Friday, June 8, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Android 4.0.4 rolling out to Motorola Xoom. Trigger the update now!

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT

Motorola started to roll out the Android 4.0.4 (IMM76L) to testers earlier this week and whispers from the tech world today are suggesting that the full roll-out has began. As ever, the roll-out will be staggered meaning it will be a bit of a lottery as to when your update will be pushed.

If you’re not the patient type then we have some good news for you. The little trick that was discovered on the Galaxy Nexus that allows the user to force a pending update through also works on the Xoom. Just in case you’ve forgotten the steps, we’ve listed the instructions below:

  1. Open up the settings > applications > all
  2. Scroll down to ‘Google Services Framework’
  3. Open the application details
  4. Click on the ‘Clear Data’ and then ‘Force Stop’ buttons
  5. Open up settings > About tablet > System updates and hit the ‘Check now’ button
Please bare in mind that you may need to repeat the process 4 or 5 times before the update kicks in. Once you get it running, be sure to check back in and let us know your thoughts on Android 4.0.4.

Source: Droid Life

Watch ASUS Unveil the Trasformer AiO, the 18.4-Inch Dual-Booting Desktop / Tablet Hybrid [Video]

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:59 PM PDT

Just in case you guys couldn’t make it to Taipei for this year’s Computex to see ASUS unveil their “next transformation,” you can watch the unveiling on YouTube right now. Among the other nifty gadgets ASUS announced at the event, the ASUS Transformer AiO has got to be one of the coolest, most unnecessary devices I have ever seen. Measuring in at a whopping 18.4-inches, the AiO is a Widows 8 Desktop machine, that when undocked from the base can become a ginormous ICS tablet.

We’ve already told you guys all about it and even included a little hands on video, but if you want to see the actual unveiling you should check out the video after the break. Jump to the 15 minute mark if you want to get straight to the AiO but if you are into techy stuff you might as well watch the whole thing. Not only is the announcer goofball-funny, ASUS is quickly becoming the computer company to beat and it is neat to see the things they are coming up with. Check it all out after the jump and let us know what you think in the comments.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sierra Wireless unveils super skinny 4G LTE module

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:34 PM PDT

4G and thin profiles aren’t exactly the best of friends. You can pretty much guarantee that the GSM variation of any new Android device will be down a few grams and a few millimetres when compared to the 4G counterpart. Whether it’s down to fashion or practicality, it’s certainly a niggling problem that prevent a number of potential customers from jumping on the high-speed bandwagon.

Sierra Wireless has taken it upon itself to do produce a remedy for the problem and it goes by the name of AirPrime EM7700. The EM7700 is an ultra thin embedded modem that uses the Qualcomm MDM9200 Gobi chipset made famous by Nokia’s Lumia 900. Made exclusively for the AT&T 4G LTE network, the EM7700 also supports HSPA+ and 3G in those areas where LTE isn’t available. At only 2.5mm thick, this slim but capable module will slot into your average tablet or notebook with minimal fuss. Sounds good to us!

For those of you keen to get your hands on the EM770, shipments are expected some time early in Q3.

Source: Sierra Wireless

Samsung Responds to Apple’s Latest Infringement Allegations

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:54 AM PDT

Samsung today fired back at Apple’s recent allegations of patent infringement relating to the Galaxy S III.  Apple has claimed the phone infringes on at least two of its patents, and has requested an injunction to prevent sales in the US until it can figure it out for sure.  Samsung responded in a statement that it can and will “demonstrate to the court that the Galaxy S III is innovative and distinctive“. The Galaxy S III went on sale in Europe on May 29th, and is expected to go on sale in the US in July, months before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5.

This is just the latest in the never ending feud between Apple and Samsung, and it seems Apple is feeling more and more vulnerable as it seeks to maintain its market share through litigation instead of innovation.  We’ll keep you posted, but for those of us waiting for a Galaxy S III here in the States, let’s hope this gets settled quickly.

via BusinessWeek

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review: Competitively priced but is it enough?

