Droid Market News – HTC’s New Line-up Coming Soon To Your Carrier?

Droid Market News - HTC's New Line-up Coming Soon To Your Carrier? - T-Mobile

Droid Market News – HTC’s New Line-up Coming Soon To Your Carrier? Launching April 25, the HTC One S will be available for T-Mobile customers. The HTC One S should retail for around 200 dollars give or take. Already well received in Europe and else where and will be T-Mobile’s first Android 4.0 smartphone.

T-Mobile’s first Android smartphone with Ice Cream Sandwich, will sport a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED screen, 8MP rear camera and support T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 42Mbps network. The issue this author has its just another Android phone, from what we know thus far, there is nothing special about it.

Mean while Sprint will be launching the HTC Evo 4G LTE, reportedly a variant of the HTC One X. While the new Evo version should be well received it doesn’t stand out here in the US market. One thing it does have against it is that the US version will be only a dual core smartphone. While many Android fans where dismayed about what they see is a downgrade in hardware, question is, is a quad core really needed? After all as dual cores becoming more powerful, it does save battery life to stick with a dual core rather than a quad core processor.

Droid Market News – HTC’s New Line-up Coming Soon To Your Carrier?

Speed delivered smoothly: A lot of people have been crying foul since they learned that the AT&T and rumored (until now) Sprint variant of the HTC One X lack Nvidia’s quad-core Tegra 3 chip. I admit I did, too, but after playing with the HTC Evo 4G LTE, it’s clear that my misgivings were unjustified. This phone is fast, and by fast, I mean it zooms. Applications fired up almost instantly; flipping through the app tray and various menus was effortless. Android 4.0 on the Evo 4G LTE flowed with buttery smoothness. Original here.

While T-Mobile’s new HTC product seems to get lost with ease in this years crop of new Android Smartphones, Sprint’s entry doesn’t have that issue. Sporting a massive 4.7 inch display the EVO 4G LTE has a rather large face. It is however surprisingly thin at just 0.35 inches. Its a well built smartphone, for all its sleekness its internally rugged with an aluminum frame.

Boasting a big 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 (720p) resolution screen, menus, Web sites, and apps practically leaped off the Evo 4G LTE’s display. Perhaps that’s because the phone uses smaller icons to indicate Android Ice Cream Sandwich’s virtual menu buttons compared with the buttons I’m used to, like on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The display looked bright as well, but to be fair, the demo I was treated to was in a room with very weak lighting. I’d love to see how this display stands up to phones with OLED screens and in strong sunlight. Original here.

While not stellar it is a very nice entry for HTC to try and catch up with other smartphone manufacturers, however the issue I have with it, that it just doesn’t standout. It doesn’t beat or surge past other smartphones on the stats sheets. Its coming late to the game and its no better than the smartphones that have in the field for months.

Droid Market News – HTC’s New Line-up Coming Soon To Your Carrier? HTC is doing a nice job of meeting standards, but not breaking them. In this authors humble opinion, creating a new smartphone is a balance between extending battery life, making the smartphone a manageable size, and packing the best screen, processor, and new tech as possible. I just don’t see HTC doing that with this round of new Android phones. Time will tell if HTC has hit a happy medium in the price and performance or if more powerful smartphones from other manufacturers will lure the buyers away.

Droid Market News – Facebook Buys Instagram for 1 Billion

Droid Market News - Facebook Buys Instagram for 1 Billion - Google Images

Droid Market News – Facebook Buys Instagram for 1 Billion, Instagram has at least 31 million registered users. This is buy far Facebooks most expensive purchase by far. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated on his own Facebook page that he did not anticipate ever spending so much again.

Then why did he spend so much this time? After all former Facebooker Dave Morin has a app named Path that does everything Instagram does and would probably be for sale for less. I for one think this is a combination of Instagram’s name recognition as it where, the 31+ million and growing users base and the Facebook team seeing an opportunity all be it an expensive one.

Facebook like Google is all about the advertising. An extremely popular app such as Instagram, while most likely having many users in common between it and Facebook is yet another window into the users device, be it iOS or Android. The purchase also prevents Google from buying Instagram, which already offered 100 million for Dave Morin’s app, but was turned down because of the unfavorable terms requested by Google.

