Android 4.3 Announced and Rolling Out to Nexus Devices, Images Available - Verizon Droid Incredible 2

We were all expecting it. In fact, we’ve all been waiting for it ever since this year’s Google I/O. However, that conference came and went, without a trace of Android 4.3. But after last week’s Android 4.3 leak, we knew it was finally coming soon. And in today’s Google event, which also marked the release of the Nexus 7 refresh, it has finally been made official.
So what’s new in this latest flavor of Jelly Bean? Here are some of the key changes, courtesy of the Android Developers blog post:
OpenGL ES 3.0 — Game developers can now take advantage of OpenGL ES 3.0 and EGL extensions as standard features of Android, with access from either framework or native APIs.
Bluetooth Smart — Now your apps can communicate with the many types of low-power Bluetooth Smart devices and sensors available today, to provide new features for fitness, medical, location, proximity, and more.
Restricted profiles — Tablet owners can create restricted profiles to limit access to apps, for family, friends, kiosks, and more. Your app can offer various types of restrictions to let tablet owners control its capabilities in each profile.
New media capabilities — A modular DRM framework enables media application developers to more easily integrate DRM into their own streaming protocols such as MPEG DASH. Apps can also access a built-in VP8 encoder from framework or native APIs for high-quality video capture.
Notification access — Your apps can now access and interact with the stream of status bar notifications as they are posted. You can display them in any way you want, including routing them to nearby Bluetooth devices, and you can update and dismiss notifications as needed.
Improved profiling tools — New tags in the Systrace tool and on-screen GPU profiling give you new ways to build great performance into your app.
Much has also been done to improve UI performance. Most notably, the Android 4.3 Platform Highlights page mentions a change to the hardware-accelerated 2D subsystem that modifies the stream of drawing commands to send the commands to the GPU in an optimized manner. And in instances when the CPU is required, these operations are now multi-threaded, allowing the use of multiple CPU cores. Improved window buffer allocation also speeds up buffer allocation, resulting in speedier rendering starts. And to best harness the GPU’s power in 2D hardware-accelerated tasks, the system now uses OpenGL ES 3.0 for optimized texture management and to maintain higher gradient rendering fidelity. Of course, however, the main use of OpenGL ES 3.0 will be to provide game developers with the framework and native API access they need to produce high quality and efficient games.
Another major highlight in this Jelly Bean refresh is a substantial refresh to the notification system, whereby third-party apps can observe the stream of notifications and display them or transfer them to nearby connected Bluetooth devices. And just as before, notifications can be enabled or disabled per app. Building upon this, however, now users are allowed to see and toggle which apps have access to the notification stream.
The tablet multi-user feature has also been revamped. Now in 4.3, users are given the option to set up restricted profiles. This allows owners to easily create separate environments for each user, with the ability to manage restrictions in apps available in those environments. This feature is aimed to sharing your device with friends and use at kiosks.
Other notable changes include Bluetooth Smart Ready to aid in discovery and communication with nearby devices, Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3 support for richer interactions with media streaming devices, an improved DRM framework, and a VP8 video encoder.
You can learn more by heading over to the Android Developers blog post and Android 4.3 Platform Highlights page. If you’re lucky enough to own a Google Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, or Galaxy Nexus, you can expect this update to come over-the-air shortly. And if you find yourself impatiently waiting, you can get a head start and download the images by visiting the Nexus device factory images.

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NEW FEATURED SDK FOR DEVs

Airplay SDK is unique in providing the
facility to build your application as an
entirely OS-agnostic binary file that contains
native CPU instructions. So no compromise
on performance, yet no need to port your
application between operating systems.
Airplay SDK supports single-click
deployment to all of the following operating
systems: * iPhone OS * Android * Samsung
Bada * Symbian * Windows Mobile * BREW
* Palm/HP webOS * Maemo Additionally,
Ideaworks Labs is working closely with
leading device manufacturers to open up
new distribution opportunities for Airplay
content. Airplay SDK fixes fragmentation
within each operating system by removing
the need for developers to worry about
individual device eccentricities. Here are just
five examples of the hundreds of per-device
problems that Airplay SDK solves: *
Dynamic portrait/landscape screen
switching handled identically for all devices
* Accelerometer API implemented
identically for all devices (despite the large
number of bespoke device drivers and APIs
in the market) * Device-application
interoperability handled identically for all
devices (i.e. your application is guaranteed
to 'play nicely' with the device software, for
example to respond to incoming phone calls
and messages) * Audio handled identically
for all devices (for example, by providing
advanced software sound mixing) * Single
drawing API supports OpenGL ES 1.x,
OpenGL ES 2.0 and super-fast software
rendering, allowing your app to run with or
without any form of hardware graphics
acceleration FEATURES: Save development
time by writing your Airplay app using
vanilla C++ in the IDE of your choice. Airplay
currently supports all versions of Visual C++

