Nemus Launcher: Combining performance and customizability

There are a lot of launchers from Google Play Store that will surely suit the needs of your Android phone, be it for high performance or great customization options. If you prefer a launcher that fits provides both, you might want to check out Nemus Launcher.
Nemus Launcher this is another alternative launcher that you might want to try. The launcher allows for easy app management, workspace management, folder management, and low memory usage on your phone.
Just like most launchers today, the Nemus Launcher is very easy to set up. So if you are a newbie, you don’t have anything to worry much because for sure you will get the hang of this app in no time.

Features

As far as the features are concerned, Nemus Launcher has several items on shelf for you to use, including some extra features to give you extra excitement. The great thing about this app is that it is very easy to use. When you use it, you have the familiar homescreen and app drawer set up where you are provided with 9 workspaces in which you can place your favorite apps and widgets.
And if you have more apps, you don’t have to worry because the folders in the workspace and app list are expandable. It also has a Copy Home Screen feature which will back up and restore launcher set up, so no worries if you keep changing ROMs.

Aside from the essential features of Nemus Launcher, the developer has also included some extra features. It has several customization options that allow you to tweak some of the things in the user-interface such as landscape or horizontal orientation, page indicator display, grid layout, and more.
One great feature and probably the highlight among all of the customization options of this app is that it is theme-ready and you can install SKIN themes from Google Play Store.

User reviews prove that the functionality and customizability of Nemus Launcher are truly desirable. Many have already tried other launchers but switched to Nemus because it is simpler and more effective without sacrificing aesthetics at all. The only thing that seems to give users some problem is that it lags when loading app icons from the app drawer, but other than that many users prefer it to other launchers.
Try Nemus Launcher if you want to experience great performance and customization on your Android phone. Download Nemus Launcher for free from the Google Play Store.

Nemus Launcher

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by Nemus

>250,000 downloads, 3112 ratings (4.4 avg)

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More Galaxy S3 rumors: Phone’s already in the UK, won’t be a major update, plus, eye-tracking

The countdown to the unveiling of Samsung’s next Galaxy phone, which we’ll still call the Samsung Galaxy S3 until further confirmation, has begun. With 14 days left to the Samsung Unpacked Event in London, where the flagship device is set to be introduced, the scene is filled with so-called industry sources coming out of their hiding to share “exclusive” news about the phone.
Whether or not the news is accurate is an entirely different matter, since these sources can hide behind their anonymity. But anyway, speculation is part of the fun of greeting a new device into the world. Here are the latest rumors of the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Pocket-lint reports they have received confirmation from “people familiar with the matter” that one unit of Samsung Galaxy S3 has landed in the UK – albeit heavily guarded – with the phone locked safely inside a steel box. Apparently, Samsung wants to familiarize mobile phone operators in the UK with the next Galaxy phone prior to the official unveiling. This seems to suggest that a release date in the UK will come soon after the event.
Another industry source in the UK, meanwhile, was kind enough to share details about the Samsung Galaxy S3 to CNET. According to the anonymous source, there’s a possibility that Samsung won’t be using the Galaxy S3 name. To be specific, the quotes were: “Don’t expect it to be called the S3.” Apparently, the internal codename for the phone is “Bali”. Samsung Galaxy Bali? Samsung Bali? Meh, probably not. We don’t think it’d be such a good idea to steer away from the Galaxy S name that has been so deeply ingrained in the psyche of millions of Android enthusiasts. We’ll see soon enough.
Here’s another kick in the groin. The same source reveals that apparently the Samsung Galaxy S3 won’t be a significant update over the S2. “It’ll be like the iPhone 4S was to the 4,” said the source. While no specs were given, he hinted that the phone would be rocking what HTC One X has – more or less.
One interesting feature of the Samsung Galaxy S3 that the source mentioned is the eye-tracking capability of the phone, something that Samsung has dubbed the “Human Interaction” feature. Using the front camera of the phone, it can spookily detect when you are looking at the screen, like when you’re browsing or texting, and will automatically lock the phone once you look away. We can’t really judge how useful or annoying this feature is until we get more information on how it works.
That wraps up another edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3 rumor mill. We’re pretty sure that this isn’t the end, so keep your eyes peeled for more. But first, what do you think about the possible name change? Do you think Samsung would go through the trouble of keeping everything so secret if the Galaxy S3 wouldn’t really offer any significant improvement? Are you looking forward to the phone’s eye-tracking feature? Chime in below.

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Is Gmail down for you? [Google promises fix soon]

Multiple reports popped up about some Gmail users facing error messages, with a few being unable to access their email accounts entirely. Reports on Twitter and other tech forums seem to indicate that this issue is being faced by users worldwide.
On investigation, Google has deemed this problem a “service disruption” as opposed to an “outage”, with apparently less than 2% of the users worldwide affected. Of course, less than 2% still means about 7 million poor souls. According to Google, the service disruption occurred at 9:42 AM PT. In an update on Twitter, Google mentions that “the Google Mail Service should be back for some of you already, and will be back for everyone soon.”
There is no information on what caused this service disruption or when the mail service will be back online for everyone. But, it seems like Google is on top of things and everything will be back to normal shortly.
I haven’t personally faced any issues with my Gmail service yet, so I’m not a part of the unlucky 2%. But if you are, let us know your experience and if/when your service gets restored.

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T-Mobile tries to save sinking ship. Image re-branding on the way [Updated]

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T-Mobile, has faced a difficult few years, losing a lot of customers due to the absence of an official iPhone in its lineup, and with the AT&T buyout failing due to regulatory hurdles. Long story short, the No. 4 carrier in the US is now scrambling to become relevant again, in a race dominated by carrier powerhouses AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.
Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent company, will invest over $4 billion in its American operations to erect a 4G LTE network. In the meanwhile, the company hopes to complete the rollout of its HSPA+ “4G” network, which is more akin to an advanced 3G technology than true 4G. There are also plans to pump up $200 million in advertising spending.

