The Galaxy S III and its new version of Touchwiz will make about a million additions to Android. Somewhere in this download are things like S-Voice (A Siri-style virtual assistant), Pop-up Play (a floating video window), and Smart Stay (which uses the front facing camera to refresh the screen timeout), just to name a few. Developers (and eager bloggers) should start ripping into it immediately.

The full rom, if you’ve got about 40 minutes of download time to spend, is available right here.

S-Voice is available as a separate download here, but Samsung’s cloud compute server is very picky about who it responds to. The general theory going around is that is only listens to Samsung devices, but you’re welcome to try.

I just so happen to have S-Voice up and running on my Galaxy Nexus, I’ll have a full hands-on article posted shortly. Stay tuned!

Source: XDA via SamMobile | Android.hdblog

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidPolice/~3/efg8oldCRV4/story01.htm

Regulators in China have approved the multi-billion dollar purchase of Motorola Mobility by Google. The particulars have already been approved in the US and elsewhere, and China has been the lone holdout. With that bit of dirty business behind them, the deal can now go forward. In statements released to Bloomberg Motorola and Google both confirm the news, and are looking forward to getting the loose ends tied up in short order.

We expect things to stay unchanged between Google and Motorola, as we’ve heard numerous times that Motorola will remain an independent entity. Only time will let us know how that turns out. It will be an interesting summer, that’s for sure.

Source: Bloomberg; Thanks, Alexander!

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/3scvx-UgX_4/story01.htm

acr456 asks in the Android Central forums, 

Hello, I am going to factory reset my phone. However, my question is, since this is a complete reset will it also rollback to the version of Android that the EVO was launched with? For example, I know have version 2.3.5. Will it roll it all the way back to 2.1? I just want my data erased, I want to keep all my system updates including whatever updates Sprint sent. Do I have anything to worry about?

 

Also, the EVO I’m resetting is deactivated. Once the reset is complete will I be able to fully use my phone without the need of a Sprint connection? I have Wifi so that will do.

We’re glad you asked! We get this one a lot, and we can see why the term factory data reset would make one think it was being returned to the factory, out-of-box condition. Thankfully, it’s not. A factory reset will erase all user settings (things like home screen customizations, Wifi networks, sound settings and the like) and delete all apps downloaded from the Google Play store. It won’t touch anything that’s part of the system files, so your worse case scenario (and actually the likely scenario) is that system apps that have been updated from the Google Play store (things like the Gmail app or Maps) will just need updated from the Play store again. You’ll still be on the latest 2.3.5 version, but the rest will be clean like a new device.

As for it working without Sprint service, everything but calls and SMS/MMS will work just fine. I’ve had my EVO 4G unactivated for over a year now and use it to keep little ones occupied when they come

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/4d8HMs_XH0Q/story01.htm

This chart shows how, over the past three years, smartphones have
decimated Windows’ long OS dominance in popular
computing.

Source: Horace Dediu of Asymco

Tablets play a role in this change, too. TechCrunch projects
iPad sales of 66 million this year. Forrester Research optimistically predicts
that tablet sales will explode to 375 million yearly by 2016.

Smartphones are killing off dumb feature
phones.
The shrinking light blue shading at the top of the chart below shows
the
rate at which feature phones are losing market share to smartphones in
the U.S.:

Sources: Asymco
and comScore

The chart also shows that Android and iOS market shares grew greatly,
while those
of Palm OS/webOS, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Phone/Mobile dwindled.

Now, let’s consider the future. Here is International Data
Corp’s
projection for world smartphone OS market share in 2015, contrasted
with real 2011 numbers. These estimates show Android and iOS doing
well over the next several years, with minor decline for BlackBerry OS
and major decline for Symbian OS.
The key point here — one that some other predictions dispute — is
that
Windows will dramatically come back in the market.

Source: Mobilemancer
and IDC

Winners

Google Android and Apple iOS are the big winners in the
new OS wars. Results over the past two years show dramatic growthArticle source: http://www.osnews.com/story/25970/Smartphones_Reignite_the_OS_Wars

With the advent of the latest and greatest APIs, amazing new apps have been made possible. Unfortunately, these developments have also given rise to another, more insidious trend on Google Play: cruel and unusual advertising. For example, ad network SellARing allows developers to play a 10-second audio ad whenever users make a phone call.

