Posted by hutchinj in Google
The confusion over the Sense 4 multitasking methods is about to come to an end, albeit in a way that many of you aren’t going to like. While we were pretty confident that our investigation into the matter gave us the answers, we reached out to HTC about the issue, and it has responded with the following.
“HTC is aware of some questions in the enthusiast community about how the HTC One X handles multitasking and memory management for background apps. We value the community’s input and are always looking for ways to enhance customers’ experience with our devices. That said, right now multitasking is operating normally according to our custom memory management specifications which balance core ICS features with a consistent HTC Sense experience.”
So there you have it. HTC has taken open-source Android, and customized it to its liking. We’re not surprised, nor should you be. HTC places more emphasis on the front-end user experience, at the expense of background tasks, and has modified the source code to better suit its software. This is how open-source operates, and HTC should deliver what it feels is best for their customers.
I think the real issue here is users’ expectations. Sense 4 is as far from stock Android as iOS is from BSD. The core code was made available, and HTC has spent three years refining it, adding to it, and making it its own. From the user standpoint, only the very nerdly few are going to be up-in-arms about HTC’s changes, and all of us knew ahead of time that HTC’s phones would be running HTC’s software. Our option is to purchase what suits us
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/leD7zcLK6CQ/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
Google’s reported introduction of more manufacturers into the Nexus fold could be a stroke of genius, but it’s not without its risks.
We don’t often present entire articles of opinion on unconfirmed rumors here at Android Central, but the report this week concerning Google’s Nexus plans is a doozie. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is dramatically altering the nature of its Nexus program, bringing up to five manufacturers on board this year, with the aim of launching multiple Nexus devices with the next version of Android in late 2012. Oh, and this lineup will apparently include tablets as well as phones.
Google isn’t commenting officially, and the reports will likely remain the focus of fervent speculation as we approach Nexus season later in the year. But for the purposes of this article, let’s assume they’re true, and that Google will indeed work with different hardware partners in order to launch up to five Nexuses around Thanksgiving.
To Android fans, it sounds like a dream offering — more variety and choice in hardware when it comes time for a new version of their favorite OS. And more opportunities to get the very latest version of Android — pure, vanilla Android, unmolested by custom user interfaces or carrier-mandated crapware. And as Android users ourselves, we’re sure that if this does come to pass, it’ll be an overwhelmingly positive development for everyone who buys an Android smartphone. It’s an opportunity for Google to get new versions of its OS out to consumers faster than ever, on varied hardware, in more markets than would be possible with just one hardware partner. And having multiple phones in different markets with the same excellent vanilla
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/vOqCQb6DABI/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
Although Verizon and Google managed to capture most of the news today, there was plenty more happening than just what came from them. If you happened to miss out on anything, get yourself caught up here on the blogs and check out some threads below from the Android Central Forums:
If you’re not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/76x9zMVNcrw/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
For pretty much a year now, Sprint customers have been able to make use of carrier billing for app purchases on the Google Play Store but now, Sprint in cooperation with Google have gone ahead and taken it one step further. We knew it was coming but starting today, Sprint customers in the US can now use carrier billing for all their Google Play Store purchases including apps, music, books and movies. Anyone on Sprint going to be making use of this now that it is finally live? I’ve always been curious how many people make use of carrier billing.
Source: Google
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/LUh-QB5HF4M/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
We’ve got just a month and a half before Google IO hits San Francisco once more, and Google’s just posted the list of sessions for this year’s three-day event. As you can imagine there’s more than a bit of Android on the agenda, with 20 sessions currently listed. (And it wouldn’t surprise us in the least to see one or two more added before June 27 arrives.)
We’ve yet to find any hidden gems in the session listings — no “Hey, come check out Jelly Bean” or anything like that — but there’s a whole lot that you coders (and us kibitzers) can look forward to. Hit the link below for the whole thing.
Source: Google IO sessions schedule
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/fJaIa8y82iY/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
Google has made known that it is in the process of figuring out exactly how to handle the device authorization and de-authorization for Google Music, and for the time being they have reverted to the old method allowing unlimited device de-authorization. From Google Play’s help pages:
Yesterday we made a change to our device policy for music on Google Play. Any user can associate up to 10 devices to his or her account. Once you have connected 10 devices, you may add a new device only by deauthorizing an existing one from your account, and you may do this up to four times per year.
We limit the number of times you can swap out new devices at the request of some of our music partners in an effort to limit abuse. We understand this has caused some issues for users who often deauthorize and reauthorize the same device, and we are currently re-implementing the solution in a way that works for our users and music partners.
We apologize for any inconvenience and will update this page as new changes are made.
