Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Update - 26



Posted: 21 Feb 2012 10:37 AM PST
Some new details and images have leaked for an upcoming Samsung handset headed for AT&T. While it wont be winning any awards for its charming good looks, it does have some rugged and durable features that should make it stand the test of time. Being called the Samsung Rugby Smart lets hope this phone can hang in there during the scrum.


We’ve heard rumors regarding this phone back during some Galaxy Note leaks but with the new images we can confirm it is coming, and to AT&T. This entry-level Android phone looks quite rugged and packs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Full details aren’t yet known but we see plenty from the pictures. Leaks suggest a 1,650 mAh battery, AT&T HSPA+, and 512 MB of RAM. Most likely it will be powered by the Samsung Hummingbird (Galaxy S) processor and be 1.0 GHz single-core with 512MB of RAM.
Gingerbread on board based on the pictures, and that makes sense given this is an entry-level device. Rocking a front and rear camera but specs on those aren’t confirmed. The cover on the phone looks a little weird but the lock in place gives is a few things to consider. They are calling it the “Rugby Smart”. Looking at the image it appears the rugged and “rugby” part can come off with the twist lock shown on the back, making this go from a rugged and durable phone to something more normal and smartphone looking, but that is just a guess. Either way the lock on the back leaves us wondering.
PocketNow is reporting the phone should have launched around February 18th but that hasn’t happened. We’ll probably see more at Mobile World Congress next week.

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 10:11 AM PST
If you’re one of the ~6 million customers of United States semi-regional cellular carrier U.S. Cellular, you’re probably used to getting older smartphones (or just not getting them at all) by now. Well good news, thrifty consumer: you can now enjoy one of the best phones from 2011, on the regional/value carrier of your choice. The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available from U.S. Cellular soon, at a rebated price of $229.99. There’s no exact release date for the phone, but it should be available within the next few weeks.

Ever US carrier has a slightly different version of the Galaxy S II, and U.S. Cellular is no different. They get the larger 4.52-inch variety (though the AMOLED screen keeps its 800×480 resolution) with a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor. The rest of the specs are standard: 16GB of on-board memory, an 8MP camera, and Samsung’s TouchWiz-enhanced Gingerbread. Like the rest of the American variants, it uses four capacitive navigation buttons instead of the home configuration on the international model.  This version has an empty SD card slot and uses 3G data bands, since US Cellular’s LTE market is in its infancy.
The phone runs $229.99 after a mail-in rebate, for new users who sign up for a two-year contract. Existing customers who use the “belief” plan can qualify for the upgrade price. Naturally a data plan is required. Options for pre-paid customers haven’t been unveiled yet, but should be disclosed shortly after the Galaxy S II goes on sale.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S II
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : February 13, 2011
    Release Date : April 28, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.27 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.93 Inch
  • Width : 2.6 Inch
  • Depth : .33 Inch
  • Weight : 116 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1650 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 710 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Posted: 21 Feb 2012 09:25 AM PST
Yesterday we spoke briefly about a rumored feature in Android Jelly Bean that could turn any Android smartphone into a dockable desktop computer. Turns out that FOSS publisher Canonical seems to be one step ahead of El Goog: they’ve managed to cram both Ubuntu and Android Gingerbread onto the same hardware. In effect, it’s like using two different machines in different modes: when the smartphone is in its “normal” mode, it works like any Android handset. When it’s docked, you get access to the full Ubuntu interface. Based on the screenshots, you can run Android applications withing the Ubuntu interface, but probably no the other way around. You’ll also be able to view the phone’s screen while using Ubuntu on a monitor.

