Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Sort Of Found Guilty in Oracle Case

Posted: 07 May 2012 01:34 PM PDT

Well the Google v. Oracle saga is finally over. Who are we kidding? It’s far from over. However after a weekend of deliberation the jurors have reached their Monday-mandated verdict in the trial that started back in April. The verdict: Google is guilty of using Java improperly in its development of Android…. Sort of.

The jury ruled that Oracle adequately proved its case and that Google’s admitted use of the Java language infringed on Oracle’s API. The decision ruled that the overall structure and sequence of Java had been infringed upon, however there wasn’t a decision on whether or not it fell under fair use. Google has moved for a mistrial citing that verdicts could not include partial answers.

Google remains strong in their view that they did nothing wrong although evidence from Oracle says the contrary. Although both sides have some pretty damning evidence that hurt their respective cases.

So does this mean that Android is dead as we know it and that the lovable green droid will become a distant memory? Hardly. There are still months of appeals and other trials that will eventually boil down to a settlement figure. So sadly even though the trial is finally over, the battle has only just begun. With that being said keep it locked here as we will update you as more details surface.

 

source: Twitter
via: gizmodo

 

LG Will Launch a Google TV in the U.S. Later This Month

Posted: 07 May 2012 01:05 PM PDT

 

I have long thought that this would be the year that Google TV made its push into the market as a strong contender for internet television products. Google has made it abundantly clear that it wants to be our home entertainment system and as companies continue to develop internet-enabled TVs with Google’s TV platform that may very well be the case. Well LG, the second largest tv maker in the world, has decided to throw its hat into the ring. Today it announced that it is launching a Google TV starting in the week of May 21st. Ro Seogho, Executive Vice President of LG’s TV Business Unit had this to say:

“Production of Google TVs will start from May 17 from our factory in Mexico and U.S. consumers will be able to buy the product from the week of May 21.”

This move appears to be an aggressive push by the company to get into the market early before Apple releases its rumored full-fledge Apple Television product later this year. Europe and Asia could see an LG Google television too depending on how well they sell in the U.S. Given Google TV’s ability to access many Google services such as YouTube and the ability to search right from your television screen it could do well if properly executed.

Google’s first attempt at marketing Google TV did not take off as fast as they had hoped and Google looked to rectify that with its second version. This lack of success stems partly from a lack of motivation from hardware manufacturers in combination with a lack of web content. However this appears to be no longer the case as LG and Samsung are looking to push their own Internet-enabled TV platforms as well as the Google TV platform. Given that research firm IHS iSuppli estimates that the market for Internet-enabled TVs will grow 60 percent to 95 million sets this year it appears that hardware manufacturers are actually quite motivated to push this newer technology.

As an owner of an HDTV from LG I can say that I would be interested in seeing what LG is offering, however LG has yet to give word on shipment targets or details in regards to pricing and screen sizes. So like the rest of you, I am just as much in the dark.  We will certainly keep you folks out there apprised of LG’s Google TV as we find out more. Stay tuned!

source: Reuters

 

 

Amazon is Offering the Sprint Galaxy Nexus for $149.99 Plus a $50 Google Wallet Credit

Posted: 07 May 2012 11:32 AM PDT

When looking for the best price on a new smartphone, heading directly to Amazon Wireless is becoming more and more the best option you have. They have managed to beat retail and sale price’s on many of the top-tier Android phones and now they are at it once again. For those of you who may have been holding out to grab the new Sprint Galaxy Nexus, now may be your chance to score a pretty good deal. It isn’t one of Amazon’s Penny Sale’s, but they will beat the contract price by 50 bucks and will give you a $50 Google wallet credit as well. On top of that, Amazon will also include free two-day shipping so your wait time will only be minimal (they know how much we pine for a new Android device!). To get in on the deal, simply click through the source link below and be sure to come back and let us know if you placed an order! We like to know when our readers make good decisions. :-)

source: Amazon

 

Be More Productive For About A Buck, TinyList For Android (Video)

Posted: 07 May 2012 10:54 AM PDT

Joe’s my name and productivity is my game, so they say.  All kidding aside though, Im always on the hunt for good and effective productivity applications for my Android device so when I come across one I like, I always feel compelled to share it with you guys.  Latest to catch my eye is an app called TinyList, which is a basic and simple to do list packing a big punch in the feature department.  Create a check list, to do list, grocery list or anything else you’d like to keep track of in seconds and then share it with whoever you want, whenever you want, however you want.  The UI is intuitive while still promoting style and smooth navigation.  Check out the quick demo below along with the screen shots of the app in action.  The app will run you about 99¢ on the Google Play Store but that’s a small price to pay to make your life a little more organized.  After all, you know what they say right?  ”Organization relieves stress”.  So check it out via the QR code or Play Store link below and don’t forget to let us know what you think.

