Vanilla Android may be released for existing HTC One owners

So we’ve finally confirmed the existence of the vanilla Android based HTC One, which is set for a June 26 release. The handset will be a little pricey, costing $599, but will contain exactly the same hardware as the standard One. The only difference will be the changes in software.

After the announcement, it’s understandable that some HTC One customers may feel a little disappointed that they weren’t given this choice before buying the original handset.

Well, according to information obtained by The Verge, HTC may be planning to do something about this. HTC is currently “examining the best way to support early adopters of the One” who may prefer a stock Android experience over Sense. This could be any number of things, but hopefully indicates that HTC is considering ROM options for users who may prefer the stock Android experience.

Perhaps we’ll see some simple tools for installing the ROM made available to HTC One owners. This could work something like the support offered by Sony to help users unlock the bootloaders on their Xperia handsets, rather than having to use community made tools.

If HTC ends up supporting a method of installing stock Android, I’m curious whether installing vanilla Android on an HTC One will invalidate any warranties, which would be a bit of a kick in the teeth considering that the hardware is clearly supported.

At this point, all we know is that HTC is planning something, so we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what HTC comes up with. At least there’s hope for existing HTC users eager for a stock Android experience.



from Android Authority by Robert Triggs

CyanogenMod 10.1 RC3 available for download

In the push towards a stable release of CyanogenMod 10.1, the development team has published its third release candidate (RC) with a boat load of bug fixes including a fix for the preview issues seen after using the camcorder.

In software development circles release candidates are used for public testing and to squash bugs. The idea is that the software is functionally ready and a release candidate is created for testing. If serious bugs are found they are fixed and another release candidate is created and so on. This process normally only lasts for three or four iterations. Depending on the release strategy of the development team the final release will either be a relabeled release candidate with no changes what so ever (this is the safest methodology) or it will be a latest release candidate with some more bug fixes.

According to a CyanogenMod Google Plus posting other fixes in this release include a fix for a bad launcher icon alignment on tablets, various fixes for disappearing widgets, a fix for a crash in the T9 launcher, and a ton of translation updates.

Various popular devices are supported for CyanogenMod 10.1 including (but not exhaustively):

• Sony Xperia Z
• Sony Xperia Tablet Z
• Google Nexus 7 (GSM and Wi-Fi)
• Motorola Droid Razr
• Amazon Kindle Fire
• LG Optimus G (Intl)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (Verizon, US Cellular, Sprint, Metro PCS, Cricket, T-Mobile and AT&T)
• Acer Iconia Tab A700
• Asus Transformer Pad Infinity
• LG Optimus 4X HD
• Google Nexus 4
• HTC One X

For a full list of the available downloads visit: http://get.cm/?type=RC



from Android Authority by Gary Sims

All-in-One Root Tool Released for Verizon Galaxy S4

For those of you who finally have your shiny new Galaxy S4 in hand on Verizon, I think you know what time it is. If you are looking into rooting and flashing some custom ROMs, you will definitely want to check out this newly released all-in-one rootkit. After installing the program on your Windows desktop computer, simply hook up your device, make sure the drivers are installed and press “Go!” It’s as simple as that.

From that point, you can root your device and also flash a custom recovery, allowing for system backups and the flashing of custom ROMs which are popping up left and right on the forums.
If you want to give it the once over or are ready to get to hacking, follow the via link down below. Happy flashing.

Via: XDA



All-in-One Root Tool Released for Verizon Galaxy S4 is a post from: Droid Life

Download: Samsung Apps Store With Access to Photo Editor, Wallet, and Others for the Verizon Galaxy S3

When Verizon updated the Samsung Galaxy S3 yesterday to include Multi Window and other new features, they left out the Samsung Apps store that most Samsung devices ship with these days. In the Samsung Apps store, you’ll find things like Samsung’s Photo Editor, Video Editor, Game Hub, Samsung Wallet, etc. Many of these apps aren’t in the Google Play store (or they may not work if they are), so Samsung Apps is your way of experiencing many of Samsung’s own apps. Thanks to a direct link to a download of Samsung Apps from a reader, you can experience all that Samsung has to offer with a couple of clicks and a download.

Visit this Samsung link to download Samsung Apps.

From there, click on the “Download Samsung Apps” button, then “Galaxy S4″ (yes, the .apk for the GS4 works on the GS3). Your device will download the Samsung Apps .apk, which you can then install and enjoy. In order to install apps, you’ll have to create a Samsung account, so keep that in mind.



Download: Samsung Apps Store With Access to Photo Editor, Wallet, and Others for the Verizon Galaxy S3 is a post from: Droid Life

HTC One “Nexus Experience” Confirmed and Available June 26 for $599

Sundar Pichai is on stage at D11 this morning, and right out of the gate announced that they will sell an HTC One “Nexus Experience” through Google Play on June 26 for $599. This device was rumored and denied and rumored again shortly after Samsung and Google announced their “Nexus Experience” edition of the Galaxy S4 at I/O, but over the last week, rumors picked up that HTC would indeed be offering a similar experience on their newest flagship. Today, that rumor is confirmed.



Via:  AllThingsD
HTC One “Nexus Experience” Confirmed by Sundar Pichai, Available June 26 for $599 is a post from: Droid Life

Google Introduces Nutrition Information to Google Now Search

This morning, Google announced that they will now display nutritional information from the Knowledge Graph in Google Search. Once live, you should find “extensive nutrition information for over 1,000 fruits, vegetables, meats and meals in search,” from both the web and your mobile device. As you can see in the images included in this post, you should be able to ask your device specific nutrition questions and have it respond back to you. When you ask Google “how many carbs are in corn?” it should respond while also providing a card with quick information, much like you see with other Google voice searches.
The service will launch in English first and will rollout out in the U.S. only over the next 10 days.