Best Must Have Android Apps for Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the most popular device is Samsung Galaxy Series. This device comes with amazing specification and feature which give neck to neck fight to the Android device released in 2015. Samsung Galaxy S3 is an overall brilliant smartphone, there are some features missing in the device which you can cover up by using Android apps.
If you’ve any old or new Samsung Galaxy S3, then you might be looking for some of the best apps which ads more functionality to your device. Why don’t you check the first one:
1. Lumosity
Lumosity is designed by neuroscientists to train memory, attention, and more. With foundations in the study of neuroplasticity, Lumosity games are used in research, and have been incorporated into studies done by top scientists worldwide.
2. AirDroid
AirDroid allows you to access and manage your Android phone or tablet from Windows, Mac or the Web, wirelessly, for free.
3. 7 Minute Workout
If you want to lose weight, get a flat tummy & strengthen abdominal muscles, get the dreamed abs with sixpack, 7 minutes abs workout can strengthen your core and tone your abs, with videos on how to perform each exercise. Don’t have an hour for daily workout and abs workout? you might not need it, just try 7 minute quick fit workout, it has Video Tutorial to help you do it right.
4. Battery by MacroPinch
Battery is a small, sleek and elegant app that will help you follow the current battery percentage on your Android device, and even serve as a battery saver.
5. Microsoft Office Mobile
Microsoft Office Mobile is the official Office companion optimized for your Android phone. You can access, view and edit your Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint documents from virtually anywhere. All the documents look like the originals, thanks to support for charts, animations, SmartArt graphics and shapes.
6. SwiftKey Keyboard
SwiftKey is able to understand not just patterns in your typing, but also how words work together. Swiftkey can continue to learn from SMS, your email and even social media accounts (if enabled), so it gets better at making predictions as you type.
7. WhatsApp Messenger
WhatsApp Messenger is a messaging app available for Android and other smartphones. It uses your phone’s Internet connection (4G/3G/2G/EDGE or Wi-Fi, as available) to message and call friends and family. Switch from SMS to WhatsApp to send and receive messages, calls, photos, videos, and Voice Messages.
8. Instagram
Instagram is a simple way to capture and share the world’s moments. Transform your everyday photos and videos into works of art and share them with your family and friends. See the world through somebody else’s eyes by following not only the people you know, but inspirational Instagrammers, photographers, athletes, celebrities and fashion icons.
9. edjing – DJ Music Mixer Studio
One of the best music app for Android that let you access to a pair of virtual DJ decks and pulls in music from both SoundCloud and Deezer, along with any music stored on your device.
10. QuickPic
Fast, lightweight, modern, QuickPic is the best alternative album app for all your beloved photos, which can replace the stock Gallery app.
11. AccuWeather
Stay connected to the latest weather conditions with AccuWeather. This free app features the new AccuWeather MinuteCast, the leading minute-by-minute precipitation forecast, hyper-localized to your exact street address. AccuWeather offers the same Superior Accuracy and great experience across all Android smartphones and tablets, and Android Wear.
