DenverDroids - Denver Android Developers Group

In the market for a new smartphone or tablet accessory for your beloved Android? Fortunately for you, there are a number of companies who provide a portfolio of wonderful products to choose from. One such company that we’d like to draw attention to is Cygnett.

We recently received a handful of cases for the Samsung Galaxy S4, all of which offered different features and finishes. Suffice it to say, there’s something here for everyone. Looking for a classy, shiny finish to draw attention – consider the Urban Shield. Want to downplay things a bit and add some functionality? You might like the Cache Charcoal as it features a screen cover and a slot for credit cards.

Most of the cases we received hover right around the $29.99 price range; all have different selling features and standout benefits. Some are a little more rugged and thick while others are slim and add next to no weight or thickness. Whatever the needs for your Samsung Galaxy S4, Cygnett has something for you.

Don’t own a Samsung Galaxy S4? No worries, Cygnett has a ton of accessories for other Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S3. What’re more, you’ll also find iOS products as well as chargers, stands, and more.

What brand(s) do you prefer for your Android accessory needs? Leave a comment below!

The post Brands we love: Cygnett appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Samsung plans to make history by releasing the first smartphone that supports LTE-Advanced, a new network technology that can be twice as fast as current LTE. The device is set to be a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, powered by a Qualcomm chip with LTE-Advanced support built in (network radios are usually integrated into the SoC, and the Exynos Octa does not support LTE-Advanced). According to co-CEO JK Shin, the device may be released as early as this month in their home country of South Korea.

Here’s the downside: no carriers in South Korea support LTE-Advanced. In fact, only a single carrier in Russia called Yota currently has LTE-Advanced enabled. But who better than Samsung to push this new technology ahead? With the hardware now available to the public, carriers will have plenty of reason to pursue LTE-Advanced technology. Verizon received major recognition as the first US carrier to support LTE. We can safely assume that the first carrier to implement LTE-Advanced will have customers rushing to try it out, especially when the flagship is a Galaxy S 4 variant.

Samsung says a movie download that would usually take 3 minutes on 4G LTE would take a little more than a minute on LTE-Advanced, so the increase is nothing to scoff at. And with Sammy talking to carriers about LTE-Advanced and their new phone, we might just see this technology emerge fairly soon. Are you excited?

Via: Android Central
Source: Reuters

AT&T no longer subsidizes tablets, but they are offering a bundle package that could save you money on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. The AT&T version of the tablet, which hits U.S. shelves June 21, will retain its international brother’s specs with added LTE connectivity. The Note 8.0 features an 8-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 1.6GHz quad core Exynos 4 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 4600 mAh battery. Not quite top-of-the-line, but enough power to pack a punch. The tablet comes standard with 16GB of memory, microSD, IR blaster, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the Wacom-powered S Pen. Features like Multi-Window, Air View and Samsung’s SAFE business ready technology are also along for the ride.

By itself, this tablet sports a $399.99 price tag with a two-year contract to AT&T. However, if you’re also interested in picking up a Samsung Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S 4 Active or Galaxy Note II with the Note 8.0, the price for the Note 8.0 drops to just $199.99. It’s a pretty good deal, if you’re willing to sign two contracts in one day. And you’ll need to get that phone alongside the tablet, because unlike the international Note 8.0 3G, this model does not support voice calling. How many of you plan to jump on this deal?

Source: AT&T

Good Monday morning Android and Me readers! There are some changes afoot today, and we’re pleased to announce that AAM has been acquired by the PhoneDog Media brand. Alongside PhoneDog.com, TmoNews.com and TodaysiPhone.com, Android and Me will continue to excel in its Android coverage.

You can expect to see some changes here and there; but for the most part, everything you know and love about AAM will stay the same. We’re not interested in breaking something that’s not broken, but a change in leadership will naturally lead to a few changes. For one, expect to see some fresh new faces around these parts! And, a larger staff will bring an increase in the amount of daily Android news. You can expect more reviews, more videos, more contests, more app coverage–more of everything.

The press release below details what the change of hands entails. We’d love your reaction. What would you like to see more of? Less of? What would you change? What needs to stay the same? Perhaps a Google+ hangout is in order to help you all get to know me and the team from DroidDog.com? As my TmoNews.com readers will attest, I’m completely dedicated to the success of this property and I know the current AAM staff is excited about the future.

