Android 4.2 keyboard and clock available for Android 4.1 and 4.0

If you are a fan of Android and all its cool features, you would have already become a fan of the new Android 4.2 operating system, also called the Jelly Bean. The new version brings a lot of new features to the tablet, namely, gesture typing and the new panorama image capturing feature. If you are an Android tablet, you would for sure love the multi user functionality with the new lock screen which lets users login to their own accounts, just like on a computer. But some of these features are available only the new Android 4.2 operating system. For example, the new keyboard.

The new keyboard is of particular interest because of the new gesture typing, where you are not actually required to hit every single key to form a word, but you can just glide your fingers on the letters which form the word without lifting your finger. Yes, this is very, very close to what Swype offers. But Google claims it is not really the same.



But what if you are on Ice Cream Sandwich, which is Android 4.0, or the older version of Jelly Bean, that is Android 4.1? You don’t get to have this keyboard, officially, at least not yet. But if you are ready to get it unofficially, and are also ready to void your smart phone’s warranty for the same, there is a way.

Developers have been able to get the standalone .apk file of the keyboard and have been able to port it to Android 4.0 and Android 4.1. But as soon as the links came online, Google asked them to remove the links as the app is not completely ready to work on non-Android 4.2 devices. But that has not stopped users from removing those links.

But be told, you will have to root your smart phone and flash a custom Recovery module for this to work on your smart phone. Also, if you love the new Clock app on Android 4.2, you can install that .apk file as well on Android 4.1. But of course, you will be responsible for what you do with your smart phone.

Source

iPhone 5 vs Nexus 4 vs Galaxy S3: Why LG Wins

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has held the title of best-selling smartphone of 2012, so far. However Apple has released the iPhone 5 and LG and Google have just announced the LG Nexus 4. So the question is, can the S3 keep its title or will the iPhone 5 or Nexus 4 snatch it away?

At the moment the LG Nexus 4 isn’t in the shops and so a comparison can only be made from what we know about the device from the specs sheet.

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs LG Nexus 4 vs iPhone 5

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has been out since the summer and it comes with a 4.8 inch display. the device is 0.1 inch larger than the Nexus 4 diagonally, and it does come with the same resolution display as the Nexus. The LG Nexus 4 has the super bright display of the Optimus G and the display of the S3 is PenTile AMOLED. The display on the iPhone 5 is smaller at 4 inches and of course it has the Retina display of Apple. LCD displays tend to have brightness levels that are higher and so are better outdoors. The AMOLED displays are often hyper-real. The LG Nexus 4 has the right mix as it has colours that are more realistic than the Samsung Galaxy S3 and it’s larger than the iPhone 5.

The Nexus 4 from LG has the Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. This is one of the fastest for SoC, on any device on Android. Looking at it on paper it beats the iPhone 5 and it also beats the Samsung Galaxy S3, as it comes with a quad core processor and 2GB of RAM. The iPhone 5 has the A6 dual core processor and 1GB of RAM and the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with in two different versions. One of these is the quad core with 1GB of RAM and the other a dual core with 2 GB of RAM. So once again, the LG Nexus 4 grabs the title.

When it comes down to design, the LG Nexus 4 rivals the iPhone 5 and is the first Android handset to do so. A lot of thought was put into the design of the handset, along with passion. This was one area where the Samsung Galaxy S3 was criticised, thanks to the plastic fantastic look. The iPhone 5 and the LG Nexus 4 draw here.

Connection wise the LG Nexus 4 is in last place and the Samsung S3 is the winner. The Nexus 4 comes with NFC but no LTE. The iPhone5 has support for LTE but no NFC. The Samsung Galaxy S3 however has both.

The cost of the handsets play an important role when deciding which to get. The LG Nexus 4 costs $299 retail for the 8GB version. The iPhone 5, along with the Samsung Galaxy S3 both have price tags of more than $500 if you want them unlocked.

