Samung Airs Another Galaxy S II Ad, This Time About Dual-Core

We know the Samsung Galaxy S II is a great and fast device. As a matter of fact, it's THE Android smartphone of the moment getting a full 5 out of 5 in our review which makes it the best Google-powered smartphone money can buy at the moment.

Samsung is continuing to maintain and build the momentum by outing yet another Samsung Galaxy S II ad. This time it is all about dual-core processing and how two channels can be faster than a single channel, nothing really new and groundbreaking here. But they have to keep it up in order to break that Galaxy S world record with the follow-up device. Check it out below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q74pXDvlKzM

ZTE Libra Gingerbread phone unleashed

Android 2.3 action in the Far East

ZTE has detailed its latest Android handset, model number X880 - aka the ZTE Libra.

According to our ZTE peeps, the phone has gone live in Asia this week although as of yet there's no UK operator in place for a launch on these shores.

The Libra isn't, despite the Brightpoint listing, the ZTE Blade (which hit the UK as the Orange San Francisco) and is in fact an entirely new device.

One rocking the latest version of Android Gingerbread - 2.3.4 - no less.

It packs a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 chip, and offers GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, UMTS 900 / 2100 MHz connectivity as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, a digital compass and assisted GPS.

It has full access to the Android Market and comes pre-loaded with all the official Google goodies.

We'll update you with regards to when we may be seeing the ZTE Libra in the UK as soon as we hear anything further.

Article: RSS via Pocket-lint

Android gets new, increasingly advanced malware

Lookout is now warning us about a new threat that could possibly infect our Android phones. The latest development is a new type of malware that bypasses Google's jurisdiction to get direct access to your phone. It's scary stuff.

Last month Google remotely removed more than 25 applications from the market on the conviction that these were hiding a malware called DroidDream within its files. After Google handled the applications, these same guys went on to develop this new browser-based malware that is more advanced than any other ever developed for a mobile phone.

Normally malware would be hidden inside an application that you download from the market. With this new development, the malware is packaged with an APK that you can download right from the web. The site comes with an Android Market-like design, and functions pretty similar to the Google made version to give people the impression that they might be working with a Google created website. When you've found an application you want to install, the website takes you to a fake installation page that mimics that of the Android market and then you're prompted to install it via Android downloader.

After being installed, the application goes to work and pings different servers that will register your number to different premium SMS subscription services. These services generally would require you to answer questions or a PIN to register. This is where this malware flexes its muscles: It'll communicate with the malicious server without you ever knowing about it - until the bill comes of course.

Smartphones are starting to see malware and software is being developed to protect them from it. Android has been experiencing the worst attacks, but luckily Google is always working hard trying to protect you against these bad boys. The best way to protect your phone is by staying away from online hacked APK of an application that you can download from the market for a small fee. Instead, pay that small fee now so you won't have to pay an even bigger fee later.

It's No "Game of Thrones" Finale, but Yahoo Logo-Palooza Ends Tonight

Here are a few choice things I wait for in rapt anticipation:

While "Game of Thrones" is on hiatus after its sensational "Red Wedding" finale, the next episode of "Orange Is the New Black" - which spouse and I are watching two at a time nightly, although I am considering sneaking by day to find out what Pornstache will do to Red.

The new iPhone, which will be unveiled next Tuesday at Apple's Cupertino, Calif. HQ - because I will upgrade to it, my older son will get my old one and my younger son will get his brother's old one as his first phone ever (it's a family of impatience over here).

Whenever anyone says they are "gladiators in suits" on "Scandal" or whenever its star, Kerry Washington as Washington fixer Olivia Pope, gives that long, sad gaze that comes from loving the wrong man who also happens to be President of the United States.

The Oreo version of Google Android - because I like Oreos. A lot more than KitKats.

And even - and I am ashamed to admit this - whatever the next cup-full-of-crazy thing Miley Cyrus gets into.

But, I'll be honest - except for the fact that I have to cover it at the time I would have been watching my daily dose of "OITNB" tonight - I will have to drastically gin up my excitement level over the new Yahoo logo that is set to be unveiled at 9 pm PT.

