Android Central |
- MasterCard aims to bring wireless payments to all with PayPass Wallet
- Android Central weekly photo contest: Composition
- Grab the HTC One X at Walmart for $158 with contract
- Ice Cream Sandwich on the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note at CTIA
- Oracle v Google decision -- the layman's edition
- Build your own CyanogenMod with the latest CMC beta for Ubuntu
- HTC EVO 4G updated with Sprint Connections Optimizer
- Live from CTIA in New Orleans!
- LTE-equipped Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Canada
- Blurry-cam pic claims to show Sony LT29i Hayabusa
- ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #66: Xperia X10 OtterBox Commuter, Galaxy Note ACTIVE Case & more
- Sprint EVO 4G LTE 'Getting Started' guide now online
- Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE announced with 4-inch screen and Ice Cream Sandwich
- HTC One V headed to the U.S. this summer
- HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-orders start today, claim yours now!
- Deal of the Day: Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy Note
- HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE specs
- Monday Brief: The Galaxy S III Unveiled, BlackBerry World Conference, and more!
- Start your week with a special edition of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!
- April brings HTC sales boost
- HTC One X kernel source code released
| MasterCard aims to bring wireless payments to all with PayPass Wallet Posted: 07 May 2012 04:22 PM PDT
While the show down here at CTIA doesn't officially open until tomorrow, the folks at MasterCard held an event this evening to let us in on some of their big news that they have coming. It has become very obvious that people want to be able to quickly and easily pay for things, they want a one click payment and a quick in store experience and that is exactly what they have landed here. PayPass from MasterCard brings quick and easy mobile payments both in the form of using NFC while out and about, as well as a simple one click payment while shopping online. While it won't be in our hands just yet, the folks at MasterCard are aiming to have this out there for the public in Q3 of 2012, which isn't all that far off. Beyond the development that they have done, they are also opening up the API for this, allowing third party developers to integrate these great new features into their applications as well. From a simple tap and go payment in a cab or at the store, to a one click order of a plane ticket or anything else, this is definitely something many will enjoy. Don't worry, if you don't have a MasterCard you won't be left out of all the features, they are working with other card companies and manufacturers to ensure that they people are taking full advantage of the powerful technology that they are bringing to the table. Full release after the break. 
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| Android Central weekly photo contest: Composition Posted: 07 May 2012 04:04 PM PDT
Take a look through the past photo contests, and you'll see that many of us have no problem getting clear, and beautiful pictures with our Android devices. With the HTC One series and the new awesome camera, we expect to see even more great pics. So, it's time we turn our fun little photo contests into a learning experience! This week we're going to focus on photo composition. Pointing the camera at something interesting and snapping a picture is more than fine for pictures to share with friends and family, but working on how your picture is laid out and the way it all looks takes things up a notch. Take a second and read Leanna's great article about the rule of thirds over at iMore. She did a great job at taking the theory of the golden ratio and breaking down how it helps make for great photographs. She really knows her stuff, and this week we're going to pay attention to how we set up our shots and follow her examples. Take the time to frame your subject, and show us a picture that has that professional look to it. I can't wait to see them this week. We'll sift through them all, and pick the one that turns out the very best. The winner will get a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre Tour High-Resolution In-Ear Headphones so they can relax and listen to some music in style after a long day of taking pictures. There are a couple of rules, be sure to follow them:
Good luck everyone! Enter the weekly photo contest 
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| Grab the HTC One X at Walmart for $158 with contract Posted: 07 May 2012 03:55 PM PDT
If you're in the market for a shiny new HTC One X, and feel like saving $40 bucks, you might want to head to Walmart. The LTE handset will soon be hitting the shelves at just $158, which is a substantial savings over the corporate AT&T store. Of course there's a two-year agreement tied to the phone at this price, but something tells me that the One X is a phone that most of us could live with for two years. Like the sheet above says, the specs are great, Sense 4 is great (yeah, I said it), and the network is plenty fast. People seem to be loving it, and not just reviewers. I'm sure you can find some room in the cart with the dog food and paper towels, so swing by and have a look. Thanks, eonnx! 
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| Ice Cream Sandwich on the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note at CTIA Posted: 07 May 2012 03:20 PM PDT We've recently seen a leaked build of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note. But how about something a little more official? We're at AT&T's get-together at CTIA in New Orleans, and on its demonstration Galaxy Note is none other than Android 4.0.3. A quick spin through the update shows what we expected -- Touchwiz still dominates the ICS UI (just like the Galaxy S III, by the way). But Ice Cream Sandwich is running on an "official" AT&T phone out here in the open is a pretty good sign that an update's on the way. 