I hope you’ll join us on this new adventure and in giving a fond farewell to both Taylor and Clark Wimberly ,who put together a fantastic site with an awesome design and fantastic readership. We wish them the very best in their new beginnings.

PhoneDog Media Expands Network With Acquisition of Android and Me

Acquisition increases PhoneDog Media network readership and reinforces company’s position as a leader in online publishing

Mt. Pleasant, SC and Richardson, TX – June 17, 2013 – PhoneDog Media is pleased to announce the acquisition of Android and Me, a popular and influential Android publication in the mobile technology space.  Launched in 2008, Android and Me receives more than two million pageviews per month and boasts over 148,000 Twitter followers.

David Beren, Director of Network Content, will lead Android and Me as part of PhoneDog Media’s expanding network group. In addition to Android and Me’s current staff, writers will be transitioned from DroidDog, PhoneDog’s outgoing Android publication.  The combined editorial staff will continue to offer unique content, increased social media engagement, and expanded video content.

As part of PhoneDog’s Media portfolio of online publications, Android and Me will utilize PhoneDog’s established brand awareness and editor influence to reach untapped Android markets. Under PhoneDog Media’s guidance, Android and Me will continue to evolve through a design and user experience that will align with the PhoneDog Media vision.

The acquisition of Android and Me strengthens PhoneDog Media, a network that leverages the voice and influence of Aaron Baker, David Beren, and Cam Bunton. Current publications include PhoneDog.com, T-Mobile-focused TmoNews.com, and Apple-focused TodaysiPhone.com.  “We are proud to welcome Android and Me to the PhoneDog family of mobile technology websites,” said Tom Klein, CEO of PhoneDog Media.  “Taylor and his team from Android and Me have done a beautiful job in establishing one of the most visually pleasing publications in the technology space, all while providing its large fan base with outstanding coverage of all things Android.”

As PhoneDog continues on its path to become the undisputed home of passionate technology enthusiasts worldwide, the company will continue to build and acquire online publications that provide both a unique point-of-view and an engaged community.

About PhoneDog Media

PhoneDog Media is a mobile technology publisher which operates 4 well established mobile news and review sites and attracts more than 2.5 million unique visitors and 10 million pageviews each month.

Established in 2001, PhoneDog Media is a privately owned and operated company based in South Carolina.

    

Falcon Pro has once again hit its Twitter token limit. Fortunately it seems like a similar "fix" is already available, with the developers Tweeting that we should be seeing an update in the Google Play Store within minutes.

AT&T has shed some additional light on the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. Specifically, we now have the pricing options and arrival date.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 will run $399.99 with a two-year agreement starting from June 21.  If that’s not your cup of tea then perhaps you’ll consider pairing it with the purchase of a Samsung smartphone.

Even better, customers can bundle the tablet and plan with a Samsung Galaxy S® 4, Samsung Galaxy S® 4 Active™, or Samsung  Galaxy Note® II smartphone and receive the Galaxy Note 8.0 for just $199.99!

Of course you’ll have to sign up to the requisite plans with activation and contractual obligations. Nevertheless, we’re happy to see a few options for customers interested in picking up the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0.

AT&T

The post AT&T details Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 pricing and availability appeared first on AndroidGuys.

We knew Samsung's latest entry to the Galaxy Note series was getting an AT&T LTE version, and today the carrier has released more detailed information about its launch. Those of you that want to take your notation on the go can pick up a Galaxy Note 8.0 On June 21st (this Friday) for $399.99, with a two-year contract. That's pretty pricey, especially after other carriers have moved towards no-contract pricing for tablets - it's just as expensive as the commitment-free WiFi version. AT&T hasn't said how much an off-contract Note 8.0 will cost.

But that's not your only option. As they've done with a few manufacturer-specific phone and tablet combos before, you can also pick up the Galaxy Note 8.0 at a significant discount if you're also buying a Samsung smartphone.

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• Everything Everywhere Offers The First LTE Tablet In The UK: Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1
• The US Cellular Galaxy Note II Will Launch On October 26th, $299 On 2-Year Agreement
• Leaked Photos Show Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, With Galaxy S III-Style Physical Buttons
• Samsung Releases Commercial For The Galaxy Note 10.1, Reminds Us The Galaxy Note 10.1 Exists

AT&T Galaxy Note 8.0 Launching On June 21st For $400, Or $200 When Bundled With A Galaxy S4, S4 Active, Or Note II was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

    

How would you like to handpick the design of your Samsung Galaxy S4? Not just the wallpaper, mind you, but the outside case as well. That looks to be on tap for Verizon as @evleaks tells us the carrier is set to offer limited editions of the flagship Samsung experience.

