Android

Five great tips to get you started with the Nexus 7

Getting started with the Nexus 7 can be a bit daunting if it's your first tablet, or if you're not familiar with Android. But, that's why we're here. We have rounded up the best Nexus 7 tips and tricks to help get you started with your latest tech addiction.

Customizing the Nexus 7 The first thing you're going to want to do is personalize and customize your Nexus 7. Donald Bell came through with a great video full of Nexus 7 tips and tricks. You will be shown how to change widgets, the wallpaper, or … Read more

Episode 6: The most extreme torture test yet

This is the week that the torture test really comes into its own, I think. We decided to toughen up and test the brand-new 11-inch Apple MacBook Air. Yeah, I know. Yikes. But I really want to test portable devices, and the Air is the epitome of portable, is it not?

We're down to a good rhythm with heat, cold, dropping, and water, and we're really trying to figure out how to make the wild card tests true to life. So, when three or four viewers tweeted me and told me they had put their MacBook Airs on … Read more

Android comes under fire from game developers on piracy

Madfinger Games recently lowered the price of its Dead Trigger game from $0.99 to free on the Google Play Store. The reason, it announced, was because of the "unbelievably high" amount of illegal downloads on Google's Android devices despite the game's inexpensive price, according to the Guardian.

Here's what Madfinger Games said on its Dead Trigger Facebook page:

Regarding price drop. HERE is our statement. The main reason: piracy rate on Android devices, that was unbelievably high. At first we intend to make this game available for as many people as possible - that'… Read more

Huawei's AT&T; Fusion 2 Android starter phone clears FCC

Huawei and AT&T are teaming up to bring forth a sequel of the AT&T Fusion, an entry-level Android GoPhone. The A&T Fusion 2 recently cleared the FCC; the files include elements as rich as a consumer-ready user manual.

That user manual tells us that the Android follow-up will has a microSD card, an FM radio, 3G speeds, and the Swype virtual keyboard. A blurry image of the phone's back shows a 3.2-megapixel camera without flash.

So far it isn't clear what differentiates the Fusion 2 from the original, but it's … Read more

How to delete Facebook activity using iPhone, Android app

As more and more apps integrate with Facebook and each app shares more of your online activity to your Timeline, there's bound to be information you'd rather not share. As Mashable recently reported, Facebook has given users the ability to edit their Activity Log while on the go.

You'll need to go to your profile, or Timeline. While there scroll the About, Friends, and Photos thumbnails over until you see an Activity Log thumbnail. Once you select Activity Log, you'll be able to view, edit, or delete any unwanted activity from your Facebook Timeline by tapping … Read more

Ikea AR catalog gets under furniture's skin

Ikea has already introduced its catalog for mobile devices, but now the Swedish furniture giant is going a little more in-depth with the 2013 edition. There are more than 40 bits of extended content sprinkled throughout the catalog.

The 2013 physical catalog pairs with a special Ikea catalog app to unlock more than meets the eye on the printed page. Unlike the Moosejaw X-ray catalog peep show, expect to see furniture rather than statuesque Scandinavian models.… Read more

Make free calls to landlines, mobile phones with Vonage app

Quick housekeeping note: I'll be taking the day off tomorrow, so I'll see you back here on Wednesday. Here's a great freebie to tide you over until then!

Talk is cheap, right? How about this: For a short while, talk is free.

Vonage Mobile (Android|iOS) is a voice over P app that lets you make free calls (and send free texts) to other Vonage app users.

You can also use it to call landline and mobile phones -- but normally this costs money. For a limited time, however, you can use Vonage Mobile to make free calls to landline and mobile phones.… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S3 hits 10 million sales mark early

Samsung's chief executive predicted last month that sales of the Galaxy S3 would hit 10 million by the end of July and the smartphone appears to have passed that milestone a little early.

Shin Jong-kyun, the president of Samsung's information technology and mobile communication division, told reporters that the Android-powered smartphone surpassed the 10 million sales mark but did not reveal specific sales figures, according to the Yonhap news agency. That translates to about 190,000 Galaxy S3 devices sold every day for the past two months.

Samsung's flagship handset, which is available through AT&T, … Read more

Apple, Google appeal Posner's toss-out of patent case

Apple and Google have appealed a ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Posner that flat-out dismissed an iOS and Android-related patent case between the two companies.

Both tech giants filed appeal notices yesterday regarding the June 22 ruling, Bloomberg reported. Posner had canceled a jury trial over the tit-for-tat infringement claims, saying neither company had been able to prove damages and that neither would be allowed to refile claims in this particular case, which has been lurching along in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).

The two companies have been duking it out … Read more