Doubtless, others have been pre-briefed on this new look, which was last changed a few years ago. But, for the rest of us, over the last month Yahoo has been showing 29 other logos it will not be using to get us all atwitter with expectation.

While I still don't quite get this move from a marketing perspective - it's like having a parade of all the people you decided not to marry before your wedding - there have been some design doozies in the bunch. That might have been the point: Show off all the bad so we will love, love, love the new one.

On that score, mission accomplished!

Such as this one from Day 2 that looks like an air freshener I declined to purchase last week at Safeway:

Or this one from Day 11, which looks like my grandmother, who had excellent cursive penmanship, wrote it (nothing says the future like a handwritten logo from the last century!):

Or Day 20, which resembles what happens when I let those kids of mine play on my computer and they screw up the fonts:

Or Day 28, which is pretty much a flat-out lift of the Yoo-hoo logo, a high-fructose corn syrup beverage I enjoy imbibing from time to time:

Finally, I really don't have one single clue about what's going on with Day 29:

Which, I think, is the goal of the marketers of Yahoo - after this parade of losers, we shall now get to gaze upon the gleaming new spouse that the Silicon Valley Internet giant will be wedded to for years to come. This jazz-hands rollout is very much in keeping with the tenure of new CEO Marissa Mayer, who is trying to generate as much excitement around Yahoo as possible as part of her turnaround efforts.

Presumably, this logo for the new Yahoo will be just the ticket! We'll see - but, until then, I am going to go and see what Crazy Eyes is up to, which is one sure thing to be interesting.

Huawei Doesn't Want BlackBerry

Here's one company that BlackBerry need not consider as it works to narrow down the list of parties interested in buying all or part of its business: Huawei.

Asked if Huawei might consider acquiring BlackBerry or another handset maker to bolster that business, board member Chen Lifang said the company is simply not interested.

"No, we have not considered (an acquisition)," she told reporters in London, according to Reuters. "We want to rely on ourselves."

Which makes sense. Huawei has done very well for itself pursuing that strategy. Today, it's the third-largest manufacturer of smartphones by volume, after Samsung and Apple. And it has claimed that title by building devices for Google's Android operating system. So why would it bother with BlackBerry? It clearly doesn't need it, or the company's new BlackBerry 10 platform, which seems to have lost its bid for third place in the smartphone OS wars to Microsoft.

As Lifang said, "In manufacturing mobile phones, we have made very good progress."

LG G2 Coming to T-Mobile, Verizon This Month

LG's newest flagship device finally has a U.S. release date - two, actually. Verizon will be the first to offer the LG G2 when it goes on sale Sept. 12 for $200 with a two-year contract. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is taking preorders for the smartphone today, with expected availability on Sept. 18. The cost is $100 down and 24 equal payments of $21. Introduced in August, the G2 is LG's latest effort to make a dent in the U.S. market; it features a 5.2-inch HD touchscreen and 13-megapixel camera. AT&T and Sprint are also expected to offer the device.

On Chrome Web Store, Real Games Mix With Mario Knockoffs

We've heard it over and over again (and arguably for good reason): Nintendo does not make games for platforms it does not control. So, imagine my surprise yesterday when I stumbled across a dozen or so Mario games on Google's Chrome Web Store.

These games are no more real than that Rolex you bought for $15 in Times Square - they're unlicensed, generally low-quality knockoffs, taking advantage of the openness of Google's browser, which just turned five. Many of the store's new native desktop apps look like snazzy cousins of the apps you might find in the Google Play Store on Android; however, in Chrome's Web app store (I know, these product names are all confusing), it's still the Wild West.

In addition to the fake Marios, a cursory search of the Web app store yesterday turned up knockoffs of many other popular franchises: one for Fruit Ninja, two for Crash Bandicoot, four for Doodle Jump, nine for Candy Crush Saga and 10 for Sonic the Hedgehog. A source with knowledge of the store said Google investigates unauthorized apps if the content owners report the offending apps to the company.

These fakes mix with real apps, like Rovio's official Angry Birds Chrome Web app, and to separate the good from the bad, users have to check the developer's website name. For example, one of the Candy Crush Saga knockoffs lists as its website candycrushsaga.blogspot.com, which is not one of King's sites. The official site for that game is candycrushsaga.com.

