Google reports 70 million Android tablet activations

July 25th, 2013, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

thinner, lighter Nexus 7 with higher-res screen, arrives July 30th for $230

July 25th, 2013, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

New Nexus 7 vs. the competition: battle of the budget 7-inch tablets

July 25th, 2013, 00:52 Posted By: wraggster

The original Nexus 7 launched in a relative vacuum -- there were other low-cost, 7-inch Android tablets before, but few with the full support of a major manufacturer. The2013-era Nexus 7 is entering a far more crowded marketplace with many recognizable names, and even more aggressive pricing. With that in mind, we've compared Google's latest tablet with three of its newest 7-inch peers -- ASUS' MeMo Pad HD 7, HP's Slate 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 -- to see whether it's as strong a value as its predecessor.
Ironically, the new Nexus 7 occupies the high end in this space. It's the most expensive tablet here, with the sharpest display, the fastest processor and the most built-in storage. However, that doesn't mean it's priced out of contention. The $30 you save with the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 just isn't worth it; Samsung's tablet is a big step down in every aspect outside of expandability. And you're clearly getting what you pay for with the Slate 7, whose low price doesn't excuse a poor display and sluggish performance.
The Nexus 7's real competition comes from its own manufacturer, ASUS. While the MeMo Pad HD 7 has a lower resolution screen and a slower CPU, its cameras, display quality, processing power and storage are superb for the price. If you don't crave the Nexus 7's technology or stock Android 4.3, it may be wiser to save $80 and buy the good-enough MeMo Pad instead. Full specifications for all the tablets are available after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/n...e-competition/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Android 4.3 brings 1080p Netflix streaming

July 25th, 2013, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster

After revealing Google's new Nexus 7, Director of Product Management Hugo Barra revealed that the company has teamed up with Netflix to bring higher resolution video streams to compatible devices, a feature you'll only enjoy on devices running the just-announced Android 4.3. Yep, Netflix will now run at 1080p resolution, with the video-streaming company one of the first to use the new set of DRM APIs announced in tandem with this latest OS release. Unfortunately, of course, you'll just have to wait for that pesky OTA update before you can try it.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/n...3-1080p-video/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google Play Games app launches today, provides a portal for tablet gamers

July 25th, 2013, 00:50 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google letting developers in on the Chromecast action with Google Cast SDK

July 25th, 2013, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

Now that Google has let its $35 Chromecast HDMI dongle out of the bag at itsbreakfast press event, it's gonna need developers to chip in some apps for it. To help boost that effort, the company is releasing the Google Cast SDK to help those folks bring content from mobile and the web to TVs. By using the kit, developers won't need to build new applications for the big screen from scratch; they'll just need to make a few tweaks to their existing mobile apps. Mountain View expects Google Cast tech to be embedded in future hardware from its partners, with Chromecast being "the first instantiation" of such an ecosystem. You can now grab a preview (at the source) for iOS, Android and Chrome -- which is good news, since the wee dongle already appears to be sold out on Play.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/g...dk-developers/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google makes Android 4.3 factory images available through AOSP

July 25th, 2013, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

First Apps Targeting Android Key Vulnerability Found in the Wild

July 24th, 2013, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

Earlier this month, researchers from Bluebox Security uncovered a serious vulnerability in Android that allowed for the modification of apps without affecting the cryptographic signature, making it possible for attackers to turn legitimate apps into Trojans. ... Now, Symantec says it has uncovered the first malicious apps making use of the exploit in the wild. Symantec discovered two mobile applications that were infected by an attacker, which are legitimate applications used to help find and make doctor appointments and distributed on Android marketplaces in China. 'An attacker has taken both of these applications and added code to allow them to remotely control devices, steal sensitive data such as IMEI and phone numbers, send premium SMS messages, and disable a few Chinese mobile security software applications by using root commands, if available,' Symantec explained in a blog post. ... Google has fixed the security hole in Android, but it is now in the control of handset manufacturers to produce and release the updates for mobile devices to patch the flaws

http://it.slashdot.org/story/13/07/2...nd-in-the-wild

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google Announces Android 4.3, Netflix, New Nexus 7, and Q Successor Chromecast

