E-buddy messenger for Android

Download

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?atyi0r09uzsyaiu

NVIDIA Reveals 'Project Shield' Android And PC Gaming Handheld

 

Yesterday NVIDIA revealed Project Shield, a handheld Android gaming device powered by the newly revealed Tegra 4 processor. Shield, which on the outside is basically a console controller with a flip screen, will play all of the games available through Google Play and stream games from a PC powered by GeForce GTX GPUs, giving users access to Steam anywhere in the home.

"Project SHIELD was created by NVIDIA engineers who love to game and imagined a new way to play," said Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer at NVIDIA. "We were inspired by a vision that the rise of mobile and cloud technologies will free us from our boxes, letting us game anywhere, on any screen. We imagined a device that would do for games what the iPod and Kindle have done for music and books, letting us play in a cool new way. We hope other gamers love SHIELD as much as we do."

 

NVIDIA says the built-in battery will provide 5 to 10 hours of gaming or 24 hours of HD video viewing. Along with the 5-inch, 1280 x 720 “retinal” touchscreen display, the Shield is equipped with a micro SD card slot, HDMI out, micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack. There's also “console-grade” analog joysticks, four action buttons and set of triggers and bumpers.

 

If you want to see the full reveal, including a demo of the new Project Shield handheld, watch NVIDIA's press conference over on their Twitch.tv page (you may want to skip ahead to the 56:30 mark).

Related Pbosts:
Our Favorite PS2 Moments
PlayStation 3 is The World's Most Popular Device For Netflix Streaming

--

Follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and be sure to "like" us on Facebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more! And don't forget to follow our resident gadget geek @hatfieldy!

Tags android, Google Play, NVIDIA, PC, Project Shield, Shield, Steam, Tegra 4

View the original article here

Archos TV Connect brings the full Android experience to your TV

In a world where Google TV has never really caught on and the latest Android powered gaming systems don’t really offer a true Android experience, you’d think someone would be able to deliver an “Android powered smart TV providing the full Android ecosystem.”

Say hello to the Archos TV Connect, an add-on which transforms your TV into a basic Android device.

Unlike Google TV, Ouya and GameStick, the Archos TV Connect isn’t out to change the way you watch TV or play games. All it really wants to do is deliver the true power of Android on a large screen device. To do that, Archos has put together an oddly-shaped system which sits on top of your TV which includes a built-in webcam of video calls and an absurdly large gamepad like controller with a full QWERTY keyboard. While the setup may be a bit awkward, the end result is a nearly-stock version of Android 4.1 with access to the full Google Play store and countless apps, movies and songs.

While the traditional Android tablet layout may not be the best UI for a large screen TV, the Archos Media Center app is one of the best available for Android. The app can access and manage media files stored locally or on network-connected devices.

The Archos TV Connect is scheduled to go on sale in February for $129.99. It may be a little more expensive than Roku of Apple TV, but TV Connect certainly delivers a lot more functionality. We’ll be sure to stop by the Archos boot at CES next week to get some hands-on time with the new TV Connect.

ARCHOS Unveils TV connect – Future Ready your Existing TV – First and Only Multi-Touch for Android on TV

ARCHOS TV Connect features a multi-gesture TV Touch remote with game control mapping and an HD camera for video calls

To be debuted at CES 2013, LVCC Central Hall Booth # 15322

2013 International CES
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ARCHOS, a pioneer in multimedia portable devices, is pleased to announce the ARCHOS TV connect, the only multi-touch “AndroidTM on TV experience” for your apps and games. The ARCHOS TV connect turns any HDTV into an Android powered smart TV providing the full Android ecosystem with a specially designed TV Touch remote.

“As a pioneer in multimedia Android devices, we wanted to create a bigger, better way to enjoy Android”
The TV connect allows you to control your TV just like a tablet – tap, swipe, zoom in, zoom out, select or type. With the TV connect users will be able to play games, stream videos, video chat in HD, email friends or surf the web all from their big-screen TV. The ARCHOS TV connect runs Android 4.1TM ‘Jelly Bean’ and will be available starting in February, 2013 for $129.99.