Droid Market News – Facebook Buys Instagram for 1 Billion

It’s an unprecedented acquisition for Facebook, and one that Zuckerberg says likely won’t happen again. “We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all,” the CEO wrote in his Facebook status update. Though Facebook is certainly not shy to talent acquisitions; among others, Facebook purchased Gowalla late last year, as well as social service Hot Potato in 2010. However, Facebook only had to spend in the tens of millions on both acquisitions — nothing like the cool billion it dropped on Instagram.

Facebook users have long complained that the company’s mobile application for the iPhone, Android and other mobile OSes was terrible, and popular speculation suggested that the company would one day acquire a more polished mobile app. Many assumed that Path — the social app created by former Facebooker Dave Morin — would be the app Facebook would acquire, as it encompassed photo sharing, social discovery and check-ins in a well-designed mobile interface. Morin even turned down a $100 million dollar acquisition offer from Google at one point, reportedly because of unfavorable terms in the deal as requested by Google. Original here.

Droid Market News – Facebook Buys Instagram for 1 Billion, Facebook intends for Instagram to remain an independent Facebook company or at least application. I expect to see an Instagram plug-in for the actual Facebook page. As Zuckerberg stated, I also expect to see an stand-alone app, with a definate tie into Facebook, of course. Since the release of the Android version of Instagram, millions have been signing up. In the first 12 hours of release Instagram gained 1 million new users. If Facebook can capitalize on this, its money in the bank, which is why I expect Zuckerberg was more than happy to shell out a billion greenbacks.

Droid Market News – New Android Phone – HTC EVO 4G LTE Comes To Sprint

Droid Market News - New Android Phone - HTC EVO 4G LTE Comes To Sprint - ABC News Image

Droid Market News – New Android Phone – HTC EVO 4G LTE Comes To Sprint, sporting a kickstand, its a beast of a smartphone. HTC is trying to get back to the top of the smartphone pile with the new EVO 4G LTE, which launches on May 7 for 199 from Sprint.

Several years ago when Sprint released the original EVO 4G, it was the talk of the office as everyone seemed to be sitting around a cube watching the cool kickstand phone. These days, big-screened, powerful Android smartphones are not exactly in short supply. However, HTC is hoping that this version of the venerable EVO will put it back on the top of the pile, at least for a while.

The new and improved EVO which launches with Android 4.0 on board, has a 4.7 inch Super LCD display rated for 720p. It has the standard 8-megapixel camera. It also has NFC (Near Field Communications), which is a new and growing technology Google is pushing, time will tell if it catches on. HTC for some reason only put a dual-core processor in the massive phone, when quad-cores are becoming the standard of new high-end Android 4.0 smartphones.

Splashes of red highlight the new EVO, a reminder of the original. Including what many found to be one of users favorite features, the kickstand, was also carefully planned. Something new in the handset is an aluminum stage frame construction, providing a very rigid feel to the phone. In spite of the large crisp display, you feel how well built the phone is, not to mention it is actually comfortable to hold.

Droid Market News – New Android Phone – HTC EVO 4G LTE Comes To Sprint

But Sprint’s LTE network, which isn’t yet lit up, puts the phone at a disadvantage compared to what carriers like Verizon and AT&T offer. Sprint made a move to transition away from its 4G WiMax network to a completely new LTE network late last year.

Adib says he doesn’t worry about being behind the two other U.S. carriers.

“Eventually all the networks catch up with each other,” he said. “We think that it is going to be a great experience even on 3G. People typically buy on two-year contracts. By the time they buy this they will have some level of deployment of LTE,” he said. Original here.

Droid Market News – New Android Phone – HTC EVO 4G LTE Comes To Sprint, will be one of the first phones to support HD Voice, which provides enhanced audio quality. HD Voice is based on hardware in the phone and the network. It will be interesting to see how much of a selling point HD Voice will be for in this age of text messages. If this Android 4.0 smartphone sounds like it be something your interested in head on over to your Sprint store on May 7, 2012.

