Jerry Hildenbrand's blog

Jelly Bean climbs as older versions fall, continuing the trend we're used to

The platform version numbers for the month of May 2013 are in, and there are still a lot of versions of Android out in the wild. It comes as no surprise to anyone who keeps track of this sort of thing, but devices running versions of Android from 1.6 up to the latest 4.2.2 are represented, and the numbers of each are holding true to the trends they always have.

Jelly Bean's slice of the pie is slowing getting bigger, while the rest slowly get smaller, and when a new version comes out we get to do it all over again. But the important number -- devices running Android 4 or higher -- is showing up in healthy numbers.

These really only matter to developers, who have a different set of APIs to use based on the platform version. All the good ones, the ones users want as well as the ones that make for better apps, are for Android 4.0.3 and up. As of today, that means 58.6-percent of the 900,000,000 "official" Android devices ( that's a staggering 527,400,000 devices) have access to them. 

Of course, the flip side is that 41.4-percent of the devices don't have access to them. And that's a real problem, especially if you're one of the have-nots. Google has some great ideas to address this for the future, but it's going to take time to get rid of all those Gingerbread phones.

Source: Google

Feedly aiming not only to be a Google Reader replacement, but to pick up where Google left off and make RSS better

In exactly four weeks (July 1) Google Reader will be officially dead, and Feedly is showing that they are determined to not only fill the void left behind, but to own the space. They're looking to pick up where Google left off, and using their user-voice site where users like you and me can express feedback, give ideas and get our questions answered they're doing it the right way.

Today they have announced their short term roadmap, filled with things that they say will be ready before Google Reader goes offline. Things like an online presence that doesn't require an extension or browser add-on, faster service from a new army of servers they've picked up, support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone and more. All excellent changes which will help everyone during the transition from Reader to Feedly. But what really caught our eye was their announcement of new partners.

Part of what made Reader so nice, especially on mobile, was that there were so many great apps to get to your content. Feedly plans to create the same ecosystem, and their free API will allow developers big and small to get on board. They've already been working "behind the scenes" with a list of partners: the developers of Reeder,Press, Nextgen Reader, Newsify and gReader. 

If anything, Google Reader showed us that sometimes, someone besides Google does it better. We're excited to see Feedly following the same path, as well as the way they are listening to users about future features and changes. And of course, we're relieved that the news will continue to flow as well or better than it always did with an exciting new service. 

Source: Feedly

The new definition of computer has caused Android and iOS to control market share, leading Mark Shuttleworth to close Bug #1 in Ubuntu's bug tracker

Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, has marked the very first bug on Ubuntu's LaunchPad bug tracking site as "Closed -- Fix Released". In this case, Android is a big part of the fix. As Shuttleworth explains in the final comment on bug #1

Personal computing today is a broader proposition than it was in 2004: phones, tablets, wearables and other devices are all part of the mix for our digital lives. From a competitive perspective, that broader market has healthy competition, with IOS and Android representing a meaningful share 

Microsoft still is the OS of choice on the desktop, both at home and the workplace. But the new definition of computer -- which not everyone agrees with, including yours truly -- combined with the sheer number of Android and iOS devices out there has changed the landscape.

I'm not so sure that bug #1 was really a bug to begin with. I've no love for Microsoft's products nor their business practices, but the free market has chosen, and both developers and users choose Microsoft when it comes to productivity on their workstations more often than the competition. We think everyone should have a choice that's done well, and one that fits their needs.

Of course others, like Shuttleworth, think differently and clearly when smartphones and tablets (as well as televisions and even appliances) are counted alongside the traditional desktop or laptop computer, Microsoft is now a distant third in terms of marketshare. Our advice? Don't get caught up in the details and appreciate the fact that you do have a choice. In either case, be sure to read Shuttleworth's comment if you're a fan of computing and software.

Source: Launchpad Comment  1834; Bug 1

As Google Now gains more functionality, we see more and more what a Big Deal™ it will become

This is not a guess. It's not even a prediction. Google Now is going to change the way you use your smart phone, and maybe even the face of mobile itself. What started as a neat way to see baseball scores has graduated into its own platform and service, fully extensible, and downright wonderful.

Hearing and seeing what Google Now can do is one thing. It looks and sounds really cool, but when you use some of the more advanced features for the first time in a real-life situation, you'll have an epiphany. I know this, because it just happened to me. The experience moved me, and made me realize that Google Now is the killer feature everyone has always looked for.

Motorola's X phone is finally confirmed, now all we need are the details

Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside is speaking at D11, and he announced what many of us have been waiting to hear -- news of the Moto X. According to Woodside, who teases us by saying the phone is in his pocket but he can't show us, the Moto X will be a true game changer. Made in the USA, using all the APIs Google announced at Google I/O last month, the X is the lead device to show off the companies new direction.

He also was sure to mention that Motorola was ready to build high quality, low cost devices for emerging markets, but the X is not one of these. The X will be "more contextually aware. And you can interact with it in different ways." 

There's not much to go on here, but you can rest assured that we'll let you know as soon as we do.

Edit: A lot of the talk was about how the X will be different. Specifically mentioned was the battery tech, which we all care about. The question was asked: "How can you fix it, [battery life] when everyone else has struggled with it so much? There are ways to improve it, but can you solve the underlying problem? How do you go about doing that?"