Via:  Inside SearchGoogle Introduces Nutrition Information to Search is a post from: Droid Life

How to enable the new Gmail in a web browser

Google just announced a pretty major update to Gmail, and you should now be to give it a go in the browser, if you so desire. As our pal Paul O'Brien from MoDaCo points out, all you have to do to enable the new tabbed organization is go to the gear icon on the right of the screen and choose "Configure inbox." (If you're using a wrapper like Mailplane, you might need to do this from a traditional browser first, then restart the app.)

Next you'll be asked which tabs you want to use -- primary, social and promotions are checked by default; updates and forums are other options. Once enabled, you'll find e-mails sorted among the tabs. To move e-mails between tabs, just click and drag. (You'll also be asked if you want to continue to get that particular kind of e-mail in the new tab.)

Still no sign of the new Gmail app for Android, which also will bring a new sorting experience.

from Android Central - Android Central by Phil Nickinson

Amazon announces its new “Login with Amazon” service for Android

Tired of remembering dozens of usernames and passwords for each e-commerce website and gaming service? I know that I certainly am, and so does Amazon, as the company has just announced its all new “Login with Amazon” service. The new functionality will be making its way to Android, iOS, and other websites as soon as developers can implement it.

The idea is to expand Amazon’s business model, allowing for a broader range of developers and businesses to take advantage of existing Amazon account features and some of the company’s newer ideas. For a start, the service can be used by developers to add in-app purchases linked with customers Amazon accounts, and will allow more developers to open their apps up to the Amazon AppStore.
There’s also a specific focus on gaming. Amazon’s new GameCircle service adds all sorts of features familiar to gamers, such as achievements, leader boards, and friend lists. If Amazon can find broad adoption within gaming apps, this could bring a much needed level of cohesion to gaming on Android.
Although today’s announcement was targeted mostly at developers, what this means for consumers is that we’ll soon be able to start using our Amazon accounts with a variety of other apps either on Android or on the web. Michael Carr, Amazon Vice President of e-commerce services, summed the service up with this statement:

Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password.

If you’d like a look at what Login with Amazon aims to do for developers and consumers alike then check out the promotional video below.


But I have a question: when it comes to Android, will consumers really choose to move over from Google’s Play Store, which already enables a lot of these features, to a third party service?
Well it turns out that Login with Amazon already appears to be having some success, as a trial with Zappos.com revealed that customers opted to log in using Amazon’s solution 40% of the time. Similarly, another trial conducted with Woot found that customers used Amazon sign-in twice as often as any other social login on their site.

To help Amazon’s sign-in service get off to the best possible start, the software development kit (SDK) is being made available to developers free of charge, so we could see a pretty quick adoption of this new service.

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May. 29, 2013– (NASDAQ: AMZN) — Today, Amazon launched Login with Amazon, a new service that will enable the over 200 million active Amazon customers to securely and simply login to apps, games, and websites. Login with Amazon allows developers to easily reduce sign-in friction for their customers, leading to higher engagement and order conversion.
According to a 2012 Harris Interactive study, over half of all American Internet users have five or more unique passwords to remember. Login with Amazon reduces sign-in friction by eliminating the need for users to create an account and password, and instead allows them to sign-in using their existing Amazon account information. Amazon customers can choose to share certain attributes of their account profile with apps, games, and websites by using Login with Amazon.

“Login with Amazon enables app developers and website owners to leverage Amazon’s trusted sign-in solution, allowing them to focus on providing a great experience for their customers,” said Michael Carr, Amazon Vice President, eCommerce Services. “Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password.”

As early adopters of Login with Amazon, Zappos and Woot, both Amazon subsidiaries, saw significant customer adoption. Zappos saw 40 percent of its new customers choose to sign-in to Zappos.com with an Amazon account. Woot found that new customers picked Login with Amazon two times more often than any other social login on their site, and those customers had the highest rate of order conversion.
Login with Amazon is available at no charge to developers of apps, games, and websites. The service is easy to integrate, as developers can typically go from registration to launch in a matter of hours. It is based on the OAuth 2.0 authorization framework, allowing developers to leverage a widely-adopted open protocol. For additional details about Login with Amazon, including code samples and the SDKs for Android and iOS, please visit login.amazon.com.

Login with Amazon is the latest offering in an array of services that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end ecosystem for developers building, monetizing and marketing their apps and games. These capabilities include:
The ability for app developers to use Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) technology platform for their infrastructure needs. Building blocks such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon DynamoDB allow developers to focus on what differentiates their app rather than the undifferentiated heavy lifting of infrastructure.
GameCircle, which includes capabilities like Achievements, Leaderboards, Friends and Whispersync for syncing games across devices, and leads to better engagement with games.
In-App Purchasing on Kindle Fire, Mac, PC and web-based games. This enables developers to offer items in their apps and games while allowing their end users to simply use their Amazon accounts to make the purchase.

A/B Testing, which helps developers improve app functionality with the ability to simultaneously test two different in-app experiences to determine which is more successful prior to launching to a broad audience.

Game Connect, which lets developers list their virtual goods for sale on Amazon, increasing discoverability of their games and making the purchase of virtual goods as easy and convenient as possible for customers, leading to increased monetization for developers.
Amazon AppStore submission for distribution to nearly 200 countries globally enables developers to reach millions of Amazon customers worldwide.