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:24 AM PDT

Samsung continues to be the leader in the number of tablets released by an Android manufacturer. They had the first mainstream tablet, the Galaxy Tab, and from there they continued to release various 7-inch tablets along with an 8.9 tab and a 10.1. This year they updated their tabs to the Galaxy Tab 2 by trying to be more competitive. I already reviewed The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which is priced at $249. I found that one to be very competitive and a solid deal. This review is for basically the same tablet, but with a 10.1-inch display. The price is $399, but is it that competitive enough? Hit the break to get started, and you can also check out our initial hands on as well.

Design

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is very similar to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Other than display size, speaker placement and some button placement, it has the identical plastic case. I’ve never been a fan of Samsung plastics, but I did find these tabs to not be as slippery as in past offerings. For the 10.1, the speakers are on the front at the edges of the bezel. The good thing is they aren’t on the same side. The left one is on the left side and yes, you guessed it, the right one is on the right side.

When holding the tab in landscape more, the power is at the top left and the volume rocker is to right of that. In the middle is the IR port and to the right of that is the microSD slot. Lastly, the microphone jack is all the way to the right. The bottom has the proprietary Samsung charging port, and both the right and left sides are free of switches and ports.

As far as thickness and weight, it comes in at 9.7mm thick and weighs 581 grams. The original Tab 10.1 came in at 8.6mm, which is much thinner, but the weight was a little heavier, 595 grams.

All in all it feels nice in the hands, much like the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Hardware

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) PLS display, 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 16 GB of internal storage, microSD for up to an additional 32GB of storage, 7000 mAh battery, built-in IR blaster, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and WiFi. This is pretty much the same specs as the Tab 2 7.0 except for the screen size, resolution, and internal storage.

Performance

The performance is pretty much on par with the Tab 2 7.0. They both have the same processor, but with the 10.1-inch display, this one has to work a little harder. The obligatory AnTuTu benchmark gave us 4878, which is actually lower than the Tab 2 7.0, which scored 5006. With more display real estate and more resolution this isn’t a surprise. In real world use, it seemed to perform as well as the 7.0 though.

The real problem lies in that this is a 10.1-inch tablet so it can’t behave like a 7-inch budget tablet. Unfortunately that’s the case here, and even though it’s priced cheaper than previous Samsung tabs, it might already be priced out of the market with the likes of the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300.

The display on this 10.1-inch version is much better than the Tab 2 7.0 thanks to the 1280 x 800 resolution. It’s still a PLS display so no Super AMOLED like the Galaxy Tab 7.7. It’s still nice and it’s made for the mainstream consumer in mind.

The sound quality is dramatically better with the 10.1 versus the 7.0. With the 7.0, the speakers are on the side, but the 10.1 has speakers placed at the front along the right and left bezel. It gives you best separation possible and is something I wish more tablet manufacturers would implement.

Battery

The 7,000 mAh battery is 75% bigger than the Tab 2 7.0 so you would expect more time, which was the case. I conducted my usual video rundown test in which I run continuous video with the display turned up to 2/3′s brightness. I was able to get just about 10 hours, which is 3 hours better than the Tab 2 7.0. It’s about average for a 10.1-inch tablet and should satisfy most people.

Software

Just like the Tab 2 7.0, it has Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. Also unfortunately, it has the same TouchWiz interface which really takes away from the whole ICS experience. If you’re familiar with TouchWiz, you probably won’t complain, but if you’re new to Samsung, be aware.

Samsung includes the IR port and the Peel Smart Remote app, which is a nice touch. It’s one of those features that is most likely forgotten with 90% of the consumers, but I think if users take the time to set things up, they will enjoy it. When I reviewed Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, I spent a short amount of time with the software so if you want to see a glimpse of it, check out the video below. It starts 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

There really isn’t much to say about the camera. Samsung threw in a 3MP rear, but I would’ve rather them leave it out completely and put a better front-facing one. They only gave us a VGA (640 x 480) front-facer and I think a 1.3MP or 2MP would have been better. To be honest I don’t use either much, but I’m certainly more likely to use the front-facer for video chat as opposed to the rear-facing to take pictures.

