Microsoft has today launched Office Mobile for Android phones, a new app for Office 365 subscribers that allows them to view and edit their Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other documents on their Android phones.
But you'll need to be an Office 365 subscriber to get in on the spreadsheet-based action — Microsoft isn't offering a free version of the app right now. Nor is it opening things up internationally — the app is U.S.-only at the moment, though The Verge writes that Microsoft plans to open up to other markets gradually. Finally, it's also a phone-only app at present — sadly there's no Android tablet support in this release.
Regardless, if you're living in (and paying for) the Microsoft Office ecosystem, the new app looks attractive enough, and offers the kind of quick, basic editing experience you'll likely want on a smartphone. Hit the Google Play link up above to grab the app.
Support for the Google Catalogs mobile app for Android and iOS is to be withdrawn from Aug. 15, an in-app message is telling users.
Google Catalog, which launched with festive cheer around the 2011 holiday season, allowed users to browse through virtual catalogs from major brands. However 18 months later the app's installation count sits between the 50-100,000 install level, and it's this lack of user adoption that's likely behind Google's decision to mothball the app. The company has become more aggressive in pruning less-used services in recent months, after all.
Catalogs will continue to be available on the web at google.com/catalogs after the mid-August cut-off, Google says.
1GB, unlimited calls and texts for £30, 2GB for £40 on new PAYG plans.
Vodafone UK has announced some new additions to its Pay As You Go line-up today. The new "Vodafone Red Freedom Freebee" gives customers unlimited calls and texts — much like the contract-based Vodafone Red service — with the option of 1GB of data for £30, or 2GB for £40. That's a large amount of money to be spending on a pre-paid service plan, but it also gets you access to a greater data allowance than some other carriers are offering, in addition to unmetered calls and texts.
Vodafone has also tweaked its other PAYG offerings, allowing customers to get unlimited texts on a £10 "Freebee" deal, as well as 1GB of data from a £20 bundle.
The operator's PAYG announcements follow the launch of new, competitive pre-paid prices from rival Three.
To go along with our review of Shield, we're also taking a look at a couple of accessories being released by NVIDIA. Today we're looking at the official custom carrying case as well as the custom lid. The hard case is exactly what you think it would be, along with a nice surprise around back. It's custom molded to fit Shield perfectly, with moldings on the inside for the triggers as well as a small mesh pouch for smaller accessory on the top half. The inside is lined with a soft felt, and we've yet to notice it leaving any marks on Shield. You'll see some nicely done Shield branding on the front, with "NVIDIA green" piping accenting the bottom half of the case. It also has a wrist strap, which is removable if it's not really your thing. I haven't dropped it, but it's built well enough to take a decent impact. I wouldn't go throwing it across the room, though.
The custom lid is something that allows you to personalize Shield more to your liking. Initially they will be available in glossy black and carbon fiber. I don't have the carbon fiber here, but the glossy black is very well done. I've used it almost exclusively, and it's held up well, with no nicks or scratches to be seen anywhere. Whatever NVIDIA used on this particular lid needs to be shared with other manufacturers — it's that durable. They are held on magnetically, and try as I might, I can't make it not line up the way it's supposed to. Initially NVIDIA used a type of clip to hold them on, but switched to magnets based on feedback from industry experts. It works really well, and kudos to them for listening to the feedback and making appropriate changes.
You can pick up the custom carrying case for $39.99 and the lids for $19.99 each from your local Shield retailer. We have a hands-on video and a few pictures after the break.
Koushik Dutta shows streaming of video through the gallery app, but a public release isn't on the cards just yet
ClockworkMod developer Koushik Dutta has stepped in to plug one significant feature gap in Google's Chromecast dongle. At the moment Chromecast allows content to be streamed directly through the web, or from a mirrored browser window. But there's been no easy way to view locally-stored photos or video directly from an Android phone — until now. Koush's app, demoed above, uses an Android sharing intent to push local content from the phone to Chromecast.
Everything seems to work pretty smoothly in the video — a single push and the video is streamed to the TV, where it's presumably beamed over a local Wifi network. But Chromecast owners will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the app, as the terms of the beta SDK forbid devs from distributing any APKs. Nevertheless, it's a promising sign of what could be ahead in Chromecast development.
Samsung will launch new variants of its Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini handsets with dual-mode TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE connectivity, the company has announced. While current LTE networks are primarily based upon FDD-LTE the standard, Samsung's new devices will be able to operate on these networks in addition to TDD-LTE networks expected to launch soon in Asia and Eastern Europe.
