android

Leaked specifications for three new Samsung tablets show some promising additions to its already expansive lineup. Android Community reports that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, in 10.1-inch and 8-inch versions, were leaked in addition to a higher-end 10.1-inch tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 models are rumored to ship with Android 4.1, sport a 1,280x800-pixel resolution, and house a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, as well as a 3-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera, and microSD card slot.

The 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 3 is listed to have 1GB of RAM, in comparison to the … Read more

Facebook Home is a full-on launcher replacement for Android phones that places Facebook's many services at the core of your Android smartphone experience. So if you don't like Facebook, then move on.

Launchers are full-on custom replacements that do more than just give your phone a new coat of paint. Facebook Home not only splashes your home screen with full-screen photos and status updates, but also blurs the line between SMS and Facebook chat. Though your main Android operating system still powers your device under the hood, your phone will hardly be recognizable when compared with the stock … Read more

When Outlook.com was initially released, there were a couple of ways to access it on your Android phone. Microsoft then released an official Outlook.com Android app, but it was really just a rebranded version of the old Hotmail app.

Yesterday, Microsoft released a new version of the Outlook.com app with a completely new interface that's more consistent with Outlook.com for the Web. It has a great new look and some new features, but the ability to add multiple accounts is somewhat hidden. Here's how you can add multiple accounts to the new Outlook.com for Android app:… Read more

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has spent plenty of time in the last few months telling the world that Microsoft was morphing from a software company to one that focuses on devices and services.

Turns out, there's one device that Microsoft has no plans to make anytime soon: a smartphone.

At the Dive into Mobile conference yesterday, Terry Myerson, the vice president in charge of Windows Phone, Microsoft's also-ran of a mobile phone operating system, said that Microsoft would only jump into the business of making a smartphone if its partners, such as Nokia, weren't offering compelling devices.… Read more

The America Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today asking the agency to investigate the four major mobile carriers' security practices in regards to smartphones.

The civil liberties group claims that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are not doing enough to protect users' private and personal data -- specifically on Android devices. The gist of the complaint (PDF) is that these carriers aren't providing users with timely security updates, which the ACLU says is akin to "deceptive and unfair business practice."

"The major wireless carriers have sold millions of … Read more

An inexpensive off-contract Android phone is hard to find, and for $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, MetroPCS' Huawei Premia 4G has a particularly attractive price tag for a 4G Android 4.0 phone.

There are some very decent features for the price point, including a 5-megapixel camera with flash, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor.

Yet, something has to give, and in this case it's the phone's battery life, and to a lesser extent, its voice quality. MetroPCS' 4G LTE network, while steady in my tests, also produces speeds you'd … Read more

Touch laptop prices are headed south. Way south, according to Intel executives.

The price of Intel-based touch devices, including laptops, will sink to price points that penetrate inexpensive tablet territory. These new "innovative" designs will be based on Intel's Atom chip, Intel executives said today during the company's first-quarter earnings conference call.

"If you look at touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks that are ultrathin using [Atom] processors. Those prices are going to be down to as low as $200," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini.

Though neither Otellini or Smith mentioned screen size specifically, those price points … Read more

Back when Microsoft and Symbian ruled the smartphone market, before iOS or the iPhone even existed, Android was an operating system for cameras.

Android co-founder Andy Rubin said today that the operating system, now a dominant force in the smartphone market, was actually built for digital cameras. When smartphones took off, the Android team switched gears and tweaked the system accordingly.

Rubin -- who recently left the Android team to head up a new endeavor within parent company Google -- talked about Android's beginnings at an economic summit in Tokyo, according to PC World.

The Android creators intended to … Read more

AT&T announced today that customers that own an LG Escape can update their devices to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean through a Wi-Fi connection.

A few changes in the new software version include grouping notifications that belong under the same app, and the ability to see the full text or photo of incoming messages in the notifications menu.

In addition, you can also get AT&T DriveMode with the update. Designed to keep drivers from using their phones, the app sends out automatic text responses to incoming texts, e-mails, or calls when it senses that it's … Read more