Android Phone Fans |
- Tinder “dating” app for Android updated with new UI and user-created lists
- Sprint, US Cellular grace Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.3
- Motorola looks to 3D printing firm to handle bulk of Project Ara manufacturing
- Is this the Galaxy S5’s metallic frame?
- Mobile Roar Podcast 22: Instagram, Coin, KitKat, and more!
- Motorola Assist, Connect come to Play Store, still exclusive to latest Moto devices
- Leak claims Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3 to receive Android 4.4 KitKat in January
- Google Play update highlights tablet-optimized apps
| Tinder “dating” app for Android updated with new UI and user-created lists Posted: 22 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST
More of a flirting app, then a full-on dating service, Tinder is getting an overhaul today in the Google Play Store. The first major update since we first told you about the app back in July, the update brings a brand spanking new UI along with user-created lists to help organizes matches. For those unaware, Tinder works almost like speed-dating, where initial attraction is paramount in deciding matches. Users are presented with the profile pictures of men/women where they can quickly select “yes” or “no”, speeding through hundreds of users based on specified age or location. If someone you’ve liked likes you back, it will create a match and you’ll then be permitted to message that person. Because Facebook is a requirement to play, there’s some level of comfort knowing (at least some) of your matches are actual people.
Because things can get a little crowded, Tinder has made it possible to group matches into their newly created lists page. Lists can be named anything you’d like, from “Easy chicks”, to “Potential Love Interests”. Whether you’re looking for love or new friends, Tinder is a super fun app and you can download it for free right now on the Google Play Store.
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| Sprint, US Cellular grace Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.3 Posted: 22 Nov 2013 10:54 AM PST
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is getting a bit of love today on Sprint and US Cellular. The aging Galaxy model received its update to Android 4.3 on both carriers. The final version of Jelly Bean reaches the handset along with a host of Premium Suite features for the handset to take advantage of, including updated multi-window support and more. The release notes for Sprint's version of the update detail Samsung Galaxy Gear compatibility as well as Samsung Knox support. Neither feature is mentioned in association with the US Cellular update. If you own the GS3 on either network, you can check for the update by navigating to About Device under Settings and selecting Software Update. US Cellular has also provided a link and instructions for downloading and installing the update manually. Received the update today? Let us know in the comments below if you have uncovered anything interesting. [via Samsung (US Cellular, Sprint)] |
| Motorola looks to 3D printing firm to handle bulk of Project Ara manufacturing Posted: 22 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST
Motorola has a solution lined up for one of the basic challenges of the ambitious Project Ara. To handle the manufacture of the various components that will be capable of combining to form customizable, upgradeable smartphones, the Google-owned company is looking toward 3D printing. Specifically, Motorola has reportedly struck a deal with 3D printing firm 3D Systems to handle the production of both the phones "endoskeleton" and the plug-and-play modules that would attach to it. Project Ara is a drastic shift away from today's standard smartphone sales model, creating a market that is more like that of desktop computers. Users would be able to swap and upgrade various components housed in standalone modules to create a smartphone tailored to their needs. This could include such components as the smartphone's camera, battery, and even processor. The aim is to not only provide greater customer choice but also break the the typical two-year smartphone buying cycle by allowing users to upgrade on a module-by-module basis as needed. The interesting aspect about the entire project is that both Motorola and 3D Systems still have hurdle to overcome to make Ara a reality. Motorola will be tackling their end by making Module Development Kits available to interested parties as early as this winter, as well as soliciting feedback from so-called Ara scouts. 3D Systems will need to develop a method and system to churn out parts and components at the sort of clip that would meet Motorola's eventual demand. 3D printing, though, makes perfect sense for this task. It combines the next generation of manufacturing and delivery with an approach to the smartphone that has the potential to shakeup the industry as we know it. We'll see what happens as the two disruptive technologies join forces. [via TechCrunch] |
| Is this the Galaxy S5’s metallic frame? Posted: 22 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST
What we're seeing here isn't much, but if we are to believe the reports associated with these images we are looking at the skeletal base of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Of particular note: the material here is metal, not plastic. The images come by way of Nowhereelse.fr. They claim to have obtained the photos from sources working for a Samsung subcontractor tasked with production of the Galaxy S5. One running complaint against Samsung's premium Galaxy S line has been the company's decision to utilize plastic as the primary build material over the device's first four generations. The result is a handset that tends to feel a bit lower quality than intended. Samsung has long been rumored to upgrade the material, and the pictured casing jives with talk of a metal Galaxy S5. Granted, if this turns out to be the GS5, the frame pictured leaves plenty of room for other materials to come into play. A metal base could still be accented with plastic panels, a removable battery cover, and the like. What do you guys think? Is this the real deal or something different entirely?