Gestures : 

  • Single tap to check/uncheck item
  • Slide to the left to delete list/task
  • Slide to the right to edit list/task
  • Slide right/down to duplicate list/task
  • Touch and hold to move list/task
  • Pinch to go back
  • Pinch outwards to create an item in the middle of two items
  • Slide down from the top to create an item at the top
  • Tap on numbers to modify it using the built in number incrementer  
TinyList_Main TinyList_1 TinyList_2 TinyList_3 TinyList_4 TinyList_5 TinyList_6 TinyList_7

 

qrcode

Play Store Download Link

Get The Toshiba Excite 10 Tablet With Tegra 3 On-Board And ICS for $449.99 (Video)

Posted: 07 May 2012 10:30 AM PDT

 

If you’ve been salivating over Toshiba’s latest and greates, the ever so thin Exite 10 Tab, then we’ve spotted a deal for you.  The WiFi only version and 16GB’s of on-board storage is going for $449.99 right now over at Amazon.  If you plan on holding out for the upcoming 32 GB and 64 GB you’ll have to hold out just a little longer as there is no current word on their availability.  Recall the device sports a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display with Gorilla glass technology, Nvidia’s quad-core Tegra 3 chipset, a gig of RAM and Android’s ICS 4.0.  In addition, this bad boy is touted as having a whopping 10 hour battery life, though interestingly enough their promo video shows “12 hours”.  Head on over to Amazon’s site via the source link for more details and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments below.  And don’t forget to check out the pics and video as well.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Toshiba Exite 10_3 Toshiba Exite 10_1 Toshiba Exite 10_2 Toshiba Exite 10_4 Toshiba Exite 10_5 Toshiba Exite 10_6 Toshiba Exite 10_7 Toshiba Exite 10_8 Toshiba Exite 10_9 Toshiba Exite 10_10 Toshiba Exite 10_11 Toshiba Exite 10_12 Toshiba Exite 10_13 Toshiba Exite 10_14 Toshiba Exite 10_15 Toshiba Exite 10_16 Toshiba Exite 10_17

source: Amazon

 

Sprint Gearing Up For EVO 4G LTE Arrival By Leaking Out The Getting Started Guide & Implies A May 18th Formal Release Date

Posted: 07 May 2012 10:19 AM PDT

 

It looks like Sprint is seriously gearing up for its anticipated launch of the HTC EVO 4G LTE smartphone. How do we know this? Well, it looks like Sprint has quietly made its Getting Started Guide for the EVO 4G LTE officially available, which details the basics of how to use the smartphone and its various aspects such as Android 4.0 + Sense 4.0 software or its much-acclaimed camera software.

Additionally, we just told you earlier about Sprint taking pre-orders for the smartphone– and now additional information is beginning to trickle out for our eyes to see. Well it looks like those lucky group of individuals who pre-ordered the device were greeted with a message from Sprint this morning highlighting the EVO 4G LTE would be shipped on May 15th, with the delivery making its final destination within 1 to 3 business days. Generally speaking, pre-orders tend to land in consumer’s hands a few days before the device lands in stores— so naturally it’s expected the device will arrive in Sprint stores on or around May 18th.

The wait will soon be over for Sprint owners folks! If you feel like giving the EVO 4G LTE a thorough one-over, why not check out the Getting Started Guide by checking out the link below?

HTC Evo 4G LTE Getting Started Guide

Thanks Jake!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review: Will this be the first tablet to threaten the Kindle Fire?

Posted: 07 May 2012 10:15 AM PDT

There is no shortage of tablets for Samsung. They had the first mainstream Android tablet with the Galaxy Tab back in 2010. That was a 7-inch tab and since then, they’ve released the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. and the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Samsung has admitted that sales haven’t blown anyone away. For now, the only real successful Android tablet is the Amazon Kindle Fire. Amazon changed the game when they started selling it for $199. No more can Android manufacturers continue to put out tablets costing $500+. It’s now a price war and Samsung is all in. At $249, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is still priced higher than the Kindle Fire, but it includes Ice Cream Sandwich and the full Android experience with the Google Play Store. Will the mainstream flock to it? This is my full review, but you can also check out my quick hands on.

