Video Archive

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Nexus Q Easter Egg Transforms The Device Into A Magic 8 Ball – Still Doesn’t Know Chuck Norris’ Power Level [Video]

By
Chris Chavez
– July 3, 2012Posted in: Applications, NewsFeed, Video

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I actually discovered this over the weekend while showing off the Nexus Q at my buddy’s house (other than it’s good looks, really, there wasn’t much to show off), but since it has been making the rounds across the Android blogs, I figured I’d post it here for those that haven’t seen it — especially since you’re more than likely to pass up a purchase on the Nexus Q.

Like the fun loving boys at Google so often do, they’ve included an “Easter egg” inside the Nexus Q that when activated (tap the black ball 8 times), transforms the device into a glowing Magic 8 Ball of sorts, answering your most sought after questions. Okay, well maybe it doesn’t answer much of anything. The Q mostly just gives you attitude, saying everything from “No” to, “I’m tired,” rarely ever giving you a straight answer. Pointless? Maybe. Fun? You’re damn right. Check out our video below for the Easter egg in action.

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HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE unboxing [VIDEO]

By
Quentyn Kennemer
– July 2, 2012Posted in: Featured, Handsets, HTC, NewsFeed, Verizon, Video

Verizon announced the release date for the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE today, and now we have one of the very first looks at the device just days ahead of that July 5th due date.

It houses a 1.2GHz dual-core S4 processor by Qualcomm, 1GB of RAM, a 4 inch qHD display, an 8 megapixel 1080p HD camera with flash, a front-facing camera, 8GB of internal storage (~1GB for apps and ~5GB for media, but comes with a microSD card slot), a 1,700 mAh battery, NFC, and much more.

For software, there’s the usual Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0 combination and Verizon’s crop of custom apps. Be sure to stay on the lookout for our official reviews in the coming days, but be sure to check out our quick look at the device in the YouTube video above.

If you have any specific questions you want answered in the review be sure to leave them here and I’ll do my best to get them all.

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Jelly Bean Brings Liveness Upgrade to Android’s Face Unlock [VIDEO]

By
Rob Jackson
– June 29, 2012Posted in: Android OS, NewsFeed, Video

Remember when the Galaxy Nexus launched and everyone got all hot and bothered when it was tricked by a pic? With this week’s launch of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the Nexus 7, Google has improved the Face Unlock feature with a “Liveness Check” that requires the subject to blink to prove they’re a real person.

I would still argue that the Face Unlock feature is less for advanced security and more for convenience. Rather than swiping a pattern every time, you can simply hold your tablet or phone up and you’re done. If you really need advanced security for your device you should be looking for a much better system.

The “Liveness Check” update is a nice little improvement, but not one I’ll personally use. As previously stated, I’d use Face Unlock for convenience (although I don’t) and adding a “blink check” is an additional step: at that point I might as well use the pattern unlock. Still, some might be reassured by the inclusion and it’s nice to see Google listening and acting on user feedback.

Question: if the original Face Unlock was fooled by a pic, could the Face Unlock Liveness Check be tricked by an animated pic/gif?

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Google launches Glass Sessions to show off Project Glass concept

By
Kevin Krause
– June 29, 2012Posted in: NewsFeed, Video

Google’s Project Glass won’t be ready for general consumption for some time. Developers are getting an early look at prototype devices early next year (we’ll be grabbing a few), and the plan then is to refine the device for a public release closer to 2014. Obviously, the concept still needs a bit more time in the oven. They don’t call it futuristic for nothing.

For those intrigued by what Google is doing with Glass, a new series of videos has launched called Glass Sessions. The first of which shows how Glass can be used to capture all the special moments that come along with raising a child, as well as easily share live video via a Hangout with a parent in a far away place. It’s just one of the many ways Google hopes to show the usefulness of Glass in our everyday life.

While it may be a bit hard to imagine using a device like Glass right now, the video perfectly demonstrates how seamless using the heads-up display can really be. Sure, it might take some time to get past how goofy you will look with a pair strapped across your brow, but there is no denying that Project Glass opens up a world of possibilities.

[via Google+]

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How to access Google Now and Google Search from within any app in Jelly Bean 4.1 [VIDEO]

By
Quentyn Kennemer
– June 29, 2012Posted in: Android OS, NewsFeed, Video

I was one of many who missed their dedicated search button upon moving over to the Galaxy Nexus. Google only limited the  navigation buttons to home, back, and recent apps (with the occasional need to access a smaller menu button for legacy apps).

Welp, the search button which allows you to launch Google search is back in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but not in the conventional way. If you didn’t know, you can hold your finger down on the home button.

After a half second pause, you’ll be able to drag your finger to a Google icon. Release your finger once you get there and you’re jumped straight into Google Now.

It’s a very quick and painless process, and while some may prefer the ability to just press a search button and have the dialog come up, this is very intuitive, quick to get used to, and just something that makes Jelly Bean stand out from the rest.

[Update]: it appears holding the home button isn’t even necessary: you can simply swipe up and access Google Now even faster. More than that, you don’t even need to use the home button: the back and recent apps button work just as well! [Thanks everyone!]

Verizon version

GSM version

Sprint version

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Say goodbye to AirPush: you can now disable notifications in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean [VIDEO]

By
Quentyn Kennemer
– June 29, 2012Posted in: Android OS, NewsFeed, Video

As excited as I was to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on my Galaxy Nexus I’ve been going through every nook and cranny that I can. Another cool feature that went unseen in Google’s keynote is the ability to disable notifications.

