The Android App Show (video)

NewsApple has been granted the slide-to-unlock patent. * source link (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/every-android-device-now-infringes-apple-patent-slide-to-unlock/5199) * Every Android Phone Affected * Face Unlock Feature * BlackBerry Not Affected Samsung Sales Beat Apple * source link (http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-apple-smartphone-market-share-2011-10) * 11 Million Unit Gap * Apple Momentum is Negetive * Of Course We Have a Graph Google TV is Back with Apps! * source link (http://www.google.com/tv/index.html) * Sony Gets Update First * Not All Apps Will Work * Relaunching Google TV Show App Reviews Guns ‘n’ Glory WW2 * Market Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hg.gunsandglory2free) Techno Kitten Adventure * Market Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.game.tka)

New Features of Ice Cream Sandwich * This version supports both tablets and phones * Just like Honeycomb, it supports on-screen only buttons * Widgets are resizable (a feature already in many 3rd party launcher replacements) * The app drawer has been reconfigured to have a widgets tab * Folder creation works like iOS * Screenshots via the power button + volume down button * Notifications are richer and include music controls, also can be dismissed with a swipe like CyanogenMod * Text selection and copy/paste has been improved * Face Unlock * Unlock screen now allows you to jump into apps * Quick response now available for incoming calls so you can deny the call with a cookie-cutter text message or create your own text * Voice to text has been improved, is much quicker and now supports continuous dictation * Browser now supports tabs and lets you easily switch to the desktop version of a site * Contacts are now People and it is much more tightly integrated with Google+, Facebook, and Twitter * Google+ supports video Hangouts, not sure if this is backwards compatible because it is a feature of the new Google+ app * Data Usage is tracked on a per-app basis, both app use and background data tracked separately * Users can create warnings and hard limits on data usage * Camera: image stabilization, face detection, panorama, time lapse, and some cool one-click touch-ups * NFC “bump” capability to share information * New multitasking interface like Honeycomb’s * Honeycomb’s calendar widget * Live video effects processed by the GPU * Wi-Fi Direct enables devices to directly connect without a router and transmit information at extremely fast * Bluetooth HDP (Health Device Profile) enables connectivity to a new generation of health devices * Distinct tool types of input (stylus, finger, mouse, and eraser) * 5-button mouse support * Hover-enter and hover-exit events * Support for game controllers (USB and Bluetooth) * Finally enhanced accessibility: * during setup the user can draw a clockwise square starting with the top left corner and the setup will change to accessibility mode * explore-by-touch mode changes input to the first touch announcing the object and touching the object again registers as the action

Patent News Apple cries “Monopoly” over Samsung and Motorola using their patents to defend themselves agains Apple’s lawsuits * source (http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Cries+About+Samsung+and+Motorolas+Patent+Monopoly/article22586.htm) * Yes, really really * There are a set of patents that have been used to establish industry standards for wireless communication * There is a sort of “gentleman’s agreement” that these patents will be licensed to whomever wants to get in the mobile industry * Apple is claiming it isn’t fair to use these patents when counter-suing Apple against the suits Apple has filed against Samsung and Motorola * Basically Apple has really stepped in it now by going for the throat and having Samsung’s products banned, or at least attempting to. Now Android manufacturers are striking back in ways Apple’s legal team didn’t imagine. * Time for an exit strategy? Apple could be preparing to sue Google directly over Android * source (http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/apple-preparing-legal-assault-google-over-android-171973) * In a filing for their case against HTC (the oldest Android patent case going now) Apple is now claiming that Andy Rubin had access to certain information that eventually let to iOS/iPhone/iPad over 20 years ago! * Kind of a stretch, but one should be concerned because Andy Rubin is now THE Android guy at Google. Acer and Viewsonic sign patent license agreements with Microsoft over Android * source (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2108112/acer-viewsonic-sign-patent-license-deal-microsoft-protect-android) * No word on a price, but likely in the $10 to $20 range per device sold. Google sold some patents to HTC and now HTC is using them in their fight against Apple’s lawsuit. * source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8749797/HTC-uses-Google-patents-to-sue-Apple.html) * They are trying to settle out of course by getting Apple into a cross-licensing agreement. * Nine patents that Google bought from Motorola, Palm, and other companies less than a year ago. Quick News Samsung unveils ChatON service to compete with BBM, iMessage, and Google Talk * source (http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-unveils-chaton-service-to-compete-with-imessage-bbm-and-others-29174790/) * Just another reason to think Samsung is close to pulling out of Android and either pushing forward wtih BADA or buying WebOS from HP. Scala is a possible alternative to Java when programming Android apps * source (http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/scala-the-android-programming-language-you-didnt-know-you-had-170999) * Everything still has to go through the Dalvic VM code interpreter so the Oracle lawsuit can’t be solved by switching to this language. Chomp will be powering app search in the newly redesigned VCast App Store, simpy calling it “Verizon Apps” * source (http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/13/verizon-apps-store-chomp/) Make sure you watch the Android Tech Show for big news on the AT&T merger with T-Mobile (hint: it ain’t gonna happen) and our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 App Reviews This week is a widget spectacular, just to remind you of the little things that still make Android better than iOS. Wifi Widget * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.rb.wifiwidget&feature=order_history) * Free * between 100k and 500k installs * rated: Everyone * tells network connected to * IP address * MAC address * network speed (as in what version of WiFi, not actual speed) * turn wifi on and off CallTrack * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=app.calltrack) * Free * between 100k and 500k installs * rated: Everyone * export your call list to any Google Calendar * you can even create a secondary calendar that just lists the call log GTasks * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=org.dayup.gtask)

