Android and Me |
- Galaxy Nexus banned in the U.S. following preliminary injunction in Apple patent case
- Jelly Bean first impressions
- Flash Player won’t be updated for Android 4.1 – Adobe to block new installs on August 15th
- HTC One V now available from Virgin Mobile USA for $199.99
- Rumor: Nexus 10 may already be in the works
- Google’s Android PDK could mean quicker updates for consumers
| Galaxy Nexus banned in the U.S. following preliminary injunction in Apple patent case Posted: 29 Jun 2012 06:57 PM PDT  You read that right, sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the U.S. have been temporarily banned after the court granted Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Nexus in their ongoing patent lawsuit. As soon as Apple posts a bond of approximately $96 million (the estimated costs for Samsung should the court decide this injunction was wrongly applied) the ban will go into effect. Samsung can of course appeal this ruling and that could happen as early as next week, which could potentially bring this to a very abrupt end. If Samsung is unable to convince the court to reverse this decision the ban will remain in effect until the trial is concluded. There are four total patents at issue in this case. The first is the same one that proved problematic for HTC that allows the device to identify text or numbers to pull up a relevant menu or action. The second is basically word prediction for a touchscreen keyboard. The third is the ever popular slide-to-unlock patent and rounding out the quartet is a patent for a single search interface that allows the device to search a variety of sources both on and off the device. Now those are very simplistic descriptions of these patents, but I am nevertheless baffled as always that not only were these patents granted in the first place, but that a judge finds them to be compelling. And to be clear this does not bode well for Samsung in the trial as the standards for granting a preliminary injunction are fairly high, requiring that the judge believed that the patents were likely valid and that Samsung had indeed infringed upon them and is causing Apple irreparable harm by having the Galaxy Nexus on sale. There has been no official comment from Samsung as of this posting, but we’ll keep you updated as any new information becomes available.
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| Posted: 29 Jun 2012 03:27 PM PDT  Now that Jelly Bean, Android 4.1, has been released to developers and made available as a custom ROM, reports are coming in from all over the web on just how great it is. Naturally, I had to find out for myself. So how does Jelly Bean stack up? Even as a developer preview, compared to both the competition and former versions of Android, it’s a wonderful step in the right direction. Here’s why: Project Butter
After playing around with Jelly Bean for a day, I can say this is very true. Everything from opening and closing animations, to list scrolling, to just zipping around the OS is amazing. I remember when I first started using Ice Cream Sandwich, I thought it was a huge improvement in stability and speed over previous versions of Android. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to go from a Gingerbread device to Jelly Bean. The jump from 4.0 to 4.1 definitely has some major changes performance wise, but from 2.3 to 4.1, Android is an entirely different beast. Seeing is believing when it comes to Project Butter, and while the super slow motion video provided by Google does show quite the difference, you really need to spend some quality time with Jelly Bean to see just how much it affects the overall experience. Enhanced Notifications  Older Ice Cream Sandwich notifications. Not only does the new notification shade in Jelly Bean look slightly different, it has some added functionality. Notifications are now expandable. Say you get an email, and you want to see more information on it without having to enter the app. Simply place two fingers on the notification, and swipe down to expand it for more information. You can also swipe up on expanded notifications to put them back into their compact state.  Newer Jelly Bean notifications. After taking a screen shot, I was able to press the share button right from the notification, select Gmail to send it to myself, and pop into the compose email form to without ever having to visit the gallery like in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thanks to Project Butter, everything about the new notifications performs better than ever before as well. Android was already well ahead of the curve when it comes to notifications, and Jelly Bean gives it an even bigger lead. Design If it wasn’t clear before, it certainly is now. Each major mobile OS developer has claimed their own unique design style, and they will be sticking to it. Microsoft is going hard with Metro. Which, for better or worse, is based around monochrome squares and big lines of bold text. Sometimes cut off, sometimes not. I can appreciate the minimal, clean look of Windows Phone and its Metro UI, but it can be slightly boring. In unveiling iOS 6, Apple has revealed they will not be backing down on the skeuomorphism. There is more faux stitching, fake leather, grey linen and glossy glass than any one human should have to endure. It has become a sort of trademark for Apple now, especially after what Android is doing with Holo, and Microsoft with Metro.
