Breaking my Silence - thoughts on the S4 and Samsung

I think it's time I broke the silence I've been holding following the Galaxy S4 launch. Before I start, I'd like to point out without question, there are a number of features and improvements Samsung have made to the device which I think are great. I want to love the Galaxy S4, but I just can't.

Source: news.com.au

Why anything Facebook related on Android probably isn't a good thing

I had no clue what I would write about today, up until the point I checked my Google+ feed and was alerted to the news of a Facebook event to be held on the 4th of April, which is supposed to reveal their 'New Home on Android'.

Under any normal circumstances, I'd welcome almost any new organisation to the Android game, but as far as the things go with the social media giant - I can't be nearly as excited. To be honest, I care very little about what it is they plan to announce. Whether it be a Facebook phone with integrated Graph Search and a UI akin to their News Feed, or that they plan to release more of their services on the Play Store, Facebook are the last group I personally want to see in the smartphone game - heck, push me far enough and you might even get me to consider an iPhone over a FacePhone if I had no other option. Even if I did have a gun to my head, I'd still probably take the bullet if it meant not having to give any more of my personal information to Facebook.

Why sometimes the easiest fix is the most effective fix

As a user who frequently revisits older devices, appreciating what we once regarded as "snappy", I found after recently returning to my GNex from a stint with my N1, that aspects of performance soon sparked questions and doubts for my "fastest" smartphone. Little did I know, the simplest trick in the book would end up being a solution to what was rapidly shaping up to be another unfortunate purchase.

Like the colouring of this case, the GNex was on the
verge of being another lemon

Changing up the Launchers

A few posts back, I tackled the topic of homescreens, and the fact that the number I have on my devices are  becoming lesser and lesser as time goes on. Looking through my app drawer today, I found I actually own a large selection of Launcher replacements, but I mostly find myself staying with Apex - the one I know best.

Updated Chameleon Launcher - now for phones

Launchers can breathe new life into anyone's device, and I've come to realise I don't customise as much as I did when I first got into Android (which is odd, given I now have a GNex which affords way more customisation than my Defy did). With this, I've decided I should make an attempt to set up my homescreens and shortcuts for each launcher - so as to make it easier when I feel like a change of "scenery", I suppose you could call it. I'll make sure to post screenshots of what's sure to be "aesthetically pleasing" layouts.

This is a short post, but it's more or less an official reminder to myself that I'm going to stick with this challenge, as I'm doing so with my cloud service challenge.

Current launchers I own are as follows (feel free to suggest any I should look at purchasing):

• Action Launcher Pro
• ADW Launcher EX
• Apex Launcher Pro
• Chameleon Launcher (recently updated and compatible with phones)
• Launcher 8 (yes, curiosity killed the cat)
• Nova Launcher Prime
• SF Launcher Plus
• ssLauncher the Original

HTC's CEO willing to stake his life (at least as head of the company)?

A piece of news which really caught my attention today was the announcement (at least in the boardroom) that HTC's long serving CEO and co-founder, Peter Chou would step down if his brainchild, the One wasn't to live up to the hype.

Google Drive - Cloud Storage Challenge pt.I

As you've guessed, it's now been just over a fortnight since I posed myself the challenge of relying on absolutely nothing else for my University work other than Google Drive. That's right, I'm not using MS Word or Adobe Acrobat on my desktop , and no LibreOffice on my Ubuntu laptop - I'm relying heavily on Google's services on each device I use.

Why can't Samsung just let go?

Straying from all the Google related news I've been dumping on this blog over the last week or two, I thought I'd delve into some of those Samsung leaks that have been surfacing, mainly because a few of the purported design elements have been getting under my skin.

The elusive SIV?

I'm not one to take rumours of specs which may/may not feature on a device too seriously. I think it's all good and nice to have a look at what fans believe will be the 'killer-specs' of an upcoming device, but given the way releases of other devices have been in the past, OEMs tend not to stray too far from what is already quite common on other devices, flagship or not - it's mainly the software and design that differentiates.

When it comes to leaks however, I'm a sucker, and though for the most part I know that a large majority may be fan renders, I still admire the all the effort that one goes to, in order to fool a selection of people. As soon as a leak, or render sees itself used in a video, it's usually by then that I'm completely pulled in, which is precisely why when a leaked video 'claiming' to show the Galaxy SIV for China Unicom was released, my hopes were shattered.

Exposing Vulnerabilities in Systems - the Case of ChromeOS and others

Something which has piqued my interest these last couple of days were the Pwn2Own and Pwnium3 events, which encourage hackers to show off their skills with exposing flaws in programs, browsers and OS', all for the chance to stick their hands into companies' bank accounts.

I love the concept of these events. Not only do they promote computer geeks leaving their seedy basements for a bit of fresh air, but it provides them with an outlet to showcase their technical aptitude - with an opportunity to rake in some top coin if they're successful.

Nexus Accessories and why sometimes it's an annoyance living "Down-Under"

As the next Google I/O event fast approaches, and the possibility of a follow up to the Nexus 7 is announced, Asus have finally released the official Nexus 7 dock for sale on the Play Store in some major countries.

Source: TheVerge

But what's the deal with consumers getting hold of official accessories, months or in this case - three quarters of a year after the device has been released?

Why Google Needs to up the Ante with their Distribution of Play Store Services

The Google Play Store has come a far way since its beginnings as the once bland, green and white themed Android Market it replaced last year. As we approach the one year anniversary of the Market's re-branding and its inclusion of a number of new categories within the store, one must wonder: "why are many around the world still missing out on access to features of the Play Store?"

Is Motorola lacking the X-Factor?

Over the last day or so, we've heard from a recent conference that Google Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Pichette commented on the lack of "wow" in Motorola's 18 month product pipeline that Google inherited in their acquisition.

Whilst praising the assets that Motorola brings to Google's table, Pichette undercut the undisclosed list of devices that came with Motorola, claiming they're "not really to the standard that Google would say is 'wow, innovative, transformative'", much to the dismay of fans of Motorola and noted reviewers of their more recent products.

In response, Android Central's Phil Nickinson posted to his Google+ followers, an image of a collection of Motorola's handsets, wherein the caption asked individuals to 'spot the "wow"'. The image was inundated with views of fans and users who mostly reminisced about their past and present Motorola loves, effectively seeking to make a point about Motorola's ability to capture consumer's attention, and hinting that frail ol' Moto has 'still got it'.

But what of the facts behind the views?