Sunday, July 15, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Samsung Galaxy S3 launcher ported to ICS ROMs – blasphemy in the ears of stock Android fans

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT


Manufacturer UIs are here to stay. It is the only way a phone maker can differentiate itself from a crowd of manufacturers using the same operating system. In the hands of manufacturers the result can either be amazing or simply horrible. Regardless, it is a matter of opinion. But around this site people are usually yelling and screaming how much they hate UI overlays, making it a bit weird when people port these launchers to other devices.

The guys at XDA Developers have managed to port the Samsung Galaxy S3′s launcher to all ROMs running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. That is right, you can stick the Touchwiz launcher into any rooted device running ICS, regardless of the brand. Of course this comes with its limitations, and it won’t work perfectly with all devices. There is a rather goodlist of working devices, though.

The launcher is fairly simple to install. One simply needs to put the .apk file under /system/apps using any root explorer.

I would never choose to install a manufacturer launcher, as I prefer regular, simple and beautiful stock Android. And we are sure many of you will scream: “Why would you destroy your device like that?!” It might be important to note that users have been reporting rather good experiences in terms of performance. Some even swear by it being smoother than any other launcher, including Nova and Apex Launcher.

The point here is that there is a drug for everyone. And if Touchwiz is yours, then by all means – enjoy it! MIUI has a very high demand, and it is also very similar to Touchwiz and iOS. We love options, right?

Hit the source link for download, instructions and more details.

[Source: XDA Developers]

Add Fujifilm to the Android patent wars, goes against Motorola

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 06:07 PM PDT

The growing trend of companies suing Android manufacturers continues to grow along with the platform’s success. Just in case Google partners don’t have enough to worry about already, Fujifilm has decided to join the party. The camera maker has recently filed a lawsuit against Motorola, claiming that a large amount of the manufacturer’s devices are infringing on its patents.

Fujifilm is bringing 4 specific patents to court, which include the following:

These patents involve processes mostly related to imaging (of course) and communications. In short, they relate to image conversion, processing, face detection and devices communicating with other devices “over a path other than the telephone network.”

Needless to say that some of these are pretty general patents, and many other companies could very well be blamed for the same. There could be a certain process these patents refer to, which usually includes the way the coding and/or hardware is set up. But for now, the only thing to do is wait and see which patents are considered valid in court.

So there you go, guys! Fujifilm joins the rest of the tech world in the war against Android.

[Source: Document Via: FOSS Patents]

Did you switch to Verizon’s Share Everything family data plans? [Poll]

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 04:46 PM PDT


All hopes of the perfect data-sharing plans were destroyed when Verizon announced its pricing strategy. Surely, this option is not for everyone, something that was made very clear by the media, as well as customers. But with our unlimited plans not being honored starting this summer, it is about time we start thinking about our options.

Having the benefit of sharing data can be a great advantage for some users. Especially those that would like to take advantage of unlimited calling and text messaging, as these plans offer those features. One can also add tablets to these plans for only $10 a month, even though these are no longer available at subsidized prices.

Regardless, these plans are still not as affordable as one would hope. They start with a base payment ranging from $50 to $100 (for 1 GB and 10 GB, relatively). Then each device added to the account will cost an extra fee, which is different depending on the nature of the device. Adding a smartphone costs $40, while a basic phone costs $30. Furthermore, a WiFi Hotspot will run for $20 and a tablet $10 (more details here).

Considering these prices, I would end up paying about $20 more than I currently do, if I decided to make the switch. Of course, I do not currently have unlimited calling or texting, but nor do I need it. And I am definitely not ready to let go of my unlimited data plan.

With that in mind, we have been wondering if our fellow Verizon readers have done the math and made a decision yet. Will you be sticking with your current plans? Have you switched to Verizon’s Share Everything plans yet? Go ahead and let us know, as we would be interested to see how well these plans have taken off.

And don’t forget to join us in the comments to explain your experiences in further detail!

Take Our Poll

Carbon for Android may become the best Twitter client, coming for free this month after major discrepancies

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT

Twitter fans tend to be very picky about their client of preference. After all, this social network can be a great source of news and information, aside from being fun. With many fans in line, Carbon seems to be the only Twitter client to cause any major hype lately. The WebOS-originating client is smooth and over all gorgeous.

The developer encountered some major issues in its path, but this ended up resulting in a much better conclusion; the app will be free for everyone and is set for release this month.

This decision has become almost necessary, as Google does not allow developers to post paid apps from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) yet. The Carbon team was hoping for an announcement at IO 2012, allowing developers from other parts of the world to post paid apps in the Play Store. This never happened and the developer found itself forced to re-route its plan.

The app will now be completely free, promising an ad-less “premium” Twitter client for the masses. We are certainly excited to see this application go live later this month. If you haven’t seen the preview from March, you best check it out right now. Even in its alpha stages, the app looks stunning. Its beautiful UI and smooth transitions reflect the full potential of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

We believe this is a must-try, and will surely be keeping our eyes on it. A Twitter app with the potential to leave its competition in the dust, and for free? Sign me up!

But just out of curiosity, what would it take to make you leave your current Twitter client? Is the UI and eye-candy enough?

[Source: Google+]

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity starts to hit US retailers a few days early

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 02:09 PM PDT


ASUS has been making rounds across the US, nearly selling out all its Nexus 7 devices on day 1. Those that want a top-of-the-line device have been waiting around for a certain other tablet, though – the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity. If you consider yourself one of these patient tablet fans, you are probably biting your nails by now. The tablet is set for release come July 16th (this Monday). But what is even more exciting is to see the tablet showing up in third-party retailer sites.