It’s not immediately clear how customized the Galaxy S4 will be and what brand(s) will be offered. We’d like to imagine customers will be able to upload an image for a custom shell with pictures of the grand-kids or something along those lines.

evleaks

The post Verizon tipped to offer limited edition Samsung Galaxy S4 appeared first on AndroidGuys.

The first time I used a Nexus 7, I was blown away. It was the perfect form factor for Android, and probably the best Android device I had ever used at the time. All for just $200. You simply couldn’t ask for more in a device. One year later, I’m changing my tune. My Nexus 7 is just a shell of its former self, and an embarrassment to Google.

I don’t remember when it first started happening, but most say it was when Android 4.2 began hitting devices. The new features and changes in Jelly Bean, 4.2, were certainly welcome additions, but my Nexus’ new found love of life in the slow-lane was not. I have not spent a full year using the Nexus 7 as a daily driver, only the last six months. So at first, I didn’t notice just how bad things had gotten. I thought maybe it was an illusion from using so many high-end Android phones. Until I started asking around.

I can’t find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn’t seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps.

I tried the basics at first, like a factory reset. I then moved onto drastic measures, like rooting and installing CyanogenMod 10.1 (which I thought would surely fix everything, since I’ve used faster devices with lesser hardware, and performance problems were merely a lack of software optimization). And nothing seems to work. Using CyanogenMod worked at first, but things have slowed down dramatically again. I’ve tried uninstalling most of my apps. Using replacement launchers. No widgets. Nothing works. And even if any of those things did work, it would still be terrible looking for Google.

Other companies, take Amazon for example, have seemingly mastered the budget to performance ratio in affordable tablets in no time. It may have taken a couple generations, which is why I still have hope for the successor to the Nexus 7, but even the first generation Kindle Fire stands up better against the Nexus 7. I can only imagine how the latest Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire HD, or dare I say the more expensive iPad Mini, would completely knock it out of the park.

I used to love my Nexus 7. I want to love it again. Have you experienced any similar problems with a Nexus 7, or has your experience been the exact opposite?

    

CPU-Z is one of those ageless, priceless apps that PC users covet so much it's among the first thing they install. It tells you almost everything you need to know about the silicon powering your computer, and it's now available for Android.

LTE is a must-have feature on our smartphones. So, it stands to reason that carriers would work as hard as possible to roll out their LTE coverage. Having launched LTE over a year later than Verizon and AT&T, Sprint is now playing catch-up with their coverage. Today brings in a new wave of LTE markets from Sprint that should help to greatly bolster their coverage. The list includes nearly two dozen cities and is fairly expansive:

• Baton Rouge, La.
• Centralia, Wash.
• Clarksville, Tenn.
• Corsicana, Texas
• Dalton, Ga.
• Dunn, N.C.
• Fond du Lac, Wis.
• Gainesville, Fla.
• Henderson, N.C.
• Kingsport, Tenn.
• Lansing/East Lansing, Mich.
• Longview, Wash.
• Miami
• Napa, Calif.
• New Orleans
• Palatka, Fla.
• Raleigh, N.C.
• Sebring, Fla.
• St. Cloud, Minn.
• St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Mich.
• Tampa, Fla.
• Warsaw, Ind.

But that’s not all. Sprint also named some cities that are next in their LTE rollout. Here’s that list:

• Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Aberdeen, Wash.
• Allegan, Mich.
• Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Battle Creek, Mich.
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Eagle Pass, Texas
• Flint, Mich.
• Laredo, Texas
• Marshfield/Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
• Mount Pleasant, Mich.
• Oak Harbor, Wash.
• Watertown/Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Sprint is definitely working hard to get their LTE coverage up to par with the others. These latest expansions cover a variety of key states that haven’t seen much love when it comes to LTE. However, Verizon holds a dominant place in the LTE market and AT&T is not far behind. Can Sprint really compete with them? In terms of speed and coverage, not yet. Verizon and especially AT&T both have far superior speeds and coverage. Sprint’s affordable pricing may sway some late adopters, especially considering Sprint offers unlimited LTE, something neither Verizon or AT&T currently do. If this new rollout affects you then give us a shout in the comments!

