Daily News Courier

Jot review – the simplest note-taking widget ever

Jot is a simple, lightweight note-taking widget for Android that recently had a user interface overhaul. It is an absolutely pared-down set of widgets that very simply provide fast, clear access to a notepad from the home screen. You aren’t going to find a ton of fancy features here, but you will get fast, easy access to plain text.

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Jot review – the simplest note-taking widget ever

Jot is a simple, lightweight note-taking widget for Android that recently had a user interface overhaul. It is an absolutely pared-down set of widgets that very simply provide fast, clear access to a notepad from the home screen. You aren’t going to find a ton of fancy features here, but you will get fast, easy access to plain text.

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Cablevision Optimum TV streaming app now available on the Kindle Fire

If you current needs for streaming content on the Kindle Fire are not really working out there is a new option out there if you're a Cablevision subscriber. Cablevision has now released a revised Optimum app for the Kindle Fire. This app differs from the one currently available in the Google Play Store that simply allows you to control your DVR and browse listings. The new app has a whole new set of features built into it that will make those stuck with the Google Play version a bit jealous:

• Live TV and On Demand – customers can experience the channels they receive as part of their home cable television service, live, when connected to their home network, as well as all the On Demand programming that is part of their monthly service.
• Enhanced User Interface and Channel Guide – customers can review and search through program listings, filter listings across a variety of categories and then choose to watch on the Kindle Fire or use the device to control conventional television sets in the house.
• DVR Management – customers can use the Optimum App to manage previously-recorded DVR content, or schedule new recordings.
• Program Ratings and Recommendations – customers can use the app to rate programs they are watching, and receive viewing recommendations that become more accurate based on previous ratings.
• Parental Controls, Closed Captioning and other options in settings.

Yep, direct streaming of shows and movies over Wi-Fi is offered on the Kindle Fire version. The press release which can be found below makes no mention of an update coming to the Google Play version so alas, Kindle Fire and iOS users are the only ones who get in on this action. Hopefully though, Cablevision will roll out an update to bring all their apps on the same level.

Source: Cablevision, Download: Amazon

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Cablevision Optimum TV streaming app now available on the Kindle Fire

If you current needs for streaming content on the Kindle Fire are not really working out there is a new option out there if you're a Cablevision subscriber. Cablevision has now released a revised Optimum app for the Kindle Fire. This app differs from the one currently available in the Google Play Store that simply allows you to control your DVR and browse listings. The new app has a whole new set of features built into it that will make those stuck with the Google Play version a bit jealous:

• Live TV and On Demand – customers can experience the channels they receive as part of their home cable television service, live, when connected to their home network, as well as all the On Demand programming that is part of their monthly service.
• Enhanced User Interface and Channel Guide – customers can review and search through program listings, filter listings across a variety of categories and then choose to watch on the Kindle Fire or use the device to control conventional television sets in the house.
• DVR Management – customers can use the Optimum App to manage previously-recorded DVR content, or schedule new recordings.
• Program Ratings and Recommendations – customers can use the app to rate programs they are watching, and receive viewing recommendations that become more accurate based on previous ratings.
• Parental Controls, Closed Captioning and other options in settings.

Yep, direct streaming of shows and movies over Wi-Fi is offered on the Kindle Fire version. The press release which can be found below makes no mention of an update coming to the Google Play version so alas, Kindle Fire and iOS users are the only ones who get in on this action. Hopefully though, Cablevision will roll out an update to bring all their apps on the same level.

Source: Cablevision, Download: Amazon

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Splashtop 2 HD now available – Free for a limited time and updated to be faster, more secure

Looking to expand their app further, the folks from Splashtop have now introduced Splashtop 2 HD to the masses. With over 7 million users accessing their desktops remotely, Splashtop 2 HD brings along a newly refined UI and promises to be faster and more secure than ever before.

Splashtop 2 HD for Android tablets features:

• Pinch and zoom (which is a new feature first introduced into HD version)
• Optimized performance leveraging hardware specific platform acceleration
• New, easy user interface
• Wake-on-LAN (WoL)
• 3G/4G and Internet support with the Anywhere Access Pack

For a limited time, Splashtop 2 HD is available as a free download. I'm forced to use the term free lightly because it's not really a full-featured version. The access the basic version allows for is up-to two systems over your local Wi-Fi. In order to make use the truly remote desktop options you'll need to add the Anywhere Access Pack that is available for $0.99 USD per month or $9.99 USD per year.

If you're running Windows 7, Vista, and XP or Mac OS X 10.6+ and in need of a remote desktop solution, it's worth looking into as a viable solution. Need some more info? Full press release can be found below.

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Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean confirmed for the Motorola Xoom WiFi

Just in case you needed any other sort of confirmation that the soak test happening for the Motorola Xoom WiFi in the U.S. was indeed Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, we managed to score the full and complete change log for you all:

Android 4.1.1, Jelly Bean Software Update for the Motorola XOOM™ WIFI in the U.S.

Introduction – We are pleased to announce a new software update for the Motorola XOOM™ WIFI in the US. This Android 4.1.1 (JRO03H) software update includes numerous enhancements. Upgrade today for peak performance.

Who Can Use This Release – ALL Motorola XOOM U.S. WIFI users.