“As a pioneer in multimedia Android devices, we wanted to create a bigger, better way to enjoy Android,” says Henri Crohas, Founder and CEO of ARCHOS. “The ARCHOS TV connect provides users with a multi-touch, multi-media Smart TV experience powered by AndroidTM.”

Revolutionary TV Touch remote – A smartly designed remote for every task

Pointer – Allows you to control your TV just like you would your tablet with a tapping and/or swiping motion
Full multi-touch gesture support – Control your apps easily with zoom In, zoom out and rotate with ARCHOS developed unique gesture controls
Full keyboard with Android shortcuts – The TV touch remote includes a full keyboard and Android shortcut keys including a key for voice controls and voice typing
Play Games on your TV – Critically acclaimed games at your fingertips

Thousands of games available on your TV – Choose from over 700,000 apps and games on Google PlayTM
Dual thumb sticks and buttons – Play all your favorite games with full gaming controls and dual analog thumbsticks
ARCHOS Gaming Mapping Tool – Map the controls of games to the buttons and controllers of the remote for playing virtually any game on your TV – as recently introduced on the GamePad
Turn your TV into a Smart TV – Get a full web experience on your current HDTV

Internet – Surf on the net from a big screen
Online video streaming – Stream videos directly on your TV through YouTubeTM, Daily motion and other video applications
Emails – Send and receive emails or share photos from your Facebook page with friends
HD video calls – Connect with a group of friends or family members on a big screen

HD webcam – ARCHOS TV connect is equipped with an HD webcam for High quality video calling
LED notification – LED lights notify you when you have an incoming calls while watching TV
Compatibility with all popular video calling apps – Video chatting with Skype or Google TalkTM as a family from your sofa has never been easier
Multimedia Player – The ARCHOS TV connect includes the critically acclaimed ARCHOS Media Center applications so you can finally get control of your home media content, including:

Best video codecs and format support – Read all your favorite video files with format and codec support including H.264 decoding in full 1080p HD
Media Center Library – Tailor-made UI with automatic jacket, synopsis and subtitle download as well as library organization even for files stored elsewhere on your home network
Easy home streaming – Stream your media content over your home network either through WiFi or Ethernet
The right connections – Features HDMI (cable included), full USB host and micro SD slot
Google™ Certified with Full Access to shop on Google Play™ – With over 700,000 applications, get all your favorite Android content on your TV including books, music, magazines and movies

View the original article here

HTC rolls out HTC One S Android 4.1 update in Europe, begins beta testing in U.S.

On Christmas Eve, HTC released the Android 4.1 update for the HTC One S across Europe. From what we can gather, the new update is available for most unlocked HTC phones. If you own a carrier branded HTC One S, you’re out of luck – for now. If you have not yet received the update, you can try to manually ping HTC’s update servers by going to Settings > About > Software updates >Check now. The Android 4.1.1 update with HTC Sense 4+ includes Google Now, Project Butter, offline speech-to-text, advanced notifications, a handful of UI tweaks, an updated camera app with Sight Seeing mode (allows you to launch the camera app by pressing the power button) and a new gallery app which sorts images by events and time while plotting them all out on a map.

We are excited to see the update roll out across Europe, but we’re sure most of you will more interested in hearing that HTC has begun beta testing the Android 4.1 update for T-Mobile HTC One S here in the U.S. This phase of beta testing is rolling out to a select number of consumers which means we should see an official Android 4.1 release for the T-Mobile HTC One S in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

View the original article here

Top 10 Android app updates: EyeEm, Springpad, Lookout

Welcome back to the return of our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most upgraded apps for the week. I’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, and not focus on which apps have the most installs.

To find the most updated apps, I turn to AppAware. It’s a great tool that shows me which apps have active support from their developers and sometimes reminds me of an old app that I might have removed long ago. Make sure to install it so your activity can help determine our weekly top 10 list.

