Android

Multiple sources are reporting that Verizon is currently flagging the HTC Droid DNA and the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for “close out,” and retail stores have been running promos and sales to clear out remaining stock of the two devices. Just speculating here of course, but this is probably due to the upcoming launch of the HTC One for Verizon— they need to make some room and clear out old phones from the same manufacturer. Although no firm launch date has been confirmed for the HTC One on Verizon, we’re expecting it to come very soon. This recent move will leave the RAZR HD and RAZR M as the only Droid-branded phones left on Verizon. Of course with the recent hype from @DroidLanding tweeting about an augmented reality game possibly leading to the release of a new Droid device, more Droids could surely be on the way. And for those of you worrying that you won’t be receiving any more upgrade support for your DNA, you may be in luck— remember, the Incredible, Rezound, and Thunderbolt all received upgrades long after their EOL. Of course no promises here, but there is some hope. Source: Droid Life Come comment on this article: Verizon planning to end life of Droid DNA, prepping for arrival of HTC One Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

A nice treat for Galaxy S III owners on US Cellular is dropping today. An update to version R530UVXAMD4 is going out via OTA soon, but you don't have to wait. US Cellular says you can pull the update manually from the Software Update menu. The full update can also be downloaded from Samsung and flashed to the device over USB. This update is based on Android 4.1.2, so there's no surprise 4.2 update. Sorry, it's the same underlying version from the March update. There's still some neat stuff in the package, though. Here's the full changelog from US Cellular: Smart Switch support enabled Added multi-window feature Samsung Gallery Contextual page, tag and menu Multi-windows sounds like a great addition, and Smart Switch is also pretty handy. Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:US Cellular Updates Galaxy Note II To R950VXALL1, Adds Multi-Window [Full Changelog] AT&T Re-Gifts Multi-Window Support, Gives It To Samsung Galaxy Note II Owners Samsung Canada: Multi-Window Is Coming To The Note II On 'National Carriers' Beginning February 6th Android 4.1.2 With 'Premium Suite' Now Rolling Out To The International GSIII Across The UK, Germany, Switzerland, And More US Cellular Rolling Out Galaxy S III Update R530UVXAMD4, Brings Multi-Window, Smart Switch, And More was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Rockmelt, a news reader for Android, was recently released to the Google Play Store and immediately received rave reviews. The application offers an interface much like the one provided in Google Currents, and features a stream of news stories categorized by themes/interests or specific news sources that you can “follow.” Content is gracefully placed on the screen and the interface is simple enough for even the biggest smartphone newbies to understand. The search feature allows users to search for specific news sources instead of just picking categories, which will help readers narrow down their selection of incoming content. And of course there are plenty of social media features, allowing users to post content directly to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Check out a video, a screenshot gallery, and the link to the app in the Play Store after the break. Click here to view the embedded video. Play Store Download Link Come comment on this article: New App: ‘Rockmelt’ news reader released to Google Play Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

Earlier this month Verizon finally confirmed what we all knew already, the HTC One would be coming over to the Big Red carrier. Unfortunately, they were pretty vague with their release timeframe, simply suggesting “late summer”. Luckily we are now seeing a pretty strong sign that launch day is coming soon. According to Droid Life, several Verizon stores are running promo sales for the Droid DNA and Incredible 4G LTE in an attempt to clear out remaining inventory in time for the HTC One’s arrival. What’s interesting here is that Verizon is clearing out both existing HTC Droid-branded devices, with no apparent HTC Droid replacement in sight. So what does this mean? It could mean many different things. It could simply mean that Verizon wants to focus completely on the HTC One, and feels that it’s time to cut loose these older HTC Droid models. It’s also possible that the HTC One could be arriving with Droid branding. Considering Verizon specifically referred to the device as the HTC One, this seems unlikely, but again we can’t say for sure. Another possible theory is that Verizon is launching both the HTC One and Droid DNA 2. With the HTC Butterfly S now official, it makes sense that Verizon might plan on launching the smartphone as a Droid-branded alternative to the HTC One later this year. Again, that’s just speculation. What adds some fuel to the Droid fire is that the @DroidLanding twitter account recently reactivated in conjunction with some kind of augmented reality Droid-branded game. These changes could mean that Verizon has new plans in store for the Droid brand. Or it could have absolutely nothing to do with the HTC One or the discontinuation of these two phones, hard to say for sure.