T-Mobile is seemingly going all in with the release of the HTC One S, with a huge launch party taking place in New York later this week. Similar to Microsoft’s “Smoked by a Windows Phone” and Nokia’s “Smartphone Beta Test” campaigns, T-Mobile is launching a “test drive” website, aiming to prove the superiority of the HTC One S against its competition. However, I don’t see the One S, or any other device in T-Mo’s lineup being “superior” to AT&T’s HTC One XL or Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE so I’m looking forward to seeing how T-Mobile is going to play this.
Along with this promotional blitz, T-Mobile has decided to go with a complete re-branding of its image. In an interview with AllThingsD, senior VP Peter DeLuca mentions that the carrier is preparing for a brand refresh later in the year, stating that “We really can’t wait until the end of the year to make some noise in the market.”
The first step in this re-branding is to change the image of the T-Mobile spokeswoman Carly Foulkes, who has appeared in almost every T-Mobile advert since 2010. Carly, best known as “the girl in the pink dress” will be discarding said pink dress in favor of leather and a Ducati.
The new soon-to-be-aired ad spots will primarily feature the HTC One S for now. I’m not entirely sure about what this change signifies. Is it T-Mobile’s attempt to portray a “good girl gone bad” image (wait, what?) or is the Ducati symbolic of how fast new T-mobile devices and their network is going to be?
Either way, wow. Doesn’t she look absolutely stunning in leather?

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Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S2s in the UK receive Android 4.0 update

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Android 4.0 update train in slowly chugging along. The update is still not available in a lot of major markets including India and the US (if you don’t count the leaked update for the AT&T Galaxy S2 Skyrocket). But almost every Samsung UK customer will be very happy.
Following rollouts for Galaxy S2s on the Vodafone, O2, and Three networks, the update is now available for all unlocked (contract-free) and SIM-free devices in the UK. I mentioned “almost every Samsung UK customer” earlier, as the update is still not available for customers on the T-Mobile and Orange networks. In a statement issued to Pocket-Lint, Samsung UK mentioned that the updates for Orange and T-Mobile will follow as soon as possible, pending software testing and approvals.
The Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy S2 include a host of new features such as:

• Face Unlock
• A new look multi-tasking menu making it easier to close apps
• Google Chrome Beta app
• Data consumption tracking
• The ability to disable pre-installed apps

The update is available via Samsung’s desktop update software, Kies. All you need to do is plug in the device to your PC with an USB cable, open Kies and click on the “Firmware Upgrade” button. If you don’t already have Kies, you can download it  here.

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CallTrack: Syncing incoming, outgoing, and missed call logs to Google Calendar

There are a lot of applications on the Google Play Store that sync your phone’s data over the air. There are apps that sync your SMS, your contacts, and other phone files and make them easily accessible when the need arises. In the case of the CallTrack app, the app can be used to sync your call logs to your Google Account and visually view them on your Google Calendar.
Created by Asterdroid Mobile, the CallTrack app records and logs your phone activity and stores them to your Google Account. Every Android phone has its own default phone log that records the phone’s activity. But, the CallTrack app sorts your call logs and displays them on your Google Calendar.

Launching the the CallTrack app will direct you to the CallTrack Preferences menu. Here you can determine which type of calls (incoming, outgoing, or missed calls) will be recorded to your Google Calendar. The time and the duration of the call will also be logged. You can also set which Google account to be used in logging your phone calls. After all the desired settings are made, tap on Enable CallTrack to begin tracking your calls.
Once the app is enabled, it will automatically log your calls to your Google calendar. You can also view your logged calls even if you are offline. With the CallTrack app running on your Android phone, you can effortlessly keep track of your everyday phone calls.

You can also sync all your current logged data to your Google Calendar. You can manually initiate the syncing process by pressing the Menu button while at the CallTrack Preferences menu. All your phone activity will be safely stored to your Google Calendar. Your call logs are securely stored in case you reset your phone and can be accessed when switching to another phone. What’s more is that the app has been recently upgraded to support phones running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You can now track your calls and view them from your ICS-optimized Google Calendar.
If you rather prefer a more synchronized and sorted call log than what your default Phone Call log can offer, try using CallTrack and visually view your call log directly on Google Calendar. You can download CallTrack for free from the Google Play Store. Whether for personal or professional purposes, this app will be your reliable buddy in keeping track of your everyday phone calls.
How important is call logging to you? What other apps do you know that offer the same features as CallTrack?

CallTrack

by asterdroid mobile

50,000 downloads, 3094 ratings (4.5 avg)

Free

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Claim your free Asus Transformer Prime GPS dongle now

The Asus Transformer Prime GPS dongle: you’ve seen in all its glory in yesterday’s leaked pictures batch, and now it’s time to get you and your Asus TF201 tablet out of your GPS misery. As expected, ASUS’ GPS dongle website has gone live, allowing you to claim your free GPS extension kit.
Getting the free dongle is easy peasy. You’ll have to become an Asus VIP member first. After activating the Asus account, proceed by registering your Asus Transformer Prime tablet. The next step is to click on the GPS Extension Kit Apply and Inquire link on the left side menu. After confirming your TF201 tablet’s serial number and delivery information, you’ll have the GPS dongle delivered to your place (you can check the delivery status on the same website).
Why wait until the end of July for things you can do today, right? Asus has set July 31, 2012 as the deadline when the free GPS dongle offer expires, so better do it as soon as possible. Aside from the free GPS extension kit, Asus also extends its most sincere apologies and hopes that the kit would help improve the GPS signal reception on your TF201 tablet. Thanks, Asus!