Samsung said its new dual-mode LTE Galaxy S4s will be the first handsets to market to support "seamless handover" between the two standards, with "continuous and seamless voice and data communications even as the devices switch between two different types of LTE networks." While Samsung hasn't specified which countries will be getting these new dual-mode handsets, smooth handover between the two standards will be particularly important in markets where both TDD and FDD are deployed.
Samsung accelerates global LTE market possibilitieswith world’s first commercial dual-mode LTE handover devices
Seoul, Korea – Jul 31, 2013 – Samsung Electronics today announced the world’s first commercial devices capable of TDD-LTE (Time-Division Duplex) and FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplex) seamless handover technology. Samsung will launch TDD/FDD Dual Mode LTE versions of the Samsung GALAXY S4 and Samsung GALAXY S4 mini, which will enable continuous and seamless voice and data communications even as the devices switch between two different types of LTE networks.
“Samsung continues to accelearate global LTE market deployment, addressing technical challenges faster than anyone else. With today’s TDD/FDD LTE seamless handover devices announcement, Samsung again demonstrates the company’s commitment to driving better, more convenient customer experiences,” said JK Shin, co-CEO and president of the IT & Mobile division of Samsung Electronics. Shin added, “The first commercially available TDD/FDD seamless handover devices will allow customers to fully enjoy the benefits of fast mobile data communications no matter where they are.”
While the majority of the global LTE market is based on FDD-LTE technology, TDD-LTE, the alternative LTE technology, is expected to see increased adoption in the US, China, Australia, Middle East, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Southwest Asia, and to gain a more pronounced position in the global LTE market. Seamless handover between FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE networks is a critical feature for end-user customers and mobile operators, especially in markets where the both technologies are deployed.
As a market pioneer in LTE technology, Samsung’s new support of seamless handover with the GALAXY S4 will enable even more convenient, ultra-fast mobile data communications, and provide users with smooth and seamless data communication without delays or interruptions while browsing or on calls during network handover. In addition, the seamless handover will enable a true global LTE roaming solution, enabling users to enjoy fast and rich multimedia data communication wherever they are. For mobile operators, use of both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE frequencies can help them effectively manage data traffic and sustain quality of service. For example, mobile operators can allocate data traffic from FDD-LTE frequency to TDD-LTE frequency when FDD-LTE frequency is heavily loaded.
Samsung is the first player in the global mobile industry to provide dual-mode (TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE) smartphones.
Samsung will continue to launch TDD-LTE devices in other markets throughout third quarter.
Samsung's LTE Innovation
Samsung's innovation in the LTE market is driven by the company’s determined investment in LTE technology and launching of various LTE-enabled devices.
Samsung was the world’s first to showcase LTE technology in 2008, and has been leading the market expansion and technology standardization for high speed mobile data communication ever since. After launching GT-B3710 Dongle, the world’s first commercial LTE device, the company went on to introduce Craft, world’s first LTE mobile phone, to the US market in 2010.
In 2012, GALAXY S III, world’s first device supporting VoLTE technology was introduced, and in June, GALAXY S4 LTE which enables LTE-A communication service twice as fast as the standard LTE, was launched.
Samsung is driving the popularization of the global LTE market by launching over 60 million LTE devices for over 150 mobile carriers in 50 countries across the globe.
OK, boys and girls. We're in the home stretch now. Just four Chromecasts remaining on our desk, and one of them can be yours today.
We're declaring this "No-hoop Hump Day." To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post. We'll collect 'em through midnight PDT (anything after that won't count) and pick a winner in the morning.
And congrats to the winners of the first two days — Ben in Utah and Ray in Houston! Your Chromecasts are on their way!
Google seems to really be stepping up its Glass activities this month. Earlier this week, a call was put out for Glassware developers to start making Android-based apps for Google’s wearable computer. Now, Google is extending its Glass Explorer Program by sending current Glass owners an invitation that they can share with someone else.
Access to Google Glass have come in rounds, with the first batch placing their orders at Google I/O in 2012. The second round involved the lengthy if i had glass contest on Twitter where people shared interesting ways the would use Glass for a chance to win a pair. Around 8000 were chose from hundreds of thousands of entries.