If you’re unfamiliar with Ubuntu… shame on you. It’s the most popular public-facing Linux derivative out there, and has made surprising in-roads into the desktop market, despite lacking the resources and marketing of Windows and OS X. And of course, since it’s open source, those with the skill and inclination can cram it onto strange hardware (including Android hardware like the Nook Color) or modify it however they see fit. Canonical is the corporation that oversees the “official” Ubuntu distributions, so Ubuntu for Android is very much an official arm of the main Ubuntu branch. The Ubuntu for Android build uses the new Unity interface, which draws a lot of inspiration from tablet and smartphone UIs.
Unfortunately, Ubuntu for Android won’t be gracing your Android phone or tablet any time soon. Though it’s being developed on a Motorola Atrix 2, Canonical is aiming the software at future Android hardware vendors, not consumers or developers. That’ll make the Ubuntu OS a value-add for new phones, not unlike Motorola’s existing WebTop platform (also Linux-based, and much more limited than the full Ubuntu). Ubuntu for Android will not be released to the public… though considering that it’s based on open-source code, it’ll have to be published in some form.
Canonical hopes to secure hardware partners for future device releases this year. Phones or tablets will need to have at least a dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM, plus HDMI-out. We’ll be keeping a close watch on Ubuntu for Android as it develops.
[via ExtremeTech]

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 08:48 AM PST
CyanogenMod 9, the Ice Cream Sandwich update to the most popular family of custom ROMs out there, is nearing completion. And as with any major launch, albeit with a more user-group feel, they need a shiny new logo and intro animation to show off. To that end, the CM team has posted both the CyanogenMod 9 logo and the boot animation on YouTube. THe new animation keeps the classic Cyanogen “skating Android” and builds upon the radial CyanogenMod 7 logo/animation. The animation file itself isn’t available just yet, but it should be coming in a few weeks at the latest ,and of course it’ll be packaged with all official CM9 builds.

The CM9 logo isn’t really anything special – it changes the font and placement around a little to jive with Android 4.0′s Roboto font and Holo theme, but otherwise remains fairly vanilla. The boot animation, on the other hand, is Star Trek by way of Tron. A spinning disc fades into a ball of light and ends up in a digital warp tunnel – very awesome. What are you waiting for? Check the video below to see for yourself.


Since CM9 will be the first version that natively support the Android tablet interface, odds are pretty good that the boot animation will need to be tweaked for landscape screens at a slightly higher resolution. That said, even in its current form it’s a pretty amazing presentation for an unpaid artist , YouTube user “73v1n”. We can’t wait to see this thing running on some official CyanogenMod ROMs – expect it to be packed into the next release for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and HP TouchPad.

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 08:22 AM PST
Chinese OEM Huawei has big plans for Mobile World Congress, as we’ve seen in leaks of renders for their new Ascend D1 Q smartphone. Now the other rumored MWC launch, the 10-inch version of their MediaPad tablet, has seen the light of day as well. In a series of photos from Russian site Hi-Tech Mail, you can see fleeting glances of the 10-inch tablet and its slinky metal frame. There’s little concrete information on the hardware itself, but like Huawei’s other recent machines it’ll be thin and run Ice Cream Sandwich.

Based in what you can see in the photos, the MediaPad 10 (which may not be the final name) combines design elements from the original 7-inch MediaPad with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series. An all-metal back with plastic cutouts (for 3G and/or WiFi reception) recalls some of HTC’s former smartphone designs, like the Legend. A pair of stereo speakers are mounted to the rear panel, and a slot on the top looks like it either takes a MicroSD card, a SIM card or both. The standard dual camera configuration is present with an *MP rear shooter, as is what looks like a Samsung-style proprietary data and charge port.
Now, when can you get one? According to the Russian site, this baby will be introduced on February 26th, just a day before Mobile World Congress begins in Barcelona. There’s no word (or even speculation) on price and availability. Since Huawei has thus far only partnered with carriers in the US, it’ll be a few months at the very least before it comes to the States, and even then it might be saddled with poor software like the T-Mobile Springboard. We wait in hope, Huawei.
[via The Verge]

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 07:29 AM PST
It didn’t take long for no-name Chinese OEMs to jump on the Ice Cream Sandwich bandwagon with low-cost Android tablets, and now it looks like the trend is finally starting to trickle up. Case in point: ViewSonic’s upcoming ViewPad G70, which is currently without a specification sheet or even a press photo to its name. A listing at a small electronics retailer called CostCentral is the first we’ve heard of it. Based on the title we can conclude that it’s a 7-incher that uses a gigabyte of RAM, just 4GB of internal storage, some kind of 3G wireless radio, two cameras and – wait for it – Android 4.0.

