-end Windows laptop with plastic casing, low-spec innards and cheap and cheerful display. No more than you can compare an iPhone with a budget ‘droid. When you do genuine like-for-like comparisons with truly equivalent products, the Apple premium shrinks considerably.

But to get an accurate idea of the effective purchase cost, you also need to take into account both the replacement cycle and resale value …
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Opinion: When will iOS evolve beyond the static grid homescreen?

Ben Lovejoy Mar 14 2014 - 8:35 am PT

125 Comments

Now that we’ve had our first look at at least an early take on iOS 8, what stands out most to me is how little the basic appearance of the iOS homescreen has changed over the years. On the left is iOS 1, on the right the recently-leaked iOS 8 homescreen.

Seven years apart, yet still essentially identical in form: a grid of static icons. Looked at in one way, that’s incredibly impressive: that a user-interface that worked in 2007 still works today. But it does make me wonder at what point the iOS homescreen will move beyond this format?
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Google Wallet adds “Orders” feature to track online purchases using receipts from Gmail

Jordan Kahn Mar 12 2014 - 11:42 am PT

0 Comments

From 9to5Google:

Google announced today on its Google Commerce blog that it’s rolling out an update for the Google Wallet mobile apps that includes a new “Orders” feature for tracking online purchases. Google says the feature will let you stay on top of your online orders (including past purchases) as well as get notifications for status updates regarding deliveries. How will Google know what you’ve purchased? In order to track your recent online orders, the feature pulls receipts out of your Gmail account :

Once you activate Orders in Google Wallet, you’ll be able to see any receipts sent to your Gmail right in the Google Wallet app. We’ve also worked with primary package carriers in the US so that when your order status is updated, you’ll get notified of the update through Wallet. So whether your order is shipped, out for delivery, or delayed, you’ll never wonder about the status of your order.

The app also includes “products you’ve ordered, merchant contact information, and shipping details in the app” for your purchases and links to quickly contact retailers.

Google said the feature is rolling out to Android and iOS users in the US this week. You can activate Orders by tapping “Activate” under “Track your orders” or by tapping “Orders” in the app’s main menu.

Doomed? Apple is #1 and growing in latest comScore smartphone numbers

Zac Hall Mar 7 2014 - 10:34 am PT

4 Comments

These are the kind of numbers you will likely hear Tim Cook and company quote during a keynote or quarterly earnings call with investors. Digital analytics tracker comScore is out with a new report today showing a steady lead and continuous gains by Apple among U.S. smartphone users in the three months leading up to the end of January 2014.

59.8 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (66.8 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in January, up 7 percent since October. Apple ranked as the top OEM with 41.6 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers (up 1 percentage point from October).

On the platform side, Apple picked up a point (from Android and BlackBerry) during the three month period while Android held its lead but dropped half a point. The current difference between iOS and Android in platform rankings differs by about 10 points.

Compare these numbers to the year ago figures for extra fun.

Twitch announces SDK to bring game streaming to iOS

Benjamin Mayo Mar 5 2014 - 7:39 am PT

0 Comments

Twitch, the leading video game streaming site, has just announced a way to bring the same game-casting possible on desktops to iPhone and iPad. On a PC or Mac, a secondary app is used to effectively screencast the gameplay. Due to the multitasking limitations of iOS, live streaming has not been an option for games until now.

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Microsoft reportedly working on a cross-platform Xbox Live for iOS & Android apps

Jordan Kahn Mar 3 2014 - 10:57 am PT

1 Comment

Microsoft is considering taking Xbox Live cross-platform and allowing developers to integrate the service in iOS and Android games, according to a report from The Verge. The report cites a job listing from the company’s website seeking an engineer to work on “a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms,” including iOS and Android. The report also cites its own sources reportedly familiar Microsoft’s plans to take Xbox Live cross-platform.

“New Devices and Gaming” is looking for passionate and experienced developers to join us. Your contribution will have direct impact on how we win back our game developers from our competitors. As a member of the newly formed team, you will have the rare opportunity to influence our planning and design from the beginning. We will create a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android. Working on the gaming technologies, you will collaborate with both internal partner teams across the company and external ecosystem partners to enable end-to-end gaming scenarios.

The idea, according to the report, is that Xbox Live would act as a cross-platform alternative to Apple’s Game Center and similar services, allowing users to earn achievements, manage friends and more through a single service across Xbox and mobile platforms. No details on specific features or when we might expect to see more.

Mercedes-Benz gives us a look at Apple’s CarPlay in new C-Class [Gallery]

Jordan Kahn Mar 3 2014 - 10:11 am PT

24 Comments

Earlier today we got a look at Apple’s just announced CarPlay feature for iOS when Volvo announced it would arrive in its new XC90 SUV, and now Mercedes-Benz has announced its partnership with Apple. As previously reported, the company confirmed today that it will be demoing the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the Geneva Motor Show. Like Volvo and many of the other vehicle manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz made it clear that Apple’s CarPlay won’t be the only in-car entertainment system with work continuing on Android and MirrorLink solutions:
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Despite falling market share, iPads outsold next 4+ tablet makers combined in 2013

Ben Lovejoy Mar 3 2014 - 5:00 am PT

14 Comments

Figures released today by Gartner show that the iPad remained the best-selling tablet of 2013, selling more than the combined sales of the four runners-up.

Apple’s strong fourth quarter helped it to maintain the top position in the market in 2013 […]

Apple’s tablets remain strong in the higher end of the market and, Apple’s approach will continue to force vendors to compete with full ecosystem offerings, even in the smaller-screen market as the iPad mini sees a greater share …
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Google Hangouts for iOS updated with iOS 7 design, iPad optimization, more

Chance Miller Feb 27 2014 - 3:29 pm PT

1 Comment

After a wave of updates for its Android apps yesterday, Google has just announced an update to its Hangouts for iOS app. The update brings the app version number 2.0.0 and is the first update for the app since all the way back in November.

