Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

Verizon shutting down its App Store by March 2013

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:17 PM PST

For nearly three years, Verizon has offered apps through its own app store on its BlackBerry and Android devices. I suppose it was a decent business model three years ago but it’s hard to imagine too much interest going somewhere else other than the Play Store to get your apps. Times certainly change rather quickly. Beginning in January 2013, Verizon will begin removing its app store from all its devices via a software update. They will continue through March 2013 at which point all Verizon devices will not have the Verizon app store installed any longer. Current owners of Verizon apps will immediately begin being notified of the changes and recurring charges will expire in December.

source:  Verizon

US judge dismisses Apple vs. Motorola patent lawsuit

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:10 PM PST

Apple likes lawsuits. Anyone who keeps keeps up with the mobile tech industry will tell you the same thing. More than a few Android OEMs have faced lawsuits from the Cupertino legal team, and unfortunately, sometimes those lawsuits have some pretty serious consequences. Not all of the lawsuits end in Apple’s favor, though, and in this case of Apple against Motorola, the legal train stopped before it ever really got started.

Not too long ago, Apple filed a lawsuit against Motorola. It wasn’t about the patents themselves, but instead about licensing those patents. Apple claimed Motorola’s licensing practices were unfair. Late last week, however, District Judge Barbara Crabb questioned whether or not she had the authority to hear the claims made by Apple, and ultimately dismissed the case on Monday. Apple declined to comment, but a spokesperson for Google said they were pleased with the order. Apple did file a legal brief afterwards, though, and claimed Judge Crabb did have the authority to hear the claims.

Previously in Wisconsin, Judge Crabb did rule in a run-up trial that she might decide what fair licensing costs would be, although Apple insisted that they would not consider themselves bound by Crabb’s rate if it were to exceed $1 per Apple phone. Because of Apple’s position, Crabb questioned whether she judge the issue if she could only give an advisory opinion, which lead to her eventually dismissing the case.

Google and Motorola stated that they had long offered licensing deals at reasonable rates, and they were interested in reaching an agreement with Apple. Apple, though, apparently isn’t content with “reasonable rates.” This isn’t the first time Apple’s had a claim dismissed by a judge, and it’s certainly not the first, or last, lawsuit that Apple will continue to file against Android OEMs and other manufacturers. Eventually, you would think that they would learn innovation is more profitable than legal action, right?

source: Reuters

Verizon HTC DLX (DNA?) makes its way through the FCC

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:55 PM PST

Well, one thing’s for sure; the HTC6435LVW will be coming to Verizon’s network soon. We just don’t know what it’ll be called yet. The sweet device has just gone through the FCC which means that we should see the device in stores within the next couple of weeks. As we learned a couple of weeks ago from the purported Verizon pricing list, the device will likely launch for $199.99 on contract. It seems like forever that we’ve been discussing this phantom device. Back in July some benchmark data revealed it’s quite a beast. The only thing left to do is for HTC and Verizon to officially announce this thing already. Will the “DNA” name stick as revealed by Verizon a couple of weeks ago? Hopefully we’ll find out soon enough.

source:  FCC

New Angry Birds Star Wars trailer offers deeper look at game play

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:43 PM PST

The November 8th release date for Angry Birds Star Wars is fast approaching and Rovio has teased us with another trailer. This one gives us a much better look at what the game play will be like (SPOILER: you fling birds at pigs) and shows us a few more characters than last week’s teaser. The biggest crossover in casual gaming history looks like it will have everything we’d hoped for: light sabers? check! chewbacca with a beak? check! borderline incestuous birds? check! OK, we still don’t know about that one but there IS a Luke and Leia.

Check out the video after the break

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not enough to fill your Angry Birds Star Wars hunger? Head over to Rovio’s Angry Birds Tumblr.

Impressive growth for Android tablet sales as Apple falters according to latest IDC report

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:22 PM PST

Do you remember back in September when IDC predicted Android tablets would not see any significant growth in the share of the market that they command? IDC probably hopes you have forgotten that in light of their report today showing some significant changes in the tablet market during the third quarter of 2012. Perhaps the most stunning change was the worldwide market share for Apple devices, which slipped from a commanding 65.5% of the market in the second quarter to 50.4% in the third quarter. IDC attributes some of this to consumers holding off on purchases amidst rumors of the iPad mini. A bounce back is expected during the fourth quarter, but may be hampered by the iPad mini’s relatively high purchase price.