I’m not including any example photos here since there’s nothing earth shattering here. If your looking to buy this device and plan on depending on the rear camera then move on to the next device. If you plan on needing it for an occasional emergency, which seems more likely, than don’t worry, it will get the job done.

Closing

Samsung has admitted tablet sales have been dismal. They are obviously trying to get things going with the Tab 2 line, which is more economical. Unfortunately the 10.1 version at $399 isn’t all that economical anymore. ASUS released the Transformer Pad TF300, which can be had for $389 and you get a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and more storage. The 7-inch version really provides a solid deal, but unfortunately this version just didn’t get the job done. It really needs to be priced at $329 to $349 in order to wow anyone. If a great deal on a 10.1-inch tab is what you want, I have to recommend the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300, but if you don’t mind a 7-inch display, you can’t beat the $249 price on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Galaxy S III Gets Awesome Camera Mod, Adds 30Mbit Upgrade In Superfine Mode

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:10 AM PDT

 

Just when you thought you couldn’t beef up that Galaxy S III camera any more, think again.  Thanks to the camera modders out there, specifically hyperX, you can now obtain even greater video quality than before.  hyperX has released a brand new mod for the GSIII that will boost the 1080p Full HD video recording to 30 Mbit in superfine mode, fully with 192 kbit audio.  Stick with me here as this is going to be nerdy as hell but nevertheless cool.  There will also be a 24 Mbit fine mode and 19 Mbit normal 1080p mode in addition to 19 Mbit superfine 720p mode.  Furthermore, 15 Mbit fine and 10 Mbit normal modes will also be present while all utilizing 192 kbit audio recording.  The dev is also attempting to add in 60fps capture to all resolutions, though it’s presenting to be quite a challenge at this time.  Further tweaks include the ability to launch the camera during a live phone call in addition to the ability to snap photos during video recording with the volume up and down buttons.  As of now, the GSIII will not allow the camera app to load if the battery is under 15%, however, the dev is closely working on that.  Just make sure your device is rooted if you’re interested in applying this hack and remember that you do so at your own risk.  Big thanks goes out to hyperX for the awesome mod and we hope you guys all have fun with it. Feel free to leave a comment or two below with what you think of the mod.  Instructions and download links have been provided after the break courtesy of HX Customs Roms  

 

Instructions From HX Custom Roms:

New in Vers. 1.1:
1080p superfine: 30 Mbit / fine: 24 Mbit / normal = 19 Mbit

720p superfine: 19 Mbit / fine: 15 Mbit / normal: 10 Mbit

- 192 kbit Audio for all res.

- Battery mod / start Camera below 15 %

- Start camera while on CALL

- "VOLUME DOWN/UP" to shot a photo

– added 60 fps for all res, but didn´t work yet….

 - replace original SamsungCamera.apk in system\app\ with this one using e.g. "Root explorer" or something…

You need a rooted Device !

-Tested with Omega V3 ROM, and confirmed working with STOCK ROM

SamsungCamera_HX-MOD (vers. 1.1 Update 5.6.2012)

source: HX Custom Roms

 

 

Vodafone and O2 Announce An Infrastructure Sharing Agreement, Will Soon Share 2G, 3G And 4G Technologies

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:34 AM PDT

In an effort to improve signal strength for their customers, O2 and Vodafone have recently announced that the two will be combining and sharing their current 2G, 3G and soon LTE 4G network infrastructure.  And while this may sound boring to some, it’s actually a pretty smart and slick move between the two carriers.  O2 and Vodafone make up the country’s second and third largest network operators and plan to create a massive nationwide grid in which both networks can run on.  Recall the merger between Orange and T-Mobile UK, “Everything Everywhere“, and note that this isn’t the same thing.  O2 and Vodafone are not merging in so much as this is more of an attempt to assist in a quicker roll-out of their 4G LTE technologies.  The two carriers state that the agreement will allow them to deploy 4G services more rapidly as would otherwise.  However, the carriers will remain separate companies and still compete against one another.  The only distinction here would be how fast the carriers can get 4G to their customers as soon as the 800MHz/2600Mhz spectrum auction is complete.  So, how and who in the world is going to be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the new infrastructure?  Good and fair question.  In a seamless effort to integrate the new venture into both networks, a new 50/50 split watch is being implemented as O2 oversees design management and maintenance in the east and likewise Vodafone in the west.  The 18,500 site increase will serve as a 40% increase for both networks.  So, what does this mean to the customer?  It means, should all go as planned, customers should start seeing better reception in spots that have otherwise been sketchy in each respective network and a seamless roll-out of 4G LTE will rapidly approach.  Should everything be approved, the carriers hope to begin kicking things off later this year. Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.

