Android Atlas

HTC is planning to take a page out of Samsung's book by launching a "Google Edition" of its One smartphone.

That's the word, at least, from unidentified sources for Geek.com, who claim that HTC is planning to launch its flagship handset, the One, with a stock version of Android 4.2.2. The current model available to customers is running an HTC-modified version of the software.

By launching a Google Edition, HTC would be following the lead of the company it's chasing in the mobile space, Samsung. At the Google I/O conference earlier … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- When it comes to emerging tech, crazy accessories, and carrier news, you can always count on a mobile conference to deliver.

CTIA 2013 was a much quieter show than in years past, with the biggest carriers and manufacturers largely opting out to focus on their own launch events.

While this confab felt the brunt of companies' shifting strategies, the absence of the brightest stars meant that we had time to scope out other finds that are usually drowned out in the din.

Future shows are expected to regain CTIA's breakneck pace and vigor. A move to … Read more

Though the official 2013 hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, the news earlier this week out of Moore, Okla., is a sobering reminder that dangerous weather comes in many forms, and you often don't know where the next disaster may strike. Even now, many states are being pounded by heavy storms as the cleanup from the tornado in Moore is still under way.

Recently, I collected a few weather apps that are great for a quick glance at the weather, but those apps won't help you much in severe weather conditions. For more-serious weather activity, … Read more

Do you keep the receipts for everything you buy? Like me, you've probably noticed that the ones printed on thermal paper can begin to disappear over time. Soon, you're left with only a blank piece of paper that can't act as a proof of purchase or help you at tax time.

Wednesday's update to Google Drive on Android lets you easily store all of your receipts and even search through them. Doesn't a nice digital archive sound better than piles, folders, or boxes of receipts all over your home? Here's how to … Read more

AT&T's rivals could start seeing red over the carrier's exclusive lock on the Samsung Galaxy S4's latest hue.

The Aurora Red shade of the 16GB Galaxy S4 goes on sale to AT&T customers starting June 14, though pre-orders begin May 24.

AT&T seems to have a special affinity for red shades; just about a year ago it also scored exclusive U.S. rights to sell the GS4 predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3, in a shade of red. Later, that color and others became available globally.

While AT&T may have … Read more

Google Now's interface sensibilities are spilling over into other Google services.

The latest recipient of a healthy dose of the Now virtual assistant is Google Drive, which updated its Android app on Wednesday with several new features.

A new Scan feature lets you back up and track important receipts, business cards, and documents by using existing optical character recognition (OCR) tech already in Drive. Choose Scan from the "Add New" menu, take a photo of the document, and Drive will automatically turn it into a searchable PDF.

The new interface leverages the Cards look from Google+ and … Read more

With high-quality digital cameras on every smartphone and apps that make your pictures even better, just about anyone can be an accomplished photographer. Sure, you may not be an accomplished photographer in any serious sense, but you can certainly upload your images to photo-sharing sites to get them out to the public and receive feedback to make your shots even better.

As most people know, there are a number of popular services already out there that let you take your shot, add effects and other enhancements, then upload it for all to see. But the other thing that's great … Read more

Google made searching in Chrome for Android a bit easier with an update Wednesday to the browser.

The latest stable version of Google Chrome 27 for Android (download) now displays search queries in the location bar's Omnibox. The change obfuscates the URL display during searches, to show more results and make it easier to tweak the search terms, according to the Google blog announcing the update.

Another tweak hides the location bar entirely once you start scrolling, so that you can view a Web page in fullscreen. History viewing has finally made it to the tablet version of Android … Read more

A pair of yet-to-be-announced HTC smartphones surfaced this week, tipping the hardware maker's future plans.

An HTC 102e currently getting its certification (translate) in Taiwan may prove to be a variation of the rumored G2.

Details show the handset as having a 3.5-inch 320x480-pixel display, a 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the entry-level device should feature a microSD expansion card and a 1400mAh battery. The 102e reportedly will debut as the Desire 200 and could be exclusive to the Asian market.

An … Read more