According to studies, iPhone users spend more time on their devices than Android users

According to a recently done survey by Experian, iPhone users spend a 55 percent more time on their device as compared to users using Android devices. If we come to figures, then iPhone users spend an hour and 15 minutes per day on their phones, while people using Google's OS spend just 49 minutes per day on average. However they spend less time on talking, more on entertainment. 

Android owners spend 28 percent of their time on the phone while talking to some people, while iPhone owners only spend 22 percent of their phone time talking to other people. Calling shares 26% of total time, texting is on 2nd place with 20% while social networking shares 16% and web browsing takes 14%. 

Fetto, senior marketing manager for Experian's consumer insights group, said in a statement, "Smartphone users may constantly debate which operating system is supreme, but we see clear differences between the ways consumers use their phone depending on the operating system that runs it".

Galaxy S4 Mini unveiled with features derived from Galaxy S4

Samsung has officially confirmed the rumors of Galaxy S4 Mini. The Japanese giant has recently announced the much awaited mini version of its latest flagship device Galaxy S4, with the name Galaxy S4 mini. Samsung has done it ago with Galaxy S3 mini, loading the reduced specs under the downsized specs.

The device runs on Android 4.2.2, the latest version of Jelly Bean. It is loaded with 4.3 inch 4.3-inch qHD (960x540) Super AMOLED display, and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. It has got 8 MP rear camera with 1.9 MP front one. Users get 8GB as internal storage which can be expanded upto 64 GB using microSD. Battery is of 1900 mAh. 

It comes with many latest features derived from its elder brother such as latest TouchWiz UI, Sound & Shot and Panorama modes, Group Play and S Health, WatchON TV capabilities through a built-in IR blaster. Galaxy S4 mini will be offered in White Frost and Black Mist color options. Samsung is going to launch the handset at Samsung's "Premiere 2013" event at London's Earls Court exhibition center on June 20.

Apple launches new $229 iPod Touch with no rear camera

Apple has added a new device to its stable. This time it is an upgrade of its existing devices. Apple released a new version of iPod Touch that has same 4 inch retina display screen as that of 5th gen iPod Touch, but this version does not have a rear facing camera. Socking. Isn't it? Yes we too feel same. 

This edition of iPod replaces existing 4th generation iPod Touch models. It is priced at $229, that means 70 bucks less than the last 4th generation iPod Touch. The new model s loaded with only one color- grey back with white front. It has front FaceTime HD camera capable of shooting 1.2 MP photos and 720p @ 30fps videos. Dual Core A5 processor still exists, but Apple has also omitted the "loop" lanyard as that in 5th gen iPod Touch. Storage option is of 16 GB only.

Apple launched it without any announcements and that was quite good, if this upgrade is not actually an upgrade. Apple says that this iPod Touch will be shipped in 24 hrs. You can get it from Apple's online store.

White Nexus 4 will come to market on 29th of May

Now the day has come when LG is going to release much awaited white colored Nexus 4. Finally they have confirmed that white variant of Nexus 4 will arrive in Hongkong on tomorrow i.e. on May 29, and will come to Asia, North America and Europe over the next several weeks. Nexus 4 is loaded with 768 x 1280p 4.7 inch IPS display with 320 ppi, 2 GB RAM, 8/16 GB onboard memory and is expected to have no microSD expansion option. Snapdragon S4 pro and Android 4.2.2 boost the device. No prices have been finalized but it is expected to be as same as that of black edition. Model number is also changed from the original E960 to E960W.

New Nexus 7 expected to be coming in Q3 of 2013

Soon we may see a New version of Google Nexus 7. According to Digitimes, the second generation of tablet manufactured and developed by Google Inc. and Asustek is coming to stores. It is expected to be launched in III quarter of 2013. It is also rumored that this Nexus 7 will feature a 1920×1200 resolution 7 inch "low-temperature poly-silicon" (LTPS) display which is manufactured by AU Optronics. 

It is most probably to be running on Android 4.3 which may be released soon in July or August. Recently a Nexus 4 has been caught in Thailand expo running on Android 4.3. Asus expects to reach 12 million units to be sold in 2013, which was 6.3 million in 2012.

HTC One reported to be sold 5 million units since launch

Since launch, Taiwanese firm HTC has launched 5 million units of its flagship device "HTC One". One is the best smartphone from HTC made up of full metal body and Ultrapixel camera, first of its kind. One was launched in the end of March in several countries. 

