Mobile Phones News Blog

VLC Media Player application for Android platform has entered into beta stage and now supports more number of devices. Do note that this is an unofficial version of the popular VLC Media Player and is not supported by the VLC Team.

XDA Developer Forum member Adridu59 has posted a working version of the VLC Player file for several Android OS based smartphones. However, the VLC for Android works on select Android OS phones only.

VLC Player is a unique desktop player that plays almost all video and audio files flawlessly. Since the code for this software has been open-sourced, enthusiast developers have managed to port it for Android OS platform.

The new VLC for Android beta has been released through XDA Developers Forum and has not been submitted to the Android Market. It is still works in progress to have it tested widely on variety of Android OS based devices.

The VLC for Android App is now available only for the select hardware and ones that run ARMv6/ARM11, ARMv7a/Cortex-A8/NEON and ARMv7a/Cortex-A9 architecture based processors. Due to large number of Android smartphone models, it is difficult to list down all. However, the easy way is to try installing the app from the SD card to see which one works perfectly.

Mostly the ARMv7a/Cortex-A9 based smartphones are the high end smartphones that were released in last 12 months. So if you have smartphone that has Nvidia Tegra 2, TI OMAP 3 or OMAP 4, Samsung Hummingbird or Qualcomm Snapdragon inside, then you can certainly try out the VLC for Android.

To install VLC for Android, you must check the option in Settings under Apps to install the App. The VLC for Android is in Beta stage and there is no estimated date when the final version of the App.

VLC Media Player application for Android platform has entered into beta stage and now supports more number of devices. Do note that this is an unofficial version of the popular VLC Media Player and is not supported by the VLC Team.

XDA Developer Forum member Adridu59 has posted a working version of the VLC Player file for several Android OS based smartphones. However, the VLC for Android works on select Android OS phones only.

VLC Player is a unique desktop player that plays almost all video and audio files flawlessly. Since the code for this software has been open-sourced, enthusiast developers have managed to port it for Android OS platform.

The new VLC for Android beta has been released through XDA Developers Forum and has not been submitted to the Android Market. It is still works in progress to have it tested widely on variety of Android OS based devices.

The VLC for Android App is now available only for the select hardware and ones that run ARMv6/ARM11, ARMv7a/Cortex-A8/NEON and ARMv7a/Cortex-A9 architecture based processors. Due to large number of Android smartphone models, it is difficult to list down all. However, the easy way is to try installing the app from the SD card to see which one works perfectly.

Mostly the ARMv7a/Cortex-A9 based smartphones are the high end smartphones that were released in last 12 months. So if you have smartphone that has Nvidia Tegra 2, TI OMAP 3 or OMAP 4, Samsung Hummingbird or Qualcomm Snapdragon inside, then you can certainly try out the VLC for Android.

To install VLC for Android, you must check the option in Settings under Apps to install the App. The VLC for Android is in Beta stage and there is no estimated date when the final version of the App.

Since last year, Google Android has been under constant scanner of security experts. After the shocking revelation of how Apple iOS allows access to photos, now the Google Android is being pulled for the same reason. NY Times reported that even Google Android offers free gateway to any Android App to access user’s photo without any specific permission required.

Of course, as long as the app has right to connect to the Internet, it cannot copy the photos to remote location. Google spokesperson acknowledged the existence of such no-permission to access photos function and stated that it was a design choice related to how user stores data. A similar issue was found in the iOS devices as well.

Users love downloading new fancy apps on their Android smartphones that will let them enhance photos or share them quickly over social networks. Besides, there are several other apps that can easily gain access to the photos. When NY Times raised flag against this issue with a proof of concept app prepared by one developer, Google acknowledged the existence of such approach.

However, a Google spokesperson explained that Android’s photos file system was initially designed by looking at the one in Windows and Mac OS. So the images were stored on the removable storage (SD card) and one could easily take out to transfer the images or view them in different system.

Ralph Gootee, chief technical officer of Loupe (a company which develops mobile apps), made the proof of concept app to test if it could access photos and was shocked to see that the app could. Gootee stated that photos are the most personal things and it indeed was shocking to see that any app could access them.

Google tests all the newly submitted apps through a security system called Bouncer that runs the app in simulation and checks for any hidden features or loopholes. Only after getting a clearance for Bouncer, the app makes its way to Android Market.

In Android Security Guide for developers, it has been clearly mentioned that the any third party app has no permission to perform any operations such as read and write data that could adversely impact the other apps or operating system and certainly not the user.