Droid Market News – Google App Market Pulls Girl Tracking App

Droid Market News - Google App Market Pulls Girl Tracking App - Google Images

Droid Market News – Google App Market Pulls Girl Tracking App, what I’d like to know is who in the world thought this was a good idea? The idea of Girls Around Us, a creepy stalker creepy app for Android phones is to pull information from social media sites. The app would then create profiles about the women in your immediate geographical area are. It really makes one wonder who in they’re right mind thought even for a moment this app was a good idea.

Oh sure the premise is interesting and if we lived in a utopia it just might be slightly less creepy. At the very least its a invasion of privacy at the worst, well use your imagination.

While there are other apps that do basically the same thing, Girls Around Us is designed to be a voyeuristic pick-up add, creating profiles with specific details. Yet for all its creepy stalker style data mining, the app doesn’t violate Apple’s terms of service in spite of its sleazy intentions. While the product doesn’t allow anonymous use, it is after all only using whats freely available on other sites.

A search of Google Play and Amazon Android Market found that the app was gone from both locations. I for one am happy to see that Google and Amazon have both pulled this app. Not only was it an invasion of privacy, but this app was just bad news waiting to happen. As a member of the male species, who likes women, this app is disgusting. Think about it for a moment, would you want your mother, sister, cousin or girlfriend tracked by who knows who?

Droid Market News – Google App Market Pulls Girl Tracking App

“It is impossible to search for a particular person in this app, or track his/her location,” the company’s statement said. “The app just allows the user to browse the venues nearby, as if you passed by and looked in the window.”

The app’s location-tracking capabilities are actually less extensive than other new apps on the market, especially the new crop of “ambient social networking” apps that automatically track users’ locations and broadcast them to strangers.

Apps like Highlight and Glancee could just as easily alert potential stalkers to single women’s whereabouts, as these programs automatically register users’ locations, but because people on these apps need to specifically register with them to appear on the site, they do not draw the same ire. Original here.

Droid Market News – Google App Market Pulls Girl Tracking App, personally this author doesn’t believe anyone with honest intentions should have or need such an application. Not to mention its healthy to get out mingle with folks and meet someone the old fashion way now and again rather than meeting online. Spring is 0n the way, get out there, enjoy the fresh air and meet someone special face to face, its worked for centuries, it’ll work for many more.

Droid Market News – Samsung Builds Retina Displays – None For Its Own Tablets

Droid Market News - Samsung Builds Retina Displays - None For Its Own Tablets - Image Credit - Wired

Droid Market News – Samsung Builds Retina Displays – None For Its Own Tablets, yes indeed the tangled web of component manufacturing is in a word, crazy. Samsung researched, designed and built the Retina display that looks so absolutely gorgeous on the Apple’s products. But there are no Retina displays on any Samsung tablets or phones.

Apple, while buying the best looking displays for Apple products, turns around and sues Samsung, alleging all sorts of things? Whats is going on you ask? Simple, big business is really a web of big business. Samsung is really made up of more than 30 different independent companies. While the parent company gets sued by Apple, Samsung Mobile Display company, founded in 2009 rakes in the cash from the display market.

“Its not personal, Its business.” That’s exactly what it is, sell the high-end displays to the competition and try to screw them over by taking their ideas, adding your own twist and see if you get caught when you come to market. Almost sounds like high-school doesn’t it.

Droid Market News – Samsung Builds Retina Displays – None For Its Own Tablets

As it stands, Samsung champions a display technology for its own mobile products that’s currently of no appeal to Apple. Dubbed AMOLED (shorthand for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode), Samsung has deployed this display tech in millions of mobile phones — most notably, the Galaxy SII, the company’s flagship Android device of 2011. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 also touts a Super AMOLED display as one of its most noteworthy features. (The “Super” variety of AMOLED integrates touch sensors directly in the surface glass of the screen, increasing brightness and reducing power consumption.)

Indeed, Samsung has a lot riding on AMOLED technology. “They’ve invested a considerable amount of money into OLED development and products in that industry,” Vinita Jakhanwal, an analyst with IHS iSuppli told Wired. “Tens of billions of dollars in investment over the past decade.”