Of course the UI design in Jelly Bean isn’t perfect. I’m not totally gaga over feeling like I’m trapped in Tron world at certain times in Android 4.x, but Jelly Bean has improved in certain areas over ICS. Buttons are squared off now. There’s less blue in the notifications shade (but not in the status bar). Little things like that. Even with the occasional overly futuristic vibe, Jelly Bean looks very modern. And now that Holo themed apps are being released from most of the big name developers, you can really start to feel a cohesive design language in Android. Ice Cream Sandwich opened the door to the future of Android design. Jelly Bean works to refine that design for the better. If you don’t like Holo, you may want to consider leaving Android now. Because from the looks of it, it’s here to stay. Google Now, Google Search and voice recognition Google Now has got to be the biggest announcement out of Google I/O 2012. It’s the next level of Google Search, Google voice recognition and the Big G’s answer to the virtual assistant craze. And it’s better than I could have possibly imagined.
Underneath the search bar are your cards. A card of information is what you will get when you search for something, but they also appear in Google Now by themselves based on several different factors: Where you are, things you’ve searched for in the past, flights you’ve made, calendar events, sports scores you frequent. For example, when I open Google Now there is a card showing the weather all ready for me. The more you use Google Now, the better the preloaded cards become. But that’s not all. Google Now will actually provide you with certain information without even being asked – like directions to your house when you leave the airport. It’s mind blowing. All this is great, but what it really comes down to is how it actually functions in real world scenarios. Fortunately, I can say like a dream. Voice input is absolutely amazing. Google Now manages to pick up everything I say whether it’s posed as a question or command. I haven’t run into any major problems. Cards have yet to pop up with things I don’t care to know or see. They actually work. And even if they didn’t, a regular Google search appears below the card of info Google Now shows you for further reading, if necessary. As for Google’s AI voice – best I’ve ever heard. Much more human sounding than the competition. Google Now isn’t even finished yet, but it’s entirely usable right now. In many ways, it’s been much more impressive than any alternative personal assistant software I’ve ever used. Google Now isn’t just the future of Google Search, it’s the future of Google. It’s so advanced, it’s almost scary. Wrap up Jelly Bean has taken everything good introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich, and improved on it. While some would consider Android 4.1 more of a refinement release, there is also more than enough new features present to make it feel totally new again. Google Now is fantastic. Project Butter makes Android run better than ever before. The new notifications are a welcome improvement over an already great system. I really can’t find a whole lot to complain about. Jelly Bean is most certainly the next step in Android’s maturity. I absolutely can’t wait to see what Google comes up with next. If there’s anything else you’d like to hear about, I’d be more than glad to help out in the comments below.