Like this, but a la mode. 
And now the other shoe drops: it’s listed at an MSRP of $349., with Cost Central’s price as $311.99. (That probably means a more well-distributed price of $299.) As nice as that is, it’s still not going to put a dent in sales from either end: those who want the cheapest tablets around will still head for the Nook and it’s competitors, while those who want “Real” tablet features will be willing to spend another $50-100 to get a full sized model from Acer, Asus or Samsung.
The presence of 3G is a little odd, though: if ViewSonic can introduce a truly unlocked mobile broadband tablet to the US, it’ll get points from niche users who want a cheap tablet without the burden of a new contract. But assuming that the G70 does indeed have 3G capability, it almost certainly won’t be unlocked – it’s more likely that this model is headed to a carrier, and that $349 price is for a subsidized model. Since the tablet is marked as “out of stock” (i.e., “we don’t have it yet”) it’ll be a while before we find out.
[via Androinica]

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 06:57 AM PST
When it comes to ARM-based processors and the speed demons who use them, Nvidia has captured nearly all the buzz at the moments with its quad-core Tegra 3 platform. But Qualcomm isn’t resting on its laurels: the chipmaker is showing off the latest and greatest in its Snapdragon line, the S4. When Anandtech tested out the new chip inside a Quualcomm developer device, they concluded that it was “the absolute smoothest we've ever seen Ice Cream Sandwich run” – high praise indeed, considering how some users of ICS have complained about its performance on current-generation hardware. A device equipped with a 1.5Ghz dual-core S4 in a 28nm configuration blew past the competition in controlled tests.

In standard CPU tests, both of the new Snapdragon processors sailed past current-generation devices with an average speed of about double the Galaxy S II, and considerably more for older devices. The results for Linpack’s multi-threaded test, which takes advantage of multiple processor cores, was even more dramatic. Browser tests showed a speed increase of 20-30% on TI’s OMAP 4 platform, And Qualcomm’s own Vellamo test (naturally) showed the S4 beating out the nearest TI competitor by almost 2.5 to one.

Unfortunately, the Krait model of the Snapdragon S4 uses an older Adreno 225 graphics processor, not the newer 300 series. Even so the S4 managed to meet or beat all Android comers by a small margin in every test ,with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy S II, which won in an offscreen GL Benchamrk Pro and RightWare test. In all cases, the iPhone 4S stomped Qualcomm’s platform, and just about everything else, too.

Newer Tegra 3 devices like the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime weren’t part of the Anandtech testing procedure, which naturally leads us to wonder how they’d stack up. Even so, it shows that despite modest performance gains in the last year or so, Qualcomm isn’t interested in losing its lead in the SoC market, and wants to get back into the performance side of things. We’ll see how the S4 and its competitors from Nvidia and Samsung a few months after Mobile World Congress.

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST
If you’ve been looking at the increasingly crowded cheap 7-inch reader/tablet market, there’s a new option at the all-important $199 price point. Barnes & Noble just lowered the Nook Tablet to a $199.99 price point, if you’re OK with built-in storage falling from 16GB to 8GB. That gives the new dual-core Tablet, introduced in November of 2011, the same price and capacity as the original Nook Color, introduced back in 2010. Or at least it was the same price before this morning: the Nook Color now retails at $169.