An exec of HTC told WSJ, that the smartphone manufacturer has sold 5 million units of HTC One and there are still more orders which HTC can't fulfill due to shortage. But the production will fulfill the demands next month.

HTC One is reaching near to the sales figures of Galaxy S4 which recently crossed 10 million. This a good news for the company facing financial problems. One's sales will also boost up as a new version of it is also coming running on Stock Android. 

[Image Courtesy: TechnoBuffalo]

Android 4.3 spotted in Thailand with updated camera UI

 

Google did not released Android 4.3 in I/O 2013, but don't disappoint. Company may launch next version of its mobile OS in few weeks or months. A Nexus 4 running on Android 4.3 spotted in Thailand Mobile Expo by a visitor who posted them on XDA developers. This confirms that a major update to Android OS is coming.

The build version is JWR45B. We've seen a lot of rumors which show benchmarking results of phones running on Android 4.3, but these images are a solid proof. And there are not only "About Phone" images, the user has also posted an image of updated camera UI. It is an expansion to the camera app of Android 4.2 with multiple new gestures. Though platform version is not being changed i.e. it is only 4.2 to 4.3 upgrade, we'll not see bunch of upgraded as well as new features.

But still we are satisfied and ensured that Android update is in its final stages and will roll out soon. Ofcourse, it will also get delivered on Nexus devices firstly.

Google wants to buy mapping app Waze for $1 billion

Internet giant Google is rumored to buy popular mapping app company Waze Inc. Waze is popular in users as it is a social driving app. Users can share their location in a single tap, it provides voice guided navigation, helps you find cheapest and nearest gas stations and has a huge community of millions of users who contribute to road alerts including accidents, hazards, police traps. 

Waze's asking price is around $1 billion. Other companies such as Facebook also want to bid for Waze. However, Waze's cofounders do not want to go with Facebook, as social giant wants to move it to California. 

The startup's app has more than 40 million active users. In the meantime, you can have your hands on Waze on both Android and iOS.

Apple's new video highlights iPhone's "Music Every day"

Apple's ad videos are pretty cool. They are different from other advertisement videos. Apple has recently posted a new video to their YouTube channel, showing how the users listen to music on iPhone in different countries, with synchronization of their work. This ad video is reminiscent of "Photos every day" that Apple posted last. 

This one minute video highlights Apple's contribution to music showing that iPhone is the most popular phone to listen music. What touches and impresses in the video is a statement that comes in the end, "Everyday, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phone."

No HTC First for UK, said Facebook

The collaboration between Facebook and smartphone manufacturer resulted in a handset named as HTC First, we all know. At the time of launch it was warmly welcomed but its glory is getting dim. Facebook Home is mainly responsible. It vanished the Android experience turning it into a Social networking phone with reduced multitasking and entertainment. Well, this also resulted in downfall of sales of HTC First. 

Now we are litening that Facebook is not in mood to launch its smartphone in UK. Neither HTC, nor European carrier partners EE and Orange took this decision. It is a decision of Facebook itself. Company wants to improve Facebook Home and then will think to release it in other countries.

According to a source, "Following customer feedback, Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customisation features to Facebook Home over the coming months. Sales in the U.S. were poor and Facebook has taken the decision not to give it a more widespread release."

Facebook Home currently has an average rating of 2.3 (out of 5) from 17,983 reviews on the Play Store, just over a month after it launched. AT& T is also dissaponted and hence already  reduced the price of First to $1 USD.

After Samsung, HTC is also planning to launch HTC One with Stock Android

We all know that in this year's I/O Google released a special edition of Galaxy S4 that runs on stock Android and is called the "Pure Nexus experience". It is a Nexus device having amazing camera (13 MP), good hardware and manufactured by the top manufacturer, Samsung. It will be a good choice for users who want to buy Galaxy S4 but love Nexus features. 

HTC seems to be following Samsung by releasing a special edition of HTC One with Stock Android on its top. According to a Twitter user LlabTooFeR, HTC is planning to gift its users a HTC One loaded with Vanilla experience i.e. stock Android and such handset is under development. HTC says that these rumors are false, but a source said to launch of such handset soon.  It looks like "Pure Nexus Experience" is becoming a brand. 

