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Another week of the Android Buffet podcast. Jere has to run to the airport, but we’ll be back next week.
Show Notes
- Google I/O to start Wednesday, June 27th. News expected.
- In Other News
- TruConnect Mobile and Walmart launch broadband with data that never expires. Intriguing backup/emergency option that runs on the Sprint network. For more info, visit their site.
- Motorola and Alitalia pair up, Xoom 2 tablets to appear on board. Unfortunately, to try the tablet, you have to fly Alitalia.
- Warrantless wiretapping bill heads to full vote. Bill would extend FISA Amendments of 2008, which allow for wireless wiretapping if one of the parties is located outside the US, until June of 2017.
- Do we want to talk about Microsoft Surface?
- Platform News
- NoGAPPs Project – The basic premise is to incorporate all of the missing APIs that would normally come from the closed-source, proprietary Google Applications (GAPPS) and incorporate them into open applications. This would in turn allow AOSP to become truly independent and functional, without the user having to flash additional proprietary content. This includes a market app, a talk app, a maps api and app, etc.
- Next version of Android confirmed as 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google Play version of Nexus to be first phone to receive update.
- Replying to User Reviews on Google Play now officially announced. Feature rolled out to those with a Top Developer Badge, and will expand in future.
- Android Developer’s Site redesigned in advance of Google I/O.
- Google Maps Traffic now added to 7 new countries and expanded and improved in another 19.
- Amazon invites developers to ready apps for international expansion. Countries that will be included are the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and the expansion should be sometime this summer. Amazon has also announced a change effective July 1st to its revenue sharing program. “you will earn 70% of list price on each paid app sale. This is a change from the prior terms under which you earned either 70% of the app’s sales price or 20% of list price (whichever was greater). To put it differently, starting in July, you’ll receive 70% of the list price for all sales, regardless of whether you monetize your apps up front (paid apps) or downstream (using our In-App Purchasing Service).”
- Google Developers Live offers a place to keep up with all Google’s live broadcasts, and archived previous events.
- Android’s power management API can lead to no-sleep energy bugs, according to researchers. A study has been made of the Android wakelock API, for apps that need to run processes while the phone is idle. As part of the research, 187 apps were analyzed, with 42 having these no-sleep energy bugs.
- Google purchases wireless efficiency beam-forming patents from Magnolia Broadband. These patents could increase data coverage and substantially save on battery life by being more efficient.
- Motorola ‘Qe’ compares every system file to stock, slows boot time and transmit info back to Motorola.
- App News
- Flipboard leaves Beta, now in Google Play, now with Google+. (Play Link)
- Winamp updated, adds store for addons, including a Pro Bundle that adds equalization, FLAC, and more, and a plugin that fixes metadata.
- Mozilla promises big news for Firefox for Android this week.
- Poweramp updated, supports action bars in Honeycomb/ICS. (Play LInk)
- Taptu for Android is updated, includes a personalized news delivery engine that learns what you like, and delivers more of the same. (Play Link)
- Dolphin Engine Beta released, touted as highest performing HTML5 mobile browser, showing what the future of Dolphin would be.
- Tivo for Android tablets released. Do people still have Tivos? (Play Link)
- Jolicloud for Android seeks to combine all social media content into one place. (Play Link)
- Google Translate updated, adds improved tablet features, text to speech options for original text, and additional handwriting recognition options.
- Swiftkey 3 released, on sale at half price. New ICS inspired Holo theme, and Cobalt, larger spacebar, Smart Space(detected missed or omitted spaces), additional languages, dedicated comma key, etc. Product endorsed by Stephen Fry, who recently visited their HQ.
- Otter Text and Drive Solution formerly $3.99, now free indefinitely. Automate text message replies when occupied.
- Waze unveils new version, with waypoints, voice control, and real-time gas pricing. (Play Link)
- Swype Beta updated, adds in features already available in Swiftkey, and you may sync your personal dictionary among devices.
- Go Launcher Ex wins Most Popular Launcher on Lifehacker, with 37% of the vote. Two of the top 4, are ICS only launchers Apex and Nova.
- Official WinZip app hits play store. (Play Store)
- Tasker App Factory turns Tasks into standalone apps, allows you to share them with friends, and to launch them without launching Tasker.
- XP Mod Launcher makes your Android look like Windows XP. (Play Link)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:31 — 40.8MB)