Carbon is for Android smartphones only, separate tablet app in the works
After more than a year in the works and a couple of false starts, Carbon for Android -- the Twitter app -- is finally available on Google Play. Everything we showed you a week ago in our exclusive preview still stands. The scrolling is the gold standard for any other application. The animations are as subtle as they are impressive. And the overall design and feel is among the best we've seen in a Twitter app. And the keyword and hashtag filters can help clean up your timeline in a way usually reserved for desktop Twitter clients. This initial release is just for phones, but rest assured a tablet version is on the way.
Best of all, Carbon is free.
One update from our preview regards the settings menu, which wasn't active in our early build. We've updated our post with a bit on it.
The AOSP has been tagged as 4.2.1 r1.2, and the small change log lists a few interesting bug fixes. Version JOP40Gwill have some power management fixes as well as a tweak to the way an EXT4partition handles file creation. These fixes are not device specific, so they will affect the Nexus 10, Nexus 7, and Nexus 4. We imagine the Galaxy Nexus will also see the benefits of this build.
In a nutshell -- some folks had issues where their device would shut off when removed from the charger, and these changes should address those. No word on when to expect an update, or if one is planned for this tag. There's plenty of bugs to squash in 4.2.1, and like we have seen with every other build of AOSP these things take a little time -- often longer than we would like. Maybe OEMs holding off and not delivering the bleeding edge for their phones isn't such a bad idea, right?
It's the first apps of the week roundup of February, and we tried our best to get some great picks for you this week. We've got a couple of useful tools and some fun games to try out, with a couple others sprinkled in as well. Check them out after the break and see how we did this week.
Sean Brunett - NFL '12
The biggest game of the NFL season, the Super Bowl, is this weekend, so I thought that I would highlight the official NFL app for Android. Its free, and gives you a lot of info and stats, which will be handy come Sunday. With the app, you can view news from around the league, specific info about your favorite team, a SB47 guide for all of you lucky fans in New Orleans, and videos from players and coaches. Its a nifty app that, if youre a big football fan, have probably had all season. Just in case you havent check it out, just came to Android, or uninstalled it out of frustration if your team lost, its a good time to download it.
Download: NFL '12 (Free)
Richard Devine - Ulysse Speedometer
One thing that has always frustrated me about Google Maps Navigation is the lack of on screen information -- one such item being your current speed. I drive a Mini, with that big old speedo in the middle of the car, so having the speed on my Sat Nav is a help. Enter Ulysse Speedometer to save me.
The feature I love the most, is that you can overlay a speedometer on top of any app(s) you choose, including Navigation. So now, I have my speed, and my directions, and I'm happy.
There's much more to the app than this, it can operate as a standalone display, and even has a cool HUD mode where it'll project the image so that the reflection looks like a HUD. There are free and paid versions, but it's worth a look even if you just want it on your Google Maps Navigation, like me.
Download: Ulysse Speedometer (Free)
Jerry Hildenbrand - Aquarium Calculator
Most people like a pretty fish tank, and I'll wager a lot of folks reading have one. But just like there's a geek culture in Android (look at a rooting forum thread if you haven't ever), there are real aquarium geeks. We like to take things to the extreme, and a good set of tools and formulas for various specs are a must. I'm in the process of D-I-Y-ing a new tank here for the house, and have found Aquarium Calculator a great tool to handle all of this.
Using the app, I can calculate exactly how much sand I'll need based on the aquarium's footprint, how much lighting I'll need for it's intended purpose, the pump size I'll need, and other simple tasks, as well as more complicated things like determining the amount of CO2 to inject based on my water parameters and desired pH. Granted, all these formulas are available elsewhere, but the convenience of having a free app to do the heavy lifting for me is awesome. If you're a fish nerd, or think you might want to become one, this one is a must have.
Download: Aquarium Calculator (Free)
Alex Dobie - Epic Citadel
Epic Citadel has finally arrived on Android, some two and a half years after it made its debut on iOS. Epic Citadel is a tech demo more than an actual game, but it's no less impressive because of it. There's a medieval-style village to explore, complete with cobbled streets, rolling hills, rivers and streams, and an imposing citadel off in the distance. If the style looks familiar, it's because it's Citadel is the precursor to Infinity Blade, also developed by Epic. And while we might not be getting that game on Android anytime soon, it's
For the technically-inclined, there's also a full-blown settings menu, allowing you to tweak things for the best balance between eye candy and performance, as well as a benchmark mode to put your phone or tablet through its paces.
