Android and Me |
- Russian woman boils, blends and chops Galaxy Nexus in bizarre photo shoot
- Elephants prefer Galaxy Note, because bigger is better
- Google sucks at upgrading their own devices to Android 4.0
- Snapdragon issues The One Charge Challenge
- Android Rumors Report: Google Drive, Jelly Bean, Nexus tablet, T-Mobile raises prices
- Verizon reveals LG Lucid release date and pricing
- Warning: Google IO 2012 about to sell out [Update: Sold out]
- Mega-hit Temple Run now available for free on Android
- HTC news roundup: One X benchmark scores, HTC Wild specs, htcsense.com shut down, and more
| Russian woman boils, blends and chops Galaxy Nexus in bizarre photo shoot Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT  Some things on the Internet simply cannot be logically explained. Like this photo shoot from a LiveJournal blog by Russian user strenger. According to the Google Translate, which I often doubt the accuracy of, strenger was called to a friends one evening to document some sort of dinner preparation when things took a turn for the interesting. Apparently, the woman found torturing the Galaxy Nexus in the photo shoot is doing so because she had a fight with her significant other. And he’s the one who bought her the phone. The pictures really speak for themselves. The Galaxy Nexus was fried, used as a cutting board, drenched in raw eggs, covered in ketchup, used as a sponge to do dishes, thrown in a blender and dumped into a pot of boiling hot water. After all that, the phone supposedly still works. Yeah, sure. I’m not quite sure if this is some sort of odd marketing campaign, or just one man’s freakish fetish finally coming to fruition. It’s almost disturbing in a weird way. But I’m sure there’s some sort of message to get out of the whole thing. I’ll let you know when I figure it out. Gallery
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| Elephants prefer Galaxy Note, because bigger is better Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:01 PM PDT  What’s the number one smartphone choice for elephants around the world? Tech blog Technivator interviewed Peter the elephant to find out, and his response is after the break.
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| Google sucks at upgrading their own devices to Android 4.0 Posted: 27 Mar 2012 12:51 PM PDT  Here is a story I didn’t think I would be writing a year ago. Google is disappointing a lot of Nexus S owners with their inconsistent software updates, as our very own Dustin pointed out earlier this month. Now JR Raphael of Computer World has graded most of the major manufacturers on their promises to deliver Android 4.0 updates and the results confirm what others have been saying. Acer, Archos, ASUS, and HTC all received better grades than Google when it came to updating their devices to Android 4.0. Even AT&T, once billed the worst carrier for Android users, rubbed salt in Nexus S owners’ wounds when it updated the HTC Vivid to Android 4.0 this week. Last year at Google IO 2011, Google and their partners announced the Android Update Alliance to help speed up software updates, but it doesn’t appear to have had any effect. There have been a lack of updates about the alliance, which led some to write that it failed before it really started. JR summed it up perfectly when he said, “While Google doesn’t tend to promise explicit upgrade dates for its devices, the company has trained us to know that its Nexus and ‘Google experience’ labels come with certain benefits, and early-and-often upgrades are at the top of that list. Worse yet, Google has stayed silent on the matter and given users no update on what’s going on.” We have already covered the whole mess pretty extensively, so I don’t really have much to add to the matter. Hopefully Google will improve their communication with the Android community and let them know when to expect these updates. Until then, what’s the point in owning a Nexus device (if you are not a developer)? Maybe as some have suggested, the Nexus series is coming to and end. But then again, the Sprint Galaxy Nexus has yet to be launched.
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| Snapdragon issues The One Charge Challenge Posted: 27 Mar 2012 11:28 AM PDT  Today Qualcomm launched a new promotion called The One Charge Challenge, in order to highlight the energy efficiency of their Snapdragon processors. They released a cool video called Around the World on One Charge to show what they accomplished with a single charge and are now asking users to do the same, in order to win a new Snapdragon-powered smartphone or tablet. Battery life continues to be one of the top concerns among our audience, so it’s nice to see Qualcomm focus on this important issue. We actually saw the battery life of Android devices decrease in 2011 with the introduction of new 4G LTE networks, but Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon S4 processor should help reverse that trend. It’s built on a more power efficient 28nm process technology and it’s the first system-on-a-chip to feature an integrated LTE modem. Check out the video below and head over to the Snapdragon Facebook page if you want to participate and try to win a new device. How to participate:
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| Android Rumors Report: Google Drive, Jelly Bean, Nexus tablet, T-Mobile raises prices Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:54 AM PDT  Welcome to another new weekly column where we round up all the Android-related rumors and discuss the validity of each one. Everyone seems to love our original rumor reports, but we thought it would be fun to examine the rumors from around the web and share our thoughts on the possibility of them coming true. Read on for this week's latest Android rumors. Google Drive finally coming this April Leaked Google Drive logo. Rumor: Om Malik of GigaOm reports that Google Drive will launch sometime during the first week of April. Our thoughts: Rumors of Google’s cloud storage service go all the way back to 2006, but we know the service is currently in testing because the first screen shots were leaked in February. Om has been in the business for a long time and we trust his sources, but it’s always hard to pin down an exact release date for Google products. We think a Google Drive launch is pending, so an April release sounds likely. Probability: 80% Jelly Bean to launch in Q3