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No-name Android tablets on the rise: cheap doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality

Buying a non-branded Android tablet might be something that many frown upon, but a no-brainer for others. If you’re a member of the second category, you probably don’t care the first thing about branding and you are likely to be satisfied with the purchase, as long as the product is cheap enough to justify its not-so-impressive quality and features.
Over the last couple of months, we’ve seen a good number of white-label Android tablets entering the market, which have, gasp, more than a decent set of specs, yet are still priced competitively compared to brand name devices. The common conception that paying a hundred bucks or less for a tablet will get you a lemon isn’t necessarily true anymore.
Judging by the impressive shipment numbers of China-based white-label Android tablets, which according to market researcher eMedia Asia, reach three million units every month this year, you shouldn’t be surprised to see tablets becoming an increasingly common sight, not only in Silicon Valley or Manhattan, but in developing countries as well.
By comparison, in 2011, the average number of white-label slates shipped every month reached just shy of a million. According to the same research firm, up to 50 million units of white-label Android tablets will be shipped in 2012.
Given the dominance enjoyed by iOS and Android in North America and Western Europe, Chinese OEMs are focusing their attention to markets in Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. A flurry of tablets coming in all shapes and sizes, from 7-inch to 10.1-inch and larger, are mass produced in China to meet the growing appetite for tablets of the developing world.
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to find a reasonable quality Android tablet that comes with 1024 x 600 resolution and 4GB of internal storage at $100. More often than not, these “no-name” devices will even ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. They also come with some features that are not present on pricier competing products, such as HDMI out and regular USB slots. Ultimately, we may have to thank these small manufacturers, as they put pressure on big vendors to reduce the prices of their own Android tablets.
What’s next for white-label Android tablet manufacturers? The market for affordable Android tablets may not be able to sustain the hundred or so China-based manufacturers – according to Digitimes — that are now churning tablets out by the millions. We may see one or two becoming the next HTC, while the rest will remain in the background until the trend fades away.
What’s clear though, there’ll  always be a market for cheap but reasonably well-built Android tablets.

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Solar Charger? Yes it works, and it will help you conceive babies

Today I’m going to deviate from a news report, and bring you a coffee break chuckle instead.
We have to admit it, the Google Play Store is not quite as well vetted and filtered as Apple’s App Store is. From time to time, some ridiculous (in a bad way) “apps” make their way in Google’s catalog, including one of the silliest categories - the “Solar Charger” apps.
Of course, anyone who knows anything about smartphones (or anything running on batteries in fact) will realize that a screen cannot act as a solar energy collector. And most of the “Solar Charger” apps on the Play Store warn users in their description that they don’t actually work. In other words, leaving your device in the sun will never recharge its battery, no matter what apps you have installed.
So, there are useless apps in the Play Store. What’s noteworthy in that? Nothing. Except the ad-hoc communities of trolls that rate the apps with five stars and offer glowing reviews, that are in many cases, hilarious. Here are some of the best for Solar Charger. You’ve got to admire these people for going to the trouble of writing these. They’re unedited and straight from the Reviews page.

Solar Charger can be used to turn an Asus Transformer into a solar cell that can power a home

Downloaded fine and installed perfectly. I am an engineer experienced in pv cells, so I went to radio shack and bought some stuff, installed my Asus transformer onto my roof, and now I can power my hair dryer and one 23W cfl simply with this app! Incredible..you guys should win a Nobel by figuring out how to do this silicon and boron free! – Alison, April 15th.

Solar Charger will turn your phone into a taser

Amazing phone charged in hours!!! Not only that I then plugged my phone to connect my laptop to the internet and power it at the same time! Later when a cold caller came round I plugged a broken power lead into my phone activated the app and tasered the bloke. Brilliant app! – Michael, April 13th

Solar Charger will protect you against ghosts

I have no idea how but it does, see I ran over a flying pig and was stranded in the middle of La La Land with a nearly dead phone. Luckily I carry a 5 foot fluorescent light in my pocket and holy $#/+ it charged my phone enough to call the ghostbusters to come and save me!!!! Kudos!!!!! Love the app keep up the good work!!! – Tristan

Solar Charger will help you fight off Chuck Norris

After downloading this app I was able to fight off Chuck Norris,.Edward from Twilight, and I lost 600 pounds in two hours! AMAZING! – Pamela

Solar Charger will help you conceive

Not only did this app work really well, but my wife and I conceived immediately after installation – something the Dr said was impossible due to my not having genitals. Nice. – Matt

Solar Charger will help you reconnect with your estranged family

So, I have been blessed with a Samsung Galaxy S II, but my friends see it as an arcade. I remember distinctly, it was my mother’s 3rd wedding and my car broke down, but my battery level was non-existent. Alas, with no way to tell my mother I would be late, I thought myself dissowned and cut out of the will. However, a shining beacon of light came down from the sky and shone on me. I remembered I had downloaded this app and my relationship with my mother had been saved. I called her and all was well. – Cathy

Solar Charger will help deliver babies

This app was a life saver! On my way to give birth to my first child and realized I had absolutely NOOO battery life. :-( then I remembered this app I installed and was immediately impressed with it’s ability to absorb energy so quickly! After 12 hours of labor and holding my son for the first time I was able to call every family member with no charger! What a blessing! ;) – Nikkie

Solar Charger will melt your phone with all the energy it outputs

Don’t download it, it will break your phone. Installed it on my new SGS2, Worked fine for 2 first weeks, saved a lot of electricity. Than I went on vacation to Hawaii, left my phone on the sunny hotel balcony to charge for the day. When I returned, the battery had melted from the vast amount of energy received. If you still want to download the app, use it only in moonlight – Gustavs

Solar Charger is the ultimate beach accessory

Great app!! Solved my biggest problem when i spend my weekend at the beach!! It’s fully charged allll the freeeaaakin time :D :D thank youuuu – Lena

Solar Charger will power you’re 1980s electric tricycle

I’m running my Sinclair C5 off the power generated by this bad boy! Top dev… thanks man! – Graham

Solar Charger will turn wolves into giraffes

As I was walking about generally being awesome I found myself being chased by a vicious pack of wolves. I panicked and ran away eventually they trapped me against a rock. I swiftly pulled out my phone turned on this app and harnessed the suns power and turned the wolves to giraffes. I then rode off home to write this review – Jack

What about you?