This will be a different move from HTC to switch from Sense 5.0 to Vanilla UI. Well, we think that this a nice move as users will have choice to choose from Sense 5.0 which is an itself great UI and Vanilla, the stock Android Interface. 

Galaxy Note 3 with Android 4.3 benchmarks leaked

Samsung is going to produce Galaxy Note Family with one more member, Galaxy Note 3 or GT-N7200. It may be consisting of 5.9 inch screen size. New Note 3 is expected to be launched in August 2013. 

Today a new report has surfaced which shows AnTuTu benchmarks results of Galaxy Note 3. The big thing is that the device is running Android version 4.3. This is the same version which was hoped to be launched in Google I/O 2013, in May this year. Well Android 4.3 Jelly Bean launch is unofficially delayed to June or July. The AnTuTu benchmark result reveals an unknown 1.6 GHz Octa core processor, probably same as that of S4. Benchmark figures have reached 27K (27914).

If we head back then we see that Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S4 were launched with latest version of Android available at that time. So, Galaxy Note 3 may bring Android 4.3 with it. 

[Image Courtesy: GSMInsider]

OS X is going to get a Google feature- Chrome app launcher

One of the Chrome OS's specialty is its User Interface which consists of a simple launcher having apps docked in the bottom. This feature is now being ported to Mac OS X by Google. Chrome App launcher is now in beta phase which is a simple way to launch Chrome packaged apps. If you are a chrome user then you might be already familiar with these simple apps are written up from HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.

To get this launcher you need to install Chromium for Mac. Then run –show-app-list switch in terminal and then on clicking on the Chromium dock icon will bring up a grid of your installed web apps from the Chrome store.

Google is also working on Chrome Launcher for Windows and Linux. It seems that Google is trying to make the world know about the Chrome OS. We may get app launcher for all three platforms with Chrome 28 or Chrome 29. 

Sony Xperia Z Tab is now on sale in UK at £399

After taking pre-orders, Xperia Z Tablet from Sony's stable is now available for sale. The minimum model starts at the price point of £399 having 16 GB of onboard storage with Wifi connectivity option (black in color) or 32GB with Wifi (black and white) or 16GB with Wifi and 4G LTE connectivity (black only).

Xperia Z Tablet is loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by 1.5 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and Adreno 320 GPU. The device has high durability and water and dust resistivity as being a Xperia Z family member. Camera options are 8.1 mp as rear as well as front is 2.2 mp capable of shooting 1080p videos.

According to leaks Galaxy S3 is going to get features of Galaxy S4

Samsung is going to update Galaxy S3 firmware version from Android 4.1.2 to Android 4.2.2. Along with it, Sammy is also going to add tons of features introduced in Galaxy S4 such as dual camera, S Health, motion image capture, updated S voice etc. At the launch of Galaxy S4 Samsung has already announced that Galaxy S3 will be upgraded with these features. 

The firmware version has been codenamed as I9300XXUFME3 and has been available by SamMobile. The features expected to be coming with this software upgrade are:

• Improved lock screen, similar to that on the Galaxy S4: users will get to use multiple widgets, change the appearance and size of the clock, new unlock effects, and more
• The new screen modes launched on the Galaxy S4, Adapt Display and Professional Photo
• New Settings UI
• Dedicated Voice controls (from S4)
• Improved S Voice (from S4)
• Daydream
• Navigation mode
• Camera features such as dual camera

Galaxy S4 is going to reach 10 million sales within 30 days of launch

It's just more than a month when Samsung announced its latest flagship phone Galaxy S4 and it is going to be the fastest selling phone ever manufactured by the company. Samsung expects that within a week Galaxy S4 will cross 10 million. Galaxy S4 was introduced in March 2013 and was launched in 60 different countries in April 2013.

Samsung's CEO Shin Jong-kyun spoke to a bunch of journalists that the latest smartphone's sales will surpass the sales figures of last flagship smartphone i.e. Galaxy S3. Galaxy S3 took 50 days to reach figure of 10 million. Galaxy S4 is going to break the record in next week, less than within in 30 days of its launch. 

Shin said, “We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week".

Samsung's Galaxy devices hold the 95 percent of Android devices' market share. Galaxy S4 is given competition by HTC One, iPhone 5, Xperia Z. 5 days ago, Google launched a special edition of Galaxy S4 that runs on stock version of Android which can be brought directly from Google Play.