Apple’s loss was Android’s gain as Samsung, Amazon, Asus and Lenovo all saw their share grow compared to both the 2012 second quarter and year-over-year. Samsung saw shipments improve from 1.2 million units during the 2011 third quarter to 5.1 million units this year. Samsung now commands 18.4% of the tablet market.

Overall, the tablet market continues to grow, up 49.5% compared to a year ago and up 6.7% compared to last quarter.

The question now is whether the third quarter is just a blip and we see Apple return to controlling almost two-thirds of the market or will Android based devices continue their march to dominance?

source: IDC

Happy Birthday: Android and the Open Handset Alliance turns 5 today

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:54 PM PST

It was five years ago today that the Open Handset Alliance and Android was born. It sure has been an awesome ride. One that has resulted in around 1.3 million activations per day and 75% of the smartphone market share. There is still a lot more to go as the tablet market needs to be seized and don’t forget, we still have 16 more desserts to go for Android versions. So Happy Birthday Android and hit the break for the video that introduced Android to the world five years ago today. It features Nice Sears, co-founder of Android; Alex Rubin, Andy Rubin’s dog and team mascot; Steve Horowitz, Engineering Director, Dan Morrill, Developer Advocate; Peisun Wu, Engineering Project Manager; Erick Tseng, Product Manager; Iliyan Malchev, Engineer; Mike Cleron, Software Architect; Per Gustafsson, Interactive Graphic Designer; Brian Swetland, System Tech Lead; Tobias Anderson, Interaction Designer; and German Bauer, Experience Designer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Featured Play Store Review: Bestiary Live Wallpaper [Personalization]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:10 PM PST

If you’re looking for a new live wallpaper to try out, you might want to look at Bestiary Live Wallpaper from ICELABA. Bestiary just landed in the Google Play Store and will add a “strange creature” or monster to your homescreen that moves along with a kaleidoscope-like background. There are a few things about Bestiary that is totally cool: The graphic quality is awesome, the animation is smooth and fluid with no hiccups, and there are so many creatures and settings to choose from. The first two speak for themselves, but I need to tell you about the options. I personally expected a few choices for creatures, but I was pleasantly surprised that there is close to 100 to choose from. Many of them will only be available in the paid version ($1.30), but even with the free version, you have access to about 30 of them. It really is extraordinary how many you get to choose from and it’s likely to continue to grow.

As to the settings, each monster has anywhere from 5 to 20 different presets to choose from. Presets give each monster a different look. For example a monster with one head could be changed to having three heads. Then there is the settings, which allow you to change the size of each creature as well as how it moves. With GSScale, you make the creature larger or smaller by sliding it up or down. If you move it from left to right, it will change the direction the creature is moving as in to you or away from you. Then there is Movescale, which lets you choose what type of movement the creature is making and how big of an area.

With all of these creatures to choose from, you might think it will be a pain to find your favorites when you want to change things up. ICELABA has you covered with the favorites section. You can add any creature to it so if you’re the kind of person that likes to change things on a regular basis, you will be able to do so with ease.

Now going back to the fluidness and animation, I tested it on a dual-core Snapdragon S4, and I found no issues, so your mileage may vary with lower end phones. As with any live wallpaper, battery life is usually an issue. I am sure Bestiary does affect it to some degree, but I didn’t notice anything obvious.

The other really interesting thing about Bestiary is that some of the creatures that are only available in the paid version can still be made available. Users can put a review on Google Play and request any creature to be available to all users. ICELABA will make that creature available in what’s called the Online area in the app. So in a sense all creatures from the paid version could theoretically become available to all. This is something I haven’t seen before.