These are just a small sample of the treasure trove of fake reviews you can read on the Solar Charger page from Google Play. Every now and then, you can read a sincerely outraged 1-star review complaining about the app not working. Of course, they only serve to make the fake reviews more enjoyable.

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE for Sprint available for pre-order today

Since its announcement at CES 2012, we’ve been eagerly awaiting for the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE. Finally, Sprint announced the official launch of the device in a press release issued yesterday. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE will be available from April 22, releasing on the same day as Sprint’s other 4G LTE capable device, the LG Viper.
The Nexus 4G LTE is available for pre-order from today, and Sprint officials mentioned that a lucky few customers could receive the device as early as April 20, till stocks last. After April 22, the Android 4.0 smartphone will be available in all Sprint Stores, through Sprint telesales, as well as online.
As a reminder, below are the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE:

• Android 4.0
• 4.65″ Super AMOLED HD Display
• 1280×720 resolution, 316 ppi
• 1.2 Ghz TI OMAP 4460 dual-core processor
• 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.3MP front camera
• 32 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 1850mAH battery

The Sprint Galaxy Nexus also features Google Wallet, which uses NFC (Near Field Communication), that allows you to make safe purchases using your phone, at approved retailers. As an added incentive, Sprint is offering $40 Google Wallet credit for free, as long as the device is activated within 3 weeks. Added to the $10 you automatically receive when you sign up for Google Wallet services, you’re getting a total of $50.
Of course, while the Sprint Galaxy Nexus is 4G LTE capable, Sprint’s 4G network will rollout only in June and will initially be available in major centers such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Kansas City. 3G speeds will be available everywhere else.
Sprint is the only network in the US that offers truly unlimited data plans. With the launch of its 4G LTE network and an impressive lineup of LTE capable devices, Sprint is hoping to entice customers and move ahead in a race dominated by giants AT&T and Verizon. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE is available for pre-order today here, for $199.99 with a 2-year contract.

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Webkey: Browser-based Android phone remote access and control

Android smartphones are becoming an essential part of our lives today that we just can’t leave home without our trusted gadgets in our pockets. But, wouldn’t it be nice if we can control our phones even if we don’t have them physically?
The idea may not be new to many of us since remote controlling devices such as PC’s have already been possible in the past with programs such as TeamViewer and Hamachi leading the pack. But, don’t you know you can also control your Android smartphone even if you’ve left it at home or at the office?
An application known as Webkey lets users control their smartphones using any browser. Webkey for Android basically acts like a bridge and transforms your mobile experience on the web. The only catch for Webkey to work is that your phone needs to be rooted.  If you still don’t have root access on your device, then you’re missing out on the many benefits of what Android
To get started with the application, you simply log in to androidwebkey.com, establish a secure connection to your device and you’re good to go. For users who have already have tried browsing their phones via Samsung KIES on a web browser, then Webkey won’t be much of a surprise to you.
Basically the Webkey application function the same as Samsung KIES using a web-based interface to navigate and browse your phone. The only thing that separates it from Samsung KIES is that Webkey lets you view the entire screenshot of your phone as if you have your phone with you.

The minimalistic design is easy to use and navigate. The interface contains all the necessary options such as Phone, GPS, SMS, Call List, Notify, Export, Users, SD card and Help. Among Webkey’s best-selling features is the ability for users to send SMS by selecting the SMS tab. Choosing the Call List shows a list of detailed incoming or outgoing calls and the details of the call.

The SD Card tab provides a detailed view of your phone’s SD card and provides a handful of options that you can use to manage the contents. Users can also manage their personal information such as their usernames and passwords and even have the option to export contacts and messages if they wish to keep a backup. There is also the neat feature of activating your GPS on your phone to find its exact location–pretty useful for lost or misplaced phones.
Webkey is a fantastic application for rooted Android devices.  The idea of having to remotely access your phone is a great way to stay connected even in faraway places. Not only that, if you’re tired of managing your personal information using your phone, trying it with a web browser is not only convenient but also a fast and alternative way to do so.
You can download the Webkey application for free from the Google Play Store.

Webkey (ROOT REQUIRED)

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by Péter Móra, Zoltán Papp

50,000 downloads, 1088 ratings (4.5 avg)

Free

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ASUS Padfone, Pad Infinity, and Pad 300 pricing and release dates in Europe revealed

After the success of its dual-core Transformer Pad tablet (named so because of the ability to switch between a tablet and netbook mode), ASUS released the world’s first quad-core (Nvidia Tegra 3) Android 4.0 tablet last year, the ASUS Transformer Prime.
ASUS followed up with a very impressive showing at the MWC 2012, featuring a lineup of “two and a half” tablets – the ASUS Padfone, Transformer Pad Infinity, and the Transformer Pad 300. After we got news about the pricing of the Padfone in Taiwan, we finally have some information on the European release dates and pricing of Asus trio’s of shape-shifting tablets. All the devices have been priced in Italy, and will likely get their price tags across all EU nations soon. Let’s take a look.

