Tuesday, February 14, 2012



Posted: 13 Feb 2012 02:45 PM PST
Well it appears that Google is forging into new territory and continuing their attempts at pushing the “@home” brand. In addition, Google is also preparing a “Google Experience Center” that will help the search giant promote, showcase and market Google products to both VIPs and other potential customers. There will be one or more hardware testing labs built as a part of a $120 million construction project at Google’s Mountain View property. They will be used to perfect items like the recently announced home entertainment system and other mystery devices.
Google is playing their cards close to the chest by simply saying that they are only adding extended office space. This “office space” is said to occupy around 800,000 square feet and will be used as “additional meeting and work space.” A written statement provided by a spokes person iterated:
“Just as we continuously work to improve our products, it’s important to iterate on our workspace to keep us productive. That’s why we are adding additional meeting and work space to our campus in Mountain View.”
Details are being discovered in filings with the city though that suggest that Google is gearing up to increase their focus on both hardware and testing. One facility will include an “RF screen room that will be used to test the WiFi performance and development of a consumer product.” Although assigned to the Google/@home division, this building will also play host to the “X Lab” or “Project X” teams. These times work on various projects such as the HUD smart glasses we wrote about last week or help with the antenna spray we told you about earlier today. 
The Experience Center will be at the heart of the Googleplex and the 120,000 square foot hub will be used “to share visionary ideas, and explore new ways of working.” It will also “operate somewhat like a museum, exhibit, or mercantile space allowing flexibility in the exhibits so that as Google’s products and needs change, the space can adapt.” However this museum of sorts isn’t something that’s going to be open to the public. As they put it:
“The Experience Center would not typically be open to the public — consisting of invited groups, and guests whose interests will be as vast as Google’s range of products, and often confidential.”
Basically it’s open to potential buys and investors that would be interested in financing various up and coming products. So as we can see Google is starting to take the hardware game a lot more seriously.  Right now Google is getting closer to acquiring Motorola Mobility, their biggest move yet, given that the US is set to discuss it as early as this week. Even with Google’s lackluster performance with Google TV, they hopefully can show both us normal folk and even the privileged guests of the Google Experience Center that their hardware will be able to be a profitable business.
source: MercuryNews
via: Slashgear
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 02:17 PM PST
The best way to get your device customized is to start loading your own ringtones and notifications. We discussed how to find your way around the Android Operating Syetem to change those last week (which you can find here).
The app to help us make our own sounds to use for our alarms, ringtones and notifications is Ringdroid. In my humble opinion, it is the easiest/most robust app to get this done at no cost to you. That’s right folks, it’s free in the Android Market. If you’d like to grab Ringdroid now, you can do that by either scanning the QR code below, or by clicking the Android Market Link.

Now that you’ve got Ringdroid, let’s open it up and see what you can do. It’s best if you already have some music loaded onto your device as well :P . That said, the screen you’ll see will be just like what you see below. It should have scanned and located most, if not all of the audio files (mp3s) you have on your device. To start editing a new sound, simply press on the song you want. You can also press “Record New” which will use your Android’s mic to record audio around you. So if you wanted Ron Burgandy to yell “Cannonball!” for your facebook notifications, you can simply record part of the movie Anchorman as it plays and edit it later. Very cool and easy!
*The blue arrow pointing down at the right side of each song gives you the option of either editing the name of the song, or deleting it.*
Now that you’ve selected the song, Ringdroid will open the file into a visible wave editor. All you need to do is drag the left or right arrows on the wave to highlight a section of the song. It is best to keep the sound sample for your ringtones and notifications to about 30 seconds maximum. If they are any longer, it may take a little longer to load the file and play the sound when you have new notifications or calls coming in, depending on your Android device.
You can listen to the area you selected by pressing the Play button at the bottom left. Also, if you need to zoom in so you can get that timing just right, there are Zoom + and Zoom - buttons at the bottom. I use those a lot to get the start and end of a sample just right.
Once you have the file sample just the way you want it, you can press Save in the lower right side of your screen. Once you do that, you’ll see some save settings to edit.
You can save the audio file as a Ringtone, Music, Alarm and Notification file. Also, you can give it a name to help you identify it later when you select it in Sounds Settings. The reason for separating the types is that for certain apps, they look for ‘Notification’ files to display when you are changing the notification setting, and therefore won’t display some of the ‘Ringtones’ you may have created but wanted to use as a notification sound. Once you’ve got the sound saved, you can follow this tutorial on where to go to change your sounds and ringtones!
If you Know of anyone who needs a few tips on Android devices, pass them this link to help out. Also, if you want to check in on the latest Guides from Booting to Rooting, click here!
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:41 PM PST
Good news for owners of the T-Mobile G2X and its international brother the LG Optimus 2X, Ricardo Cerquiera has released a functional (albeit finicky) build of CyanogenMod 9. He mentions, of course, that these builds are not supported and do not guarantee any further updates. It seems that these builds are primarily good for testing out the look and feel of CM9 before the official release as there is no media acceleration for either encoding or decoding, and some Android 4.0 ICS graphics implementations will be glitchy. Hit up the source if you’re interested in giving CM9 a test run!
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:28 PM PST

