Ubuntu Edges over $5 million USD on Indiegogo

After many webizens (including myself) expressing doubt over the potential success of the Ubuntu Edge campaign there has been renewed interest with the campaign edging (get it?) over $5 million USD with 28 days left to go.

If you're wondering how they managed to do this you can check out the new pledge options with cheaper Edge devices in limited quantities below:

Why the Ubuntu Edge excites me (and why I'm not pledging)

The Ubuntu Edge

If you haven't heard; Canonical - the guys behind Ubuntu Linux have started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to develop an innovative new phone. The idea is that this device will run both Ubuntu Linux and Android simultaneously, allowing you to seamlessly switch between using it as a docking desktop device and your smart device of choice on the go.

Keep reading after the break

Hot off the press - Zomato comes to New Zealand

Zomato, a restaurant guide site based in India has come to New Zealand, or at least to Auckland and Wellington (sorry everyone else in NZ, you don't exist). You can read the press release below and check out the Android app for free on the Play Store now.

Thoughts on the Galaxy Zoom

The Galaxy Zoom: trailblazer for a new world of connected camera, or
second attempt at a class of device that nobody actually wants?

I'm probably going to be outspoken here, but I really like what Samsung have done with the Galaxy Zoom. I don't particularly mind being outspoken, after all I think I was one of the few people to review the original Galaxy Note who actually got it. To all the naysayers who wrote derogatory comedy posts about the Note rather than real reviews, I will merely point to a now thriving device class with millions of fans and say I told you so. Now I don't think this generation of Galaxy Zoom will be the one to really carve a niche here as the Note did in its category, but I do think the idea is right.

Last year Samsung released the Galaxy Camera, a device that I found wanting from just about every perspective. It wasn't a smartphone, lacking any telephony capabilities; as a camera it wasn't good enough compared to similarly priced standalones either. Sure, it had some smarts, but not enough to make the price premium for the imaging on offer a worthwhile proposition. The size of the device made carrying it around a rather non-trivial issue too. If I want to carry around a relatively non-compact imaging device, then I want to do that in return for a fairly tangible gain in imaging ability, right? I struggled then to see how it belonged anywhere in the market, and I haven't seen anything since that made that any more apparent for me. 

The Galaxy Zoom on the other hand is better pitched. From an imaging standpoint it's more compromised than the Galaxy Camera, but I think that's right. As an imaging device it's positioned more to go head to head with smaller point and shoots, both in terms of likely image quality to judge from the few example stills I've seen, but also in terms of the form factor and the use-case scenarios where that is desirable. In that market segment offering full smartphone capabilities becomes a much more compelling option I think. That said, the difference between success and failure there is likely to be exquisitely price sensitive. 

What premium will people pay to get smartphone capabilities in a device that will certainly be a secondary device to complement a smartphone, even if that one that offers the important but relatively limited use-case scenario of being able to perform duties as a temporary primary device when the situation calls for it? For reference that is exactly the niche my Pureview 808 fills right now, it stands in for a point n shoot most of the time, but sometimes steps up to be my primary smartphone too. In exchange for 10x zoom and an incomparably better OS I could be persuaded to switch to the Zoom to fulfill that role.

Reading those last two paragraphs one could be mistaken for thinking that I am suggesting price point is the only barrier standing in the way of success for the Galaxy Zoom, but it isn't. Or at least is isn't as far as my wants dictate, but I will readily admit I'm an outlier and could stand to be proven comprensively wrong here where the mass market is concerned. While I think compromising on imaging in favour of smarts and telephony is the right idea, for my money the smartphone experience offered by the Zoom is still too limited. Were it to offer a 720p screen, internals worthy of a good 2012 device, and a feature set pitched around the level of the S3 I think it could be close to a homerun - or at least a device with a genuine shot at launching a new device category with some real authority. Perhaps in the next generation?

That criticism aside, all in all I think Samsung have taken the first steps in the right direction here, even if it isn't quite enough to wholly satisfy me at the present time. I can say with certainty that I look forward to trying it out... if the price is right.

How to Root the Padfone Infinity [How to]

Possibly the easiest Root method ever.

It's a little bit grandiose calling this a guide really, because to Root your Padfone Infinity all you need do is download and install this app, and then select the 'Gandalf' exploit. Viola! Your Padfone Infinity is Rooted. I had to try the app a couple of times before it gave me the success message, so don't be disheartened if it doesn't take first time.

Big thanks to alephzain from XDA-Developers for this exploit, his original thread is here.

Be sure and donate to him to show your appreciation.

[UPDATE] Immediately after obtaining Root I was notified of a brand new firmware update for the Padfone Infinity, just wanted to let you know that OTA Rootkeeper from the Play Store will allow you to backup and then restore Root after applying the update. Oh, and the update isn't 4.2, in case you were wondering.