In a nutshell, the storage access for photos Google Android has been designed in a way that the apps could gain permissions to access the photos from memory card and even internal storage of the phone. But now Google has acknowledged the potential privacy hazard over here and promised to release a fix for it soon.

Texas instruments, a popular microprocessor and technology provider for mobile devices, has showcased a new 3D stylus technology for tablets. Using this technology tablet owners will be able to control their tablets without having the need to run the stylus or touch the stylus on the screen of the device.

Till now all the devices that involve usage of a stylus rely on the touch and a physical connection between the device’s screen and the stylus is required to get the desired action completed or to control the device like Samsung galaxy tab.

The 3D stylus makes use of ultrasonic sound waves with which the stylus communicated with the device giving its actual location for accurate action on the device. Other than just drawing and pin pointing thing on the device, the 3D stylus will also be able to manipulate the depth of the object and the touch as well, which makes the 3D manipulation possible.

This technology will make touch less operation on the devices a possibility. The possibilities of its usage are endless and it surely can be developed in to something similar to the touch interface that was showcased in the popular science fiction movies.

The stylus along with the 3D touch or control also works flawlessly in the standard 2D mode where users can simply scribe with it on the device to draw, write or do several tasks.

Although the device is still just a technological sample that was showcased by Texas instruments during the Mobile World Congress but Android central reports that the company is ready with the technology and the actual implementation would only require about three months of time once this technology is adopted by any device manufacturer.

The utility this device provides is certainly great but actual working will only be known once this goes mainstream.

After the whirlwind that was Mobile World Congress, instead of our usual Friday news round-up this week, we’ve gathered together ten of the best new apps released. We’ve included all the major smartphone platforms, so there really should be something for everyone.

Camera Awesome – iPhone

The latest camera app for the iPhone provides the usual special effects and filters, easy sharing on various social networks and an ‘Awesomize’ feature which enhances your snaps. It’s free to download, but many of the features must be unlocked using in-app payments.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out – iPhone

A dream come true for every Simpsons fan, this game lets you build your own living replica of Springfield, complete with Sims-like mini-games, tasks and plenty of crazy fun. It’s written by the writers of the show, and looks almost identical to the cartoon itself. It’s free to play, but you’ll have to splash out on some in-app purchases to buy in-game items.

Readability – iPhone

A competitor to Instapaper and Read it Later, Readability lets you save webpages for reading on your iPhone or iPad later, then adapts them for the best viewing experience on the screen. There’s no limit to how many articles you can save, the app integrates with social networks, and is completely free to download and use.

Skype Beta – Windows Phone

Announced during Mobile World Congress, this is the beta version of the popular VoIP call and messaging app. It can be installed on most Windows Phones, but you will find there are one or two missing or non-working features. Otherwise, it’s the same Skype you know and love.

Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp – Windows Phone

A collection of mini-games taken from Toy Soldiers: Cold War. The games have been adapted for touchscreen controls and if you play the main game on your Xbox, it integrates with the leaderboard too.

Pah! – Windows Phone

Previously available on the iPhone, this simple space shooter is controlled not by the touchscreen, but by your voice! By saying ‘Ahhh’ into the microphone you can adjust the direction of your ship, then a ‘Pah!’ shoots the gun. It really is as insane as it sounds.

Kid Launcher – Android

After spending some time in beta, Kid Launcher has now hit the Android Market in its full form. If you give your phone to your child to play a game or two, but would prefer they didn’t have access to your messages, email or certain other apps, this app will solve your problems. It presents a custom homescreen where only apps you choose can be accessed, and even activates Airplane Mode if you don’t want messages or calls coming in.

Ash – Android

A classic RPG game from Konami, ported over to Android in all its 16-bit glory. The control system has been adapted for touchscreens, while the gameplay remains turn-based and built around a complex and intriguing story.

SwiftKey X Keyboard – Android

The winner of the Best Innovative Mobile App category of the GSMA Awards at Mobile World Congress, this is a clever alternative keyboard app for your Android device. Its impressive AI learns as you type, so it recognizes your style and any common errors, then corrects them as you go. There are both free and pay versions, plus several with alternative language support.

TweetBook – BlackBerry

Especially for PlayBook owners, this is a multi-window Twitter client designed only for the tablet. It supports picture uploads from the camera, multiple accounts, notifications and both portrait and landscape viewing.