Adding up the points above, the LG Nexus 4 comes out on top despite the lack of LTE and storage maxxing out at 16GB. So if you don’t need LTE and you can manage with 16GB of storage, then the LG Nexus 4 is the clear choice given that it has the best display and processor, a great design and a price tag that is half that of competitors. The Samsung Galaxy S3 scored the second highest number of points and comes in second place, followed on by the latest offering from Apple in the shape of the iPhone 5.

 

Source

New features of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean You should know

Along with the announcement of Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, Google brought the new advanced system Android 4.2 going by the same name of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. So what’s new compared to Android 4.1? Can it really draw people’s attention? Following just let’s have a look.

Multi-user support
If you use Android 4.2-powered tablets, you’ll be able to have multiple users. Each user will have his unique home-screen, background, widgets, apps and games. That means you can share your tablets with your spouse or friends but with different tablets experience. Unluckily, smartphones based on Android 4.2 cannot support multi-user at the moment.

Photo Sphere
If you like taking photos with mobile device, then Photo Sphere can be your addict. Photo Sphere is a panorama application that allows you to stitch images into a larger one not only in vertical orientation in full 360 degree. You can share them on Google+ with your friends and family, or even add them to Google Maps for the world to see.

Gesture Typing
Now you can write messages easier than ever with Gesture Typing. You can now just glides over the letters you want to type, and the new improved keyboard will find the word you want to type. With predictive input and a futuristich blueish trace your fingers leave on the screen, Gesture Typing seems more useful than Swype.The improved text-to-speech capabilities works even when you don’t have a data connection, so you can type with your voice everywhere you go.

Miracast
Android 4.2 let you through your screen to any TV, DVD-player, or other media device that supports Miracast. Miracast, an AirPlay-like protocol, is the trade name for Wi-Fi Direct or WiDi. You can stream Internet TV shows and movies from your smartphone or tablet to your TV via a compatible device or a Miracast adapter.

Improved Google Now
Without question, Google Now was already a killer Jelly Bean feature. With the inclusion of cards containing flight information, restaurant reservations, hotel confirmations, shipping details and more, you can live with ease .It uses Gmail to pick up data like flights ,hotel reservations , nearby movie times, attractions, photogenic locales, and concerts by your favorite artists and show them to you in a card just when you need them.

Daydream screensaver
With Daydream, you can display photo slideshows, news headlines, and the like when idle or docked. It is actually a smart screen-saver.

Expandable Notifications
Built upon the actionable notifications introduced in 4.1 Jelly Bean, Expandable Notifications let you expand notifications from more apps. It is partly a function of Google Now, where notifications are “cards” that can be acted upon from the drop down menu.

Android Beam
You probably have heard of NFC, a unique feature introduced in the Android 4.1.And Android 4.2 built Android Beam, the NFC that enables people to share photos, websites, music, directions, apps or videos with a single touch.

Android 4.2 will be released on November 13th for Nexus 4, 10.And I think these new features are indeed attractive and let’s just wait for its come.

Nexus 4 Vs Galaxy Nexus Vs Galaxy S III

some time ago, Google has released the latest Google Android Smartphone. This time Google is working with LG, which they they named LG Nexus 4

Nexus 4 comes with a capable hardware specs. This device has been equipped with quad-core processors and large-capacity battery.

So, what hardware update obtained by this new Nexus series, when compared with last year's version, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?

What if the Nexus 4 compared with the best-selling Android smartphone today, the Samsung Galaxy S III?

Let's compare Nexus 4 Vs Galaxy Nexus Vs Galaxy S III with the table below.