To learn more about Login with Amazon, please visit: login.amazon.com.

from Android Authority by Robert Triggs

Twitter 4.1.0 rolls out to Google Play, includes new compose window and improved notifications

Are you a Tweet-a-holic? If you can’t get enough of Twitter on your Android device, you’ll be happy to know that version 4.1.0 has arrived to the Play Store. The latest version of Twitter includes several changes, including photo enhancements, a new compose window and improved notifications.

Probably the biggest change is the compose window, which is no longer a pop-up and instead runs in fullscreen. Additionally, the compose screen gives you full-sized previews of photos you are going to share and allows you to quickly switch to different accounts inside the window.

For those with Android 4.0 or higher, the enhanced notifications are also a pretty important change. Notifications now include the profile picture of the person interacting with you and additional info like if its a direct message, mention or retweet. You will also get notified when your friends join Twitter.

Beyond that, it seems like there are also a few bug fixes in the latest version. The change log also mentions you will “enjoy wider and taller timelines in all parts of the app including profiles, search, and discover”.

Anyhow, head over to Google Play now to check it out for yourself. For those that have already snagged the update, what do you think of the changes?

from Android Authority by Andrew Grush

SwiftKey hits version 4.1.1 with important bug fixes

A few important fixes just a couple short weeks after a big 4.1 release

Shortly after releasing version 4.1 of its keyboard that brought new themes and improvements, the bump to 4.1.1 today brings a few important fixes. First up, those of you with Samsung devices using the stock email app will now have proper text input, without a cursor that jumps around in the paragraph you're typing. Also an important fix, the keyboard will no longer have an unusable "execute" button while typing in the new Google Hangouts app. Additionally, two crashes related to personalization features and using the "Pitch" theme on older Android 2.1 devices have been fixed.

There's no doubt many of you out there are using SwiftKey daily on your devices, so head to the Play Store and grab your update for these important fixes.

More: SwiftKey Blog

from Android Central - Android Central by Andrew Martonik

Google releases 'Admin' app for managing enterprise, education and government accounts

Super administrators can now control every aspect of their user's accounts from a phone

Google released its latest in-house app today, Google Admin, targeted at administrators of Google Apps accounts in business, education, government and other applications. Although it may not apply to the largest number of people on the consumer side, having a central management app for Google Apps administrators is a big deal. With a single app, super administrators for an organization can now add users, manage logins and passwords, manage groups, contact support and so much more. These are some advanced features, but ones that can be easily done while on the go if necessary. And if you're managing dozens or even hundreds of users, you'll want any tool that can help make managing accounts an easier prospect.
Currently the app will work with Google Apps for Business, Education, Government, Google Coordinate and Chromebooks -- pretty much any basic deployment of Apps you may have today. As you would expect, the app reminds you several times over that administrators should apply a strong PIN or passcode for your device's lock screen -- although it doesn't actually require one to run the app. Google Apps super admins can grab a download of the app at the source link above and give it a try.


from Android Central - Android Central by Andrew Martonik

Google apunta a Android 4.3 en un vídeo promocional

• Visto en el vídeo promocional del nuevo Gmail.
• Se ha cumplido con las versiones anteriores.
• Ya es hora de un nuevo Android.

Hay quien ya espera el lanzamiento de Android 4.3 con más desesperación que agua de mayo para sus cosechas. Esto lleva a que la más mínima pista de Android 4.3 sea tomada como una señal de la divina Google para decirnos que, por fin, Android 4.3 estaría por ser lanzado próximamente.

Este es el caso de la teoría de Marques Brownlee, aunque su teoría tiene consistencia. Aunque no era un teaser del lanzamiento de Android 4.3, ni nos lo esperábamos que lo fuera, a decir verdad, esta mañana en Celularis os contamos cómo Google ha rediseñado por completo las aplicaciones de Gmail para Android y iOS. Junto con la renovación, que se irá extendiendo a lo largo de la semana, Google puso el vídeo que abre esta entrada (y de donde sacamos el apunte al lanzamiento de Android 4.3).

La teoría es sencilla, aunque consistente con las pruebas empíricas, es decir, que ya ha dado resultados en el pasado siguiendo el mismo modo de razonamiento. Todo se reduce al minuto 0:55, donde el reloj del teléfono marca las 4:30, lo que se traduce en 4.3 en nuestro lenguaje. Muchos podrían estar pensando que se buscan pruebas donde nos las hay con tal de tener un atisbo de esperanza de saber cuánto queda para el lanzamiento de Android 4.3, pero cuando ves que desde Android 2.3 Gingerbread el pequeño "truco" se ha venido cumpliendo, la perspectiva de la teoría de Brownlee gira hacia un punto más de credibilidad. Es decir, si vemos los vídeos de las generaciones anteriores vemos las 4:00 en el Galaxy Nexus, y las 4:20 en el Nexus 4, cuando presentaban Android 4.2.

No es para menos que se espere tanto el lanzamiento de Android 4.3, teniendo en cuenta que resolverá un bug de hace dos años y medio, o, de hecho, verlo como algo tangible después de las filtraciones que ha habido con un Nexus 4 corriendo ya el nuevo sistema operativo. Mejor aún, siempre podemos estar más que interesados en las novedades que traerá, haciendo especial hincapié en OpenGL ES 3.0, que nos abrirá puertas a aún mejores juegos.


from Celularis

Galaxy S4 Mini official: specs, features, release date and pricing

Despite rumored to announce the Galaxy S4 Mini at its June 20 media event, Samsung on Thursday went ahead and quietly announced the handset.
Is this a direct response to Motorola’s Moto X unexpected announcement? It doesn’t really matter, as by now we already knew a lot of details concerning this Galaxy S4 variant.

