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Vic Gundotra post hints Snapseed for Android may be close, bring Google+ integration
When Google bought Nik Software, there was some worry that Snapseed would go the proverbial dodo's route and fade into obscurity as part of a larger Google app. We won't see that ignominious end anytime soon if Senior Engineering VP Vic Gundotra's photography is as valid a clue as it looks. On an evening flight to Baltimore, Gundotra posted a view of the setting sun to Google+ using Snapseed -- a rather unique achievement given that the existing, iOS-only app doesn't know the social network exists. Knowing the executive's usual choice of smartphone, the public use could be the hint of the already planned Android port getting close to launch, even if there's no way to know exactly when and how the image editing app could arrive. Let's hope that Gundotra's post is more than just a fleeting glimpse of a product that gets shelved later on.
Google makes Gesture Search compatible with Nexus 7, improves app's overall performance
Earlier this morning, Google did the iOS crowd a generous favor by flipping the switch on its Street View service to help alleviate some of those Maps troubles, so it's only natural to take care of the Android faithful as well. With that in mind, Google has updated its Gesture Search to be fully compatible with the ASUS-built Nexus 7, as well as improving the application's UI, boosting search performance, adding support for more languages and allowing contacts without digits to now be searchable. The new version of Gesture Search can be downloaded now via Google Play, straight from your device or by simply using the link down below.
SlingPlayer for Android gets a long-awaited update, adds reminders and better Android 4 video quality
Fans of both Android and Slingbox streaming have had a long wait for a significant update to the SlingPlayer app, to put it mildly -- the last major upgrade was to introduce Kindle Fire support at the start of the year. Imagine our delight when Sling Media posts a pair of low-key but significant updates for Android phone and tablet users alike. Smartphone owners get the most out of the upgrade with a new electronic program guide, a fresher overall look and better high-quality video for any phone using Android 4.0 and beyond. Tablet users do get a more optimized interface for the Nexus 7, however, and both form factors will let avid placeshifters remind themselves when a much-anticipated show goes live in the future. Neither of the updates is a complete revolution, but we would say they're coming just in time.
Samsung Galaxy Camera coming to AT&T, may go without LTE
'Tis the day for AT&T devices. Big Blue has just become the first US carrier officially supporting the Samsung Galaxy Camera and will supply its flavor of cellular data while you're busy posting some of the most detailed Instagram photos ever taken. There aren't any noticeable changes to the connected 16-megapixel shooter that we've seen, but it may not be as fast as shutterbugs might like -- while AT&T is keen to talk up the presence of 4G, it conspicuously leaves out any mention of LTE and suggests that we saw an HSPA-only US model at the FCC just days ago. We're working to confirm what's really inside. Pricing and a ship date will be available in the "coming weeks," although it's unlikely that anyone will absolutely have to sign a two-year contract to start snapping images.
Sandia Labs' MegaDroid project simulates 300,000 Android phones to fight wireless catastrophes (video)
We've seen some large-scale simulations, including some that couldn't get larger. Simulated cellular networks are still a rare breed, however, which makes Sandia National Laboratories' MegaDroid project all the more important. The project's cluster of off-the-shelf PCs emulates a town of 300,000 Android phones down to their cellular and GPS behavior, all with the aim of tracing the wider effects of natural disasters, hacking attempts and even simple software bugs. Researchers imagine the eventually public tool set being useful not just for app developers, but for the military and mesh network developers -- the kind who'd need to know how their on-the-field networks are running even when local authorities try to shut them down. MegaDroid is still very much an in-progress effort, although Sandia Labs isn't limiting its scope to Android and can see its work as relevant to iOS or any other platform where a ripple in the network can lead to a tidal wave of problems.
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE takes a tour through the FCC with AT&T-capable 4G and beyond
Huawei hinted last week that the Ascend P1 LTE would travel beyond British shores; it just didn't say where. Based on a new FCC filing, North America is sounding like a good (if very broad) destination. The regulator has cleared a version of the Android 4.0 hardware packing AT&T-friendly 700MHz LTE frequencies as well as AWS support that could suit it to Canadian LTE providers and future T-Mobile deployments. We've likewise noticed AWS-based 3G join the usual 850MHz and 1,900MHz approvals for North American HSPA providers. With such broad coverage, it's difficult to narrow down just the exact carriers that could embrace the Ascend P1 LTE if it launches on this side of the Atlantic. Whatever the choices, it's clear that Huawei is hedging its bets.
BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email
RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.
Oregon Scientific MEEP! tablet ships for $150, gives kids a safe, exclamation-filled place to play
For all the enthusiasm Oregon Scientific put into launching (and naming) its MEEP! tablet, the company has been a bit timid about getting the kid-friendly Android device into the market -- we're just seeing it go on sale eight months after it was first shown to the world. Now that the slate is here, it may be worth the patience from parents. The 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip, 512MB of RAM, 800 x 480 screen and 4GB of storage won't have the adults regretting their Kindle Fire purchases, but the MEEP! does come in a smash-resistant form with remote parental control and an allowance-based store that lets kids 'buy' apps with virtual coins. Oregon helps its case through the use of Ice Cream Sandwich, preloaded games like Angry Birds and a raft of accessories for games and music. The $150 asking price is just low enough that we can see a few families starting their youngest technophiles on a MEEP! before graduating them to bigger, badder tablets with less punctuation in the name.
Samsung P500 and i915 tablets for Sprint and Verizon, Galaxy Note II for Sprint reach the FCC (update: Note II for US Cellular as well)
When it rains, it pours. As if to clear the decks, Samsung has passed three devices through the FCC's scrutiny at the same time. Two, the SPH-P500 and SCH-i915, are LTE-equipped tablets respectively headed to Sprint and Verizon with a dash of mystery; their label images imply a pair of Galaxy Tab 2 variants, but both have previously been spotted in as yet unverified benchmarks that allude to much faster Snapdragon S4 processors instead of the Tab 2's TI chips. The SPH-L900's dimensions and dual-mode support make for a safer bet, pointing to what's likely the Galaxy Note II for Sprint. We're less concerned with the hardware details so much as when everything ships -- although we may get a clearer picture of the Sprint Galaxy Note II's fate around October 24th, the tablets aren't linked to any kind of public schedule, official or otherwise. Update: Not long after Sprint's Galaxy Note sequel arrived in the FCC, US Cellular's flavor -- the SCH-R950 -- also made it through the federal approval process.
ComScore: iPhone grew to 34 percent US share in a pre-iPhone 5 world, Android still on top at 52 percent
Apple is all too used to the rumor cycle affecting its sales: the company just saw a dip in sequential iPhone shipments this spring as customers waited for what would ultimately become the iPhone 5. If you believe ComScore's US smartphone market share estimates, though, Apple wasn't the worse for wear this August. While the iPhone was in the doldrums this spring, it jumped almost a whole point versus an already positive July to hit 34.3 percent; we're wondering if last-minute discounts played a part in keeping iPhone 4S sales healthy. Google didn't have much to fear and saw Android climb to 52.6 percent, even if its ascent wasn't as rapid as that of its Bay Area neighbor. RIM took the brunt of the losses and dipped to just 8.3 percent of the market in what's increasingly a two-horse race, although Microsoft's Windows Phone held its ground at 3.6 percent. The wider US cellphone market tells a familiar story, with Samsung on top. There's signs that the narrative is very close to changing, however: LG and Apple are now close enough, at one point's difference, that Apple could seize second place by the time we see ComScore's figures for September. Before interpreting Apple's performance as some sign of a wider reversal of fortune, just remember that most of its challenges are on the world stage. There's no guarantee that the Android-focused markets beyond American borders have been as receptive to iPhone price drops and updates.
