android 4.3

Android 4.3 pops up ahead of Google I/O

Rumored to be something between a Jelly Bean and a slice of Key Lime Pie, Android 4.3 is currently appearing in search results on the Android developers' site.

Numerous excerpts in the results reference "Security Enhancements in Android 4.3"

Click through any of those results and you'll find a page with no apparent mentions of the new Android update, although it is hidden in the HTML. Click through the link in that tag and you get a 404. Dead end. Scavenger hunt over.

Guess we have to wait for the expected unveil of the update … Read more

Download apps with SlideMe Application Manager for Android

If you rooted your gadget or installed a custom ROM, then you have more freedom to install apps from wherever you want. SlideMe Application Manager is one of the biggest third-party marketplaces that helps you find apps, but it's not one of the best.

In order to install SlideMe Application Manager or most of the apps it offers, you will need to know about .apk files and other alternate download options. Once you do install it, most of the results you get are apps that exist in the Google Play market anyway. This is fine if you're not … Read more

Android Ice Cream Sandwich gains, but Gingerbread dominates

Android 4.x "Ice Cream Sandwich" is making gains, though Gingerbread still takes the lion's share, according to a snapshot of data provided to Android developers.

Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) had about a 2.9 percent share and Honeycomb had more than a 3 percent share, according to Android Developers, which describes the data as "the relative number of active devices running a given version of the Android platform."

ICS started appearing in devices only toward the end of last year.

The Web site says the data can help developers "understand the landscape of … Read more

Setting the mapping bar

As far as mobile mapping goes, Google Maps for Android offers one of the best experiences you can get. The feature-fest, which Google has been building on for years, doesn't just tell you where you are using nothing but GPS or cell tower triangulation. It also tells you how to get where you want to go by car, public transport, good old-fashioned shoe leather, and now, by bike. Voice-guided navigation takes you turn by turn, and voice search keeps your typing fingers fresh.

A variety of add-ons layers information on top of the base map, so you can view … Read more