Design

Samsung rarely impresses me when it comes to build. Most of their devices have too much plastic and is either too shiny or glossy. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE really impressed me, but that was a $499 tablet with LTE capabilities. Knowing this tab is priced at $249, I didn’t expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s plastic, but it’s not as slippery or glossy. It’s also very solid. I think the build of the Kindle Fire is a little better, but it’s also thicker and heavier. The Tab 2 comes in at 10.41mm and weighs 344 grams. The Kindle Fire is 12.7mm thick and weighs a whopping 414 grams. I prefer the Tab 2.

As far as buttons and ports go, there isn’t anything extraordinary in the design as opposed to previous Galaxy Tabs. When holding it in portrait mode, the power button is on the right side at the top and below that is the volume rocker. The proprietary charging port is at the bottom along with the stereo speakers. On the left side you will find the micro SD port and the IR port. At the top you will find the microphone jack.

Hardware

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has a 7-inch (1024 x 600) PLS display, 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 8 GB of internal storage, microSD for up to an additional 32GB of storage, 4000 mAh battery, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and WiFi.

Performance

The 1 GHz dual-core processor seems ancient right now. The original XOOM has a 1 GHz dual core and that was released a little over a year ago. Still, even though it seems so 2011, a 1 GHz dual-core should satisfy most consumers. Everyone knows by now that I’m not into benchmarks, but I always do the AnTuTu just because. It came in at 5006, which puts it a little above the Kindle Fire as expected. What is most interesting is that this score is higher than the Galaxy Tab 7.7 (4948) and the DROID XYBOARD 8.2 (4587). Both have better processors. This is why I don’t care for benchmarks. Bottomline is that it acts like a 1 GHz dual-core, and for a $249 tablet, you will find it’s quite snappy.

The PLS display is simply not as stunning as the Super AMOLED Plus on the Galaxy Tab 7.7, but Samsung makes great displays and the viewing angles are really good. It’s on par with it’s main competitor, the Kindle Fire and is also better than the ARCHOS G9 80 Turbo ICS I reviewed recently.

Samsung gives you stereo speakers unlike the ARCHOS G9 (one mono), which sound better. They certainly aren’t going to wow you, but they get the job done

Battery

The 4,000 mAh battery is around 25% smaller than the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE and it shows. I ran the continuous video test where I run continuous video while the display brightness is set at about 2/3′s. Since this doesn’t have a cellular radio, I did it while connected to WiFi. I was able to get about 7 hours, which isn’t all that great. Since the battery is about 75% of the 5100 mAh that’s in the Tab 7.7, this seems low considering the Tab 7.7 was able to get about 12 hours (.75% of 12 would be 9 hours). It’s actually worse when you consider The Tab 7.7 battery numbers were while it was connected to 4G LTE. So basically the Tab 2 couldn’t even get 75% of the performance of the Tab 7.7 while only connected to WiFi. I would’ve liked to have seen more, but I do think 7 hours is enough for the average consumer between charges.

Software

The Tab 2 7.0 might not be as great specwise as many of the newer tabs, but the one thing that it has going for itself is Ice Cream Sandwich. You won’t find that in any of the previous Samsung tablets. It’s definitely a treat, but unfortunately Samsung’s TouchWiz pretty much has the same look as the Honeycomb version. You will find the ability to swipe to kill apps and folders, but other than that you really wouldn’t know it’s ICS. People familiar with TouchWiz will probably welcome it.

It’s not all about the UI as Samsung has included some decent apps. To go along with the IR port, they added the Peel Smart Remote app. This is something they started with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Here’s the quick hands on video I did for that tab of which I spent a little time with the Peel Smart Remote app. It starts at around 4:20 in.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dropbox is also included, but the big news is that you will get 50GB of storage for one year. This is double the space that HTC users get, but HTC users get their 25GB for 2 years. I would rather have the 25GB for two years, but I won’t complain about 50GB of free space.