So now when looking at color touchscreen Nooks you have three options: the Nook Color, with a single-core TI 800mhz processor, 8GB of storage and 512MB of RAM running B&N’s modified Android 2.2. Add another 30 dollars and you get the Nook Tablet 8GB, with a TI 4430 dual-core processor at 1Ghz, a full gigabyte of RAM and Android 2.3. Add another fifty and you get the Nook Tablet at its original price and capacity, $249 for a 16GB tablet.
Oddly enough, this price change paints the older Nook Color in a better light, at least as far as hardcore Android fans go. The Nook Color is easily moddable thanks to its SD card boot priority, and the development community behind it is massive, since options for cheap tablets with great build quality were small back in 2010.Conversely, Barnes & Noble locked the Nook Tablet down tight, and while basic software modification is possible, it’s a lot harder and more tedious. A locked bootloader and restricted access to user storage doesn’t help. Despite the Tablet’s more powerful hardware, the Nook Color is still the superior custom ROM platform. If you just want to read books and watch movies, go with whichever model you can afford.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : NOOK Tablet
    Manufactuer : Barnes and Noble
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : November 07, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : VividView IPS
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 8.1 Inch
  • Width : 5 Inch
  • Depth : .48 Inch
  • Weight : 400 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Polymer
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Posted: 21 Feb 2012 02:39 AM PST
LG has, as expected, taken the wraps off a further range of new smartphones ahead of MWC 2012, the LG L Series, consisting of three devices spanning hardware capabilities and price points. At the top sites the 4.3-inch LG Optimus L7, running Ice Cream Sandwich on an unspecified processor, and using the same blunt-edged style as LG previously showed on the PRADA Phone 3.0.


Next up is the LG Optimus L5, a 4-inch midrange smartphone. It also runs Android 4.0, and like the L7 has a 1,500 mAh battery. Both devices have a leather-effect rear panel and throw some metal highlights into the mix.

Finally, there’s the smallest model in the range, the LG Optimus L3. It has a mere 3.2-inch display, and rather than running ICS it gets Android 2.3 Gingerbread. LG isn’t saying what processors, cameras or other specs each handset offers, at this stage.
Still, we’ll likely get those details at Mobile World Congress, now less than a week away. Android Community will be headed there to pick through all the new phones and bring back any juicy details we unearth!

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 11:14 PM PST
With Mobile World Congress right around the corner, Samsung has decided to unveil official specs of both the Galaxy Ace 2 and the Galaxy Mini 2. Both have mid-lower tier internals, but the Ace 2 has better hardware of the two. Both devices will initially launch in Europe, but we could see variants under different names later on.


The Ace 2 carries an 800MHz dual-core processor, 1,500mAh battery, 3.8″ WVGA screen, and 4GB of internal storage. It also has a navy blue battery cover, whereas the Mini 2 comes in bright yellow. As for specs, the Mini 2 runs an 800MHz single core processor with a 1,300mAh battery and 3.27″ HVGA screen.
Both devices will be equipped with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and should be available this spring. The Mini 2 will rollout to France in March, and the Ace 2 should arrive in the UK sometime in April. This is just the beginning of a great new lineup of Samsung devices, so stay tuned for the rest.
ace_mini miniback aceback
[via Samsung Mobile Press]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 10:02 PM PST
Verizon will offer employees a chance to purchase a ‘Limited Edition’ Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX. Most noticeably, it will include a red/black kevlar back but the words “Limited Edition” are also individually engraved onto the bottom of the front bezel. It turns out that one employee plans on making a little extra cash off of the situation.


Under item specifics, all remains the same when compared to the standard RAZR MAXX. This special edition will set you back (at least) an extra $100, as the bidding starts off at $750. The seller also specifies that he/she will answer any questions concerning purchase, and that the phone will not be in their possession until either March 2nd or 3rd.

Sure it could be one of the “rarest” phones on the market, but does a red etched pattern on the rear warrant the extra cash? I suppose for a collect it would, but for the majority of us – not so much. There are currently no bids on the device, and 9 days left on the auction. And don’t expect to ‘Buy it Now’, unless you plan on spending the $2,250 the employee is asking for.

[via DroidLife]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 09:15 PM PST
We just announced Google’s recent application for a patent to bring voice controls to Google TV. Lo and behold, Able Remote does just that. It essentially turns your Android device into a Google TV remote control. The remote doesn’t limit the user to simple touch commands either; swiping gestures as well as voice commands will offer users a more customized way to control their television.