July 24th, 2013, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster

At a press conference dubbed "Breakfast With Sundar," Google announced two new pieces of hardware and a minor revision to Android. Complete stories and commentary are still coming in, but in the mean time you can skim a liveblog or two First is the new Nexus 7. The hardware is slightly improved (full HD screen, better graphics, etc.). The specs managed to "leak" hours before the event through Best Buy opening preordering too early. On the software side, they've announced a minor revision to Android, 4.3. It features improved Bluetooth support (including Bluetooth 4.0), OpenGL ES 3.0, enhanced internationalization, enhanced DRM, and multi-user support. The multi-user support looks most exciting: now you can share a tablet with more than one person. One of the features Google focused on was restricted profiles: a device owner can create accounts that e.g. cannot make in-app purchases (Junior won't rack up a $3000 bill again). Bad news: Google is implementing stricter DRM for books and video, locking down the entire video stack. The consolation prize is that Netflix will work on more devices and at 1080p. Also demoed were a new version of Chrome that brings the tablet experience closer to the desktop, improved hangouts, and improved maps. Google also appears to be making a push into gaming, emphasizing tablet-only games that integrate into Google+. In addition to gaming, they have secured deals with five major textbook publishers to sell students presumably DRMed electronic textbooks that can be purchased or rented, enhanced with better search and highlighting (because PDF readers don't support those features already). As usual lately, all of the really nice additions to Android are proprietary and tied to Google services, further eroding the open nature of Android. Finally, they announced a tiny $35 dongle named Chromecast that appears to be the successor of the Nexus Q. Running Chrome OS, it connects to any HDMI port, finds your Wi-Fi network, and Just Works (tm) for online video. The online and mobile Youtube and Netflix interfaces will allow you to hit a single button and forward the video to your television as well. Google Music streaming to the television is also supported. The Chromecast looks like a handy little device, hopefully it is turns out it can be reflashed. Of course, when using your browser as a remote, all of the commands go through The Cloud. An SDK and more details on the software side of things are slated for release later today, although conspiciously absent on their supported platforms list is GNU/Linux, listing only Chrome OS and Android. Update: 07/24 18:01 GMT by U L : The Chromecast SDK is out, but with an awfully restrictive license that requires written permission from Google to distribute any cast enabled applications, which appears to make it completely incompatible with Free/Open Source software.

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/07...sor-chromecast

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

13-Inch Haswell-Powered MacBook Air With PCIe SSD Tested

July 24th, 2013, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

In addition to the anticipated performance gains that Intel's new Haswell CPU architecture might bring to the table for their new MacBook Air, there are additional component-level upgrades that Apple baked in to their latest ultra-light notebook; namely a higher capacity 54 Whr battery and a PCI Express-based Solid State Drive (SSD). Apple still hasn't seen fit to up the ante on the MacBook Air's display, opting instead to stick with the 1440x900 TN panel carried over from the previous generation 13-inch machine, with the 11-inch variant sporting a 1366x768 native res. But in terms of performance, this is Apple's fastest Air yet, with storage throughput in excess of 700MB/sec for reads and 400MB/sec for writes, along with graphics horsepower that rivals entry level discrete GPUs, thanks to Intel's HD Graphic 5000 core in Haswell. Battery life has been improved dramatically as well, with the new Air lasting over 9 hrs on a charge, playing back 1080p video content. Apple also reduced their MSRP by $100 versus last year's model."Not too bad at around $1100. The 54Wh battery looks it improves the portability a bit.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/13/0...cie-ssd-tested

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

60 per cent of people think smartphone web quality is a high priority

July 24th, 2013, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

Mobile web specialist Netbiscuits HAS monitored all traffic hitting its Cloud Platform to see what devices are most used, finding that the top ten only account for 48 per cent of total global traffic.
In a recent survey, Netbiscuits discovered that more than 60 per cent of people think that improving the online experience on smartphones was a high priority, and 44 per cent for tablets, as revealed in the Netbiscuits Web Trends Report.
Mobile data has doubled in the first quarter compared to the year before, whilst mobile subscribers reached 6.4 billion, which is the equivalent to nine subscriptions for every ten people in the world.
This data gathered from the Netbiscuits Cloud Platform gathering information from over one billion hits showed that it is becoming increasing important for web owners and marketers to address any issues with the user experience provided by their mobile sites.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...riority/021967

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 6 time? Apple is 'laser-focused on amazing products in autumn'

