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Samsung Galaxy Star 2 Plus launches in India

We’ve seen Samsung update their budget product line with upgraded devices running Android 4.4 Kitkat recently, and one of the first few markets that we’ve seen those migrate to is India, where the Galaxy Star 2 Plus has apparently landed. It is a small budget phone with modest specs, but notably, with Kitkat running the show.



The Galaxy Star 2 Plus has shown up at the Samsung India eStore bringing these specs – a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM, a 4.3-inch 800x480 capacitive touchscreen display, 4GB of internal storage expandable via microSD, and a 3MP camera with led flash. It looks to be an improvement from the Galaxy Star 2 that was announced just a month ago via the Samsung Blog – maybe that is why the “Plus” suffix was added.


The original Galaxy Star 2 was supposed to be a handy phone with a small 320 x 480 3.5-inch screen and powered by a single core 1.0Ghz processor, but this new phone looks to be an upgrade in most respects, except that they both carry Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box. As seen in the pictures, the back cover has a textured finish for a better feel, and the phone is available in white and black colors.


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The new phone also carries the “Duos” branding that Samsung has pushed towards markets where dual-SIM phones are logical, and India is definitely one of those markets. The Galaxy Star 2 Plus has dual network capability, with the main SIM card giving you 3G HSPA+ connectivity. Powering all of this is a 1800mAh battery.


VIA: Fone Arena





Android TV ADT-1 dev kits start shipping to developers

To prepare the new Android sub-platform for its first actual launch later this year, Google has started sending the ADT-1 Android TV preview kit to would-be app developers. This will hopefully ensure that by the time Android finally makes its way to the living room, there won't be a dearth of apps, games and content that could steal the thunder from this new device category.



When Google announced Android's new thrusts at Google I/O last month, it didn't unveil actual finished products, except for Android Wear and smartwatches, of course. Both Android TV and Android Auto didn't exist in shrink wrapped packages or final 1.0 versions but they came with promises of development tools later on to get things rolling. Development on Android TV might soon be kicking into high gear now that Google is delivering on its promise and is delivering a reference hardware for developers to play with, figuratively and literally.


Android TV is a potentially interesting new venture, because of its broad reach, at least compared to Android Auto, and new interface design challenges. An app designed for what Google terms as a "lean back" interface should not only be readable on a large screen from a distance but also usable without the use of conventional and more precise input methods like a finger, keyboard, or mouse. But as far as input devices go, Android TV won't be boring either, as the dev kit comes with the wireless gamepad demoed at Google I/O as well. This will give game developers a chance to try out the new game pad standard in Android and adjust their games accordingly.


This batch of ADT-1 dev kits is just the first wave that is going out to developers. Google still has its online registration up so there's a chance that there will be more coming in the near future. While the form to request a dev kit is open to anyone, it does require the applicant to have at least one app available on Google Play Store, with the implication that said applicant is both interested and capable of developing an app for Android TV.


SOURCE: Android Police





Facebook pushing mobile users to use Messenger app

As the famous quote says, there are only three certain things in life: death, taxes, and Facebook making major changes. Okay, we made that last one up obviously, but the still famous social networking app has been notorious for constantly making big changes to both its desktop and mobile apps, and not always to the liking of its millions of users. The latest big one is that it is slowly “forcing” Android users to switch to the separate Messenger app as they will disable messaging in the main app soon.



Probably to avoid any major attention, Facebook did not make any major announcements or press releases about this, but instead is notifying users directly. They are advising users that if they want to continue using its Messenger services, they should download the separate app, which is apparently being used by 200 million people every month to send and receive messages and exchange pictures, videos, etc. In the next few days, they will start disabling the messaging option in the main Facebook app for Android and iPhone users but will retain it for those using feature phones, Windows phone, the Paper app, the iPad, mobile web and desktop.


In fairness to them, the latest Messenger updates have changed the layout into something cleaner and more user-friendly. They’ve also added several features that will make it look and feel like other popular messaging apps like Line, Viber, WeChat. There is now recorded video sharing for when sending words or pictures is just not enough. There’s also a split-screen button so you can of course see yourself as you send a selfie picture or video to the lucky (or unlucky) recipient. And of course the previously added free call on the app is a must-have for any messaging app that wants to be taken seriously.


But despite these new features and the logical move to separate the messaging app, expect the forced migration to annoy a lot of people (and see a lot of complaints through FB posts). Some people just want everything to be in just one app and will find it a pain to manage a separate one. The floating Chat Heads are also kind of annoying and disruptive while using other apps. Let’s wait and see if they can still maintain that 200 million users per month once the rollout has finished. You can download the Messenger app from the Google Play Store.


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VIA: TechCrunch





ExaGear Strategies is an emulator for classic RTS games

As a fan of the old(er) real-time strategy games like, Heroes of Might and Magic, Civilization, and disciples, there has probably been a point in time where you wondered if your Android device could actually run those games. The main problem, of course, is compatibility – but Eltechs’ ExaGear Strategies app might just do it for you. That is, provide a platform to launch these old PC games on your Android device.



Most of us would probably choose to stay platform specific, in that we would play these old PC games when a bout of nostalgia hits us where they were designed to be played – on your old PC. But for those hardcore fans who can’t get enough, ExaGear Strategies is an emulator app that allows you to play these 3 classic games – Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Disciples 2, and Civilization 3 – on your Android device.


