Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:50 PM PST   How was that for a relatively calm week in Android news? Despite a last minute scare the Google might be stripping of Galaxy Nexus of its Nexus-given rights (thankfully there was another explanation), we managed to make it through without too much drama. Things are sure to pick up in the coming weeks as Mobile World Congress draws near. For now, we’re headed into Super Bowl weekend. (Did you see our contest?) It’s Patriots vs. Giants, who do you got? (Oh, sports aren’t your thing? There’s always the Puppy Bowl…)
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Posted: 03 Feb 2012 02:13 PM PST   It’s Super Bowl weekend and we, at Phandroid wanted to do a little something fun for you guys. We’re teaming up with AndroidSlide — developer of the hit Android app, Camera Zoom FX — to throw another fun filled photo contest that everyone can join in on. Since you’ll most likely be partying it up at home or with friends come Super Bowl Sunday, all we want is for you to capture how you celebrate the big day — whether it’s on your couch, with your family, at a bar, or painted up with your posse at Lucas Oil Stadium — and share it with us. The wilder and more crazy you get, the better.  The rules are simple:
Good luck to everyone, your teams and have a great, safe weekend. [Camera ZOOM FX | Camera ZOOM FX Buddy Pack] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:39 PM PST   Best Buy has announced that customers pre-ordering the Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T beginning February 5th will receive a little something extra for their interest. Pre-ordering the Note at a Best Buy/Best Buy Mobile store or online earns future owners a flip cover case to protect that sizable 5.3-inch display. The case normally retails for $29.99. The Galaxy Note will retails for $299.99 when it launches February 19th.[via Best Buy] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:22 PM PST   UPDATE: The Android Team’s Dan Morrill has posted an explanation for the removal of the Galaxy Nexus and other CDMA devices from the official developer support page. This has nothing to do with Google Wallet (we never thought it did) and everything to do with the way the Android code is compiled for CDMA devices. In short, if a dev were to simply compile the pure AOSP source code for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus the build would be lacking in full telephony functionality. Google still plans to support the devices directly via software updates. A quick visit to the Android developer support page reveals some startling news. It appears as if Google is dropping the “developer device” tag of once-listed CDMA models. The Samsung Nexus S 4G, Verizon’s Motorola XOOM, and even the LTE Galaxy Nexus have disappeared from the site, leaving us with a note explaining exactly which versions of these devices will be supported moving forward. For the XOOM, only the “wingray” WiFi-only version of the slate gets developer designation. The GSM “crespo” version of the Nexus S also retains support. For the Galaxy Nexus, the GSM/HSPA+ “maguro” build is supported, but only if it originally shipped with the “yakju” build of Android 4.0. We can speculate as to exactly why Google has decided against the inclusion of CDMA developer devices, but the fact that Sprint’s Nexus S 4G didn’t make the cut should silence those ready to blame Verizon and Google’s past disagreements about Google Wallet. In reality, Google is likely looking to simply streamline support and GSM tends to be the more global-ready network technology. CDMA devices function on a very limited portion of the globe’s cellular networks (despite Verizon and Sprint, two of the world’s largest carriers, both utilizing CDMA). Does the removal of these devices from the developer support page mean they won’t be treated to the quick Android software version updates typically associated with the Nexus line? We get the feeling OS updates will still reach these devices just as quickly, if only due to their stock user interfaces. It’s hard to imagine Google neglecting any member of their Nexus family, lest they want to send mixed signals. And we’re not looking to have our hearts toyed with like that. [via DroidLife] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST   Because apps are the answer to any woe, Yahoo is trying to turn people’s obsession with smartphone software into page views with the introduction of Android Market (and iOS) search results. An apps tab can now be found when using Yahoo to search the web. Users can view Yahoo’s suggested apps or poke around for whatever suits their taste. Results can be filtered by operating system, price, and category. Application pages provide reviews from the Android Market as well as Yahoo users, but do little more than act as a forwarding page to the Android Market. Was this even necessary? Save a step and search directly through Google. [AndroidCentral via Engadget] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:26 PM PST   Motorola and Woot are warning that some refurbished XOOM tablets were not completely wiped of older user data before being sold through the daily deal website. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. Motorola is estimating that only about 100 out of 6,200 WiFi-only XOOM tablets sold between October and December of 2011 were not completely cleared of their previous owners data. The issues is obviously a concern for anyone who returned a XOOM tablet before that period, and while the chance of any particular previous owner’s data being present on a refurbished device is slim, Motorola is making an effort to make things right. Every customer that returned their XOOM between March and October is being offered a free two-year subscription to Experian’s ProtectMyID Alert to monitor any potential fraud that could arise from stolen personal data. In addition, Woot and Motorola are asking that any purchaser of a refurbished XOOM return the device to Motorola to completely remove any data leftover from the tablet’s previous life. Motorola will, of course, cover all shipping costs. Motorola can’t be happy about the slip up, but the company is doing all the right things to mitigate the negative impact of the news. With only a 1.6 percent chance that a returned tablet will still have older user data, the majority of potentially affected customers can rest easy. More details can be found at the link below. [via Motorola | Thanks to all who sent this in!] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:04 PM PST   The US government is ready to start handing out Android smartphones to high-ranking officials and soldiers stationed throughout the world, according to new reports. We’ve heard plenty of chatter over the past year or so about the government’s interest in deploying devices running Google’s mobile OS for military use, and, the powers that be have signed off on our favorite green robot’s enlistment forms. The decision came after Google’s biggest mobile competitor, Apple, denied government officials access to iOS source code. Android became an obvious choice due to the platform’s openness and the ability for a third-party to alter the operating system’s code. This has allowed for the government to create their own custom version of Android that meets stringent security standards and allows for the transmittal of classified information. Much work has been done testing specific applications and analyzing the sorts of data transmitted. Researchers found that many apps often ask for permissions excessive of what they actually need to function. Government-issued Android devices will allow users to see exactly what information is being sent and then decline the transmission of that data. The goal is to provide a strong layer of security while still allowing those with the devices to enjoy a casual game such as Angry Birds during down time. The devices will be used to relay sensitive information and aid in communications between officials high on the political scale as well as soldiers in theaters of combat. Using the secure smartphones our men and women on the frontline will be able to communicate their position and better organize their military movements. Oh, and the real kicker? One contractor working on the project has revealed that new Android OS updates will be pushed to government-grade devices in as little as two weeks. With a streamlined approval process, once software has been appropriately modified it will be fast-tracked to deployed smartphones. We’d like to see any carrier or manufacturer top that. [via CNN | Thanks, Fort!] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:31 AM PST   Sony unveiled the first members of their 2012 handset lineup back at CES, emphasizing the Xperia Ion for AT&T and its international brother the Xperia S. In The phone will be released with a set of features catering to the needs of Japanese mobile users as the Xperia NX, which has been announced for a February 24th launch on NTT DoCoMo. It should be among the first of Sony’s latest to reach consumers — the Xperia S launches a few weeks later — yet it looks to maintain Sony Ericsson branding. Sony is currently in the process of acquiring Ericsson and assuming complete control of mobile operations and has been showcasing their new line with Sony logos only (pending regulatory approval). The Xperia NX will go on pre-order February 10th. [via AndroidCentral] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 09:08 AM PST  Comscore have released their Q4 2011 numbers for smartphone market share in the United States. Earlier reports suggested Apple would take a great chunk of the share back from Android with the launch of the iPhone 4S, and while they did have a great spurt to close the year out it didn’t hurt Android as much as some might have thought it would. They found that Android still grew 2.5% more over the previous quarter at 47.3% vs 44.8%. Apple, on the other hand, grew 2.2% more over the previous quarter with 29.6% vs 27.4%. Everyone else is on the decline, a trend that has held true for quite some time now. RIM now only owns 16% and despite what Steve Ballmer would have you believe, Microsoft is falling, too, at 4.7%.  RIM has recently shaken things up by getting a new CEO who wishes to inspire change for Blackberry OS and within their ranks overall. Needing developers in order to create a robust apps marketplace for users, they’ve recently began poaching Android users by making it easy for developers to port their applications to Blackberry. They’re even offering developers free devices for doing so. Microsoft is relying on Windows Phone 7 as it is. They believe they have a very good operating system, and they do, but it remains to be seen whether or not users will be willing to leave Android and iOS. Some suggest that Windows’s slow start is not an issue as Android suffered the same slow start only to become the leading and fastest growing operating system worldwide. It remains to be seen if history will repeat itself. Take a look at the full slate above. |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:51 AM PST   MIUI, the stylish ROM which transforms Android into an unrecognizable beast, will be getting open-sourced. That’s right, Chinese company Xiaomi has decided to make the source code for their ROM and applications available to the masses via GitHub, the same git repository that the CyangenMod team uses. They will be open-sourcing individual applications and the ROM in its entirety, apparently. However, not all code is available at this time. They will likely publish more in the very near future, said MIUI. This is great news for everyone and while we’re not exactly sure what will come of it yet (different variants of MIUI is the logical expectation) we’re glad to see that any developer will be able to get their hands on it. [MIUI via AndroidGuys] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:22 AM PST  Samsung and Corning have announced a joint partnership that will see the two working together to manufacture Lotus Glass. It’s a tempered glass for OLED displays, not unlike Gorilla Glass, that will help save on power consumption and make displays look as good as they ever have. This rings true not only for mobile devices but televisions, as well.  