The Samsung Galaxy S4 has dethroned the LG Optimus G to become Consumer Reports’ new top-rated smartphone.
It “delivered top-notch performance in the most critical areas of our tests, including the camera,” the report reads, before praising the handset’s display, and its “gesture- and sensor-based tools.”
Still trying to find a mobile browser you can really rely on? Maybe Opera’s new browser for Android will do the trick. Announced back in February, this is the first Opera browser powered by the WebKit rendering engine. It’s been in beta testing since March, but it officially launches today with additional features.
AccuWeather is one of my favorite weather apps on Android (alongside WeatherPro). Not only does it look good, but I’ve also found it to be incredibly accurate, and it has some great features. There’s a free version if you don’t mind looking at nasty ads, but for a limited time, you can get the ad-free AccuWeather Platinum for just 99¢.
Samsung Wallet, the new Passbook-like virtual wallet service that was unveiled at Mobile World Congress back in February, has begun appearing on select Samsung devices in Korea and the United States. It’s currently compatible with the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1, and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.
Google announced the end of Google Checkout today, slated to go the way of Google Reader and the dinosaurs as of November 20, 2013.
Today, we’re letting web merchants know that in six months, Google Checkout will be retired as we transition to Google Wallet — a platform that enables merchants to meet the demands of a multi-screen world where consumers shop in-stores, at their desks and on their mobile devices.
It seems as this will mostly affect merchants who use Google’s Checkout system, as consumers will really only see a change in the name of the service. With Google Wallet API enhancements announced last week, like the Instant Buy API and the Wallet Objects API, the transition should be smooth for consumers who use Android to purchase goods and services.
It will mean something different to Google Checkout merchants and Android developers, however.
