The original Galaxy Note was very not good, but seven months and 10 millions sales later, it’s hard to deny that it’s found a niche. But will its even beefier successor live up to the hype? We just spent the morning fondling the upcoming Galaxy Note II, and you know what? We’re pleasantly surprised. More »
It seems that the Google Now servers were knocked out of commission for a while today, although things are back to normal even as you read this. There was initial confusion for those who were using devices that ran on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, as it affected the main Gmail account as well, meaning you are unable to hook up to Google Now to boot. During the downtime, it seemed that Google accounts which were not hooked up to Google Now in any way were not affected (which is only natural). I guess owners of the Nexus 7 or Galaxy Nexus were affected for a while, in addition to others who already have an unofficial Jelly Bean ROM up and running on your respective device. Were you one of those who were affected for a while, and did your world come to a grinding stop when you could not access Google Now? Yeah, I thought so, too. I suppose that this is the time where a game on your device will keep you occupied without worrying about Google Now downtimes…
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Test OTA update for Samsung Galaxy S3 revealed, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean factory image for Nexus S and Nexus S 4G released,
Getting Jelly Bean to run on a Galaxy S III has so far required a strictly unofficial build that strips away much of Samsung’s handiwork. If you prefer the official software to the point where thoughts of TouchWiz keep you comfortable at night, you’ll be glad to hear that a beta of a more official Android 4.1 upgrade has reportedly landed in the hands of AndroidMX.net. An extensive video look in Spanish (after the break) almost completely mirrors what you’d expect: clear advantages like the expanded notifications and Google Now make the cut, while Samsung’s Nature UX vibe remains intact. Only a few minor surprises have snuck their way in, such a brightness slider in the notification bar that we’d previously seen in some firmware for the Galaxy Note. We’re skeptical of claims that Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III is just days away — Samsung isn’t exactly known for speedy Android updates. As long as the update we’ve seen here isn’t just a clever hack, however, it’s close enough to completion that it might tame the pessimists.
Filed under: Cellphones
Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’re looking for flight times, currency conversions, word definitions and more, you’ll notice that Google has dressed up the responses in new, Now card type clothing. On top of being prettier, the look is designed to make the data easier to parse and also adds an interactive element — letting you change a distance or unit when doing metric conversions, for example. Currently the refresh is limited to smartphone and tablet searches, but Google has promised to roll it out soon to desktop searches and international users. The change is part of an ever-evolving list of tweaks and updates to Mountain View’s venerable search engine — check the source for more info.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software
Google gives mobile search a makeover for quick-answer queries originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google has been offering the ability to search the web with your voice using its iOS app for some time. But, it always just spit out a pile of links. While the next version wont be getting quite as creepy as Google Now, it’ll be bringing with it the vocalized responses that debuted as part of Jelly Bean’s revamped search offerings. The UI is also getting an overhaul to bring it inline with Now and Mountain View’s recent aesthetic tendencies towards sharp lines and limited color schemes. Obviously, the new app also taps the Knowledge Graph, allowing you to make natural language queries like, “what’s the weather like in San Francisco,” and get a detailed vocalized response. According to Google the update should be hitting the App Store in “the next few days,” but don’t expect it to keep tabs on your favorite sports team for you.
Continue reading Google’s revamped voice search coming to iOS, tackles Siri on her home turf
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Google’s revamped voice search coming to iOS, tackles Siri on her home turf originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google launched its contextual and intelligent search service, Knowledge Graph, only a few months ago. Till now, it’s been limited in its availability and, while most nations will still be left out, tomorrow it will be coming to all “English-speaking” countries. The ability to discern your intended search goal and present you with relevant information immediately, as opposed to just a page of links, is the next step in search technology and the secret sauce powering the somewhat creepy Google Now in Jelly Bean. The Graph has also received a few enhancements and tweaks, including the ability to answer queries with collections and lists. So, say you’re looking for rides in Disney World, a thumbnail of every attraction will appear at the top in a horizontally scrollable list. How much longer till our Spanish, French or Chinese speaking pals can get in on the action? That’s anyone’s guess. But, if English is the native tongue of your home, then rest assured your flavor of Google has just gotten a little bit smarter.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Google Knowledge Graph coming to all English-speaking nations tomorrow, adds lists to results originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
One of the most notable aspects about the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system would be Google Now, which is Google’s version of the voice assistant – Apple has Siri, Samsung has S-Voice, so here we are with Google Now that has been made available on rooted devices, although it has already arrived on a couple of so of Android-powered devices on an official basis. Folks over at the XDA forums claim that a couple of flashable .ZIP files have been made available, where it would bring Google Now and all of its goodness to a range of Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Android smartphones and tablets.
A version of the flashable .ZIP will carry the whole Google Now experience, inclusive of offline dictation, while the other version is a lighter version, so to speak, where it does not have offline dictation at all. Minimum system requirements to run a port of Google Now? A rooted ARMv7 device which runs ClockWorkMod Recovery and comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to boot. Considering how many Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs there are, the list of compatible devices is nothing short of expansive.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Now ported to Android 4.0 with AOSP support, Protected Ranges in Google Spreadsheets now available,
If you can’t wait to subject Google Now to an epic interrogation of your own but don’t have access to Android’s Jelly Bean-flavored OS, then you may want to check out what’s cooking over at the XDA Developers forums. If you’ve got a rooted ARMv7 device with Ice Cream Sandwich and ClockWorkMod Recovery, it’s actually possible to start enjoying Google’s take on the virtual personal assistant on your smartphone right now. As usual, you’ll need to download the requisite file and partake in some good, old flashing action. Folks who appreciate having options can also take their pick between a fuller Google Now experience or a more stripped down version by hitting the source link below.
Filed under: Cellphones
Google Now hits some rooted devices, adds topping to your Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 22:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, the HTC One V marked its debut at US Cellular and Verizon announced a dumb phone with a surprisingly handy feature. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of July 2nd, 2012.
Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of July 2nd, 2012
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 2nd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google Now did seem at first glance to have been developed specifically just for the recently announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, but there are people good people over at XDA-Developers did spend the past week or so working hard, and having successfully porting Google Now over to any AOSP-based ROM. In layman’s terms, that would mean any ROM out there, including CyanogenMOD, which was specially built from ground up from the Android Open Source Project – and not by the manufacturer themself.
The entire procedure does seem to be rather complicated in nature, as you will need to replace the Google Search APK in the system folder while making the necessary corrections for the permissions, and all of this will of course, require root access. To date, folks did mention that everything has been working pretty well without missing a beat. Just make sure you know what you are doing beforehand, lest your Android-powered device ends up like a brick.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nexus Q gets taken apart by iFixit, Google Street View used to convict man of pet negligence,
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