[UPDATE] It seems Padfone Infinities bearing the CHT product code cannot be Rooted using this method. The only suggestion I have seen so far to address this is to download a TW product code firmware and flash it to the device, although information on how to flash it is scanty at present. More to come on this when I have more information to share.


If you haven't yet got your Padfone Infinity, Mobicity has them in stock right now and you can grab yours here.

The Amazon App Store now available to 200 countries, including New Zealand

Todays free app of the day happens to be a pretty good one.

Amazon has today expanded the number of countries that its Amazon App Store is available for, now encompassing 200 countries including our very own New Zealand (the complete list can be found in their developer blog here).

If you're wondering why you would even want their App Store in the first place you may be unaware that they feature a different free app everyday, and also some apps and games launch as temporary exclusives to Amazon. I wouldn't recommend using it as your primary source for apps, that should really remain the province of the Play Store, but it's a great way to try some apps on for size before taking the plunge and purchasing them.

Point your phone browser here to get the Amazon App Store.

Official Galaxy S3 extended battery now available

Not a lot thicker

If you're the type of person that plays with their Samsung Galaxy S3 nonstop and then runs out of battery before the end of the day you may be interested in this. Samsung have officially 'released' an extended 3000mAh battery for the Galaxy S3. While I'm unsure of the current availability of the battery, there are several sites offering it up for pre-order, and several accounts on XDA of people being able to purchase it.

Update as of 19 March 2013

This product has now been released and I have purchased one from here on Ebay. Once I receive it you can expect some photos and a review. Let me know if you have any ideas for measuring the performance of a battery. 

Samsung Unpacked 2013: Galaxy SIV Live Blog

...and that's a wrap. We'll have some more coverage later when we've had a chance to properly digest our press materials and sift through our impressions. Stay tuned.


1:01PM
OK, some hard specs in the shot above... Much less of an overwhelming advantage over the competition this year on the hardware front, although if the Octa+POwerVR 544MP can really bring it there is still a strong chance for the S4 to differentiate over the sea of Snapdragon-powered flagships from basically evey other manufacturer.

12:58pm
Seems they're wrapping up, all in all a bit disappointing as announcement shows go - lots of services and features (whose uptake by users in the past hasn't necessarily been stellar). Very little on the hardware itself. Hopefully get some press materials from Samsung now with more concrete details...

12:56pm
The new S-Cover accessory announced. Upgraded flip cover with a display window and ability to answer calls without waking the phone or even opening the cover.

12:55pm
S-Health, taking advantage of all those new sensors - blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring possible with accessories.

12:53pm
Air gestures being discussed in some more detail. Hope they work better in practice than they did on the video from the pre-release S4.

12:52pm
OK, now that looks like a pretty good use for simultaneous capture from front and back cameras - awesome video conferencing from your mobile.

12:51pm
Cool, group play supports multiplayer games. Wonder if they will need to plug into an API for that?

12:49pm
Group play - lets you share music between as many as 8 Galaxy S4 devices without requiring an internet connection. Even lets you assign channels - centre channel, left channel etc - to the individual phones.

12:48pm
More on KNOX, the feature announced at MWC - separate user environments on the phone for work and play.


12:46pm
Samsung hubs now centralised, sporting a magazine interface...

12:45pm
S-Voice features becoming more advanced, now getting more into the personal assistant territory.

12:43pm
Transfer between almost any phone and the S4 to make switching simple, almost any OS they say. Odds on iOS being the missing OS?

12:42pm
S-Voice Drive - a car mode designed for safety whilst driving. Answer calls with your voice, extra large text and icons.

12:41pm
New device: Home Sync. Pairing to the S4 with NFC, will pair with most anything besides. Mirroring to FHD on your TV/external monitor.

12:40pm
Another skit, this time with extra tired humour!

12:39pm
Story Album feature - replete with partnership with Blurb for getting your stories printed.


12:36pm
So, S-Translate is mostly plugged into Samsung apps like S-Chat. Less useful.

12:35
Well, if the S-Translation works that well that is certainly something...

12:34pm
Dear lord, spare us. Another skit?

12:32pm
So we're seeing a lot of stuff about camera software here, but nothing about sensor advancements or improvements on the technological level here. Disappointing so far, such a densely pixel-packed sensor may not leverage the best image quality from those 13mp without some improvement to the sensor...

12:31pm
"Sound and shot", sound bites attached to your images. Sounds, ah, interesting.

12:29pm
Making a big deal of utilising front and back cameras together, for both videos and stills. More fanfare than this deserves?



12:29pm
Ah, wut?!

12:27pm
2600mA removable battery, best in class as the new 1080p panels go.

12:27pm
IR blaster is in toe, awesome! New sensors galore too including IR gesture sensor.


