Report: Kindle Fire Holds 33% Of Global Android Tablet Marketshare

A study released today by Localytics, a mobile apps analytics firm, revealed that Amazon has continued to be a force to reckon with in the tech sector. Their latest statistics show that Amazon controls roughly 33% of all Android tablets used in the world with their Kindle Fire line of tablets. Think about that. Amazon controls nearly 1/3 of ALL Android tablets sold in the world and 89% of that exists in the US. This percentage is likely to change in the near future as Amazon’s VP announced at their Kindle Paperwhite event in Canada, that they are working to launch the Kindle Fire family of products worldwide. It's never too late to start working on an app for the Amazon App Store, and this news should excite developers worldwide.

HTC's New M7 Flagship Android Smartphone, An iPhone 5 In Disguise

 

HTC's rumored flagship Android smartphone to replace the One X, dubbed the M7, looks awfully similar to the iPhone 5 only that the similarities are flipped around. The leaked image is sourced from Evleaks, a known and reliable source that we've seen leak numerous products in the past ahead of their official debut which have all turned out to be 100% accurate. So it's safe to say that we're looking at HTC's new 4.7-inch M7 flagship Android device which is expected to make its world debut next month at the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona, Spain.

We've always had great admiration towards HTC's brilliantly designed handsets, more notably the company's recent Windows Phone 8X and 8S outings. The M7 is quite the looker nonetheless. As for some specs, it'll have a 4.7-inch full HD display at a staggering 468ppi with a blazing fast 1.7Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera with a f/2.0 aperture - all housed inside a "premium" build, and a suggested unsubsidized price tag of $600 for a 32GB flavor.

Invoxia AudiOffice Is The All-in-One And One-for-All Dock

Invoxia has updated its AudiOffice dock that serves as an ideal set-up that solves one of the obvious problems most docks have: calling. Most docks require you to remove your phone to answer a call, making it an overall inconvenient experience. AudioOffice solves this issue through a built-in handset which you can use for phone calls instead. The AudiOffice rocks a Cortex A8 processor to run with iOS, and with the newest update, Android as well. 

With two more additional speakers from its four in the old version, AudiOffice projects high quality sound for conference calls and music out of its six inVivo Acoustic technology enhanced speakers that is designed for HD sound. Not only are normal phone calls able to take advantage of the AudiOffice, but VOIP communications such as Skype can too. 

The new AudiOffice is compatible with all mobile devices and even your PC with included USB cables. It will available for $299 on Invoxia's website and will be released during Q1 of this year.

Cube Gives Your iPhone A Home

There are so many smartphone docks on the market right now, each with its own unique factor that prompts you to fall in love with it. Fancy LEDs that flash in all kinds of arrangments, sleek designs with modern finishes, and whatever else your heart desires, you can probably find it for sale somewhere. Yet, there has not been any products as simple as the Cube. Without any exuberant features that nobody really needs, the Cube provides a simple and cozy home for your iPhone or Android device. 

Constructed out of shatter-proof polycarbonate, the Cube is... a cube. It is a cube with a circle in the middle to put your iPhone into. I don't think there will ever be an easier and clearer explanation than that. By taking away all the unneccesary features that other docks try to cram in, the Cube will do what it is meant to do, and do it well. Simply place your USB connector through the bottom, set the Cube on the table, and your iPhone has a place to live. It is so simple and elegant that it will fit right in with the rest of anybody's home. 

Without using any electricity, the Cube is also an amplifier for your smartphone's speakers. We all have come across an occasion where our built-in speakers were just not loud enough. With the Cube, simply by design, music is amplified for a much better experience. 

The only problem with this product is that it doesn't exist yet. The creators of the Cube are asking for your help on Kickstarter to make their dreams a reality and to give your homeless iPhone a permanent shelter. With $25 dollars, you can pre-order your own clear Cube and with an extra $5 dollars, you can pick a Cube in any available colors. 

Microsoft Allegedly Releasing Office For iOS

As reported a couple months ago by The Daily of a screenshot of Microsoft Office running on the iPad, follow-up rumors have pointed towards a possibility of such a release sometime in November. Sources have claimed to see the software operating on iOS firsthand. There have also been hints at Office for the Android platform as well.

While Microsoft have yet to publicly address this rumor, The Daily has strong claims to this being factual, stating that they have seen and operated a prototype. The benefits of having Microsoft Office on the iPad however, would be beneficial for many of its users considering the overall compatibility issues with Microsoft and Mac users. 

Samsung Releases Its Newest iPhone Competitor

Samsung revealed their Samsung Galaxy III today to a lot of anticipation. With the success of its predecessor, the Galaxy II, you can expect the bar to be set extremely high for the new and improved version. It seems that it has gained the approval of the masses and Samsung will once again challenge Apple's dominance in the market.

Sporting a crisp and clear 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display capable of 720 x 1280 resolution, it comes close to Apple's Retina Display. Taking advantage of this display is a 8MP camera capable of 1080p video recording and a 1.9MP front-facing camera capable of 720p. Opening up the internals of Samsung's superphone, you will find a quad-chip with 1GB of RAM that will improve its overall performance, providing you with a lag-free experience. The large 2100 mAh battery will allow you to spend much more time using the phone while you're on the move without having to worry about battery life. 

With all of these upgrades to hardware, the Galaxy III's software updates and tweaks to Android's Ice Cream Sandwich are just as thrilling. With innovative functions such as :

"Smart Stay, which uses the forward-facing camera to determine if you're looking at the phone. You can set time intervals from as little as 15 seconds, which result in a small flashing eye logo in the Android notification bar. If it recognises that your eyes aren't focused on the phone anymore, the screen dims.

Direct Call, which will auto-dial a contact if you have their contact details or a message open. By moving the phone to your ear, the proximity sensor; accelerometer and gyroscope all kick into use, and automatically dial the contact's number.

Smart Alert, which will make the phone vibrate in your hand and flash an LED if you pick the phone up after a missed call.

S Voice, which is a Siri-like voice recognition feature, that you can use to enquire about the weather; take a photo ("Hi Galaxy, please take a photo" to open the camera app, or "cheese" to snap it), and other tasks such as locking the phone, or controlling music. Each demand can be configured by the user.

Social Tag, which links photos of friends in your photo gallery to their Facebook or Google+ accounts, using facial recognition.

S Beam, which pairs other Galaxy S III phones (and only them, for now) via NFC, shares photos, videos, files or even albums of media over Wi-Fi. If your friend's S III doesn't have Wi-Fi enabled, S Beam will automatically turn that user's Wi-Fi on, and then off.

AllShare Cast, which pairs to TVs, laptops or tablets over Wi-Fi, mirroring whatever's on the S III. You can also use the S III as a game controller.

PopUp Play, which will literally pop a video out of its rendering it in a small thumbnail so you can continue watching while surfing the web or doing other functions on the phone. The thumbnail is movable around the display, even if it's pretty small."

Samsung definitely hopes to continue to dominate the Android market and to gain a stronger foothold in the overall smartphone market with its latest upgrade of the Galaxy line. With the new features and smoother user experience, the refined Galaxy III is set for US release this summer.