12. Opera Max
Opera Max is a free, data-savings and data-management app that extends your data plan. Using this you can easily manage your data by monitoring daily data usage and limit data-hogging apps to Wi-Fi only. Opera Max also provides data savings by compressing videos, photos, media and more on almost all of your favorite apps and websites
13. Google Drive
Get started with Google Drive for free and have all your files within reach from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. All your files in Drive like your videos, photos, and documents are backed up safely so you can’t lose them. Easily invite others to view, edit, or leave comments on any of your files or folders.
14. Nokia Here
Nokia Here is a map application by Nokia which works without Internet, can be accessed whenever and wherever, which is great for city breaks when you’re steering clear of the roaming charges.
15. Chrome Desktop
Google Remote Desktops enables users access to a Windows or Mac machine in order to make connections through the Chrome Web Store app. Users will then launch Android app via their phone or tablet, tapping on the computer’s name which they’ll like to control.
16. Retrica
Retrica will transform your photo experience into something truly memorable. Choose how you want to remember that great view from your trip, or that delicious meal you shared with a friend. With Retrica’s live filters, you can preview how your photos will look, before you even take the photo.
17. IF by IFTTT
IFTTT lets you create powerful connections with one simple statement if this then that. You can activate and connect your Channels services like Facebook, Dropbox, and Gmail as well as devices like Nest Thermostat, Fitbit, and Philips Hue for limitless ways to automate and empower your life.
18. EvolveSMS
EvolveSMS is a powerful texting replacement app that makes talking to your friends quick, fun and easy. It’s been designed from the bottom up with the newest Android guidelines in mind to look beautiful and just plain work. Feel completely immersed in the app with a design that flows freely between, you, all your friends, and Android.
19. Yahoo Aviate Launcher
Yahoo Aviate is the launcher that will take your phone to the next level. Gone are the days of a cluttered and boring stock Android phone. Yahoo Aviate automatically organises your apps and shows you the information you need, at the moment it’s useful.
20. Digg
Digg delivers the most interesting and talked-about stories on the Internet. Its powered by social signals and old-fashioned human judgment, our editors turn the Internet’s vast and cacophonous flood of articles, blog posts, magazine pieces, status updates, photos and videos into the elegant and endlessly engrossing mix known as Digg.
21. Material Wallpaper (Android L)
Material Walls contains High Quality Handcrafted Wallpapers dressed in the famous Material Design / Quantum paper design introduced recently and will debut on the upcoming Android Lollipop (Android 5.0) by Google. All the wallpapers are available in the perfect resolution for almost every device out there as almost all resolutions are supported.
22. Spotify Music
With Spotify, you have access to a world of music. You can listen to artists and albums, or create your own playlist of your favorite songs. Want to discover new music? Choose a ready-made playlist that suits your mood or get personalized recommendations.
These are some of the best must have Android applications for Samsung Galaxy S3. Why don’t you try these application to give life to your device.
Source: What's With Tech

