Samsung to Launch the New Galaxy Note 2 in August

Samsung plans to launch the new version of its smartphone-meets-tablet device, Galaxy Note, at its Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin, Aug. 29.
A company spokesman confirmed the launch date to Reuters, without giving any additional details.
Although the company has already launched its flagship smartphone — the Samsung Galaxy S III — the Galaxy Note could also ruffle a few feathers in the smartphone scene, especially since it should come out a couple of weeks before Apple’s iPhone, which is rumored to debut Sept. 12.
The original Galaxy Note was launched in 2011, with a 5.3-inch screen and Android Ice Cream Sandwich on board. The device was well received — Samsung announced in March it had shipped 5 million Notes in five months. In June, Samsung announced it has sold 7 million Galaxy Notes.

After Focus for Android Brings DSLR-Like Options to Your Phone

Android: If you want your image backgrounds to blur or apply the Bokeh effect After Focus is a free and easy way to get effects usually reserved for much more expensive cameras.
After your shot is taken the app you can select which areas of your photo to blur and to what degree by drawing lines with your finger to indicate the point of focus. There are also several other image aftereffects.
There is a pro version for $1.99 that adds support for images up to 2048 pixels, edge-feathering, creating double photos, and more filters.
If you want some of the effects of Instagram but don't want a social network experience this app might be up your alley. With over 6,000 positive reviews on Google Play you may want to give it a try.

Google Updates The Gmail Android App, Now Works Better With 7-inch Tabs

The latest Gmail Android app update brings several new features, but this is a must-have for 7-inch tablets. Google slightly reworked the UI and it now works better with 7-inch tablets. Previously, when in landscape mode, the app would occasionally abruptly cut off messages. That’s now fixed for 7-inch tablets running Android 4.0 or later. But sorry, kids, the app is still missing pinch-to-zoom within messages.
The new version also brings a new label API for 3rd-party developers, a feature likely related to homescreen widgets.
This update comes a few weeks after Google released the Nexus 7 to the retail market. Users quickly discovered that Gmail, one of the Nexus 7′s core apps, wasn’t as polished as shiny as it should have been. The updated version is now available from Google Play, which should apply the appropriate sheen to the app.

Ice Cream Sandwich now on 16 percent of Android phones

Google continues to see solid growth in uptake of Ice Cream Sandwich, but Android 4.0 is still a long way off trouncing Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Ice Cream Sandwich's share of the Android market continues to grow rapidly, with the operating system now present on nearly 16 percent of all Android phones.
Ice Cream Sandwich has more than doubled its distribution share over the space of a single month -- variants of Android 4.0 have risen from a combined total of 7.1 percent to 15.9 percent, according to figures from Google.
Gingerbread, version 2.3 -- first released in December 2010 -- remains the most popular Android version to date with more than 60 percent of the Android market.

The statistics show that Ice Cream Sandwich's successor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is yet to make much headway. Announced at Google I/O in June, the Jelly Bean version of the mobile OS is now skirting the 1 percent mark.
Any boost to Jelly Bean's rankings will come from hardware partners dishing out upgrades to existing users: while Samsung and are rolling it out to some devices, Motorola, LG, and Sony have yet to announce Jelly Bean updates.
The data was collected from Android devices that access Google Play, the Android app store formerly known as the Android Market, during the two week period ending August 1.