The tappable controls can be assigned to any location on the device, thus offering an even more custom experience. Remote buttons can also act much like bookmarks too. If you have a website you visit often, it’s possible to create a custom button that takes you there.
Once synced to Google TV, your text messages and phone calls have the capability to display on the big screen. And as if this wasn’t good enough, adopters of Able Remote will be able to instantly stream photos and videos from their device to television. It’s hard to believe this application is free in the Android Market. Be sure to let us know how you like it!
[via Official GoogleTV Blog]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 07:14 PM PST
Earlier today, press photos of the Huawei Ascend D1 Q leaked. We should see more of this device at MWC, which is quickly approaching. We’ve written up an article to sum up what we should expect to see from Mobile World Congress this year, but hopefully we’ll run into a few surprises as well. While we had hoped CES would be a bit more innovative than it turned out to be, this is the tech world’s chance to redeem themselves – so get ready.

Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) has been in the news a bit more lately, and rightfully should be considering its estimated Q2 release. It turns out we could see a WebTop style desktop mode integrated as an optional interface. This will most likely suit devices like the Transformer Prime that take advantage of keyboard attachments.
Chrome for Android is set to improve by “leaps and bounds” very soon says Chrome’s Senior VP Sundar Pichai. As if the new browser, which is still in Beta, wasn’t speedy enough. There still isn’t a definite area Pichal suggests will be improved, but rather that users should expect an even better experience. Another application set for an update soon, rather a launch, is Temple Run. The highly anticipated game has let its users know the official announcement will take place on their Facebook page.
Any MIUI fans out there? You’ll be glad to know it’s packed into a retail tablet in Japan. Named Eden Tab, it sports a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16 GB of onboard storage. It packs a 1280×800 pixel resolution into a 7″ display, so you’ll notice extra sharp images. It will only run at $370, and should start shipping this weekend. MIUI has been successfully ported to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), so there’s also a possibility it ships with that version.

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 05:33 PM PST
Big news from the team in green today. NVIDIA is proud to announce their very first entry into the smartphone game. Now what does that mean? The ZTE Mimosa X smartphone will be the first device with both the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and the NVIDIA Icera HSPA+ mobile chipset modem. The first smartphone fully powered by the NVIDIA chipset.


NVIDIA and their popular dual-core Tegra 2 processor has been in tons of phones and tablets but this marks the first device to offer the Tegra 2 and the Icera mobile chipset both. NVIDIA acquired Icera for their 3G/4G modems and we’ve been waiting patiently for this next step, now it is finally here. Previously phones with the Tegra 2 used another chipset to provide the cellular activities but now NVIDIA technology powers all major processors in a single smartphone. This is NVIDIA’s complete package and answer to Qualcomm.
It might not be quad-core but the Mimosa X is no slouch either. It will be powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and be a pretty impressive mainstream smartphone in the world of Android. The Mimosa X rocks a 4.3″ qHD 960 x 540 resolution display, 1GB of RAM and a 5 megapixel camera with 4GB of internal storage.
Icera, the mobile chipset and modem company makes some of the smallest 3G/4G modems available today and by NVIDIA adding their technology to the fast and powerful Tegra line for smartphones it is a win-win. We can expect some great things in the future from NVIDIA. More details on the NVIDIA Icera can be found here.
The Mimosa X will be launched around Q2 2012 and will bring an entirely new level of performance and price to the mainstream smartphone market. We can expect to hear more details soon and see plenty more phones launch with NVIDIA’s new SoC (system on chip) platform soon featuring both dual or quad-cores and the Icera HSPA+/4G LTE modems.

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 04:48 PM PST
Want NFC capability? Stuck in a two-year contract with a phone that doesn’t have it? Then you’re in luck: Moneto is bringing near-field communication chips crammed into standard MicroSD card slots, and using an Android app to add in basic NFC payment capability to almost any Android phone. Theoretically, anyway: at the moment it only works on Samsung’s original Galaxy S  and variants for United States carriers – the Vibrant, Fascinate, and the Galaxy S 4G. They’re working on adding compatibility to about three dozen phones from Samsung, Motorola, Sony, HTC, LG, and Huawei.