I don’t know if you remember that story I wrote on AirPush, the service that allows developers to serve ads up to your notifications bar.

I was appalled that something like this existed, and even more appalled that developers thought it was a good idea to get on board.

There have since been third party solutions to take care of AirPush, but there’s now no need to download an app whose sole purpose is to get rid of another app’s notifications.

Google gives you the ability to disable any app’s notifications at the system level. Tired of AirPush-enabled apps? Download the app and simply disable its notifications.

Don’t need to be reminded to water your crops in Farmgame V1550? Just go into its app info page and disable them in one very quick second.

While I’m not sure something like this qualifies for the “killer feature” or “killer app” tag, it’s definitely a must have feature that I will cherish for as long as Android sticks around (which should be a very, very long time).

If you’ve got a Galaxy Nexus and you want to try Jelly Bean out be sure to follow the links below. We’re still searching for some gummy love for you Sprint users out there.

Verizon version

GSM version

Sprint version

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Take A Quick Tour Of The “Android Floor” At Google I/O 2012 [Video]

By
Chris Chavez
– June 28, 2012Posted in: NewsFeed, Video

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We only have one more day left of Google I/O 2012 and as the second day winds down to a close, I wanted to make sure you guys weren’t feeling left out. To better give you guys an idea of what you can expect, should you ever snag yourself one of those magical golden tickets, I shot this quick video of the 3rd floor of Moscone center. Better known as the Android floor, it’s decorated with Android vendors and developers showing off their wares as huge statues of our beloved Bug Droid decorate then entire floor. You know you really have an addiction when the first thing that enters your mind is how cool it would look to decorate your own home in a similar fashion. The rest of the world may not understand me, but you do… right? Check out my video for more.

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Hands-on with the Nexus Q Media Streaming device (and using the Nexus 7 remote) [VIDEO]

By
Quentyn Kennemer
– June 28, 2012Posted in: Accessories, ASUS, NewsFeed, Tablets, Video

You’ve already seen the Nexus Q, Google’s media streaming orb that looks stylish and is a lot more flexible than comparable competition, get unboxed by the Phandroid crew at Google I/O, but you haven’t seen our quality time with the device.

Rob and the crew set the device up and show you how you can stream your music, movies, television, and recorded/downloaded videos to your home entertainment system (or a laughably small television in the case of their hotel room).

They use the Nexus 7 remote to control it all and show you why this could be a hot commodity despite its $300 price tag. You can find the hands-on video above if you want to see this stunning little orb in action.

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Makes Your Old Galaxy Nexus Feel Like New Again [VIDEO]

By
Quentyn Kennemer
– June 28, 2012Posted in: Galaxy Nexus, Handsets, NewsFeed, Samsung, Video

Wondering what your Galaxy Nexus will look like once it’s gotten Jelly Bean 4.1? Chris and the gang have pulled the upgrade down to their Google I/O-provided handsets to take a look at how this operating system performs on phones. Chris focuses on Project Butter’s ability to make the Galaxy Nexus’ dated (but still not bad) processor look like it’s a quad-core beast.

He also gives us a look at the new camera preview features and shows us an option to boot into safe mode. Of course, if you want to try any of these features out yourself on your Galaxy Nexus there’s no need to use the shoddy Android emulator: find more details about how you can install it on your own Galaxy Nexus right here. Here’s what Chris had to say about the update:

If there was one feature I was most excited about it in the new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, it was Project Butter. This was something I even passed along to Matias Duarte in my chat with him, right before he told me that I was his favorite part of Android 4.1, kissed me on the forehead and exploded into a pile of jelly beans (that last part may, or may have not actually happened).

When Android 4.0 first came onto the scene, it was supposed to address some of the stutters and choppiness that have long been associated with older versions of the Android UI, and although it did make things smoother in some areas, it was inconsistent. For instance, app drawer was smooth (although some stutters on the Galaxy Nexus), but the homescreen remained choppy as all heck. Of course, I shrugged this off thinking this meant nothing more than I needed to get myself a new phone with a more powerful processor.

We’ve seen Jelly Bean running on the Nexus 7, and it was pretty much a no brainer as to why it was so smooth — it’s powered by a freakin’ Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, with 12-core GPU, for goodness sakes. Butter or not, the UI on Ice Cream Sandwich with a Tegra is smooth as silk (but still not butter). What I really wanted to know was, how well this “butter” would translate to the aging Galaxy Nexus and it’s fairly weak dual-core processor (complimented by an even weaker GPU).

Late last night, the Galaxy Nexus (the one we got from Google I/O) received its Jelly Bean OTA update and I wanted to show you guys the new user experience on the phone, and see if Project Butter would live up to the hype. Did it fall short? Is Project Butter on the Galaxy Nexus nothing more than “Project Stutter?” Watch the video and find out.

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Unboxing the Nexus 7 [Video]

By
Kevin Krause
– June 28, 2012Posted in: ASUS, NewsFeed, Tablets, Video


You’ve already seen us go hands-on with the newly unveiled Nexus 7 tablet from Google and ASUS, so let’s rewind things a bit. This is the Nexus 7 before it has been ripped from its packaging and all the anxiousness and anticipation that goes along with it. What’s in the box? Well you’ll just have to watch to find out.

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