Via: Android Central
Source: Sprint

    

Sprint may have gambled wrong with 4G WiMAX several years ago, but the company is coming around. It announced today the addition of 22 new cities to its 4G LTE network. Sprint customers in these areas have been waiting for a while, but they can now enjoy their new speeds just in time for summer.

New cities include:

• Baton Rouge, LA
• Centralia, WA
• Clarksville, TN
• Corsicana, TX
• Dalton, GA
• Dunn, NC
• Fond du Lac, WS
• Gainesville, FL
• Henderson, NC
• Kingsport, TN
• Lansing/East Lansing, MI
• Longview, WA
• Miami, FL 
• Napa, CA
• New Orleans, LA
• Palatka, FL
• Raleigh, NC
• Sebring, FL
• St.

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• Sprint Rolls Out 4G In Modesto, Stockton, CA; Jacksonville, FL; Wilmington, DE; Grand Rapids, MI
• AT&T Marks LTE Service In Six New Cities 'Available'
• U.S. Cellular Announces New LTE Markets For 2013, Should Cover 87 Percent Of Customers By Year's End
• Verizon Wireless' LTE Rollout Is Two Months Ahead Of Schedule, Launching Its 400th Market On October 18th

Sprint Launches 22 New 4G LTE Markets, Announces 13 More That Are Coming Soon was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

    

PushBullet is a super-useful app for getting text and files from one place to another. The app just got its first update in about two months, and it adds some very useful features.

  

  

The newest update includes support for the Android sharing intent system. This enables device-to-device sharing of content using the standard Android sharing menu. This could be very useful if you have more than one device, like a phone and tablet. I'm not seeing PushBullet pop up in all the sharing menus on my device yet, but it is working fine from the browser and Evernote.

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• PushBullet Now Has An API, Will Hopefully Result In More And Smarter Pushing
• PushBullet Updated To Version 8 With Device Sharing: 'Friends Let Friends Push'
• PushBullet Updated To Version 9 With DashClock Support And More
• Dolphin Browser Updated, Now Offers One-Tap Sharing, Cross-Device Sync, And Evernote/Box Support

PushBullet Updated To Version 11 With Easier Sharing, Improved Reliability, And More was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

    

If Verizon's HTC One kind-of announcement just didn't do it for you because you can't stay away from the red-and-black-themed Droid line, Amazon has HTC's next best offering on the table for a solitary penny. Of course we're talking about the Droid DNA, the undeniable king of Big Red's Droid lineup for the time being.

Despite the fact that the DNA was released back in November of last year, its spec sheet is still a fairly impressive one:

• 5-inch Super LCD3 at 1920x1080 (440 PPI)
• Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB built-in storage
• 8MP rear shooter, 2.1MP front camera
• 2020mAh battery
• Android 4.1.1 with Sense 4+

Sure, it doesn't have BOOMSOUND, Zoes, Ultrapixels, or other buzzwords – but c'mon, it's got its own now-famous red eye and a DROID logo, and it's only a penny.

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• [Deal Alert] HTC EVO LTE Only One Penny From Amazon Wireless For New Sprint Customers
• [Deal Alert] HTC ThunderBolt For A Penny With A New Agreement From Amazon Wireless
• [Deal Alert] HTC EVO LTE Now $0.01 For New Customers And Upgrades From Amazon Wireless
• [Deal Alert] HTC EVO 3D $99 With A New Two-Year Agreement From Amazon Wireless

[Deal Alert] Amazon Drops Verizon's Droid DNA To A Penny For New Contracts And Upgrades was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Facebook will introduce a new Instagram video feature on June 20, according to a new TechCrunch report. Likely as a result of Vine‘s growing popularity, the social network giant is looking to keep pace with short, personal videos of around 5-10 second length.

 

No word, yet, on whether the users will be able to apply filters and, if so, how they will work. Considering the whole “Instagram” name is tied here, we might anticipate at least some sort of effects. We’ll find out, for certain, in just a few days!

TechCrunch

The post Instagram videos expected for Facebook’s June 20 event appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Samsung is developing a Galaxy S4 with support for LTE-Advanced, which is able to reach nearly twice the speed of normal 4G. The phone may be sold in South Korea as early as this month, but given the lack of necessary infrastructure, it may never see release in America. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Nevertheless, Samsung's phone will still be the first LTE-advanced smartphone to ship anywhere in the world.