July 24th, 2013, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

CEO makes the tease as iPhone sales hit a record 31.2m in Q3 and profit plummets $2bn.
Two new iPhones were rumoured to be unveiled last month, but seemingly it was just that, a rumour.
However, amid Apple's fiscal Q3 figures, CEO Tim Cook hints the company's next smartphone will arrive once summer ends.
He said: "We are really excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, and we are laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014."
Of course, Apple recently claimed iOS 7 is the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, and it will have to be to help the company's dip in profits.
For the fiscal Q3 ending June 29th 2013, Apple's revenue hit $35.3 billion and profit of $6.9 billion, which are up and down year-on-year from $35 billion and $8.8 billion.
The firm sold a record-breaking 31.2 million iPhones the quarter, which is up from 26m the previous year, while iPad sales dipped to 14.6m from 17m in 2012.
Apple predicts revenue to be between $34 billion and $37bn in Q4.
The UK may be reluctant to help the company achieve sales, however, as 65 per cent of Brits think the iPhone 6 will be totally rubbish.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-autumn/021966

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Drunken mobile use costs Brits £638m a year

July 24th, 2013, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

Apology texts, app purchases, shopping and so on after guzzling a few Britney Spears.
Non-UK folk would be right to be concerned for the British - recent data has shown that 62 per cent of women in the region have used mobiles during sex.
As if that's not bad enough, ten per cent of festival-attending bright sparks tape a note to mobiles in case of loss.
giffgaff now claims that using a mobile while drunk costs Brits £638 million a year. This is comprised of 75 per cent calling international/premium numbers, 70 per cent sending apology texts and making financial promises, 68 per cent shopping online and taking out payday loans.
Around 90 per cent of those surveyed were smartphone users, which means access to potentially expensive technologies like app stores, retail sites and 3G/4G connectivity.
More than 400 million drunken mobile conversations are estimated to take place each year, with
27 per cent of respondents sending drunk texts – the most popular comms method – followed by social media messaging at 17 per cent.
35 per cent of people had contacting their friends while under the influence, but 11 per cent had contacted an ex and three per cent had contacted their boss.
Additionally, 54 per cent of recipients sent a message to someone else other than the intended recipient. Just 12 per cent of people said they never used mobile communications when hammered.
The mobile booze combo caused 34 per cent to have disagreements and 11 per cent had broken up with a partner because of a drunken message.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-a-year/021969

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple sees record iPhone sales as profit falls $2m

July 24th, 2013, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Apple sold a record 31.2 million iPhones during its fiscal third quarter for 2013 - up 5.2 million year-on-year.
However, quarterly net profit during the three months ending June 29th, 2013, fell almost $2 million to $6.9 million, down from the $8.8 million made during Q3 2012.
Gross margin was 36.9 per cent compared to 42.8 per cent in the same period last year.
Apple sold 14.6 million iPads and 3.8 million Macs during Q3 2013, down from last year's 17 million and four million respectively.
Apple’s Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $3.05 per share - payable to shareholders on August 15th.
“We are especially proud of our record June quarter iPhone sales of over 31 million and the strong growth in revenue from iTunes, Software and Services,� said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
“We are really excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, and we are laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014.�
Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer added: "We generated $7.8 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter and are pleased to have returned $18.8 billion in cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases."
Apple expects revenues of between $34 and $37 billion during its fourth quarter for 2014, and gross margins of around 36 to 37 per cent.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...alls-2m/031470

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Ubuntu Edge "superphone" is also a PC, seeks funding