I asked a Nintendo spokesperson if the company was aware of the Mario knockoffs, and she returned the following generic statement from Nintendo of America:

Nintendo video games are offered only on Nintendo systems such as the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Applications on the Apple or Google marketplaces that purport to be Nintendo video games are not legitimate and users who download these applications may expose themselves to spyware or other malicious software [...]

Wait, malicious software? Yes, it's possible, as 80,000 users learned last year by way of a fake Bad Piggies Chrome app. According to security company Barracuda Networks, that's the number of users who installed a bogus Bad Piggies and got some "aggressive adware" to boot. Bonus!

The Nintendo statement continued, "Nintendo actively monitors the unauthorized use of its intellectual property, and will continue to seek removal of any unauthorized content in these marketplaces."

Taking these specific games out of the Chrome store won't completely neutralize potential security threats posed by current or future games, of course. But the very thing that makes the store work - a search, discovery and recommendation-focused design that makes these games and services more accessible to Chrome users - may mislead gamers who don't think to look too closely.

"We remove apps from the Chrome Web Store that do not comply with our terms of service," a Google spokesperson said. Some of the Mario games I mentioned in my emails to the company have now disappeared from the Chrome store, but here is a screenshot of how they were showing up for me in the store's main trending section yesterday.

Google takes on Facebook with the Google+ project

New social network announced by search giant

Google has just announced its new social networking platform, the Google+ project - its most blatant attempt at Facebook's throne to date.

Google+ is live now, as an invitation only "Field Trial", and the blog post announcing its arrival isn't shy in stating why this could be your social network of choice (without mentioning the F-word at all, you understand):

"The problem is that today's online services turn friendship into fast food - rapping everyone in 'friend' paper and sharing really suffers," it reads.

"It's sloppy. We only want to connect with certain people at certain times, but online we hear from everyone all the time.

"It's scary. Every online conversation (with over 100 'friends') is a public performance, so we often share less because of stage fright.

"It's insensitive. We all define 'friend' and 'family' differently - in our own way, on our own terms - but we lose this nuance online."

Ouch. Take that Zuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnJ5Bl4kLI

Google+ puts you in control of groups, called Circles, so as you can always control who sees what content that you put online.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeMZP-oyOII

The Big G is also aware that you may be boring you social networking pals by talking about subjects that do not really interest them. To solve this, it has created Sparks within Google+, where you can create groups of people and sections for specific interests.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRkAdTflltc

Hangouts looks like being the Google Skype killer that we'd heard rumoured. It allows you to join in a video chat with a group of your friends (no limit is stated - but the demo video shows a maximum of six people in one conference) all within the browser.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tku1vJeuzH4

Google+ doesn't forget Android either, there's location tagging and instant uploading of your pics on hand - as well as a group chat platform called Huddle.

In fact, the Google+ app is already in the Android Market - with a promise that it'll be App Store bound soon too.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA22daAstNg

As we said, it's invite only at the moment - although if your Gmail user, be on the lookout for one.

"Online sharing needs a serious re-think, so it's time we got started. There's just one more thing -really the only thing: You." the blog post reads.

"When your invite arrives we hope you'll join the project. But it's entirely up to +You."

You can ask Google to keep you updated on the invite front over at plus.google.com, or even take a tour of the platform's features. You'll need a Google ID mind.

We'd love to be a fly on the wall at Facebook HQ right now.....

Google+ or Google nonplussed? Let us know using the comments below.

Still Playing Catch-Up on Mobile, Intel Takes Aim at Wearables

Despite having a tough time getting its chips into phones and tablets, Intel is setting its sights on not only doing better than that market, but also on getting its chips into even lower-power devices.

At its developer conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, Intel revealed its smallest-ever chip, known as Quark, designed to go into wearable computers and even products that are swallowed or disposable.

"We want to participate in all segments of computing," Intel's Renee James said on Monday. "We really mean everywhere."

