Friday, October 26, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Official: Samsung made a record $7.4 billion in profit for Q3 2012

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 05:57 PM PDT

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A few weeks back, Samsung gave us their Q3 earnings estimate and just now we finally have the official results: $7.4 billion in operating profits for Q3 2012. This is actually a hair above their original estimation of $7.3 billion posted earlier this month.

Compare these figures to the same time last year, and we’re looking at a 91% increase — almost double — what they made in 2011. So how did Samsung pull this off? Well, it has a lot to do with the company’s mobile business, which accounted for half of their revenue ($23.9 billion out of $47.5 billion). Guess those shiny, plastic phones are finally paying off for ‘ol Sammy, huh?

For those keeping track, Samsung raked in $4.46 billion in Q1 of this year, followed by $5.9 billion in Q2. We’ll have to wait and see how well Samsung does in Q4, during the busy holiday season, Galaxy Note 2 release, and a possible $1 billion payout to Apple over patent infringement.

[Reuters]

Contract Killer 2: Shadow Conspiracy quick scopes its way into the Play Store [Review]

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 03:12 PM PDT

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It’s only been a little more than year after the first Contract Killer hit the Play Store, and it’s just today we’re finally being greeted with the sequel — Contract Killer 2: Shadow Conspiracy. Glu Mobile is giving the latest iteration of their sniping title the Hollywood treatment, introducing an actual storyline, real voice acting, more weapons, better gameplay, and offering all of that without any entry fee (read: free).

The original Contract Killer was met with pretty good reviews, topping lists for many “best of 2011″ Android apps. Needless to say, I was pretty jazzed to give CK2:SC a spin, looking to get my hands dirty and dive back into the world of contract killing.

Upon starting up CK2, you’ll notice the overhead maps level select from the original has been completely thrown out and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Nothing was more frustrating than navigating that old cluttered map, hunting for the next mission. Now, players are presented with a much cleaner menu system where new stages are easily selected in an easy to view list. Choose the stage you want to shoot up, and you’re on your way.

Gameplay

Pretty much everything you loved about the original’s gameplay has remained intact, with a few new additions. Namely, melee and actual character movement. Okay, so I use “character movement loosely.” You technically don’t control your character in real time (as you would in Shadowgun for instance). Instead, some levels provide the player with pre-assigned markers that when tapped, will have the character take cover in that location in a 3rd person view. That’s pretty much the extent of character movement. While that may sound like a downer to some, it works well for what the game is: a casual shoot ‘em up.

Melee combat involves taking cover near an enemy and if/when their back is facing you, a well timed button press has you performing a stealth kill. This not only awards the player with bonus points, but ensures that other enemies wont be alerted by your presence. Of course, there is always the option to move in, guns blazing. How you complete a mission is up to you — just make sure your contract doesn’t escape.

Once a mission has been successfully completed, you have an opportunity to spend the money earned on your contract to purchase new weapons and upgrades. But, for the really nice weapons, you’re gonna have to fork out Glu Credits which aren’t awarded as generously as virtual cash. Of course, Glu Credits can also be purchased using real money (you know, using your credit card) but this is mainly for those that don’t want a real challenge, and/or don’t want to work for the good stuff. In my short time with the CK2, I never managed to hit a Glu Credit wall where I could no longer advance unless I spent real money for extra credits. A refreshing change from your typical freemium title.

Graphics/Visuals

The production quality given to Contract Killer this time around is noticeably better than last time. Like a high-budget console game, there is now a more in depth storyline, voice acted dialog and cut scenes. Graphics however are a mixed bag. In the trailer for Contract Killer 2 (found on their Play Store listing) you’ll find the characters look detailed, with a good deal of normal mapping and shading special effects throughout. Only one problem: it only looks that good if you’re running it on a Tegra 3 device (like the Nexus 7). After downloading CK2 on my more than capable LG Optimus G, I was a little bummed to see something drastically different than what was shown in the trailer. Flat, blocky character models, looking more like a high-resolution PS2 title than a 360 game. In fact, I’d say the visuals are on the same level as the first Contract Killer which, isn’t terrible by any means, just different than what was advertised “on the box.”