Specs and features

Just a few days ago we looked at a new set of specs and features for the handset, and it looks like they were pretty accurate. Here are the official specification for the Galaxy S4 Mini (GT-I9190):

• 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display
• Size: 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm
• Weight: 107g
• 1.7GHz dual-core processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 8GB of memory (5GB available to the user)
• microSD support for up to 64GB of memory
• 8-megapixel camera with TouchWiz camera features
• 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 4G LTE
• NFC (only for the LTE version)
• dual SIM support (on certain variants)
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz on top
• 1900mAh battery

The Galaxy S4 Mini is not a flagship device – not that we ever expected it to be – but JK Shin seems to think that it has good enough specs to provide a “Galaxy S4 experience.” Here’s his full quote:

“We want to give people more choices with Galaxy S4 Mini, similar look & feel of Galaxy S4 for more compact and practical usages,” he said. “The new Galaxy S4 Mini provides consumers with a new way to enjoy the flagship Galaxy S4 experience.”

Release date and pricing

Actual availability details are missing in action at this point, but we’ll update the post accordingly once more information becomes available. In its press release (available below), Samsung says that the phone will be available in two colors at launch, White Frost and Black Mist and that it will have various versions out in various markets including a 4G LTE model, a 3G model and a 3G dual SIM model.

May 30, 2013 – Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy S4 Mini, a powerful, compact version of its bestselling smartphone, the Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 Mini delivers the superior performance, intuitive ease-of-use and sleek design of the Galaxy S4 in a portable chic and compact design.

Simon Stanford, Vice President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “Demand for the Galaxy S4 has been phenomenal since it launched in April and we hope to build on this success with the Galaxy S4 Mini. This new handset is the ideal smartphone companion for anyone who wants a compact device packed with innovation.”
With a 4.3″ qHD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S4 Mini offers stunning images and content. At just 107g, the lightweight and compact design enables you to carry and use the device easily with one hand. The Galaxy S4 Mini also boasts powerful performance, equipped with a 1.7GHz dual core processor and supports many of the same intuitive features as the Galaxy S4, designed to enhance different aspects of life.

Capturing Memories
The Galaxy S4 Mini allows you to capture important moments in life with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera as well as a 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. Special features include Sound&Shot, which stores sounds and images together, Panorama Shot which allows you to take a full view of what you are seeing, and Story Album, which automatically arranges photos in a smart format – photos taken by Galaxy S4 Mini are automatically gathered and saved according to your timeline, geo-tagging information or specific event, to create a photo album. You can also receive travel assistance and information services through the S Travel preloaded app which can even recommend a new trip and provide destination guides.

Sharing and Connecting
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini means you can share content with others around you easily. Simultaneously listen to the same music and play the same games as your friends with Group Play, and chat with multiple friends with animations, video and voice recording added to messages using ChatON.

Environment Features
The Galaxy S4 Mini features S Translator, for instant translation using text or voice on applications including email, text message and ChatON. You can also control your environment through WatchON’s IR remote which transforms the device into a remote to control your home entertainment systems including TV, set-top box and DVD player. Content available includes live TV, cable TV and VOD based on the information provided EPG (Electronic Program Guide). In addition, Samsung Link* will help you share content across multiple Samsung digital devices. *Available in select countries. Previously called AllShare Play.

Wellbeing Features
The Galaxy S4 Mini keeps you up to date with health and wellbeing information. Downloadable from Samsung Apps, S Health enables you to monitor your calorie balance. It can calculate each step taken daily, monitor sleeping patterns, calculate weight and share real time heart rate information**. Adapt Display provides an optimal viewing experience, customised for each type of application, and Adapt Sound offers an optimal level and type of sound, personalised for each user. ** Functionality such as monitoring weight, heart rate and sleeping patterns is possible through the use of fitness accessories which are sold separately.

Availability
The Galaxy S4 Mini will be available in two colours – White Frost and Black Mist. There will be a 4G LTE version, 3G version, and 3G Dual Sim version. Details on which variants will be ranged in the UK and the UK shipping date will be announced in due course.

from Android Authority by Chris Smith

Google Play Music receives update, allows you to share tracks from Now Playing screen

The Google Play Music app has been recently updated, adding a series of useful tweaks to the user experience.

While it may not look like a huge update, what’s been improved can be very helpful in your everyday use of the app (and I’m sure you’ve started to use it even more if Google Play Music All Access is available in your country).

First of all, the app now has the option to delete tracks, so you can get rid of the songs you’re not listening to straight from the app, freeing some space on your device in the process. Another useful thing is that you now have the ability to add a song to a playlist straight from the Now Playing screen, useful especially if you’re into creating playlists for various occasions.

You can now also share a song from that same Now Playing screen, allowing you to show your friends on Google+ what you’re listening to, providing them with a preview of the track, as well as a link that allows them to buy it in an instant, as you can see in the screenshot below.

Finally, you can also remove items from your Library.
Are you a Google Play Music user? Do you find the new update useful?

Download Google Play Music v5.0.1014J

from Android Authority by Bogdan Bele

Google Calendar app gets color labels in new update

The Google Calendar app for Android is the latest app from the Mountain View company to receive an update, after the last few weeks have brought us a flurry of news on this front.
Just after the Google Play app has been updated, and to go with the news about the new Gmail update still ringing in everybody’s ears, the Calendar app also got some welcome additions.
Most users will likely appreciate the ability to change the colors of the various events in your calendar in order to differentiate them from others at a glance (it looks somewhat similar to the palette in Google Keep).
Adding recurring events also offers more options now, making it easier to set them. Also, the time picker that lets you create a new event has been updated with a new design and a searchable time zone picker has been added to make things more convenient.
The new update is currently rolling out to users, so you should be getting it on your device soon enough (if you haven’t already).