The Quark chips, now sampling, are aimed at a wide range of everyday objects that are expected to gain Internet connections in the coming years. Products using Quark will hit the market next year, James said, adding that the chip is five times smaller than today's Atom processors, and 10 times as power-efficient.

But even as it eyes this new market, Intel is still playing catch-up in the market for phones and tablets - a market dominated by Qualcomm and a host of less well-known competitors including MediaTek and others. However, James said, Intel is making progress in both phones and tablets.

On the tablet side, Intel said that device makers are ready with the first products based on Bay Trail, a new version of its Atom processor based on a new generation of manufacturing technology and designed from the ground up to run on both Windows and Android devices. At one point, Intel had planned Bay Trail for a 2014 introduction, but the company decided that it could not afford to wait that long.

Intel has been placing special emphasis on developing expertise around Android, with James noting that the team devoted to that operating system is now equal to the one focused on Android. On the phone side, Intel is expected to showcase new designs from existing partners such as Lenovo, as well as some from newly acquired customers.

The chipmaker will also use the developer conference to show the first machines running chips (code-named Broad Trail) from Intel's next-generation 14-nanometer process. In addition, Intel is announcing a previously undisclosed version of its Haswell chip that can deliver the same performance as today's Core i5 processors and yet run in low-power machines without a fan.

China-Based Android Developer APUS Lands $100M For New Services And Global Focus

The S.U.R.F.r Wireless Multimedia and Game Controller – control all the things!

We really do love the idea of a universal remote, but just when you think you find one that might be up to snuff with your standards, something better comes along. That's just the nature of technology really, but we can't help but try and keep up with current trends. While the idea of a universal remote is quite swell, it all comes down to whether or not it can control the things you actually care about. If you are addicted to social media, gaming, and watching TV through online sources, then you'll want something that can accommodate.

While this remote we saw before was rather impressive with its touchscreen and minimal design with the bare minimum of buttons, it doesn't quite lend itself much to gaming. The MadCatz S.U.R.F.r is a gaming controller and multimedia remote that will connect to TVs that run Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, M.O.J.O. micro console, and basically anything Android-powered.

This will give you a full QWERTY keyboard, two analog sticks, a D-pad, ABXY buttons, bumpers, and an ergonomic grip. This will let you search and type with ease, or click with precision through the mouse mode cursor. This only recently debuted at the MobileFocus Global 2015 in Barcelona, but can be pre-ordered now for $79.99. This will ship in May of this year, and comes in black, red, or white.

Available for preorder om Madcatz

[ The S.U.R.F.r Wireless Multimedia and Game Controller - control all the things! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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2014 New Fashion Men/women Bluetooth Touch Screen Smart Watch Wrist Wrap Watch Phone for IOS Apple Iphone 4s/5/5c/5s/6 Android Samsung S2/s3/s4/s5/note 2/note 3 Blackberry Nexus HTC Huawei Compare to U8 Watch (Touch Screen Black)

2014 New Fashion Men/women Bluetooth Touch Screen Smart Watch Wrist Wrap Watch Phone for IOS Apple Iphone 4s/5/5c/5s/6 Android Samsung S2/s3/s4/s5/note 2/note 3 Blackberry Nexus HTC Huawei Compare to U8 Watch (Touch Screen Black)

• 1,Touch Screen Bluetooth Watch,Connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously;
• 2,Material: Steel + Silicon;
• 3,Handfree Speaker Phone,Synchronize Phone Book,Message On Watch,Calls vibration;
• 4,Time,Alarm Clock,Anti-loss;
• 5,Music Player,Calorie Pedometer,NFC.

Specification:
1,Bluetooth Version:V3.0+EDR
2,Frequency:2.4GHZ;
3,Operation Distance: up to 10m
4,Support: iPhone,brand Android phone,Bluetooth Phone;
5,Charging time:about 2 hours;Talking time:about 6 hours;Standby time:about one week;
6,Battery type:Lithium battery.
Function Description:
1 Capacitive screen smart Bluetooth Watch;
2 When the Bluetooth connection, you can dial a phone number anywhere on the watch; Android or Apple systems can

Google Videos Application for Android Coming Soon?