ASUS Padfone

ASUS had been toying with the concept of a phone within a tablet within a netbook (Inception?) for over a year. But only with the seamless transition from portrait to landscape mode provided by Android 4.0, has this concept become a reality, in the form of the ASUS Padfone. The phone is comparable to other high-end Android device, with the added benefit of fitting into a tablet dock, now known as the Padfone Station, giving you the complete features of a tablet. The addition of the standard ASUS keyboard dock makes the tablet work as a netbook. While it might seem like you have two devices, this is not actually the case, as the “tablet” works only when the phone is docked.
The specifications of the Padfone are:

• 4.3″ Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen, 10.1″ tablet multi-touch tablet screen
• 960×540 resolution, 1280×800 tablet resolution
• 1.5 Ghz dual core Qualcomm SnapDragon S4
• 1GB RAM
• 64 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 1500 mAH battery in phone, 6547 mAH tablet battery (which also charges the phone)

ASUS Padfone Release Date and Pricing – The Padfone, priced at €699 (approx. $915), is quite expensive. This also does not include the €149 ($195) keyboard dock. The device(s) will be available in stores by the end of May, with an LTE capable product available by September.

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity was first seen at CES as the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF700T (and I thought the new name was long). This device is ASUS’ flagship tablet, with very impressive specs, including:

• 10.1″ multi-touch capacitive Super IPS+ display
• 1920×1200 resolution
• 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor(for 3G/4G LTE), 1.6 Ghz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 (WiFi only)
• 16/32/64GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 25Whr (6757 mAH) battery
• 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera

Release Date and Pricing – The Transformer Pad Infinity will be priced at €599 (~$780) excluding the keyboard dock, for the Wifi-only 64GB variant. This flagship tablet will be available from June 10.

ASUS Transformer Pad 300

The Transformer Pad 300 is the most budget-friendly ASUS tablet available. The price cut did not require too much of a compromise on specifications, which include:

• 10.1″ super LCD multi-touch capacitive display
• 1280×800 resolution
• 1 GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16/32GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 8MP rear camera, 1.2 MP front camera
• 5946 mAH (22Whr) battery

Release date and pricing – The Transformer Pad 300 will be priced at €399 (~$519) for the Wifi-only and €499 (~$650) for the Wifi+3G version. It will be available mid-May in Europe. The 16GB variant of the device will be releasing in the US on April 22. There has been no official information on the pricing of the US release but is expected to be $399.

Sticker shock, anyone?

The Padfone and the Transformer Pad Infinity are clearly the cream of the crop, but they also comes with a hefty price-tag. With most consumers looking for easy-on-the-wallet options, the Transformer Pad 300 might likely be the best-selling option of the three. But can it compete with the slate of high-spec’d but budget-friendly ($250 – $500) tablets due to arrive in the market this summer?

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Is Motorola moving to Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processors?

HTC has already released its flagship Android 4.0 device with the HTC One X, and we are eagerly awaiting the imminent announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S3 on May 3. Meanwhile, another Android powerhouse, Motorola, has been relatively silent about its next flagship device, supposedly dubbed Droid Fighter and also known as the Droid Razr HD.
Some new information has come to light about a Motorola device code-named “Qinara” which may (or may not) be Motorola’s entry into an already competitive high-end Android smartphone market.

There are several key pieces of information that can be extracted from the leaked benchmark test above, including:

• As expected, any future Android device will feature Android 4.0.3. Depending on when this device is released, it could be updated further to Android 4.0.4
• The device, code-named “Qinara” will be become a part of AT&T’s 4G LTE lineup, which already boasts the soon-to-be-released HTC One XL.
• The device will definitely have an HD display, with a resolution of 1196×720. This pixel layout indicates that the device will likely feature the recommended-for-Android-4.0 on-screen keys.
• The Qinara will boast a 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor

Most of the specifications are in line with what is expected from any high-end Android device. What is surprising to note is the inclusion of the Snapdragon S4 processor. Motorola has thus far enjoyed a close relationship with Texas Instruments, using its OMAP processors in many of its high-end models. But with the move to 4G LTE, the Qualcomm dual-core processor is a considerably better choice, with its integrated LTE baseband that lowers power consumption and allows for tighter builds.
Of course, we might be looking at a sole test device built around the Snapdragon S4 processor. But if the benchmark scores obtained by the S4 against quad-core chips like the Nvidia Tegra 3 and Huawei’s K3V2 are of any indication about the qualities of Qualcomm’s processor, it would not be surprising to see Motorola jump on the Qualcomm bandwagon as well.
What are your thoughts? What device could the “Qinara” be? Qualcomm vs TI. Is Motorola making the right move?

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Google removes 29 data stealing apps from Google Play

In its ongoing battle with malicious app writers, Google has removed 29 apps from Google Play that harvested email addresses and phone numbers and uploaded them to remote command servers. Symantec has so far identified 29 apps that targeted the Japanese market. All of the 29 apps share common code and it is believed that one group is behind all of the apps.
The first app in the series appeared in Google Play in early February and was followed by a series of seemingly random apps, from a contact management app to a diet assistant app. However, the apps proved unpopular and did not receive many downloads. Then, in late March, a group of apps with titles all ending in “the Movie” began to appear. These apps are designed to mimic popular games in Japan and play a video about the game. These apps proved much more popular, and it is estimated that between 70,000 and 300,000 users installed at least one of the apps.
Once the malicious app is installed, it connects to a server and downloads the video file related to the game. But, at the same time, it also uploads all the contact information, including names, phone numbers, and email addresses, of all the people in the phone’s address book. Considering that the average smart phone address book contains between 50 and 75 contacts, this means that potentially over 2 million names, phone numbers, and email addresses have been stolen. It is assumed that these details will be sold to spammers or used in attempts to steal individual identities and commit some kind of financial fraud.

