Monday, February 13, 2012



Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:36 PM PST

It’s been almost 2 1/2 years since the original DROID launched on Verizon Wireless, which is when I fell in love with Android. Now the DROID 4 has arrived, which is a far cry from the original. For the original, the keyboard was one of those things you either loved or hated. Admittedly it wasn’t the greatest keyboard, but I liked it a lot. With each model, Motorola improved the keyboard, and now it just might be the hottest keyboard out there. It looks gorgeous, but it’s also usable. The only issue now is screen size. At 4-inches, many might fine that to be too small, which I would never have imagined back in 2009. Still this is a phone that will satisfy the QWERTY lover.
It features a 4-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera (with 1080p video recording), 1.3MP front camera, 16GB internal memory, microSD slot for up to 32GB of additional storage, micro HDMI, micro USB, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G LTE compatible (Verizon), WiFi, and Android 2.3.6.
My initial review unit had a defective power button as you will see in the video. Thankfully, Verizon shipped me a replacement fast so I was able to add the boot animation at the end of the video. I will do a full review soon, but for now check out the quick hands on.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:04 AM PST
While all evidence that the 4th iteration of the original Droid pointed at a December release it was pushed back to February of 2012 and a lot of folks became a bit grumpy. Well it’s finally February, the Droid 4 has been officially announced and is upon us. Released yesterday it didn’t take long for the development community to root the device. Security Researcher Dan Rosenberg was able to get root only hours after the device went on sale. However, before he released the exploit he decided to try an experiment.
He would only release the exploit if a $500 bounty was met. This bounty though, wasn’t an attempt at holding a file hostage to make a quick buck but rather, for a good cause. He wanted the first $200 so that he could continue modding and developing support of the device. The other $300 would be donated to the American Red Cross.
Personally I feel that this is a noble idea. Seriously, everyone paying a few bucks to get this man a phone to continue custom development on a new device while also giving money to a charity in the process; it’s an honorable concept. Well apparently I am in the minority in this thinking as Mr. Rosenberg received a number of complaints in how this idea was unfair. Worry not, rather than abandon his work and not release the exploit Rosenberg took the high road. He has decided to release the exploit free of charge and any money donated for his hard work will be donated straight to the American Red Cross. 
Mr. Rosenberg turned a negative into a positive here, which is great to see. What’s not so great is the fact that people who take advantage of these mods and exploits expect them free of charge. The fact that we get upset because a dev is trying to do some good for both the Android community and Charity is ridiculous. We shouldn’t just expect developers to give us their hard work for free. It’s a privilege that they spend their free time making it possible for us to get a whole lot of extra milage out of our devices. Personally I don’t even own a Droid 4 and I am going to go donate to further support the community. We need to show our devs some love because without them then Android would just be another phone OS without any excitement. But I digress.
If you would like to thank Mr. Rosenberg for his hard work and dedication to the Android community then you can head on over here to donate to a good cause. For those that want to root their Droid 4 scroll down a bit further to download the file and find the instructions. As always rooting will probably void your warranty and any issues you have will be your sole responsibility. Also as of right now this exploit only works for Windows machines. You can even check out our CES hands on video or the Wirefly in-depth video review on the QWERTY phone. Enjoy!

Droid 4 Exploit – Link
Instructions: 
- Make sure your device is in USB debugging mode.
- Make sure to have the latest Motorola drivers installed.
- Attach it to your Windows PC via USB cable.
- Extract the zip file.
- Execute the “run.bat” file.
- Enjoy the new found freedom that is your rooted Droid 4!

source: Security Research Blog
Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:57 AM PST
 
Back and forth we go with the precarious Google Wallet situation. First we saw the original security flaw, which immediately prompted Google to respond to users and highlight there are no known vulnerabilities while also encouraging users to install Google Wallet on non-rooted devices. In a mere few hours, a second method to hack Google Wallet was revealed, this time on non-rooted devices.
Naturally, the consecutive security breaches of Google Wallet has everyone on edge. That’s why many users have reached out to Google and question whether its Google Wallet service is safe enough for the masses to use in order to make mobile payments. Google offered its formal response and simply put it that yes, it is safe to make mobile payments using Google Wallet. Here’s Google Wallet VP Osama Bedier offering a formal statement:
“Over the last few days we’ve received questions and concerns about issues related to the security of Google Wallet. People are asking if Google Wallet is safe enough for mobile phone payments. The simple answer to this question is yes. In fact, Google Wallet offers advantages over the plastic cards and folded wallets in use today.
First, Google Wallet is protected by a PIN — as well as the phone's lock screen, if a user sets that option. But sometimes users choose to disable important security mechanisms in order to gain system-level "root" access to their phone; we strongly discourage doing so if you plan to use Google Wallet because the product is not supported on rooted phones. That's why in most cases, rooting your phone will cause your Google Wallet data to be automatically wiped from the device.
Second, we also take concrete actions to help protect our users. For example, to address an issue that could have allowed unauthorized use of an existing prepaid card balance if someone recovered a lost phone without a screen lock, tonight we temporarily disabled provisioning of prepaid cards. We took this step as a precaution until we issue a permanent fix soon.
And just like with any other credit card, you can get support when you need it. We provide toll-free assistance in case you lose your phone or someone manages to make an unauthorized transaction.
Mobile payments are going to become more common in the coming years, and we will learn much more as we continue to develop Google Wallet. In the meantime, you can be confident that the digital wallet you carry provides defenses that plastic and leather simply don't.”


source: Google Commerce Blog
via: Android And Me
Posted: 11 Feb 2012 04:46 AM PST


Is there a sweeter notification than the pop up telling you there’s a software update waiting for you? Well it’s time to wake up Canada and check your Galaxy Nexus as they’re about to join the 4.0.2 party!
This latest update is certainly great news for our Canadian friends however, it doesn’t help unravel the mystery of the various ICS variations currently doing the rounds.  It was only last week that we brought you news of 4.0.4 and 4.0.5 updates surfacing as well.
So how about it Bell customers, was your Galaxy Nexus update waiting for you this morning? If not, perhaps it’s time to start spamming the ‘check now’ button!