Google announced its movie service at GoogleIO where the company and its service would allow for rentals through the Android Market. El Goog also promised device support and it appears that a Google Videos application has surfaced on the Android Market just to be quickly yanked.

The application was available for a short time in the Android Market but those who were lucky enough to grab it report that "it doesn't work on phones yet". While its appearance in the Market is a pretty solid indication of things to come there is no certain information about an availability date. Check out the video of the app in action below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaOhLpsoCA0

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo unboxing video

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ExT8QuBKM

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo gives you great photos every time thanks to its high-quality 8.1-megapixel camera. And when you want to talk face to face in a video call, there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The main camera lets you take advantage of face recognition, so everyone in the picture is in focus. There's also Exmor R technology, which is great for photos in even the lowest light. You won't find these features on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY.

The Latest From Chrome and Android at Google Launch Event

Google will show off the latest in its Chrome and Android lines this morning.

It's no secret that there should be a new Nexus 7 - in fact, Best Buy already has the tablet on sale in 16 gigabyte and 32GB configurations.

Android itself is due for a modest update, as well, going to version 4.3 with improvements in Bluetooth and tweaks other areas.

We're also expecting something called "Chromecast" from Chrome, which will offer another way to get content from a mobile device on to a TV.

Earlier:
9:06 am: Sundar Pichai, SVP of Android, Chrome and Apps, takes the stage.

"At Google I/O, we talked about the fact that we are living at a pivotal moment in computing," he says. "Laptops, tablets, phones, televisions - it's a multiscreen world.

"Our goal is to deliver an experience that is seamless."

Pichai says, "Between Android and Chrome, we have a solution for all the computing devices that users have in their lives."

Two things coming today: A new Android device, a new Chrome device.

By the end of 2013, consumers are going to buy more tablets per year than personal computers. How is Android doing? More than 70 million activated so far.

Almost one in two tablets sold worldwide is based on Android.

A year ago, 20 billion applications downloaded on Google Play. Today, 50 billion. And, revenue per user is up 2.5x in a year. In that year, Google Play has gone from half a billion apps to 1 billion apps.

Pichai: We've worked closely with Asus - the CEO, Jonney Shih is here. The Nexus 7 accounts for more than 10 percent of tablets sold. In Japan, it was the single highest-selling tablet in the holiday season, accounting for 45 percent of sales.

Android exec Hugo Barra hops on stage. We can see he has a tablet in his back pocket.

It's tiny and thin. Barra: It's 2 millimeters thinner, with the same display size but reduced side bezels of 3 mm on either side. And it's 50 grams lighter. "It's a much more comfortable grip, and of course, it fits easily into your purse or jacket." It has the same soft touch with added gloss.

It has higher resolution - from 216 pixels per inch to 323 per inch - the highest of any in the market.

It can show a 30 percent wider range of colors, and has stereo speakers, with Fraunhofer virtual surround sound.

Even more specs: 1.2 MP front camera, 5 MP rear camera. 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, 1.8x CPU, 4x GPU, doubled system memory to 2 GB. Dual band Wi-Fi, BLuetooth 4.0, 4G LTE for any U.S. network. HDMI, NFC, wireless charging. Some extra power compared to the original - 9 hours of HD video and 10 hours of Web browsing.

And it's shipping with Android 4.3, the new version of Jelly Bean.

It has multi-user support with restricted profiles that give control over content and apps at a user level (for example, for parents).

Now Barra is showing off a jigsaw puzzle app on his tablet ... scintillating demo material.

The app hides all the purchasing functionality and only exposes content to the restricted profile that has been approved.

And supporting OpenLG ES 3.0 to support graphics in games.

Here's Ina Fried's dedicated post on the Nexus 7.

Barra says they're going to show car racing with "jaw-dropping visuals." These demos are always a little strange because we're watching them projected on a huge screen, not the tiny tablet.

As a lady shoots people while riding a motorcycle amid lens flares, Barra says it's all rendered in real-time in native 1080p resolution.

Plus, there are new DRM APIs to restrict content access, which Barra says he's "thrilled" about. Really? Oh no, he's actually "thrilled" that Netflix has designed for it. Their new app supporting Android 4.3 is already available.