Since the Nokia N9 is such a nice piece of hardware, we totally get why you’d want to port Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onto it. As we told you last week, Alexey Roslyakov has brought Android 4.0.3 to the Nokia N9, and now there is video to prove it. This will turn the phone into a dual booting device; if you press the volume button during the boot, it will bring up ICE instead MeeGo.
The video shows a few problems that remain. The first is the battery indicator. The N9 is obviously plugged in, but the phone shows low battery. Also, there is no data connectivity as of yet.
Another issue to be worked out is OpenGL; the N9 has 2D/3D graphics that need to function properly in ICE.
Regardless, the progress being made is pretty amazing, and we’re anxious to see what’s next.
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: Slashgear
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:53 AM PST
The wait is over for the White Galaxy Nexus everyone. Since we first spotted our eyes on the white-colored beast and found out it was being distributed to some lucky folks already, it’s been challenging to say the least to catch a glimpse of the white version in action, until now. A lucky individual was able to get get his hands on the device and was kind enough to
show off
share his initial unboxing of the device with us. Along with the gorgeous device itself, the anonymous individual shows us the usuals inside the box including the USB cable, headphones and actual battery itself.
Now that you’ve seen the video, what do you all think? Is the phone worth the extra money? Does the white cover tickle your fancy? Check out the video for yourself and then sound off in the Comments section to let us know what you think.


Click here to view the embedded video.

source: XDA Forums
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:19 AM PST
Looking for the ultimate way to customize your new CDMA or GSM Galaxy Nexus? How about a new factory replacement battery door with a design of your choosing laser etched on the back of it!? Well, right now over at IndieGoGo (similar to kickstarter), you can do just that. For a mere $45 or $55 pledge (depending on whether you have the standard battery or extended), Omar Trujillo will send you a brand new factory battery door with custom laser etching of your favorite design. Now tell me that wont make your friends envious! There are even pledge options that include a new standard or extended battery as well. One thing to keep in mind though, when thinking of a custom image it must be able to be shrunk down to a 2″ x 2″ square in order for it to fit on the door properly, you’re gonna need to put some thought into this one.
If for some reason you’re not feeling very creative today, you can save 15 bucks and just go with one of Omar’s preselected images instead. The options that are currently available are pretty sweet and any of them would most definitely make your GNex stand out in a crowd. You could chose to go with CyanogenMod’s skateboarding Android, the Talk Android logo, or even a cool plaid-esque pattern of Androids that somewhat resemble Google’s custom Louis Vuitton style battery door.
Omar’s IndieGoGo campaign ends Saturday, March 10th, and he needs $1,250 in order to get his project funded. At the time of this writing he already raised $840 and still has 27 days left before time runs out. If for some odd reason Omar’s IndieGoGo doesn’t reach its goal (very unlikely), all those who pledged will receive a refund and of course will not get the product either. Once he does successfully reach his goal, he will go in to production and will look into doing the same thing for other Android devices. So if you’re feeling left out right now, you never know, your chance could be next!
If you or somebody you know would want to get a custom laser etched Galaxy Nexus battery door, be sure to hit up the source link below. I know I am getting one!
source: IndieGoGo
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:10 AM PST
We recently reviewed the Android Robot Bluetooth Sound Box Speaker, which looks great, but also sounds great. The folks at Mobilefun were gracious enough to provide us 5 speakers for our readers. All you have to do is head over to our forum thread and tell us what your favorite band is at the moment. You have until Thursday, February 16 at 11:59pm EST to enter.
We will pick 5 random winners and announce them on Friday, February 17. Winners will receive an email in the account associated with their username. Only one entry per username will be accepted.
If you would like to order one please visit mobilefun and don’t forget to enter coupon code PROMOCLOTH for a free cleaning cloth.
Click here to enter the contest
Good Luck!!!
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 08:56 AM PST
I’ve got something all you Android fanatics are going to want. Mobilefun in the UK has the Android Robot Bluetooth Sound Box Speaker and I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much considering it’s only about 3 1/2 inches tall. I was pleasantly surprised. No this isn’t going to take the place of your home theater system, but I guarantee you that this little guy not only looks good on your desk, nightstand, or kitchen counter, but also sounds really good. I had some friends over the other night and they saw it on my bar and asked what it was. When I showed them, they couldn’t believe how good it sounded. I’m not alone because there are 40 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
It even acts as a speakerphone for your convenience. Just like any other Bluetooth device, it will pause your music while you take the call and continue when you hang up. The top of the robot will control your tracks, play/pause music, and control the volume. The rechargeable battery is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time or 10 hours of music. It comes with a stand and a USB cable for charging via the mini USB port.
You can buy it for £19.95 ($31.50) plus about £3.50 for shipping in the UK and other parts of Europe or £9.95 ($15.71) to the U.S. You can also enter coupon code PROMOCLOTH for a free cleaning cloth.  Hit the break for a quick hands on video.