The answer:

I'll save the more detailed discussion for later. But your question about how you understand the change in state and optimized the battery — we have some of the best engineers, and they've created a system where there are two processors that are more aware.

So we can expect an all-new "smart" battery monitoring processor of some sort. I can't wait for the details on this!

Edit 2: Motorola has also issued a mini press release, which you'll find after the break in its entirety. 

Via: The Verge

With 2013 half over, is anyone still waiting for Motorola?

I was talking with Ben, a good friend and fellow Android nerd, the other night, and we the topic shifted to Motorola. Specifically, how we haven't seen or heard anything from them yet this year, and we're already halfway through. And that has to be making fans of Motorola and their incredible phone hardware a little antsy.

As Ben rightfully pointed out, it doesn't mean the same thing to us here at AC as it does to most folks. We go through phones pretty quickly around these parts, and we'll have a chance to use them all. But, if that weren't the case, I think I would have held off and waited to see what Motorola has to show us.

Don't get me wrong. I think HTC and Samsung, as well as folks like Sony and Huawei have pushed out some very nice gear. Maybe even far better than anything we'll see from Motorola. But part of me has this gut-feeling that Google and Moto have something big in store, and it would be worthwhile to see what it is if I were only planning on one smartphone purchase. Maybe it's spectacular hardware. Or spectacular pricing. Or both -- or neither. I just think it's something worth waiting for.

So what about you folks? Any of you guys hanging in there waiting to see what Motorola brings to the dance in 2013? Hit the break, or the sidebar to the right, and answer in the poll. Be sure to use the comments to tell us why you voted the way you did.

Google's Calendar app update makes those important dates easier to add and keep track of

Google has updated the "stock" Android Calendar app in Google Play this afternoon, bringing two minor, but very relevant changes. We'll start with the one most users will instantly appreciate -- setting a custom color for a calendar or event. If you subscribe to multiple shared calendars, or have several of your own, you know just how this will help. You can take the calendar your boss shares with you, and make the event labels a certain color so they stand out, or make your calendar one color and you significant other's a different color. In addition, you can mark any single calendar event with it's own custom color to help keep track of important events. 

The other change is equally as important, and it shows Google is really pushing forward with the new app design language they've been showing us as of late. The new time and date picker windows look better, but also have more functionality built in. You can set up recurring events easier, and even select the time zone right from the add event window.

You can grab the update from the Google Play link above.

A free App.net account is a great way to test the services and feature that ADN has to offer

The last time we gave away some free App.net invites they went almost as quickly as tickets to Google I/O. Even when the great folks at ADN doubled the number we had to pass around, they still disappeared in minutes. People are curious, and we're back to help satisfy that curiosity with 300 more App.net invites.

These are for free accounts, which are a great way to try out the many services ADN offers. Services like the awesome messaging, or the cloud storage and of course the Twitter-like microblogging platform. There's a lot to ADN and we're happy to work with the folks there to bring people and the services together so they can decide if they want to go all-in with a paid account.

iIf you're looking for an invite, here's where you need to pay attention. Hit the link below and sign up. It's first-come first-served, and they're going to go quickly.

https://join.app.net/from/swzxxymxrc

By using an invitation, you'll automatically follow Android Central, but you can promptly unfollow us if you want to. This is a great way to make sure you have some content in your stream. 

Speaking of which, you'll probably want a good way to keep up with news and what's going on from the folks you follow from your Android device. There are a few nice ones out in the wild, but Robin for App.net stands head and shoulders above the crowd. It's got multi-language support, post filters, spam protection, multiple account support and everything else you would want or need from a client, and looks beautiful while doing it. It costs $2.99, but it's well worth it.

Grab your invite, grab your client from Google Play, and we'll see you there!

Is it the hot new look for the summer season, or just a black and white mess? There's a poll, let us know!

BlackBerry users have their Oreo, webOS users love their Panda, and now the Android faithful have their very own zebra -- that's with the short e, in the proper Queen's English. (Read it in Alex's voice)

The zebra acts a whole lot like the regular, plain old black (and now white) version, but it's more zebra-like. Sporting a fun, yet business-ready black and white look, it's ready for anything while staying stylish no matter what you throw at it. 

OK, I'll stop. But it is a pretty unique look, bound to have people who love it as well as folks who hate it. I'm digging the white one with the black bumper myself. What do you think? Answer the poll after the break, then fill the comments with praise or curses to let us all know why you feel that way. And of course, head into the forums where the zebra was first spotted.

Users seem to be loving the new $149 Hisense Sero 7 Pro tablet, be sure to join the discussion with questions or comments

Last week we told you about a new line of inexpensive Android tablets coming to Walmart from Hisense. The price looked marvelous, and the $149 Sero 7 Pro had some pretty nice specs -- besting the crowd favorite Nexus 7 in most ways. At that price you knew Android fans were going to bite, and now the forums has a handful of folks talking about their new purchase.

I don't want to give too many spoilers, but the reviews are good. It looks like Hisense has kept things mostly stock, and the Tegra 3 with Jelly Bean performs as well here as it does on other, more expensive models.

All this has me looking at the Sero 7 Pro myself, so maybe we'll squeeze a front page review into the schedule soon. But in the meantime, join folks just like you who are using the tablet every day in the forums, and see what they think about their new pick up.

The Hisense Sero 7 review thread