So when is Android 4.3 coming? They're pushing an update over the air today.

Barra switches over to talk about native Google Apps to show how they look on a tablet. They've redesigned Google Docs, with support for offline spreadsheet editing, etc. Chrome now has "print-quality" text and 15 percent more screen space. It also includes automatic translation.

The new Google Maps includes an "Explore" feature. Barra is gushing about how the layout is "awesome" especially at such a high resolution. And lastly, Google Hangouts - it also includes screensharing so people who are video-chatting can watch each other edit docs on their tablets.

Google Play product manager Ellie Powers shows how tablet apps are featured, and says hundreds of games have added the Google Play game services shown off at Google I/O. She demos some games and leaderboards. For instance, a game that looks like Mario Kart on jet skis now features responsive splashes on the windshield, and a game with a guy jumping across rooftops, parkour-style, has the shadows on the buildings change as you shift perspective.

Google Play will have a textbook section starting in early August, she says, with books from all five major textbook publishers. It'll include purchases as well as rentals for up to an 80 percent discount.

The prices are $229 for 16GB, $269 for 32GB and $349 for unlocked LTE. The first two will be on sale on July 30 at Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, etc. The 4G model will be available "in the coming weeks," as will international launches in countries like the U.K. and Germany.

After a kind of odd Nexus 7 commercial about a kid with braces giving a speech in front of his class and then Googling "how do I ask a girl out," Pichai is back. He's talking TV. He says every single month more than 200 billion videos are watched in the world. And Netflix and YouTube combined have 49.4 percent share of all peak downstream Internet traffic in America. And lots of that is happening on non-TV devices.

A product dude whose name I didn't catch says Google's goals for TV are: "Make it fast and easy to set up, with nothing new to learn, and it works across platforms and devices."

He holds up what looks like a little USB stick, and says it's called Chromecast. It's running a simplified version of Chrome OS. It plugs into the HDMI port on a TV.

Let's say you want to watch YouTube on your TV, he says - you'll go to that site on your phone/table/PC and see a "Cast" button on the screen. When you do that, it's pulled from the cloud and played directly on the TV. Your device doesn't push the content, it comes direct from YouTube.

For the demo, Rishi Chandra comes onstage. In the past, he's the guy who demoed Google TV.

Interestingly, this TV effort is built around Chrome OS, where the previous Google TV was built on Android.

Here's Ina's pullout story on Chromecast.

Oops, and I missed her Android story. She's a busy lady.

"If you know how to use YouTube on your phone, you know how to use YouTube on your TV," Chandra says.

He adds, "Even in sleep mode, the videos continue to play. We don't drain your battery."

But, he says, "we recognize that not everyone has an Android phone. And we need a solution that works for everyone. Let's pretend my wife has an iPhone (heh)." It works the same.

The Cast button can also be used to bring a video back to the phone - if you click it, you can switch to your phone screen and the video will keep playing from the place you left it.

This also works for Netflix. This is the third Netflix callout of the presentation - unusually strong support for a single partner.

Chandra plays the "House of Cards" credits, which are in my opinion possibly awesomer than the show. This demo is to show that you can direct the content from any device that's connected to the Chromecast on the TV.

In this game of dueling remote controls, you can control content between an iPhone, a Nexus 7 and a TV. It's not exactly clear to me how this is coordinated - perhaps it's just the fact that they're on the same Netflix account.

This can also be used for Google Play Music and Pandora, Chandra says. The "Cast" button - which is a little rectangle with arcs in the corner - shows up there, too.

And lastly, a beta feature: You can project any Chrome tab from the browser to the TV.

"We'll project what's on your local device right onto the television - not the entire desktop or the URL bar, but what you want to look at." Chandra keeps emphasizing that the TV is the best screen in the house with the best speakers in the house, so it's ideal for content.

This will work with most Windows and Mac laptops as well as Chromebooks.

Developers won't need to build a new app to work with the Google Cast SDK, which is out in developer preview today.

Actually, the Pandora integration is still under development.

It will retail for $35 and can be ordered today from Amazon, Best Buy and Google Play.