We’re not sure how they plan to address the issue, but we’re sure glad they have given us all a chance to clear out all our old devices. Hopefully they can implement a fix that doesn’t add the same device multiple times, but that still won’t be a solution for folks who need to switch devices often. It’s an interesting dilemma, and one that hits close to home. We’ll keep our eyes on this one.
Source: Google; via The Verge
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Qi9gfPrlWfs/story01.htm
Posted by hutchinj in Google
FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Parking in select U.S. cities today got a little easier with the release of the next generation of Parker(TM), the award-winning smart parking app by Streetline, Inc. (
www.streetline.com )
With this latest release for both iPhone and Android, consumers can quickly view available parking options based on pricing, location, and/or real-time availability. Parker(TM) 3.0 also features voice guidance to indicate parking nearby, as well as the ability to find parking based on user-defined preferences such as electric vehicle (EV) charging stations or handicapped spaces. Motorists can also search by points of interest – including airports, universities, shopping centers, featured neighborhoods, transit or hospitals – with new locations and updates being added daily.
Real-time parking information is now available for both on-street parking spots enabled via Streetline’s parking sensors, as well as off-street garage and lot information published by parking operators via Streetline’s ParkEdge garage management system.
“Streetline is laser focused on consumer-driven parking innovation. Consumers want to find the most convenient, quick, and attractively priced parking closest to their destination. Parker 3.0 makes important steps towards that goal,” said Zia Yusuf, CEO of Streetline. “With this latest release, we’ve further enhanced the user experience, adding in new features such as the ability to toggle between availability and price or find a space based on user-defined filters. We also include both on-street spaces, as well as garages/lots. As we move toward in-car navigation and see more and more cities deploying sensors to provide real-time parking data to motorists, we believe the idea of ‘searching for parking’ will become a thing of the
Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/streetline-raises-the-bar-on-what-consumers-can-expect-from-parking-guidance-apps-with-release-of-parkertm-30-2012-05-16
Posted by hutchinj in Google
Gotta Be Mobile » Mobile » Motorola Droid 4 Ice Cream Sandwich Update Surfaces
It seems as though Motorola is hard at work prepping the Motorola Droid 4 Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update as a build of the upcoming software has surfaced ahead of its release.
Droid-Life is reporting that a leaked Android 4.0.4 build for the Droid 4 has leaked to the surface. It’s the latest test build from Motorola and it means that the manufacturer is currently putting the software through its paces.
Many Droid 4 owners have been waiting for a sign of the update ever since the phone was launched back in February, and finally, we have that sign.
Read: Motorola Droid 4 Review.
Apparently this is the first test build of Android 4.0 for the Droid 4 and while that’s a sign of good things to come, it also means that Droid 4 owners might have a bit of a wait on their hands, especially since the software must pass through Verizon’s grasp before it’s officially released.
Clearly, this is probably not what Droid 4 owners expected when Motorola said that the update would be arriving in the coming weeks but it’s always nice to know that the gears are moving.
The update is available to download and install over at DroidForums but we recommend staying away far from it as it could potentially harm the device.
Neither Motorola nor Verizon have provided any sort of specifics in regards to the software’s official release date but we’re hoping now that the update is
Article source: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/05/16/motorola-droid-4-ice-cream-sandwich-update-surfaces/
Posted by hutchinj in Google
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Article source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/051612-samsung-android-259344.html
Posted by hutchinj in Google
In a deal that shows how Microsoft can use its lock on conventional productivity software as a springboard into the cloud, the company beat out Google to secure a deal to provide the nation’s largest community college system with online apps and collaboration tools. It’s the latest setback for Google in Southern California, as the search giant is locked in a dispute with the City of Los Angeles over a troubled Google Apps implementation.
The agreement calls for Microsoft to deploy its Live@edu online suite for more than 250,000 students and faculty in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Live@edu gives educational users access to hosted versions of Exchange and Outlook, SkyDrive online storage, and the Office Web productivity suite, which includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The deal follows an intensive, three-year evaluation period during which LACCD officials piloted Live@edu and Google’s Google Apps offerings. “We wanted to find a standard way for everyone on campus to communicate,” said LACCD CIO Jorge Mata, in an interview. “Our goal on campus is no lineups, no paper.”
Mata said that, while Google Apps and Live@edu offered similar functions across a number of areas, what sold LACCD on Microsoft’s educational cloud was the fact that the school system was already an Exchange and Outlook user. That meant that integrating Live@edu with in-house apps would be that much easier, and users would get a consistent experience whether they were working with the cloud tools or their existing software.
[ How do you choose the right online productivity solution? See: Google Apps Vs Office 365? It All Depends. ]
“We wanted to make sure the experience was the
Article source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/software/240000463