Epic Citadel is a free download from Google Play, supporting a wide variety of Android devices running version 2.3 and up.
Download: Epic Citadel (Free)
Andrew Martonik- Super Grid Run
I know, I know, we just did a quick review of this new game on the site, but I just had to bring it back up again. Since getting my hands on it, I haven't been able to put the game down for several days. You're navigating a spinning cube down a neon hallway, dodging obstacles and picking up bonuses as you go. Even in "easy mode" you'll be hard pressed to stay alive for more than a couple minutes. This addictive retro-style game will get you hooked in no time with its great gameplay and sound track.
At $1.09 it's a no-brainer, and there's even a free version with limited features available.
Download: Super Grid Run ($1.09); Lite (Free)
Chris Parsons - Viki - TV, Movies & Music
Viki is a fairly new app to the Google Play Store and while I've seen it many times, I never thought to download it and give it a go. I did just that the other day and wow.. I should have done it long ago. Viki is essentially a global TV and movie app.. it pulls in content from around the world and puts it all in one app. So you get movies, tv shows and music in over 150 languages from content providers such as NBC Universal, BBC, History Channel, A&E, Bravo and Bio TV. Perhaps the best part is that you can also get new Japanime and old classics. It's pretty sweet and it's free, give it a go.
Download: Viki- TV, Movies & Music (Free)
Simon Sage - Roller Rally
I'm sort of cheating this week because my pick isn't QUITE out yet. It's been submitted to Google Play and should be available really soon. The game's called Roller Rally Snake Pass, and is a great pick for any Granny Smith fans out there. Roller Rally features one-button or three-button controls, depending on if you want to be able to tilt your character mid-air. Players have to perfectly time their jumps and rotations to get to the finish line before three competitors while picking up as many coins along the way as possible. As you complete achievements, you unlock colorful new characters to race as. Keep an eye out for this one coming out soon!
If you have an HTCSense 4+ phone, HTC and Playstation Mobile want to give you a free game every week through the end of February. Much like the offer for free games on Sony devices, there are no hoops to jump through, just download the Playstation Mobile for Android app, set up your Sony Entertainment Network account, then use your Sense 4+ phone to download your free games. Supported models include:
HTC One V
HTCOne S
HTCOne X
HTCOne XL
HTC One EVO 4G LTE
HTC One X+
There is one sticking point -- your phone must be running Android 4.1 and Sense 4+ or higher, which leaves folks on AT&T and T-Mobile out in the cold unless they've rooted and ROM'd. Feel free to express your distaste in the comments.
This week's free game is Cubixx, and HTC reminds us all to check every week for a new game. See the source link for the full details.
If you're using Chris Lacy's Action Launcher, there's a pretty sizable updating waiting for. Version 1.20 brings a helpful search feature right there in the Action Bar. It's able to search through your contacts, apps and even music, giving the results there there on the home screen. Action Launcher's unique "Covers" -- think folders with more functionality -- have gotten even better and now serve as app shortcuts as well as a folder with more options inside. There also are options to hide apps from the app list, some visual changes, and you can import home screens from other third-party launchers.
We've got the entire changelog after the break (Lacy jokes that it's too long to fit on a single Nexus 7 screen, which is saying something), and some demo video is ready to go there as well. The update should be live in Google Play any time now.
Action Launcher 1.2.0 changelog:
NEW: Quicksearch - filter the apps, contacts and even music on your device, directly from the action bar's search button.
NEW: Covers can now be opened by swiping vertically on the cover icon, double-tapping the icon, or both. A swipe is the default.
NEW: Added tutorial, detailing covers, the sliding app drawer and Quicksearch.
NEW: Users can specify apps to hide from the app drawer.
NEW: Vastly improved the animation when opening the app drawer.
NEW: Allow configuration of the number of rows and columns on a homescreen page.
NEW: Allow configuration of the number of columns on the dock.
NEW: Added support for importing a layout from Apex, Nova and TouchWiz, in addition to stock Android.
NEW: Added support for expanding and shrinking the padding on the edges of the screen.
NEW: The double-tap time to open a cover can be changed via the settings.
NEW: Added setting to disable automatically opening the notification panel after a downward swipe.
NEW: Added ability to resize any widget.
NEW: Display a dialog highlighting the new features of this release.