Still, I would have loved to have seen a little more life added to levels. This is a shooter, and with semi and fully automatic weapons at your disposal, you’re gonna be shooting…. A LOT. Would have been nice to see things like cans flying through the air, cars blowing up with a few well placed shots, pots smashing to bits, birds being reduced to a pile of feathers — things like that. Semi-destructible environments are a must in game such as this. Have to admit it was a bit weird shooting a wall and not having so much as a bullet hole affirming my gun shots were doing damage.

Verdict

Contract Killer 2: Shadow Conspiracy managed to take the solid first-person shooting you loved in the original, and spice it up with a few new tricks. It’s a worthy sequel that’s super easy to jump into, pop off a few rounds, then get back to workin’ in the real world. Don’t mistake this for heavy action 3rd-person shooters like Shadowgun — Contract Killer 2 a much more casual game that gives you the action you crave, without having to mess around with things like movement (who needs it). I found Contract Killer 2 highly enjoyable and I encourage everyone (except maybe the tikes) to download for themselves and give it go. You can find Contract Killer 2: Shadow Conspiracy for free right now in the Google Play Store.

[Play Store Link]

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 has dormant LTE radios

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 01:49 PM PDT

When T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was announced many assumed it would be coming with HSPA+ as the sole provider of 4G speeds. T-Mobile’s LTE network is not yet ready, after all, and we thought they might have wanted to save money in manufacturing by opting to exclude the radios necessary for the device to operate on the waves of the advanced network.

It looks like we were wrong, though — the device does, in fact, house LTE radios. With this move Samsung and T-Mobile have ensured a device that is future proof. It’s not unlike the launch of the EVO 4G LTE on Sprint ahead of a widespread LTE rollout, except T-Mobile’s network isn’t expected to get off the ground until next year.

T-Mobile and AT&T’s versions of the Galaxy Note 2 are nearly identical according to Anandtech. As such, the Qualcomm 9215M network chip inside provides the necessary hardware for T-Mobile’s future network.

The radios seem to be locked out for us common folks, and why wouldn’t they be? They’re of no use as is unless someone found a way to hack this thing onto AT&T’s LTE network.

LTE functionality could eventually be unlocked via an OTA update, but while T-Mobile was ready to confirm Anandtech’s suspicion they had no interest in confirming whether or not LTE capabilities would be unlocked once the network launches next year.

We would hope T-Mobile would eventually enable the functionality for its early adopters, but since they aren’t advertising the Note 2 to have LTE they are not obligated to do so. We can only cross our fingers and hope they’ll do the right thing once the time comes. [via The Verge]

The Galaxy Note II features a Qualcomm 9215M chipset which provides the hardware capability to support both HSPA+42 and LTE. T-Mobile plans to reach more than 200 million Americans with LTE by the end of 2013. The Galaxy Note II will not automatically access T-Mobile's LTE network. We will share more information on how and when the Galaxy Note II will support T-Mobile's upcoming LTE network when the network is available.

SRS Labs iWOW-U audio enhancement accessory review

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 01:06 PM PDT

Many OEMs are bundling headphones with their smartphones and tablets these days, and it’s no secret these headphones tend to be lacking. After all, they come with the cost of the phone and are not meant to be high-end professional quality beasts. SRS Labs looked to solve that problem with the iWOW-U audio enhancement accessory.

The device is a small piece of tech that’s used as a buffer between your device (smartphone, tablet, or even laptop if you wish) and your headphones. Your audio is processed by SRS Labs’ drivers and the end-result sent to your headphones is supposed to be better sounding music, dialog and the likes. Does this $ 70 accessory live up to the hype or should you opt to spend that $70 on a new pair of headphones altogether? Let’s find out together.

 

Design

There isn’t much to this little guy on the outside. It’s small — important because it’s supposed to stay attached to your smartphone for as long as you’re listening to it — and it doesn’t have many buttons. The device has a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging your headphones into, while the 3.5mm jack goes into your device of choice’s 3.5mm port. The connections aren’t gold-plated, but the silver should be just fine for the types of people this device is aimed for.

