In the tablet world, Apple’s iPad is pretty much the undisputed market leader. However, that doesn’t stop others from trying to enter the space with tablets of their own.

The next competetor looking to enter the ring is Google, which will reportedly unveal a new Asus-built Nexus tablet at next month’s Google I/O event in San Francisco. The tablet is reported to feature a 7″ screen, be running NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 chip and sell for $199.00 directly from Google’s Play Store.

In addition, the tablet is reported to be running Google’s new Jelly Bean OS instead of Ice Cream Sandwich. No word yet on if it will have anything other than Wifi but we can most likely expect some sort of wireless carrier partnerships will be offered, much like Apple does with AT&T and Verizon.

Whatever happens, with this new tablet announcement expected as well as announcements about new multi-vendor Nexus smartphones, Google’s I/O conference is shaping up to be quite the event. Of course, we’ll keep you updated with news as we get it.

If you’re an Android user who also enjoys using the Google+ social media service, you may have been a bit miffed to see the iOS version of the G+ app get a big update a few weeks ago. Well don’t worry, your time has come.

That’s right, Google today took the wraps off a big update for the Android version of the Google+ app and with it has come several improvements to the UI including the big thing you may love or hate: giant pictures. The new app also makes starting a hangout with your pals possible from a mobiel device.

In addition, there’s also a new navigation ribbon on the left side, much like the desktop version, that features quick shortcuts to all the areas of Google+ you might need to go to. You also get some new transitions as you scroll through feeds, the ability to download pics as wallpaper, the ability to edit posts inline and more.

The new app is available through the Google Play store. So, what do we think?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is going to give multiple smartphone and tablet manufacturers early access to the latest builds of Android to build devices and then sell those directly to consumers through the Play Store. Google will supposedly have these devices ready in time for the launch of the next version of Android, code named Jelly Bean, which is ser to bow in November.

In the past Google has selected one company to make its “Nexus” devices. Most recently, that company was Samsung. Recently, Google began to sell the Galaxy Nexus directly through its Play Store and had a page of the store dedicated to devices plural. This, of course, begged the question as to what other devices were going to be sold there. Perhaps this new development answers that question.

According to the Journal’s source, this new plan would give Google “more control over the apps that run on smartphones and tablets powered by Android, thus reducing the influence of wireless carriers over such devices.” Gotta say, that sounds pretty good as I think carriers have way too much influence as it is.

Continue Reading →

The war for dominance in the social media space will never really be won. Even with Facebook and Twitter dominating the scene at the moment, there’s always going to be other players looking to draw eyeballs and attention to their networks and platforms.

One such player in this war is search giant Google, whose Google+ social network debuted towards the end of last year. Sadly, even with some impressive user numbers, over 100 Million at last count, a new study suggests that “social activity and user engagement” on the service is far from good. In fact, it’s downright terrible.

Over at Fast Company, the findings of an RJ Metrics study that analyzed data from a sample of 40,000 public Google+ accounts in an effort to determine just how successful the social network is was revealed. The reports main conclusion? Google+ is a ghost town.

According to the report, the average post on Google+ gets fewer than one “+1,” the equivalent of a “like” on Facebook, and fewer than one reply. Links and other items shared publicly by Google+ users are re-shared just 0.17 times per post, on average. In addition, users averaged about one post every 12 days, usage per user declines each month after they make their first public post and about 30% of users who make a first public post never make another one.

As a daily user of Google+ (here’s my profile) I find this report interesting. On the surface it paints a pretty grim picture of Google+ and its user base. However, it only takes into account public post on the service, something I almost never make.

Continue Reading →

Perhaps this is a good thing and will lead to those much-desired turn by turn directions on the iPhone that users have wanted? Let’s hope so.

What am I talking about? Well, it seems Apple has decided to get rid of Google Maps in iOS 6 and going for an in house solution instead. According to the folks at 9to5Mac, the mapping solution will be in-place for the next major version of the mobile operating system, combining technologies from the acquisition of Placebase, C3 Technologies and Poly9.

According to reports, the new maps app will feature a state of the art 3D mode with graphics provided by C3. The look and features of said 3D maps will supposedly “blow your head off”, at least according to the report.

As someone who’s used both iOS and Android, it’s very clear which has the superior maps application with far more features including turn by turn. With Apple and Google moving farther apart it makes sense that Apple would want to go out on its own this way.

Competition is good and let’s hope that leads to a better maps experience in iOS 6. We expect this to be revealed in much more detail during Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Dev Conference next month.

Google+ hasn’t quite caught on with people as much as something like Twitter or Facebook, at least not yet. However, that hasn’t stopped Google from trying make it the best social networking experience possible.

Going a long way towards that goal is the update to its Google+ app or iOS users, which the company rolled out late yesterday. With the new update, users will see a completely redone user experience and Google’s goal is to basically simplify and beautify Google+. They released a statement on this new philosophy:

To be clear, we’re not interested in a mobile or social experience that’s just smaller. We’re embracing the sensor-rich smartphone (with its touchable screen and high-density display), and transforming Google+ into something more intimate, and more expressive.

Sounds good. And if you check out the app, you can see they’ve done pretty much what they set out to do. The new version of the app is extremely well done and, dare we say it, quite beautiful.

