Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:52 PM PST  Apple has once again called Samsung into court. This time it's about the Galaxy Nexus and four patents that Apple says it infringes. The patents in question are:
Apple is requesting that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus be blocked from sale in the United States because it violates these patents. Should the ITC find in favor of Apple, a ban against the Galaxy Nexus would be put in effect until the final court decision. Could it happen? Certainly. But if it does, it won't go into effect any time soon, it would only affect stores inside the U.S. selling these products, and no jack-booted thugs from Cupertino will come pry your Nexus from your hands. We can't be sure how the ITC will act, but all of these are pretty shaky patents, and once again Apple is not going after Google directly -- even though the Galaxy Nexus has a pure vanilla version of Android. The only certainty here is that the patent system is broken and only serves the company willing to spend the most in the courts. It's time for Google to step in and put a stop to this bullshit. The first patent in question is the same one that was upheld against HTC in a move that shocked the tech community at large, essentially giving Apple the rights to the hyperlink -- something invented over 20 years ago by numerous companies that aren't Apple. The other three are just as laughable, or would be if not for the fact that Apple was allowed to secure the patents at all. Every single one of them has existed as prior art long before Apple became relevant, yet a patent was granted each and every time. This is the core of the problem. You can't blame Apple for trying, it's cheaper to litigate away your competition than it is to out-innovate them. And make no mistake -- that's exactly what's going on here. Apple wants Android to go away, and a look at any chart that shows market share will tell you why. It's a shitty way to get ahead, but it's too easy not to try. It's going to take a tech giant to change the way this all works, and we know nobody can count on Apple or Microsoft to do it, because this is their system, created the way they like it, and making them rich. If Apple is afraid to go after Google, Google needs to go after Apple instead of sitting on their laurels waiting to ride in and save the day at the last minute. Now blast away in the comments, telling me how subsection F of title code XXIVI (or some other ridiculous lawyer speak) makes my points invalid. In reality, they make it even more valid -- spending money on lawyers, and twisting common sense into something that kills your competition works with the current patent system. That makes us sad. 
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:43 AM PST  As Mobile World Congress approaches, we're starting to see more rumors and speculation about future devices. In addition to news of what's looming on the horizon, we've also had plenty of launches and release dates for Android phones and tablets that've already been announced.Here are a few highlights from the past week in international Android developments -- FeaturesNews
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:40 AM PST  Google late Friday night disabled the ability to provision new Google Preaid Cards, fallout from the discovery of a flaw in the Google Wallet app. The gist is that if someone were to find your phone, they could reset the Google Wallet PIN and gain access to your Google Prepaid Card. In a separate incident, rooted phones were found to be vulnerable to a brute-force crack. And so, Google has temporarily disabled provisioning of prepaid cards as an interim step, and it says it will have "a permanent fix soon." Google also reminds us that rooted devices are by definition not as secure as un-rooted phones and "we strongly discourage [rooting] if you plan to use Google Wallet because the product is not supported on rooted phones." In addition, Google provides toll-free phone support 24 hours a day if you have concerns or questions about Google Wallet. In other words, just like with a traditional credit card, call if you lose it. Or have issues. Or just need a friend. read more
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 06:55 AM PST  We only got the Motorola Droid 4 officially a day ago, but today we see the release of a root exploit for the device, courtesy of security researcher Dan Rosenberg. That's good news for you guys out there that have thought about picking up a Droid 4 and have to have root access. And as our image here shows, all works, and works well. The method is Windows-only for now, but it's simple enough. Download a .zip file, put your Droid 4 into USB debugging mode, and run the exploit file. Takes just a couple minutes and a couple reboots. 
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 06:54 AM PST  This speaker is totally portable and connects easily to your phone or computer, delivering big sound in a small package. Charge it up with the provided USB cable (it's a mini, not a micro) and then take it with you wherever you go. You can use it in the car for hands-free calling while paired with your phone or pair with your computer for Skype or iChat calls. The ClarityHD has a built-in mic with advanced noise-canceling technology so you can use it for conference calls without having to lug a big heavy microphone around. The small size and light weight make it easy to take with you in a briefcase or in the glove box of your car, so you can always have it nearby. I am really impressed with the compact style of the ClarityHD and the big sound that comes out of it. I also really appreciated how easy it was to pair with my devices. If you're interested in entering to win a free Monster ClarityHD Precision Micro Bluetooth speaker in time for Valentine's Day, leave your comment in the forums, telling us your favorite love song! Sorry folks, this contest is open to US Android Central members only and ends Sunday at midnight. Compatibility and general specifications for the Monster ClarityHD Precision Micro Bluetooth speaker can be found after the break, along with a few more pictures. read more 
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:56 AM PST  HTC may be about to make smartphone history with the world's first quad-core handset, if the latest reports from veteran phone blog MoDaCo are to be believed. According to MoDaCo's source, the manufacturer will soon unveil the HTC Endeavor, and it'll be powered by a beastly quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. Other reported specs include 1GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch, 720p display, an 8MP main camera and 1.3MP front-facer. Connectivity-wise, Wifi a/b/g/n support is reported, along with Bluetooth 4.0. A quad-band (not penta-band) HSPA+ radio is apparently in the bag too, which suggests this device may be AT&T-bound in the US. On the software side, the phone is said to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4.0, just like the couple of leaked devices we’ve already seen. The Endeavor, which seems to have started life with the codename “Edge”, has been the subject of numerous leaks since late last year. Recent reports have suggested that “Endeavor” is actually a codename, and that the device will be branded as the HTC Supreme. Given the differences in the spelling of “Endeavor” (or Endeavour, if you prefer) around the world, our money would be on “Supreme” being the final name. It’s likely we’ll see more of HTC’s quad-core monster in a couple of weeks at MWC. We’ll be there, of course, to bring you all the announcements as they happen! Source: MoDaCo 
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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 09:58 PM PST  4-inches, 4.65-inches, 5.3-inches, when will it all end? When we decide they are too big and stop buying them, that's when. When the HTC EVO 4G came out at 4.3-inches, people wanted more. The Galaxy Nexus checked in at 4.65, people are wanting more. Now we have the Galaxy Note at 5.3, and the rumored LG Optimus Vu at 5-inches but with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Those are big phones. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the size of their phone, but there is a market sweet spot that will eventually be found. We figured we could do some market research of our own and predict a little bit of the future, so let us know in the poll about how big your ideal phone would be. 
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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 06:45 PM PST  Thanks, Mario! 
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Monday, February 13, 2012
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