Asus on Thursday launched its Transformer Prime tablet in India. And unlike elsewhere, only one version of the tablet will be available in India, with WiFi , 64 GB storage and a keyboard dock (it is not optional). It is the costliest tablet in the Indian market right now at Rs 49,999. The tablet comes with Android 3.2 but the upgrade to Android 4.0 is already available.

The tablet is really sleek at just 8.3 mm thickness and even with the keyboard dock attached, it is quite slim. The metal finish all around has fingerprint resistant nano coating. Transformer Prime has a 10.1 inch Super IPS panel display, which is covered in Corning Gorilla glass, which is also fingerprint resistant.

The 10.1 inch display of Transformer Prime not just boasts HD resolution but also has an intelligent engine that regulates the brightness to reduce glare and battery consumption.

We were also impressed by the keyboard dock as it offers full keyboard functionality just like that of a laptop. It also has an SD card port.

Nvidia Tegra 3 quad core lends the tablet not just amazing performance, but is also expected to consume less battery power, which we could not check for lack of time. However, the gaming and video playback were really smooth and so was the tablet’s ability to edit pictures on the fly – all pointing to good performance.

Asus has also included software which address both work and play like Polaris office (for Word and Excel kind of applications,) and support for PS3 controller for gaming.

All in all, Transformer Prime has all the features and hardware to replace your laptop as well as tablet, but there are a few minor glitches.

The tablet lacks some very important features like a USB port on the tablet itself (there is one on the keyboard dock). Asus’s explanation that the USB port was not included to reduce the thickness of the device is misplaced as the tablet has a 3.5 mm jack and an HDMI port – both of which would pose the same problem as a USB port would.

Apart from that, lack of 3G support for a tablet that costs as much as Rs 50,000 is not really justifiable. Though most users in this category carry a smartphone and share their 3G connection with the tablet through a WiFi hotspot feature of the phone, the omission of 3G connectivity is hard to justify.

The third problem is the cost itself. Though we expect the price to come down drastically in a month or two, the current price of Rs 50,000 is simply too much for a device that is more of a laptop than a tablet when, in fact, you will get very high end laptops for that price.

ZTE Corporation has introduced seven Android OS based and two Windows Phone 7.x based smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. Among the newsly introduced devices include ZTE’s first quad-core processor based Android OS based smartphone – Era.

The Windows Phone based devices include ZTE Tania and ZTA Orbit. While the Android OS based ZTE devices include Era, Mimosa X, Blade II, Skate Aqua, Kis, PF112 HD, N91 and PF 200 along with four Android tablets.

Android Club

The Mobile Indian earlier reported about the ZTE Mimosa X smartphone that arrives with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This smartphone comes with dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processor, and features 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display. There’s a 5 megapixel camera at the back and a front facing 0.3 pixels.

Following that, ZTE has unveiled the new 7.8mm thickness bearing Era smartphone that features a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 mobile processor and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This smartphone features Nvidia Icera 450 HSPA+ “> HSPA + modem promising maximum possible data network speeds.

The ZTA Era has a 4.3-inch touchscreen display with qHD (960×540) pixel resolution. This smartphone will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and will debut the ZTE MiFavour user interface. ZTE Era is expected to launch in Europe and China by the second half of this year.

Huawei has announced its fastest smartphone ever at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in Barcelona, Spain. Named Ascend D Quad, the smartphone will come with a quad core processor and Android 4.0 operating system, along with a host of eye-popping features.

Ascend D Quad features a 4.5 inch 720p high definition touchscreen display with 330 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution. It also features a 16 core GPS (for location) that offers twice the performance of normal GPS, according to Huawei.

The phone has an 8 megapixel BSI (backside illumination) rear camera with 1080p full HD video capture, and it has a 1.3 megapixel front camera for video calling. The phone will come with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory. Ascend D Quad will also get an 1800 mAh battery, but with a quad core processor. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts on a single charge. Notably, the phone does have Huawei’s proprietary power management system, which claims to save 30 per cent power.

The Ascend D Quad has Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound and Audience earSmart voice technology. Besides, it provides 3G HSPA+ “> HSPA + with 21 Mbps download speed and 5.76 Mbps upload speed, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.

Apart from Ascend D Quad, Huawei has also announced Ascend D Quad XL and Ascend D1 smartphones. The Ascend D Quad XL comes with a 2500 mAh battery which lasts two to three days of normal usage. The Ascend D1 runs on a 1.5 GHz dual core CPU and has a 1670 mAh battery.