The update adds a plethora of features and design tweaks, most notably of which is an iOS 7 optimized interface. There are aren’t a ton of changes, but everything definitely has the iOS 7 look and feel to it.Menus and buttons are now totally “flat” and much cleaner overall. The iPad app has also gotten some major tweaks, including picture-in-picture video calling. The app also now supports the ability to send video messages up to 10 seconds long, ala Snapchat.

The full changelog is below:

Fully-optimized for the iPad, including picture-in-picture video calling
Animated stickers that help you share exactly how you’re feeling
Record and send video messages up to 10 seconds long
Send a map of your current location

The update is live on the App Store now.

Amazon in talks w/ labels for new music streaming service as Pandora hits 250m users

Jordan Kahn Feb 27 2014 - 2:17 pm PT

2 Comments

Two pieces of news out today related to the music streaming biz: Recode is reporting that Amazon is talking to music labels about a music streaming service that could be bundled with Prime subscriptions, while Pandora has announced it has grown to 250 million users in the US.

If Amazon is able to make deals with the music labels, Recode speculates that it could offer music streaming through its Prime subscriptions which currently only offers movies and TV shows as well as free two-day shipping for $79/ year. The report notes, however, that Amazon is running into some roadblocks with cutting deals:

Which doesn’t mean it will: One label source reports that Amazon isn’t close to getting a deal done, because its executives are asking for a substantial discount on the pricing the labels have given to other services, like Spotify, Rhapsody and Beats… Still, label talks have been going on for the past few months, sources say.

As for Pandora, that’s up from around 200 million users back in April of last year and since the launch of one of its biggest new competitors, Apple’s iTunes Radio, in September. Pandora also noted that “Listeners have now created over six billion stations.”
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Google’s Sundar Pichai: Android not designed to be safe, would target Android too if he were making malware

Ben Lovejoy Feb 27 2014 - 7:48 am PT

31 Comments

Image: pcmweb.nl

Responding to a question about malware on the Android platform, FrAndroid reports that Google’s Android head Sundar Pichai gave a surprisingly frank answer to an audience at Mobile World Congress.

We cannot guarantee that Android is designed to be safe, the format was designed to give more freedom. When people talk about 90% of malware for Android, they must of course take into account the fact that it is the most popular operating system in the world. If I had a company dedicated to malware, I would also be addressing my attacks on Android.

While there is certainly truth in the idea of attackers targeting the operating system with the largest market share, iOS market share of 17.6 percent is not a small target, especially given all the evidence that iPhone users represent a wealthier target for criminal malware.

Update: Google provided a direct transcript in which Pinchai isn’t self critical.

Apple wins ‘best mobile tablet’ award at Mobile World Congress in absentia

Benjamin Mayo Feb 25 2014 - 12:58 pm PT

1 Comment

The Global Mobile Awards today revealed their verdicts on their annual mobile device awards. As usual, like all industry conferences, Apple did not attend MWC. Regardless, in their absence, they were still given the ‘Best Mobile Tablet’ award for the iPad Air.

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As Apple continues development of iWatch, Samsung releases two new second-gen Gear smartwatches

Chance Miller Feb 22 2014 - 6:55 pm PT

12 Comments

Over the past year, many signs have emerged that Apple is working an iWatch centered around health and fitness features. The company has made a plethora of hires in the health field recently, and our sources have said that the device is already well into development. Samsung, on the other hand, albeit to incredibly poor reviews, released its Galaxy Gear smartwatch just five months ago. This evening, the Korean company has taken the wraps off of not one, but two new smartwatches: the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo. The difference between the two models is the lack of a camera on the Gear Neo. As rumored earlier this month, both of the models have ditched Android in favor of Samsung’s Tizen operating system.

According to Samsung, the switch to Tizen will offer many improvements to the end-user. First off, Tizen is much less power intensive, which means battery life has improved to 2-3 days, according to Samsung—much better than the one day life given by the original Gear. Tizen will also offer an “enriched application ecosystem” to the user.

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Amazon’s long-rumored Apple TV competitor to launch next month?

Ben Lovejoy Feb 21 2014 - 5:01 am PT

3 Comments

Image: digitaltrends.com

Amazon’s TV box, which the company is believed to have been working on for around a year, is to be launched next month, according to unnamed content distribution sources cited by re/code – ahead of the new version of the Apple TV box expected to be unveiled in April.

People I’ve talked to who are partnering with Amazon believe the company is aiming for a March rollout […]

Sources tell me Amazon’s box will be powered by Google’s Android operating system, which is also not a surprise — Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets use a “forked” version of Android …
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Opinion: Why I love Apple products, and am just a tiny bit embarrassed to be seen using them

Ben Lovejoy Feb 17 2014 - 6:47 am PT

175 Comments

I love my Apple products. I’ve used Macs since day one. My desk right now has on it my MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Air, Thunderbolt Display and iPhone. Oh, and an Apple Bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad, of course.

My friends are convinced that I’m incapable of leaving the house without my iPad, and I have to confess that the evidence is on their side. My car has an iPhone dock so I can listen to music and podcasts. If I’m on a plane, train or tube, it’s a near-certainty that I’ll be using my iPad or listening to music on my iPhone – or both.

I love Apple hardware design. Sleek, minimalistic, beautiful. There aren’t that many other really attractive laptops out there, and most of the ones that are have essentially copied Apple’s designs …
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