[Image Courtesy: The Verge]

Google launches Galaxy S4 running Stock Android

Google in I/O 2013 announced a different edition of Samsung Galaxy S4 which will run on Stock Android version. It will be sold through Google Play at the price point of $649 and will be available by 26th June. It has 16 GB of space. Currently it is running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. You can buy it unlocked or from T-Mobile or AT&T.

The things get changed here. Now, when the best hardware available is running stock version of Android, so it will get the updates at a faster rate. Much like the Nexus devices, as the update is published and rolled out over the air, this S4 is also likely to get the update. This really makes plus points for Samsung and will make it earn more revenue. 

Would you like to buy this Galaxy S4? 

Hands-on pic by The Verge

One more effort towards education, Google Play for Education

Yesterday, in its annual event I/O 2013, Google announced that it is launching a new effort for education which is named as "Google Play for education", which is designed for making devices and software affordable for educators.

Teachers or institutions can buy books and apps from Play Store and can push them to hundreds of tablets and this is sent by Google over all their desired tablets. Not only apps, but also books and videos are included in it.

According to a Google spokesperson,"Chromebooks have gone mainstream in education — not just in US, but around the world". 

Schools of New Jersey are also running this pilot program. Developers can submit their apps now, while the actual registration process starting date hasn't been announced yet. 

Google Play Games is an answer to Apple's Game Center

Live from Google I/O 2013. 

Google has just launched the rumored cross platform Gaming platform: Google Play Games. It is not only for Android, but also for iOS and web. This service features a number of similar features as Apple's Game Center, including achievements, matchmaking, and leaderboards. You can play multiplayer games with friends on cloud and save your score on web. 

Check out our Google I/O live blog

Android has reached 900 million activations

Live from Google I/O 13

Sundar Pichai, the head of Android, Chrome and apps at Google, has announced that Android has reached 900 million activation. 48 billion apps have been installed till now while 2.5 billion installations were in the last month alone. 

Watch Live blog of Google I/O 13 keynote

Google I/O 2013 is just 30 mins far. We all are eager to see what will be the announcements. With the Nexus devices rumors of Nexus 5, Nexus 8 and octa core powered Nexus 11, everyone wants to see the new products by the Tech giant. 

Sundar Pichai, the new head of Android has also reported that this I/O will be more focused towards developers rather than consumer products to increase productivity as well as scope of the new technology. So, we may see new version of Android, Chrome and Chrome OS, Google+, Google Cloud platform etc. 

Glass will also cover a special place in the event. Android update is the main center of attraction. It may be the 4.3 "jelly bean" or 5.0 "key lime pie". Well we all are waiting of opening of the keynote. You can watch Live blog here on Digital News Hub as well on other sites too.

Galaxy S4 mini images leaked, may come in July

Samsung is rumored to be building a mini-sized version of its Galaxy S4 smartphone. According to the leaked pictures and reports, it will be launched in Q2 of 2013, most probably in July. This will be the second mini version of Samsung's flagship phones, first Galaxy S3 mini and now Galaxy S4 mini. 

A Weibo user "“PunkPanda" has leaked photos of unreleased devices in the past. Now he has posted images of a device which is expected to be Galaxy S4 mini. If the leaked specifications are true then the S4 mini will be powered by a 1.6 GHz dual-core Exynos 5210 processor. Note that it is different and a vast improvement over the S3 mini which uses the NovaThor U8420 in the board from ST-Ericsson. 

Screen size is expected to be 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 540 x 960. 1 GB of RAM will power the device and will be running on Android 4.2.2. S4 mini is also expected to be having a 8 MP shooter. 

No details have evidence, but reports seem to be strong. What's your opinion about S4 mini?

Sony is going to add one more device to Z series: Xperia ZR

After its amusing announcements of Xperia Z and Xperia ZL in CES 2013, Sony is now going to add one more device to its mini version of Z series i.e. Xperia ZR. It will feature the same waterproof technology, but it is the highest level of water-resistance. It allows users to capture photos and videos in water up to 5 feet deep.

The camera features 13 MP Exmor RS image sensor, and what’s the icing on the cake is that Xperia ZR features a dedicated camera button for shooting photos quickly.

It is loaded with 2 GB of RAM and 1.5 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, same that powers elder members of Z series. Internal memory is of 8 gigs which can be expanded upto 64 gigs using a microSD slot. Xperia ZR features a 4.55 inch 720p display.