The $29.99 package includes a 1GB MicroSD card with embedded NFC chip, a signal boosting sticker, and a debit card with $10 already loaded into your Moneto account. That makes the effective price $20, if you’ve got something you want to but from a merchant that accepts MasterCard’s PayPass NFC system. That’s right, MasterCard – Moneto can’t magically certify your phone for use with Google Wallet, unfortunately. But their NFC system works in much the same way, associating your funds to your individual phone and card – the NFC payments should still work even when you have no cell reception.
As a short-term solution for spreading NFC, it’s a pretty ingenious solution. (This is similar to, but distinct from, the Tyfone system we reported on almost a year ago.) If Moneto can get more devices supported and offer more dense storage in their cards, it could be a hit – until NFC becomes standard, or passes out of favor with both retailers and manufacturers. Head over to the Android Market to investigate Moneto’s app if you’re interested.
[via Droid-Life]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 04:33 PM PST
Uh oh, don’t shoot the messenger here guys. The hugely popular game for iOS Temple Run is coming to Android. Only problem is the fact that it’s not available yet. With over 36 million downloads on iOS and being the #18 free app of all times it surely will be a huge success for Android. After I first mentioned it back in January Android users have been dying to get it on Android, sadly it looks like things are taking longer than expected.


We originally heard February 9th was the official release date for Android, although that was never confirmed and ended up never happening. Now after I’ve been following the developers and our friends at @Imangi Studios we have some bad news. Not only is the development taking longer than expected but those other “rumors” for February 24th aren’t looking so hot either. When someone asked about the 24th here was the reply:

While the developers are active over on Twitter it looks like the official announcement will be dropped on their Facebook page once they have a confirmed date. Most likely it will also be posted on Twitter and I’ll be sure to update as soon as possible with the good news too, so stay tuned.

You can also follow @TempleRun on Twitter because they’ve been keeping up with fans and letting Android users know the wait will be worth it — if we just hang in there. With February almost coming to and end (even though it’s a leap year) it looks like that February launch might not happen. Hopefully Imangi will announce something in the next few days and release this amazing game for everyone on Android.

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 04:13 PM PST
For the most part, custom ROMs are the territory of modders and high-functioning enthusiasts, with one very important exception. Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has the MI-One, a smarptohne sold at retail and through carriers that packs the popular MIUI custom ROM instead of stock Android. Now the MI-One is joined by a tablet sibling across a short sea: the Eden Tab, a 7-inch WiFi tablet that’s being prepared for sale exclusively in Japan. Like the Mi-One, the Eden Tab will run MIUI instead of standard Android.

The Eden Tab comes from the same designers of the MI-One, and shares its utilitarian exterior: simple and focused on usage. Specs are pretty standard: a 1.2Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and an above-average 1280×800 LCD screen. Ports include the standard MicroUSB for data and charging, a MicroSD card slot and HDMI out. At the moment the tablet runs on the Gingerbread version of MIUI, but of course, it’ll get upgrade to MIUI 4 Ice Cream Sandwich before too long. It packs in a set of three capacitive navigation buttons, which will unfortunately be superfluous on an ICS tablet.
Preorders for the $370 tablet begin now, and the devices themselves will begin shipping this weekend in black, white and pink. A 3G version is planned for release in April, but there’s no word on when the Ice Cream Sandwich update will be pushed out. (Not that you need an update, right, modders?) Odds are good that this one isn’t going to be leaving Asia any time soon, but now that both smartphones and tablets have a community-authored ROM representative, maybe we’ll see one in western markets eventually.
[via Engadget]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 03:13 PM PST
Motorola didn’t forget about the DROID X for those concerned. Apparently they launched a beta “soak test” software update late last week for a few forum members to test out. Today it is finally official as Verizon is giving us all the update details. Currently listed as coming soon we expect the DROID X update to land this week, more details and change log available below.


