Thursday, July 19, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Samsung SPH-L300 Passes Through The FCC On Its Way To Sprint

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 06:22 PM PDT

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You may remember the the last time we saw the Samsung SPH-L300 for Sprint, it popped up in a User Agent Profile and later, we even got a glimpse of it in a leaked pic. Looking like a cross between your typical Samsung device, and a Nexus One, the device has also just made a stop by the FCC today, reminding us of its impending release.

In case you needed a refresher, the SPH-L300 featured a few mid-ranged specs — 800×480 resolution display, 5MP shooter, 1GB of RAM — while still finding itself powered by a zippy dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor. Not too shabby, right? Expect entry level pricing when this launches on Sprint sometime in the coming months.

[FCC | PocketNow]

Google Updates Jelly Bean SDK – Full Version Now Available For Download

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 05:21 PM PDT

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Google has officially released the full version of their Jelly Bean SDK and even though it’s been available since Google I/O in a preview state, it’s now been polished up, bringing along loads of bug fixes and patches. Android SDK tools revision 20.0.1 is also open and ready for developers to download and sink their teeth into all the new ooey, gooey Jelly Bean API’s. If you’re a developer, it’s time to get on it.

[SDK Tools | Google+]

Adobe Reader update brings “add text” tool

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 03:37 PM PDT

Adobe Reader for Android has gotten itself a pretty big upgrade in he Google Play Store. New features for the PDF reading application includes the ability to add test, use forms that have field validation, formatting, and calculation, an improved file organizer with functions for renaming, copying, moving, and deleting folders, anonymous usage statistics, and bug fixes. As always the case with Adobe Reader the app is free and you can find it in the Google Play Store here.

OUYA’s new hardware and software boss confirms ethernet port

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 02:56 PM PDT

Some exciting news has sprung out of the OUYA camp today. The team announced the man behind the scenes of the hardware and software engineering. Muffi Ghadiali is in charge of all those things, and he used to be a big part of the Amazon Kindle Fire’s development as he was previously with Lab126, the team Amazon pegged for development of their hardware projects.

With that announcement came another: the OUYA gaming console will now come with an ethernet port! This is essential for those who haven’t stepped into the new age of WiFi, or for those who just want a more stable connection for their Android-based gaming console.

Let’s hope there are more good surprises to be announced before this thing hits production. The project on Kickstarter has attracted nearly 40,000 backers and has raised over $5 million as of the time of this writing. The funding period is due to end August 9th.

There is still time to get your hands on the awards which will grant you an OUYA console from $99 and up so be sure to pledge your dollars (you won’t be charged until the funding period ends) and stake your claim to fame to one if it’s something you’re excited about. [via Kickstarter]

Google Music gets UI refresh

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 02:43 PM PDT

A new Google Music update has hit the Google Play Store that brings some pretty major changes to the UI. While a complete overhaul wasn’t in order Google’s introduced a refreshed user interface for app navigation, bigger album art on the “Recent” view, a new “Now Playing” queue for serving up songs from different playlists, and a whole lot more. You can find the rest of the details under the “What’s New” section at the Google Play Store. Let us know what you think.

Qualcomm earnings slightly slide quarter-over-quarter in fiscal Q3’12 report

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 02:03 PM PDT

Qualcomm’s gotten around to reporting its financial results for their fiscal year Q3 2012. They earned 6% less revenue this quarter compared to the one previous, but rose 28% year-over-year.

Revenues reached $4.63 billion. Profits were up 17% year-on-year at $1.21 billion.These numbers were in line with what Qualcomm expected but were just shy of expectations.

With the push of its Snapdragon S4 processor in devices such as the HTC EVO 4G LTE, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, and more, Qualcomm should be able to at least maintain, if not surpass, this performance next quarter, though it remains to be seen whether or not the success of these devices will help Qualcomm moving forward.

SwiftKey 3 update brings Jelly Bean support

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 01:48 PM PDT

As Jelly Bean gets into the hands of more and more users developers are seeing fit to update their apps to be compatible. The latest is SwiftKey 3, the popular after-market keyboard which brings supreme text correction and prediction with innovative features.

More than being compatible with Jelly Bean, SwiftKey 3.0.0.302 fixes an issue for predictions not appearing in popups, UI fixes, and more miscellaneous bug fixes. As always the Google Play Store has the goods you’re looking for.

Nexus 7 units suffering from screen separation issues?

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 12:56 PM PDT

The Nexus 7 seems to be a rather fine tablet for its price, but some questions regarding its build quality have started to form. Some users see to be noticing a slight raise in the device’s glass. This seems to be affecting quite a few people, unfortunately, but there is hope yet. The fix is apparently easy as pie.