“According to Yomiuri Online, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has begun investigating this incident and is attempting to track down the developers,” wrote Joji Hamada of Symantec.

Links to Android.Oneclickfraud malware?

The server used to collect the stolen contact information is the same server that was used to distribute variants of the Android.Oneclickfraud malware. This unpleasant malware opens a web page and attempts to coerce the user into using a pornographic service for a fee. Is this just a coincidence or are the same group responsible for both?
The Tokyo police are on the case, and it can only be hoped that the criminals are caught soon. As always, remain vigilant about what you download, from where you download it, and what permissions the app requests.

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New details on Samsung Galaxy S3 rumored: multiple models, ceramic/metal case, and more

After many weeks of wild rumors and numerous credible, but mostly not that credible leaks, the first official details about Samsung’s future flagship smartphone have been unveiled yesterday.
Even though we don’t know how it will be called and just about nothing about what it will feature under the hood, we know that the Galaxy S2’s successor will be unveiled on May 3 in London, UK. However, as many of you probably expected, yesterday’s announcement is just a drop in the flood of S3-related news that will come over the next weeks.
We now have more juicy details about Samsung’s new super-phone. Okay, these following tidbits are not official pieces of information confirmed by people at Samsung, but they supposedly come from “credible sources” and ring true pretty much anyway we look at them.
First and foremost, it seems that the London unveiling event set to take place in two weeks (and counting…) will not be singular. Sammy might hold simultaneous events in New York City, Seoul and Dubai as well, which makes us think that this smartphone will truly be something special.
Furthermore, the guys at BGR are confirming a piece of information that came our way a long time ago, referring to the Galaxy S3 and its connection with the 2012 Summer Olympics. Thus, it seems that the gadget will indeed be the official device of the London Olympics, which is the reason for holding the primary unveiling event in England’s capital.
Moving on from marketing details, let’s talk a bit about the phone’s design and looks, things that I know you are all interested in. On this front, we have no less than three fresh unconfirmed pieces of information from BGR. First of all, the Galaxy S3 should come in two color options, a blue-black combination and an all-white model.

Secondly, Sammy’s future flagship should feature a ceramic and brushed metal case, in what could be an attempt to set the device as far as possible from Apple’s iPhone designs. The information about the brushed metal is, however, the least credible from today’s bunch, as it is pretty much an assumption based on those London event invitations sent yesterday.
Thirdly, a “trusted source” told the guys at BGR that the Galaxy S3 will feature a physical home button below the display. Also, the on-screen navigation buttons introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich won’t be used by the S3, which is in line with previous reports out of Korea that suggest that the S3 interface will resemble the 5-column layout seen on the Galaxy Note.
Take these fresh rumors, add them to the suspected specs of the device and you get the picture of a true “beast” that could send shockwaves across the markets. At least that’s what I think, so feel free to either agree or disagree with me in the comments section below! Also, don’t forget to check back to our website soon, because the flood of announcements surrounding the Galaxy S3 will probably not cool down in the near future!

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Google Drive to debut next week, free 5GB storage

It seems Google is ready to take the lid off its cloud storage service, Google Drive, in the following days. The Next Web reports that they have received a draft release from one of Google’s partners that provides a glimpse of what the service entails. Apart from spilling the beans on the expected launch date, which would be sometime next week (Tuesday is a possibility), TNW’s report confirms that each user will get 5GB of free online storage space.
What does this mean for other online storage services such as Box, Dropbox, and even SkyDrive? The 5GB storage that Google Drive offers for free trumps the default storage that user gets from Dropbox’s 2GB (you can easily get more, we know), matches the Box’s 5GB storage, and lags behind SkyDrive’s 25GB storage. But of course, Google Drive will come with full syncing, meaning that any changes you make on a file will be automatically updated to your other linked machines. This is something that some of the competitors lack in the free version.
While it’s a given that Google Drive will work on PCs and Android devices, the service is expected to work on Mac computers and iOS devices as well, though details are still somewhat scarce at the moment. In addition to allowing you to access the cloud data via a browser, Google Drive will work as a local application on PC and Mac computers. The report also mentions the possibility of the Google Drive app coming with document editing capability, which is a sign that it will be deeply integrated with Google Docs.
With so many signs pointing to the imminent release of Google Drive (the leaked screenshot of the website and the premature availability of the OS X app come to mind), it’s safe to say that, very soon, you’ll have one more option to move your files around the cloud.

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How to backup your phone to the cloud

As you may have heard, March 31 was World Backup Day. Geeks across the Internet were sharing pointers on making sure that your computer’s important data doesn’t get lost in an unfortunate accident and we here at Android Authority would like to share a few methods in making sure your phone information doesn’t go up in dust.
There are methods to store your important data locally–that is, on your computer’s hard drive.  (If you want to make local backups, check out our guide on how to make local backups of your phone data.)  But, some users would like the comfort the cloud gives them. It’s being prepared, to the second level. You won’t need to worry about your phone, and you certainly won’t need to worry about your computer.
Information stored in the cloud also means that you won’t need to rely on wires to get that information back onto your Android device. Simply connect to the internet, connect to your cloud server of choice, and bring that data back into your phone.

Backing up to your Google Account

One of the main benefits of Android is that you can connect your phone with your Google account. This means that you don’t need to worry about leaving your bookmarks in either your computer or your phone and having to go without them. Google’s linking to your device ensures that all your data is consolidated and easy for you to access. It’s this same connection that makes it easy to back your phone data up with your phone’s built-in settings.
If you’d like to keep your contacts, system settings, apps, calendar and email data on your Google account, simply go to Settings > Privacy on your phone. Check the boxes for “Back up my settings” and “Automatic restore.”  Make sure that under Backup account you specify the Google account that you want to backup data for.