Office depot happens to be the among the first, offering the tablet for $499.99 and now displaying it in stock. We are sure this bad boy will not sell out as quick as the popular Nexus 7, but it will definitely have some good demand. Office Depot is limiting customers to two devices per customer. Something that probably won’t be an issue for most of us, but some of you might want to get one for each family member.

If you need a refresher, the tablet comes with a Quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.0. You may not get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, but ASUS is known to be very efficient in keeping its devices up-to-date. We expect Jelly Bean to hit the TF700T rather soon. But if you need a little extra incentive in the meantime, do remember this bad boy sports a stunning 10.1-inch 1920x1200p IPS+ display (which happens to be the tablet’s main highlight).

If you are in a rush to get your Transformer Pad Infinity secured, you might as well go with Office Depot now. Or you could take a bit of a risk and see if it is in stock at your local stores this Monday. What do you say?

[Via: Engadget]

Sprint’s LTE network found active earlier than expected

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 12:07 PM PDT

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If you’ve been waiting eagerly for Sprint’s LTE network and happen to live in their initial launch regions (Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta and San Antonio) then we’ve got good news for you: reports are coming in that the 4G LTE network is discoverable AND active. The reported speeds are 10 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. Not all pockets in the above mentioned cities are getting consistent network, which launches officially tomorrow.

[via The Verge]

Telus cancels HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update, cites “poor performance”

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 11:56 AM PDT

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I always hate reporting these kind of news, but someone’s got to. Telus has decided to cancel the Ice Cream Sandwich update that was due for the HTC Desire HD, saying that they got poor response during testing. Which basically means they’re either too lazy, or don’t want to incur the cost, or just don’t give a damn.

Why do I say that? Because I’m certain the Desire HD can run Ice Cream Sandwich. You need only visit XDA to find several fledgling ROMs. The phone has decent enough components to handle the OS with ease, with the same Snapdragon S2 and has the same Adreno 205 GPU as the HTC One V, with more RAM (768 MB RAM to One V’s 512). The One V can apparently handle ICS, but Desire HD can’t.

Once again, the carriers prove it’s foolish to expect any honesty from them.

[via Droid Dog]

This is why Apple is going berserk: Android extends US marketshare lead, Samsung tops platform’s OEMs

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 09:27 AM PDT

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Analytics firm Nielsen statistics from their Q2 2012 subscriber data has shown Android extend its significant lead over Apple, with a 51.8% marketshare compared to iOS’s 34.3%. In Q1 2012, the scores stood at 48.5% for Android to Apple’s 32%. About a year ago (Q3 2011, I was unable to find the Q2 2011 data for a YoY comparison) Android had a 44.2% to 28.6% lead. These are minor growths, but it shows that regardless of the injunction requests and all the legal hoopla, and despite all the “fragmentation” talk, Apple is nowhere close to closing the gap on Android.

In the manufacturer’s stakes, Samsung is the leading OEM as expected, with their Android devices accounting for a 17% total marketshare. HTC is second at 14%, Motorola third at 11% and the rest accounting for 9%. Looking over at the other platforms, Blackberry has dropped from 17% in Q3 2011 to 9%. Windows Phone 7 is stagnant at a meager 1.3%, with all the money spent on marketing still unable to get them to even half of Windows Mobile’s 3% share.

[via Brief Mobile]

Samsung’s request for expedited Galaxy Nexus hearing accepted, Apple groups them with “pirates, thieves and counterfeiters”

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:55 AM PDT

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After the return of the Galaxy Nexus to the Play Store, we have some more good news on the Samsung vs Apple patent battle: the Korean manufacturer’s request for an expedited appeal against the preliminary injunction granted against the Galaxy Nexus has been grated. As a result, they must submit their court brief by the 16th of July to the US Court of Appeals, after which Apple has 14 days to respond. Final comments will take place on the 6th of August.

However, that’s not the end of the story. Apple’s use of lawsuits to protect and increase their marketshare has already hit the wrong notes with most of the community, even those who use iOS devices. Yet, having first written to retailers informing them not to sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Galaxy Nexus (despite the latter’s injunction having been removed for the time-being), they have gone on to defend themselves in a way that leaves a pretty bad taste. When Samsung complained about the letters, Apple’s stance was summed up by their following words:

“[the company's] letter shows nothing beyond the entirely predictable consequence of Samsung’s infringement — i.e., the infringing products must be taken off of the market. It is not a legally cognizable harm to halt downstream sales of stolen, pirated, counterfeit, or infringing products.”

While I believe that it is fair to remind retailers not to sell a product against which an injunction has been granted, Apple’s choice of words were eye-opening, in a bad way. To try to remove a competitor’s products from the market using minor software patents that should never have been granted is one thing. To group the competitor with pirates, thieves and counterfeiters is quite another.

The arrogance displayed by Apple in that statement is mind-boggling. There was absolutely no need to mention “stolen, pirated, counterfeit” to get their point across, which leaves us with the obvious conclusion that this was a calculated strategy on the part of their legal team.

Apple, I never thought I’d say this, but you’ve stooped to a whole new level.

[via Electronista]

XBMC Media Player Officially Announced For Android

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:52 PM PDT

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This is sure to make more than a few Android-nerds very happy campers. Tonight, XMBC, the popular open-sourced media player app, has just announced that an honest-to-goodness, full featured, all-inclusive Android application is nearing a release. That means soon, Android users will be able to take full advantage of the media player solution, to stream locally stored media anywhere they can hook up their Android device. None of that rooting or funny business required. This is for everyone. The developers provided the below video as proof.

I think we may have finally found a use for the Nexus Q…

[XBMC]
Posted by at 7:44 AM

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