Monday, July 9, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Verizon Galaxy S III user manual now available online

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 04:25 PM PDT

Verizon Galaxy S III

Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy S III (read our review!), which recently started arriving at the homes of some who had pre-ordered and will be available in stores July 10th, now has its user manual available online. For many of you who know Android in-and-out, it may be repetitious, but it can be very valuable for all of you who have not owned a smartphone prior or who have recently made the switch from another platform. If you are an Android expert but are eagerly awaiting the Galaxy S III, it may help you pass the time as well. If you're interested in reading it, please find a link to the .pdf at the end of the article.  If you want to delve more in-depth into discussions about how the phone is performing and when others are purchasing it, please visit our Verizon Galaxy S III Forum.

Source: Samsung (.pdf warning)

Thanks iceman64!

 

Ever thought of mounting your Samsung Galaxy Note to a PS3 controller?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 12:11 PM PDT

With a massive screen such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Note, chances are it's going to be used to play some pretty sweet games. On-screen game controls still take something away from the gaming experience though, and while there are ways to use controllers, it's never the most elegant way of gaming.

One thing we can never accuse the Android community of, is a lack of creativity. What we see here is a bit of a homebrewed effort at creating a portable games console using a Galaxy Note, a PS3 controller, and some bits and pieces. The results are pretty impressive, and just goes to show what a bit of desire and creativity can do. 

Source: Clove

From the Editor's Desk: Welcome back, Nexus

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 09:25 AM PDT

Galaxy Nexus

That headline's been written for a week now, but it's certainly taken on new meaning in the past few days. With the announcement of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and a preview release coming out of Google I/O, I've found myself back on the Galaxy Nexus full-time. That comes after couple months on the HTC One X (mostly loved it) and the Galaxy S III (again, mostly loved it). 

For those of you new to Android, the Galaxy Nexus is the third iteration of the "Pure Google" phone. It's an annual project from Google that gives developers a stable hardware platform on which to work, though it probably won't quite be on the cutting edge of the available technology. (That's true from the time of the original Nexus One, as well as the Nexus S.) It also is the one true "stock" experience, meaning there are no carrier or manufacturer customizations. (Here comes another caveat, though: The Galaxy Nexus on Sprint and Verizon has had a couple apps added.) It's also completely customizable from a modding standpoint, which makes it the Holy Grail for those who like to tinker. The bootloader's unlockable with a single terminal command, and gaining root access is trivial.

Returning to the Nexus has been easy enough; I always enjoyed the stock ICS experience in the first place. Jelly Bean really has made it that much better. Here are a few thoughts on coming back:

read more

Nexus 7 tipped for July 19 launch in UK stores

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:06 AM PDT

Android Central

It's expected sometime this month, but the exact launch date of Google and ASUS' Nexus 7 around the world remains something of a mystery. But in the UK, it seems at least one retailer has a firm date in mind -- Currys, part of the Dixons Group, is listing the 16GB, £200 Jelly Bean tablet with an expected launch date of Thursday, July 19. As a pre-order (or "reservation") price, this is always subject to change, but Currys and other Dixons stores have a history of being fairly accurate with this sort of thing. And July 19 also jives quite nicely with the expected Canadian launch date of July 14.

It's worth remembering that Currys and most other major UK retailers are only offering the 16GB, £200 model for sale. Currently, it looks like the newly-launched Google Play devices store is the only place you'll be able to get your hands on the cheaper 8GB variant, which is priced at £159. At the time of writing, Google Play is still listing the both flavors of Nexus 7 as "shipping in 2-3 weeks."

Source: Currys; via: Eurodroid

Sony releases Xperia S Ice Cream Sandwich kernel source

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:44 AM PDT

Android Central

Good news for custom ROM developers, as Sony Mobile has just released the kernel source code for its recent Xperia S Android 4.0.4 update, as it's required to do under the open source rules. The open source archive, based on the just-launched v6.1.A.0.452 ICS firmware, weighs in at around 132MB, and will be an essential download for anyone preparing aftermarket firmware for Sony's international flagship phone. Regular users and ROM-flashers won't find much of interest here for the moment. Instead, the benefit of this code should show itself in the weeks ahead, in the form of stable, more functional ICS ROMs for the Xperia S.

Developers can grab the 132MB archive from Sony over at the source link.

Source: Sony Developer World; via: XperiaBlog

ASUS teases multicolored Nexus 7 covers

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:35 AM PDT

Android Central

Clad in blacks and grays, the Nexus 7 itself may be an unassuming beast, but it seems manufacturer ASUS is looking to spice things up a bit with its range of covers. The Nexus 7 maker teased a first look at its official accessories for the soon-to-be-released tablet on Twitter, showing some more colorful versions of the grey case that's listed -- though not yet available -- on Google Play. There's no info on pricing or availability just yet, but we're sure Nexus 7 early adopters will be looking to protect their investment with something like this following the tablet's release.

More: Nexus 7 review

Source: @ASUS

Best Buy, Staples and Future Shop Canada now taking pre-orders for the Nexus 7

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:14 PM PDT

Nexus 7

At this point, it's no secret that retailers across various regions will be adding the Nexus 7 to  their tablet offerings but now Best Buy, Staples and Future Shop Canada have gone ahead and set up their pre-orders for the first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet. Oddly, it seems retailers are opting to not offer the lower priced 8GB version and instead jumping to the higher priced 16GB version. Whether or not the 8GB version will make an appearance later isn't known but either way, the $259.99 asking price isn't all that bad no matter how you slice it for what you're putting yourself into.

Of course, Google Play ordering is still the better option here considering you can get an additional $25 in apps when ordering direct but when these devices it hit stores, it should help those waiting to get a hands-on before diving in help decide if it's everything they are expecting. Speaking of dates, Best Buy and Future Shops says they'll be arriving in the warehouse on August 10th (bit late?) while Staples says July 14th. We'll be keeping our eye on whom, exactly ends up with them first. In the meantime, have you read our Nexus 7 review yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Sources: Staples, Best Buy, Future Shop
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