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| Oracle v Google decision -- the layman's edition Posted: 07 May 2012 02:22 PM PDT
You probably heard that a partial decision was made in the Oracle versus Google lawsuit this afternoon. Nobody won, nobody lost (except us end-users, who will have to pay for all this somehow), and in reality things have only just begun to get interesting. If you're a lawyer, or pretend to be a lawyer on the Internet, you have plenty of places to get into fancy discussions, using words like discovery and writ, but I'm just here to try to break it down so that the average Joe (or Jane, or Jerry) can get a grasp on what's happening. This was just the first phase of the trial. Judge Alsup has thrown most of the suit out of court already, leaving two sections to decide -- 37 Java API's, and their documentation. We'll start with the question about the documentation, because it's easy -- the jury found that Google did not infringe or unfairly take from the documentation. This means that the jury doesn't think that Google read how the code in question works, then stole the idea to do it their way. The second question being decided today is a bit more muddy. When asked if Oracle had proven that Google "infringed the overall structure, sequence and organization of copyrighted works", they responded yes, that they believe Oracle did prove this point. However, they could not decide if this structure, sequence and organization should be allowed to be Phase two now begins, and we expect more (and more) motions, fighting, and money being spent in the coming days and weeks. But what about that fair use question? That's important. If judge Alsup finds that the Java APIs in question, or APIs in general, fall under fair use law then it's all a moot point. Courts in the EU have found that software APIs are not subject to copyright or patent, and all fall under the fair use laws -- meaning it's fair for anyone to use them. Many feel that judge Alsup will rule the same way, and all this was for nothing. We're not lawyers. We don't pretend to be lawyers, don't play lawyers on TV and didn't even sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night. We're tech nerds, smartphone enthusiasts, and Android fans. All we know is that one group of millionaires is arguing with another group of millionaires about who gets what percentage of our money. Of course, both Google and Oracle claim victory, official statements are after the break. We'll keep an eye on things so you don't have to. Right now, I need an Excedrin and a whiskey sour. 
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| Build your own CyanogenMod with the latest CMC beta for Ubuntu Posted: 07 May 2012 12:36 PM PDT
Back in December we first had a look at CMC (CyanogenMod Compiler), and it's come a long way since. What started as a command line tool to help download, sync, and build CyanogenMod for any supported device has turned into a full-featured program, complete with a GUI and plenty of polish. With CMC you'll be able to sync with your preferred branch (Gingerbread or ICS) for any officially supported device, then build a flashable zip file with just a few button clicks. A few warnings are needed here. Firstly, what you're left with when finished is a completely unsupported (by the CM team) nightly build -- don't file bug reports or expect much assistance if there are issues. Next, there's the fact that you're spending time (as in a lot of time) downloading a couple Gigabytes of code and then building it yourself versus just downloading a 100MB file. Finally, we can't forget that fiddling with custom firmware is a great way to ruin your expensive Android device, and only you are responsible for what you do. If you understand, and are OK with those minor details, this is a great way to roll-your-own CM without much experience. It's a great introduction to software compilation, and the pride of building your own installation is something special. You'll need to be running Ubuntu (versions 10.04 through 12.04 are supported), and the .Deb files will setup and install any dependencies. Give it a look, and be sure to thank lithid-cm for this cool tool! Source: XDA-Developers; via OMGUbuntu Thanks, obi! 
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| HTC EVO 4G updated with Sprint Connections Optimizer Posted: 07 May 2012 12:22 PM PDT
Now approaching its second birthday, the original HTC EVO 4G has received an unexpected software update today, bringing it up to version 5.07.651.1. The only new addition in this version, according to Sprint's changelog, is the inclusion of the Sprint Connections Optimizer. For the uninitiated, this is an app which runs in the background and can switch between 3G, Wimax and Wifi based on location. For example, if you only have Wifi access at home or at work, you can set the Connections Optimizer to disable Wifi when you're not in either of those two locations. Obvious benefits include improvements to battery life, and the potential to reduce your reliance on cellular data. Sprint expects this new firmware to be pushed out to all EVO 4G's within six weeks. To see if your update is ready, head to Settings > About phone > Software updates and hit the button. 
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| Live from CTIA in New Orleans! Posted: 07 May 2012 10:49 AM PDT
It's about that time, ladies and gentlemen. We're in New Orleans for the spring CTIA event. In addition to working alongside the Mighty Mississippi all week -- and eating beignets ... and po boys ... and having a hurricane or two to wash it all down while listening to some street music -- we'll be bringing you the latest from the world of mobile devices, policies and anything else with an on/off switch. This page is your portal to the whole thing, so bookmark it now. We'll have updates from the show, from the streets and wherever else we can find it. Laissez les bons temps rouler! 