Sony's press release says the Xperia ZR includes LTE support, but the official spec sheet only mentions HSPA+. The device is going to be introduce in Q2 of 2013.

Gmail, Drive and Google+ photos will share 15 GB space

Google is a great combination of web services especially when talking about Cloud storage. Gmail the no. 1 email service provides 10 GB of storage space, and Google's Cloud locker: Drive gives 5 GB space for free. Google+ Photos is an amazing place to upload and share your photos with unlimited space. 

Google has done some changes to these services making it more effective. Soon, you won't need to worry to about your Gmail storage space getting low while Drive is almost empty. Because Google is integrating all three of its storage services viz. Gmail, Drive, Google+ Photos to a single space section. So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos.

With this new combined storage space, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re storing and where. You can also see a pie chart of space occupied in Google Drive storage page, which is going to be updated soon. And if you feel that space is getting low, you can buy more space. 

This update to Google Drive Storage will take place in few weeks.

Read more @

Google Docs Blog

This concept video shows the flat UI design of iOS 7

After the reports leaked that Sir Jony Ive has been developing a flat look for iOS 7, a lot of concept videos are floating on the web. Several artists have fully used their imagination and have created amazing concept videos which make us think that it could be the new UI of upcoming iOS. 

Following is a videos created by a YouTube user SimplyZesty (real name Philip Joyce) and it has impressed us. The icons are more flat rather than being curvy and poppy. Apps look some sort of similar to Windows Phone, but have appealing feel. Calendar, Mailbox, Music, Camera etc. apps have got a new impressive look. Lock screen is totally reimagined. 

What do you think about this concept? Do you like it? Share with us in comments.

LG Optimus G Pro is available for sale at AT&T

AT&T has added one more phablet to its devices. This time its from LG. Yes you got it right. It's LG Optimus G Pro. It is now available on carrier's online service as well as retail stores. At a quick glance, Optimus G Pro is loaded with 5.5-inch, full HD 1080p display with 401 PPI pixel density, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 13 MP rear camera,  2GB of RAM, and runs on Android 4.1.2. Storage options are available as 32 GB onboard memory and a micro SD support for expanding memory size to 64 Gigs. It competes with Galaxy S4, HTC One, Apple iPhone 5.

LG Optimus G Pro is available for  $199.99 on a two-year plan, or $549.99 without carrier. 

Half-Life 2 now available on Steam for Linux

Good News for Linux users which will make you jump off your chairs, or beds in some cases. Steam, the most popular platform became available for Linux in Dec 2012. Last week Valve added Left 4 Dead and Portal and today, Valve has released the one of the most popular PC Game for Linux: Half-Life 2. It comes in the form of a new beta build of the game available through Steam and requires you set a -vr property. Everyone running the beta build should be able to get access to this option within a couple of weeks.

Gabe Newell, Valve's head confirmed that the company’s working on the second iteration of the Source engine – the engine which currently powers Steam titles for Linux like Team Fortress 2, Portal, and the Half-Life 2 series. Linux Gamers will soon may get more fantastic games, em.. Counter Strike.

CyanogenMod 10.1 Release Candidate 1 available for 45 devices

CyanogenMod fans, there's good news. CyanogenMod 10.1 is out of M-builds. A more stable release of CyanogenMod is released named as CM 10.1 RC 1, based on Android 4.2..2 Just a week before Google announces the next version of Android, presumed to be Jelly Bean 4.3, CyanogenMod 10.1 has finally reached the release candidate phase of its release cycle. Along with many additional features, it serves as a great way to upgrade your device in the case that its manufacturer has given up. 

Reaching the RC1 stage also means that these are some of the last updates that these devices are likely to see for Android 4.2.2. A quote from the CyanogenMod blog:

This will be one of (if not the last) milestone releases before a 10.1.0 is pushed out.

The new RC 1 candidate is available for selected 45 devices. More devices are likely to be added. You can download your required zip file from the CyanogenMod download list to flash through recovery. 