As far as the bloatware, you get Amazon Kindle, Dropbox, Netflix, and the Peel Smart Remote. Samsung’s included app extras include All Share, ChatOn, Game Hub, Media Hub, Memo, Music Hub, Music Player, Photo Editor, Samsung Apps (app store), Screensaver, S Planner, and Video Player.

Camera

Samsung threw in a 3MP rear camera for what I don’t know. I guess to one-up Amazon. but when it comes to tabs, you really only need the front facer. Samsung gave us a VGA (640 x 480) front facer, which is a little low. I would rather have seen them do what ARCHOS did and only put a front facer in and make it better quality then trying to cover both. The front facer is more likely to be used with video chatting than taking pictures. Nonetheless, it’s something the Kindle Fire doesn’t offer so I guess we can’t complain. I’m not going to post any pictures because honestly, if you’re really worried about the quality of pictures this tab takes, you probably shouldn’t be buying it. The picture taking abilities are good enough for what it is.

Closing

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced Android tablet (in the 7-inch range) with Ice Cream Sandwich, you won’t find a better deal other than the ARCHOS G9 80 Turbo ICS. Both are priced the same, but Samsung has a better name. The real question is if this is a better buy than the Amazon Kindle Fire? The Tab 2 is $50 more, but lets look at what you get that you won’t find on the Fire. You get an IR blaster, a microSD slot for added storage, a rear camera, a front facing camera, Bluetooth, widgets, 512MB more RAM, and access to the Google Play Store for over 450,000 apps. These items more than outweigh the $50 in extra cost. If you think about it, there’s nothing the Kindle Fire offers more because the Kindle app is available for the Tab 2 so you can still buy and read your books from the Kindle store. In fact it’s already installed out of the box.

So is the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 the Kindle Fire killer? Probably not, but not because it isn’t better. It will most likely fail because of marketing. I don’t see Samsung spending the dollars to get mainstream consumers to buy it. Unfortunately they’re relying on sites like this one and word of mouth to spread the word, which won’t cut it. Still, it’s up to me as a reviewer to recommend the tablet that makes most sense. If you’re thinking about buying a Kindle Fire, or a Nook for that matter, you need to turn your attention to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. It simply is the better tablet and offers you so much more.

 

HTC Announces its Plan to Release the One V on Various U.S. Carriers Later this Summer

Posted: 07 May 2012 09:55 AM PDT

Any of you stateside folks jealous that that we don’t have the HTC One V offered through any U.S. carriers? Worry not my friends, as HTC  just announced that the device will meander its way over to the states and should be available on various U.S. carriers later this summer. No word on which carriers will stock the device, but HTC plans to showcase the device at this week’s CTIA conference and our very own Robert Nazarian will be on scene to scoop up all the juicy details. Stay tuned as we will fill you in as soon as we learn more.

source: Engadget

 

Pick up the kernel source code for the HTC One X

Posted: 07 May 2012 09:08 AM PDT

The HTC One X has represented a real return to form for the Taiwanese manufacturer. With strong sales and an overwhelmingly positive critical response, 2012 could well be the year that HTC brings the fight to Samsung and Motorola. With the recent Galaxy S III announcement, it’s possible that some One X owners may be suffering from new device envy however perhaps today’s news will address the balance again as HTC have now released the kernal source code for the flagship device.

The code is a sizeable 111MB and is available for software versions 1.26 and 1.28. Unlocked phones are covered as are most major carriers with the exception of AT&T. Here’s hoping the One S and One V aren’t too far behind. Check out the link below to grab the source code.

 

source : HTCDev

Is Verizon Secretly Working On A Blue Version Of The Motorola DROID RAZR?

Posted: 07 May 2012 08:48 AM PDT

Feeling a little blue? Well we may have just the item to help cheer you up— a blue Motorola DROID RAZR possibly in the works by Verizon. Our friends at Android Central got a tip from an anonymous individual that Verizon may have its eyes set on marketing and selling the blue variant of the smartphone, according to a leaked inventory screenshot. If all goes well, this smartphone could possibly be launched next Wednesday, May 17th. While it looks like the 16GB model will be the one getting the blue treatment, there’s no word on how much the blue DROID RAZR will cost or whether the DROID RAZR MAXX variant will get some blue treatment as well.

While the DROID RAZR looks like it will likely don a shade of blue, we’ll have to treat this as a rumor until Big Red says its official— which should be too long from now.

source: AC
Posted by at 5:56 AM

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