In a sense, Samsung has a notable edge over competitors in the display space. Currently, Samsung Mobile Display is still the only manufacturer that can mass-produce Super AMOLED displays, says NPD DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza. And the company is using its advantage by pushing it out to Samsung-branded phones. “The Galaxy S phones have been quite successful by highlighting the AMOLED display,” Semenza says. Original here.

Droid Market News – Samsung Builds Retina Displays – None For Its Own Tablets, because its pushing Super AMOLED displays in all Samsung brand products where possible. It remains to be seen how this competition/co-operation between Samsung and Apple will play out. Hopefully in the long run Samsung will win out. Personally I am not a big fan of brightness when faced with a LCD, I am however a big fan of Samsung displays. What I look for is sharpness of picture and response time. Brightness just makes my eyes tire more quickly and burns more battery life. Something to think about when looking for your next display.

Droid Market News – New Droid Updates On Verizon April 4

Droid Market News - New Droid Updates On Verizon April 4 - GeekSailor Image

Droid Market News – New Droid Updates On Verizon April 4. New rumors have claimed that a number of Verizon phones will be getting they’re Ice Cream Sandwich on Wednesday April 4. Whether this is true or not no one is quiet sure.

Question is will this be a upgrade to all models of the phones listed to be upgraded or a soak-test? Also the “reported” source of the rumor is also rather interesting, Best buy’s internal employee website. The website lists the phones to be upgraded as Motorola’s Droid Razr, Razr Maxx, HTC’s Rezound.

Droid Market News – New Droid Updates On Verizon April 4

According to the site’s source, United States retail chain Best Buy reportedly confirmed the release of the Android Ice Cream Sandwich updates for the phones through its internal employee website, or for starters, the private site of Best Buy for its employees where the company posts news tidbits, employer-employee related news, and also some important announcements including this one (if true).

The Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system is the latest version of Android which offers new features like data management, better multitasking, new user interface improvements, better application support, and also the support for Google apps like the new YouTube, the Google+, the new Gmail and so much more. Google also introduced a new lockscreen with the Face Unlock support and quick access to the camera application. Original here.

It appears that Motorola will be upgrading they’re phones to Android 4.0 in the reverse of the order the phones where released. In other words the older your phone is the longer you’ll have to wait to get ICS. It stands to reason that the Razr phones could very possibly have launched with ICS. But others could argue that Motorola is simply trying to push those with older phones to upgrade sooner rather than wait for they’re contract to expire. Droid Market News – New Droid Updates On Verizon April 4, should be an interesting time.

Droid Market News – New Android Apps Google Maps 6.5 For ICS

Droid Market News - New Android Apps Google Maps 6.5 For ICS - Google Play

Droid Market News – New Android Apps Google Maps 6.5 For ICS, or higher. Which is yet another reason its frustrating that so many of us are still waiting to get Ice Cream Sandwich.

Google continues to update the Gapps as part of its strategy to make sure Android users realize that Android is Google and not Samsung, HTC or Motorola. The updates to Google Maps is simply a continuation of the plan to bring Google to the front of your Android screens.

Most noticeable in Google Maps 6.5 is the map quality, Google is making the maps as HD as possible. Google is working to make the maps faster and cleaner, with high-pixel density on such phones as the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S II and Droid Razr to name a few.  Also included in are new public transportation options, such as bus, subway and trains for 475 cities around the world. For devices running Android 4.0 ICS there will be a new navigation home screen.

What does all this mean? It means your rather expensive GPS app just might redundant. Google has made a significant effort to upgrade turn-by-turn for Google Maps. Taking a long lunch hour today we tried the turn-by-turn driving directions and where impressed when compared to the older versions of Google Maps for Android.

Droid Market News – New Android Apps Google Maps 6.5 For ICS

For Android 4.0+ users, Google has redesigned the Navigation home screen “to make it easier to enter a new destination or select from recent and favorite locations by swiping left or right.”

Those who depend on Google for public transit directions (like me!) will also be happy with the update. With 6.5, you can prioritize which transit mode (like bus or subway) you would like to take. Transit directions and schedules are available for 475 cities around the world. The update gets the app one step closer to HopStop-level functionality.

