androidapp
Latest
Google+ for Android app (hands-on)
Given the number of apps Google's made available for smartphones, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that it's taken its suite of social networking services direct to the mobile world as well. As soon as Google+ was officially announced, an app was ready for download in the Android Market and a web app became available for Safari for iOS (with its full offering to the App Store coming soon). As usual, we couldn't resist the urge to play around with it, but how does the mobile iteration fare against the competition? Continue past the break to get a peek of the larger-than-life service squeezed into a 4.3-inch (or smaller) display.
HTC EVO 3D gets Netflix under the table courtesy of EVO 4G's APK
So, you just bought HTC's EVO 3D for its three dimensional display and delectable dual-stage camera key, and you're loving its buttery smooth Sense 3.0 software. Yet, you were dismayed to find that the device wasn't among the chosen few granted access to Netflix for Android. But don't worry, folks, apparently the Netflix APK for the EVO 4G can get you streaming cinematic masterpieces in no time. Just head on over to the source link to get your download on, then sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Zinio brings Tegra hardware acceleration to Honeycomb tablets
Zinio's smartphone and tablet apps make it easy to bring a lifetime's worth of magazine content with you on the go, but performance has been inconsistent, especially when navigating through pages or zooming into photos and text. The company's latest app improves upon both critical elements, however, taking advantage of the Nvidia Tegra chip in your Mototola Xoom or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to smooth out page transitions and pinch-to-zoom. Nvidia posted a side-by-side comparison video demonstrating the improvements on a pair of Xooms, and there's clearly a noticeable difference. You can try it out for yourself by downloading Zinio version 1.10.3641 from the Android Market, or jump past the break for the demo.
MightyText pushes messages and incoming call alerts to your computer (hands-on)
Have you ever missed an extremely important phone call or text because you were too busy finishing those TPS reports on your personal computing machine? There's a Chrome add-on for that. We went hands-on with a new extension (and accompanying Android app) called MightyText, a free notification service launched today that syncs your phone's texts and calls to your computer in real-time. The idea is crazy simple, yet adds unyielding convenience: incoming SMS messages appear on your screen as a pop-up, giving you the option to read and reply to them without touching or even looking at the phone. The full extension will show each conversation thread in its entirety, as well as call logs. When sent from the computer, texts are still patched through from your phone number, so your colleagues will still see your messages coming through with your name on them. To make the service even more appealing, pop-ups alert you to incoming calls, so you can either hurry to find your phone or just send the caller a canned auto-text reply. It sounds like a great concept, but does it do the job? Head on past the break to learn our first impressions of the program.
Garmin to purchase Navigon, plans to complete acquisition by late July
News of Garmin's plans to acquire Navigon leaked out earlier this month, but we now have official word that the GPS giant will bring the smaller German company under its wing beginning in late July. Pending regulatory approval, the deal would have Navigon, one of the largest GPS brands in Europe, functioning as a subsidiary of Garmin, which has a much stronger presence in North America. The companies were unable to reveal any financial information, though previous estimates priced the deal in the "mid-double-digit million" Euro range. Navigon says it's not ready to share any details concerning the acquisition, but we're unlikely to see major effects in the US, where the company has smartphone apps but hasn't sold dedicated GPS devices in several years.
Lark's silent alarm clock hitting Apple Stores on June 14, promises not to wake your bedmate
Remember the Lark Up, that alarm clock that's likely to scare the bejesus out of you by sending vibrations through your unsuspecting wrist? The company's already taking pre-orders, but come June 14, you'll finally be able to waltz into an Apple store and handle one in person. For $129, it promises its silent vibrations won't wake your bedfellow, but if you've got a New Agey streak you can spend an extra $60 for one that analyzes your seven-day sleep history, including how long it took to fall asleep and how many times you woke during the night. For now, it's only available for iOS (hence, the Apple Store launch) but an Android version's predictably on the way, too. So is all this worth a good night's sleep? We'll leave that to you and your bed partner (or partners, if it's been that kind of week).