As in the past, we are going to filter out minor updates for the super popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but I’m going to make an exception for apps that had significant updates. I hope you enjoy this weekly feature and discover some apps that you might find useful.

 

What’s new in this version:

Fixed app crashing on startImproved scrollingImproved memory handlingFixed problem with push notificationsAdded support for more devices (incl. Nexus 7)Improved caching

This is a minor update for EyeEm, but I shared it because I want you to install this app. It has some really unique features and a growing community, which makes it a nice alternative to Instagram.

 

What’s new in this version:

Now you can use drag/drop to reorder the contents of your notebooks!  Order will sync to the web app.Added Rich Notifications for Jelly BeanRedesigned notebook covers (and more show on tablet)The Quick Note option has been removed from the device’s menu when in a notebookFixed a bug that hid controls when viewing an item on certain 7? tabletsExisting users will no longer be taken through the app tour each time they log in

I couldn’t do my job without this app. Springpad makes it so easy for me to clip items from my phone or the browser and it organizes them into neat notebooks. The latest update includes expanded notifications for Android 4.1, new notebook covers, and some minro bug fixes.

 

What’s new in this version:

Dolphin Jetpack Compatibility: The only Dolphin Browser to work Jetpack Add-on.Camera: Improved support of camera for web apps while browsing.Night Mode: Easily dim your screen to lower brightness level when browsing at nightDolphin Connect: Option to sync your data only when connected to WifiDolphin Sonar: Even easier and user friendlyVarious stability and performance improvements

There are tons of alternative browsers out there, but Dolphin is easily the most innovative and it receives the most updates. Version 9.0 adds the new Jetpack engine which makes Dolphin 5-10X faster than the default Android browser and 2X faster than Chrome. Even if you are glued to Chrome like me, Dolphin deserves a spot on your device.

 

What’s new in this version:

Completely Redesigned: Our battery friendly app has a fresh, sleek design that makes it easier to find what you’re looking for.Activity Feed: A dashboard that allows you to see how your phone and data are being protected from mobile threats, identity theft and financial fraud.Signal Flare: An added protection against lost phones that automatically saves your device’s location when your battery gets low, improving the chance of getting your phone back.

I have tested most of the mobile security apps out there and I keep coming back to Lookout because it has the nicest design and it’s the easiest to use. This new feature includes a cool feature called Signal Flare that automatically saves your phone’s location when the battery is low, so you can locate it even after the battery has died.

 

What’s new in this version:

Points back in for check-in detail pagesWe’re now bolding out those shout-outs and mentions of friends for check-insReport tips that are spam, offensive or no longer relevant via the Tip detail pageNew categorization of venue photos, now we show you what’s more relevant at the top, and no more duplicates!Quick save capability from the activity streamAddressed issue with viewing profile

I constantly travel and Foursquare is one of my most used apps when I’m on the road. It gets updated pretty frequently and the latest version improves the main activity stream, updates the check-in page, and enhances the venue photos.

 

What’s new in this version:

Now available on Android tablets such as Nexus 7.Faster search performance for large user data set.Support for searching multilingual contents using romanization, including Simplified Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.The action for contacts is now customizable, e.g., changing calling to messaging.Contacts without phone numbers now became searchable.More UI improvements.Bugfixes

Not many people use Google Gesture Search, but it just got a new update that puts it back in the spotlight. The latest version includes improved support for the Nexus 7, faster performance, and support for more languages. I’m not sure I will ever really use this app, but it’s nice to have the option to search by gestures.

 

What’s new in this version:

Support for Rage Faces emoticonsNew IM services: MeinVZ and Gadu-GaduImproved interface: feels like Ice Cream SandwichBulk chat history export to SD cardAuto OTR: option to automatically start Off-the-Record messaging session with selected contactSleep mode: you may set specific time when IM+ won’t bother you with notificationsOption to customize “Contact goes online” notificationCustomizable “Go to Push in background” timeout

I’m pretty tied to Google Talk, but I know of lot of other people that still use other IM clients. IM+ supports the widest range of services and combines everything into a unified experience. This new version includes more emoticon, more IM services, and has an improved user interface.