July 24th, 2013, 23:33 Posted By: wraggster

Operating system specialist Canonical has revealed the Ubuntu Edge - a "superphone" that doubles up as a desktop PC.
The company is seeking $32 million on crowdfunding website Indiegogo to produce the new type of smartphone, which Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth describes as "a proving ground for the most advanced mobile technologies on the horizon, a showpiece for true mobile innovation".
The Ubuntu Edge will boast 4GB of RAM, 128GB storage and a 4.5-inch display made of pure sapphire crystal. It's expected to launch in May 2014 in limited numbers.
It can connect to a standard HDMI screen and work as a desktop PC, and its dual-LTE chip will connect users online with 4G. The smartphone will dual-boot with the Ubuntu phone OS and Android.
"The phone industry today is a bit like the camera industry five years ago," said Shuttleworth. "Stuck in a mega pixel race chasing wasted resolution. What's much more interesting is colour accuracy and brightness.
"Convergence is the key idea we're exploring, so this phone needs to be a potent little PC when docked. We'll select the very latest fastest multi-core processor as we finalise the design. It's going to redefine PC portability.
"It’s desktop computing gone truly mobile.
He added: "We're not trying to get into the phone business - we're working with phone companies for your normal mid and high end phones. This project is just for us - the real enthusiasts. That's why a crowdfunding approach is perfect."
The Linux-based Ubuntu OS is currently used by 20 million users worldwide.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...funding/031473

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Ouya live stream from 5pm BST

July 24th, 2013, 01:58 Posted By: wraggster

Ouya's a strange one. Billed as an Android-powered alternative to game consoles - a pitch that helped it secure millions in Kickstarter capital - it launched to mixed reviews last month and game sales are on the tiddly side at the moment, although some developers are fine with that. It also faces competition from rival Android micro-consoles like GameStick, which is due out shortly.The proof of a console's quality, though, is not in its business success or the manner of its launch, but in the games. Are they interesting and original? Are they fun to play? Would you buy a console in order to play them? In Ouya's case there's the complicating factor that many of them are smaller indie titles, so a buying decision is more likely to be made in aggregate than due to one individual title.We've written plenty about whether we'd buy an Ouya, but now that we're done with reviews we thought you might appreciate another way to look in on the launch line-up, so we dispatched our kit to Ian Higton, who is live-streaming a selection of games from 5pm BST today. If you're still unsure about the whole thing, or just want to see how it looks in action, join him. Remember that if you see this late you can still watch an archive of the stream.P.S. Sorry this has taken a little while to put together. We had wanted to do it sooner and in fact we ordered a second Ouya console specifically to do so, but after two weeks it still hadn't shipped, so we had to pass around our existing one. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...m-from-5pm-bst

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple: iPhones up, iPads down

July 24th, 2013, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

31 million smartphones sold is a new quarterly record, but Apple's revenues were flat while profits and tablet sales dipped
[h=3]Apple[/h]Established in 1976, Apple is a multinational corporation (corporate headquarters based in California)...
apple.com


Depending on how one wants to make the numbers sound, Apple sales were up either $300 million for its last quarter, or less than 1 percent year-over-year. The company today announced its results for the third fiscal quarter (three months ended June 29), showing revenues rose the aforementioned amount to $35.3 billion, up from $35 billion in the same period the year prior.
Despite the uptick in sales, profits for the company were down. Apple reported $6.9 billion in net income, down from $8.824 billion the year before.
Sales of the iPhone were particularly strong, with Apple reporting a new record for the quarter with 31 million iPhones sold, up from 26 million year-over-year. The iPad did not fare as well, as Apple sold 14.6 million tablets for the quarter, down from 17 million over the same stretch of 2012. Mac sales also dipped slightly, from 4 million to 3.8 million.
Apple left the door open for a strong finish to the year, providing revenue guidance between $34 billion and $37 billion for the fourth quarter, which ends September 29. Last year the company reported its best fourth quarter sales ever, which came in just under $36 billion.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-up-ipads-down

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

More Ouya sales numbers revealed to mixed response from devs

July 24th, 2013, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster

A number of new devs have revealed the sales numbers for their Ouya games and the reaction can best be described as mixed.
Organ Trail by studio The Men Who Wear Many Hats has according to creator Ryan Wiemeyer “sold about half of what my low-end predictions were� Gamasutra reports. Specifically, it has so far been downloaded 13,112 times resulting in 501 purchases. The game has elsewhere sold in the region of 400,000 copies.
Bombball creator E McNeill told the site that his game is making “a little over� $30 a day before Ouya takes its cut. “I kind of knew from the start that I was making a game that would be difficult to sell,� he admits. “Still, I let my expectations get inflated over time, and now I'm a little disappointed with the sales.�
However, other devs were more positive.
Vlambeer’s Super Crate Box is selling “exactly what we expected� according to Rami Ismail, who added that “judging by some of the numbers we've been hearing from other developers it seems a viable platform to co-develop for�.
BombSquad’s Eric Froemling says he is “happy so far� with sales which peaked at “close to� 200 per day and are currently sitting at around 70. He added: “It sounds like everyone's been seeing a bit of a sales drop after the initial few-week surge, so I'm curious to see what the tail will wind up looking like.�
Get On Top’s Shay Pierce says his game has had 9,700 downloads and 520 sales earning $728 to date after Ouya’s cut.
Yesterday two of Ouya’s leading games revealed sales of 2,000 (TowerFall) and 122 (NimbleBit) respectively.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/more-...m-devs/0119006