source: O2

THD N2-A Shows Off Macbook-Esque ICS-Powered N2-A Notebook

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:55 AM PDT

We know some of you all love your Macbooks, but wouldn’t you love it if you could have the Android OS in a Macbook body? Well thanks to the THD N2-A clamshell notebook, you will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds. The ICS-powered 13.3-inch notebook features an LED-backlit 1366 x 768 LCD screen, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 gig of DDR3 RAM, built-in WiFi (with an optional ethernet or 3G dongle via the USB ports) and wait for it— a 4200mAh battery. The N2-A does not feature a touchscreen option, so you’ll have to use the touchpad and keyboard (which curiously includes a Windows key by the way) in order to navigate the operating system— though there is the option to connect a USB mouse to the system.

Overall, the N2-A notebook is definitely on the cheaper modest scale. The device itself is incredibly light and thin too for a notebook: it comes in at 3.4 lb, while also including a decent silver finish. You’re probably wondering how much this lovely machine will cost, right? Well, you can’t buy one notebook buy itself, but purchasing the notebook in groups of 500 units will run you about $74,500 from THD directly. But then again you can think of it this way: if you have 500 Android friends who are yearning for some of that Android-on-a-Mac experience, it would come out to about $149 a piece, which is definitely competitive to even premium tablets out there. Hit the break to see photos and video of the N2-A in action.

 

 

source: Engadget

 

DROID Incredible 4G LTE accessories arrive at indirect sales channels, Release pushed to July?

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:31 AM PDT

We just got word that some DROID Incredible 4G LTE accessories are arriving at indirect sales channels for Verizon Wireless. This means the launch should be fairly close, but we’re also hearing that we probably won’t see it until the first week in July due to software issues. This certainly doesn’t surprise me since this is Verizon we’re talking about.

Actually this phone is way overdue since it’s not even a One X and barely a One S since it lacks the fantastic camera software of the One Series. Droid Life recently reported a June 21st date, which seems realistic as well.

I guess it comes down to the source, and our source is very confident that we won’t see this mid-level phone until closer to Independence Day. More pics after the break

Tactus Shows Off Touchscreen Display With Disappearing Physical Keys

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:14 AM PDT

 

Do you love your touchscreen, but find it’s not fancy enough for you? Well Tactus might have a solution for you. While at SID 2012, the company showcased its new display product which is a haptic technology offering disappearing physical keys. Yes that’s right— physical keys that actually rise up when in use and disappear when they’re not in use on your display screen. It’s a little hard to fathom, I know but it is currently in development and will likely be a reality when all is said and done, especially as many of us Android users with big hands such as myself may have a difficult time typing on our touchscreen keys, yet loathe actual physical keyboards on our devices. More importantly, it would greatly assist in those with disabilities such as those who are legally blind. This technology would essentially let the masses have their touchscreen cake and eat it too.

While the technology is under development, it has a ways to go before it reaches the mainstream. For starters: the display is only configured for touchscreen layouts. It can only be configured for a QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode and that’s it. This means there are no specific controls such as those meant for gaming and will be incompatible with other keyboard alternatives such as Swype or SwiftKey. Yes it sucks, but you have to start from somewhere I suppose.

Still, you can’t help but be excited for the potential of this technology. I’m sure you’re all itching to get an idea of how this works in action, so why don’t you jump past the break to see a demo video?

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

source: Android Police
Posted by at 5:46 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)