The case is dead easy to pop open and re-attach, and all it takes between that process is the tightening of the screws. There’s no voided warranty to worry about so don’t be worried if you need to send your tablet back for repairs some day. Let’s hope this is the stretch of any hardware problems that may surface. [via XDA]

Carly goes into the music business with new T-Mobile ad

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 12:37 PM PDT

T-Mobile has launched a new angle for their advertising campaign featuring the always-lovely Carly. She rides through cities across the countries, passing by more than 35,000 towers which belong to T-Mobile. From the sounds of things she might have a pretty decent music career ahead of her, as well. Be sure to watch the 30 second spot above.

Lightflow update adds fixes for Jelly Bean

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 12:07 PM PDT

Lightflow, one of the killer applications for those who own devices with multi-colored notification LEDs, has gotten an upgrade in the Google Play Store. This update is mainly to fix compatibility with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but also fixes some crash issues, an issue with Motorola’s Ice Cream Sandwich calendar app, and fixes initialization issues to ensure notifications are being enabled properly. If you have experienced any of these issues or are on Jelly Bean you will want to grab it right away. [Play Store]

UK judge orders Apple to publish notice saying Samsung didn’t copy the iPad on its site

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 11:39 AM PDT

This is about as low as it can get for Apple in the courts of the world. A judge over in the UK residing over the Apple vs Samsung case (where Apple claims the Samsung Galaxy Tab series is a blatant copy of the iPad series) has not only declared that Samsung’s line isn’t copying Apple’s, but also ruled that Apple must publish this information on its own website. They must also publish it in Financial Times, the Daily Mail, Guardian Mobile magazine, and T3.

It has to be a very tough thing to do. Imagine a bully getting beat up at school, and he has to go to the office and announce his defeat over the intercom. Yea, that’s exactly how it is. We’re not exactly sure how this message will be displayed.

We’re certain it won’t be in the big and bold fashion that they use for advertising the very products they’re fighting for, but beyond that there’s no telling. It’s also likely that this message will only be displayed to those who visit the site from the United Kingdom unless Apple decides to do it in the form of a press release.

Either way it’s an embarrassing loss for Apple. Unfortunately we know they won’t stop. They still have tons of cases in tons of other regions, and they have tons of ammunition to let the battle go on for a long time. Still, we can’t help but to smirk at this one. [via Bloomberg]

National Ice Cream Month gets commemorative Android wallpaper by Andrew Bell

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 11:13 AM PDT

The feaux-holiday National Ice Cream Month is currently being observed, and what better way to commemorate the occasion than getting a nice treat from Andrew Bell? The Android t-shirt designer made a wallpaper showing Androids serving ice cream cones inside an ice cream truck. This is a bit of an homage to Ice Cream Sandwich, the first modern version of Android for phones. While Jelly Bean is the flavor of the month for now we know there are still a ton of people out there who are just fine with their sweet, cold sandwiches. Grab the wallpaper above. [Andrew Bell Twitter]

ZTE unveils Grand X with Android 4.0 as UK pay-as-you-go option

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 09:19 AM PDT

ZTE has just taken the wraps off of their latest Android offering, the Android 4.0-powered Grand X. Compared to other devices in ZTE’s lineup, the Grand X is more than reasonably specced with a 4.3-inch qHD display, dual-core Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz and a 5MP camera. The phone is also more than reasonably priced at £190 in the UK, where it will be available on Virgin Mobile’s pay-as-you-go plan.

It isn’t clear if the Grand X is the “advanced gaming smartphone” that ZTE teased only a few days ago, and it would be a disappointing if this is how the maker of budget smartphones lives up the hype. Still, the Grand X has a few redeeming qualities, namely the stock implementation of Android 4.0 it enjoys. Folks in the UK can get their hands on the ZTE Grand X starting early August. We will likely see it in other regions, but details are not available at this time.

France is latest European country to get Google Play Books

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 08:40 AM PDT

After working through a set of legal disputes with French publishers, Google has made France the fifth European country to gain access to their digital bookstore, following launches in Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK. Books are available via Google Play, which houses a library numbering in the millions, with many titles available for free as part of the public domain. The store also hosts a wide selection of bestsellers and time-honored literature, with French titles and international offerings alike.

For French Android users, this also means the Google Play Books app is now available, providing access to your library of downloaded books directly from your mobile device. Following in Google’s every screen model, any title in your library is also available for reading on a PC, iPhone, or iPad.

[via Google]

Verizon adding more LTE coverage this week, 33 new markets launch Thursday

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 07:40 AM PDT

Verizon, in its effort to maintain a hold as the nation’s largest 4G LTE network, will once again expand its high-speed data services in regions around the United States. A total of 55 markets will see LTE for the first time or see current coverage expanded. The breakdown includes 33 new markets, including such locales as New London County, CT; Vero Beach, FL; and Missoula, MT. Network expansions will occur in 32 markets including San Francisco, Washington DC, and Seattle.

The additions bring Verizon’s total number of LTE markets to 337, which puts them well ahead of newcomers AT&T and Sprint, which boast 47 and 15 4G markets respectively.

[via CNET]
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