Zinio comes to Android tablets, gives you 24 magazine issues for free
The iPad has yet to transform the publishing world as many expected it would, but some healthy competition from Android tablets should help to keep that process in motion. Zinio's reader app is now available on select Android 2.2, 2.3, and all 3.0 tablets, bringing Esquire, National Geographic, and 20,000 other magazine titles to the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and a half dozen other devices. And, to kick off the launch, Zinio is picking up the tab on the most recent issues of 24 top magazines, as long as you download by June 15. Digital subscriptions are still often more expensive than their print counterparts, but at least Android tablet owners will have a safer place to hide their issues of Playboy.
Lodsys shifts in-app purchasing target to Android devs following Apple response
We figured Apple's firm response to Lodsys earlier this week regarding its claims against iOS devs would prompt the patent holder to move on to its next target, and sure enough, it looks as if said target has been selected. Unfortunately, a group of Android app devs have now found themselves in the Texas-based company's crosshairs, which is citing the same patent infringement that Apple recently addressed, relating specifically to in-app upgrade purchases. As was the case with the last round of letters, Lodsys is demanding licensing fees from small, individual developers, who don't have the resources to fight back. Lodsys appears to be maintaining its trend of ignoring media requests, so we're keeping an eye on the patent troll's blog to see if anyone comes up to the surface to defend this latest round of allegations. In the meantime, plugging your ears while humming and ignoring the mailman might not be such a bad idea... you know, if you do this kind of thing for a living.
Netflix updates Android app, expands device support
Tired of content providers bossing you around, telling you what you can do with your own phone? Good, because Netflix is sick of telling you kids to keep off its lawn. Following a recent update, the outfit's Android app now officially supports the LG Revolution, Motorola Droid, Casio G'zOne Commando C771, and any unsupported device that just happens to work on its own. In addition to adding official support for the aforementioned trio (and of course, some minor bug fixes), the stream king removed a device check that previously blocked unsupported handsets from attempting playback. Your mileage may vary, but the folks over at Droid Life are reporting success with both the Droid X and Droid X2, as well as the Xperia Play. That's no guarantee for you and your unsupported device, but at least you have the freedom to fail. That's nice, isn't it?
Visualized: Androidify avatar dance party (video)
Have your YouTube dance videos been lacking something? Can't quite put your finger on it? How 'bout another, more Android-y you to add some diversity to your One, Two Step? The folks who brought you the Androidify app have apparently enlisted a friend, his Android avatar, and a Kinect to bring you the above video. Not too shabby, but we'd be even more intrigued if he was rocking a black leotard and busting out Mexican Breakfast, Beyonce-style. Check out the not-so-Fosse video after the break. [Thanks, John]
Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S
Well, it looks like the LG Revolution won't be the first Android phone to get Netflix after all. The app has just hit the Android Market and is currently available for the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, and G2, plus the Samsung Nexus S. As you might expect, there's not a lot of surprises in terms of functionality -- you can resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer, and the app will allow you to manage your instant queue in addition to letting you simply browse movies. On its official blog, Netflix explains that while the app is currently limited to phones with "requisite playback support," it anticipates that many of the "technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months," and that it will be able to "provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones." That's some curious wording, to be sure, and a notable change from earlier talk that suggested only certain Qualcomm processors would support the necessary DRM for Netflix. Also not supported at the moment: Canada. If none of that precludes you, however, you can hit up the Android Market link below to try it out for yourself. In other Netflix news, the company has also rolled out a little gift for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users -- the iOS app now finally boasts support for subtitles. %Gallery-123546% [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HBO Go mobile app hands-on (video)
HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break. Update: Sorry Android users, but it looks like the only supported versions for the Android app are 2.1 - 2.3.3. However, we're getting reports that it does function in the browser -- so long as you've got Flash installed, of course. We're also told that the HBO Go site works just fine on the PlayBook as well. %Gallery-122541%
HBO Go hits iOS and Android, free for subscribers
Don't ditch that premium cable subscription just yet. The long-anticipated HBO Go app just hit the iOS App Store and Android Market, bringing original HBO series and a variety of blockbuster films to your mobile device. You'll need an HBO subscription with your cable provider to get past the login screen, but unlocking all that the service has to offer using our Verizon FiOS account took just a second, and we were off and running with Avatar less than a minute after launching the app. We'll have a full hands-on later today, but if you're an HBO subscriber with an iOS or Android slab, head over to your device's respective store to download the free app. [Thanks, Jason]
Google Docs gets an Android app, we go hands-on with tiny spreadsheets (video)
Staring at spreadsheets crushed down to unreadable sizes on a 4-inch phone screen is far from pleasurable but, clearly there is a demand. In fact, we've been clamoring for a proper Google Docs app for ages, even though sometimes we're not entirely sure why. It was only a matter of time before Google finally got around to appeasing us mobile workaholics and put an official app in the Android Market. Well, our masochistic prayers were answered -- the Mighty Goog unleashed the new, native Google Docs for Android app and we rushed on over to the Market, clicked the install button, and gave it a whirl. %Gallery-122400%
Google Docs gets an Android app, lets you capture text with your phone's camera
Google's had a mobile-friendly version of Google Docs available for some time now, but it's now finally gone the extra step and released a dedicated Android app. That will of course let you access and edit your documents on your smartphone, but the real standout feature is the ability to capture text with your phone's camera and have it instantly made editable thanks to some optical character recognition. Google notes that won't work with handwriting or some fonts, but it promises it will get better over time. Hit up Android Market to try it out for yourself.