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| LTE-equipped Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Canada Posted: 07 May 2012 09:52 AM PDT
Update: Bell, Rogers and Wind Mobile have also announced that they'll be carrying the Galaxy S III. Original story: Following the phone's unveiling in London last week, Canadian carrier TELUS is the first North American mobile network to reveal that it'll be carrying the LTE version of Samsung's new Galaxy S III. TELUS says the phone will be available "in time for the summer," which fits with the June timeframe that Samsung has marked for the Galaxy S III's U.S. launch. TELUS says it isn't offering any details on pricing or specifications just yet, which leads us to believe that the device it'll offer may differ somewhat from what we saw in London last week. That's to be expected, however, and we've already heard plenty of reports suggesting a different chip may power the LTE version of the Galaxy S III. For more on the Galaxy S III, check out our exhaustive coverage of the London launch event last week, which includes detailed hands-on impressions. We've got press releases after the break. 
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| Blurry-cam pic claims to show Sony LT29i Hayabusa Posted: 07 May 2012 09:38 AM PDT
We've heard rumors of a new Sony flagship phone on the way, by the codename of "Hayabusa," or LT29i to give it its product number. Last month an alleged image of the device in field testing appeared online, and now we have what may be a slightly clearer -- though still blurry -- photo of the device. Today's shots show the unmistakable green Xperia logo around the back, with a large camera lens up top and single LED flash. The front of the phone appears to be dominated by a large screen, with no traditional physical buttons, which might corroborate rumors that the Hayabusa will feature on-screen buttons. The device also appears to be fairly thin, though it's impossible to judge this precisely. Also of interest are the curved corners, in stark contrast to the sharp edges of the current crop of Xperia NXT phones. As for rumored specs, the Hayabusa is said to sport a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset -- that's the one with the faster Adreno 320 GPU -- with 1GB of RAM, a 4.55-inch 720p screen (with on-screen buttons), and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. A whopping 2200mAh battery and 13MP camera are also rumored. If accurate, these specs would make the Hayabusa a worthy competitor to the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. And if rumors of a 7-8mm thin chassis are true, the device could also be a worthy successor to last year's Xperia Arc. A leaked roadmap suggests that the Hayabusa may appear in July around the €500 mark, while recent rumors from UnwiredView suggest a June announcement could be on the cards. Of course we're well within unconfirmed rumor territory here, so take these reports with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, we'll admit to being intrigued by the possibility of a new super-high-end device from Sony. And the manufacturer will need to deliver something special in any upcoming flagship if it wants to compete with the latest devices from Samsung and HTC. Source: UnwiredView IT168; via: XperiaBlog 
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| ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #66: Xperia X10 OtterBox Commuter, Galaxy Note ACTIVE Case & more Posted: 07 May 2012 08:18 AM PDT We're back with another week of accessory giveaway's from ShopAndroid.com and today we'll be featuring the OtterBox Commuter Case for Xperia X10, Seidio ACTIVE Case with kickstand for Galaxy Note, Sanyo Skin Case for Zio, and the Krusell Luna Premium Carrying Sleeve Case. Leave your comment stating which item you'd like to win for your Android device. One lucky winner will be selected at random and announced next week! OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10Safeguarding the screen from scratches and the corners from bumps and shocks, the OtterBox Commuter Case offers a unique design with reliable strength for your Xperia X10. The case features three layers of protection: A clear protective film, durable silicon mid-layer, and a one piece custom molded polycarbonate shell. There is access to all ports and buttons of the Xperia X10, and even silicon plugs to keep dust and debris from your ports. 
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| Sprint EVO 4G LTE 'Getting Started' guide now online Posted: 07 May 2012 08:07 AM PDT
If you're one of those folks who has to know everything about a device before purchasing it -- and we don't blame you if you are -- this one's for you. Sprint's made available the Getting Started guide for the HTC EVO 4G LTE, as spotted by gmtom1 in our forums. And trust us, there's a lot to know about this phone, between Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Sense 4 and all the other bells and whistles. So give it a gander below, and hit up the forums if you've got more questions. And don't forget that it's now available for preorder! Download: EVO 4G LTE Getting started guide (pdf); via EVO 4G LTE Forums
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| Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE announced with 4-inch screen and Ice Cream Sandwich Posted: 07 May 2012 06:54 AM PDT
Verizon and HTC have officially announced the Droid Incredible 4G LTE. It is a an evolutionary advancement from the Droid Incredible 2, which should prove to provide a solid experience for users who aren't concerned with having every single top-of-the line spec. Here are the specs:
In the announcement, HTC also said that other variants of the HTC One V will be making their way to the U.S. in the summer, so if you're not on Verizon but are interested in this phone, just wait and you'll be able to get it. The Droid Incredible 4G LTE will be available on Verizon in the "coming weeks." For more, please visit our Droid Incredible 4G LTE Forum. Full presser's after the break. 