NTT DoCoMo preps automatic translation from Japanese through Android, leaves no one an island
Japan's unique language makes calls to other countries a challenge: locals often don't have much choice but to brush up on someone else's language or hope there's a Japanese speaker on the other end of the line. If all goes well with NTT DoCoMo's planned Hanashite Hon'yaku automatic translation service, international calls will be as comfortable as phoning a store in Nagano. As long as a subscriber has at least an Android 2.2 phone or tablet on the carrier's moperaU or sp-mode plans, the service will automatically convert spoken Japanese to another language, and reverse the process for the reply, whether it's through an outbound phone call or an in-person conversation. The service will bridge cultures starting from November 1st, when it will translate from Japanese to Chinese, English or Korean. Indonesian, Thai and five European languages are coming later that month. If you're not that patient, NTT DoCoMo will provide a holdover on October 11th through Utsushite Hon'yaku, a free Word Lens-like augmented reality translator for Android 2.3 that can convert text to or from Japanese with a glance through a phone camera.
Samsung Galaxy Note II variants for AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon possibly caught at the FCC
It's no secret that Samsung plans to bring the Galaxy Note II to many US carriers by mid-fall. Even so, getting there requires the FCC's blessing -- which makes us glad to see the regulator approve what might be three carriers' variants of the giant Android phone. The SGH-i317 looks to be the model for AT&T and Canadian carriers, having been greenlit for their key 3G and 4G bands while lining up with a briefly available benchmark of the device sharing the Note II's HD screen and use of Jelly Bean. The SCH-i605? Based on its inclusions of both CDMA and GSM, a lone 700MHz LTE band and a past screen capture leak, it's a dual-mode Note II destined for Verizon. As for the SGH-T889, it's even more conspicuous beyond what we've already seen: the T889's HSPA includes the 1,700MHz AWS frequency that T-Mobile will still call home for a long while. LTE likewise exists on the 1,700MHz and roaming-friendly 700MHz bands in possible instances of futureproofing. While we rarely want to say a mobile device is confirmed until we see it first-hand, the convenient timing and natures of the three FCC approvals only help to fuel suspicions that Samsung's pen-focused event on October 24th is all about the Note II's American launch.
NPD: Android users chew an average 870MB of cellular data per month, youngest gobble the most
Ever wonder how much data you burn through every month on average? If you're an Android user within the US, odds are that it's quite a lot. The NPD Group estimates that Americans of the Google persuasion typically consume about 870MB of data on cellular networks every month. While it's not an extreme amount next to the 2.5GB of WiFi usage, it's enough to give anyone second thoughts about coasting on a basic data plan -- and a reflection of how both 4G and media apps have changed our behavior. Not surprisingly, it's a younger crowd more comfortable with smartphones that's the most aggressive: the 18-24 set races through 1.05GB a month where the 55-plus audience uses a more modest (if still healthy) 750MB. We don't yet know how iOS stacks up in current conditions, but the NPD is promising a comparable look soon. Something tells us the iPhone 5's LTE will lead to just as much voraciousness.
Samsung Galaxy Camera swings past the FCC with AT&T-capable 3G
Samsung made much ado of the Galaxy Camera coming in both 3G and 4G versions, but it wasn't clear just which carriers would let us upload photos when away from WiFi. The FCC might have just given out a big clue with approval filings for two 3G editions. As it's been tested for US clearance, the Android point-and-shoot in its EK-GC100 and EK-KC100 guises has support for HSPA-based 3G on the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands used by AT&T and larger Canadian carriers -- a possible hint of Big Blue's ongoing connected devices push, but not a very promising discovery for most T-Mobile users or any CDMA customers. Before anyone bemoans the absences of LTE or support for more American networks, however, we'd note that this is just one filing and might not represent the totality of Samsung's US plans, if we're indeed looking at one or more US-bound examples. We'll keep an eye out ahead of the Galaxy Camera's international launch in October to see if there's anything more in the FCC's cards.
Sony Xperia tipo and tipo dual reach the US in unlocked form, give Americans a taste of dual SIMs
Few of us who live outside of Asia or Eastern Europe know the potential convenience of a dual SIM phone. Own one and you can globetrot, or else keep separate home and work lines without the bulk of an extra device in the pocket. Sony is gambling that enough Americans have that multi-line desire by selling the Xperia tipo dual and its regular, single-SIM counterpart in the US as unlocked GSM models. Neither of the Android 4.0 phones is what we'd call a powerhouse with the same 3.5-inch screen, 3.2-megapixel camera and 800MHz Snapdragon inside, but both can latch on to HSPA 3G on AT&T, refarmed T-Mobile coverage and 2100MHz carriers abroad, even if the single-SIM tipo curiously has 900MHz 3G support that the tipo dual lacks. It's undoubtedly price that Sony is counting on more than anything: at respective contract-free prices of $180 and $190 for the tipo and tipo dual, the pair of Xperias may be sold most often as travel-only phones for the jet set.