	[caption id="attachment_107" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="LG Nexus 4"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Samsung Galaxy Nexus"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_109" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Samsung Galaxy SIII"][/caption]
chip system	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro	TI OMAP4460	Samsung Exynos 4 (4412)
Processor	Quadcore,  1500 Mhz, Krait	Dual core, 1200 Mhz, ARM Cortex-A9	Quadcore,  1500 Mhz,  ARM Cortex-A9
Graphics Processors	Adreno 320	PowerVR SGX540	ARM Mali-400/MP4
RAM	2 GB	1 GB	1 GB
type and screen size	IPS 4,7 Inch	Super Amoled 4,65 Inch	Super Amoled 4,8 Inch
Resolution	768 x 1280	720 x 1280	720 x 1280
front camera	1,3 Megapixels	1,3 Megapixels	1,9 Megapixels
back camera	8 Megapixels	5 Megapixels	8 Megapixels
resolution video recording	1080p HD (30fps)	1080p HD (30fps)	1080p HD (30fps)
Battery	2100mAh	1750 mAh	21010 mAh
Operating System	Android 4,2	Android 4,0 , Android 4,1	Android 4,0 , Android 4,1
Storage	8GB/16GB	32GB	32GB with MicroSD slot
Dimension	133,9 x 68,7 x 9,1 mm	135,5 x 67,94 x 8,94 mm	136,6 x 70,6 x 8,6 mm
Weight	139 grams	135 grams	133 grams
Price	$299	$377 (Check Best Price)	$ 549 (Check Best Price)

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini firmware now available online

Most of us probably aren’t waiting at the edge of our seats for the arrival of the relatively low spec’d Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. That being said, if you are a developer you might be interested to know that the firmware for the S3 Mini is now available for download. As expected, the firmware indicates the presence of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini really that bad? Yes and no. The biggest disappointment is that the phone has the S3 branding and yet is nowhere near as capable as the larger-screened Samsung Galaxy S3.

The bottom-line is that if you simply want a low-to-midrange smartphone that has attractive styling and reasonable hardware, the S3 Mini could be alright as long as the contract pricing isn’t very high. For those that need a refresher on the hardware specs, the Galaxy S3 Mini has a 4-inch display with a 800 x 400 resolution and a dual-core 1GHz NovaThor processor. Other specs include 8 or 16GB of storage, microSD, a VGA front cam, 1500 mAh battery, NFC and a 5MP front cam.

What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini? Interested or not?

 

Source: AndroidAuthority.com

7 sizzling new Android apps of the week (November 2 issue)

The Google Play Store is bubbling and oozing with apps. Apps for games, productivity, videos, music, and all you can think of can be found on the Google Play Store. As we speak, hundreds of new apps appear in Google’s toy box, waiting to be used on your Android device. Thanks to the continuous support of app developers, we can enjoy a lot of apps on our Android handsets.

To make your search easier, we scouted the vast ocean of apps and manually picked the hottest new apps from the Google Play Store. In this post, we focus the spotlights on the new Android apps freshly released this week, with the hope that you will find them as interesting and/or useful as much as we do.

Enter Google’s playground and enjoy these new apps for the week.

MANGA FU CAMERA (FREE)

Do you like reading manga comics? How do you like making your own comics by taking pictures of your surroundings and instantly turning them into manga? With SODA, Inc.’s MANGA FU CAMERA you can instantly turn your surroundings into manga. Just point and shoot at your friends, toys, and anything around and watch as the app instantly turns it into manga. When you have compiled enough photos, you can use those to make your own manga comics. Get the ads-supported MANGA FU CAMERA for free from the Google Play Store.

Wake N Shake Alarm Clock ($1)

Do you sleep like a log and have a hard time waking up every morning? You should probably use the Wake N Shake Alarm Clock by Andres Canella to wake you up. This is just like your ordinary alarm clock, but instead of pressing the Stop button to kill the alarm, you will need to shake your phone until the bar gauge fills up in order to stop the alarm. For more challenge, you can set the shaking intensity and shake your phone like there’s no tomorrow. Wake up and do your daily phone shaking exercise with Wake N Shake Alarm Clock for a dollar from the Google Play Store.

Long Exposure Camera (FREE)

Using A&A’s Dream’s Long Exposure Camera, you can take gorgeous long exposure shots with your Android device. Tap to focus on your object, set the desired number of seconds, and hit the Shutter button. Once time is up, you can apply some color, brightness, and contrast tweaks before you finally hit Save. The app’s free version allows you to save only 400×300 images, but the paid version allows you 960×720 images. Start taking long exposure shots with Long Exposure Camera. For best results, don’t forget to mount your Android device on a tripod.