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| Flash Player won’t be updated for Android 4.1 – Adobe to block new installs on August 15th Posted: 29 Jun 2012 12:10 PM PDT  Back in November, Adobe announced that they would be discontinuing development of the Flash Player for mobile browsers. While Adobe isn’t quite ready to kill of Flash Player for Android, today they announced that Android 4.1 will not be officially supported. Going forward, Adobe will not be working with device manufacturers to certify Flash for individual handsets and they will also turn off new installations of Flash Player from Google Play on August 15th. Devices that don't have the Flash Player provided by the manufacturer typically are uncertified, meaning the manufacturer has not completed the certification testing requirements. In many cases users of uncertified devices have been able to download the Flash Player from the Google Play Store, and in most cases it worked. However, with Android 4.1 this is no longer going to be the case, as we have not continued developing and testing Flash Player for this new version of Android and its available browser options. There will be no certified implementations of Flash Player for Android 4.1.Adobe Adobe’s announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Flash Player support within Android web browsers will surely be missed. While Flash support was viewed as a key differentiator between Android and iOS, it never lived up to its full potential. As more web developers embrace HTML5 and other standards, the gap left open by the removal of Flash support will not be as noticed. If you don’t have Flash Player installed on your Android device (we’re not really sure why anyone wouldn’t), we’d suggest you get it now. Will Adobe’s decision to kill of Flash support on Android devices have a huge impact on the future of Android or will HTML5 and other web standards help push things forward on the platform? Show Press Release We announced last November that we are focusing our work with Flash on PC browsing and mobile apps packaged with Adobe AIR, and will be discontinuing our development of the Flash Player for mobile browsers. This post provides an update on what this means for ongoing access to the Flash Player browser plugin for Android in the Google Play Store. The Flash Player browser plugin integrates tightly with a device's browser and multimedia subsystems (in ways that typical apps do not), and this necessitates integration by our device ecosystem partners. To ensure that the Flash Player provides the best possible experience for users, our partner program requires certification of each Flash Player implementation. Certification includes extensive testing to ensure web content works as expected, and that the Flash Player provides a good user experience. Certified devices typically include the Flash Player pre-loaded at the factory or as part of a system update. Devices that don't have the Flash Player provided by the manufacturer typically are uncertified, meaning the manufacturer has not completed the certification testing requirements. In many cases users of uncertified devices have been able to download the Flash Player from the Google Play Store, and in most cases it worked. However, with Android 4.1 this is no longer going to be the case, as we have not continued developing and testing Flash Player for this new version of Android and its available browser options. There will be no certified implementations of Flash Player for Android 4.1. Beginning August 15th we will use the configuration settings in the Google Play Store to limit continued access to Flash Player updates to only those devices that have Flash Player already installed. Devices that do not have Flash Player already installed are increasingly likely to be incompatible with Flash Player and will no longer be able to install it from the Google Play Store after August 15th. The easiest way to ensure ongoing access to Flash Player on Android 4.0 or earlier devices is to use certified devices and ensure that the Flash Player is either pre-installed by the manufacturer or installed from Google Play Store before August 15th. If a device is upgraded from Android 4.0 to Android 4.1, the current version of Flash Player may exhibit unpredictable behavior, as it is not certified for use with Android 4.1. Future updates to Flash Player will not work. We recommend uninstalling Flash Player on devices which have been upgraded to Android 4.1. For developers who need ongoing access to released versions of Flash Player for Android, those will remain available in the archive of released Flash Player versions. Installations made from the archive will not receive updates through the Google Play Store. As always this and other Flash runtime roadmap updates can be found in the Adobe roadmap for the Flash runtimes white paper.