Download Google Calendar v201305280

from Android Authority by Bogdan Bele

A new inbox that puts you back in control

We get a lot of different types of email: messages from friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more. All of these emails can compete for our attention and make it harder to focus on the things we need to get done. Sometimes it feels like our inboxes are controlling us, rather than the other way around.



But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today, Gmail is getting a brand new inbox on desktop and mobile that puts you back in control using simple, easy organization.

On the desktop, the new inbox groups your mail into categories which appear as different tabs. You simply choose which categories you want and voilà! Your inbox is organized in a way that lets you see what’s new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read when.

You can easily customize the new inbox - select the tabs you want from all five to none, drag-and-drop to move messages between tabs, set certain senders to always appear in a particular tab and star messages so that they also appear in the Primary tab.



In the Gmail for Android 4.0+ and Gmail for iPhone and iPad apps, you'll see your Primary mail when you open the app and you can easily navigate to the other tabs.

If the new inbox isn't quite your style, you can simply switch off all optional tabs to go back to classic view, or switch to any of your other favorite inbox types.


The new inbox is rolling out gradually. The desktop, Android and iOS versions will become available within the next few weeks. If you'd like to try out the new inbox on Desktop sooner, keep an eye on the gear menu and select Configure inbox when it appears in the Settings options.


from Gmail Blog by The Gmail Team

Google+ para iOS se actualiza con un nuevo y potente editor fotográfico

Google+ ha actualizado su aplicación para iOS con las mejoras anunciadas en el Google I/O 2013, con características entre las que destaca su nuevo editor fotográfico, o la independización de Hangouts, ahora disponible en una aplicación por separado.

Google ha liberado por fin la actualización de la aplicación de su red social, Google+. Esta actualización era bastante esperada desde que tuvo lugar el pasado Google I/O para ver en directo de lo que había sido capaz Google con el lavado de cara de sus aplicaciones, y sobre todo comprobar si cumplía lo bien que pintaba sobre el papel. Si bien la actualización de Google+ ya llegó la pasada semana a Android, ahora es el turno de la plataforma de Apple: Google+ para iOS ha sido actualizado. Algunos de los cambios más importantes vienen en el editor de fotografías, aunque hay más.

Empezando por ese editor de fotografías, destaca su modo de mejora automática, lo cual nos recuerda irremediablemente a la compra de Snapseed por parte de la gran G hace unos meses, así como el editor de la versión web de Google+. Algo que va más allá es la capacidad de la aplicación de detectar qué fotos son las mejores de entre las duplicadas, y prescindir de fotografías que ya se encuentran en nuestro carrete y son prácticamente iguales a otras, gracias a los algortimos de la aplicación. Se mantiene la posibilidad de crear GIF's animados con ellas.
Hangouts, quizás uno de los mayores protagonistas del Google I/O 2013, sigue acaparando su protagonismo, y ahora salta a una aplicación propia, por separado de la de Google+ para iOS. Por último, Google+ para iOS ahora ofrece opciones adicionales sobre la versión comentarios, entre las que Google destaca la posibilidad de editar la foto de portada de nuestro perfil, la edición de comentarios, etc. Como mínimo, se merece una oportunidad. Aunque su tráfico siga siendo irrisorio, Google está mejorando considerablemente sus aplicaciones. Aunque no se le perdone matar otras, como Google Reader, es justo admitir que Google+ va ganando atractivos. Ahora, con una aplicación realmente completa.
Descarga: Google+ para iOS. Gratuita.

from Celularis

Google+ mobile website updated with a better looking stream, profiles and more

The mobile website for Google+ has finally gotten some love. With improvements to profiles and the addition of cards in the stream, Google+ mobile site users will appreciate the update.

For starters, the stream has improved both in terms of looks and functionality. Cards are displayed in the stream with full-bleed photos, bigger +1 and share buttons as well as being able to view formatting such as bold, italic and strike through. The background on the stream is grey, being consistent with the new look Google+ that desktop web users have been enjoying the past week.

The new stream design

Profiles are massively improved, with a layout that matches the Google+ mobile apps. There are three tabs to switch from, which are "About", "Posts" and "Photos".

There are other changes such as improvements to photos and search, and the fact that the site now utilises the real screen estate on your mobile device by scaling up/down accordingly is a step in the right direction. Previously, the layout would be fixed, and it did not result in a pleasant mobile web experience.

Better looking profiles are now part of the mobile site

The team working on the mobile website of Google+ still hasn't got around to adding any other core features that the desktop web and mobile apps have been available for many months, such as Local and Communities; but it may not be in the teams plans anyway. If the goal is to provide a very quick, low bandwidth and simple Google+ experience for those who can't enjoy the benefits of the mobile apps, then they're doing a great job.

Show me the changelog

Here's the official, fairly brief changelog, found on the announcement post:

• Posts now appear as “cards” in the stream, making it easier to read, +1 and re-share them.
• We've also redesigned the Profile and Page experiences to include cover photos, larger tap targets, and much more.

It's great to see the mobile website being improved upon, but we definitely recommend you download the Android or iOS app if you can.

Do you use the Google+ mobile website? Like the changes?