 

What’s new in this version:

Enjoy the photos and videos you’ve been uploading!Introducing the Photos tab with all your uploaded photos and videosUploads moved to the menu in the file browserLots of under-the-hood bug fixes and tune-ups

I’ll admit I don’t really use Dropbox. I have an account, but I rely on Google for all my cloud storage and backup. Dropbox is starting to gain in popularity and they just released some new features like a Photos tab that existing users should love.

 

What’s new in this version:

Fixed a bug in the Orientation tool when rotating 90° and straighteningFixed a bug which was causing a crash in the stickers tool on small screen devicesFixed a bug which occasionally crashed the app while savingFixed a couple minor bugs with displaying images on the home screenSmoother animationsAdded some more crop options

Aviary is a full featured photo editor that is offered for free. They do sell additional effect packs in the Google Play store, but you can still access all their features at no cost. This update is a minor one that focuses on bug fixes, but we thought we would share it since we have never mentioned Aviary before.

 

What’s new in this version:

Adjustments for the PayPal registration for myTaxi PaymentAdjustments for US standardsPerformance optimisations

MyTaxi pinpoints the passenger‘s current location and lets taxi drivers find them more quickly. The passenger can track the taxi‘s arrival on the map including time of arrival as well as the driver’s profile with picture, name, rating and phone number. The service is only available in 30 cities, but more are being added every month. This latest update improves the PayPal registration process.

View the original article here

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rolling out to GSM Galaxy Nexus

We are not even mid-way through July and Google has already initiated the process of releasing the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to Nexus devices as promised at the Google I/O.

The first device to receive the update will be the GSM variant of the Galaxy Nexus (maguro). Users of this device will see the notification for the update in the next few days. If you are running the version of Jelly Bean provided on the developer units at Google I/O you will still receive this update as it is newer than the developer version.
After updating, you will see all the features shown off at the Google I/O, including Project Butter, Google Now, improved notifications, improved homescreen, improved keyboard, improved camera app and many more. You can find out more about them in our preview.
Other devices such as the CDMA Galaxy Nexus (toro), Nexus S and the Motorola XOOM will receive the update shortly after the GSM Galaxy Nexus.
Source

View the original article here

Android now powers 51.8% of US smartphones, growth continues

Popular analyst company Nielsen has published its report on the US smartphone market in the second quarter of 2012. The quarter saw smartphone growth continue as two thirds of all new customers picked a smartphone.
Android continues to be in lead, powering 51.8% of all US smartphones and 54.6% of the ones purchased over the past three months. And that was the quarter before the Samsung Galaxy S III was launched.

iOS is the other platform on the rise, with Apple's OS accounting for 34.3% of US smartphones and 36.3% of the newly acquired ones. Expectedly iOS is starting to lose pace in the third quarter of iPhone 4S availability, but things are bound to change once the iPhone 5 comes out.
BlackBerry is the only other platform on record by Nielsen and it continues its free fall. While the RIM OS still powers a respectable 8.1% of US smartphones, it only managed a market share of 4% with new subscribers. This means that it might soon join the dreaded "others" category, officially turning the US smartphone market into a two-horse race.

As for the platform that is hoping to escape that category - Windows Phone - only managed a market share of 1.3%. The Nokia Lumia lineup is still struggling to make an impact, covering just 0.3% of the market, despite the heavy promotion of the Lumia 900 by both the Finns and AT&T.
Source | Via

View the original article here

Android ICS 4.0.4 for the Samsung Galaxy Note now seeding

Samsung is working hard this summer. It already started rolling out the ICS updates for its Galaxy Tab lineup and the Galaxy S II, but it seems the phoneblet inbetween hasn't been forgotten either.
Right after seeding the 4.0 ICS update for the AT&T's Galaxy Note, Samsung released Android 4.0.4 update for the international Galaxy Note. It is available both via Kies and as an OTA download.
In addition to fixing a number of bugs and issues the 4.0.4 version adds a few cool new features such as signature unlock and Pop up play. There are also several changes to the UI and icons and a reported performance bump.
Currently the update is available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Other regions should join this list in the following days as well.
In case you don?t want to wait, you can get the official image from here and flash it via Odin. Just make sure to check if your device isn't affected by the eMMC bug if you decide to go that way.
Source