The Best Universal Windows 10 Apps

With the arrival of Windows 10 Fall Creators update, it's time to revisit the app store. What? An app store for PCs? That's right, though many people may not realize it's one of the highlights of Windows 10. The apps in the store are lightweight, touch-friendly, and can run either full-screen or windowed. Updates are handled automatically, and you can install apps purchased on multiple devices. In short, if you haven't made the leap from Windows 7, you're missing out on these perks.
Universal apps (more recently dubbed UWP apps, for Universal Windows Platform) have some other benefits over traditional PC programs, too. They can interact with Windows' built-in notification and sharing features. UWP apps can display current info on live tiles in the Start menu—handy for things like weather, sports, and messaging. They are also vetted for security and quality, and run in their own sandboxes so as not to affect the rest of the operating system.
But the most appealing aspect of universal apps may be their ability to run on a wide variety of devices, from smartphones to tablets to laptops to powerful desktop PCs to game consoles and eventually the HoloLens 3D extended-reality headset. Let's not forget the enormous Surface Hub business conferencing unit, either.

General XDA Article: Here’s our first look at Pixel phone display mirroring on Chromebooks

https://www.xda-developers.com/pixel-mirroring-chromebooks/
February 15, 2022 11:52am Corbin Davenport
Here’s our first look at Pixel phone display mirroring on Chromebooks​Google has been working behind the scenes for at least a year on a feature that would allow apps on your phone to be streamed to a Chromebook, similar to what is possible with Microsoft’s Your Phone service on Windows PCs or wireless Samsung DeX. Now we have our first look at the feature running, thanks to a new report from 9to5Google.
The screen mirroring feature, internally named ‘Eche,’ uses functionality included in the first Android 13 Developer Preview paired with a web app front-end. Unlike most other screen mirroring implementations, it generates a separate virtual display for apps with a larger viewing area, instead of rendering apps with your phone or tablet’s typical aspect ratio and display resolution. Even though this is intended for Chromebooks, 9to5Google was able to get it working on a Windows 11 PC.
App list (Source: 9to5Google)
Chrome screenshot (Source: 9to5Google)
The first evidence of this feature in development was slightly over a year ago, in February 2021, when code commits to the Chromium repository mentioned screen mirroring functionality. The feature popped up again in June, that time in Google Play Services, with a string that directly mentioned streaming apps to Chromebooks. However, this is the first time the functionality has been enabled and showcased in a functional state.
9to5Google also discovered that the feature will be available from the ‘Phone Hub’ on Chrome OS. Tapping on a notification or app icon will open a phone-shaped window with a video stream of the application, much closer to the functionality of Windows Your Phone.
Chromebooks have offered native support for Android applications for years, making this functionality less useful on Chrome OS than other desktop platforms. However, it could still come in handy for applications and services you can’t easily set up on Chromebooks (such as non-synced two-factor apps, or apps/games that don’t support Chromebooks). We’ll have to wait and see what the final version looks like.
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General XDA Article: Latest Google Play system update expands Android 13’s Photo Picker to older Android versions

Latest Google Play system update expands Android 13's Photo Picker to older Android versions
The Google Play system update for May 2022 is expanding Android 13's Photo Picker feature to devices running Android 12 and Android 11.
www.xda-developers.com
May 17, 2022 8:15am Comment Kishan Vyas
Latest Google Play system update expands Android 13’s Photo Picker to older Android versions​Google released the Google Play system update for May 2022 earlier this month. Google’s initial changelog mentioned that the new update brings features like Self Share for Nearby Share and improvements to Play Store. But it seems there’s a lot more exciting stuff in the latest update than Google originally disclosed.
Google has updated the Play system patch notes to highlight some new features and improvements coming with the Play system May 2022 update. The most notable is the Photo Picker feature. First introduced in Android 13, the feature aims to restrict how apps access media files on your device. Rather than granting full permission to all media files, the Photo Picker will only allow apps to access select media files.
Google’s official documentation for Photo Picker mentions that the feature will be rolling out to devices running Andriod 12 and Android 11 via a Google Play system update.
Upcoming Google Play system updates are expected to include new features related to the photo picker. In one such update, the library will add support for apps that target Android 11 (API level 30) or higher
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Another new feature coming with the Google Play system update is support for installing and using streaming apps on devices running Android Automative. In addition, the update also adds the ability for parents to set a persistent launcher on devices enrolled in Family Link.
The Photo Picker feature, improvements to Android Automative, and Family Link changes are rolling out with the latest Google Play Store and Play Services updates.
Here are all the changes in the Google Play System Update for May 2022:
Critical Fixes
[Auto, Phone, Tablet, TV, Wear OS] Bug fixes for account management, utilities, and system management & diagnostics related services.
Account Management
[Phone, Tablet] Migration of the existing device setup onboarding flow for supervised work accounts to a web based experience.
[Phone, Tablet] Ability for parents to set a persistent launcher on devices supervised with Family Link using local parental controls.
Device Connections
[Auto, Phone, TV] Nearby Share now allows users to share content more seamlessly between their devices logged into the same account.
[Auto] Support for installation and use of video streaming apps in-car infotainment systems through Android Automotive
Google Play Store
Improvements to Play-as-you-download feature to let gamers start playing mobile games while the app download continues to reduce waiting times.
New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
New features to the Play Pass and Play Points programs.
Enhancements to Google Play Billing.
Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
Support
[Auto, Phone, Tablet, TV, Wear OS] Design improvements to Google Help app.
System Management
Updates to system management services that improve device connectivity and stability & performance.
Developer Services
New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support ads, location services, media, security & privacy and utilities related developer services in their apps.
New developer service and user experience to allow users to select specific photos or videos to share with an app rather than granting permission to all media files on the device.
Source: Google System Updates support page, Android Developers
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