Deadlines Reminder (FREE)

With how hectic our lives can get, the best reminder apps are the simplest ones. Deadlines Reminder, developed by Tatkov Lab, is as simple as it can get. Tap the + button to add a task, set the date it’s due, and watch as your tasks, from most urgent to least urgent are color-coded for you: red for urgent tasks needing completion in 3 days, orange for 7 days, and green for non-urgent. You can set the app to remind you of your tasks once or twice a day. Deadlines Reminder runs as a background service and relaunches with every device reboot. Never forget those deadlines. Download Deadlines Reminder for free from the Google Play Store.

TonePush Beta (FREE)

Let your friends know that it’s you calling them by assigning yourself a ringtone on their devices. Sounds impossible? Not for Richard Green and his TonePush Beta app. It sends your friend the ringtone of your choice, so you can best represent yourself on her or his device. You can choose default ringtones in the app or one that you recorded. That’ll definitely alert your friend that you’re ringing her/him up. To share personalized ringtones this way, the other device also needs TonePush. Download TonePush Beta now for free from the Google Play Store.

DealPly (FREE)

Thinking of shopping this weekend while remaining within budget? Developed by PriceRhythm, the DealPly app can help you with budget shopping. You can search for products you through the app. If you are already in the store and need to get more details about an item, scan its barcode through DealPly and the app will provide you with the product details. You’ll also have access to a forum where you can discuss products you shopped for, plus a Deal & Coupons feature that lets you find great deals and discount sales. You can even keep a wishlist. In my testing, though, I noticed that the app sometimes takes a bit of time to launch; I often needed to relaunch it. Once it’s running, the app goes smoothly. Try DealPly today — free from the Google Play Store.

Battery Saver PRO (FREE)

If you frequently travel without bringing your wall charger, Battery Saver PRO can be your lifesaver. It does only one thing — save battery. It is light and easy to use — as easy as flicking a light switch — no complicated settings and options. Just tap the button and leave the app to work on its own. The app also shows you your battery statistics and battery usage. It promises to lessen battery consumption by about 20 to 35 percent, and, although we haven’t exhaustively tested its claims, it seems to deliver on its promise. Try Battery Saver PRO free and see whether it gets the job done for you.

Source: AndroidAuthority.com

Google brings new security features to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

The advent of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean brings new security features to the platform, features that have been required for a while to protect users from the many dangers associated with malicious apps.

The new security features are built natively into Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the most vital of them, is in essence similar to the Bouncer feature rolled out for the Google Play store in February this year. While the Google Play store is now supposedly cleaner because this feature, Android users are still at risk when sideloading apps from other sources.

Completely opt-in, the ‘verify app’ feature can be toggled from the ‘Security’ section of Android 4.2 settings. Each time users download and sideload an app, it is sandboxed, with virtual walls put up between the app and other software on the device. A pop-up box will then ask user if they want to check the app for potentially ‘harmful behaviour.’ The device will then send information about the device to Google’s servers, and compare it with a database of known applications.

Even if the app is not also listed on the Google Play store, Google is confident it can detect if it is safe or not, as the company says it is constantly scanning the web for newly appearing APKs, and has a good understanding of how the ecosystem works. If the app under scrutiny is detected as safe, the installation will continue, if it is detected as dangerous, it will prevent you installing it. If however, the app is questionably secure, but not strictly harmful, the user will have the option to continue with the installation.

According to Google, the app installation process will not be greatly slowed down by the new security process, as most of the processing happens on the company’s servers, and the user device only has to send an APK signature onward.

As for the other new security features, Google has also introduced an improved app permissions screen, for sideloaded apps, which is apparently much simpler to read than before. Android 4.2 also brings a scanning feature, that detects any attempt by an app to send a text message to a known fee-collecting short code (premium number), and will alert the user. The user will have the option to then allow, or deny the app from continuing with sending.

Source: thinkdigit.com