The Google Play Store app for Android has just been updated, and features a brighter, card-based interface from which users can more easily source new content. For a long time, the Play Store has presented Droidsters with a decidedly dark look, but the lighter aesthetic really helps accentuate the card-based theme, and the official rollout is now underway.
One of the primary advantages Android users have over their iOS-using peers, is the ability to install countless widgets. Whereas the iOS home screen isn’t particularly customizable without a jailbreak, the same department of any two random droids can look worlds apart thanks to the wonder of widgetry. It’s not all just about the look, of course, since these widgets can be effective sources of information / controls, and so it would stand to reason, then, that we may want to use them at anytime, and from within any app. Overlays, created by a veteran member of the XDA-Developers forums , does exactly that, and with plenty of options and features within the app itself, it’s a must-have for anybody with a staunch reliance on widgets. More details and the oh-so important download link can be found right after the jump.
Everyone loves a good infographic, and that includes us here at Redmond Pie. We're particularly happy when said infographic scratches a particular geek itch, and we can say with hand on heart that the one we're about to tell you about does just that. Be sure to check it out after the jump, you don’t want to miss this!
Every now and again, a little maintenance work on any computer, tablet or smartphone device is necessary to help keep it performing at the top of its game. For example, running an anti-virus, spyware or adware program every other month will certainly help you fend off some of the Web's non-niceties. But even so, you cannot expect optimum performance if your storage is almost completely maxed out, and Clean Master for Android is one of those infinitely useful apps which scans, locates, and eradicates any unnecessary bulk which may be slowing your device down. More details can be found right after the jump.
A couple of days back, we showed you how Espier Screen Locker could make your Android smartphone's lock screen look just like an iPhone's, and following on from this, Espier has just released a beta version of an app to bring the iOS Notification Center to Google handsets. Not to everybody's taste, I might add, but from the company that also has a launcher offering the iOS home screen to those on Android, it seems Espier studios is on a mission to bring as much of iOS's UI over to Android as it possibly can.
CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds based upon the very latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean can now be installed on your Galaxy S III (GT-i9300). If you own this particular model, and wish to check out the latest nightlies, please check out our step-by-step tutorial after the break.
Virtualization is a concept that has grown very rapidly in the last decade, especially amongst casual, home users. It makes sense, too, considering that the hardware available to the average user these days is capable of running multiple instances of an operating system with ease, even if you need a high-end machine for that. Also, the segregation of operating systems themselves has grown to a point where you do tend to want to try out the offerings of one, but don’t really want to switch your primary OS, where again virtualization comes to the rescue. The same concept has been trickling down to smartphones as well.
For any smartphone user who owns an Android-based device and is slightly geekish, rooting comes as naturally as eating, sleeping, and other basic human instinct. Not only does it unlock the true potential of your device, but also makes it possible to run several apps that otherwise are out of question. Android, in this regard, also holds a great advantage over its fruity counterpart, iPhone, as the open source nature of the former makes it much easier to gain root level access on the device. The fact that Android developer community is huge doesn’t hurt either. Thus, whenever a new device comes out, people expectantly wait for the developers to work their magic and provide root methods. Now, it turns out, that you don’t have to even wait for the actual device to come out, because renowned developer Chainfire has rooted Samsung Galaxy S4 with a fully working auto-root mechanism.
Yes, you read that right! We're giving away a brand-spanking-new 8GB version of Google's celebrated Nexus 4 smartphone to one lucky Redmond Pie reader, and if you don't want to miss out on this great opportunity to snag one of the industry's most revered handsets from Google, then check out the full details of how you can enter after the break!
Rumors of a “Facebook Phone” have been making rounds in the rumor mill for years, with many believing that there is a gap in the market waiting to be filled for a strong social media-powered smartphone. And today, HTC took the wraps off their HTC First Android powered smartphone which will come laced with Facebook Home right out of the box. We got all the details right after the break.