Continue Reading →

To some, the arrival of the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE is even more momentous than the recent announcement of the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Count me as one in this camp.

As a Verizon customer I’ve been waiting for something cool to hit the network which sports a lot of great new features and runs on Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich). This new device from HTC just may fit the bill.

For various reasons, we are not at the CTIA conference in New Orleans right now. However, the folks at Droid Life are and they managed to get some pics and video of the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE (that’s a mouthful) and have graciously shard it with the world at large.

According the site, their initial reaction to seeing the device in the flesh (so to speak) was: “Smallish device with some great specs that will be a winner if priced right.” That pretty much jives with what we thought.

I would also agree with Droid Life’s assessment that this device isn’t the HTC One X or even the S. It fills a different segment of HTC’s market and will probably do pretty well.

If I didn’t hate AT&T so much I would consider an unlocked HTC One X or, perhaps, even this one with Verizon. However, for the moment, I will stick with the Galaxy Nexus unlocked on T-Mobile and my trusty iPhone 4S. I think that’s a great couple of devices.

Anyone have any other opinions? Also, be sure to check out the video after the break.

Continue Reading →

Not sure what we were really hoping for here, but regardless, it’s nice to see the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE finally make an “official” appearance. That’s right, today HTC and Verizon made the new device official this morning, complete with specs.

However, they didn’t announce a price or release date just yet, saying only that it would be arriving “In the coming weeks.” As we discussed previously, the device has the following specs: 4-inch qHD Super LCD display, a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, expandable storage, 1700mAh battery, 4G LTE, an 8-megapixel camera, Beats Audio and Sense 4 atop Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Not bad but, not earth shattering either. This is obviously being positioned as a mid-range device and isn’t really supposed to be direct competition for HTC’s flagship One X or even the One S.

Still, if you’re looking for a solid Android device on Verizon’s network for what will most likely be a reasonable price point (think $199 with contract) this could be a great option. Check out Verizon’s full press release after the break.

Continue Reading →

It’s a great day for Android and Samsung fans as the company has officially announced their brand new smartphone, the Galaxy SIII, at a press conference in London. The new device features all the latest goodness including a 4.8″ HD Super AMOLED display, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, 2100mAh battery, NFC, 16/32GB on-board storage, up to 64GB of expandable storage and Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich). All that and it’s only 8.6mm thick.

In addition, it does seem to have physical home buttons and will be released in Europe at the end of May. A late June release for a 4G version in the U.S. is currently planned, although that could change.

Check out the full specs after the break (curtesy of the fine folks at Droid-Life). We’ve also got a coupe videos from Samsung including a hands-on as well as their new commercial for the device.

Check it all out after the break. So, anyone excited for this new device or are you all sticking with your iPhones?

Continue Reading →

When you think of companies who innovate and come out with compelling new features ahead of the competition, Apple may spring to mind as a leader in that area. However, as this new commercial from Android seeks to remind you, Apple isn’t always first with new, innovative concepts and products.

In fact, where the “cloud” is concerned at least, it would seem Apple is well behind another upstart tech company: Google. Today’s newly released Galaxy Nexus/Android commercial highlights that idea. In a nutshell, the commercial reminds users (and potential users) that you don’t need a separate “cloud” service add-on to take advantage of those features in an Android/Google world, you just need an account. An account you probably already have.

To take advantage of this service, simply sign-in to your Google account on your Android phone and you have access to it all: email, contacts, calendars, browser info, and more. It’s really that simple.

Let’s face it, Apple is a great company that does a lot of things well. Sadly, they haven’t ever really gotten the whole “cloud” thing right. Not with .mac, not with Mobile Me and not really with iCloud either. Google, on the other hand, has done a great job and was pretty much there from the beginning before the “cloud” was even a thing. Let’s give credit where credit is due. Google does it right.

Check out the new commercial after the break.

Continue Reading →

You may not be aware of it but a series of games from Rovio about a bunch of birds angry enough at some pigs to fly over them and drop bombs shaped like eggs is doing pretty well. So well, in fact, that the original Angry Birds and its subsequent versions have sold millions of copies. In fact, there’s even making a movie about the birds.

This week the company updated its latest incarnation, Angry Birds Space, for the Android OS. With this update comes a new ice planet containing ten brand new levels. What more could you want for a Wednesday morning?

I don’t know about you but I find this game a great way to kill some time waiting in line at the post office or at the DMV. Even though some may think its over-hyped, if it provides fun and a bit of distraction, it’s a success in my book.

To get the update, or to get the game in the first place, head on over to the Google Play store and pick it up.

As with all cutting edge technology, something else comes along to displace the “new hot thing” very shortly after the new hot thing comes out. Case in point this time around is the flagship Android smartphone known as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Today, the contract-free price for the device has dropped to $399.00, down a hundred bucks. It’s now available from Google’s online Google Play Store for that price.

In case you haven’t been following the rise of this particular device, it was originally released last October and launched on Verizon Wireless in mid-December. But even though it’s been around for several months, it’s still got some very good specs.

Some of these specs include a 4.65-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and GSM/HSPA compatibility with both AT&T and T-Mobile.

The best part is that this phone is unlocked and you can take advantage of some pretty good SIM only deals from AT&T or T-Mobile. At this price, it’s pretty tempting indeed.