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| HTC One V headed to the U.S. this summer Posted: 07 May 2012 06:53 AM PDT
Alongside its Droid Incredible 4G LTE announcement, HTC also revealed that the One V, it's new entry-level smartphone, will be headed to the U.S. from a "variety of partners" this summer. No specific dates, prices or networks were announced. but the One V is a good bet for pre-paid or regional carriers. Inside its chinny, Legend-like chassis, the One V sports a 1GHz single-core Snapdragon CPU, 512MB of RAM and a WVGA (800x480) SuperLCD2 display. As you might imagine, it's running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4 on the software side. There's also a 5MP HTC ImageSense camera, which we found performed better than any entry-level smartphone camera we'd tested, even putting the Galaxy Nexus's 5MP shooter to shame. For more on the One V, be sure to check out our full review of the international version. We've also got the full press release from HTC after the break. 
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| HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-orders start today, claim yours now! Posted: 07 May 2012 06:42 AM PDT
Pre-orders for Sprint's newest flagship phone, the HTC EVO 4G LTE, have begun today. While we still don't have an official launch date, you can finally tell Sprint that you want one. If you're a Sprint customer and don't know much about the new EVO, it's a pretty slick phone. It has a 4.7-inch HD Super-LCD2 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8 MP camera, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and HTC Sense 4. The phone will be $199 with the signing of a 2-year contract and $549 without. If you want to see what others are saying about the phone or their thoughts on pre-ordering, please check out our EVO 4G LTE Forum. This is great news for Sprint customers who have been patiently waiting for the next EVO to arrive. Source: Sprint 
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| Deal of the Day: Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy Note Posted: 07 May 2012 06:36 AM PDT
The Case-Mate Tough Case is available for just $22.95 today only, 34% off the regular price. Grab yours today while supplies last! 
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| HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE specs Posted: 07 May 2012 06:35 AM PDT | ||
| Monday Brief: The Galaxy S III Unveiled, BlackBerry World Conference, and more! Posted: 07 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT | ||
| Start your week with a special edition of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World! Posted: 07 May 2012 05:19 AM PDT
Missed our special Galaxy S III podcast from London last Thursday? Fear not -- now's the time to get caught up on all the facts, figures and opinions on Samsung's latest and greatest Android smartphone. Live (and in person!) from old London town, Alex and Phil cover everything from specs to design to software to woodchucks, in a very special edition of the Android Central Podcast. If you're looking to get caught up on everything there is to know about the Galaxy S III, there's no better place to do it. The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast. 
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| Posted: 07 May 2012 05:12 AM PDT
Last month brought an improvement in monthly sales figures for HTC, according to reports from Reuters. Figures released by HTC this morning put consolidated sales at NT$31.03 billion ($1.06 billion) -- an improvement on the previous month's NT$30.879 billion, though still some 20 percent lower than April 2011's figure of NT$38.73 billion. The Taiwanese manufacturer saw falling revenues in the face of increased competition during Q4 2011 and Q1 2012, so the uptick in sales will come as welcome news. The rise in sales can be attributed to the launch of the critically-praised HTC One series in Europe and Asia. As the One series sees broader availability in North America over the next month, HTC will be hoping its numbers will be further buoyed. Source: Reuters 
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| HTC One X kernel source code released Posted: 07 May 2012 04:45 AM PDT
We're already starting to see a a fairly large selection of custom ROMs for HTC's new hero device, the One X. And development work is sure to be accelerated with the release of the kernel source for the Tegra 3- powered international variant, as is required under the open source rules. The code, which weighs around 111MB, is available for software version 1.26 and 1.28 on a variety of unlocked and branded versions of the One X. We've yet to see kernel source appearing for the other three HTC One phones -- the One S, One V and One XL (aka AT&T One X) -- but with the appearance of code for the One X today, we'd expect it to land sooner rather than later. Hit the source link, then select your version and model of choice to pick up the source code. Source: HTCDev 
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