Rumor: Taiwan newspaper Digitimes reports “Google may release its new platform, Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean), in the third quarter of 2012.“ Our thoughts: Based out of Taipei, Digitimes often has access to information from supply chain sources that are based in Taiwan. We are fairly confident that the next version of Android is codenamed Jelly Bean (as first reported way back in 2010), but we don’t know what version number Google will assign to it or when it will launch. The popular belief is that Google will unveil the first details about Jelly Bean during their Google IO conference on June 27-29th. Google always talks about the future of Android during this show, so that’s pretty much a given. Right now we believe there are two options. First, Google could announce that Jelly Bean is a minor update, call it Android 4.1 or 4.5, and immediately release it for their Nexus line of phones and tablets. Second, we could learn that Jelly Bean will be a major update, be called Android 5.0, and be released in Q4 on the next flagship device. Google has a pattern of releasing one major update to Android every year, so we still expect Android 5.0 sometime in Q4, but there is no way to know if that is Jelly Bean, or the next version codenamed Key Lime Pie. Probability: 50% “Nexus tablet” to be given away at Google IO
Rumor: We speculate that Google will give away the ASUS “Nexus tablet” to every attendee of Google IO. Our thoughts: Every year Google gives away a free Android device to all the attendees at their Google IO developer conference. Three years ago it was the Google Ion (HTC Magic), two years ago it was the HTC EVO 4G, and last year it was the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Samsung Chromebook. This year we believe they will give away the rumored 7-inch “Nexus tablet.” Android chief Andy Rubin recently said, “2012 is going to be the year that we double down and make sure we're winning in that [tablet] space… we're going to do a better job at making people understand what ecosystem they're buying into.” Combined with the new Google Play Store, this Google tablet fits into the “double down” tablet strategy and it will further evolve the tablet ecosystem with a focus on more optimized apps. Another possible giveaway device could be the rumored Android Hub (or maybe it’s called Play Hub now?). Google just filed a new trademark application for Showy, which is described as “Downloadable software which allows users to use their computer, tablet device, or mobile phone as a remote control to operate video display devices and televisions; and downloadable software which allows users to remotely control the content on internet-connected digital signage.” It sure sounds like the 7-inch tablet and home entertainment system will be tightly integrated, so maybe both will be given away. Probability: 75% Samsung Galaxy S III to be launched this weekend
Rumor: Multiple sites report that Samsung could unveil the Samsung Galaxy S III on March 30th after Eurodroid spotted a Samsung teaser in the window of retailer Phones 4U. Our thoughts: Another week, another rumored unveiling for the Galaxy S III. Last time it was a Samsung event in Africa that turned into a TV announcement and now this. Stuart Miles of Pocket-Lint already debunked this rumor. It turns out Phones 4U is opening up a Samsung store-within-a-store on March 30th. Probability: 0% T-Mobile to raise prices next week
Rumor: David Beren of TmoNews reports that T-Mobile will raise prices on Classic Unlimited 5GB and 10GB data features beginning April 4th Our thoughts: We only call this a rumor because it’s not officially confirmed by T-Mobile, but we believe this to be true. As David points out, this is an “obvious move to drive customers into the hands of waiting Value Plan opportunities.” T-Mobile’s Value Plans save their subscribers money because the cost of the subsidized phone is not part of the monthly service fee. Customers have to pay the full price of the phone up front, or over the course of 20 months, but they save money over the life of the contract. Probability: 99% Got any juicy rumors?Find any hot Android-related rumors that we failed to cover? Just contact Taylor or leave a comment below and we will evaluate them next week.
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| Verizon reveals LG Lucid release date and pricing Posted: 27 Mar 2012 08:46 AM PDT  Today Verizon Wireless announced the full details for their next budget-friendly 4G LTE smartphone. The LG Lucid will be available in stores and online on March 29th and retail for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. A quick review of the specs show this is a decent Android phone for the price. The LG Lucid features a large 4-inch display, dual-core processor, and 4G LTE connectivity. We will reserve judgement till we get our hands on one, but the LG Lucid has the potential to become our best budget phone pick in the next Verizon buyer’s guide.  The LG Lucid. Highlights of the LG Lucid include:
It’s unfortunate that new phones are still shipping with the Android 2.3 operating system that debuted in 2010, but at least Verizon guarantees it will eventually receive Android 4.0. No timeline for the software upgrade was provided, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about picking one up.
