Android Authority |
- Motion-based smartphone UI possible in the future with Leap Motion
- Motorola XT907 heading to Verizon with 4G LTE
- Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note to get Jelly Bean by October?
- Samsung asking for $421.8 million in damages in its counter-suit against Apple
- “E-Z Unlock” App to Unlock Your Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 Bootloader
- HTC gets pwned as devs release fully working ICS ROM for the Desire HD
- MVNO Ting set to ship Samsung Galaxy S3 in September, HTC EVO 4G LTE and Motorola Photon Q 4G coming soon
- Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q delayed, name changes to Galaxy S Relay 4G
- AT&T Sony Xperia Ion now offered for free at Best Buy
- Apple’s 381 “bounce back” patent could be deemed invalid
| Motion-based smartphone UI possible in the future with Leap Motion Posted: 17 Aug 2012 02:46 AM PDT  Pretty soon, we can control our computers, tablets and smartphones this way. Without the three-fingered gloves, of course. (Promotional image for Minority Report, 2002) Touchscreens are currently the preferred way of interacting with smarphones and tablets. But mobile devices are a fast-evolving lot, and we have seen how QWERTY keyboards, stylii and even numeric keypads have been popular UI choices just a few years back. Touchscreen alternatives are already in place, such as speech-recognition present in Apple’s SIRI and various Nuance-led efforts in Android and other platforms. In the future, we might also consider motion control. Think of it as Minority Report style manipulation of virtual objects on-screen. Oh, wait. We already have that with Microsoft Kinect, right? Kinect was primarily marketed for console gaming, although a computer-based variant is available. But what’s missing at this point are workable user interfaces that actually turn motion-control a productive means of manipulating data. 3D workspacesThere is a development by a company called Leap Motion, which has created a device known as The Leap. The technology uses several camera sensors in mapping out a three-dimensional workspace for tracking movement. The Leap does not have Kinect’s limitations of distance and angle of view. Instead, the device can track motion as long as the user is within view of the sensors. What’s great is that the device is very accurate, and can track motion down to a hundredths of a millimeter, or about half the diameter of human hair. It can also distinguish among different objects and parts of the body.
Currently, The Leap is a device about the size of a USB stick, and the VGA cameras are limited to a eight cubic feet workspaces (0.22 cubic meters) — about the volume of a small to medium refrigerator. The technology can be scaled, though, such that the size of the workspace is only limited to the field of vision. I suppose Leap Motion can capture movement in bigger areas like entire fields and rooms. But the small size has an advantage. It can be embedded into mobile devices like notebooks, smartphones and tablets. Leap is already working with device manufacturers in possibly including the technology on their products. Leap is also giving free sensors to thousands of “qualified developers” in the aim of building up a good app base for the system. The company says the cost of the device will be $70 when it is released sometime between December this year to February 2013. Interested users can already pre-order. Minority ReportLeap is more than just motion-based capture, though. The company’s CTO, David Holz, says that motion-based technology should not force users to have to memorize gestures and combination of movements in accessing data. Instead, developers are encourage to provide a constant dynamic feedback. This means the UI should be intuitive and responsive enough that a user should not have to wonder how to use it.
For instance, the pinch-to-zoom analogy is quite self-explanatory. So is turning an object to rotate. The aim here is to make the UI as similar to manipulating real-world objects as possible. Once out, Leap should make it possible to manipulate objects be moving your hands and fingers through the air, or even along a surface. This kind of technology has actually been explored by Apple, and the company has even applied for a patent that senses motion over a screen without the need for capacitance. As such, we might soon expect to be able to control our devices even without touching them. We can perhaps cancel or answer calls by swiping our hands in the air. We may also be able to ask the phone to read out messages through another hand motion. Couple this with technologies like Google Glass, and we’ve got ourselves a computing future like Tom Cruise’s system on Minority Report. Let’s just hope it doesn’t lead to crime precognition or we’re all screwed. Check out the demo video below. This article, Motion-based smartphone UI possible in the future with Leap Motion , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Motorola XT907 heading to Verizon with 4G LTE Posted: 17 Aug 2012 02:45 AM PDT
Now that we think we've unraveled everything there was to know about Motorola's upcoming Droid Razr HD, we would have expected a bit of peace and quiet from Google's subsidiary. Not a chance though, because yet another Moto phone has been spotted getting FCC certification. The XT907 is not exactly an absolute newcomer in the virtual space and has starred in a supposedly leaked photo about a month back. Ever since then, we heard nothing about the phone and some of us were ready to bet that the pic was nothing more than a fake. Well, maybe it was and maybe it wasn't, but it's now certain that Motorola has an XT907 device in the works. Also certain is that the phone will be hitting Verizon at some point with 4G LTE speeds under the hood, as well as NFC capabilities, Bluetooth and CDMA/EVDO radios. As usual, FCC's listing stops short of revealing any juicy specs of the future phone, so we still don't know exactly what to expect from this mysterious XT907. If earlier rumors are to be believed though, this Verizon-bound gadget will be a combination of the first-generation Razr and the recently released AT&T Atrix HD.