The face of the device features one button and an LED indicator which lets you know if the device is turned on and which mode — either car stereo mode or headphone mode — it’s in. The audio enhancement effects can also be switched off, and this is noted by an illuminated SRS logo while the main LED light is off.

On the side of the dongle is a microUSB port used to charge the device. Yep, this thing is battery operated and you’ll need to keep it charged in order for it to process your audio for better sound.

One cool little feature is the ability to change the face plate. Mine came with Silver pre-installed, and four more colors come inside the box to fit the tastes of pretty much anyone. You’ll get Pink, Teal, Red, and Black. We appreciate SRS not gouging its users to buy these extra face plates with a $60 price tag. The face plates are easily removed and attached so switching them out on a daily basis is no difficult task.

Does it work?

Well… yes, and no. Yes because it definitely does enhance audio playback on some of those lower-end headphones. A pair of cheap Skullcandy earbuds I have sounded muddier without the accessory than with it. It especially enhanced sounds on the low-end of the spectrum (bass and treble) while the highs stood out only a tad more than usual.

The sound was more full overall and I didn’t feel like the music was being packed into one compressed line and pushed through a keyhole. I must say that certain tracks had the tendency to drown the mid-range out in favor of the lows, though better mixed tracks would have made that a non-issue.

The problem doesn’t come in function, but in price: for $60 I could buy a better pair of headphones than an accessory to make crappy headphones attempt to sound like better headphones. I wasn’t expecting some huge improvement, but the gains I did get from the i-WOWU could have been closely emulated through the use of an equalizer.

For that fact, it’s probably best for someone who has a phone without an equalizer to use these (which shouldn’t be us Android users since Google Music comes with an EQ, as well as many other apps in the Play Store), but I don’t think I could justify spending $60 on this little guy. What I can get from Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and the like for comparable or even cheaper prices makes this a very hard purchase to swallow.

I will say that I did not have a chance to test this unit out in a car (it features a car stereo mode for those who are listening to tunes inside their vehicles). As such, I can’t accurately judge whether or not the device is viable for those looking to beef up the sound in their cars.

A little device like this definitely sounds ideal if that’s what you’re getting it for, but you’ll have to see how it sounds through your own setup. The only advice I can offer for this scenario is to buy it, try it, and if it doesn’t work out then return it. Sorry!

Other quirks

One thing I hate is that it requires a battery (built-in and rechargeable). Most good audio processors do, but for something that you will probably use as much as you use the headphones themselves you probably want it to last a fair amount of time. I wouldn’t have been vexed if it could hold a decent charge but I rarely hit the advertised 5 hours it’s supposed to deliver, and it takes way too long to charge for how fast it drains.

Another issue I had with the device was a noticeable hissing in the background. It isn’t as noticeable on some of the more “active” and loud songs I’ve listened to, but on more mild tracks you will definitely get bothered. Issues like this tend to be a product of general quality and not a one-off defect so I can’t imagine trying a different unit would garner better results.

One plus is that the unit supports input from devices with inline controls. You can control volume and call controls just as if the headphones were hooked directly up to your phone. Some buffers simply overlook something like this so it’s worth pointing out.

Verdict

The iWOW-U does what it promises to do (well, it didn’t wow me, but it did enhance my audio) so we can’t knock it for that, but I just don’t see it being the smartest decision for those looking for a better audio experience. It enhances sound, but not without a couple of minor sacrifices such as a hissing noise and overpowering lows.

If for some reason you just can’t depart with your current headphones and are looking for something better then these are quite fine enough, but I implore you to explore replacing your headphones altogether if you are looking to spend the $60 SRS Labs is asking for.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 now available from Sprint

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 12:14 PM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is now available from Sprint for $299 on a new two-year contract. The 5.5-inch “superphone” launched on T-Mobile yesterday and is currently up for pre-order on Verizon and AT&T. US Cellular customers can expect the phone to be available sometime over the weekend.