Fortunately, Lookout recently released an app called “Ad Network Detector” to help with such obnoxious, intrusive ads; however, up until today, SellARing was not among the detected networks. No more – as of the latest update, version 1.2, Ad Detector users can identify apps that use SellARing; as with other ad networks, once the applications have been identified, Lookout gives you the option of opting out of the ads, getting more information about them, or completely uninstalling the apps that trigger them.

Here’s Lookout’s official list of supported ad networks (not including SellARing):

• AdFonic
• AdKnowledge
• Admia
• AdMob
• Aduru
• AdWhirl
• AirAd
• AirPush
• Appenda
• Burstly
• BuzzCity
• Casee
• Cauly
• Everbadge
• GreyStripe
• InMobi
• JumpTap
• LeadBolt
• LogiaAd
• MDotM
• Medialets
• Millennial
• MobClix
• MobFox
• MOcean
• Moolah Media
• MoPub
• Pontiflex
• Smaato
• StartApp
• Tapit!
• TapJoy
• Vdopia
• Vserv
• Youmi
• ZestAdz

If you don’t have Ad Network Detector already, you can grab it below (it’s free); otherwise, simply update the app.

Lookout Ad Network Detector

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidPolice/~3/AT1H7iho3lU/story01.htm

The device is available just for today and is only available in black. Keep in mind, since this is the international version, the device is packing the quad-core Tegra 3 that overseas readers are accustomed to, not the dual-core, but still impressive S4 Krait processor ATT’s One X (known as the One XL overseas) is carrying. Both are fantastic phones, but this one won’t support LTE. As a consolation prize, though, how about a nice Tegra-exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog game?

Hit the source link below to grab this deal before the clock strikes twelve and eBay turns back into a pumpkin.

Source: eBay

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidPolice/~3/P9gEMopMch0/story01.htm

Motorola yesterday updated its device update schedule, with the crux being that we’ll finally start to see some phones get Ice Cream Sandwich in the next month or so. Specifically, that’s the Droid RAZR/MAXX, with the Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid 4 and Xyboards getting it in Q3.

Have a Droid 3 or Droid X2? Sorry, you’re out of luck. And today Motorola expanded on why, saying:

“… obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device.”

Interesting choice of words. What it probably means is that Moto determined that the cost in time and effort to update those older phones to ICS outweighs the benefit of Ice Cream Sandwich, which indeed sucks given how young those phones are. But that’s the crapshoot we all enter into these days, unfortunately.

Good luck convincing folks that Ice Cream Sandwich won’t improve their phones, Moto.

You can get the full statement at the source link below.

Source: Motorola

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/h5Ql0xq8ifw/story01.htm

Ready to check out some more of our favorite apps? Each week we bring to you some of our favorites in hopes that they may become your favorites, and we want you to do the same. Drop a line in the comments and let us know some of the awesome applications you have installed on your device, so the rest of the Android Central community can check them out as well!

Anndrew Vacca – Dominos Pizza USA (Free)

My cravings for an entire greasy pizza and 18 cinnamon sticks are nothing to be proud of, but that doesn’t mean I can always deny them. When I just have to have to most unhealthy food on the planet, I turn to my trust Domino’s app. The interactive menu makes building your order ridiculously simple– if you’ve ever used Domino’s online interface (and be serious, who hasn’t?), you’ll feel right at home here. And yes, fear not: the pizza tracker is here. When you’re done ordering your feast, sit back, relax, and watch as Domino’s puts it through the process, all the way from prep to delivery. Entertainment like that is worth every single penny of the $0 you’ll spend on this app. [Google Play Link]

Jerry Hildenbrand – Badass Battery Monitor (Free)

Battery life is a big concern for Android power users, and there’s countless ways people try to get a handle on it. The problem is, that without the right information about what’s eating your battery, none of these ways are very useful. We need detailed history and usage data if we’re going to do anything effective, and that’s where Badass Battery Monitor comes in to the picture.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/hdl2RbjcVn0/story01.htm