Next, go to Settings > Account & Sync, tap on the Google account you want to sync, and check all the available options. This way, your data will be stored in your easy-to-access Google account.

Photos

Google doesn’t have a native photo backup service yet, so you may want to look at third-party apps to safeguard your favorite snapshots. Download Photobucket Mobile to automatically upload newly snapped pictures to your Photobucket account. You can also use Flickr Companion and Picasa Tool, both free apps that allow mobile uploading but don’t do so automatically.

Android Apps for Backups

inDefend Mobile Backup

You might remember this app from when we wrote about backing up your phone data to the cloud with inDefend Mobile Backup. The article itself has more detailed information, but in short, inDefend Mobile Backup is an application that allows you to easily backup your information, such as your contacts, call logs, text messages and your calendar, to the cloud. Restore them remotely from the cloud is also possible. You’ll need to create an inDefend Mobile Backup account to access your inDefend Mobile Backup features and cloud content.

inDefend Mobile Backup is available for free on the Google Play Store.

inDefend Mobile Backup

by Dataresolve Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

1,000 downloads, 17 ratings (4.3 avg)

Free

Install

SMS Backup +

If you’ve got important text messages and you don’t want to waste precious time writing them down, there’s SMS Backup +. This free app automatically sends your SMS threads to Gmail and stores them under the label “SMS.” Not only that, SMS Backup + also backs up MMS and call log entries. SMS Backup + also allows you to restore SMS and call log entries back to your phone, but unfortunately restoring MMS back to your phone is not yet possible at this time. Future updates may resolve this issue.
You can download SMS Backup + from the Google Play Store.

SMS Backup +

by Jan Berkel

>250,000 downloads, 15611 ratings (4.6 avg)

Free

Install

Sandisk Memory Zone

Sandisk Memory Zone allows you to  backup files and apps from  your phone’s SD card to a cloud storage provider.  This free app from the world-renowned maker of flash memory cards can backup to and restore from the following supported services: Box, Dropbox, Google Docs, Picasa, SugarSync, and Facebook.
You can even schedule your backups and completely customize a backup plan to your liking. Once you’ve installed the app, it’ll scan your SD card and your device’s internal memory the first time you run it. You’ll be able to choose a cloud storage provider where you’d like to backup your data. Sandisk Memory Zone will prompt you for the frequency schedule of your backup, whether you’d like it to be backed up “only this time” or “everyday.”

Sandisk Memory Zone is available for free from the Google Play Store.

SanDisk Memory Zone

by SanDisk Corp.

>250,000 downloads, 6122 ratings (4.4 avg)

Free

Install

There’s no shortage of ways to backup your files and certainly no excuses. Make sure to backup your phone data before something unfortunate happens to your Android device. It’ll only take a few minutes of your time but will definitely spare you the heartache that unrecoverable data will cause.

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AT&T expected to announce the HTC One XL today. Release in 5 – 7 days

Sprint recently recently announced the availability of two of its three 4G LTE phones, the LG Viper and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for April 22. Not to be left behind, AT&T is expected to release its flagship 4G LTE device, the HTC One XL, as early as this week, according to BGR.  As reported, AT&T is expected to announce the availability today with a release to follow in five to seven days.
As a reminder, the specifications of the HTC One XL are:

• Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0
• 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
• 4.7″ S-LCD 2 display
• 720×1280 resolution, 312 ppi
• 8MP rear camera with HTC ImageSense, 2MP front camera
• 1GB RAM
• 1800 mAH

Unlike the complete makeover that turned the HTC One X into the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint, the AT&T version is largely similar to the international release. The only notable difference is the swapping of the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor (found in the international version) with a dual-core Snapdragon S4, to provide 4G LTE capability. Like the international version, the HTC One XL won’t have a microSD slot, but will include the 25GB Dropbox storage for free.
Pricing and release information will be available with the official announcement expected soon.

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Shake ‘n Rotate: Toggling auto-rotation with just a shake

With how smartphones are becoming increasingly sensitive to even the smallest of things nowadays, it doesn’t take a lot of tilting to get the screen to rotate. For users who don’t want to put in a lot of effort to change their screen to rotate, this is a good thing. But, for others who find it extremely annoying to find their screens rotating to a position they don’t need, just because they’re holding their device off center, disabling auto-rotate is a must.
Who wants to check his or her phone while they’re lying down, only to find one’s phone screen moving into another position? For the most part, disabling auto-rotate solves our problem, but since we use our phones for a variety of functions, one orientation just won’t do. Taking pictures, for example, can be tiring when you need to breeze through your settings menu just to enable auto-rotation again. It takes extra time that you could be spending snapping shots of the perfect moment.

Thankfully, there’s Shake ‘n Rotate. Developed by Andrea Baccega, Shake ‘n Rotate is a handy app that enables or disables auto-rotation when you shake your Android device. Say goodbye to having to take a few precious seconds to manually switch auto-rotate back on when you can just shake the device. You need to look at a picture, for example, but you want to do that in landscape mode. If you’ve got auto-rotate disabled, simply shake your device and you’ll see an icon on the screen that indicates you’ve turned on auto-rotate. When you’re done, hold your phone back in portrait position, and shake it again to turn auto-rotate back off.