Browsing through the App Sales app, there seems to be a great list of games on sale today, so we figured we should spread the word on what you should check out. Most of these games we have talked about, so there should be a small sense of familiarity, but if not, you can rest assured [...] Wednesday App Sales: Alien Breed, Rayman Jungle Run, Final Fantasy III, and More is a post from: Droid Life Click the post title to continue through and join the conversation!

Rockmelt has officially launched for Android and while this had previously been available for iOS users, it was made clear that this release is “not merely a port.” In fact, the Rockmelt Blog tells the story about how the whole company moved over to Android so they “could all live the experience.” That being said, while this is not an iOS port, the Rockmelt app does have a familiar feature set. For those not familiar with Rockmelt, this app provides a relatively easy way for the user to discover viral and newsworthy items. Some of the key features include smooth scrolling through and endless stream of content, the ability to add any site you want, an ad-free reading experience and simple sharing to the social network of your choosing. The Rockmelt app also has the reaction buttons that will allow the user to share what they are thinking. Otherwise, a tap of the “R” button will bring up an Explore and Popular browsing option as well as the ability to quickly navigate home. Users also have a “Kept Items” section to store favorites. And keeping those favorites is as easy as long pressing a title. Anyway, upon downloading and installing the Rockmelt app you first create an account or login using an existing social site such as Facebook or Twitter. From this point you choose five (or more) categories that will be used to populate your stream. The app promises to put the “best of the web, news and blogs at your fingertips” and well, while your opinion of the best may vary, we can say that the Rockmelt app does have ease of use going for it. Rockmelt for Android is currently available in the Google Play Store and sitting at version 1.0.0.3. The app is free to download, free to use and has support for devices running Android 4.0 or later. Or more specifically, the app supports Ice Cream Sandwich or later and has been optimized for 4-inch phones as well as 7 and 10-inch tablets. SOURCE: Rockmelt Blog Story Timeline Opera's webkit based browser launches in beta, we go hands-on Chrome Beta browser update aims to improve page rendering AOL and Verizon partnership will bring a new browser bookmark Next Browser hands-on: GO Launcher team customizes the web Dolphin Browser v10 arrives with new design, improved search and more

Verizon has apparently begun the process of retiring two of their DROID-branded devices. Both the HTC DROID DNA and the HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE are now to be sold off, according to promos sent to sales reps. It seems Verizon wants to get rid of their remaining stock, but why? With the DroidLanding Twitter account  reaction and the HTC One to hit shelf sometime this summer, it’s easy to assume that they’re making room for new devices. One of those is definitely the HTC One, but from what we know, it won’t be a “DROID” branded device. If they’re ridding their lineup of DROID devices, something should replace it. Given the HTC Butterfly S announcement, we have a suspicion that we might see a successor to the DROID DNA on Verizon. (The original Butterfly, or HTC DLX, was released in the US as the DROID DNA). We have spotted mentions of the DLXPLUS in Verizon systems, so the release of the Butterfly S may bring Verizon one step closer to releasing the DROID DNA+, or whatever they choose to call it. We don’t know exactly what’s coming, but it’s going to be pretty big. And of course, we’re excited. What device would you like to see come to Verizon? Leave a comment!

Mid-range specs meet LTE connectivity at an acceptable off-contract price point for the prepaid market As rumored, the LG Optimus F7 is making its way to Boost Mobile with a $299 off-contract price and mid-range specs. This is the budget prepaid carrier's fourth LTE device of the year, and looks to be very similar to the version recently launched on U.S. Cellular. The Optimus F7 is squarely in the mid-range of specs, with a 4.5-inch 720x1280 display, 1.5GHz dual-core (Snapdragon S4 Plus) processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and 8MP/1.3MP cameras. Naturally, the Optimus F7 is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with LG's customizations and bundled apps. The Optimus F7 will be available starting June 27th for $299 without a contract, and when paired with one of Boost Mobile's $55 unlimited plans can be a real cost saver over the alternative high-end devices. read more