CHANGE: Remove the "Apps" text from the action bar.
CHANGE: Automatically close the app drawer when resuming the app.
CHANGE: All buttons on the action bar are the same color.
CHANGE: Never display the Customize button. Instead this button always resides in the overflow menu.
CHANGE: Items in the sliding app drawer are the exact same height as the action bar.
CHANGE: Revert to using standard AOSP behavior for homescreens. The default page is in the 'middle', rather than the far left.
CHANGE: If there is a single homescreen, or the default homescreen is displaying, pressing Home opens the app drawer. Otherwise, jump to the default homescreen.
CHANGE: Modifying the number of homescreens now uses a pretty NumberPicker.
BUG FIX: Vastly improved the performance when scrolling through homescreens.
BUG FIX: When rearranging items in a cover, the cover image updates correctly on the homescreen.
BUG FIX: Change wallpaper apps load correctly
BUG FIX: Swiping from the very edge of the screen will change a homescreen on all devices.
BUG FIX: The Direct Dial widget works correctly on Samsung devices.
BUG FIX: Fix action bar going MIA at times.
BUG FIX: Shortcuts to just installed apps are displayed on the default home screen.
BUG FIX: Width of the app drawer displays correctly on 10" tablets.
BUG FIX: The app drawer no longer incorrectly opens when dragging an item on a homescreen.
BUG FIX: The 'Page indicator' setting no longer has a mistaken dependency on the 'Dock seperator' setting.
BUG FIX: Clicking a hardware home button when a device is powered off and there is no lockscreen no longer mistakenly opens the app drawer.
BUG FIX: Adjust default page margins so that TouchWiz widgets display correctly.
BUG FIX: Widget previews no longer display indefinitely on ICS.
BUG FIX: Shortuct widgets can be created on ICS.
BUG FIX: Fix FC when moving widgets on ICS.
BUG FIX: Fix FC when duplicate shortcut IDs are used.
BUG FIX: Fix FC when importing a layout with no items in it.
Airline still lacking a proper tablet app, however
A bit of good news tonight for those of you who a decent amount of time at 35,000 feet. Delta has updated its Android application to Version 2.0, just a couple weeks after it dropped for iOS. With it you'll get a brand-new user interface, as well as a bevy of new options, including the ability to purchase domestic flights from your phone (they're still working on international flights), or add economy comfort seats and other trip extras.
A Delta representative on the Flyer Talk Forumsexpanded a bit on the update, saying:
Just like weve added in the iPhone version of the app, weve included the ability to find, compare and book flights. Weve also updated My Trips to give you a quick and easy way to purchase Economy Comfort and our Trip Extras, including Wi-Fi and Priority Boarding. Youll also be able to use the Track My Bags and Check Flight Status features to improve your day of travel experience.
At the core of the new functionality, weve optimized (and in some cases completely re-written) our backend systems to provide you with faster response times in all areas of the app. Additionally, we have updated the look and feel to help you find the most important features easily.
Missing -- still -- is any sort of tablet application. That's been annoying enough in the past (never mind that the phone application has worked just fine when sideloaded on tablets), but it's especially disappointing given the awesomeness that Delta brought in its iPad app, particularly when it comes to seeing what's on the ground beneath your flight at any given time.
It looks like Google finally is getting a handle on its Nexus 4 supply/retail issues. Its flagship Jelly Bean phone went back on sale this week and boxes should be hitting doorsteps anytime now. For a good many of you, this will be your first time with the Nexus 4. For others, it'll be the first time with any Nexus.
So where to begin? Even if you've had an Android smartphone in the past, a Nexus is both familiar and new, full of options some other smartphones don't have, while at the same time lacking features other manufacturers pack into their own phones.
Let's take a look at some of the thing new Nexus 4 owners need to know, need to watch out for -- and need to take advantage of.
1. Where to start
If you haven't already, have a look at our Nexus 4 review, and Alex's two-month revisit. That's an excellent place to start.
2. There's a lot of glass on this thing
Pro tip: Do not stand on your Nexus 4
First thing you notice out of the box. Glass on the front, glass on the back. And, yes. Glass can break. Some folks have broken their Nexus 4s. Some haven't. You might have heard stories about them shattering on carpet. Or simply by being placed onto a counter or table or something. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. I don't think there's been the sort of uproar you'd see with a true design flaw or anything. Sometimes glass breaks. Be careful.
