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- Chameleon Launcher Beta Updated to 0.9.5 – First Release Candidate Build
- Judge Koh: Sales ban for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to remain in place
- Motorola RAZR i launches in London, features 2.0GHz Intel processor
- G-nex, Nex7 and others have AOKP JB Build 2 now available to them
- Asus Padfone 2 inching closer to its release, packs quad-core S4 CPU in leaked benchmark
- Most ICS/JB devices now accepting XDA universal root method
- Alibaba maintains Aliyuns’ legitimacy, but agrees with app piracy accusations
- Edge to Edge: Watch the Motorola-Intel London event live right here
- Samsung comments on the Galaxy S4 rumors, says they’re not true
- LG’s quad core Optimus G is finally official, set to go on sale next month!
| Chameleon Launcher Beta Updated to 0.9.5 – First Release Candidate Build Posted: 18 Sep 2012 03:28 AM PDT
Fans of Chameleon Launcher – you shall not be waiting much longer now. With a regular release and update cycle, the Chameleon Launcher team has reached its first release candidate build. Most of the 0.95 features and fixes make a distinct difference to the performance and usability of Chameleon, notably the stability improvements regarding widgets. I’ve been running the update this morning and I’m delighted to see that everything is a little faster and the Widgets don’t implode after a few hours of usage. New Features / Inclusions
The demand for more widgets has also been answered. The team claims to be working on a Google+ and Calendar widget. In the 0.9.0 build they also released Widget templates and a system which means developers can begin designing away before the final release. The final release is expected to include a store/market for the widgets to be downloaded from. Not long now everyone! Related PostsNo related posts. This article, Chameleon Launcher Beta Updated to 0.9.5 – First Release Candidate Build , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Judge Koh: Sales ban for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to remain in place Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:55 AM PDT
Samsung isn't in the best of position right now in the U.S. following the damning verdict that concluded it had infringed on several Apple patents. While the ruling implicated several devices, it didn't include the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the same tablet that was already banned from being sold in the country after Judge Lucy Koh granted Apple's preliminary injunction request back in June. Prior to the verdict, Samsung has fought to lift the sales ban of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in America numerous times to no success. The company's latest attempt to convince Judge Koh to lift the injunction has once again borne no result. It's not that the federal judge didn't have the power to do so, but she just thought it wouldn't be proper to make that kind of decision while the case is heading to the appeals court. She offered some consolation that the fact the panel of jury didn't find the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to have infringed on Apple's design patent – specifically the D’899 patent – would be substantial enough for the appeals court to consider letting her call the shot on this particular issue. We're sure most people won't miss not seeing the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 in shelves. But for Samsung the ban transcends sales, and how it ultimately sets a bad precedence for its other tablets. And the saga continues… Related PostsSamsung gets another hit – Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction remains in place, Judge Koh: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned from sale in the US, UK judge forces Apple to publicly acknowledge that Samsung did not copy the iPadThis article, Judge Koh: Sales ban for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to remain in place , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Motorola RAZR i launches in London, features 2.0GHz Intel processor Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:54 AM PDT
Today in London, Motorola and Intel hosted a joint event to announce the newest member of the Razr family and the first phone from Motorola to feature an Intel processor – the Motorola RAZR i. The RAZR i is actually a variant of the Razr M that was launched a couple of weeks back in New York. It appears that the RAZR i will come to the UK market first, but the device will hit the rest of Europe and Latin America. Motorola RAZR i specsThe Motorola RAZRi specs are similar to those of the American Razr M, with one big difference – the European version features an Intel Medfield processor. This would make the RAZR i the first device from a major international manufacturer to feature an Intel CPU, although the Orange San Diego, the Lava Xolo X900 and the Lenovo K800 have hit the market sooner. The CPU in the RAZRi is the first mobile processor to reach frequencies of 2.0GHz. All three earlier Intel-powered devices were clocked at 1.6GHz. Moreover, Intel claims that the single-core Medfield chip in the RAZR i can beat dual-core processors from competitors. Some previous benchmarks do give credence to their statement, but we'll have to wait for some hands-on time before we can verify