Google is again trying to get Glass into more people’s hands, this time indirectly through current members of the Glass Explorer program. Some owners have received emails containing a greeting, some lighthearted story about taking pictures of friends using Glass, and an invitation to share the Glass experience with a friend. The email lists the requirements to get into the program, such as being a US citizen and at least 18 years old. The invited person should also be able to pick up the device in person in either San Francisco, New York, or Los Angeles.
It seems that the invitations are rolling out in waves, as some owners have reported not receiving the emails yet. There is also no indication of how much the would-be owners need to pay, but it will most likely be the same with the rest of the Explorers who paid $1500 for the device.
Now that the Google has announced the next Nexus 7 and rumors of what could be the next Nexus 10 circulating online, it seems that the time is just right for Amazon to refresh its own Android tablets. And based on leaks, it just might indeed do that soon with some rather unusual and not so unusual upgrades to its Kindle Fire line.
The new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will be sporting an upgraded resolution of 1920×1200 from the current 1280×800 resolution. On the other hand, the 8.9-inch model, which currently already has a 1920×1200 resolution, will be upgraded to an impressive 2560×1600 display. This gives it a pixel density rivaling that of the iPad and the Nexus 10. Both devices will be upgraded to 2 GB of RAM, which is not that unusual with today’s models.
What might be a bit surprising is that these new models will be running on a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800, which leaks say will be clocked to “around” 2 GHz. Considering that Texas Instruments, which provided the current Kindles’ CPUs, is no longer manufacturing mobile processors, it only seems natural to use Qualcomm’s chips. However, the power that the SoC provides might seem overkill for the Kindle, which could hint that Amazon might be planning to take the device into new territory.
With this set of tasty specifications, one could wonder how Amazon will keep prices down. Considering one of the biggest selling points of the Kindle is the affordable cost, it will be interesting to see how the company will solve this difficult balancing act.
If you’re a diehard gamer that has been looking for one device that will fit all your needs, NVIDIA is promising exactly that with their all-new NVIDIA SHIELD game console. An Android-powered controller with the 5-inch screen built right in. From the thousands of Android games, nearly any Steam PC game and more the SHIELD is a gaming device through and through. It’s finally available today and to help you make up your mind if this $299 device is right for you, we have a full review and tons of video.
This isn’t an Xbox One or Playstation 4, but it sure has more power than most handheld gaming devices. Rocking the latest generation 1.9 GHz quad-core Tegra 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, and plenty of storage. Plus who needs an Xbox when you can stream any Steam game right from your PC? NVIDIA took both angles here, and we’ll be diving into it all.
Hardware
The NVIDIA SHIELD is an impressive device when you consider everything they’ve packed into this rather lightweight device. You guys should all be extremely familiar with SHIELD now, not to mention it was delayed last month at last minute, so we won’t get too crazy with specifics. With a familiar Xbox-style controller layout you’ll feel right at home, but it is what’s under the hood and above the controls that are important.
A built in 5-inch 720p HD display is attached right to the SHIELD, and flips up to any angle you’d like. For gaming, watching video, or browsing the web. The usual XYAB buttons are in a familiar spot to the right, with two analog joystick controllers, the popular D-Pad, and then your Android home and back buttons. Two stereo speakers face up and boost excellent sound, and the dedicated NVIDIA button in the middle glows when powered on. That glow will direct you to all the gaming you’d ever want. From over 130 Android games specifically tuned for SHIELD, thousands in the Play Store, and oh, did we mention you can stream Skyrim, Crysis, COD and more right to it from the PC. Black Ops II from your couch, bed, or even poolside. Yup!
Under the display and familiar gaming controls is all the magic. Crammed inside this controller is a 1.9 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and will give you that plain Android experience you already love. Then on back we have those usual triggers and bumpers for any game controller. NVIDIA didn’t just stop there, the back is loaded with ports to make things even better.
There’s a vent for when you’re heavy into some gaming, a 3.5mm headphone jack so you don’t bother people around you, micro-USB for charging the integrated battery, mini HDMI-out to stream anything and everything to the bigscreen TV and home theater (even PC games) and lastly a micro-SD slot for expanding storage. I have 64GB + the 16GB internal, and it’s full of games and movies.
So how does the hardware actually feel now that I’ve had almost 3 weeks to enjoy it? Epic. How NVIDIA managed to pack all of this into something only slightly larger than an Xbox controller, keep the build quality absolutely top notch, and make it stay under 2 lbs is impressive. SHIELD is 579 grams in weight, so won’t be too heavy to enjoy hours of use.