Source: Google+ announcement post
from Google Plus Daily by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Jarratt)

Chrome App Launcher llegará a OS X, ahora puedes probarlo mediante Chromium

Al parecer Google está trabajando para traer el Chrome App Launcher a OS X. Para los que no conozcáis qué es, se trata simplemente de una opción que permite nada más pulsar el icono de Chrome en OS X ver una ventana que nos da acceso a las diferentes aplicaciones de Google.
Como muestran en 9to5Mac tendremos acceso rápido a Google Drive, Gmail, Google+ y resto de aplicaciones añadidas a Chrome mediante la Chrome Web Store. Ahora mismo podemos probarlo gracias a la última versión de Chromium y un comando de terminal necesario para activarlo.
/Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/MacOS/Chromium --show-app-list
El comando que veis arriba es el que tendréis que introducir en el Terminal para activar App Launcher. A partir de dicho momento, al pulsar sobre el icono aparecerá un panel desde el que lanzar todas las aplicaciones que hayamos instalado.

A mi personalmente no me resulta interesante pues si quiero lanzar esas web apps puedo recurrir a crear mis propias acciones a través de Alfred y lanzarlas mediante keywords. Algo que me resulta más cómodo pero bueno, toda novedad e inclusión en OS X es bien recibida.
Descargar | Chromium

from Applesfera by Pedro Santamaría

Unity será gratis para iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10 y Windows Phone 8

• Baja de USD $800 a 0.
• Sólo la versión básica.
• En principio para iOS y Android.

Good news everyone! o, al menos, para los desarrolladores que estaban pensando en hacer aplicaciones multiplataformas con el motor para juegos Unity, ya que ahora tenemos Unity gratis, donde antes había una cuota de USD $800 para poder licenciar la parte básica del motor de juegos. Como podrán imaginar, esto sólo aplica para la versión básica de Unity.
Para quien no sepa lo que es un motor para juegos, es una herramienta para crear los mismos, para no tener que pelearse con el motor de renderización gráfica, tener un motor de físicas o un detector de colisiones sin tener que hacer mayor esfuerzo; en definitiva, te da las cosas básicas para hacer un videojuego que, de otra forma, tendrías que hacerlo por tu cuenta, un laborioso y repetitivo trabajo que pocos desarrolladores quieren hacer ya. He aquí la importancia de tener Unity gratis: dar un espaldarazo a desarrolladores indie o estudios de juegos sin mucho presupuesto para que hagan sus creaciones usando este motor. En definitiva, lo que buscan desde la compañía con Unity gratis es "democratizar" la creación de videojuegos mucho más que nunca, según las propias palabras de la compañía.
Como es obvio, tener Unity gratis no sólo es bueno para los desarrolladores independientes, sino que es un empujón a las plataformas, todas en general, ya que una de las mayores ventajas de Unity es que puedes hacer juegos para varias al mismo tiempo, desde iOS, Android o Windows Phone hasta BlackBerry 10 o Xbox 360, es decir, es bueno también para los consumidores, ya que veremos mucha más variedad de juegos en todas las plataformas o, al menos, en iOS y Android, que son las que más interesan.
Ahora, que no es oro todo lo que reluce, ya que Unity gratis de momento sólo para Android y iOS, las otras dos plataformas que faltan, BlackBerry 10 y Windows Phone 8, vendrán luego, según han sugerido desde la propia Unity

from Celularis

iOS 7 será aún más social gracias a Flickr y Vimeo

 

• Apple integraría profundamente Flickr y Vimeo en iOS7
• Yahoo! ha colaborado en el iPhone desde sus comienzos
• La integración de Vimeo buscaría compensar la perdida de YouTube

Se acerca la conferencia de desarrolladores WWDC 2013, lugar en el que esperamos que Apple presente sus novedades de cara al lanzamiento de iOS 7. Una de las sorpresas que nos tienen preparadas desde Cupertino es una mayor integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS 7, buscando darle un componente más social al sistema operativo móvil de Apple.
Así lo recoge Mark Gurman, quien en el pasado ha demostrado que tiene muy buenos contactos para conseguir información privilegiada de Apple. En Cupertino ya estarían probando una mayor integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS de cara al lanzamiento de su nueva versión. De esta manera, al igual que ocurre con Facebook y Twitter, los usuarios de dispositivos de Apple tendrían una mayor facilidad de compartir contenidos en dichos servicios.

La integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS llega justo a tiempo para ambos servicios. Por un lado, Yahoo! acaba de presentar el nuevo Flickr con jugosas novedades. No solo se ha rediseñado la interfaz, ahora el servicio incluye 1TB de almacenamiento gratuito para todos los usuarios, convirtiéndose nuevamente en un servicio a tener muy en cuenta y rivalizando con la propia Instagram. La integración de Flickr en iOS le viene como anillo al dedo al servicio de Yahoo!, obteniendo soporte nativo en una de las gamas de producto más utilizadas por los usuarios.
Por otro lado tenemos a Vimeo. Todos sabemos que las relaciones entre Apple y Google no pasan precisamente por su mejor momento, a raíz sobre todo de la rivalidad entre iOS y Android. En Cupertino llevan tiempo buscando reducir su dependencia de los diferentes productos de Google y verían en Vimeo el servicio ideal para sustituir a YouTube, al que todavía da soporte a pesar de retirar la aplicación nativa de iOS.
La integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS 7 permitirá a los usuarios utilizar los servicios tanto desde el propio sistema operativo como en aplicaciones de terceros introduciendo nuestros datos una sola vez, evitando tener que introducir nuestro nombre de usuario y contraseña cada vez que queramos utilizar el servicio. De esta manera bastaría con pulsar sobre el video o fotografía que queremos compartir para que aparezca la opción de subirlo a ambos servicios, tal y como hacemos en la actualidad con Facebook o Twitter.
No obstante, aún es temprano para lanzar las campanas al vuelo. Todavía existe la posibilidad de que Apple cambie de idea y postponga la integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS 7 en caso de que no esté todo lo pulido posible. De hecho, algo similar ocurrió con Facebook en iOS 4, aunque finalmente esta integración llegó más adelante.