the claim. The other distinctive feature of the Motorola Droid RAZR i is the edge-to-edge 4.3-inch screen, with a 960 x 540 pixels resolution. Motorola emphasized that, while the RAZR i and the new iPhone 5 have about the same physical size, the screen on the "I" is actually larger, thanks to the very thin edge. Speaking of the display, it's a Super AMOLED Advance. Other noteworthy features include the distinctive Kevlar backing, the 8MP camera, NFC, and a respectable 2000mAH battery. The power pack should provide enough energy for 20 hours of use, and Motorola said that it's 40% better than the iPhone 4S. The Droid RAZR i will come in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB versions, and will feature a microSD card. Everything is packed into a nice aluminum frame that is supposed to be water repellent. The RAZR i is obviously important for Intel, but it seems that Motorola has invested a lot into it too. The company's Andrew Morley called the RAZR i the "biggest launch since the Razr", ostensibly referring to the original Razr. Motorola RAZR i price and availabilityThe black version of the Motorola RAZR i will be available in European and Latin American markets in October. So far, Motorola announced that the phone will sell in the UK, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, while more markets will be announced in the future. The white version of the device (which we think looks better) will be available in “select markets”. Stay tuned for pricing information. LONDON – Sept. 18, 2012 – Motorola Mobility in partnership with Intel Corporation introduced the powerful Motorola RAZR™ i with Intel Inside®: the new full-screen smartphone that fits in the palm of your hand. Its Super AMOLED Advanced 4.3-inch display spans from edge-to-edge with virtually no border – giving you more screen with less phone. RAZR i is the first smartphone that can achieve speeds of 2.0 GHz thanks to a fast Intel® Atom™ processor. Jump from a game to a text and over to a playlist, then off to browse the Web – all without stopping and on a long-lasting battery that is 40 percent more powerful than the competition1. The power of Intel Inside means you also get an instant-launch 8-megapixel camera that can load in less than a second2. Just use the dedicated camera key so you get the shot you want. When there's action involved, multi-shot mode lets you snap 10 pictures in less than a second. And with the illuminated sensor located on the back and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities, you'll get a great shot, even in challenging lighting conditions. "Together with Intel, we're redefining what people can expect from a mobile device. A camera that launches in an instant, Web pages that load blazingly fast and a device that's the perfect balance of screen size and fit in hand," said Jim Wicks, senior vice president, Consumer Experience Design, Motorola Mobility. "RAZR i delivers just that when you put an Intel-fast processor in a beautifully designed phone and add in extra long battery life." "Motorola RAZR i with Intel Inside naturally blends together the value propositions of high performance Intel Architecture and great battery life, Motorola Mobility device innovation and the Android™ platform," said Erik Reid, general manager, Intel's Mobile and Communications Group. "Intel's goal is to provide compelling technology options that translate into great user benefits and experiences. RAZR i is a great proofpoint in the collaboration and we're thrilled to be working with Motorola to bring this edge-to-edge experience enhanced with Intel Inside to people around the world." Powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradeable to Jelly Bean), RAZR i puts the Google universe in your hand. Google Play™ gives you access to more than 600,000 apps and games, millions of books and thousands of movies. Get where you need to go with Google Maps for Android™ with free turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance. And when your hands are full, use Voice Actions for Android™ on RAZR i to compose a text, get directions, make a call, play a song…or simply Google something. RAZR i also features near field communication (NFC) technology so you can send contacts, links, maps and more directly to compatible phones with Android Beam™. Just hold the phones together and tap the screen. Designed with premium protective materials, RAZR i is built to go everywhere. A diamond cut aircraft-grade aluminum4 frame surrounds the display, which is made of Corning® Gorilla® Glass, to deflect both scratches and scrapes. On the back, RAZR i is made DuPont™ KEVLAR® strong3. Spilled coffee? Caught in the rain? Don't worry. RAZR i is protected with a splash-guard coating—even on the electrical boards inside. RAZR i already has a long battery – and when you set up the SMARTACTIONS™ battery savings rule your phone will automatically adjust to squeeze more out of each charge. Whether you want to maximize your last ounce of power, or prevent your phone from ringing during a meeting, SMARTACTIONS will automatically trigger specific actions. Motorola's exclusive Guide Me app comes preloaded with interactive, swipe-by-swipe tutorials for tons of features – no instruction manual required. Also unique to Motorola, the interactive Circles Widget allows quick access to notifications, weather, time and more. Availability and pricing Motorola RAZR i will be available in black beginning in October in select European and Latin American markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico with more to be announced. A stand out white version will also be coming to select markets. Pricing and availability will vary by country, so please visit www.motorola.com/razri for the latest information. For more information and multimedia assets for Motorola RAZR i, please visit our press kit athttp://mediacenter.motorola.com
