About Author: Edgar Cervantes

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Posts by Edgar Cervantes

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Beats Audio now unofficially available for all Android devices

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Applications, HTC, NewsFeed, Rooting, Video

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One of HTC’s latest boasting material is the fact that its devices exclusively come with Beats Audio integration. But users are simply out of the loop if they are not HTC device owners. XDA Developers member RockoDev has just solved this issue, porting the Beats Audio software to all non-HTC devices.

Granted, the software probably won’t work as well as it does with HTC devices. But it will surely bring some sound improvements to your tunes. Users are reporting great audio quality, with better bass and much clearer sound.

HTC brought some improvements to Beats Audio with its newest UI overlay, HTC Sense 4.0. The software now allows third-party apps to take advantage of Beats Audio’s improved sound quality. And the API is available for all developers that want to jump in.

Users will need to have root access in order to flash the Beats Audio software, so the usual disclaimer applies. Doing this may void your warrant and/or harm your device. Do this at your own risk, as no one but you is held liable in case anything goes wrong.

If you are still feeling like improving your music experience, head over to the XDA Developers site for more details. Also, check out the developer’s video, which walks you through the process of flashing the software.

[Source: XDA Developers Via: Android Central]

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Video: Augmented reality at its finest, soon to take a bigger leap

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Industry News, NewsFeed

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While augmented reality has been part of the mobile industry for quite some time, it hasn’t taken off. While we were busy drooling over the hottest new gadgets, companies like Aurasma and Total Immersion were showcasing the future of augmented reality. And we must say, it looks amazing.

TechCrunch’s Jay Donovan managed to stop by both companies’ booths, and has some video for your viewing pleasure. The first comes from Aurasma, and it displays augmented reality-powered advertising at its greatest. After pointing your camera at a poster, the picture becomes a playing video on the device’s screen.

We are rather impressed by how seamless and fluid the demo looks. Imagine walking around the mall, and seeing demos or demonstrations of products without even walking into a store. Or handing out textbooks with video available for students.

The second video is about Total Immersion’s technology. This demo seems more like a fun one, rather than one that displays the functionality of such features. What makes this augmented reality app more surprising is how smooth it runs on an Android tablet’s OMAP processor.

The app puts accessories on your face, making it seem like you are wearing a helmet, hat or sunglasses. This is nothing new, but it is impressive how smooth it was. The accessories followed and turned with your head perfectly, as the user moves.

As mentioned, the possibilities of such technology are endless. And we are reaching the point at which it is efficient enough to start using it in our daily lives. As it becomes a much more productive form of communication, we will surely start seeing some posters and billboards with augmented reality videos.

[Via: TechCrunch 1, 2]

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ROM: Virtuous S4X – First Android 4.0, Sense 4.0 ROM

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: HTC, HTC EVO 3D, NewsFeed, Rooting

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If you are an HTC user with a passion for custom ROMs, this might be one of the most exciting news in a while. We have just seen the HTC One series and HTC Sense 4 being announced at Mobile World Congress. It will be a while before these phones hit the streets. But if you do not feel like waiting, the virtuousROM team has recently released Virtuous S4X, with Android 4.0.3 and Sense 4.0.

The ROM is based on an HTC Endeavor (HTC One X) leaked RUU (0.96.401.2), and is available for the HTC Sensation and GSM HTC EVO 3D. There are many bugs, but it seems like the ROM can perform most essential tasks. The guys from MobileSyrup have put together a video, in which the ROM is shown in all its Sense 4.0 glory.

It runs rather smoothly, so it might be a good ROM to try out. Of course, there is the usual disclaimer: Rooting and installing custom ROMs may void your warranty and/or affect the functionality of your device. Do your research and follow all steps carefully as the responsibility would fall solely on your hands if something goes wrong.

With that out of the way, adventurous users can head over to XDA Developers and take a look at the ROM. All the details are listed there, so flash away! Are any of you trying out this custom ROM?

[Source: XDA Developers Via: MobileSyrup]

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Leak: Verizon LG Cayman and Droid Figther release dates

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Handsets, NewsFeed, Rumors, Verizon

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Verizon didn’t have anything exciting to show at MWC, but that does not mean that the carrier is not bringing some new devices soon. The latest leak comes from Droid-Life, who’s sources sent in a screenshot of Verizon’s upcoming devices schedule.

The most important bit of information is located towards the middle of the list. There is the LG Cayman and the DROID Fighter, which we have already seen getting release dates before. This leak also states that the devices will come in March 29 and April 12, respectively.

The LG Cayman is believed to be a device previously known as the LG Lucid 4G, while the Droid Fighter continues to be a mystery. We do not even know what manufacturer is making it. If you are waiting for something from HTC, though. You might be a bit excited to see that the HTC Fireball (also known as HTC Incredible 4G) is in the list, albeit without a release date. But we are expecting this one to be unveiled sooner than later.

As usual, take all of this with a grain of salt, as it continues to be unofficial information. We are yet to see more details about said devices, but hopefully some specs start surfacing soon. Are any of you planning to upgrade soon? Which phone would you like to get?

[Source: Droid-Life]

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Custom kernel brings improved screen performance to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Galaxy Nexus, Handsets, NewsFeed, Rooting, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Nexus

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The Samsung Galaxy Nexus sports an HD Super AMOLED display that is currently blowing our minds, but it seems it is not perfect. XDA Developers member mumchristmas has taken it upon himself to investigate just how great this display was, and came up with some disappointing findings.