After downloading and installing the software release, you will notice:

• Improved User Interface and Response - Android 4.1.1, Jelly Bean, is the fastest and smoothest version of Android yet. Moving between home screens and switching between apps is effortless, like turning pages in a book. Jelly Bean makes your Android device even more responsive by boosting your device’s CPU instantly when you touch the screen, and turns it down when you don’t need it to improve battery life.
• Expandable, Actionable Notifications – Now you can take action directly from the notifications shade. And because the notifications are expandable, you can get an even deeper look into the things that matter most, like multiple emails or photos on Google+.
• Widgets work like magic – With Jelly Bean it’s now even easier to personalize your home screen. As you place widgets on the screen, everything else automatically moves to make room. When they’re too big, widgets resize on their own. Interacting with your favorite apps and customizing your home screen has never been easier. Seamlessly view and share photos – Just swipe over from camera to filmstrip view to instantly view the photos you just took, and quickly swipe away the ones you don’t like. Now sharing–and bragging–are a breeze.
• A Smarter Keyboard - Android’s dictionaries are now more accurate, more relevant. The language model in Jelly Bean adapts over time, and the keyboard even guesses what the next word will be before you’ve started typing it.
• Improved Text-to-Speech Capability - With improved text-to-speech capabilities, voice typing on Android is even better; it works even when you don’t have a data connection.
• Accessibility - With Jelly Bean, blind users can use 'Gesture Mode' to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output. Jelly Bean also adds support for accessibility plugins to enable external Braille input and output devices via USB and Bluetooth.
• Voice Search - Android lets you search the web with your voice, and it’s convenient for getting quick answers on the fly. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you a precise answer if it knows it, and precisely ranked search results, so you can always find out more.
• A new look for Search - Android has search at its core. With Jelly Bean, a redesigned experience uses the power of the Knowledge Graph to show you search results in a richer way. It’s easier to quickly get answers and explore and browse search results.

Nothing in there is unexpected really, but it sure is nice to see it all laid out. Now we'll go back to waiting for it to fully appear on some devices, if you happen to see it land on your Xoom, we wouldn't mind you dropping by the forums and saying so.
 

Sprint announces HTC EVO 3D and EVO Design 4G will receive Android 4.0 in August

For owners of the HTC EVO 3D or the HTC EVO Design 4G, Sprint has some great news for you today.

Sprint: Epic 4G Touch Android 4.0 ICS update starting today

The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch might have a terrible name, but at least it can no longer be called just another Gingerbread phone. Sprint announced today that the Epic 4G Touch is getting an over the air update starting today that should add Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to one of its most popular Android phones released in 2011.

The Epic 4G Touch joins Samsung’s other U.S. variants of the Galaxy S II with a firmware upgrade that adds several key features. Like all Samsung phones, however, the change is not that dramatic visually because Samsung prefers to put the emphasis on Touchwiz UX and the many customizations that it makes to the software. There’s still a lot going on a level below that.

Here’s a list of some of the new features made available in today’s update, courtesy of Sprint:

• A refined, evolved user interface that is simple, beautiful and useful
• Face Unlock: use state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to unlock your phone with a smile
• Redesigned camera which introduces panorama mode, effects like silly faces and background replacement, and a powerful photo editor
• Android Beam
  

Google+ Android app gets Events, tablet support, and yet another UI change

I know that many Android fans, present company included, weren’t the biggest fans of the Google+ user interface that changed a few weeks ago. Well, you have fewer reasons to complain because the Google+ Android app has been updated yet again, but this one is actually a good one.

First of all, there’s finally a Google+ tablet view. I won’t say anything else. Just go grab the damn thing and wonder why it took so damn long for the damn thing to get to damn tablets. Now, moving on to other matters.

The full-bleed images and dynamic media display formats remain on Google+, however it’s not so busy. The square user avatar photos have been downsized and turned to circles, making it much more appealing on your eyes. Plus and comment counts are still layered over images, but the heavy shadows have been replaced by flatter surfaces.

Changes go beyond the re-reskinning of Google+ introduced today. The app has scrolling animation that makes updates look like a chain of cards flowing up onto the screen. Some might say it’s

From the Android Forums: What is Kies?

delldude405 asks in the Samsung Galaxy S III forums,

Being new to the Samsung community, I notice that Samsung is doing their updates through Kies.

Could someone explain what this is, is it safe, and all that other jazz. I'm not one who can root because of security concerns but, is this like the Motorola feedback community (soak testers)?

Kies is a lot of things. It's a way to sync and backup your contacts and device data, it's a front end for transferring media like music and video between your computer and your phone, and as you've noticed, it's a method to update the device firmware on Samsung phones.

Using it is pretty easy. Install it on your computer (Windows or Mac), then plug your phone in with the provided USB data cable. Kies will find it, and present you with a fairly simple user interface full of things you can do with it. On Windows computers, Kies includes a set of universal device drivers so you don't have to fool with that, and it will automatically recognize your phone in case you have more than one. 

Most power users only use Kies for firmware updates, and even then only when it's required. Because all the features are available without Samsung's fancy front end, there's no real reason to install yet another software suite to your computer if you don't mind doing things the manual way. We're just glad users have a choice to use it or not to use it.

For an in-depth look at Kies, hit the break for a video from Samsung.

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

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