The XT907 is rumored to sport a rather quirky 888 x 540 pixels resolution capacitive touchscreen (probably a 4.3-incher) and feature a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor (most likely one clocked at 1.2 GHz). Pictured with Kevlar backing in July, Moto's phone should also come with Android 4.0 ICS out of the box and an 8 MP rear-facing camera. All those specs would have probably made the XT907 a nice high-end phone a year ago, but unfortunately right now they will make it more a mid-range oriented gadget. Hopefully, that will mean budget-friendly pricing too, although it's way too early to talk numbers. It's also not the ideal time to make any assumptions about when the mid-ranger will be made available. We're guessing it will get out by the end of September, probably before the Razr HD's grand unveiling. So, how about it, folks? Would you be tempted to go for a more affordable and lower spec’d version of the Droid Razr HD? Or are Motorola and Verizon again going down the wrong road by not putting all their eggs in one basket?
This article, Motorola XT907 heading to Verizon with 4G LTE , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note to get Jelly Bean by October? Posted: 17 Aug 2012 12:11 AM PDT
Samsung seems to be by far the busiest bee in the Android “hive,” preparing us all a hotter than hot end of 2012. The Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet is already out and looks pretty good, while the Note 2 "phablet" is just about confirmed as coming in less than two weeks. Meanwhile, Sammy seems to be making quite the efforts to improve their current line-up of super-phones as well by updating as many devices as soon as possible to the latest and greatest Android version. The Galaxy S3 will most likely get to taste Jelly Bean goodness the first, in only a matter of weeks, which should not come as a big surprise. What might be surprising however is when Samsung is planning to upgrade the first-generation Galaxy Note and the GS2 to Android 4.1. According to SamMobile "insiders," it has been "confirmed" that both gadgets will be getting JB in October at the latest. While a couple of weeks ago it was reported that Samsung only begun testing Jelly Bean for the S2, it now seems that things have gone smoother than anyone had expected. "The tests by Samsung are fine and Samsung will make the public KIES release version if everything goes according to plan … in September – October," say the guys at SamMobile, who've supposedly heard from an anonymous tipster.
Now, it's pretty obvious that we should be very cautious with this report, as it is based on nothing else but unconfirmed speculations. Then again, SamMobile does have a pretty good track record with such rumors and assumptions, so the online publication might be on to something once again. In any case, we certainly hope to hear something official on this matter from Samsung at the Unpacked event in Berlin on August 29. I'm sure that you all hate mystery as much as I do, so, no matter if the upgrades will be ready or still in initial testing phases, it would be mighty nice from Sammy to mention a thing or two about them. How excited are you about the prospect of having your GNote and GS2 so swiftly updated to Jelly Bean? Or have you got the upgrade bug out of your system already by flashing one of the unofficial Android 4.1 custom ROMs? This article, Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note to get Jelly Bean by October? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung asking for $421.8 million in damages in its counter-suit against Apple Posted: 16 Aug 2012 08:04 PM PDT
The Samsung versus Apple legal war is almost over, at least in the California trial. Samsung has now rested its case, after letting us know just exactly how much they were seeking if they won their side of the infringement suite. While Apple is asking for a staggering 2.5 billion, Samsung’s claim is a bit smaller in comparison, though still very much a large sum at $421.8 million. There are several patents that Samsung says Apple infringed upon. The first three are utility patents covering things like email, photo browsing and music playback. When Apple infringed on these patents, they really didn’t cause Samsung any loss of sales, so the amount being asked is simply what they would have charged Apple for licensing the royalties for them. These three come to a total of $22.8 million. The next two patents are a bit bigger and that’s where the bulk of the money Samsung is asking for comes from. These two UMT patents are standards-essential patents, and therefore Apple argued that they should be offered under fair use. The bottom line is that both sides are asking for as much as they can in order to “teach the other a lesson.” With how much is at stake, I’d attempt to settle things outside of court if I were Apple or Samsung- then again, I’m clearly not. Who do you think will be the victor, or do you think they will settle at the last moment? This article, Samsung asking for $421.8 million in damages in its counter-suit against Apple , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| “E-Z Unlock” App to Unlock Your Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 Bootloader Posted: 16 Aug 2012 06:20 PM PDT
Yesterday, Samsung Galaxy S3 owners were graced with the ability to flash an insecure bootloader onto their “locked” devices, paving the way for full phone customization. Victory rang from sea to shining sea, at least for those with the technical know-how running Linux or Mac on their desktops. If you were on Windows, you were told to patiently wait in the corner. That is, until today. Thanks to Android developer mmmeff, all you have to do is root your Galaxy S3, visit the play store, and click a massive unlock button. Yes, it is seriously that easy. At the time of this writing, this method only unlocks the device and does not re-lock it. Developers are looking into that capability in the future.