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| HTC One V now available from Virgin Mobile USA for $199.99 Posted: 29 Jun 2012 08:24 AM PDT  The HTC One V is now available from Virgin Mobile USA for $199.99. Virgin Mobile’s introduction of the HTC One V caught us completely off guard. When HTC first unveiled the handset at Mobile World Congress, rumors started going around that we would see a Virgin Mobile variant in the U.S. – but the news pretty much stopped there. Though Virgin Mobile’s HTC EVO V 4G may feature a more impressive spec sheet with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor, 4.3-inch display, two 5 megapixel cameras for capturing 3D images and video, we’d probably opt for the smaller HTC One V. This latest handset may only feature a 1Ghz single-core processor and a 3.7-inch display, but it comes with HTC Sense 4.0, a longer lasting battery and a 5 megapixel camera with HTC’s new ImageSense technology coupled with a dedicated ImageChip to which allows the phone to produce some pretty spectacular images. The HTC EVO V 4G will cost $299.99 and both the EVO V 4G and One V can be used with Virgin's Beyond Talk plans which start at just $35 a month for 300 minutes, unlimited messaging and unlimited data. Virgin Mobile's lineup may not include any true flagship Android devices, but the HTC One V is certainly a great option considering that they are practically giving it away for $199.99, and the EVO V 4G is another solid offering for only $100 more. Show Press ReleaseFeatures HTC’s Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound with Beats Audio™ and Beyond Talk™ Plans as Low as $35 per Month Without a Contract WARREN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 29, 2012– In the latest demonstration of its "Higher Calling" commitment to customers, Virgin Mobile USA is offering the HTC One™ V, a powerful all-around media monster to help customers stay connected, take and share great photos, keep up on email, and enjoy high-quality sound. The new HTC One V on Virgin Mobile is a great smartphone for multitaskers and music buffs and is now available for $199.99 on virginmobileusa.com and at local retailers, rolling out to national retailers Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart through July and August. HTC One V Comes to Virgin Mobile USA Features HTC’s Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound with Beats Audio(TM) and Beyond Talk(TM) Plans as Low as $35 Per Month Without a Contract (Photo: Virgin Mobile USA) The HTC One V is the first Virgin Mobile USA phone to come with these awesome HTC One series features:
"This terrific handset for under $200, combined with our no-contract Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans starting at $35 per month4, is an ideal alternative to postpaid offers and to other smartphones on the market," said Jeff Auman, vice president, Virgin Mobile USA. "’A Higher Calling’ demands that we continue to expand our already stellar smartphone lineup, and we’re delighted to add this device from the HTC One series." Using the latest version of HTC Sense 4 integrated with Android operating system (4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich), the HTC One V comes with a 3.7-inch screen, a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera and 1500mAh embedded battery.
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| Rumor: Nexus 10 may already be in the works Posted: 29 Jun 2012 07:25 AM PDT  What with the Nexus 7 being days old already it must be time for the speculation regarding the next Nexus device, right? (Oh and before you yell at me, yes that is just an image of the Nexus 7.) The oft-maligned Digitimes is reporting today that Google has placed an order for 10-inch touch panels with Wintek. Wintek has already supplied Google with 500,000 touch panels for the Nexus 7 and considering the positive first impressions we are seeing on the Nexus 7 it would make sense that they would want to keep the team together. There are no further details to speak of at the moment and as with all things that we specifically call out as a rumor you shouldn’t be betting the farm on this information. With that said it is certainly plausible that Google would want a device to actually go toe to toe with the iPad just as the Nexus 7 is clearly designed to take on the Fire and Nook. I hope that Google does have a Nexus 10 in the works as while the 7-inch form factor is compelling for a number of use cases I still think there is a place for 10-inch tablets and that will only become more true as Chrome OS and Android continue to grow together. Let’s assume the rumor is true. What would you like to see out of a 10-inch Nexus tablet in terms of both specs and pricing?
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| Google’s Android PDK could mean quicker updates for consumers Posted: 29 Jun 2012 07:23 AM PDT  Lost is the flurry of this week’s Google I/O news was the announcement that Google has developed a PDK (platform development kit) for hardware manufacturers to help them port the latest version of Android to new or existing devices. At this time, no real details are known about the PDK, except that it will be available to Android partners 2-3 months before new Android releases are made available to the public. So what does the release for the Android PDK mean for consumers? While the PDK is intended to be a tool for hardware manufacturers and chip makers, its implementation should translate into more rapid deployments of Android updates to the end users. For a long time, Android users have blamed custom skins from OEMs for the delayed Android update, but we now know that component drivers bear the majority of the blame. If component and chip makers use the Android PDK to work in tandem with OEMs, Android updates could roll out to devices months quicker than they currently do. Unfortunately, theories don’t always pan out the way they should. Google claims that key partners have had access to Android 4.1 for a while, so we’ll see how fast they can deploy the update once Google gives them clearance – presumably once the update gets pushed out to the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola XOOM. Do you think the Android PDK deployment will translate into more timely Android updates for consumers or will this simply fall by the wayside like the Android Update Alliance?
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