Users who want the Google Maps update can download it now from the Google Play store. Original here.

Droid Market News – New Android Apps Google Maps 6.5 For ICS, works and looks great on a Galaxy Nexus. Problem is many folks are waiting for Android 4.0 to begin with, not to mention all the updates to the Gapps that will come once the Android 4.0 upgrades start rolling out in the 3rd quarter. Hopefully now that Google owns Motorola OS upgrades in the years to come will come first on the Motorola phones. Which will simply push other brands to upgrade sooner to keep up with Motorola.

Droid Market News – New Android Apps – Avira Launches Android Security App

Droid Market News - New Android Apps - Avira Launches Android Security App - Avira

Droid Market News – New Android Apps – Avira Launches Android Security App, which is free as all other Avira apps are. This isn’t a anti-virus that Avira is launching. Its a data protection app in case your phone is lost or stolen. The software proves a number of tools that might help you get your phone back.

What is so great about this software is that not only can it make the phone “scream” to help you find it, this isn’t an anti-virus software, its a anti-theft application. Avira Free Android Security app works with a web-based control panel to locate, lock and manage android phones anywhere in the world. The goal behind this software is not only to protect your data, but to ultimately recover your Android based device.

Droid Market News – New Android Apps – Avira Launches Android Security App

Android users also have a new security tool in the form of Avira Free Android Security. This is not an antivirus or malware protection tool, but a security app that helps to protect your data should your phone be lost or stolen and provides you with a series of tools that might help you to get your phone back. If you are unsure where you left your phone, the ‘screamer’ feature can be used to make it emit a loud noise to alert you or someone else to its presence, but there are more options available.

 It is also possible to use an online account to track the phone’s location via GPS, and even keep an eye on the battery level. While some security apps offer a remote wiping facility, this app instead includes a remote locking system that can be used to put your phone into a reduced functionality mode. In this mode nothing but a call to a predefined number and the emergency services can be made, keeping your data away from prying eyes. Both of these apps are available free of charge, even to business users. Original here.

 Droid Market News – New Android Apps – Avira Launches Android Security App, available for free from Google Play, is also available for OS X.

Droid Market News – Android Handsets To Watch In 2012

Droid Market News - Android Handsets To Watch In 2012 - (Suggested Appearance of Samsung S III) - Google Images

Droid Market News – Android Handsets To Watch In 2012; HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III, Droid Fighter. If your just getting tired of your current phone or if your two year contract is just about up, you might want to check out these three new phones coming soon.

Unfortunately CES and MWC didn’t show us much. Both shows where really just a lot of hot air, lots of hype and nothing solid, except for the Galaxy Note which is a surprise hit no one saw coming. Currently we’re watching, the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III, Droid Fighter, though know one is sure what the HTC phone will be named in the US. Sony so far hasn’t impressed us and so isn’t going to be featured in this article. It is also of note that there are several other Droid phones in the works as well as a Samsung Galaxy model that unfortunately won’t be seen in the US by all accounts.

The HTC One X will have two flavors, the European version will have the sweet Tegra 3 quad-core CPU, while on the other side of the pond we get stuck with a 1.5GHz dual core chip. The X will launch on Sprint in the next month or so after which it will also be available on AT&T.

Droid Market News – Android Handsets To Watch In 2012

Motorola Droid Fighter: Most likely carrier: Verizon.

I admit to being partial to Moto. An American company, it bootstrapped, along with compatriots Verizon, Google, the whole “Droid Does” mantra and took Android to amazing heights. All of a sudden, here was this mysterious dark/red world where iPhones wouldn’t stand a chance. It was incredibly techy. The extreme differentiation — iPhone = bubblegum, Droid = muscle — worked. The bloodshed came predominantly from RIM and Microsoft. Like the S III, equally ridiculous “leaked” photos of the Fighter are making the rounds. Oh, there! An out-of-focus SKU! A non-descript, rectangular phone with the Verizon logo! Wowwww! Of course, there’s me, just as eager as the next guy, checking it all out. Expect a 4.6-inch screen. HD no doubt. ICS. Best of all it looks like the Fighter (I keep picturing Galaga for some reason) will use softkeys like the Nexus… just the way I like it.