Related PostsMotorola RAZR M to launch in UK with Intel Inside, Edge to Edge: Watch the Motorola-Intel London event live right here, Motorola Razr HD, Razr Maxx HD, and Razr M: image galleryThis article, Motorola RAZR i launches in London, features 2.0GHz Intel processor , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| G-nex, Nex7 and others have AOKP JB Build 2 now available to them Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:52 AM PDT
AOKP has long been known to be a great resource for feature-rich hacks and mods. In fact, the team just released their first Jelly Bean build not too long ago and it was a smashing success. Build 2 is an extension of Build 1, in that the feature gaps in 1 have been filled in and then some. I mean, seriously, look at this Christmas list of items and tell me if you find anything missing! New features:
If you’ve never used AOKP before but are curious, do be aware that doing so could cause damage to your phone should the operation fail. Take caution and always backup by booting into recovery and creating a backup. Then and only then you can wipe data and cache and then begin flashing. Links are provided below for your convenience. Drop your specific device’s source files onto the device’s internal storage, follow the instructions and go about enjoying AOKP Jelly Bean build 2! Links: All Builds [More] | Galaxy Nexus LTE | Nexus 7 | Gapps
Related PostsNo related posts. This article, G-nex, Nex7 and others have AOKP JB Build 2 now available to them , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Asus Padfone 2 inching closer to its release, packs quad-core S4 CPU in leaked benchmark Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:48 AM PDT
As excited as we were about the Asus Padfone concept when we first spotted it more than a year ago, we quickly realized it had very slim chances of getting released on a wide scale and gain much traction. Unfortunately, we were right on the money with our predictions, and the smartphone/tablet hybrid remains a sweet dream that still needs serious work (not to mention "leniency" from major carriers). Fortunately (and quite surprisingly), Asus seems to still believe in the Padfone, and, according to a leaked benchmark, it is now pushing forward with a revamped version of the two-in-one gadget. We first heard about the Padfone 2 back in May, but pretty much no one thought the new hybrid was good to go after the production issues and limited release of the first-edition model. According to the new leak, Asus is not just looking to go forward with the Padfone concept, but it also plans to considerably up the ante spec-wise. The Padfone 2 caught flexing its muscles in an AnTuTu benchmark has a quad-core 1512MHz processor and 2GB of RAM, which is a major progress over the first phone equipped with a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM. The Padfone had a Snapdragon S4 processor under its hood, so it's very likely the new phone will come with the S4 Pro CPU we are sooo waiting for. On the flipside, the benchmark lists the new Padfone as running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which would be a terrible disappointment for a gadget rumored to see the light of day sometime in 2013. It's obvious though that this is only a pre-production unit, and that it will most likely have Jelly Bean on board by the time of its release.
As for the actual benchmark results, the Padfone 2 scored a total of 13,950, which, according to Ameblo.jp, might be an all-time record. There's no other device around with a quad-core S4 Pro chip and 2GB of RAM though, so any comparison with existent gadgets would be a bit unfair. We can compare however the Padfone 2 with the freshly unveiled Galaxy Note 2, which we saw not long ago scoring an inferior 13,500 in the exact same AnTuTu benchmark. The Galaxy Note 2 packs a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so the Padfone 2's results might actually be quite impressive after all. Of course, the Note 2 benchmarked was itself a pre-production unit, but it should have been a far more advanced version than the Padfone 2, considering the two gadget’s ETAs. Talking about ETAs, let’s say that we still have no idea when might the Padfone 2 hit the market, although the initial predictions don’t seem very trustworthy anymore. It’s very hard to believe that Asus will wait until the second part of next year to make this official, and we’re almost ready to bet we will be seeing a lot of the Padfone 2 at the CES or MWC 2013, in January and February. What we want to hear from you is what do you expect from the Padfone 2 (aside from enjoying a wider release than its predecessor). Do a quad-core S4 Pro CPU and 2GB of RAM sound snappy enough for 2013 technology? Are you expecting the phone to come with a better display or a slimmer profile? How about the “Padfone Station”? Should that also be slimmer and lighter with a crisper screen? Is a battery bump also needed? Let us know down below. Related PostsAsus Eee Pad Transformer 2 Gets a Price Tag, Release Date Looms Closer – Is This the First Quad-Core Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet?, Motorola Droid RAZR HD paid FCC a visit, inching ever closer to its release, Asus Padfone Gets Tegra 3 – Projected for Early 2012 ReleaseThis article, Asus Padfone 2 inching closer to its release, packs quad-core S4 CPU in leaked benchmark , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Most ICS/JB devices now accepting XDA universal root method Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:31 AM PDT