Official White House Android app attempts to quash OS inequality
They may not be able to please all of the people all of the time, but President Obama and gang are doing their best to reach across the OS aisle with a new Android app. Like the iPhone edition that came before it, this official White House app offers presidential photos and video, updates from the blog and briefing room, and alerts about events and announcements. Unfortunately, all of the people won't be pleased with this new update, either, as the thing is still only available to iOS and Android users, but that's politics for you.
B&N accepting Nook Color app submissions, because you can never have too many app stores
The upcoming firmware update for the Nook Color is shaping up to be a hefty one for the e-reader-turned-Android tablet. Barnes & Noble has now announced that it's officially opening up the device to developers, and will be taking app submissions through its developer site effective immediately. The Nook has long been one of the best bangs for your buck in the ever-expanding world of Android tablets, and all that's left now is Honeycomb -- and no, the hacked port doesn't count.
HTC Desire solves dodecahedron Rubik's Cube, will blow your mind (video)
If this image doesn't have you completely dumbfounded, scroll down and watch the video. Sufficiently awestruck? Good. Now, for a little background on exactly how someone got a pile of Legos and a smartphone to solve the devil's puzzle Megaminx. The aptly titled Megaminxer enlists the Mindstorms NXT kit to do the dirty work and an HTC Desire, running a custom Android app, as the brains of the operation. Said app uses the phone's camera to take individual images of each of the puzzle's 12 faces, then processes the information and sends a signal via Bluetooth to the NXT controller, which in turn goes to town. Unfortunately, there's no explaining how they got the Android to dance like that, but, really, why ruin the magic? [Thanks, Stuart]
TetherGPS brings GPS navigation to Nook Color, in a manner of speaking
The smart folks over at ComptonSoft are looking to provide a GPS receiver to your mobile device in a rather unconventional way. TetherGPS links up your Android phone's GPS to the Nook Color by means of WiFi -- either on the same network or via a WiFi tether -- because the Nook Color is lacking in the standard usable Bluetooth department. After connecting the two devices, it makes a second link by running a TGPS server on the phone and a TGPS client on the Nook. The two devices are then intertwined in a blissful, all-you-can-GPS buffet of routes and roads. For the most part, the Nook's location-aware Android applications, such as Google Maps, will draw from this connection for location data and use it as if there were a GPS receiver on board. TetherGPS is up for grabs for $2.99 on the Android Market, and there's also a free "Lite" version for those who only need GPS for five minutes at a time -- we'll assume you know who you are. [Thanks, Red]
Google Reader Android app gets updated with unread count widget and more
Lookie here, digital bookworms -- Google has just refreshed its Google Reader app for Android, adding a couple of "your most-requested features" along the way. Things like a unread count widget and news ticker widget are coming to those with Android 2.2+, while a 'Mark Previous As Read' is making its way back to all users with v1.6 or higher. Oh, and if you're into reading Russian feeds, there's now official support for Russian translation. Head on down to the Market below to get the install going, and do your best not to be ashamed when the number in your unread count stretches three home screen panels.