BlueStacks teams with AMD to optimize Android App Player for Fusion, Radeon chips (video)
AMD has a disproportionately large $6.4 million investment in BlueStacks, and now we're seeing one clear reason why. The two companies have teamed up to create a special version of the BlueStacks App Player that's tuned for AMD's Fusion-based processors and Radeon graphics cards, running Android apps with the full help of the chip designer's hardware in Windows 7 and 8 PCs. Accordingly, over 500,000 Android apps are invading AMD's new AppZone portal without any needed tweaks of their own, giving the service a much larger catalog than if it had gone with Windows alone. Both companies have a clear incentive to this melding of desktop and mobile: BlueStacks suddenly gets exposure to as many as 100 million AMD-running users, while AMD can tout a giant app catalog that may be preloaded on future PCs using its components. We don't know if the world needs yet another avenue for playing Angry Birds, especially when many AMD-based PCs won't have touchscreens, but the BlueStacks partnership could be a strong lure for new PC buyers who'd like an instant software library.
Google's Niantic Labs launches Field Trip app for Android, helps the working world play hooky
While Apple struggles to figure out how to help its users find their way, the mapping experts at Google have just launched a way to get folks to diverge a bit from their given path. Field Trip, released for Android by Google-owned Niantic Labs, runs in the background on your Android handset, eagerly waiting for you to get near a point of interest. Once that happens, it leaps into action, showing you a card for one of thousands of cool locations -- historic spots, museums, restaurants and the like. Google's partnered with a bunch of taste makers for the project, including Flavorpill, Cool Hunting and its own Zagat, to get things done. You can vote choices up and down, change the frequency of pop ups and post your findings to Twitter, Facebook and that one Plus social network. There's also a driving mode serves as an auditory tour guide when you're behind the wheel. The app's available now as a free download in Play. The iOS version, on the other hand, is coming soon. Psst... yes, it appears to be US-only for now. Bah, humbug.
ASUS teases Jelly Bean update coming to Transformer Pad Prime and Infinity within 72 hours
Oh, ASUS. While it was so forthcoming with an update to Jelly Bean for the Transformer Pad TF300, it has been shy about upgrading the tablet's higher-end cousins. The company must be coming out of its shell: it just posted a teaser for Jelly Bean updates coming to the Transformer Pad Prime TF201 (formerly the Eee Pad Transformer Prime) and the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. ASUS was initially hesitant to say more than that it would come "soon," but Technical Marketing Manager Gary Key has stepped in to confirm that North America will get the update within a surprisingly quick 72 hours. The only glaring omission is a matching refresh for the original Eee Pad Transformer to give veteran owners a little TLC.
Google Maps on web and Android adds bus routing for Japan, guides teddy bears quickly (video)
Virtually anyone who's been to a Japanese city knows that subways and trains might be closely associated with their country, but also that they only form a part of the mass transit picture. With that in mind, Google has quietly rolled out an update to Google Maps data for Android and the web that supports bus navigation in Japan, including schedules. It's a simple addition, but an important one for those who can't always get to where they're going on rails -- like teddy bears, according to Google's video. We just want to know who makes that kawaii case for the Galaxy Nexus.
Google Maps for Android takes navigation indoors for France, helps find your way through Carrefour
Interior navigation with Google Maps for Android has usually been the province of only a handful of regions at best. But what about Provence? While the deal isn't all-encompassing, Google is now serving indoor maps for popular locations throughout France. Coverage starts with the major airports in Paris and Lyon, extending to include major nationwide stores like Carrefour and FNAC, shopping centers like the Carrousel du Louvre and museums like La Géode. All told, over 50 venues have signed onboard and should be enough for those moments when you're rushing to catch a connecting flight at Orly... or just want to find the salad dressings in aisle three.