The user used an application called Voodoo Screen Test, and he found the following issues with Google’s flagship device:

  • Average Gamma value is about 1.9, far from the ISO stand 2.2. So the color is just too bright (I’m not saying screen brightness).
  • The shadow part (0-40% gray level) of 3 color curve were almost out of trim. In another words, inaccurate color balance.
  • As the color unbalance. The color temperature is starting from lower than 5500K to 6500K, which the ISO stand is 6500K at any color level.

It was not possible to fix the gamma value issues, but the user’s custom kernel is able to improve the device’s color balance and temperature. The custom kernel comes with ColorControl function. After installing this, as well as a new Android structure file, the color balance is said to be substantially improved.

In order to get this kernel, you can simply head over to XDA Developers and check out mumchristmas’ thread. As always, be careful, this may void your warranty, and it is no one’s responsibility if something happens to your device.

With that said, check it out if you feel like getting a better display experience. And don’t forget to come back and let us know how it works.

[Source: XDA Developers Via: XDA Developers]

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Less than 1 million Google TV’s out there – but why so few?

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Google TV, NewsFeed, Rumors

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After becoming the most popular mobile platform, Android continues to get stronger, with over 850 thousand activations a day. Not every Android type of device is doing as great, though. We know that Google TV sales are not doing as well as they could, despite its most recent, and substantial, improvements.

According to a recent study conducted by Xiologic, there are less then 1 million Google TV units out there. Such number is acquired from the number of app downloads these smart televisions get from the Android Market. Needless to say that this method is not the most reliable, but it does get a good approximation and gives us an idea of how strong Google TV is, at the moment.

We have seen Logitech give up on this platform, and Sony is not producing any new Google TV devices. Reliable inside sources have previously told us that some new Sony Google TV’s were set to come to the market, with the product almost ready for production. But the Japanese manufacturer decided to give up on that project, and just bring a Google TV 2.0 update to its current iterations.

Said TVs never came to light, and prototypes were destroyed after the decision was made. The matter is now in the past, and no longer relevant to the consumer, as the product will never be released. But this proves that Google TV has a long way to go before it truly becomes successful.

Google TV saw some great improvements, now having access to the Android Market, which was the biggest request. But apps are scarce, as developers are not very inspired by such quantity of devices out there. It is yet unclear how things will turn out once Apple TV is released. But we hope that Google and the manufacturers have something good up their sleeves.

As usual, we would like to know how our readers see this. Do you guys like Google TV? What do you think Google could do to make its product more enticing?

[Via: GTVHub]

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Key Lime Pie to be the next Android version after Jelly Bean?

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: NewsFeed

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Rumors float around the internet like pancakes on a Sunday morning. For today’s dosage, we have a “reliable source” stating that the next Android version to come, after Jelly Bean, will be called Key Lime Pie.

There are no details about said software version, much like Jelly Bean, other than the code name. But we suppose it is always fun to learn bits and pieces about future products. And while people might be getting ahead of themselves, this is part of the awesome naming strategy that Google runs for its mobile OS.

We can have some fun with this rumor, and you should also have a bit of salt at hand. But for now, let’s keep it fun while we focus on what Jelly Bean will be bringing.

What do you guys say? Does Key Lime Pie sound delicious enough?

[Via: The Verge Image By: WordMan1]

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Israel Samsung Galaxy S II users getting Android 4.0 on March 15

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: Handsets, NewsFeed, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy S II

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As we keep waiting for manufacturers to update our devices, Samsung’s Israeli division has brought a little light to our darkness. The company has posted, on its official Facebook page, that Galaxy S II users would be getting an Ice Cream Sandwich update come March 15th.

The Android 4.0 upgrade is said to come to both carrier-locked and SIM-free versions. This is leading us to believe that there is a slight possibility that the update could be coming to the international version soon, as well. Details about the matter are scarce, though.

Regardless, this probably means that other countries will get it soon, as well. Except for the US, which has carrier-specific Galaxy S II versions. The process should take a bit longer for American Galaxy S II devices. Let’s just stay tuned and wait until we hear more about this. You can be sure that we will be here to tell you about it.

[Source: Samsung Israel (Facebook) Via: Electronista]

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ASUS confirms PadFone release to come in April

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 4, 2012Posted in: ASUS, Handsets, NewsFeed, Tablets

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The ASUS PadFone may have taken some time to come around, after being announced over a year ago, for the first time. The trio surely managed to still get a good impression, though, as it is one of the most unique devices we saw at Mobile World Congress. But there has been no details about availability until today.

According to ASUS’ official Google+ account, the PadFone will be released in April (mentioned in the comments). And while there are still no details on pricing and other specifics, ASUS did tell us we should hear more about that in a few weeks.

More than anything, we would like to know where this device is going to be released during that time period. With our luck, the list probably won’t include the US, just yet. It would have to go through a carrier, so let’s hope that one of the US-specific ones has it planned to release this bad boy in time.

It may not be your quad-core beast, but its specs are nothing to scoff at. Not to mention that its accessories offer an almost unbeatable functionality. Are any of you thinking about getting this one?

[Source: ASUS (Google+)]

Thanks, Reiththestud!

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Android Overload: GO Launcher HD Beta, Samsung Galaxy S III benchmark, Apple vs. Samsung, upcoming Verizon devices and more

By
Edgar Cervantes
– March 3, 2012Posted in: NewsFeed, Roundups

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Android Overload is where we bring you all the news that are interesting, but didn’t manage to make it to our main page. Today we have a flurry of good news that might be of interest to you. So make sure to look through them and see if there may be anything that calls your attention.

If you are a fan of tablet launchers, you might want to check out GO Launcher HD Beta, as the launcher is very popular among smartphone launchers. We also have some rumored Galaxy S III benchmarks, as well as some leaked information about upcoming Verizon devices. And let’s not forget our daily dose of patent wars news, this time featuring Apple and Samsung.

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