Click here to view the embedded video.
To purchase, please visit Mobilefun
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 08:03 AM PST
Samsung is at it again and this time they’re offering a follow up to their very first Android tablet which debuted almost two years ago now, The original Galaxy Tab.  Samsung today introduced their very first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device, the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0).  The 7-inch follow-up or as I like to call it, a “step up” device comes jam packed with more multimedia features than you’ll ever know what to do with.  And did I say it was going to have Ice Cream Sandwich? Ok, just making sure you caught that.  As for me, there has always been a sweet spot for the 7-inch platform and it’s always been difficult for me to upgrade to anything bigger.  I still use the original Galaxy Tab and can’t get away from the fact that at this size, it’s easy to hold with one hand and still completely mobile, fitting in any jacket’s inside pocket.
"Two years ago, Samsung GALAXY Tab began to offer customers more possibilities on the go. Since then, Samsung has actively enhanced our tablet line-up with several tablets in different sizes," said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "The new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will provide people with delighted multimedia experience and allow efficient communication."
In addition to ICS, the device will offer all of your typical Samsung Hub products for watching movies, reading books and newspapers as well as a dual-core 1 GHz CPU for fast processing on the go (why not 1.5 GHz dual-core?). The tab will offer a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) resolution, HSPA+ speeds up to 21 Mbps and a 3 meg rear facing camera & VGA front shooter for those video chat sessions.  Hit the break for the rest of the details via the press release and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the device in the comments below.
Update: We just found a video of the unveiling that was posted on YouTube by Přemysl Vaculík. You can see his video after the break as well.
Click here to view the embedded video.