Two extremely important areas are the triggers, and of course the screen hinge. Both feel excellent after a month of heavy heavy usage. Not just a few days here. NVIDIA made sure the hinge for the screen was tight enough it doesn’t move while gaming and tapping, yet not so tight it ruins the experience. They got it perfect, and the triggers are the best I’ve used on a non console gamepad yet.
The entire device has a soft-touch black rubber design, and the top aluminum plate is swappable and custom gaming covers are coming soon. So far there’s no signs of wear and tear on the corners, or anything of that nature after holding this for hours and hours in my sweaty palms. To wrap things up on the hardware we will say NVIDIA completely shocked us with this level of build quality and perfection, but it will take some getting use to for most users.
Software
This is bone stock, plain vanilla Android 4.2 Jelly Bean like Google offers, with a few tweaks of course. So while we know you all want to hear and see the gaming, we’ll just keep this part brief. The experience is extremely familiar here, but of course having an only landscape screen some apps don’t like to play nice. NVIDIA’s addressed this with many but hopefully more improve over time. More on that can be found from the video below.
With stock Android and full support for Google Play, Gmail, Google Music and more this is basically an Android tablet with a 5-inch display and an attached controller. In a way. It can be used as such, although not practical, but the point were making is you can enjoy it even while you’re not gaming. The performance is blazing fast thanks to that quad-core T4, and hopefully Android 4.3 Jelly Bean comes up quick. Here’s a video showing a day without gaming on SHIELD.
A few of the issues from the video above were fixed in an update today. Apps like Netflix and more can all be installed right from the Play Store, they’ll just be sideways in some parts of the app before it switches to landscape. We’ll talk more about the pre-loaded SHIELD and TegraZone software, as well as the Steam PC support below. All you really need to know is this is completely stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and it is as fast and stable as ever.
Benchmarks
I know, I know, you want to see the gaming. First check out some benchmarks because this is the first Tegra 4 device to ever hit retail shelves. Rocking a 1.9 GHz Tegra 4 and 2GB of RAM this thing is blazing fast. Like really fast. Boosting some of the highest Quadrant scores we’ve ever seen, and easily topping 39k in AnTuTu. Oh and Qualcomm’s own Vellamo benchmark really favored this NVIDIA silicon, that’s for sure.
Instead of breaking this all down, as benchmarks are only a small part of the story, we’ll drop a full gallery for those interested below. PC streaming is all done on the GeForce enabled graphics card, so there’s no worry there. All you need to know is the Tegra 4 handles the streaming, gaming, video, and Android operations with ease.
Gaming
The heart and soul of SHIELD is Android gaming, and NVIDIA’s said this more than a few times. Mobile gaming is only going to continue to increase, and this will be front and center. Not only can you enjoy every extremely awesome Tegra HD game on SHIELD, but every Android game works too. Not all will enjoy the console controls of course, but there’s over 130 titles with full game controller support and you can see them all right here. From a pure gaming perspective, SHIELD is outright awesome. It truly offers a stunning experience, and the added benefit of streaming full PC games to it makes things even sweeter.
For the most part this is an Android gaming device. Mainly because you’ll need a solid $800 or so PC if you even want to consider using the PC side of things. So while we’ll be focusing on Android gaming, we won’t leave out the PC side. If you own a GeForce GTX 650 or above, you’ll love this little device even more.
From ShadowGun, Sonic the Hedgehog, Dead Trigger, Real Racing, Riptide GP2, Blood Sword THD, Real Boxing, and over 100 titles all ready to work with ease, you’ll have no shortage of games. And unlike the OUYA these aren’t crappy games, these are all quality Android titles. There’s 35 different NVIDIA partnered and Tegra enhanced games with stunning graphics, and an additional 96 games that are all confirmed to work excellent with SHIELD. Here’s a look at a few.
Riptide GP2 was released this week, available for all devices, but as you see above works wonderfully with SHIELD. It’s a “Tegra enhanced game” so if you rock a Tegra the experience will be even better. Then a few we’ve seen before, check out Real boxing, and the new Blood Sword below.
The experience on most games has been extremely favorable, although we have had a few moment where controls weren’t up to par. For things like Shadowgun, Grand Theft Auto, and many more you’ll be able to run into settings and manage all the controls. The setup is easy enough for customization as well. Here’s a few screenshots showing you what we mean.