Rejoice all ye ICS and Jelly Bean users! XDA forums has provided yet another wonderful solution to rooting your device, via member Bin4ry. He said in a post on the site, “I made a small script which is able to root ICS/JB phones. It uses a remount timing issue in Androids "adb restore" service. So normally it should work on nearly all ICS/JB devices, for some it won't but the idea may work in a slightly modded version.” Now I know what you’re thinking: “Why would I risk bricking my phone when it’s already got the latest official release Android has to offer?” That of course, is a question every user has to answer for themselves, but there are a few benefits to rooting a phone such as installing custom ROMS. As for tested devices, it has been tried on a Nexus 7 and some Sony Xperia devices. If you want to try it out on your own devices, the file is here and all you have to do is extract, select and open Runme.bat, and off you go! As always, if you do this and are successful, please do comment below.
Related PostsSprint Galaxy S3 root method posted, works with T-Mobile too, Vimeo launches video Universal Player for Android devices, L8 SmarLight update: now accepting orders, 2 new sensors [Kickstarter]This article, Most ICS/JB devices now accepting XDA universal root method , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Alibaba maintains Aliyuns’ legitimacy, but agrees with app piracy accusations Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:57 AM PDT
It seems as if this may be the year for finger-pointing, as we’ve seen the epic Apple vs. Samsung trial, HTC vs. Apple, White House vs. Google, and now Google vs. Alibaba. The accusations are based around whether or not Alibaba’s OS is a shameless copy of Android; the only truth standing at the moment is the insane amount of pirated apps in the Aliyun app store. The inherent problem with making something worthwhile, is there will always be entities that want to steal your creation and label it as their own. This is the quandary Google finds itself in, but much worse, Alibaba’s app store seems to highlight the piracy as a marketing gimmick. Alibaba is not disputing this fact but has asserted that Aliyun is not an incompatible fork of Android. The OHA may think otherwise, as they make the decision to bar members who make and release such incompatible forks. To be fair, all app stores have issues with piracy and unconvential app naming schemes, the official Google app store being no exception to this phenomena. But to say that Aliyun is not complicit with such behavior is to look at the issue through rose-colored glasses. Developers, however, are not involved in such actions; one specific Temple Run developer was contacted by the tech blog, Arstechnica, and admitted he did not know the vendor listed on the Aliyun pirated copy of the game. There is nothing wrong with making and releasing forks of Android, such as what Amazon does, but it’s not a part of the OHA. Acer is and thus far, it has used the inner workings of Android, namely the Android runtime, framework and tools. Aliyun is then, by logic, an incompatible fork of Android, without express permission of Google and is breaking the rules of OHA membership. Alibaba had this to say about the matter:
What do you think readers? Should Google only take an offensive position to protect Android or should they just go after the piracy issue? Maybe they should pursue both actions? Related PostsAlibaba: Aliyun OS is ‘not a fork’ of Android, Google speaks up on the Acer/Alibaba affair, China’s Alibaba wants to take on Android, should Google be worried?This article, Alibaba maintains Aliyuns’ legitimacy, but agrees with app piracy accusations , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Edge to Edge: Watch the Motorola-Intel London event live right here Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:45 AM PDT
As we informed you last week, Motorola and Intel are hosting a joint event in London today, presumably to announce Moto’s first Intel-powered phone. Rumors say that the device might be a European variant of the recently announced Motorola Razr M, but we can’t rule out a surprise, like a Droid Razr HD featuring an Atom processor, or even an entirely new device. Intel already has a few devices to show off, including the Orange San Diego, the Lava Xolo X900, and the Lenovo K800. But the collaboration with Motorola will result in the first major international launch for Intel’s Medfield platform. Needless to say, we are all curious to see the end product. You can watch the entire live event right here.
