Friday, July 6, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Acer Iconia Tab A210 Passes Through FCC

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:55 PM PDT

Acer’s new Android tablet the Iconia Tab A210 recently passed through the FCC and is scheduled for a Q3 release. The A210 is a successor to the budget friendly A200 and will keep the 10.1″ (1280 x 800) display and single front facing camera. While most of the hardware will remain the same, the major upgrade is the change from a dual core CPU to the quad core Tegra 3.  The boost in performance should keep the A210 a more than a credible performer in its desired price range. Its predecessor, the A200, started at $329 for the 8GB model.

That’s all the information available at this point, while I’m sure we will be seeing more closer to the device’s launch. Hopefully, Acer is able  to release the A210 with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on board and all the enhancements the OS brings with it.

source: fcc
via: engadget

 

How to bypass T-Mobile’s anti-tethering policy

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:59 PM PDT

T-Mobile instituted a hotspot plan in 2010, but many users were never charged because of technical limitations with the software. Recently T-Mo has been blocking users, after receiving Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades, and redirecting them to a sales page telling them that they can purchase the feature for an additional $14.95 per month. If you’re a T-Mobile user and experiencing this, you can bypass it, and it’s not too difficult.

First of all this is what’s happening now:

Their filtering is based on HTTP user-agents. If your user-agent matches a known user-agent that is not android it
will reject the traffic. Now there are two problems with this,

A.) If an unknown userAgent is passed or No user agent, your traffic is accepted.
B.) There are a bazillion TCP protocols that do not have user-agents.

So off the bat with no user-agent spoofing, all protocols work except HTTP, including HTTPS, HTTPS works out of
box because of its encryption.

So how do you get around this? All you have to do is change your user agent profile. If you’re using Chrome, you can download this add on or this one for Firefox users. These will allow you to spoof your user-agent profile. If you’re using another Browser, just search for an appropriate plugin. After you’ve installed the plugin, just change your user-agent to Android XOOM for example and enjoy free tethering.

source: benbuchacher
via: xda

 

 

 

Apple sued in China for patent infringement involving Siri [Video]

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:12 AM PDT

We don’t normally report what’s going on in the world of Apple, but since they have been a thorn in everyone’s side with patent lawsuits, we though you might find this interesting. Apple has been sued in China, but not by Samsung, Motorola, HTC, or another Android manufacturer. Zhizhen Network Technology is the culprit and they say that Apple’s Siri voice assistant infringes on their Xiaoi voice assistant.

The patent in question is ZL200410053749.9 and it relates to a “type of instant messaging chat bot system,” which happens to be called Xiaoi Bot. The Xiaoi patent was applied for by Zhizhen back in 2004 and was granted in 2006. What really has Zhizhen ticked off the most is the way Apple marketed Siri on their Chinese website. They said, “It (siri) can understand what you say and what you're asking for, and it can find the answer that you are looking for on the web". It’s no longer on the website.

The interesting thing is Apple was just awarded an injunction on the Galaxy Nexus because of an infringement involving a unified search patent, also known as Apple’s Siri patent. It should also be noted that Apple bought Siri in 2010 so they weren’t the creators of it.

I’ve never been a fan of any of these patent lawsuits as I think it’s ridiculous that you can even patent software-related things or how hardware looks. So I agree that this is yet another ridiculous case even though Apple is the victim. On the other hand, it isn’t so bad seeing Apple get a taste of their own medicine. It will be interesting to see how strong of a case Zhizhen has and if it could spell trouble for Siri in general. Hit the break to see the video of Xiaoi Bot in action as it does look very familar.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

source: micgadget

 

Sony Xperia Miro available for pre-order in the UK

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:09 AM PDT

The options for budget, entry-level Android phones just keep getting better and better. Do you think a social media centric phone with a 5.0MP camera running on Ice Cream Sandwich all for the tiny sum of £126 ($195) sounds good to be true? Thankfully it’s not as that is the exact price UK based tech specialists Clove are selling Sony’s Xperia Miro for.

There’s no word on delivery dates just yet however the pre-order page is ready and waiting. Hit the link below if you think this deal is too good to pass up.

Source: Clove

Catch a robot in UK to win phone, swag from Sony

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:58 AM PDT

Sony Mobile is ready to kickoff a new marketing campaign this coming Monday when they "release" thousands of tiny robots throughout London and Manchester. Consumers who find one of the little robots, dubbed "Xperiabots," can turn them in for prizes including Xperia NXT Series handsets, Sony 4-Screen packages, tickets to movies, gigs, DJ sessions, and other swag.