Once you get all setup and comfortable, playing things like Shadowgun was a breeze, and the same can be said for full PC games like Need for Speed. It truly is an immersive and impressive experience. We’re enjoying it far more than we should be. Obviously having access to the Google Play Store is nice too, as you can get any game you’d like, even if it doesn’t support the controller. Some still work, and for the others you’ll be able to enjoy them with the 5-inch screen still. So it technically does it all, even though gaming is the high-point.
PC Streaming
Another huge aspect of NVIDIA’s SHIELD, one which will be a major factor for many users, is the simple fact that you can enjoy all your full-out PC games right on the device. Although it’s still in BETA at the moment, you’ll be able to stream all your games, including Steam games all in the same HD graphics we all know and love. I’m a huge Counter-Strike fan, and while that isn’t extremely easy due to the competitive nature of online play, everything else was amazing.
Playing Skyrim on my bed at night (which I’ve done all week) and even the all mighty Crysis works with ease. Any hardcore PC gamer will know the phrase “can it run Crysis” because most can’t. The NVIDIA SHIELD does so with no problems. Of course it isn’t playing the games, your PC streams it all to you over WiFi, and it works so wonderfully well that I’ve been enjoying Crysis 2 all over again. Have a PC with a GeForce GTX 650 or above, set up the drivers, and stream games over your WiFi. Here’s an extended clip of myself playing Crysis 2 on the SHIELD.
Yes, that’s Crysis 2 in the palm of my hand, and it looks stunning. All those CryEngine 3 graphics are as crisp as ever, and there’s absolutely zero noticeable lag. A few games we did experience the occasional audio lag, but a very minor amount that shouldn’t matter to anyone. Oh, and for those wondering, I had to wait (like always) for Steam to update.
Then, connect SHIELD to your 50-inch HDTV with the HDMI-out, and you’ll be playing games from your PC on the big screen with the home theater. Now that’s something worth mentioning! Also, for the record, you’ll need at least 4GB of RAM, Windows 7/8, fast WiFi, and a pretty epic computer if you want to do what I’ve just done. Every game I had worked with ease, well, all the ones I tried at least. Users will be happy to know this streaming experience is exactly what NVIDIA promised. And that is PC games anywhere, in the palm of our hands.
As an added bonus the NVIDIA SHIELD works wonderfully with the Parrot A.R. Drone 2.0 quadricopter. Using the controls like a realistic radio-controlled plane, and the 5-inch display to see what the camera is viewing. Whether you know what the AR Drone is or not, you’ll want to watch this one last video too.
Battery Life
SHIELD is the first device to market with the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core processor, and so far I’m coming away absolutely impressed with battery life. Give me this in a Tegra 4i smartphone, and I’m sold. While SHIELD promises 4-5 hours of hardcore gaming, and over 10 with regular Android games, we experienced that or better. Yes, their quote was actually lower than what we achieved — for a change.
A full day of gaming off and on it should last well beyond the 5 hours they quoted, but PC game streaming might not be quite so forgiving. If you’re a casual user here and there, we noticed once the lid is shut, the device goes into an excellent power saving mode. Getting nearly 7 days of battery life picking it up occasionally. For the most part you’ll be able to enjoy SHIELD an entire day (unless it’s nonstop) on a single charge, and well through an entire weekend of casual gaming.
The battery life was one (of many) strong suits we found with this device, which is likely thanks to the Tegra 4. We can’t wait to see this in more tablets, smartphones, and devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Wrap-Up
One thing is absolutely certain with this device. If you’re a gamer at heart, you’ll love the SHIELD. Whether that’s Android and mobile gaming, or PC games, this thing is aimed directly at you. Luckily for us this is only the beginning, and we can expect tons additional features and options to arrive soon. This device is capable of much more than just gaming, even though that’s clearly where it’s aimed.
This is the first actual hardware devices built from the ground up and sold to consumers in this type of scenario, and we have a feeling NVIDIA has big plans with additional options, accessories, features, and of course game developers. In the end this isn’t quite a tablet, but it does everything a tablet offers on it, and much more.
Overall we’re not sure exactly who all will purchase SHIELD, as the wider market might just opt for the Nexus 7. However, gamers like myself will absolutely love it, not to mention the potential upside is huge!
In case you haven’t been paying attention. The NVIDIA SHIELD is finally shipping this week and will be arriving on doorsteps and on shelves starting July 31st. So go grab one and enjoy hours of gaming this summer!