Sound off your thoughts in the comments section and on our Google Plus page. Are you excited about an Intel-powered Razr M? Related Posts[Updated] Mystery Motorola event scheduled for 2pm tomorrow [watch it live now here], Motorola promises to take us to the edge on September 18th [teaser video], Motorola RAZR M to launch in UK with Intel InsideThis article, Edge to Edge: Watch the Motorola-Intel London event live right here , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung comments on the Galaxy S4 rumors, says they’re not true Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:21 AM PDT
Yesterday the internet went gaga when rumors out of Korea suggested that Samsung was going to announce the Galaxy S4 at Mobile World Congress next year and then ship it a month later in March. Samsung, looking to make people ignore the S4 and focus on the recently launched S3, wrote a tweet in their native language today saying:
Horrible Google Translation aside, let’s go back to the original rumor and dissect it. Who was the source? None other than The Korea Times, which has a fantastic track record, most likely because they have direct connections with Samsung’s employees. Is their prediction about a February announcement plausible? Sure, both the first and second generation Galaxy S models were announced at Mobile World Congress. The GS3 was announced at a Samsung event because the company wanted to A) Distance themselves from the noise generated by other companies and B) To show off a product just a few weeks before it was ready to be sold. But is a March launch actually possible? Yes, and we think it’s incredibly important too. The GS3 was announced in early May, and while it did ship later that month, it wasn’t until early June when you could really say it was on store shelves around the world. Apple’s iPhone 5 goes on sale this Friday. That’s June, July, August, and half of September for the GS3 to be on sale with little to no competition. If the GS4 goes on sale in March, say early March, and the iPhone 5S comes out in late September or early October, that lets Samsung wear the flagship device crown for half a year. We also know that Apple will announce the next iPad during the spring, and it’s probably going to cost $500, so why not give those people an option to spend that money on a Samsung smartphone instead? We know it’s crazy to be talking about the GS4 this early, but February is just five months away. Time flies too. Before you know it Google will announce a whole slew of Nexus devices, they’ll probably show off Android 4.2 (or 5.0?) Key Lime Pie, and your GS3, which you once thought was amazing, will probably just become “meh”. Related PostsHow Samsung creates the true HD Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S3, Steve Jobs's "thermonuclear war" comments stricken from Apple-Samsung lawsuit, New rumors point to a RIM-Samsung partnershipThis article, Samsung comments on the Galaxy S4 rumors, says they’re not true , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| LG’s quad core Optimus G is finally official, set to go on sale next month! Posted: 18 Sep 2012 12:15 AM PDT
LG’s Optimus G, which is scheduled to be shown off at a press event in New York City tomorrow, has officially been in announced in South Korea today. While it’s technically not the first smartphone to use Qualcomm’s quad core Snapdragon S4, that honor goes to the China only Xiaomi Mi-Two, the Optimus G is going to ship in “key global markets in October”. So what else, besides the processor, makes this thing special? It has 2 GB of RAM, something that’s still considered “special” in today’s market. The display, which measure 4.7 inches diagonal and pushed 1280 x 720 pixels, is using a new in-cell touch technology which makes it thinner, brighter, and less reflective. The camera, which comes in at 13 megapixels, should be awesome, though some countries will get the Optimus G with an 8 megapixel sensor due to supply issues. Oh and there’s also 4G LTE in this thing, so if you’re in a market with LTE support, prepare to melt your face off with the speed this puppy is capable of delivering.
Are there any downsides to this device? Just one: It ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. No word as to when it’s going to be upgraded either. Yes, there’s the whole ROM flashing thing, but that’s not very mainstream. We look forward to reviewing this device, though if you want a sneak peak as to the kind of performance four Krait cores can deliver then you should head over to AnandTech and look at some of the benchmarks they ran. The Linpack numbers are off the chart, but for some odd reason the web browser leaves a lot to be desired. Update: The pricing, which wasn’t announced in LG’s press release, turns out to be roughly $895 according to Engadget. That’s a bit ridiculous, but we’ll see how that number changes depending on country. Update: LG has told The Verge that this phone will come to America in November. Related PostsLG Finally Confirms Our Doubts, Quad-core Optimus 4X HD Revealed, Huawei's quad-core Ascend D Quad to make its China debut later this month, Will the Galaxy Note 2 finally bring quad-core chips and LTE together?This article, LG’s quad core Optimus G is finally official, set to go on sale next month! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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