Source : androidcentral
Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:08 AM PST
The increasingly popular 7″ Kindle Fire is getting a refresh this summer, and will also be getting a 9″ brother according to a report by Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley. He raised his shipment forecast to 14.9 million units, up 2.2 million from his earlier estimate. In a note to clients, he wrote "We believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7- and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012."
Previous reports had Amazon launching “Hollywood“, a 10-inch quad-core tablet first, but apparently the release got delayed in favor of pushing out an 8.9-incher. It is unclear whether the 9-inch Kindle Fire that may be coming this summer is the same as this 8.9-inch tablet.
Anyone interested in a larger Kindle Fire?
source: BGR
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:10 PM PST
We reported earlier about LG teasing the Optimus Vu, a 5″ beast probably being unveiled at MWC next month. One of this phablet’s  selling points apparently is its screen’s 4:3 aspect ratio at a 1024 x 768 resolution. The idea is that the device is wider in portrait mode than a more common 16:9 widescreen device, making it better for reading books or viewing pictures in portrait orientation.
Here’s a shot of the LG Optimus Vu next to the Samsung Galaxy Note, a 5.3″ widescreen phone, which looks quite slim next to the Vu’s chunky profile.
The phablet space (ok, I know “phablet” is weird…let’s say tabletphone) is still being defined, and who’s to say what aspect ratio will dominate? Personally, I think this looks too wide to be comfortable to use one-handed, whereas the Galaxy Note looks much easier to grasp.
What do you think? Does the future of phones look like the past of TV’s?
source: unwiredview
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 08:37 PM PST
If you’re looking for a 7-inch (or around that) tab there are tons of choices now. In fact it might even be getting a little crowded, and most of them offer similar features. One of the latest is the Toshiba Thrive 7″. This one features a 7-inch 1280 x 800 LED backlit LCD display, 1 GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera (with 720p video recording), 2MP front camera, 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, microSD for up to an additional 32GB, micro HDMI, micro USB, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, and Android 3.2. This isn’t the thinnest tab as it comes in at 11.9mm and weighs 400 grams. Pricing is $379.99 for the 16GB version and $429.99 for the 32GB. With all the choices out there should this model be considered? I will do a full review soon, but for now check out my initial hands on video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:46 PM PST
Let me paint a quick scene for you. You have a file that you want to transfer over to your Android phone. You go into your laptop bag or backpack to get your trusty usb cable only to end up with zilch. We’ve all been there.  Well the free app Software Data Cable looks to rectify this situation by turning your phone into a networked storage device. This app allows you to browse the device from your computer cable free.
Once you install Software Data Cable, you will be able to connect and browse through your device’s files and folders from any computer just as long as you are connected to the same network. Point your browser to the phone’s IP address and you can see the entire contents of your phone. Not only that but you can move, copy and delete files as you please.
For those of you who are in a pinch and without your usb cable with a need to copy over a file to your device then this free app is for you. Hit the break below to get access to the market link and QR code. If you don’t know how to use the QR code you can check out our handy guide here. Afterwards you can check the app out from your mobile device and never have to worry about leaving a cable at home again! 
source: Lifehacker
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:30 PM PST
Beginning this Sunday, the 11th, AT&T will increase the upgrade fee by 100% for customers who want to get a new device on contract. AT&T’s idea of a proposed increase has been said to have already landed in readers’ in box over the past month, but the recently leaked memo sets the stage like this: "Because the overall costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased, effective Sunday, February 12, 2012, AT&T will change its upgrade fee from $18 to $36."
If you have any doubts on whether or not this is true, BGR was able to reach out to AT&T for comment and Ma Bell’s reply all but set the upgrade in stone. “Wireless devices today are more sophisticated than ever before. And because of that, the costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased and is reflected in our new upgrade fee," AT&T explained to BGR via email.”This fee isn’t unique to AT&T and this is the first time we're changing it in nearly 10 years."
So if you are an AT&T customer looking to upgrade in the near future and the thought of paying an extra $18 is just killing you right now, maybe you should hit up your local AT&T store tomorrow before the change goes into effect.
source: BGR
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:10 PM PST
Acer is set to make a splash for 2012 by formally unveiling its CloudMobile smartphone. This attractive device was recently awarded as the winner of the IF design award— an award in the recognition of outstanding achievement in design. As you can see, the phone has a very slim profile, strutting its stuff in a 4.3-inch profile. Also, the smooth and glossy screen will display glorious HD. Slashgear reports the phone is set to bring a depth of less than a centimeter and "Sleeve DNA design" in addition to a sweet Dolby speaker plate on the back.  While this phone has a gorgeous profile– it will be Acer’s first phone to feature AcerCloud technology and of course, Android 4.0. The CloudMobile smartphone will also be the first to utilize Acer’s cloud service which was introduced at CES this year.
Acer certainly is making it clear that they have big plans for 2012 by releasing eye-opening devices. No word yet on when the device will launch or if it will reach the U.S. or not. We do expect to find out more details at MWC, so stay tuned everyone!
source: Slashgear

Posted by at 10:28 AM

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