View the original article here

AT&T Galaxy Note finally updated to Android 4.0; just in time for T-Mobile

When the international version of the Galaxy Note received Android 4.0, packaged as Samsung’s Premium Suite, AT&T users knew they’d have a couple month wait until the update was reworked to Ma Bell’s standards. Sure enough, here we are some two months later and the update is finally rolling out to AT&T Galaxy Notes starting tomorrow. Coincidentally, just in time for T-Mobile to hopefully start selling the device.
There’s a reason why Samsung has attached the Premium Suite tag to the Note’s update to Ice Cream Sandwich. It doesn’t just include the normal ICS flavored enhancements some devices have been enjoying for quite awhile now. There’s a ton of S-Pen functionality added to Android 4.0 that breathes new life into the device.
The biggest changes in the update come bundled with a new and much improved S-Note app. As detailed by The Verge, who has spent some hands-on time with the update, S-Note can now transcribe hand writing into text, convert scribbles into honest to goodness shapes, submit equations to Wolfram Alpha and import PDF files for annotation. Samsung has also included an S-Memo widget, and made My Story, the greeting card app, available for download in Google Play.
Of course along with the added S-Pen functionality, there is a huge boost in performance. It’s still no Jelly Bean, which uses Project Butter to make Android smoother than ever, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
In other Note related news, we couldn’t help but notice the eerie timing between the AT&T Note’s update date, tomorrow, July 10th, and the original rumored release date for T-Mobile’s highly anticipated Note variation, July 11th. Especially since T-Mobile’s Note is rumored to actually launch with ICS, and Galaxy Note accessories have started showing up in T-Mobile retail stores today. There’s good reason to believe T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note won’t be available until August 8th at this point, but things are falling together quite nicely for a rushed July 11th release.
AT&T Note users, feel free to come back to this post tomorrow and share your Android 4.0 update experiences. We’d love to hear how it went.

View the original article here

HTC Support confirms HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update coming before the end of July

By now, many of you are already looking forward to the Android 4.1 update for your device – but let’s not forget that there are quite a few people still craving for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). Verizon’s HTC Rezound owners are among those who still have not received the Android 4.0 update which was promised to them even before the handset hit the market last fall.

After a few misguided hopes  of getting the update earlier in the year, it looks like HTC will be keeping its word by rolling out the Android 4.0 update before the end of July. The latest confirmation comes from HTC support, responding to an email from a concerned HTC Rezound owner.

The ICS (Android 4.0) update will be released for the Rezound by the end of this month (July) with final pushes in August. HTC

What category do you fall into? Are you waiting patiently for Jelly Bean or are you hoping refreshing taste of Ice Cream Sandwich before the end of summer?

View the original article here

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) source code now available

Source code for Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) has been released. We’re sure many of you will be downloading the new Android 4.1.1_r1 files simply to poke around, but CyanogenMod and countless other Android development groups around the globe will be spending countless hours pouring over every last line of code to see what changes will need to be made to integrate Jelly Bean into their existing code base.
Along with Android 4.1, Google has also released the proprietary binaries for the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus. Code for the “Nexus S and Xoom will follow.”
The CyanogenMod team has already predicted a quick turnaround with Android 4.1; let’s just hope they can keep their word. We’re still trying to decide which new Android 4.1 features we’re most excited about. Google Now definitely got the most buzz at I/O, but we think Project Butter will have more impact on users.
What are your thoughts? Will you be waiting for a full CM10 build for your device? Or will you be lurking on your favorite development forum, flashing dozens of half-baked ROMs as soon as they’re posted?