Imagen: Talk for NYC (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Aún así, Apple ya cuenta con Flickr en diferentes productos de la compañía. Tanto Mountain Lion como iPhoto o Aperture dan soporte a Flickr, por lo que la idea de extender dicho soporte a iOS 7 no es nada descabellada. Además,ambas compañías mantienen una fructífera relación desde el lanzamiento del primer iPhone allá en 2007.
Yahoo! todavía provee de servicios a iOS, en concreto la previsión meteorológica y la información de la bolsa, y la reciente actividad de su nueva CEO, Marissa Meyers, va buscando devolverle la frescura a una compañía que no pasaba por su mejor momento, frescura que puede encontrar en su asociación con Apple. A su vez, Apple sigue sustituyendo servicios de Google por los de otros competidores manteniendo el pulso a los creadores de Android por lo que en Cupertino se considera la gran traición. En cualquier caso los usuarios salimos ganando con esta mayor integración de Flickr y Vimeo en iOS 7, si finalmente se confirma.

from Celularis

5 Reasons To Upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S4

A little while back, we played devil’s advocate and took a look a 5 reasons why you might not want to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S4. Now, in the interest of fairness, and because it is a pretty cool phone, we’re going to do the opposite and look at 5 reasons why you might want to pick it up after all.
You’ve seen our review, you’ve seen all the versus pieces we did comparing the Galaxy S4 to other phones, you’ve seen some tips and tricks to get the most out of it. Now, here are five of what we think are the best reasons that you might want to take home a shiny new S4.
In a hurry? Check out the video or just get the gist at the end of the article.

1.) It’s Pretty Fast

There’s no way around it: at least for now, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is quite simply one of the fastest phones on the market. How fast? Well let’s take a look at benchmarks. In our benchmark chart, the Snapdragon 600 version of the Galaxy S4 scored 25,900 while the Exynos 5 version scored even higher at 27,417.

When it comes to easily available mass-market devices, that’s as fast as they come. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s going to feel that much faster than other high end devices, but that’s because we’re beginning to reach a point where specs matter less and less. Still, if you want the fastest option on your carrier, the Galaxy S4 is a pretty safe bet.

2.) The Size Is Nearly Perfect

As part of my duties here at Android Authority, I end up handling a fairly large amount of devices. The strange thing is that, while they come in all shapes and sizes, it can be more difficult than you’d think to find one that just feels right. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of those devices.

The balance between screen size and overall device size can be a tricky one. Take the much-beloved Galaxy Note 2 for example: it’s huge screen is nice, but you definitely trade ease of use to get that massive screen. The Samsung Galaxy S4 on the other hand still has a screen that is large enough to comfortably watch videos while remaining small enough that one handed operation is not only possible, but easy.

3.) The Camera Is Awesome

A little over a week ago, we decided to pit the camera in the Samsung Galaxy S4 against the HTC One’s Ultrapixel camera. Both cameras put in a strong showing, but in the end, we gave the edge to the S4. Now this isn’t going to matter to everyone, but if you take a lot of photos with your phone, this is another reason you might want to take a close look at the S4.



Ignoring the more gimmicky features like Drama Shot or Sound and Shot–you probably won’t use them even half as much as you might think–and just focusing on image quality alone, the S4 has some impressive optics. A quick web search for “best smartphone camera 2013″ will reveal quite a few people calling the Galaxy S4′s camera the best currently available. Note: we didn’t search for the best Android camera, these results were for the best phone camera. Not bad, Samsung. Not bad at all.

4.) There Will Always Be Something on the Horizon

In the last article, regarding the point that you might want to hold off on buying the S4 because of the upcoming Galaxy Note 3, many of you commented with the same response: there is always going to be a newer, better phone just around the corner. And you know what? You were right.

While plenty of us are still very excited about the Note 3 (and other phones), there is always going to have to be a point where you stop, pick a phone and live with your choice. With that in mind, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great choice. With all its specs and features, there isn’t much of a chance that you’ll be telling yourself that you made a huge mistake a year from now.

5.) TouchWiz or Stock? The Choice Is Yours

Last week at Google I/O, we saw an announcement that we weren’t expecting: a “Google Edition” of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that runs stock Android. If you’re reading this site, we probably don’t need to tell you that this isn’t something you see everyday. Take that super fast hardware and combine it with stock Android, and that is (for many of us, at least) a match made in heaven.



Now, we understand. There are plenty of you who would rather have Samsung’s TouchWiz UI than stock Android. That’s why this is a perfect situation: no matter which happens to be your preference, there is a version of the S4 for you. While we’d like to see this option for every phone released, right now, the S4 has a lock on it, and that alone might make it worth a buy.

Video

TL;DR

If you just want the bare bones 5 reasons to buy the S4, here they are:

1. It’s fast.
2. The size is just about perfect for most people.
3. It’s got one of the best smartphone cameras around.
4. There are always better phones coming out. Don’t let that paralyze you with indecision.
5. It’s available with either the TouchWiz UI or stock Android. Pick your poison.