Since some of us shake more vigorously than others, Shake ‘n Rotate also comes with the option to control just how high its sensitivity threshold should go. Set it to “Sensitive” so that even the slightest of shakes can toggle auto-rotate. Set it to “Hard” if you’re planning to take a jog; this way, auto-rotate won’t be triggered while you’re working up a sweat. For most occasions, “Normal” should do the trick.
Unfortunately, Shake ‘n Rotate seems to have a few bugs and limitations. One of the main complaints users have is that Shake ‘n Rotate only locks in portrait mode and not in landscape mode. Other complaints were that Shake ‘n Rotate’s sensitivity threshold was still too high, even if it was set to “Hard.” This resulted in Shake ‘n Rotate being triggered in a user’s pocket while they were walking.
Some other users complained that while shaking works, shaking tolerance is not consistent. Sometimes the auto-rotate function locks or unlocks with as little as a 3-cm shake in one direction, or as much as a full minute’s worth of shaking. Others have complained that Shake ‘n Rotate drastically drains their device’s battery. Future updates may fix these issues and may improve compatibility with some Android phone models.
If you’d like to let Shake ‘n Rotate enable and disable auto-rotate for you, you can get Shake ‘n Rotate on the Google Play Store for free.

Shake 'n Rotate!

by Andrea Baccega

10,000 downloads, 281 ratings (4.3 avg)

Free

Install

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Picture of HTC Golf surfaces, entry level smartphone with 3.5-inch display

A new handset is set to join HTC’s smartphone lineup this year, but it’ll be one without the, well, One branding. For now, the codename given to the smartphone is Golf. According to reports, the HTC Golf is the designated successor to the HTC Wildfire S, and it’s likely that we’ll see it in stores branded as the HTC Wildfire C.
We guess you know what specs to expect from an entry level phone, such as the HTC Golf. Though the 3.5-inch display is bigger than the predecessor’s, the phone retains the same 320 x 480 resolution found on last year’s Wildfire S. There’s no confirmation yet on what chip will be powering the device, but it’s expected to come with a single-core processor, with less than 1GHz clock speed. We don’t think HTC would want the Golf to match the One V’s specs anyway.
Apart from that, the phone will come with 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, microSD card slot, Beats audio enhancement, 5MP rear camera, and a front camera. Like the HTC One series, HTC will also come with a complementary 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage. And, despite its entry level status, the HTC Golf will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense UI 4.0.

The leaked press image of the HTC Golf shows a phone that resembles the HTC One X, albeit in its “mini” version. If HTC manages to deliver a build quality that is close to the One X’, we see no reason why the HTC Golf won’t be a popular option among budget conscious Android fanatics.

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Reuters: Samsung set to trump Nokia to become the world’s biggest phone maker

Our smartphones lagging behind the competitors’? Not a problem, we’re the biggest phone maker in the world by volume, dontcha know? But after 14 years of being number one in the global mobile phone market (and having that status to fall back to at a time when critics sharpen their knives), Nokia will soon have to stop living in its past glory.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters, Samsung’s sales in the first quarter of 2012 will surpass that of the Finnish company for the first time. On average, the surveyed analysts estimate that Sammy has sold 88 million mobile phones between January and March. While Samsung has yet to report its quarterly number for the year (that will happen on April 27), Nokia has announced that it sold 83 million phones in the first quarter.
This isn’t really surprising and something that’s probably long time coming. Nokia managed to cling to the top for so long — especially over the last few years — thanks to the company’s focus on churning out cheap phones targeted at the lower spectrum of the market. Samsung, on the other hand, has been aggressively pushing out its mid to high-end Android devices.
Nokia may have a PR nightmare on its hands, now that it can no longer gloat about its worldwide dominance, but, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi (and common sense, we may add), losing the top spot won’t affect Nokia’s current strategy, as “it does not change anything; at the end of the day the problems are the same if they remain the No 1 or become the No 2.”
It’s been mostly smooth sailing for Nokia since it first took over from Motorola in 1998, but a change of regime is but a certainty now. Will the new Samsung dynasty last as long as the last ruler’s?

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Fangs, blood, and superspeed. Cross-platoform Dark Legends now available in Play Store

Mobile devices are now moving into the age of multi-cores, with high-end Android devices leading the pack with their quad-core powerhouses. With the advancements in processor technology, the scope of mobile gaming on smartphones and tablets has been growing in both size and quality.
On the other hand, mobile gaming exponentially increases the potential reach of MMO (massively multiplayer online) games. So far, the biggest problem for MMO games on mobile devices has been cross-platform compatibility. While game developers generally release games in both Android and iOS versions, each version is platform-specific and multiplayer gaming across platforms is not always possible. That is slowly changing however.
With the release of “Dark Legends”, Spacetime Studios has worked around the issue of cross-platform compatibility. In the third release of its Legend series, which includes the successful Pocket Legends and Star Legends, the Austin-based company introduces cross-platform gameplay across iOS and Android devices, but also on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

According to Spacetime, games are played on a single global server, which makes it possible for an iPhone user in the US to play the game with someone on an Android tablet in India. Also, players will be able to log in and continue the game from their PCs, regardless of the OS.
Dark Legends is a vampire-themed MMO RPG (Role-Playing Game). The game puts you into the skin of a member of the Vampire Nation, that has to fight to survive in a world where vampires are hunted by fearful humans that have turned to technology and the Dark Arts. The game features a simple slash-and-kill gameplay, pitting your character against hoards of werewolves, demons, and zombies. The campaign consists of ten worlds, each involving around ten levels and quests that need to be completed.

A huge selling point for this game is the fact that it is completely free to play. Players can progress through all the “worlds” and achieve the maximum experience and power levels at no cost. Of course, there is an in-app purchasing option that allows you to save time on your progress and also get unique items or equipment, but this does not take away from the overall experience for someone who doesn’t wish to pay.
You can watch an introductory video of the game here, Courtesy of Spacetime Studios.
While the gameplay is simplistic, I believe that the in-app purchase monetization model and the cross-platform compatibility will make Dark Legends a very popular MMORPG.  The game is now available for download from the Google Play Store here and the desktop version is available from the Chrome Web Store here. An iOS release is coming soon.

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