Honeycomb App ReviewsADWLauncher EX * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=org.adwfreak.launcher) * Price: $3.30 * Content Rating: Everyone * Installs: between 100,000 and 500,000 * Honeycomb home replacement * while this has been compatible with Honeycomb for a while, just this week the interface was tweaked to give it more of a Honeycomb feel Bouncy Mouse * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.munkadoo.bouncymouse) * Price: Free * Content Rating: Everyone * Installs: between 500,000 and 1 million * looks similar to Angry Birds, but it is very different Sponsor: Audible.com 14 Day Free Trial. Get yours today at www.audiblepodcast.com/androidapp (http://www.audiblepodcast.com/androidapp) Big News Google agrees to purchase Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion Sponsor: Carbonite.com 15 Day Free Trial. Get yours today at Carbonite.com! (http://bit.ly/carbtpn) Quick News 10 Android apps account for nearly 50% of all use * source link (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2103044/android-apps-account-nearly-half) Google gives App Inventor a new home at MIT Media Lab after eliminating Google Labs * source link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-gives-android-app-inventor-a-new-home-at-mit-media-lab/2011/08/16/gIQAjBofJJ_story.html) Purdue team develops app to decipher gang graffiti * source link (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-ap-in-ganggraffitiapp,0,829341.story) Even though the HP TouchPad has been discontinued there could be hope in the form of an Android app player like what RIM is working on for their new BlackBerry 7 OS. Here is an interesting article on the subject: source link (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/what-the-hp-touchpad-needs-is-an-android-player/3888)

App Reviews Lane TweetCaster HD Beta * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.handmark.tweetcaster.tablet&feature=search_result) Brought to you by Carbonite Online Backup  link (http://www.carbonite.com/en/home/online-backup) Friend Me for Facebook * Market Install Link (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.locomolabs.facebook&feature=search_result)   Sponsor: Audible.com 14 Day Free Trial. Get yours today at  www.audiblepodcast.com/androidapp (http://www.audiblepodcast.com/androidapp)   Big News Google steps up to defend developers from Lodsys source (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/google-android-lodsys-patent/)   Sponsor: Carbonite.com 15 Day Free Trial. Get yours today at Carbonite.com! (http://bit.ly/carbtpn)   Quick News Dell giving the Streak 5 the ax in the Americas source (http://www.tuaw.com/2011/08/14/dell-streak-5-tablet-gets-the-axe/) and upgrading Streak 7 to HoneyComb source (http://tablets-planet.com/2011/08/13/dell-readying-a-android-honeycomb-update-for-streak-7-froyo-tablet/) Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 yanked from the shelves in Europe and Australia source (http://www.beatweek.com/news/8941-samsung-galaxy-tab-101-yanked-shelves-android-legal-woes/) Ice Cream Sandwich images leaked (maybe) source (http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Android_Ice_Cream_Sandwich_Images_Leaked/551-115705-580.html) Symantec unveils free anti-virus app for Android source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44126156/ns/technology_and_science-security/) Controversial Dogfighting app keeps at it * source (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/13/controversial-dogfighting-app-back-and-better-than-ever-developer-claims/) * now has more details on how to raise fighting dogs, like steroid injections, withholding water and food, and “bait dog” fighting * introduces new enforcement mechanism called “F.E.T.A.” that is supposed to give a better impression of what actually happens when you fight dogs * the author still claims to be an animal lover that is trying to raise awareness of dog fighting The latest rumor is that Amazon could subsidize their (again) rumored tablet to a price of $249 and make up the difference with music, movie, and app purchases. source (http://androidandme.com/2011/08/news/amazon-prepared-to-buy-their-spot-atop-the-android-tablet-ladder-with-a-249-device/) * we’ve heard this before * before launch of Android this was what Google was rumorred to be doing * but Amazon has actually done it with the Kindle already.... so maybe!