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| Mobile Roar Podcast 22: Instagram, Coin, KitKat, and more! Posted: 22 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST This week on the podcast we celebrate the arrival of Instagram for Windows Phone users, and we try not to make fun of them (too much). We also talk about the trendy new Coin credit card, tons of Android 4.4 KitKat updates, and our Nexus 5 review. Everything we talked about can be found below. Email us at podcast[at]mobileroar[dot]com. The News
Wins and Fails of the Week
Joe Fedewa (@jayzeroeee) - WinSource.com
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Motorola Assist, Connect come to Play Store, still exclusive to latest Moto devices Posted: 22 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST
Motorola has moved two of their device-exclusive apps to the Google Play Store. They remain device exclusive. Motorola Assist, the evolution of Motorola SmartActions (first introduced a few device cycles ago), and Motorola Connect, an app that forwards incoming texts and call to the desktop Chrome browser, are both available now as free download. These apps are currently only compatible with the Moto X and the most recent lineup of Verizon Droids (MAXX, Ultra, and Mini) and should already be installed on said device out of the box. The benefit of moving the apps to the Play Store, then? Most likely it has to do with ease of updating for now, but it could eventually lead to a wider deployment with greater device support. We have no reason to believe that will happen anytime soon. |
| Leak claims Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3 to receive Android 4.4 KitKat in January Posted: 22 Nov 2013 07:18 AM PST
As Android 4.4 starts to arrive on handsets outside of the Nexus 5, it's only a matter of time before the major players on the market start to see their update to KitKat. This include the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, and we may have our first indication of when users of those handsets can expect Google's latest vision. According to an image that is purported to show Samsung's release schedule for KitKat, both handsets should see the update in January. While a January delivery is not unbelievable (several more handsets are expected to receive Android 4.4 in the same month), we wouldn't write the date down in pen until we get official confirmation from Samsung. Assuming that this leak is legit (and there is always the chance it is not), past updates have proven that we can never really count a software update release date as official until the OTA update begins arriving. Even if Samsung begins pushing KitKat in January, carrier-specific versions of the GS4 and Note 3 could still see further delays When Android 4.4 KitKat does finally arrive, you can expect Samsung to wrap it in the now-familiar TouchWiz interface. Outwardly, users shouldn't expect a huge change from the current Jelly Bean builds installed on these devices. Under the hood, however, the KitKat update should make for a smoother device experience overall. [iTechAddict via GSMArena] |
| Google Play update highlights tablet-optimized apps Posted: 22 Nov 2013 06:36 AM PST
Android has received a fair bit of criticism for it's lack of apps designed specifically for the tablet form factor. While the latest Google Play Store update won't solve the problem outright, it will definitely make it easier for tablet users to find apps tailored to their devices. A new update to Google's digital storefront is pushing out now to users, the key addition being a new "Designed for tablets" section that will be placed front and center for users of devices with larger display sizes. Apps not built with tablet-specific form and function will be tagged as "Designed for phones," making a distinction that will no doubt make it easier for tablet users to find quality apps. While it won't fix Android's issues with tablet apps overnight, the small tweak should help guide users toward the most appealing apps while subtly nudging developers toward overhauling their own app designs for tablets. [via Google+] |
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