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| Warning: Google IO 2012 about to sell out [Update: Sold out] Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:43 AM PDT  Registration for Google’s annual developer conference opens today, and we expect it to sell out within the hour. The 2009 event sold out in 90 days. The 2010 event sold out in 10 days. Last year's event sold out in 59 minutes. At approximately 7:00 AM PT, users can attempt to register for Google IO 2012 using their Google+ account. Payments will be accepted through Google Wallet, so make sure your account is already setup to save time. This year the conference was extended one day and moved to June 27-29th. We expect Google to share the first details about the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean, and learn more about the next version of Google TV. Google raised the general attendee fee from $450 to $900, so make sure you really want to go if you plan to sign up. Pretty much all of the keynotes and sessions will be available on YouTube, so you won’t be missing out on much of the information that gets released. Google is also hosting free viewing parties around the globe. The main benefits to actually being there in person are the networking with your peers and the free devices that Google gives away every year. Last year they gave away a Galaxy Tab 10.1, Sony Xperia Play, and a Chromebook. This year we think they will give away the rumored Nexus tablet. If you plan to attend, please let us know. I’ll be heading back to the Moscone Center for my fourth year in a row and I’d love to meet up with whoever will be in San Francisco. Bonus video: Check out the screams of 5,000 nerds when Google gave away the Galaxy Tab 10.1 at last year’s show. Update: It appears tickets are gone in record time – under 30 minutes. Academic tickets are now sold out and General Attendee tickets are unavailable.  Consider yourself lucky if you got a ticket. Update 2: Google’s terms and conditions state, “Tickets may only be used by original purchaser. Tickets may not be resold. The resale of a ticket will render the ticket null and void without any responsibility to Google.” That hasn’t stopped people from placing them on eBay, where one has already been sold for $2,000.
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| Mega-hit Temple Run now available for free on Android Posted: 27 Mar 2012 05:42 AM PDT  Temple Run is one of the most popular games on iOS with over 40 million downloads and tons of Android fans have been asking when it will be ported over. Last week the developer Imangi Studios finally announced it would arrive on March 27th and it’s now available in the Google Play Store. “We are excited to finally share the Android release date with our fans who have been so enthusiastic and supportive of Temple Run,” said Keith Shepherd, co-founder of Imangi Studios. “By expanding to more mobile devices, we hope to provide the same addictive and fast-paced gameplay to an entirely new group of players.” Thankfully, the game works on about every Android device available, except Google TV. I’ve been playing it for the first time this morning and I can see why it’s so addictive. The controls are super simple and the action gets increasingly fast paced as you try to top your best score each run. Install Temple Run from the link below and let us know what you think. Was it worth the wait?
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| HTC news roundup: One X benchmark scores, HTC Wild specs, htcsense.com shut down, and more Posted: 26 Mar 2012 08:30 PM PDT  It’s been a busy day for HTC. We typically have a few HTC stories to report on in a day, but we decided to group things together to make sure you don’t miss anything important.
HTC shuts down htcsense.com
HTC is sending out emails to htcsense.com account owners, informing them that the service will shut down while it undergoes “renovation to improve the services and value we deliver to customers.” HTC isn’t saying what will be in store for customers once the service is reactivated, but we doubt any user data will be retained since they are urging users to download their data before April 30. HTC’s online service has been available since the debut of the HTC Desire HD – roughly 18 months ago and we can’t wait to see what HTC will be offering once the service is back online. HTC Wind dual-SIM phone heading to China
HTC is preparing a new phone for the Chinese market. The upcoming HTC Wind features a body that’s a cross between the HTC One X and One S though the internals more closely resemble the One V with a 4-inch WVGA Super LCD display, 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 1,650 mAh battery, microSD card slot, 5 megapixel camera, LED flash, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Android 4.0 and HTC Sense 4.0. For now, there’s no launch details available for the HTC Wind, but the phone is expected to sell for 2,000 Chinese yuan (roughly $316). HTC buys 20 percent share of SyncTV
According to the latest reports, HTC has invested an undisclosed amount of cash to purchase a 20 percent stake in SyncTV. If you’ve never heard of the company, you’re not the only one. We did a little research and found out that SyncTV is a developer of an online video distribution platform which they license to clients to deliver live or subscription based video over TVs, Blu-ray players, set-tops, smart phones and tablets. There’s no saying what HTC has planned, but its nice to see HTC branch out a little in an effort to create a more robust ecosystem for its handset users. AT&T HTC One X LTE gets benchmarked
We’ve seen benchmarks for the HTC One X and XL already, but we now have benchmark scores for AT&T’s version of the phone which is identical to the HTC One XL, even though AT&T will be calling it the One X. For months, we’ve been talking about the differences between the Nvidia Tegra 3 and Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, but this is the first time that we actually have benchmark numbers to directly compare the two. According to the numbers, the quad-core Tegra 3 comes out on top – at least with AnTuTu (10,112 versus 6,388). We’ve seen some pretty impressive numbers from devices running on Qualcomm’s S4 chip, so we can’t wait to get the HTC One X and One XL (or AT&T’s One X) side-by-side to see how they perform in everyday use. 3 UK HTC One orders for current customers
It seems like everyone is in HTC One X pre-order frenzy these days, so it shouldn’t be any surprise to learn that 3 UK is now taking orders for the phone as well. For now, current 3 UK customers can log into their online system and order the white or gray HTC One X which should ship out on April 5. No word on when new customers will be able to purchase the phone, but we’re not too worried about that since we’re less than ten days away from launch.
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