While Ascend D1 will be available from April 2012, other phones will arrive across the world a few months later.

Global electronics brand, Samsung has announced its new tablet – Galaxy Tab 2, in two variants. The tablet comes in both 7 inch and 10.1 inch sizes and features the latest Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

Although the devices will only be showcased during eth Mobile World Congress happening in Barcelona, Spain, an early announcement regarding their availability will definitely help Samsung grab more attention right before the event.

The 10.1 inch version of Galaxy Tab 2 features a dual core 1 GHz Processor coupled with a 1 GB of DDR 2 RAM for better multitasking and performance in applications. The tablet features the all new PLS (Plane to line switching) technology based display, which allows the display to display better colours, contrast and even wider screen viewing angles than the existing IPS technology based displays.

Its 10.1 inch display features a capacitive touch and a 1204 x 800 pixel native resolution. The tablet features HSPA+ “> HSPA + 3G connectivity allowing it to get data download speeds of up to 21 Megabits per second which will come in real handy while accessing social media websites or while sharing content on various websites online.

The 10.1 inch Galaxy Tab 2 is powered with the latest Android ICS 4.0 operating system that offers functionality as a tablet while it also can be used as a regular smartphone for communications as well. The tablet features a 3 megapixel rear camera capable of video recording in HD 720p resolution while it also gets a VGA camera for video conferencing and video calling.

Along with the announcement of the 10.1 inch variant, Samsung has also announced a smaller version of the Galaxy tab 2 as well which comes with a 7 inch screen. The smaller Galaxy tab 2 features a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen with 1204 x 600 pixel native resolution. All other features remain the same as its bigger cousin.

The tablets will be available globally in the weeks to come and will be made available in 16 GB and 32 GB variants. More details on the pricing and availability of the device are expected to be announced during the press event at the MWC.

TC has announced its latest ‘One’ series of Android based smartphones during the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain. The new smartphones – One X, One S and One V – will feature an amazing camera and authentic sound experience, according to HTC.

Out of the three phones, India is confirmed to be getting One X and One V. Availability of HTC One S is still not known. HTC is likely to introduce these handsets in India in association with Airtel, which in most likelihood is going to offer these handsets with bundled data.

“The best moments in life are captured with a photo or remembered by a song, so it was key for the HTC One series to improve these emotional experiences with an amazing camera and authentic sound experience,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC Corporation.

HTC One series smartphones will feature Android 4.0 and HTC’s new Sense 4 user interface and will now include HTC Image Sense, a new suite of camera and imaging features.

With ImageSense HTC claims that the One series will rival traditional digital cameras with improvements in every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip. Some improvements include camera being ready in just 0.7 seconds, and 0.2-seconds autofocus, enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting.

A new feature called ‘Video Pic’ will enable users to capture a photo and shoot video at the same time. Now, while you’re shooting HD video, all you have to do is tap the shutter button and it snaps a high-resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot.

HTC has also integrated Dropbox with HTC Sense, and offers 25 GB of online storage for two years. Normally a user only gets 2.5 GB of storage from Dropbox.

On the sound front HTC now has access to technology from beats audio, which it acquired recently and is using it to improve its dwindling market share. Beats audio offers better bass, and richer details.

HTC One X

The HTC One X features a polycarbonate unibody that is claimed to have the ruggedness of metal but is super lightweight. HTC One will come with 1.5 GHz Super 4-PLUS-1 (Quadcore) NVIDIA Tegra 3 Mobile Processor with an integrated fifth Battery Saver Core and a high-performance 12-Core NVIDIA GPU. It also comes with a large 4.7-inch, 720p HD screen with contoured Corning Gorilla Glass.

HTC One S

HTC One S will feature Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU. The smartphone has a 4.3-inch screen with contoured Corning Gorilla Glass display.

This phone will have metal unibody styling with just 7.9-mm thickness, making it HTC’s thinnest phone yet. The phone uses a new technology – ultra-matte black Ceramic Metal surface, which transforms the surface of the aluminum unibody into a ceramic, super-dense crystalline structure that is four times harder than anodized aluminum, enabling the HTC One S to look great over time.

HTC One V

HTC One V will be the cheapest of the series and will feature a 1 GHz processor, and a 3.7 inch touch screen. It will have a 5 megapixel camera. The phones aluminum unibody design is very similar to HTC Legend. All the other features of the One series like the Android 4.0, HTC Sense 4 and camera and sound enhancements are all available on this phone also.