Hasta La Gadget!

We were intrigued to see a bootloader unlock emerge for Verizon’s Galaxy S III variant just this week. Unless you’re the kind for whom a beta is just too… safe, though, the method on offer to date has been a tad cryptic. Dingus on the RootzWiki forums has taken all the danger out of it through EZ-Unlock, an app that reduces most of the process to a single tap. While it does require existing root access, everything else is sorted out; its most recent forms can also re-lock the bootloader if there’s any anxiety about venturing out of bounds. The app is even available through Google Play, which makes unrestricted (if warranty-challenging) firmware just a short hop past the source link.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon gets one-click bootloader unlock, freedom is just a Google Play away originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s time to get physical with Google Play, the online media store where Google sells apps, music, and movies, because the big G has just revealed gift cards for retail. Just like Apple’s mega-popular iTunes Gift Card initiative, Google is bringing on at least two cards to the show, prepping them for the likes of Target, Best Buy, Fry’s, and retail locations across the United States. Google has not yet officially let it be known that these cards exist, but there they are, plain as day.

The photo you see above comes from a source who would not say where they worked, of course, but they were likely behind the scenes this week, with images sent to Android Central. By the look of the floor below the cards, our money is on Target. Also included in this lovely rain of gift card madness is a bit of software revealed by the Android Police – inside the Google Play store app on an Android smartphone, they discovered a Google Play balance interface. With “Gift card code” plain to see here, there’s little doubt that the cards will be coming soon.

Now what we wonder about is how this will work with the few physical objects in the store. Will we be able to purchase the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 7, and accessories with these cards? Or will we be limited to purchasing music, movies, and apps? Another question we’d like to ask is how your Google Play balance will work with your greater Google Wallet. As the two are connected – somewhat – here as the NFC craze continues to explode, will these gift cards be able to be translated in to non-Google Play cash?

Perhaps we’d like to use our Google Play gift cards at Starbucks? It might not be so difficult as all that – Google Play gift cards will likely be popping up right here at the start of the school season with plenty of time for troubleshooting and gaining a foothold before winter. Once the holiday season begins near the end of this year, Google will be well recognized as an alternative for those that would normally just buy a relative or friend an iTunes card. Watch out, Apple!

Google Play gift cards readied for iTunes attack is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sometimes the things that Android users really want as gifts aren’t available down at the local retail store. For lot users, birthdays and holidays are the perfect time to ask for the digital goods they want for their Android tablet or smartphone. The problem is that as of now Google Play doesn’t offer things such as gift cards or a wishlist leaving you to ask for money.

A new version of the APK for the Google Play Store, version 3.8.15, started rollout to Android devices recently. Android Police reports that while the new APK looked exactly like the old APK, it had gained about 300 kB of code. After some digging to determine what that extra code was for, we learned that two new features are coming that I’m sure many people have been wishing for.

The new APK code points to Google Play finally adding redeemable gift cards. You can see in the screenshots that under the redeem heading is a space for a gift card code. Also noted in the new menu list is the My Wishlist feature. The wishlist gives the user the ability to add apps, books, TV shows, movies, music, and magazines.

To add content to the wishlist, when the user lands on an app they want there’s a checkbox that would include the app in your wishlist. There are still details I’d like to know about the wishlist. For instance, can you share the wish list with friends allowing them to buy you gift cards for a specific amount? I also wonder if the wishlist can be added as a shopping cart later.

[via Android Police]

Google Play gets ready for gift cards and wishlist is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rejoice, Android keyboard enthusiasts! SwiftKey announced today that it’s pushing out an update to its popular virtual keyboard that brings new themes, languages and bug fixes. Version 3.0.1 incorporates two new summer themes — Sky blue and Fuchsia — and bumps the language count to 44 with the addition of Malay and Urdu. The keyboard now also supports continuous dictation with Google voice typing on Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Most important, however, are a plethora of tweaks, performance improvements and bug fixes designed to further improve the SwiftKey user experience. We’ve been using the update for a few hours now on AT&T’s red Galaxy S III and it definitely makes our favorite Android virtual keyboard even better. Hit the break for screenshots of the new themes plus the full PR.

Continue reading SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RealNetworks has decided to roll out that old internet chestnut, RealPlayer, to a fresh-faced generation of smartphones that are screaming out for one more media player. This one reckons it can handle your music, video and photo content al in the same blueish hue and while the player has a basic flavor out for free, there’s a $5 app for those that like the finer things in life. Extra features in the paid-for version include a graphic equalizer with save function, Gracenote database compatibility and manual metadata editing for those with more esoteric music tastes. Naturally, advertising is nixed in this version too. Now out from beta testing, hit the source for the download.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

RealPlayer leaves beta, becomes fully-fledged Android app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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