The app is the emulator engine that plays the software, so it is understood that you need a copy of the game – either the game folder, or with the included runtime files from the CD or DVD – to be copied to your Android device’s storage. The app basically takes it from there, running the app with its emulator engine. There are two “control modes” named Helium and Cuprum – and either of them is recommended for a specific game. You will have to purchase these control modes eventually.


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The app itself is free to install and free to run for 3 days, after which you would have to pay the fee of USD$7.00 for each control mode. There are 3 supported games for now, but rumors say that Eltechs is gunning for the classics – Diablo, Arcanum, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls seem to be the front-runners on the list of fan requests. So go give it a try at the Google Play Store source link. Who knows, maybe your 7 dollar investment might just help them bring Diablo and Fallout to Android, which would be quite awesome.


SOURCE: Google Play Store





Samsung Galaxy Alpha now leaked with 4.8-inch HD screen

A few new details are coming in regarding Samsung's supposed iPhone 6 killer. Now this semi-metallic smartphone is believed to have a screen size of 4.8 inches, instead of the previously leaked 4.7, and is being confirmed to have a resolution of 1280x720 pixels.



This pretty much puts it on the same page as the Galaxy S III, which was somewhat implied in the previous leak. The screen resolution is being confirmed by the developer console for the device as well as the user agent profile on Samsung's own website. Furthermore, the name of Galaxy Alpha is also being confirmed by that same source. While this brings a bit of stability to the rumor, presuming, of course, it is all true, it is also slightly disappointing. With a larger diagonal size, the Galaxy Alpha's screen will have a slightly lower pixel density than if it were 4.7 inches as earlier believed.


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But why is this rumored Galaxy Alpha being billed as an iPhone rival? It isn't much about screen size but also about the design. This smartphone will supposedly bear a metallic frame, though still with a faux leather rear cover, a nano SIM card slot instead of the convential micro SIM, and a 32 GB internal storage without any expansion option. Taken individually, these features can also be found in other devices like the HTC One M8 or a Nexus, but together, they more easily remind one of an iPhone. That it will be coming from arch nemesis Samsung and in almost the same size definitely fans the flames of the rumor.


That is, of course, if Apple really does have a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 planned for this year, which itself is already a contentious topic. If it turns out to be a dud, then the Galaxy Alpha will end up as an odd duck in Samsung's lineup. But then again, Samsung never really needed any justification for its innumerable and sometimes inexplicable smartphones, so it can simply pass this off as yet another experimental foray into a new smartphone design.


VIA: SamMobile





Outlook Android app update: server search,offline access

While most Android users stick to using the Gmail app or even their smartphone’s native email app, that hasn’t stopped other apps from trying to corner a portion of the market by improving their services. Microsoft Outlook users of course have their own Android app, and the latest update just might please them, as it offers better search options and even offline access for downloaded emails.



The previous version of the Outlook.com app lets users search only those emails that have been downloaded on the device. But if you’re a long-time Outlook user and have hundreds (or thousands) of old emails, you of course don’t want to download all of them. The update now lets your app communicate with the online server so that when you search for emails, it can go through your whole account, not just the ones on your smartphone.


But if you have a lot of storage space in your phone, why not just download all your emails? The unlimited sync feature will let you do so and let you have offline access to all these emails to make life easier when you’re not actually connected to the Internet. The update also now lets you send out emails from the app using any of your outlook.com aliases (just make sure you won’t mix them up because it doesn’t have a retrieve sent email feature).


Other new features in the Outlook.com update include making your app interface more colourful by offering eight new colors to choose from (because Microsoft blue is so 1990s). You can also now set your email to send automated replies when you’re on vacation and just want to let everyone know that you’re enjoying yourself in Paris or Bali. Chinese language support is also now included in the app. So if you haven’t yet, you can download Outlook.com for free on the Google Play Store.


Moto X gets the Android 4.4.4 plus minor improvements

Verizon’s Moto X devices are finally getting the Android 4.4.4 treatment as the version has finally been approved to roll out via OTA update. Motorola’s current flagship device did not have to wait long to get the latest Android version, and it’s not that big a jump from 4.4.3, containing mostly security updates and a few tweaks from Motorola.



The 4.4.4 update – which we’ve discussed earlier – is made up mostly of performance and security updates, this according to Google, who surprised the Android world by putting out 4.4.4 pretty much right after 4.4.3 (the last major update) came out. The update also contains a change in the dialer, which most people say look like the 4.4.4 dialer on the Droid MAXX, and not a Nexus-style dialer.


According to Verizon’s announcement, the update also improves photo results in fluorescent lighting, as well as the ability to pause and resume video recording on the Moto X. Most of the Android forums have warned, though, that you may lose root access if you advance with this OTA update.


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Finally, the word from early jumpers to 4.4.4 using the Moto X is that the update has noticeably improved their battery life. Some have professed to as much as 14 hours more of standby time, and that the Android OS no longer uses up as much as 35% of total battery power. Verizon has not commented on the improved battery life, but if users are seeing it happen, then it can only be a good thing, right?


VIA: Droid Life





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