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Gameloft continues Marvel partnership with Thor: The Dark World

July 24th, 2013, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

Gameloft has already brought Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man and Iron Man 3 properties from the big screen to mobile game form, and will now do the same for the forthcoming Thor: The Dark World.
Users will don the red cape of the titular God of Thunder, Thor, in the freemium iOS/Android game across 100 missions against the Marauders and Dark Elves.
Players will be supported by fellow Asgardians and team members the Warriors Three, while the game is an original story co-written by Marvel writer Christopher Yost.
Karine Kaiser, VP Marketing & Licensing at Gameloft, said: "We are delighted to continue our excellent collaboration with Marvel. Developing official games from Marvel's cinematic blockbusters and bringing the fans an immersive experience in a superhero world inspires us every time."
In related news, Gameloft's Despicable Me 2 game released with Universal recently topped 50m downloads in one month.
Thor: The Dark World -The Official Game will be released in conjunction with the film in November.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...k-world/021949

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Android Jelly Bean: Google's game-changer

July 24th, 2013, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster

Newest version of the OS becomes top dog for the first time.
Today's Dialaphone article details Google's explosive Android operating system and the way that newest version Jelly Bean is now leading the pack...
It’s been a long time coming but Android Jelly Bean is now the most popular version of Google’s mobile operating system, surpassing the Gingerbread iteration for the first time.
Google recently released new data based on the number of Android devices accessing the Google Play Store. The findings reveal that Jelly Bean is now running on 37.9 per cent of all active Android devices around the world, while Gingerbread settles in at 34.1 per cent and Ice Cream Sandwich at 23.3 per cent.
The search giant said its revamped data capturing method “more accurately reflects those users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem.�
These latest figures suggest an almost ten per cent rise in Android’s market share since last month, which could well be down to a number of high-profile Android Jelly Bean devices debuting this year.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, which are available on a range of contracts from network providers including O2 and Vodafone, are just two smartphones that have helped boost Android’s profile even further. Both handsets are selling in huge quantities and Samsung even recently reported it has shipped 20 million units of its flagship.
Developers
Android 4.0 and above now powers more than 60 per cent of devices currently on the market, and it is now the only version of Google’s software that is experiencing any growth. This will also come as great news to developers because it means the mobile platform will gradually start to become less fragmented, making app development far more straightforward.
In the past Android has come under fire for having lots of different iterations of its software running on lots of different devices, and as a result Google has always struggled with getting the bulk of its users on the same version. For those developing third party applications this can make the process much harder and slower, as they have to optimise their creations for a range of software rather than just one.
Fortunately for Google, Jelly Bean updates are finally starting to gather pace and although devices running Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich will likely be around for quite some time, it’s a promising development that is likely to boost the popularity of the Android platform even further.
Market share
In its entirety Android is said to command almost 70 per cent of the smartphone market, but competition from the likes of Apple and the popularity of the iPhone 5, is still strong – in fact Google’s profits are still well below those pulled in by the Cupertino firm.
According to fan blog Apple Insider, during 2012 Google earned around $50bn compared to Apple’s $54bn for the last quarter alone. Apple certainly seems to be leveraging its market share much more effectively, which proves that in the long run it’s not always market share that matters, it’s what a company does to utilise it that could prove to be more beneficial.
That said, there is no doubt Google is working hard to bring all of its users together, but in a space where smartphone software innovations are becoming an even more important selling point for manufacturers, the firm still needs to focus on its future creations to keep users interested in its mobile platform.
In October Google is expected to unveil the next iteration of its OS; Key Lime Pie. If it launches at this time it will be the perfect way to mark the fifth anniversary since the launch of the first Android-based phone, the HTC Dream, whilst signalling exactly just how far the company has come over the past few years.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...changer/021954

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here