Ranking

Here’s how I’d rank them. Keep in mind I’m on Verizon with unlimited data, so that factors into my thoughts here. Droid Fighter and S III run neck-and-neck in my estimation, and will cause a huge upgrade storm in the coming months, myself likely included. Original here.

STARKIN: Spring 2012 Android Picks

1. Moto Droid Fighter / Verizon

2. Samsung S III / AT&T

3. HTC “One X”

I too am partial to Motorola hardware even though I am on my second Motorola Bionic, which fingers crossed has been trouble free. On the other hand after spending some time with a Galaxy Nexus, I’m jealous! I like Motorola’s feel of solid hardware, but the Nexus with ICS is just so slick. I for one am interested to see how the Bionic will perform with ICS, I just wonder if I’ll see ICS before Christmas!

Droid Market News – Android Handsets To Watch In 2012. While all of these phones are sure to gather a some attention, I believe the Droid Fighter and the Samsung S III will get the most of it by far. HTC has done very well for itself coming out of no where in the last three years, personally only a few of HTCs phones have caught my eye. We’ll have to see how Motorola does on the Droid Fighter given that Moto is cutting back on the number of models it will release this year. Samsung is also supposedly doing the same so each new model will get more love and attention before release. There will also be a lot more riding on each phone for the manufactures. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

Droid Market News – Where You Live Determines Where & When You Lose Your Smartphone

Droid Market News - Where You Live Determines Where & When You Lose Your Smartphone - Google Images

Droid Market News – Where You Live Determines Where & When You Lose Your Smartphone. It sounds a little crazy right? Well Lookout security has done some investigating of when and where folks log into lookout to find they’re smartphones. Its interesting, and something to keep in mind next time you visit your city’s lost cell phone zone.

Per Lookout’s chief technology officer, “Losing your phone is absolutely the biggest mobile security risk cell phone owners currently face, even more than malware” That is why its so very important to set up your “find my lost phone” type service. So you can find your phone or deactivate it before whoever found it or stole it can access your data.

These days having your smartphone stolen or found by someone who is less than honest, has the same results as getting your computer stolen. Smartphones these days have contacts, home addresses, banking info, photos of friends and family or worse. So you need to protect yourself.

While researching where people lose they’re smartphones Lookout came up with some interesting observations. They found that where you live has a good chance of predicting where and when you will lose your smartphone.

Droid Market News – Where You Live Determines Where & When You Lose Your Smartphone

When are people most likely to lose their phone? Lookout found that the vast majority of smartphone losses happen late at night, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Looks like nightlife may be a culprit.

But on holidays, or during major events such as festivals or big sporting events, people are especially likely to lose a phone. In 2011, phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And on February 27, 2011, phones in Dublin, Ireland, were lost at nearly three times the normal rate during a major international rugby tournament there.

In general, throughout the United States, the five types of places where people are most likely to lose a cell phone are coffee shops, bars, restaurants, at the office or at home. Also, the five U.S. cities where people are most likely to lose a smartphone are Philadelphia; Seattle; Oakland, California.; Long Beach, California; and Newark, New Jersey. Mahaffey observed that several of the top phone-losing cities also have high crime rates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that more phones are stolen in these cities. Original here.

Lookout was even able to comb some city specific stats from all the attempted phone recoveries performed using the Lookout website. Folks from Austin, Texas have a better than average chance that they lost their cell phone at a gas station, garage, the grocery store or a pizza parlor. While for Chicagoans, church is the 3rd most likely place they where they will lose they’re smartphone. If you live in Atlanta, you most likely lost it at the office.

Droid Market News – Where You Live Determines Where & When You Lose Your Smartphone it is also the riskiest thing you can do with your smartphone.  The reason its also so risky is that Symantec recently established that 95% of the time people who find your smartphone try and access sensitive information. Something to keep in mind when setting up that mobile banking app. Do you really want to bank on your smartphone, or can you wait till you get home?