We recently had a chance to get some hands on time with the Note 2 and came away quite impressed. Sure, the size will turn some people off, but it’s one of the best phones in the market in terms of hardware. Samsung takes full advantage of the large, crisp display. You can check out the full review for a complete look at what to expect.

If you are picking up the phone today on Sprint, you might think about pointing that S Pen to the Galaxy Note 2 section of our very own Android Forums. You know you want to.

 

3G Nexus 7 surfaces at FCC, hints at more to come October 29th

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 10:46 AM PDT

According to a report from earlier this week, Google’s October 29th press event will bring us more than just the LG Nexus 4, which was all but confirmed via a retailer’s website earlier today, and Nexus 10 tablet, which saw its user guide leak only hours ago. It was also claimed that we would see a 3G version of the Nexus 7, a long-rumored addition to the Nexus tablet lineup and one that has often been associated with the release of a model with 32GB of internal storage.

We have seen plenty of evidence for the 32GB Nexus 7, but nothing has quite confirmed the existence of the 3G model. That was until an FCC filing surfaced for a ASUS tablet with model number ME370TG. If that doesn’t ring a bell, it’s worth noting that the original Nexus 7 received the official designation ME370T before receiving Google’s numbering scheme of NEXUS7ASUS-1BXX, where the XX is replaced with the device’s storage capacity.

The tablet in question is shown to carry a 3G radio, but little else is revealed. It’s impossible to say at this point whether it will also house 32GB of internal storage, or if the two models will be presented as separate compliments to the Nexus lineup. What is looking more and more certain is that we will see some combination of the two introduced next Monday. Only a few more days now until what might amount to Google’s biggest event this year.

[via TheDigitalReader]

Flipboard update adds audio features

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 09:58 AM PDT

Flipboard for Android has been one of the most beautiful news-reading apps since it finally launched in the Google Play Store, and today it seems to be getting even better. Version 1.9.7 brings some features to make the experience audible. You can listen to features from the likes of NPR Fresh Air, PRI’s The World, and more. It’ll be a nice change of pace from just being able to read.

You can also discover new music and share with your friends to help them do the same using SoundCloud. SoundCloud is the music sharing community where people can upload their music for the world to hear, so if your friends have a new track they want you to listen to or one they want to recommend you won’t need to go to SoundCloud — it’ll pop right up in your Flipboard.

Other than that there aren’t many other changes in this 3 megabyte upgrade. You’re getting the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, and as usual we won’t know the fl extent of those (but do we really need to know unless it’s a major bug?) Go ahead and find the free app in the Google Play Store.

Samsung Nexus 10 manual leaks

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 08:57 AM PDT

Google has an event coming up in the next few days (Monday, to be exact) and we’re expecting it to be a Nexus extravaganza. A refresh of the Nexus 7 might be in order with a 32GB configuration rumored, LG’s Nexus 4 is said to be getting unveiled, and Samsung is the latest player said to be involved with a 10 inch Nexus tablet on the way.

We haven’t seen too much in the way of physical evidence to back this rumor up, but it looks like one piece of the puzzle has been uncovered. Korean site Seeko appears to have gotten its hands on the manual for the 10 inch Samsung tablet. We don’t get much information in the way of specs, but it does confirm some of the ports and the possible design we’re going to be seeing once it’s unveiled.

For starters, it looks like Samsung will include a micro-HDMI port on the side of the device. This is interesting because Samsung is the biggest proponent of MHL, the technology that allows a USB port to double as an HDMI port.

The decision to include a standalone micro-HDMI port likely stems from the fact that Android does not have native MHL support, and since Samsung won’t be making any changes to the firmware outside of helping Google with optimization then it probably isn’t possible. Other ports include the usual suspects such as a micro-USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a charging port.

Interestingly enough, the tablet appears to house an LED notification light beneath the display. The ASUS-manufactured Nexus 7 didn’t include one so we weren’t sure what to expect in this regard. We’re hoping it’s a multi-colored light in true Nexus fashion, but we’ll have to wait until Monday for confirmation.