While the "release" is scheduled for Monday, Sony's social media channels are already getting into the act with some potential clues posted on their Facebook page. A new Twitter account has been setup as well, @XperiaUnleashed, for the "leader" of the robots. Brits are encouraged to look for the robots and watch the social media sites for clues.

source: Sony Mobile GB Facebook page

GSM Galaxy Nexus gets pre-rooted and deodexed Jelly Bean

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:49 AM PDT

Last week Jelly Bean was ripped for the GSM Galaxy Nexus, but this week brings us a pre-rooted and deodexed version thanks to XDA member bigxie. Since the system apps and framework are deodexed, it means modding and theming will be easier, plus the superuser app comes from ChainsDD. Also, the ROM comes packaged with Busybox for increased root-enabled functionality. If works for any version of the GSM Galaxy Nexus (yakju, takju, etc), so hit the source link for more information.

source: xda

 

 

 

Apple v. Motorola judge speaks out about software patents

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:35 AM PDT

In a recent ruling, Judge Richard Posner with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (Chicago) effectively ended the case of Apple v. Motorola before it ever got to a courtroom by dismissing the claims in the case. In his ruling, Posner indicated specific claims for damages could not be shown by either party which left him no choice but to dismiss the case.

Posner is a judge who is not scared to speak out on a variety of issues. Just last week he wrote a critique of Supreme Court Judge Scalia's dissent in the Arizona immigration lawsuit. Posner is a prolific writer as evidenced by a row of books in his office that he has authored, including one on the topics of economics and intellectual property laws.

Posner indicates in a recent interview about the Apple v. Motorola case that he questions whether we really need software patents. He mentions the benefit that software companies receive by being first to market with a new "gadget", a benefit he thinks will exist whether patents are granted or not. He also has some concern with the fact that smartphones and similar devices are composed of thousands of components, yet a patent on any one of those components effectively confers legal protection (or liability) on the entire device, even the components not covered by the patent.

To read more about Judge Posner and the topic of patents, head on over to the source article. It provides a unique glimpse into one judge's perspective on the continuing software patent wars.

source: Reuters

DROID Incredible 4G LTE unboxing and initial hands on review [Video]

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 07:08 AM PDT

I’m calling it the phone that could’ve been. The DROID Incredible 4G LTE is the third version of the Incredible series, but for whatever reason Verizon didn’t want to make this a flagship DROID device. Sprint, on the other hand, knew that the third installment of the EVO line needed to be a major player, and that’s why they chose the HTC One X as the basis. Verizon took a different approach and went with the HTC One S as the basis, but left out the ImageSense camera chip. On the flip side, they did allow for a removable battery and an available microSD slot for expanded storage. This phone isn’t part of the One Series, and it doesn’t feel like anything close with it’s 11.7mm thick frame, as opposed to 7.8mm for the One S and 8.9mm for the One X.

The specs are similar to the One S and include a 4-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 8GB of storage, microSD slot for an additional 32GB of storage, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G LTE, Android 4.0.3, and Sense 4.0. The price is $149, which is competitive for Verizon Wireless, but one has to wonder if spending $50 more and getting the Samsung Galaxy S III would be the wiser choice.

Look for our full review soon, but for now check out our initial hands on after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Amazon Rumored To Release The Kindle Fire 2 In August

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 06:46 AM PDT

Hot off the success of its Kindle Fire and Google’s recently-announced the Nexus 7 tablet, Amazon is rumored to begin picking up steam for its not-so-secret Kindle Fire 2 tablet. According to the China Times, Amazon plans on shipping the first batch of Kindle Fire 2 tablets on August 7th in order to place itself in direct competition with the Nexus 7, while also ordering 2 million units from Chinese manufacturer Quanta. Additional rumors include the Kindle Fire 2 will feature a metal frame with otherwise plastic body, with the display made by LG and touch panels by TPK. Sounds like Amazon is gearing up to make the new tablet as good or better as the competition out there.

Ladies and gents— get ready for the next round of the (mini) tablet wars!

source: China Times
via: Phone Arena

Samsung Launches The Galaxy Chat QWERTY Smartphone

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 06:25 AM PDT

Samsung has just unveiled an attractive new QWERTY smartphone called the Galaxy Chat. This attractive Blackberry Curve-style device is expected to feature some nice options including Ice Cream Sandwich and:

 

  • 4GB of internal storage with MicroSD card slot for expansion
  • 2MP Camera
  • 1200mAh battery
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 ( b/g/n ), Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 2.0

 

Naturally the device will feature additional Sammy-exclusive goodies like AllShare Play and of course, the ChatON instant messaging service. The GALAXY Chat will be available from July starting in Spain and gradually rolled out to the rest of Europe, Latin America, Middle East, China, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia at a competitive price point— so you can expect the device to be easily wallet-friendly for prospective buyers.

source: Samsung Tomorrow

 

 
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