This new Galaxy S4 will be powered by Qualcomm chips and cost only slightly more than the current model. Samsung's flagship is still outselling the competition, but given the saturation within the high-end smartphone market, the company hopes to expand by introducing new technology such as faster speeds and flexible displays.

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• Samsung Reportedly Working On Eliminating Bezels In 2012 By Bringing Flexible Display Technology To Smartphones
• Samsung Prepares For Gigabit Mobile Speeds With "5G" Millimeter Wave Band Transceiver, ETA 2020
• Samsung Demoes Amazing New Screen Tech At FPD2010: AMOLED In All Sizes, Folding And Flexing
• CES 2011: Quick Hands-On With Verizon’s Samsung i510 – 4G LTE, 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus Display, And More [Video]

Samsung Will Soon Release An LTE-Advanced Galaxy S4, Waits For World To Catch Up was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

    

Sprint's 4G LTE rollout has been quite slow compared to Verizon and AT&T, but the carrier has made major strides to catch up today with its latest round of launches. Folks in over 22 different markets will be able to enjoy Sprint 4G LTE

There's nothing like a fresh batch of source code to get you through another Monday morning. Samsung has just posted the kernel source for two of its newer S4 variants, the Galaxy S4 active (i9295), and the dual-SIM version of the Galaxy S4 Mini (i9192). Samsung has been on an open source run lately with the AT&T GS4 and Galaxy Tab 8.0 going up just last week.

If you're the developer type who really lives for this, grab the Jelly Bean code at Samsung's open source pages linked below.

[GS4 Active source, GS4 Mini dual-SIM source]

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• Samsung Posts Galaxy S III Mini Open Source Code, Modders Try Not To Make Austin Powers Jokes
• Samsung Drops Jelly Bean Source For Verizon Galaxy S III
• Samsung Releases Jelly Bean Kernel Source For The U.S. Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8013)
• Samsung Releases Kernel Source For AT&T Version Of The Galaxy S4

Samsung Drops Kernel Source Code For Galaxy S4 Active And Galaxy S4 Mini Dual-SIM was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

    

The HTC One is an amazing device at $200 with a new two-year contract, but HTC is making the deal even sweeter by offering a $25 Google Play credit for anyone who purchases the device between June 14 and July 15. Simply purchase a new HTC One, register your device and you’ll be emailed a $25 Google Play promo code within 72 hours.

The best part is that the $25 Google Play credit can also be redeemed by anyone who took advantage of Amazon’s HTC One one-day sale last Friday. Like every promotion, there are a few rules and restrictions. The $25 Google Play credit must be used by November 30, and there’s a single registration limit per email account. If you purchase multiple HTC Ones for members of your family before July 15, make sure each device is registered with a unique email address.

What apps, games, music or movies would you recommend to those who will receive a $25 Google Play credit with their HTC One?

    

When it comes to the music industry, one of the biggest names out there is Jay-Z. He’s a brilliant producer and a massive music mogul who’s churned out many hits of his own as well as helping other artists rise up through the ranks. But it seems that he has a new twist for the release of his latest album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. Jay-Z and Samsung have signed a deal together to give one million Samsung device owners a chance to win the album free of charge three days before the official release. That means that owners of the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S4 will all have a shot at scoring the album at 12:01 a.m. EST on July 4, 2013.

To download the new album, you will first download the free app set arrive on the Play Store June 24. Samsung says that the app will feature a special look at the album and have personal stories and inspirations from Jay-Z. There should be some interesting stuff in there. Supposedly, Jay-Z will provide a better look at the story behind his music and some of the meanings of his lyrics. Interestingly enough, they released a video on the album’s website that showed off some big names working with Jay-Z. People like Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and Swiss Beatz were all in the video; musical genius Rick Rubin was also seen.

If you own one of the aforementioned Samsung devices, then this is pretty exciting news for you. The fact that you get to keep the entire album for free is an incredible offer and Samsung reportedly paid through the nose for it. said to be $5–a serious chunk of change when you consider Samusng purchased one million albums. The entire contract price was about $20 million. Clearly Samsung was serious about this partnership. How many of you will try to snatch up a copy of the album before it runs out?

Via: The Verge
Source: Magna Carta Holy Grail