View the original article here

CyanogenMod plans quick Android 4.1 turnaround – all CM9 devices expected to receive CM10 update

Google has yet to release the source code for Android 4.1, but that’s not stopping the CyanogenMod team from predicting a quick turnaround for CM10. According to a Google+ post which went up earlier this afternoon, the changes and new features introduced with Jelly Bean should be incorporated pretty quickly in the CM10 build, but some code changes for CM’s LockScreen enhancements, Theme Engine and Trebuchet will need to be made.

No promises are being made, but it sounds like CM10 should be available to all  devices which have CM9 support. The CyanogeMod team isn’t discussing an ETA quite yet, but they do say that work on CM10 won’t truly begin until Google releases the source code for Android 4.1 and a stable CM 9.0.0 release is pushed out.

While we can’t wait to see what CM10 can do, this update from the CM team should be good news for those waiting for official Android 4.1 updates from handset manufacturers. If work on CM10 should be hassle free, OEM’s (who’ve had early access to the Android 4.1 PDK for some time now) should be able to push out their Jelly Bean updates before the holiday season… we hope.

Will any of you be jumping on the CM10 train once it’s ready or will you be holding out for your handset’s official Android 4.1 update?

View the original article here

Samsung Galaxy S II receiving the Android 4.0.4 update

A few days ago, we reported that the official Android 4.0.4 for the Galaxy S II has been leaked and was available for download for those could not wait for it to arrive over the air.

Well, if you are one of those who did wait, you will be glad to know that the Android 4.0.4 update is now rolling out over the air for the Galaxy S II. The update brings some performance updates and bug fixes and is only available for the international model for now.

If you have one of these devices then you should check to see if the update is available for download. You will need to connect your phone to Kies to download the update.

Source

View the original article here

Google releases Android 4.1 source code to AOSP

Google developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, also known as JBQ, has announced on Google Groups that Google is now releasing the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean source code to Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

The name of the tagged release is android-4.1.1_r1 and the name of the development branch is jb-dev. The binaries are currently being released for the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Nexus but will be released for the Nexus S and the Motorola Xoom shortly.

What this means to you is that if you rely on someone like CyanogenMod for your Android ROMs then you can expect a Jelly Bean based ROM very soon as the developers can now begin their work on it, now that they have the source code.

Do note that Google is only uploading the source code for now and this does not mean that you will get the Android 4.1 OTA update to your Nexus device just yet. That is still slated for a mid-July release and will be followed by uploading of the factory images on Google's site.

For more info, click on the source link below.

Source

View the original article here

Android 4.0 update now rolling to AT&T Galaxy Note

AT&T is finally rolling out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to the Galaxy Note in the US. Although the international version received this update a while ago, those using the AT&T version can now join the fun as well.

Just like the international version, the AT&T version of the Galaxy Note also gets the special Premium Suite of apps along with stuff that Android 4.0 brings. As we discussed before, the Premium Suite of apps brings special S-Pen related features, such as the ability to draw shapes and getting them automatically corrected (for example, you can draw a rough square and the phone will automatically correct it to a proper square), solving hand-drawn equations and searching for them on Wolfram|Alpha and creating personalized card that you can send to people.

The update is now rolling out so make sure you check your phone to see if it is available.

Source

View the original article here

ComScore finds Android and Samsung still dominating mobile

ComScore has just released their latest quarterly mobile phone report, revealing the leaders in both platform and manufacturer market share in the US. Not much has changed since ComScore’s last report, which means Android and Samsung are still well in the lead.

 According to ComScore, Android controls 50.9% of the smartphone market in the US. The second closest platform is of course iOS, with 31.9%. Everyone else in the industry, including RIM, Microsoft and Symbian, own less than 17% combined. RIM’s BlackBerry OS and Symbian are continuing to lose market share, slipping 2.4% together, while Microsoft is struggling to gain traction with Windows Phone. Microsoft may not have lost market share, but their 0.1% gain gives Windows Phone a mere 4% of the market overall.

 As far as manufacturers go, smartphone platform market share is well reflected. When counting both phones and smartphones, Samsung owns 25.7% of the market. A 0.1% increase over last quarter. LG comes in second with 19.1% and Apple in third with 15%, but LG fell 0.3%, while Apple gained 1.5%.