Press Release

Samsung expands the GALAXY Tab range with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) powered by the AndroidTM 4.0 and a 1GHz dual core processor
Prague, February 13, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today introduced its first line-up of tablets for 2012 with the launch of the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0), expanding the choice of tablets to customers. Light and portable, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is the ideal personal on-the-go device, available in 3G and WiFi versions. Starting from UK, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will be launched in global market from March.
"Two years ago, Samsung GALAXY Tab began to offer customers more possibilities on the go. Since then, Samsung has actively enhanced our tablet line-up with several tablets in different sizes," said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "The new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will provide people with delighted multimedia experience and allow efficient communication."
Samsung's first Android 4.0 Tablet
Samsung's first Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)-powered tablet offers a variety of new and improved Android OS features. An upgraded Android Market enables access to more than 400,000 applications which can be enjoyed across phones or tablets. Furthermore, a more intuitive user interface includes the ability to swipe-control applications as well as a wholly redesigned app gallery for easier sharing of content. The new OS's vastly faster performance and response times across multiple applications is further enhanced by HSPA+ 21Mbps or WiFi connectivity.
Additionally, Android 4.0 includes a selection of embedded Google applications that enables users to quickly launch sites and applications that they use frequently; meanwhile, the innovative Face Unlock feature unlocks the tablet through unique facial recognition software.
A complete experience with enriched multimedia content
The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) offers users easy multimedia access, playback and sharing experiences with Samsung Hub services. Samsung's Music Hub provides a full music store solution with access to over 17 million tracks. Additionally, the Readers Hub provides the user with access to over 2.3 million e-books, 3,500 magazines and over 2,000 newspapers in 51 languages, while the Game Hub instantly connects users to the latest game titles. Samsung is also introducing the Video Hub, which offers over 1,000 film titles for purchase or rent, and provides reviews, trailers and recommendations for easier content selection using the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0).
Complementing the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)'s multimedia offering is Samsung's upgraded Touchwiz user interface that features Hub widgets for one-step access to users' content in Hubs; the device also presents S Suggest, a new service offering recommendations of apps suited to users' tastes directly on a home screen.
The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)'s superb multimedia experience is further boosted by Samsung's AllShare Play, a new content-sharing service available for the first time on any Samsung mobile device. AllShare Play allows users to play or live-stream their multimedia content on their GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) from PCs, other Samsung smart devices as well as third-party web storages. Users can also easily transfer content to other devices or directly to web services.
Better Communication Capabilities
Connecting socially has never been easier with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)'s built-in powerful communication capabilities.With the voice call capability, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) can be used just as easily as a phone, affording users the handy convenience of a second device in case they misplace their primary phone. It also lets users to spontaneously arrange multi-party video calls via Google＋ hangouts, as well as engage in group chats or micro-communities to collectively chat or share content. In addition, ChatON, Samsung's cross-platform communication service, connects all phone users of any platform into a single community. ChatON uses phone numbers instead of ID and passwords, and provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in various formats—images, video, voice, contacts—to make messaging simple and intuitive.
Note to Editors:
Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) Product Specifications
Network
 HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
Processor
 1 GHz Dual-Core Processor
Display
 7" WSVGA(1024×600) PLS TFT
OS
 Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich)
Camera
 Main(Rear): 3 Megapixel Fixed Focus CameraSub(Front): VGA for Video Call
Video
 Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, VP8Format: 3GP, ASF, AVI, MP4, WMV, FLV, MKV, WebMPlayback/ Recording: Full HD@30fps, HD@30fps
Audio
 Codec: MP3, AAC, AC-3, AMR, FLAC, MID, WMA, WAV, VorbisMusic Player with SoundAlive3.5mm Ear Jack
Value-added Features
Samsung TouchWiz/ Samsung L!ve Panel UX 
Samsung Apps
Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air
Samsung Hub＊
- Readers Hub/ Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
 Samsung Hub Widget＊
- Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
Samsung S Suggest＊ (App recommendation service)
Samsung ChatON mobile communication service
AllShare Play＊
GoogleTM Mobile Services- Android Market™, Gmail™, Google Earth™, YouTube™, Google Maps™, Syncing with Google Calendar™
Polaris
A-GPS, Glonass (＊ Available on 3G version only)
Connectivity
 Bluetooth® technology v 3.0USB 2.0 HostWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
Sensor
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Light
Proximity(＊ Available on 3G version only)
Memory
8/16/32GB User memory ＋ 1GB (RAM)
microSD (up to 32GB)
Dimension
193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5 mm, 344g
Battery
Standard battery, Li-ion 4,000mAh

＊ Availability and launching time of the services may differ by region.
＊ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world's most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
Android, Google, Android Market, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Search are trademarks of Google Inc.
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 07:29 AM PST
We’ve all had issues with cell phone reception at one point or another. Sometimes there’s just not enough cell towers to blanket an entire area, or the antenna on our phone is just too weak. If you’re sure you’re not holding it wrong, then perhaps you could use Chamtech Enterprise’s just unveiled spray-on antenna.
At Google’s inaugural Solve For X conference, the Utah-based company revealed their nanotechnology, which can be sprayed on to trees, walls, the ground, people… just about anything, to increase and improve signal reception for any variety of uses. Currently, Chamtech is working with government customers, but plans to eventually take the technology to mobile phone and medical device makers. They say it uses organic elements to tinker with magnetic and radio-frequency fields, improving mobile energy efficiency by 10 percent. 
The technology is said to even work more than a mile underwater, making it perfect for use by weather and oceanographic researchers, underwater welders, rescue workers, and others who could benefit from improved reception in adverse conditions.
Could we be saying goodbye to ugly cell towers in our near future?
View Chamtech CEO Anthony Sutera’s presentation from Solve For X below:
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: chamtech
via: engadget

Posted by at 9:54 PM

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