Another discrepancy between Samsung’s 10 inch Nexus is the addition of a rear camera (alongside the standard front-facing camera that we figured would be included). It’s puzzling that a rear-facing camera would be included on the bigger device. Believe me — it looks a lot more ridiculous to take photos with a 10 inch tablet than it does with a 7 inch device. The manual suggests the rear of the device will be two-toned, but as the tablet isn’t colored in this instance it will be hard to tell.

As with anything these days it’s wise to take this with a grain of salt. We’ve had our fair share of hoaxes and fakes over the past month, and we won’t go into the Google event expecting this to be the Nexus device we see.

Heck, we might not even see a 10 inch Nexus on Monday — that’s why these are all rumors, and that’s why Phandroid will be in New York to see whether or not Google and Samsung are prepping this thing for a big unveiling. Be sure to circle back at the beginning of next week for coverage on all of that and more. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

SwiftKey Flow brings trace-typing to predictable keyboard [VIDEO]

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 08:08 AM PDT

Trace-typing, ala Swype, has become all the rage for many people. While some say Swype is hard to get used to or just plain prefer a tap-type keyboard, it’s no secret that keyboard makers want to appeal to the widest group of people possible. One of the most advanced touchscreen keyboards ever, SwiftKey, looks to be taking the next step in its long journey to stardom.

The folks at SwiftKey have announced SwiftKey Flow, and while the firm probably wouldn’t prefer it to be called “SwiftKey, but with Swype,” that’s exactly what comes to mind. Users trace through the letter of the words they want to type and SwiftKey will accurately insert whatever word you were looking for. It can be faster than tap-typing for some people as these methods of typing have consistently been used to break texting records across the world.

SwiftKey Flow does add something a bit unique to the trace-typing table, though — real-time word prediction. As you’re tracing a word out the keyboard will attempt to predict the word you are looking for and you can stop mid-trace to select the word if it ended up guessing the correct word.

And the tracing line looks very nice, to boot. I mean, there are only so many ways you can make the line look unique but there are also ways to mess it up, so kudos. The app is currently in beta and those interested in trying it out can head to SwiftKey.net to sign up for it. Take a look at the demo video above.

Official: Android 4.1.1 arrives for Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S3 today

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 07:58 AM PDT

Sprint has officially announced the rollout of Jelly Bean for their Galaxy S3, making the carrier the first in the US to offer the latest Android version for Samsung’s flagship handset. The update brings the phone to Android 4.1.1 and includes several major changes to the operating system and its TouchWiz interface.

Galaxy S3 owners will now have access to such features as expandable notifications, augmented Android Beam functionality, and Google Now. On top of this, Samsung has enhanced TouchWiz with camera improvements, a new Pop Up Play Mode for picture-in-picture video viewing, and Easy Mode.

The update will begin reaching Galaxy S3 handsets today, but could take a few weeks to reach all users. You can check to see if your handset is eligible by heading to your phone’s settings menu and look under “About phone.”

[via Sprint]

Sony Xperia TL available Nov. 2 at AT&T for $99

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 07:41 AM PDT

James Bond’s own Sony Xperia TL will hit AT&T’s shelves on November 2nd for $99. The phone, which is featured in the newest Bond flick Skyfall, gives you plenty for your dollar with a 4.6-inch 720p display, 13MP camera, dual-core processor and NFC capabilities. Apparently it’s the perfect compliment of specs for performing spy reconnaissance and taking down evil villains.

The Xperia TL is a variant of the Xperia T announced in September at IFA. The additional L means the phone is privy to AT&T’s 4G LTE network. The Xperia TL ships with Ice Cream Sandwich but Sony has already promised a Jelly Bean update for the future.

Sony Xperia TL available from AT&T beginning Nov. 2

DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2012 – Beginning Nov. 2, AT&T* will give everyday people the chance to live like James Bond with the launch of the Sony Xperia™ TL for $99.99 with a two-year agreement. Featured in the upcoming 007 film, Skyfall, Xperia TL features Sony's best HD capture and viewing experiences and the ability to share content across multiple devices through One-touch connectivity with near field communication (NFC). A look at Xperia TL's features in action is available in this video.