So what do you think? Is the Samsung Galaxy S4 a great buy or are you waiting for something else until you upgrade? Let us know in the comments down below!


from Android Authority by Kristofer Wouk

Tip: If an Android App Update is Not Showing as Available on Your Device, Install From the Web

How many times has a new Android app update been issued for a major app, yet you find yourself without the ability to update on your phone or tablet? All of your friends are showing off the new features, and there you are stuck in times of old, refreshing and tapping frustratingly, hoping that you’ll receive the satisfaction that accompanies the “Update” button. What if there was a way around the wait, at least in most cases? There is, actually.

I’m surprised we haven’t shared this trick in the past, but never the less, it’s time that we do. Should you know of an app update in the wild, you can almost always install it directly from the web version of Google Play even if your device isn’t showing that you have an update available. As soon as you see the Play store listing of the app change over to today’s date, meaning it was recently updated, you can tap “Install” followed by a selection of the device you wish to install the update on, before sitting back as it updates over-the-air.

Take today’s Google+ update as an example. None of my devices are showing it as being available at this time on device (pictured above), however, I installed it just fine through the web Google Play on both my HTC One and Nexus 7. Also, if you got really desperate and weren’t anywhere near a computer, I’d bet that you can do the same trick through the Chrome browser on your phone.


post from: Droid Life

INSTALA GOOGLE+ HANGOUTS EN UBUNTU EN 4 CÓMODOS PASOS SIN INTERESES

Google al fin se ha decidido a dar el paso de unificar todas sus aplicaciones de mensajería instantánea en una sola. Ya era hora. GTalk, Google Plus Messenger y Google Chat en GMail ahora se aglutinarán bajo el nombre Google+ Hangouts.


No creo ni mucho menos que esto desbanque en un corto espacio de tiempo a Whatsapp, pese a ser multiplataforma y con versiones específicas para Android e iOS. Sin embargo, hay que reconocerle el esfuerzo a Google de portar su aplicación también a equipos de sobremesa, cosa de la que adolece Whatsapp, y no sólo a los entornos más extendidos, sino también a los ubuntunautas.

Para disfrutar de Google+ Hangouts en nuestro equipo, la cosa pinta tan sencilla como navegar hasta la dirección: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/hangoutplugin


Mira la tía que feliz está usando Google+ Hangouts
Pinchar sobre "Descargar complemento" y elegir la versión adecuada para nuestro sistema.



En el caso de Ubuntu:

.deb 32 bits (para Debian/Ubuntu)
.deb 64 bits (para Debian/Ubuntu)


Click sobre "Descargar complemento" de nuevo. Sigue las instrucciones en pantalla.

Una vez descargado el paquete .deb, ve al lugar donde lo descargaste, haz doble click sobre él, pulsa sobre el botón "Instalar" en la ventana que aparecerá y espera a que finalice el proceso.

 
Una vez instalado, vuelve a la página de descarga inicial (  https://tools.google.com/dlpage/hangoutplugin ) donde podrás comprobar que Google+ Hangouts está listo para ser utilizado.
Happy chats!

from Feed de PlanetUbuntu.Es

New Google+ Android App Released: 42

Google+ for Android: 42: Everyone knows that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42. So in addition to last week’s 41 new features, we’re launching another major update: a brand new Android app. Here’s a quick look at the improvements in photos, location, and the stream.

Great photos, in less time

Organizing and editing photos takes lots of time — time most of us don’t have — so today’s update helps you make more beautiful images faster. The new photos experience on Android includes:

• Auto Backup, to safely and privately store your photos as you snap them
• Auto Highlight, to browse a selection of top shots from every set of photos you add
• Auto Enhance, to make subtle improvements to the people and places in your images, automatically
• Auto Awesome, to create fun new versions of your pictures (like animations and panoramas) based on the photos in your library

Getting started with these features is as simple as uploading a few pictures, then visiting the Photos section of the new Android app. There you can view your Highlights, review Google’s enhancements (and undo them, of course), and enjoy any awesome’d pictures you’ve got waiting for you.

Once you’re freed from labor-intensive photo tasks, you may discover an appetite for more artistic enhancements, and we’ve got you covered there too. Today’s Android update includes some of Snapseed’s award-winning photography tools — from filters like Drama and Retrolux to more specific controls like saturation and contrast — all inside the app.

All together, today’s photo improvements make it easy and enjoyable to take your photographs, and make them great.

Location sharing, with just the right circles

If (and only if) someone’s sharing their location with you, you’ll see their current whereabouts on their Google+ profile. Today we’re improving this experience by including a new “Locations” section in the Android app. Tapping “Locations” will display your friends’ current locations on a map, making it easier to make plans and meet up.

As always: you decide whether to share your location, and with whom. And you can always turn the feature on or off in settings.

More to explore, directly from the stream

Last week we talked about how most feeds are rather flat. You can swipe through stuff that’s been shared with you, but it’s really hard to read more about a particular topic. We introduced related hashtags as a way to fix this problem, and today we’re bringing them to the Android app. These Google-added tags will appear at the top-right of individual posts (#GoogleIO2013, in this example), and tapping on them will reveal streams of relevant content:

You can always remove Google-added tags from your own content (on single posts, or on all of them). And we always give preference to the tags you add manually. We’re just excited about giving people new ways to explore the stuff they’re into.

More on the way

Photos, location and the stream are only some of the things we’ve improved in today’s update. Notifications are nicer to look at and easier to use. You can edit additional profile fields on the go. And there’s one-tap access to the all new Hangouts app — just to name a few.

Google+ for Android is rolling out to Google Play throughout the day, so look for the update (v4.0), and let us know what you think. And of course: stay tuned for 43.

Posted by +Bradley Horowitz, Vice President of Product, Google+