12:25pm
Somewhat disappointing it is a Category 3 LTE device, which means it won't take our new Vodafone 4G network to its maximum speeds.

12:24pm
Dull detail about the colour of the notification bar...

12:24pm
Finger hover actions as leaked are accurate.

12:23pm
Dimensions136mm long, 16.8mm wide, 7.7mm thick. Polycarbonate.

12:22pm
Experiencing issues with live feed - hit refresh/F5 to keep up!

12:21pm
Announcing availability, like last year this will simultaneously launch across many nations and carriers. 3G and 4G in tow, naturally.

12:20pm
The big reveal, design is consistent with what we've already seen


12:18pm
Big focus on software innovation so far.

12:16pm
Seems the leaks are accurate so far - smart pause and the other new TouchWiz features shown briefly.


12:13pm
J K Shin taking the stage to a flourish of orchestral music.

12:12pm
The secret messenger Jeremy s taking the stage, not sure about you guys but I'm not sold on that angle...

12:10pm
They're underway!

12:05pm
...predictably the show it not running to time.


11:59am
The announcer is calling for people to assume their positions for the start of the show...

11:56am
We're here at the venue, last minute set up well underway - back with your shortly with the beginning of the coverage!

The Sony Xperia Z: the mobile camera, reloaded? A brief shootout, Xperia Z Vs Galaxy Note 2 Vs the Nokia Pureview 808

This piece is a heads-up of sorts to let you know that thanks to the good folk at Mobicity, we're fortunate enough to have an Xperia Z in our hot little hands already.

As you might guess a (rapid-) review will be forthcoming, but this time around I'm going to start with something a little different. You see I had some fun yesterday on Twitter trying out the Xperia Z camera, pitting it against the Note 2 camera and the undisputed king of mobile imaging, the Nokia Pureview 808. After looking at the results I thought it was too worthwhile an exercise to leave just to Twitter, and so here it is on the blog too.

Although it's a little bit of a departure, the camera of the Xperia Z is too fundamental a part of its marketing drive to leave to a couple of paragraphs in a rapid-review; it demands more. If you believe Sony's hype surrounding the purported imaging advances offered by its latest and greatest, you'll be expecting a solid improvement over last years shooters, and maybe even a substantial improvement. Sony is betting the bank on the camera being a strong differentiator to favour their 2013 flagship against incumbents like the incoming HTC One and Galaxy S4, so the question of whether its camera can indeed carry the day looms large over the Xperia Zs fate.

Real user review - Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL

Huawei's flagship is a very attractive package with a superb screen

Life as a tech blogger is a succession of increasingly competent devices landing on your doorstep, each in its own way making you acutely aware of your current device's limitations while simultaneously generating a lust to possess the latest and greatest. Or at least, that's how it seems.

AndroidNZ Ed-In-Chief Murray decided that it was time for me to slum it a bit. Not in a homeless person kind of way, but more in the "OMG, does he drive a Suzuki Swift?" sense. The Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL (apparently there was another model named the "D Quad" - very unfortunate when spoken aloud) had turned up for testing and I got the short straw. However, the spec sheet suggests that the Ascend really isn't too far off the pace when compared to the very high end offerings from the likes of Samsung, LG and HTC. And arguably, even Nokia's recent Win8 kit. And even when it misses the bar, it's by only modest margins. Is that even important though? Good question. We shall see…

Dear HTC, please find enclosed your 2012 report card.

The best phone ever made. EVAR.

HTC.

HTC!

Where do I start? Perhaps I shall start by saying I love you. Seriously, I love you. Sadly, these days I am starting to love you in the way that I love cassette tapes; for what you once were to me, not what you represent now.

If that sounds painful HTC, please remember, the truth only hurts if it ought to.

Perhaps that was a little acerbic for a beginning? Allow me take one step back, and lay down some context.

Dear Samsung, please find enclosed your 2012 report card.

So, Samsung, how did you do?

This is the first part of a series of editorials (or at least I hope the other editors will chip in to make this a series?) where we're going to look at how each manufacturer has done this year, and make some suggestions for what their path forward should look like in 2013. The intention of these isn't to make a fanboys dream list of stupidly powerful hardware specs, but to make a reasoned set of recommendations for how we feel they can improve in 2013.

To kick things off we're going to start with Samsung. In terms of what Samsung did right this year you could be brief and say nearly everything, but since when did we ever keep things brief here at AndroidNZ?

Top apps for your new Android device - Part Two

A familiar view of the Play Store

So you've recently obtained a new Android device. Hopefully you've read Part One of our top apps for your new Android device. Once you've had a read, perhaps you would be interested in Part Two which covers the following categories:

• Social Media & Networking
• Cloud Storage
• Photography
• Navigation and Location Sharing
• Customisation

If you're keen, continue reading after the break.