BUSINESS
June 3, 2013 | By Salvador Rodriguez
Vine, the popular Twitter-owned mobile video social network, is now available for Android users. Twitter released a Vine app for Android devices Monday morning, about four months after launching exclusively for Apple devices. Since launching, Vine has been a hit for Twitter, gaining more than 13 million users. Some have called it the Instagram of video. The social network consists of looping six-second videos. Users can easily create Vine videos by touching their phone's device to record.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2012 | By Salvador Rodriguez
Motorola was given bad news by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which banned several of its smartphones from coming into the country due to an infringement of a Microsoft patent. A total of 18 devices Motorola devices running Android, including the Droid, were affected by the ban, which was issued Friday. The ban affects Motorola's Blur devices as well as Google Experience mobile devices, a Microsoft spokeswoman told Bloomberg News. The decision goes back to a 2010 complaint filed by Microsoft claiming that Motorola violated nine of its patents, according to PCMag . Motorola said it will not be immediately impacted by the decision because of a 60-day presidential review period where it can continue to import the devices, but it must pay 33 cents for each unit it brings in. "Although we are disappointed by the commission's ruling that certain Motorola Mobility products violated one patent, we look forward to reading the full opinion to understand its reasoning," the company said in a statement.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2012 | By Salvador Rodriguez
Google is changing the way it approaches the production of new Android smartphones, seeking to end fragmentation among phones running the many different versions of its OS. For its upcoming line of Nexus smartphones and tablets, Google will give early access to up to five manufacturers in order to bring some form of unity to the devices running the Android operating system. Previously, Google would work with a single manufacturer at a time, helping it produce a lead device.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2013 | By Salvador Rodriguez
Following Samsung's lead, HTC will begin selling next month a version of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One, with Google's "stock Android" operating system. The phone will be sold starting June 26 for $599 in a version that will work with AT&T and T-Mobile networks. The stock phone caters to users who want the default version of Android and not the versions that have been modified by phone manufacturers. PHOTOS: Top smartphones of 2013 The stock versions were reserved for Google's own line of Nexus smartphones and tablets, but earlier this month, Google announced that it would begin selling the Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android.
SPORTS
December 28, 2012 | By Eric Pincus
The Lakers have released an official mobile app for both Android and iOS platforms. Partnered with developer Lucid Appeal, the Lakers app provides "news, statistics, schedules, image and video gallery, user profiles, and more," according to a release from the team. "Launching this mobile app is a part of our long term strategy to engage Lakers fans across digital platforms and deliver content to fans in all the ways they want to consume it. We're excited for this launch, but even more so for the long-term road map we have for the mobile app and the dynamic features coming in future versions," said Nick Kioski, director of new media and technology for the Lakers. To download the free app, navigate to the App Store on an iOS device, or to Google Play on an Android device.
BUSINESS
April 9, 2013 | By Salvador Rodriguez
Google's digital store for Android smartphone users is getting a face-lift. Google announced Tuesday that it has begun to roll out a new look for the mobile version of Google Play, its rival to Apple's iTunes. Some users around the world will see the new design starting Tuesday, then over time, more and more users will see the redesign on their devices. Currently, the mobile store is text heavy, but the redesign will change that and instead emphasize the use of large images. QUIZ: How much do you know about Google?