Google's I/O conference brought little in the way of surprise, but still presented aficionados of the Big G with plenty to get excited about. As well as the Nexus 7 tablet, which has seen an uprising in talk of a smaller iPad (a device which, as yet, hasn't been proved to be in development), Google also announced Android Jelly Bean (4.1), the successor to the rather tasty Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) operating system.
The tirade of Android malware continues to appear, and although it's been a quiet month of July for those who like to wreak havoc on our devices, a new outbreak is never too far away. The latest case in the continual Android malware debacle actually buys applications for you, and while that should be a positive thing, you're the one footing the bill when the waiter arrives.
If you've seen one of Samsung's ads over the last year or so then you'll probably already know that the Korean firm has not been too shy about poking fun at Apple. In fact, Samsung has even seen Apple's customers as fair game when putting its ads together, making fun of the people who line up outside an Apple store for a new iPhone, for example.
Google released Android Jelly Bean, or at least announced it, at Google I/O recently. Since then, Android enthusiasts the world over have been clamoring to get their hands on the latest version of the mobile operating system to come out of the search giant's Googleplex campus. If you're the owner of a Galaxy Nexus then you're one short flash away from having the Jelly Bean experience installed on your very own device. If not though, you face a wait of indeterminable time.
Fans of the Samsung S III are receiving an update to the handset they love so much, with the smartphone maker pushing a new version of software out. Only available for the international version of the hugely popular device, the update weighs in at around 73MB and does not offer any additions that will blow your socks off. According to the literature though, users will be in for an increase in stability, which is always welcome.
Yes, yes, I know; we're featuring yet another image editing app. But when a developer goes above and beyond the call of duty to offer a seemingly endless inventory of manipulation options and effects, it's only right we give it a mention.
Seeing that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean last week during its Google I/O conference - where it also announced its home entertainment device, the Nexus Q, among a few other things - Android users are surly antsy to get the latest version of the OS onto their devices. Well, Nexus S and Nexus S 4G owners are in luck; two guys from the XDA forums - DeXmax and CooLoserTech - have ported Jelly Bean 4.1 to the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G, respectively.
Always eager to add little treats for their intrepid user-base, Google appears to have added an Easter egg to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that goes beyond the norm. Fans of Android smartphones and tablets will no doubt already be aware that Google's engineers like to add a little something for them to find when playing around with their new toys. The most famous amongst these Easter eggs is something that is found inside the Settings app of Android smartphones.
Remember the outlandishly awkward Galaxy Note that's too big to be a phone, but too small to be a tablet? It appears that Samsung is cooking up a successor to the device which it will unveil at the end of August during the IFA 2012 consumer electronics show in Berlin. On top of this, it is rumored that the Galaxy Note II will come with a 5.5" display, which is slightly larger than the existing Galaxy Note's 5.3" display. It will of course run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is now the latest version of the operating system.
If there was one thing I really enjoyed in my time with the Samsung Galaxy S II (before shifting to the iPhone 4S), it was the ability to easily customize large parts of my smartphone. The home screen launcher - the user interface from where you launch apps and absorb information in a glance with widgets - is one area where Android offers unmatched variety. There are launchers that promise awesome performance, others that offer wide variety of features and others one that promise both.