Samsung will use the new glass substrate on their devices but they will also offer it to other Korean manufacturers. It’s not clear whether or not Samsung will go beyond their home turf borders but we hope every OEM gets a chance to use this promising technology. We’re not sure which devices are first in line but you know we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that the Samsung Galaxy S III is in line. Read on for full press details. February 02, 2012 08:00 AM Eastern Time |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:56 AM PST   You can expect Sony to announce even more new Xperia devices at Mobile World Congress as they are sending out invitations to members of the press. Not even a month ago, Sony unveiled new phones at CES in the Xperia S and the Xperia Ion, the first phones to drop the Ericsson branding due to Sony swallowing up the mobile side of their partnership. Sony’s invite specifically mentions Xperia so we can at least expect them to show off phones and hopefully tablets. We wouldn’t hold our breath for any Google TV devices considering Mobile World Congress is about, well, mobile. We’ll be there to bring you all the coverage. |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:50 AM PST  The folks at Tucows, who were once known for their applications (free, shareware or otherwise) repository for desktop operating systems are looking to introduce a new venture that’s interesting, to say the least. With the help of Sprint they have launched Ting, a pay-as-you-go service that gives users extremely good value compared to other PAYG carriers.  One of the great things about Ting is how flexible it is. You don’t have to have text, data, or voice if you won’t want it. Some might just want data and text messaging, while others might just want voice and nothing else. Ting lets you do any combination of the three main services that you wish. That is reason enough to switch for a ton of people. Ting has ridiculously low prices when it comes to voice and text. For $3 you could get 100 minutes of talk time if you don’t use voice much. $9 would get you $500, saving you $3 if you extrapolate from the cheapest plan. Similarly with text messages, you can get 100 of those for $3, 1000 for $5 and so on and so forth. Data is a bit different, though. You can get anywhere from 100MB of data ($3) to 3GB ($60). Naturally it’s more expensive than text and voice but Tucows allows you to step onto Sprint’s 4G WiMax network with any capable 4G phone of theirs.  Without the extra $10 data charge and without needing to pay separately to use your device as a mobile broadband plan it does still come out to be a decent value. Take a look at their rate plans above. The most interesting thing is their overage feature. If you go over any of your allotted minutes, texts or data you’ll simply be stepped up to the next tier on whichever feature you go over on. If you don’t use all of the allotted features for that tier you’ll be reimbursed for those unused featured. If you happen to be stepped up to XXL and go over, you’ll be charged normal overage rates as seen above. Here’s a list of the Android devices you’ll be able to get (all prices are without contract as this is a PAYG carrier):
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Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:12 AM PST   The Super Bowl is quickly approaching and EA wants to commemorate the biggest sporting event in America by putting their game on sale. The game is now just $.99, $4 less than what it would cost otherwise. You get 32 teams with authentic playbooks and you can even play a full 16-game season, as well as the 2010-2011 playoffs where my Packers ultimately beat the Steelers in Super Bowl 45! That said, all this is only available for a limited time so you’ll want to jump on this quickly. Check for it in the Android market here ( Galaxy Nexus owners need not apply just yet). [via Android Central] |
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 05:55 AM PST  More Apple patent news today? Sure. Apple’s feeling the heat from Samsung after the Korean company has been able to dodge numerous bullets and now they’re bringing out the big guns. Apple’s patent claims against Samsung in Australia once only covered three patents, but they have recently expanded that scope to 22 patents across 10 devices, bringing the number of claims up to 278.  With the expansion, Samsung needs time to formulate a defense so court proceedings will likely be months from now. Apple won a victory in Australia over the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 last year but the short-lived injunction was not enough to deter Samsung from fighting the Cupertino company off. Samsung was already set to introduce an alternate model that steered well clear of infringement. With the way things are going lately you’d think that Apple’s just looking to give these companies nothing more than a big headache and expensive legal fees. They’ve been unsuccessful, for the most part, in trying to get devices off of the market and it doesn’t seem like courts and judges will make anything any easier for them going forward. It seems like nothing more than a game of cat and mouse, at this point. |
Saturday, February 4, 2012
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