The Xperia TL's 13-megapixel primary camera brings even the smallest of details to life. This high resolution fast capture camera takes quality images swiftly with its quick launch feature, going from standby mode (sleep) to first shot in just 1.5 seconds, making sure life's unexpected moments are not missed. Plus, both the rear and front-facing cameras deliver HD recording capabilities for vivid video capture on the go.

Xperia TL offers Sony's best HD viewing on a smartphone with a superb 4.6-inch HD Reality Display (1280 x 720), powered by the Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for razor sharp clarity and brilliance. The viewing experience on Xperia TL is accentuated by a stylish, sleek form factor that emphasizes the display. For those looking to take their content from their smartphone screen to the TV screen, Xperia TL connects through HDMI with MHL support or wirelessly through DLNA.

To make enjoying content across devices even easier, Xperia TL supports One-touch connectivity with NFC. Now, you can conveniently and instantaneously enjoy your music and photos across an array of NFC enabled devices by simply touching one to another to establish a wireless connection without a cumbersome pairing process. To get started with the One-touch experience, Xperia TL comes with one Xperia SmartTag in the box. Using NFC technology, Xperia SmartTags let you perform a variety of customizable functions for different locations and situations.

Featured in the upcoming James Bond cinema release Skyfall, Xperia TL will be used in the film by 007 himself. As the official Bond phone, it will come preloaded with exclusive Bond content which includes behind the scenes footage, interviews, clips, wallpapers, ring tones, and more.

AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network**, covering 275 million people. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. That means AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you may be on a much slower 3G network.

For more information, please visit www.att.com/xperiatl.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 available from US Cellular this weekend

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 06:38 AM PDT

US Cellular has announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will arrive in stores over the weekend, with availability on October 26th and 27th depending on the particular location. Those that pre-ordered the device will get it even sooner. If ordered by the 21st of this month, the Note 2 should arrive today. Later orders should arrive over the next few days.

US Cellular is one of several carriers in the US to stock the Galaxy Note 2, which is currently available from T-Mobile and on pre-order through Verizon and AT&T. Sprint will also stock the device. The S Pen-toting Note 2 is priced at $299 on contract and features a 5.5-inch display and quad-core Exynos processor. Check out our full review of the phone if you’re on the fence.

Verizon Galaxy Note 2 release date may have been premature

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 06:34 AM PDT

In the wee hours of the morning it was discovered that Verizon’s pre-order page for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 had gone live. This was no huge surprise as we’d been hearing from sources that Verizon would at least begin pre-sales today. The mistake we made was assuming that the “ships by” date was the device’s release date — it turns out we could be looking at a different date altogether.

Verizon’s official press release finally came in, and the body of it makes no mention of a hard date. All Verizon gave was “in the coming weeks.” The pre-order page, on the other hand, says the device will “ship by” November 27th, 2012. It’s not exactly reassuring verbiage that this is coming out on that exact date. It might come out then, but it’s not certain right now. It could end up being earlier, and it could end up being later than we’d first assumed.

We’re hopeful a date can be narrowed down before the end of November, however, as it’s not commonplace to see a device launching more than a month after it goes up for pre-order. The most ideal situation would be to see it launching right next to AT&T’s version on November 9th as many people feel Verizon would be rather late to the party if it’s the last carrier to launch the device by a couple of weeks’ time.

At $300 ($700 if you don’t have an upgrade available or don’t want to lose unlimited data) Verizon’s version is on the level of normalcy compared to others’ in price, and it it’s nearly the same both on the outside and inside of the chassis, as well. The only glaring difference for many is probably just a nuisance or non-issue for some, but it’s every bit a Galaxy Note 2 device as any that has been launched to date. Hit Verizon’s site if you want to stake your claim to one.

Beginning today, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is available for pre-order. The Galaxy Note II combines the features of a smartphone and tablet, giving users the best of both worlds with its large yet pocketable 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen.