Notice: Android Authority shall not be held responsible for damaged devices. You proceed at your own risk. This article, “E-Z Unlock” App to Unlock Your Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 Bootloader , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| HTC gets pwned as devs release fully working ICS ROM for the Desire HD Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:52 PM PDT  Image credit: QD2DC / XDA-Developers The developer community has once again delivered what big corporations could not work on — or refused to do so — for whatever silly reasons and excuses. The Android 4.0 upgrade for the Desire HD was promised for months, but owners of the phone never did get their Ice Cream Sandwich treat after HTC unceremoniously crossed off the Desire HD from the list of confirmed devices that will be upgraded. HTC also released a statement that basically blames the phone's hardware for the cancellation. Thanks to XDA member QD2DC and his team, a fully working Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the HTC Desire HD is now ready to be served. Even more amazingly, there's currently no known glitch when running the unofficial ROM on the Desire HD, so everything should work perfectly. The ICS ROM is based on the one found on HTC Incredible S. Apart from getting Android 4.0.4, you'll also be getting Sense 3.6 on your phone. The team has also made some tweaks and added its own Blackout BeastMode kernel to boost the performance of the phone. So it’s clear that this was the result of a beautiful collaboration and some gigantic effort from the team. Hit the XDA source link for more details, download links, and instructions on how to bring the Ice Cream Sandwich experience to your HTC Desire HD. You know, the very same thing that HTC said couldn't be done. Pow! This article, HTC gets pwned as devs release fully working ICS ROM for the Desire HD , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:36 PM PDT
Newcomer Ting doesn't only have one of the best names for a U.S. carrier, but it will soon deliver what is arguably the best Android smartphone to its customers, the Samsung Galaxy S3. According to a post on Ting's official blog, they will start shipping out all variants of the Galaxy S3 to pre-order customers by early September, with a slight chance that the shipping date will be moved up. The Samsung Galaxy S3 isn't the only high-end smartphone you'll find on Ting's impressive Android lineup. Still in the pipeline are the HTC EVO 4G LTE, Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE, and LG Viper. The EVO 4G LTE will be offered starting mid-September for $520, while the slider Photon Q should be up for pre-order as early as next week for $500. The oldest from the bunch, the LG Viper, will be available in October for "a little less than $400." If you're looking for something more affordable, the Kyocera Rise is the carrier's top wallet-friendly offering. The slider phone comes with a 3.5-inch display and is powered by a 1GHz processor, all for about $200. One phone you won't soon see on its lineup is the Galaxy Nexus. Despite Ting's attempt to bring the pure Google phone to MVNO side, it looks like it's just not compatible to run on Ting at the moment. It’s no coincidence that Ting seems to be offering the same phones you can find on Sprint. After all, it does use the Sprint network — and yes, you should be able to enjoy the same 4G LTE coverage soon. Any comments about the carrier’s awe-inspiring name? And what do you think about Ting's Android portfolio so far? No related posts. This article, MVNO Ting set to ship Samsung Galaxy S3 in September, HTC EVO 4G LTE and Motorola Photon Q 4G coming soon , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q delayed, name changes to Galaxy S Relay 4G Posted: 16 Aug 2012 03:34 PM PDT
Between press pictures suggesting an August 15 launch and other rumored evidence in the air, it was all but certain that the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q would hit the T-Mobile network yesterday. However, the 15th has come and gone, but there’s no Blaze Q. What happened? Anytime a rumor pops up, it should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q rumor seemed pretty solid – why it didn’t launch despite the teasing, only T-Mobile and Samsung know for sure. Interestingly enough, a new rumor suggests that the Blaze Q is now going to the market under the name Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G. Besides all the marketing changes, the hardware has remained the same: 4-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and other pretty standard specs. I know many slider fans were more than excited to get their hands on a 4G slider from T-Mobile, but hopefully the launch will come sooner than later. Considering the delay, are you still interested in the Galaxy S Relay 4G (or Blaze Q)? This article, Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q delayed, name changes to Galaxy S Relay 4G , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| AT&T Sony Xperia Ion now offered for free at Best Buy Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:51 PM PDT