Glass also scratches. The front's covered in Gorilla Glass 2, scratches will still happen. I've got a couple nice ones (from my dog's nails, I think) on mine. The back of the phone's not immune either. On the other hand, I don't use cases.
3. The Nexus 4 is SIM-unlocked
This is one of the major features of Nexus phones. They're "SIM-unlocked," meaning you can use any GSM SIM card in it without needing an unlocking code. And because it's set up with the proper frequencies, you can use it on T-Mobile or AT&T in the United States and get proper HSPA+ speeds.
You might still have to handle the APN settings yourself, though. Chances are if that's necessary, there will be instructions from whomever you got the SIM card from.
4. And then there's the other kind of 'unlocked'
The other great thing about a Nexus phone is that it's designed to be tinkered with. To that end, you'll need to unlock the bootloader. That's as simple as typing fastbootoem unlock in a command line with your phone plugged in. Once that's done (we've got some help here if you need it), you'll be able to flash new system images. That means it's easy to load up custom ROMs. And then there's ...
5. It's easy to gain root access on the Nexus 4
Again, it's a Nexus. Getting root access (also referred to as "rooting") is trivial -- just a matter of flashing a new image once the bootloader is unlocked. There's a great guide for rooting the Nexus 4 in our forums.
But you know what? A lot of us don't root our phones. And that's perfectly fine (and more secure), too.
6. "Stock" Android is great, but you can make it even better
We mentioned that the Nexus 4 doesn't have all the features that other manufacturers put into their phones. The idea is to ship the bare Android experience for folks to customize their own way from Google Play. Don't like the stock messaging application? Get a new (and arguably improved) one from Google Play. The same goes for things like the keyboard, the camera software, the music player, etc. Android is all about choice, and even system applications are replaceable.
7. Set up your cloud accounts
Because the Nexus 4 ships with limited storage, you'll want to get used to using the cloud. Google offers some great applications that are already tied into the account you used to set up the phone. Google Music will let you store up to 20,000 of your own songs and streams them back at 320kbps, Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) offers 5GB of free file storage in addition to powerful document editing and creation. Google+ is a great way to store pictures, and Youtubeis the place to store the video you create.
There are plenty of other "cloud apps" to take advantage of as well. Netflix and apps from your cable or satellite company offer streaming video on-demand, or you can rent (and buy) movies and TV shows right in Google Play. Apps like Dropbox or SugarSync can handle all your file storage needs if the 5GB from Google Drive isn't enough, and the list of streaming music services is a long one. The cloud takes some getting used to, but it really does work.
8. Set up your Google account and services
Even if you don't plan on using Google's cloud services, setting up your online presence through Google is a good idea. You Nexus 4 comes with a full suite of applications from Google, and as soon as you logged into your Nexus 4 the first time you activated them all under your account. Google+ is a great way to socialize with your friends (you'll find all of us from AC there chatting it up) and includes a powerful group messaging application as part of the app. Other apps like Currents and Chrome sync with your Google account, and of course you have Gmail, Google contacts, and Google calendar which are some of the best apps in mobile today. Go ahead and explore these apps, and dig into the settings to get everything to your liking.
9. Set up the way your Nexus 4 sounds
Every app that can notify you makes a noise, and with Android every one of them is user-set. You'll find a handful of notification tones and ringtones available, and adding your own is easy. Collect the files you want to use (.mp3 and .ogg files are supported) and copy them right to the device. If you're using a Mac you'll need to download the file transfer utility, but Windows is supported out of the box. Just plug your Nexus 4 in and open the folder in your file explorer. Ringtones go into the folder named "Ringtones", notification sounds go into the folder named "Notifications", and alarm sounds go into the folder named "Alarms". Afterwards, your new choices will appear right in the list, ready to use. Finally, there are apps in Google Play that let you schedule the volume based on time, so your phone stays quiet during work hours or while sleeping.
10. Visit the forums
Getting a Nexus 4 puts you in a special club. You'll want to chat with other folks about your new phone, learn and share important tips and tricks, and find out about great new apps that make the Nexus 4 even better. The forums is the perfect place to make all that happen. For visiting from your phone, there's even a great application that keeps you in touch while you're away from the house. We'll see you there!
![Delta updates its Android app with v2.0 makeover [DYKWIA?]](http://cdn.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/imagecache/w680h550/postimages/684/fly-delta-update.jpg "Delta updates its Android app with v2.0 makeover [DYKWIA?]")