 

The built-in S-Pen does more than just draw pictures. A student looking to take notes in class can use the handwriting-to-text feature to jot down their notes and attach an audio recording of the lecture. With AirView, the S-Pen can hover over an e-mail or gallery to preview content without opening it. Easy Clip lets users draw an outline and crop what's on the screen with the S-Pen and share that cropped image with others.

 

The Note II allows users to run two apps simultaneously by dividing the screen in the Multi Window view. Users can stream YouTube videos while texting a friend, taking notes or writing down an address while on a phone call. Pulling out the S-Pen during a phone call will bring up the Popup Note feature to quickly write and save notes instead of looking for a pen and paper.

 

Productivity tools like the Polaris Office app make it possible for professionals to create and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. Keeping those documents secure is important, and that's where enterprise mobility solutions come in. As a SAFE (Samsung For Enterprise) device, users receive security features like on device encryption, advanced Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync functionality and support for industry-leading Mobile Device Management (MDM) and VPN solutions to protect the data and communications handled by the device.

 

Additional features:

•Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

•Samsung Exynos 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM

•8-megapixel camera and 1.9-megapixel front facing-camera

•AllShare Play – stream multimedia content from the Note II to a compatible Samsung Smart TV® or home audio system when connected to the same Wi-Fi network

•S Beam – share pictures, videos, documents and more by simply touching two Note II devices’ backs together

 

The Samsung Galaxy Note II will be available online and in stores in Marble White or Titanium Grey in the coming weeks for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

LG Nexus 4 up for pre-order, arrives October 30th

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 06:02 AM PDT

UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has outed the LG Nexus 4 just days before Google is set to officially announce the handset. Even better, it’s available for pre-order with a delivery date of October 30th, just one day after Google’s New York City launch event. The phone is listed as free with a new two-year agreement with O2 UK or Vodafone.

The description doesn’t tell us much about the phone that hasn’t already been revealed via countless leaks, and we can’t be sure that all the info provided is 100 percent accurate. We still are having a hard time believing the Nexus 4 name will stick, but we have no reason to believe it won’t. Carphone Warehouse certainly seems to think that’s the name.

More important is the fact that the phone should be available within a couple days of its announcement. Google has often been chided for announcing OS updates or devices that don’t arrive for several weeks after. One only has to look back to last year’s release of the Galaxy Nexus to understand the complaints. That phone was announced toward the end of October and after several delays hit shelves in December.

The Nexus 4 reaching consumers so close to its official unveiling would be a real triumph for Google, but we won’t be 100 percent convinced just yet. We’ll wait to hear the words straight from Andy Rubin’s mouth.

[via CarphoneWarehouse | Thanks jdog25!]

Verizon Galaxy Note 2 pre-order page live; November 27th for $300

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 11:28 PM PDT

Verizon was the last US carrier to the party when it comes to announcing its Samsung Galaxy Note 2 pricing and availability details. Well, technically the carrier still hasn’t announced them but this handy pre-order page is all the confirmation we need. Big Red has confirmed it would be selling the device starting November 27th, and the asking price to walk away with one (after rebates, contract extensions and all of that jazz) is $300, just like all of the other carriers except T-Mobile ($370).

Those of you wanting to buy the device off-contract can look forward to a $700 price tag, something that seems to be the standard (again, save for T-Mobile’s $650 price point). The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will come with the 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor and 2GB of RAM which combine for a buttery smooth experience. Beyond that, the 5.5 inch HD display with a Wacom digitizer and Samsung’s S-Pen with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity will attract many people.

Other specs for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 include an 8 megapixel 1080p HD video camera , a 2 megapixel front-facing camera, NFC, 16GB of internal storage, and Android 4.1 with TouchWiz sitting on top. Verizon’s version will have one peculiar difference compared to the other carriers on board: its logo will be on the home button. But it appears that’s the only “blemish” we can find in an otherwise amazing device.

Kevin Krause determined that this was one device that should definitely be ahead of your wishlist of Android phones this holiday season, and even though Verizon will be the last carrier to offer its version it’s still going to be worth the wait and price of admission. Head to the carrier’s website to get started.
Posted by at 7:45 AM

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