And it will include three months free of Netflix (another Netflix plug/tie-up!) if you buy now.

That concludes the presentation. Bye for now!

Google's Sundar Pichai: One in Two Tablets Is Running Android

Though the iPad seems to get all the attention, Google's Sundar Pichai said that Android is now running on half of the tablets being sold, with more than 70 million Android tablets having been activated.

"Google has made tremendous strides," Pichai said, speaking today at an Android and Chrome event in San Francisco.

To keep things growing, Google on Wednesday is launching an updated version of the Nexus 7 tablet built for Google by Asus. The new black design is thinner, lighter and has a smaller bezel than the first Nexus 7.

It adds a higher-density 1080p display, which packs 323 pixels per inch.

A 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi model will be available for $229, while the 32GB model will sell for $269.

Google is also announcing an unlocked LTE version of the tablet that works with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. That version will sell for $349 and be available in the coming weeks.

The original Nexus 7, Pichai said, accounted for 10 percent of all Android tablets.

Google is also hoping to get more students interested in the Nexus and other Android tablets with a new textbook store. The section of Google Play, which will debut in early August, features the ability to rent or buy textbooks, and will have content from all five major educational publishers.

Android Gets a Modest Update, Adding Improved Bluetooth and Other Niceties

As part of its event on Wednesday, Google announced that the Android operating system is getting an update.

Version 4.3 of the software, still part of the Jelly Bean family, includes support for kids' accounts, which Google has dubbed "restricted profiles." The new Android update also adds support for Bluetooth Smart (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low Energy) as well as OpenGL ES3, the latest version of the 3-D graphics standard.

The first device loaded with Android 4.3 will be the redesigned Nexus 7 tablet that Google announced earlier on Wednesday (and which Best Buy pre-announced even earlier).

Older Nexus 7 devices will get the update, as will the Nexus 4, Galaxy Nexus and some other Nexus devices. The Google Play versions of the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One will get the update soon.

Netflix will be among the first software makers to take advantage of the new update, using it to power 1080p streaming video.

A new Google Play Games app - available from the store and included on the new Nexus 7 - is designed to serve as a destination for Android gamers with leaderboards, achievements and other features often found in such hubs.

AGPtek 7 Colors Changing LED Light Visible Micro USB Charging Data Sync Cable for HTC Samsung Galaxy S3 S4 S5 Note 2 3 HTC One Sony Android Phone and Tablet

AGPtek 7 Colors Changing LED Light Visible Micro USB Charging Data Sync Cable for HTC Samsung Galaxy S3 S4 S5 Note 2 3 HTC One Sony Android Phone and Tablet

• Standard Micro USB Connector which could compatible with most devices that have Micro USB Port.
• With LED lights in full cables, when charging or sync data, you will see Led Light Lights up, very beautiful and cool.
• Sync Data through a USB Port of your Computer/PC/Laptop with this unique Led Light cable
• Charge your device through a computer's USB port or a USB power adapter.
• Package Include: 1 x Micro USB Cable with LED Light

Features:
Type: USB 2.0
Length: About 3.3 ft(1m)
Color: White Cable, 7 Changing Colors Light
The cable will light up if being connected, but the brightness of the led light depends on the distance from the USB connector to the led, much further, much weaker. And the led light will be much effective in darker place. Compatible with: Most Android smart phone and tablet with Micro USB port

Twitter For Android Gets Push Notifications, Multiple Accounts

Twitter just released a new version of its client app for Android smartphones, introducing a couple new features including support for push notifications.

If you want push alerts, you'll need to set your account up for automatic refresh mode, after which you'll be informed of any tweets headed your way by means of the Android notification bar. This has been a long time coming, and really feels like the stand-out feature of this release.

Another useful new feature, though not everyone will take advantage of it, is support for multiple Twitter accounts without having to log in and out. If you've got a personal account alongside one for your professional life, this could be pretty useful.

Though Twitter didn't feel the need to elaborate much on them, this release also reportedly includes a whole bunch of other little improvements, along with the expected collection of bugfixes. One thing we do know you can look for are some changes to update the available home screen widgets.

Twitter 2.1.0 is available for download in the Android Market now.

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