One of the original third party web browsers for Android was Dolphin Browser. Since it was originally released, bigger browsers like Chrome and Firefox have surpassed it in popularity, but Dolphin still hasn’t given up making updates and improvements. Today Dolphin’s developers updated the browser to version 10, bringing quite a few new features. There’s a brand new, cleaneruser interface. Another nice addition is the new “Web App Store,” in which users can add popular web apps to their homescreen via shortcuts. Also, version 10 introduces the “Dolphin Key,” which enables gesture and swipe shortcuts to the menu or tab list. Also, Flash support has returned. After the break, you can find the change log and download link. What’s in this version: +New UI design +Web App Store: Easily add popular web apps to your home screen +Home screen now supports drag & drop grouping of speed dials into folders, with 60+ speed dial slots +Dolphin key: single swipe access to browser menu, tab list or Gesture/Sonar +Search directly within Amazon, Twitter, Wikipedia, eBay, Youtube, Twitter or Facebook from URL bar +Flash support can be re-enabled in settings +Themes & Night Mode have been updated for v10. Install the updated versions from Google Play  Play Store Download Link Come comment on this article: Dolphin Browser updates to v10, brings new UI and Web App Store Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

It’s almost unexpected that a family wouldn’t own a smartphone, tablet, or even an iPod. Even though they’re very popular among teenagers and adults, kids take great interest in these devices, too.  Thankfully, the Google Play Store is full of kid-friendly applications, and we’ve put together a list of apps that all kids should find interesting. In a rush? Head to the bottom of the article to watch the video, otherwise, stick with us as we look at these few kid-friendly apps. Table of Contents: Duolingo Angry Birds Turbo Kids Kids Doodle Kid Mode Video Review Wrap Up Duolingo First up on our list is Duolingo, This fun and simple app helps both adults and kids of all ages learn how to speak a second language. The only pre-requisite here is that you can read. Duolingo offers Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. It’s pretty much most of the Latin based languages. Each lesson is broken up into a bunch of smaller exercises, and in some cases, this can be a good thing. As adults, it doesn’t take long to speed through them, but as you know, little kids tend to take a bit longer. All in all, Duolingo is a great way for parents and kids to bond and learn a second languages. It’s also educational, which is a win-win situation, in my book! Angry Birds There are billions of people who love Angry Birds, and seemingly, there are another billion people who don’t like Angry Birds. While many types of people play this game, Angry Birds is without a doubt also a good game for kids, given it’s colorful and cute nature. Angry Birds is awesome, and has virtually no content that could make parents blanch at the idea of letting their kids take the game for a spin. We’re not going to go into the mechanics, since basically everyone know how Angry Birds works. Given the fact that there are 6 games, there’s hundreds of levels to wade through, and that’ll no doubt keep your child occupied for a long time. They’re hard to pass up, being free and all. Turbo Kids Turbo Kids is a fun racing games that all kids will enjoy, perhaps because of the vibrant colors and cute creatures. You can play as either a boy or girl, and the goal of the game is pretty simple — you race against the AI players and try to finish in first place. Instead of the classic 3-star point system that you would find in Angry Birds, this game gives you stars based on how you place. If you come in fifth place, you get one star, third place will net you two stars, and first place will get you all three stars. It’s not just a racing game, as powerups are placed on the track to spice things up a bit. Some powerups will increase your speed, make you jump higher, and restock your freezing bullets, which, as implied, can freeze other players in place for a short amount of time. It’s a very simple game, and it can be a lot of fun. Kids Doodle Most kids enjoy drawing and doodling, especially when there are bright colors involved. If you’re looking for an app to do just that, then Kids Doodle is something you might want to consider. Like most of the apps on this list, Kids Doodle is very simple so little minds can easily grasp it. It’s actually a pretty fun doodling app though. Each new canvas is a different color, and there are over a dozen options for your brush. Don’t worry about changing the colors, as the brush rotates colors on its own. Finally, there’s an option to play back all of the strokes on the canvas so kids can watch themselves draw. Kid Mode Kid Mode may sound like an app, but it’s not. It’s actually a home screen replacement, more commonly known as a launcher. To activate, you simply set it as your launcher, just like you would when using Action Launcher or Nova Launcher. Inside this particular launcher is a myriad of activities and apps for kids to enjoy, including the ones already downloaded on your device. You̵