The update isn’t Ice Cream Sandwich or anything extremely fancy but owners of the original DX will be happy to know that Gingerbread will get a slew of fixes, performance enhancements and probably a few other goodies too. The update is only around 15 MB in size but the change log mentions basically tons of stability and security patches across the board. Some include less memory errors, enhanced browser security, random reboot problems while streaming music, improved 3G connection and fixed a few notification issues.
Basically the list is pretty large and this looks to be a pretty important maintenance upgrade. Most likely Motorola wont be updating this phone to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but we see no reason that it couldn’t run the new OS. The DROID X should be improved in all areas after the update but beware, most likely it will kill root access to the device. Use the popular OTA RootKeeper if you are the rooted type. If you lose root try the XYBOARD method linked to below. If not head to settings > about phone > check for updates and give it a try as soon as it’s available. Sound off in the comments should you have issues after the upgrade. Full change log in the gallery below.
X-review Screen Shot 2012-02-20 at 2.37.50 PM
[via Verizon]

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 02:56 PM PST
Now that Logitech’s out of the game and Google’s new partners seem more interested in promoting their own Smart TV regimes, Sony remains one of the few Google TV promoters left. And considering that the Revue still has a locked bootloader, Sony’s set-top box and/or integrated TV remains the ony one that you can root, mod and generally get your hack on. The GTV Hacker (real name unknown) has released a patch and method for getting the Sony Google TV rooted and running unsigned, modified kernels.

It’s ont an easy proces: first, you’ll need to downgrade your Google TV to an earlier build of Android 3.2, resetting it to a state where the root exploit is known, then applying the root method with no less than four separate flash drives. While this shouldn’t brick your Sony box (at least not permanently) it’s not for the faint of heart. On the plus side, once the process is complete with an update blocker, so if you intended to run modded software from here on out you shouldn’t ever need to do it again. Even more exciting, GTVHacker offers a beta of a kernel that allows for NTFS storage and ADB support, making accessing media on your box a lot easier.
Aside from SoC providers, Sony was the only CES attendee to actually show off new hardware, complete with a new remote and an updated interface. That means that they expect demand for (their) Google TV hardware to continue for at least another few months. With the mod community still vibrant, they should have at least a few dedicated takers. If you intend to attempt the above exploit, remember that you’re beyond the red line: kiss your warranty goodbye.

Posted: 20 Feb 2012 02:11 PM PST
Development on CyangoenMod 9, the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the popular family of custom ROMs, is still in heavy development. While official releases from the CyanogenMod team are rare, the lead developer Steve Kondik posted a link to the first Alpha version of CM9 for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. While technically still an alpha, everyhing seems to be working with the exception of the camera. You can download the ROM here, and rooted users can flash it via the recovery of their choice.

Since Ice Cream Sandwich is mostly a visual refresh (at least from the perspective of Honeycomb users) the CM9 alpha is primarily a return to standard AOSP code and features for Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners. Of course, modders were probably already running ICS, either from a basic ROM or a Kang built from CyanogenMod’s code, published nightly even though CM9 isn’t technically public yet. By all accounts the ROM in question is ready for a daily driver, with the obvious exception of the camera module, so flash without fear.
The CM team is famous for abhorring release dates” they operate on a philosophy of “it’s ready when it’s ready”. That said, we had expected CM9 to be available by now. The delay seems to have been caused in part by losing access to a farm of servers. The team posted a cry for financial help on their website, and within twenty-four hours had enough donations for a new set of in-house servers. The response was so quick we didn’t even have time to post it on Android Community. You can still donate, of course: head on over to CyanogenMod.com and scroll to the bottom of the page to toss them a few bucks.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Tab 10.1
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : March 22, 2011
    Release Date : June 08, 2011
    Also Known As : Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 10.09 Inch
  • Width : 6.81 Inch
  • Depth : 0.34 Inch
  • Weight : 595 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 7000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 120 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 2
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 3.2 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :