Android World: Android Central

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Android Central

Sprint LTE network reportedly starting to fire up a day early
Building AOSP Jelly Bean for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus - a tutorial [from the forums]
This is what an Apple takedown notice looks like
Apps of the Week - Boid, Songza, Tasks, and more
TELUS HTC Desire HD update to Android 4.0 cancelled, down to 'poor device performance during testing'
The Dark Knight Rises set to hit Android on July 20
Android Central international round-up - July 14, 2012
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean changelog posted in celebration of the Nexus 7 shipping
XBMC for Android is coming soon, source code available for building and testing
Carbon for Android will be free, aiming for release later this month
Advantages of an unlocked Nexus, Got my Nexus 7 [From the Forums]

Sprint LTE network reportedly starting to fire up a day early

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 02:44 PM PDT

Android Central

We already knew that the Sprint LTE network was due to fire up on July 15 in selected markets, but it seems as though it might be starting up already. OK, so it's only a day early, but it's still early.

According to various different reports in the Android Central forums, Sprint users are starting to see LTE data in cities slated for tomorrows turn on. We've got threads stating that LTE has been turned on in San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City and Houston, all the cities we were expecting to see fired up tomorrow.

If you're seeing LTE yourselves, why not let us know down in the comments below, or head on over to the Android Central forums and join in the discussion.

More: Android Central Forums

Building AOSP Jelly Bean for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus - a tutorial [from the forums]

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 02:29 PM PDT

AOSP Verizon Galaxy Nexus

We've seen the source code for Android 4.1.1 (affectionately known as Jelly Bean) drop from Google, and plenty of us were excited to see the Verizon Galaxy Nexus binaries were back online and available. Whether you're a Verizon subscriber or not, as an Android fan it's OK to get warm and fuzzy inside seeing more devices opened up for users. Nice work to all involved for getting the licensing worked out once again.

But seeing it there is only the first step. For many of us, half the fun of having a phone like the LTE GNex is building code and hacking the living crap out of it. If this sounds like you, there's a special treat waiting in the Verizon Galaxy Nexus forums -- the best damn AOSP building tutorial you'll ever see. I've written a few how-tos in my time, so I can say, with no remorse, that you won't find a more thorough, easier to understand, well-thought tutorial anywhere. Dmmarck is not just an AC forums moderator, he's a total nerd, and not afraid to let it shine. He walks you through setting up your machine, from the ground up, and in the end you'll have the satisfaction of flashing a build of Jelly Bean that you made yourself. It's the pinnacle for any Android geek with a Verizon Galaxy Nexus. The icing on this cake? Dylan is there, in the forums, all day every day, to answer your questions and walk you through when you get stuck. When doing this sort of thing for the first time, that's the key.

If you've got the hankering to do some Android building for your LTE GNex, and looking for a great place to start, you've found it. Hit the link, and be sure to give dmmarck a big thanks for his hard work!

[GUIDE][Ubuntu] Compiling Android from Source

This is what an Apple takedown notice looks like

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 12:41 PM PDT

Galaxy Nexus

Rene and his team over at iMore got their hands on a copy of Apple's takedown notice that's being sent to retailers who stock the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus. According to their source, they received both electronic (fax or e-mail) and physical copies of their demands, the text of which follows:

Re: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., et al., United States District Court, Northern District of California, Case No. C-11-01846 (LHK)

[Name redacted]

We represent Apple Inc. in the above-referenced action.

We enclose a copy of the June 26 preliminary injunction ordered entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in this case together with a copy of Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604 (the '604 patent'). With the posting of the requisite bond, the order is now in effect.

The order provides as follows:

For the foregoing reasons, Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction is GRANTED. Accordingly, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Samsung Electronics America, Inc.; and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC; its officers, partners, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, subsidiaries, and those acting in concert with any of them, are enjoined for making, using, offering to sell, or selling within the Unite States, or importing into the United States, Samsung's Galaxy Nexus and any product that is no more than colorably different from the specified product that infringes on U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604.

(emphasis added).

As the italicized language provides, the order applies not only to the named Samsung entities, but also to anyone "acting in concert" with them. Apple thus believes that the order extends to you because you may be selling, offering to sell, or importing Samsung's Galaxy Nexus.

Please comply with the order by ceasing immediately to engage in any of the specified acts (e.g., importing, offering to sell, or selling within the United States) in connection with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and any product that is no more than colorably different from it and embodies the '604 patent's design. At a minimum, Apple believes compliance with the Court's order requires immediately removing for sale the Galaxy Nexus from all physical and online venues under your direction or control.

Please contact the undersigned if you have questions.

Along with the letter came the pertinent US District Court ruling, weighing in at another 100 or so pages. It's clear that Apple is in this until the very end, and will use any tactic available to them under the law to carry on their feud with Samsung. Meanwhile, the fact remains that the ban on the Galaxy Nexus was lifted, and even Samsung admits the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an obsolete product. To us, this seems like a lot of money being spent (guess who eats that cost in the end?) that could be used to build inexpensive 7-inch iPads and larger screen iPhones, like consumers seem to want. The scanned copy of the letter itself is after the break.

Source: iMore

Apps of the Week - Boid, Songza, Tasks, and more

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 08:32 AM PDT

Apps of the Week

It's that time again - Android Central's editors are showing off their favorite recently discovered apps. This week we've got some social stuff, we've got some gaming, and a dash of productivity. Let's dig in.

TELUS HTC Desire HD update to Android 4.0 cancelled, down to 'poor device performance during testing'

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:10 AM PDT

Android Central

TELUS has been pretty good as far as information surrounding their devices update schedule to Ice Cream Sandwich. There's another update now doing the rounds, and sadly it brings bad news for owners of the HTC Desire HD. The update for the Desire HD has been cancelled "due to poor device performance during testing."

While it's sure to be a bitter blow to owners of the device eagerly awaiting their turn to upgrade, if performance is an issue then it's the right decision to make. An update isn't worth waiting on, let alone accepting, if it doesn't make for a good user experience.

Additional Android devices featured on the latest documentation still shows August for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 with the 10.1 also slipping to August after we'd previously seen late July for the tablet. Also, there's prospective August 7 in market date for the LG Optimus LTE.

Source: TELUS via Mobilesyrup

The Dark Knight Rises set to hit Android on July 20

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT

Android Central

Batman fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the release of the third Christopher Nolan movie in the series, The Dark Knight Rises. Due for release in cinemas across the world on July 20, further good news is to be had with Gameloft's official game of the movie arriving on Android on the very same day.

As the only game based on the movie, The Dark Knight Rises promises full likeness to the cast, and a totally immersive experience throughout the sprawling metropolis of Gotham City. The release of The Dark Knight Rises follows the impressive Amazing Spider Man title, also from Gameloft, and is a mobile game we're very eager to get our hands on. There isn't long to wait, but in the meantime check out a new trailer after the break.

via Pocket Gamer

Android Central international round-up - July 14, 2012

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:07 AM PDT

Android Central

Google’s Nexus 7 tablet is almost upon us, and although most of us are still waiting for the much-anticipated device to arrive, we’ve had plenty to keep us occupied in the way of international Android news.

Just as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is arriving, Samsung is going on something of an upgrade spree, bringing the previous version, Ice Cream Sandwich, to a slew of older Gingerbread phone and Honeycomb tablets. Among the devices getting updated this week were the Wifi and 3G Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, as well as various flavors of Galaxy Note and Galaxy S II.

And Samsung’s launch of the 2GB, quad-core, LTE-connected Galaxy S III in its home territory of South Korea was reportedly met with record day-one sales of 50,000 units across the three main Korean carriers. That’s apparently more than double the Galaxy S II’s first-day sales, and five times the initial sales of the original Galaxy S.

British carrier O2 saw a mass outage affecting up to a third of its customer base on Wednesday and Thursday. The problem, caused by a glitch in the software which registers customers’ handsets on to the network, lasted for around 24 hours, during which time affected O2 users were unable to access the carrier’s voice or data services. The bug was dealt with by lunchtime BST on Thursday, and everyone affected by it should now be able to use their phones again.

Check out a selection of the biggest international Android stories from the past seven days below. If you’ve got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address.

Special features:

News:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean changelog posted in celebration of the Nexus 7 shipping

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 04:51 AM PDT

Android Central

So, your shiny new Nexus 7 is either in hand or on the way, and your Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- in most cases -- just got an OTA to Android 4.1.1. But, when you're asked; "so just what is all the fuss about with Jelly Bean?" What would you say? Project Butter? Google Now? Some sort of changelog would be good right?

In celebration of the first shipments of the Nexus 7 going out, Google has given us just that, as posted to Google+ by none other, than Hugo Barra himself:

To celebrate the fact that we've just started shipping +Nexus 7 today, we're publishing the official Jelly Bean changelog with all of the new features in Android 4.1

It's a plentiful list of goodies too. Picking a few out at random we see, support for USB audio docks shipping later this year, you can calibrate face unlock to work with accessories such as glasses and hats, news and weather has been improved for freshness and power consumption, and specific improvements to Currents and GMail for the 7-inch tablet.

The full changelog is posted over on the official Android site, so hit the source link below and go read up on all the Jelly Bean you can handle.

Source: Android

XBMC for Android is coming soon, source code available for building and testing

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 10:41 PM PDT

XMBC, the very popular open-source media center software, has been successfully ported to Android. The folks at XMBC tell us this on their blog -

Today we announce XBMC for Android. Not a remote, not a thin client; the real deal. No root or jailbreak required. XBMC can be launched as an application on your set-top-box, tablet, phone, or wherever else Android may be found.

If you don't understand just what this is, think of having Windows Media Center running on your Android device, fully customizable, open-source, and with full Python plug-in support. Now think of it on Google TV boxes, Android-on-a-stick style devices, or the Nexus Q. Music, video, internet apps like Pandora, all running on Android device. XMBC does all this, and more. Have a look at Wikipedia if you're not familiar with the media center concept.

For now, no public builds are available. There's still some things to iron out, and the folks at XMBC only want folks who can actively help fix the bugs using it. They've released the source code to make this happen, and you can find it (and more info) at the link below.

Source: XMBC

Carbon for Android will be free, aiming for release later this month

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 10:00 PM PDT

Carbon for Android

Some good news tonight for everyone waiting on the Carbon for Android Twitter client. Release is nigh! Developer Dots & Lines let loose tonight on Google+ for the first time since offering up a teaser video nearly four months ago, announcing that Carbon is aiming for release the week of July 22. And what's more -- it's going to be free.

That's not to say it's not going to be a full-featured Twitter client. We've been fortunate to use a couple early versions for a number of weeks now. And even with the odd bug and a number of features not yet active (hey, it's alpha testing after all) we're more than a little excited about this one. The design is top notch, the scrolling is to die for.

So why's it going to be free if it's so awesome? Dots & Lines is based in the UAE and had expected Google to allow paid apps from that country by now. That hasn't happened. Instead of waiting, we all get to benefit. (Here's to hoping there's a donation version, too. Perhaps an in-app option?) And it gets even better -- no pesky ads, either.

Says Dots & Lines:

So, we finally decided to make it a free app. Yep, a premium free app. No Ads (we believe that Ads cripple the experience no matter how efficiently done, it's just wrong on an app that users use all day long). Going free, doesn't mean watering the app down, but a mean to get the app that we've been working on for a long time, designs that went through endless iterations and tweaking to be experienced out there by our eager friends who've been waiting for months.

Dots & Lines goes on to say that what hits Google Play the week of July 22 won't be a beta test, either. It'll be a full-blow version 1 build. Those of us with test builds (and we really can't wait for everyone else to get to try Carbon) should see an update in the next week or so, ahead of the public release. We're counting the days.

Source: +Carbon for Android

Advantages of an unlocked Nexus, Got my Nexus 7 [From the Forums]

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 05:45 PM PDT

From the Forums

Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below to get started.