• Acer Iconia Tab A700 (a700)
• Amazon Kindle Fire (1st gen) (otter)
• Amazon Kindle Fire (2nd gen) (otter2)
• Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (tf700t)
• Barnes & Noble Nook Color (encore)
• Google Galaxy Nexus (GSM) (maguro)
• Google Nexus 10 (manta)
• Google Nexus 4 (mako)
• Google Nexus 7 (GSM) (tilapia)
• Google Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi) (grouper)
• Google Nexus Q (steelhead)
• Google Nexus S (crespo)
• Google Nexus S 4G (crespo4g)
• Hardkernel ODROID-U2 (odroidu2)
• HTC One X (endeavoru)
• LG Nitro HD / Optimus LTE (p930)
• LG Optimus 4X HD (p880)
• LG Optimus G (Intl) (e975)
• LG Optimus L9 (p760)
• LG Optimus LTE (SK Telecom) (su640)
• LG Spectrum (vs920)
• Motorola Droid 4 (maserati)
• Motorola Droid Bionic (targa)
• Motorola Droid Razr (spyder)
• Motorola Razr (umts_spyder)
• Samsung Captivate (captivatemtd)
• Samsung Epic 4G (epicmtd)
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Sprint) (toroplus)
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) (toro)
• Samsung Galaxy Note (AT&T) (quincyatt)
• Samsung Galaxy Note (T-Mobile) (quincytmo)
• Samsung Galaxy S (galaxysmtd)
• Samsung Galaxy S II (G) (i9100g)
• Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile) (hercules)
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket (skyrocket)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T) (d2att)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (Cricket) (d2cri)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (MetroPCS) (d2mtr)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (Sprint) (d2spr)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (T-Mobile) (d2tmo)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (Verizon) (d2vzw)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (GSM) (p3100)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (Wi-Fi) (p3110)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 (GSM) (p5100)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 (Wi-Fi) (p5110)

Catch Live action of Google I/O 2013

Google's Annual Event I/O 2013 is just a week away. Google is working hard to make it memorable. Of course, its a festival for the Mountain View's giant. I/O 2013 will take part for 3 days, from May 15 to May 17, 2013, at Moscone Center, San Francisco. Again like previous years, Google is streaming Live coverage of I/O 2013 on YouTube, so the developers across the globe can anywhere watch it. 

A special page named as Google Developers Live (GDL) is created to know eveything Live Sessions of Google's event. On this page you can 

• Stream the keynote on your computer, tablet or phone
• Watch exclusive interviews with the Googlers behind the latest product announcements
• Get the latest news in real time
• Never miss a session

The 3 day event will cover sessions on Android, Chrome and Apps, YouTube, Maps, Google+, Google Cloud Platform, Glass, Google Ads, Google Wallet, Knowledge and structured Data, Tech Talk. Official hashtag is #io13 for Google+. We don't know about you, but we are going to watch it live, and we think you too do so.

Important links:

Google Developers

Google I/O

Google Developers YouTube channel

Google Developers Live

Google Developers on Google+

Read more @

Google Developers Blog, Official Google Blog

Chrome can be now integrated with your app

Google is increasing functionality of Chrome, specially on iOS. Chrome for iOS performs amazing and beats Safari in many aspects. Recently it has got ability to open Gmail Links directly in it. Now Google has released tools that will allow developers to better integrate their apps with Chrome. 

With Chrome’s OpenInChromeController class with x-callback, users can open a web page in Chrome and then return to your app with just one tap.If a developer has downloaded the OpenInChromeController class and added it to the project, he’ll be able to check if Chrome is installed, and if so, send links to Chrome with or without x-callback enabled. That means a better integration of the app with Chrome.

The tool can be grabbed from here. Chrome is one of the most used desktop browsers available, and many users might prefer the mobile version because of syncing support. Whatever you say, but we love it. 

Download Chrome for Android and iOS

Galaxy S4 is coming to Canada

A good news for Canadian Users. Samsung Galaxy S4 is coming to your country. After the launch in March, Samsung is bringing its flagship phone to Canada. It will be available on major carriers of the nation. The launch isn’t going quite as smooth as they planned, but it’s now readily available. 

It is already in USA on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. And we have heard that in Canada it will be a 16 GB model. Most of the larger Canadian carriers are now offering the 16GB model for a typical $200 on a 3-year contract.  Bell, Rogers and Telus (as well as their sub-brands) are covering much of the country, while more region-specific carriers like Eastlink and Videotron are also joining in. 

Recently Samsung has also got approval for the Galaxy S4 from the Department of Defense (DoD), USA, making it the first Android Phone for such security approval. It means that Military departments and US government will use device for security purposes.