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TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for May 13 – May 19, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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TalkAndroid_Weekly_Recap

We had another busy week at TalkAndroid so here’s a recap of all the top stories. Google I/O was this week, so it’s no surprise that it dominated the headlines. Google officially unveiled their new unified messaging service called Hangouts and their new gaming service called Play Games Services. They also unveiled their new streaming music serviced called Play Music All Access. The only hardware announcement was the Galaxy S 4 Google Edition. All in all, it was an exciting event that featured a lot of new stuff for development, which is what Google I/O is all about. Even though I/O was the focal point for the week, there was still a lot of other news, so it’s time to get caught up and get ready for another exciting week.

Guides

Best Android music playing applications [May 2013]

Reviews

Quiz of Seers [Brain & Puzzle]

WeVideo – Video Editor [Media]

Google I/O

Re-experience all three exciting hours of the Google I/O 2013 keynote right here

Google I/O 2013 Keynote: Android activations account for nearly 1/7th of the world’s population with 900 million total activations

Google I/O 2013 Keynote: Play Store will bring more personalized recommendation, apps that will be “Designed for Tablets” and new All Access music subscription service

Google announces unlocked Samsung Galaxy S 4 with stock Android coming June 26 for $649

Google Play Developer Console gets a major injection of new features

Google announces Google Play for Education at Google I/O 2013

New Google Maps makes the Map the UI just a little better and easier for all

Google Search gets expanded functionality for users, brings new cards and improved Voice Search abilities

Google Hangouts officially announced at Google I/O, now live in the Google Play Store

Google Hangouts requires permissions to receive, read, and send SMS messages, could support be added soon?

Google Hangouts “easter eggs” revealed, include ponies and dinosaurs

Gmail and Google Wallet can now help you get money to people in your life

Google TV gets bumped to Android 4.2.2 and the latest version of Chrome

Hands on with the Map Diving simulator

Hands on with NVIDIA Shield

Quick look at the Google Street View Trekker

Hands on with WeVideo’s video editing solution for Chromebooks

» Read the rest

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for May 17, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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TalkAndroid_Daily_Dose

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Guides

Best Android music playing applications [May 2013]

Accessories

Samsung TecTiles 2 Now available to purchase

Apps

Fitbit adds Bluetooth 4.0 sync support for Samsung Galaxy S 4 in new update

Classic Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega launched to Google Play for $2.99

» Read the rest

Panasonic launches P51 in Indian markets, packed with 5-inch screen and stylus

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by Harrison Kaminsky on
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Panasonic_P51_Launch_India

Panasonic recently decided to launch its first device in Indian markets with the Panasonic P51. The phone will come loaded up with Android 4.2, a 5-inch, 720p LCD screen, and a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek processor. The phone is slightly reminiscent of a lower-end Galaxy Note 3, as it ships with a capacitive stylus and a magnetic flip cover. The RAM sits at only 1GB, there are 4GB of expandable storage, and the phone includes an 8MP rear-camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and support for both HSPA+ and dual SIM cards.

The phone will launch in India next week at 26,900 rupees ($517 USD) contract-free which is a little expensive but should be a bargain when compared to its competition from Samsung. Hit the break for the full press release. » Read the rest

Japan’s NTT DoCoMo releases summer 2013 device portfolio including Sony Xperia A

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by Jeff Causey on
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Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo has revealed their portfolio of devices for the summer months which includes a new Sony Xperia A device. The Japanese version seems to be a bit different from the device carrying the same name that recently slid through the FCC on its way to U.S. carriers. The Japanese version sports a 4.6-inch screen, 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, and runs Android 4.1. This seems to put it as more of a mid-tier device whereas the U.S. version mirrors the top-tier Sony Xperia Z, only with a removable battery.

In addition to the Xperia A, NTT DoCoMo is also adding Sharp’s Aquos Phone Zeta and Aquos Pad, two devices that incorporate new, thinner displays. The Zeta device comes with a 4.8-inch full HD screen while the Aquos Pad is a 7-inch tablet that is approaching a full HD display resolution. Other manufacturers got their devices added to the portfolio, like the Panasonic Eluga and the 5.2-inch Fujitsu Arrows NX. All of these devices from Sharp, Panasonic and Fujitsu will come with Android 4.2.

source: NTT DoCoMo
via: phoneArena

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 1.0 will be available on more than 70 devices

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by Macky Evangelista on
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Qualcomm Atheros

Today, the popular mobile processor company Qualcomm, talked about their Quick Charge 1.0 project. It’s part of a Snapdragon-powered phone’s power management and in theory should allow your device to charge up to 40 percent faster than before.

The best part is that you don’t have to purchase any new accessories to take advantage of this new technology, your old existing USB charger and cables will suffice. Here’s the list of devices that will support this great new feature!

» Read the rest

Panasonic P-02E Smartphone Outed By FCC Listing

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by Roy Alugbue on
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NTT DoCoMo customers in Japan will have a new toy from Panasonic to look forward to in the near-future. According to a newly-surfaced FCC listing, details for a mysterious P-02E has been made available for the world’s eyes to see. According to the listing, the newly unveiled device will have NFC capability, an LTE chip and wait for it— a retractable TV antenna. In addition to the newly highlighted features of the smartphone, there have been previous rumors highlighting the new device will have Jelly Bean on-board, a 5-inch screen capable of a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor.

Of course NTT DoCoMo customers probably won’t need to wait long for this puppy to hit the marketplace from this point, though those of us out here in the States will probably not want to hold our collective breaths anytime soon.

source: Engadget

All Four Major U.S. Carriers Join Google, ISIS and Major Financial Institutions to Form Mobile Payments Committee

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by Justin Crouch on
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When Google recently updated Wallet with the ability to use any credit card, I was in a training class. I immediately lost all focus in what I was supposed to be learning and began punching in my credit card info so I could use NFC to buy stuff. My only issue would be finding a place to use the service, outside of 7-11 I mean.

Google knows it’s a challenge to find places to pay with NFC and so do other financial institutions looking to break into the industry. Well Google, Isis, PayPal, VeriFone and the big four carriers in the US are banding together to form the “Mobile Payments Committee.” The goal is to keep the technology moving forward and increase adoption among merchants. Wells Fargo, Capital One, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, etc. are among some of the financial institutions joining in on the fun. It makes sense to see all these powerful companies getting involved, this is truly the next wave of technology and I believe it will be the new norm. I think one major roadblock for merchants isn’t the security, but the cost of installing all these types of machines.

Soon the committee will begin educating and lobbying regulators, merchants, consumers and legislators in the ways of NFC. Hit the break for the full press release.

» Read the rest

The Water-resistant Panasonic Eluga is now available in Europe

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by Adam Johnson on
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The Panasonic Eluga is now available unlocked via Expansys. Back in February right around Mobile World Congress time we posted an article about this water-resistant device. Stating that it was a very sleek, eye pleasing phone, but it left many visitors to the booth less than impressed. The Eluga is powered by a TI OMAP 4430 CPU. Specs also including a 4.3-inch qHD display, 1Gb RAM, 8Gb internal storage, and Gingerbread 2.3.5, with plans to upgrade to ICS.

This GSM device may not appeal to those state-side as it only runs on 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which would only get you a decent 3G signal. As mentioned, it can be purchased unlocked at Expansys, at the price of £369 or $590 in the US. If you do purchase the Panasonic Eluga, let us know your thoughts on it in the comments.

source: engadget

 

Panasonic Announces Eight USB Mobile Power Supplies

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by Ed Caggiani on
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Looks like Panasonic is going full hog in the mobile power accessories market by releasing eight external USB battery packs, made to provide juice to your mobile devices on the go. The series features the QE-QL301, a 10,260 mAh monster that can charge a single handset four times, or two handsets twice. The lineup also includes three models that use Energizer’s Qi technology, allowing for wireless charging.

Portable USB power supplies are becoming a popular way to keep your devices charged on the go, especially with some newer devices coming with non-removable batteries. Those of us thinking of upgrading to, say, the HTC Evo 4G LTE with a non-removable battery can now carry a portable power supply to recharge our phone rather than swapping batteries. A non-removable battery should no longer be a deal breaker.

Full press release after the break.

» Read the rest

Panasonic Eluga drops March 29th in Japan, Europe in April

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by Jim Farmer on
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For those of you who didn’t catch the announcement of Panasonic’s Eluga at MWC, what we’ve got here is a 4.3″ device with a TI OMAP 4430, the very same of which resides inside the Motorola RAZR. From the hands on impression at MWC, however, it seems it may not be as fluid as the RAZR, despite the similarity. You’ll also find 1GB of RAM inside as well as 8GB of embedded storage. Unfortunately this one will ship with Gingerbread and a relatively small 1150mAh battery. It’s been a while since MWC, though, so maybe Panasonic has had time to retool the onboard software for enhanced performance. Plus it has dust and water resistance certification going for it. That’s pretty awesome, right? Expect the first wave of them to hit Japan in March, followed by Europe in April. Pricing and US availability are yet to be seen.

source: NTT DoCoMo
via: Androinica

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