With the way things are headed in the US, I wouldn’t expect these numbers to change too drastically before the end of the year. Apple may gobble up a bigger piece of the pie with the release of the iPhone 5 this fall, but demand for the Galaxy S III has been enormous. That combined with the highly anticipated Note II and whatever else HTC has up their sleeve should help balance things out.

View the original article here

Android 4.0 only on 11% of Android devices weeks before Jelly Bean release

The Android Developer site has just released their latest dashboard which paints a picture of operating system penetration. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was announced back in October of last year, and in the 9 months since launch has only managed to find its way onto 11% of Android devices. Frankly, that’s an abysmal figure and points to the failures of the so-called Android Update Alliance.

But let’s ignore throwing blame around, for now; after all, there’s plenty of that to go around. Last week, Google took the wraps off of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is set to launch to Nexus-caliber devices in the coming weeks. Will it be another 9 months until the masses a treated to their favorite jelly bean treat? We’re hopeful that the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Google and its partners are very keenly aware of the adoption problem, and have released the Platform Development Kit, which will be made available to handset makers a good two to three months before new Android releases are made available to the public. In theory, manufacturers have had access to Jelly Bean for a few months now, and with such early access could more rapidly build the custom UI elements they believe differentiate their devices and add support for component drivers, which should result in more timely upgrades for consumers.

Hopefully we’ll see more timely upgrades starting with Jelly Bean, but we’ll have to wait to see how it all pans out in the next few months. Jelly Bean will provide the first true test of the PDK and its effect on the Android ecosystem.

View the original article here

comScore shows Android and iOS still gaining market share

The most recent comScore report, which reflects the 3 month period ending in May, has Android and Apple combining for over 80% of the market. Windows Phone also saw a small increase in market share, and now stands at 4%.

Some 234 million people in the US aged 13 and older use mobile devices. Samsung stand at the top of the hill with 25.7% of all phones used being theirs, while Apple saw the biggest increase among the major manufacturers - 1.5 percent points. The Cupertino-based company now controls 15% of the market.

RIM and Symbian continue to lose ground, as the Blackberry manufacturer saw a full 2% decline down to 11.4%, while Symbian now accounts for just over 1.1% of the US market.

Source

View the original article here

Android 4.0 user base increases to 10.9 percent

As a bi-monthly tradition, Google has updated the Android user base pie chart on its developer website.

Now there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the Android 4.0 adoption is at an all time high. You may remember that we reported last month that the Android 4.0 user base stands at 7.1 percent. In a span of just one month, that has jumped to 10.9 percent, which is quite impressive.

The reason for this could be attributed to several popular new handsets such as the HTC One series and the Samsung Galaxy S III shipping with Android 4.0 out of the box. Also, a lot of the older phones are now finally getting the Android 4.0 update.

Now comes the bad news. Despite the increase in the adoption rate, one can't ignore the fact that Android 4.0 is now 8.5 months old and even then it is still running on 10.9 percent of all the Android devices out there.

Secondly, and this is worse, a staggering 64 percent of Android users are still stuck on Gingerbread, which is 19 months old. And even worse, 17.3 percent of Android users are on Froyo, which was released 26 months ago. And then there are some who are still on Eclair, which was released some time during the Stone Age.

What this tells us is that if you're waiting to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on your non-Nexus devices, you are going to have to wait for a long, long time.

Source

View the original article here

Sony Xperia S owners rejoice as Android 4.0 ICS arrives

Sony has just released the long awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for its Xperia S flagship smartphone. The handset was announced back in January and hit the shelves in the end of February.

But it?s finally here folks - Sony is seeding the ICS update right now. In addition to all vanilla improvements from Google, Sony added a few tweaks of its own to the multimedia apps. Here is the official video from Sony:

The update is available over the air so keep an eye on your notification area. As different markets will get it at different time you might want to check this link and see if your unit is already on the list.

Source | Via

View the original article here