Being released around the same time as the Android juggernaut that was Samsung Galaxy S3, poor Sony Xperia Ion never stood a chance, did it? We don't think it stopped die-hard Sony fans and early adopters from shelling out between $50 and $100 for the Ion, but thanks to Best Buy, you can now get Sony's flagship phone for free. After having sold it for $50 for a couple of months, Best Buy now lets you snag the Sony Xperia Ion 4G for $0. The price is good for new customers and upgraders, and there's the obligatory two-year contract with AT&T, which starts at $20 per month. The Xperia Ion has all the makings of a superb phone, but Sony made a blunder by releasing it with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board. The same thing can be said about the decision to equip the Ion with a Snapdragon S3 processor. Look past these two features, and the rest of the specs are pretty solid, especially its 4.6-inch HD display with Mobile Bravia Engine and 12MP rear camera with Exmor R technology. We're not sure when the promotion ends at Best Buy, so better grab the Xperia Ion for free there while you can. This article, AT&T Sony Xperia Ion now offered for free at Best Buy , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Apple’s 381 “bounce back” patent could be deemed invalid Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:48 PM PDT
As most smartphone enthusiasts know, the Apple vs Samsung trial (you can call it a patent war if you want) has been under way for more then two weeks now. There have been loads of interesting stuff to report, such as the leaked Samsung rejected trial material, or the Apple and Samsung sales figures that have surfaced, but it’s safe to say that, until yesterday, few things that really matter were discussed in these two weeks. Fortunately for those of us that are more interested in anticipating the final decision, yesterday marked a turning point in Apple vs Samsung patent litigation. In short, Samsung basically tore apart Apple’s ’381 patent, one oftenly referred to as the “bounce back patent”. This was all done by one Samsung’s expert witnesses, Dr. Andries van Dam, a faculty member at Brown University. Van Dam has proven (or so it seems, we’ll have to wait for a final decision to be sure) that Apple’s ’381 patent should be deemed invalid, since there are two previously released devices that showcase the same technology that Apple has been granted a patent for. The first piece of tech with a feature similar to Apple’s bounce back patent is the “Tablecloth” app for a projection-based touchscreen surface called the DiamondTouch Table. Released back in 2001, the Tablecloth app shows a blank space if the user scrolls beyond the actual content. Obviously enough, Apple lawyers have turned on the defence and have tried to question weather the DiamondTouch Table is an actual touchscreen device. In addition, Apple’s lawyers have also mentioned that the Tablecloth app returns the user to the original place before scrolling. Both of these claims have been contradicted by van Dam, who has based his affirmations on the actual wording inside the patent. The second prior art that can deem Apple’s bounce back patent invalid is called LaunchTile, a user interface for mobile devices. The way LaunchTile works is by dividing the screen into four sections, each containing a different app. Users can swipe back an forth through the tiles to reveal other apps. What’s interesting is that when a user swipes from screen to screen, if his fingers did not pass a certain threshold, the previous tile would snap back, much like a reverse Applesque bounce back if you will. While Apple lawyers were quick to claim that LaunchTile did not display any off-screen information, van Dam has skilfully pointed out that the next tile, the one users did not scroll enough to actually switch to, is actually the off-screen information. In this new light, the jury might decide that Apple has been granted a patent for a technology that was already used. Twice! If that will be the case, Samsung will have one less allegedly infringed patent to worry about. Now that the narration is over, let me ask you a simple question, one that you can answer to in the comment section below: isn’t it a bit stupid that the two biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world are spending heaps of money on lawyers and days after days in courts to fight over a minor thing such as the scrolling bounce back? If you pardon the exaggeration, the next thing Apple is going to do is claim that they have invented the colour black… This article, Apple’s 381 “bounce back” patent could be deemed invalid , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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