There were a couple of issues that I had, but fairly minor. The menu system and navigation is a little quirky. There is a top menu and a submenu. I was able to easily swipe the different creature choices in the submenu, but I wasn’t able to swipe the top menu. The developer pointed out that by using two fingers, you can easily swipe between them. The settings were also a little quirky as in they aren’t simple sliding scales. They are squares that you move around and the numbers that are in them are barely readable. I didn’t find it that big of a deal because the settings aren’t even all that necessary to enjoy this app. Also in talking with the developer, they are working on making some changes. Honestly, the app is worth a look regardless and don’t forget that no app is perfect from day one.

Whether you like the look or not, I can’t think of too many live wallpapers that offer as many different looks to your homescreen. As I mentioned above there is a free version that will give you roughly 30 creatures to choose from. Also you won’t have access to the presets or settings plus your favorites will be limited to a few. There’s plenty there that will give you a chance to see if you like it, and if you do, $1.30 is a small price to pay for what Bestiary gives you, and the in-app purchase couldn’t be simpler. Check out their quick demo video below and hit one of the download links to get started. Let me know what you think.

Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_01 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_02 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_03 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_04 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_05 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_06 Bestiary_Live_Wallpaper_Splash_Banner

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Radioshack Black Friday ads show up, free HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy S II anyone?

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:43 PM PST

The Holidays seem to come sooner each year and with them comes everyone favorite 5AM mall rampage known as Black Friday. For many of us, Black Friday is a chance to score a new phone at a reasonable price, and the latest leak of RadioShack’s Black Friday deals seem to promise just that.

So far the deals look to include an HTC One X for free with a new 2-year contract, as well as a Galaxy S III on Sprint for $50 or AT&T for $100. Other free phones include the Samsung Stratosphere 2 on Verizon, AT&T’s Galaxy SII Skyrocket, and Sprint’s Galaxy S II. Phones aren’t the only thing on sale either– all Zagg screen protectors are 25% off as well as many cases and headphones are marked down as well.

So, if you happen to be looking for a new phone or maybe just some extra accessories for your current device, this is definitely worth a look, especially when RadioShack is offering $10 store credit for every $50 spent.

Source: Blackfriday.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 LTE coming to AT&T this Friday

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:08 AM PST

If you were among those that really wished the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 came with 4G connectivity, then AT&T has answered your prayers. This Friday AT&T customers will be able to add the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 to their shared data plan. This will be just before Sprint releases an LTE version of the same tablet on November 11th. For those of you that don’t remember the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 comes with a dual core processor, 3 megapixel camera and WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution screen. Not top of the line but a solid tablet, adding 4G connectivity certainly doesn’t hurt. What is really enticing  is anyone looking to buy a Galaxy smartphone from AT&T might want to go for it soon because they are offering $100 off any other Samsung connected device when you buy a new Galaxy Smartphone, Galaxy Note II or Galaxy S III, on a two year contract. Hit the break to see the full press release.

Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Available at AT&T Retail Stores Nationwide Nov. 9 on AT&T's 4G LTE Network

For a Limited Time, Buy any Samsung Galaxy Smartphone1 and Receive up to $100 off a Second Connected Samsung Device including the new Samsung ATIV smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Available Exclusively at AT&T this Holiday Season, New Samsung ATIV smart PC Delivers Windows 8
Dallas, Texas, November 05, 2012

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AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile)2, today announced availability of the Samsung ATIV smart PC, a new tablet designed for the new Windows® 8 operating system, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab® 2 10.1, a 4G LTE Android tablet. Both tablets will be available for AT&T customers this holiday season beginning Nov. 9. The Samsung ATIV smart PC will be priced at $799.99 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be available for $499.99.

AT&T is giving customers more reasons to purchase a Samsung device this holiday season as part of a limited time offer that gives customers up to $100 off the purchase of any connected Samsung device of lesser or equal value, including the new Samsung ATIV smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, when they purchase any Samsung Galaxy smartphone (w/ two-year agreement incl. qualifying voice and data plans).

Samsung ATIV smart PC

Samsung ATIV smart PC combines premium computing power in an elegant tablet form factor while providing AT&T customers the ultimate in productivity and entertainment features. The powerful ATIV smart PC has an 11.6-inch HD PLS display, 64GB of internal storage memory and a microSD card slot to support up to an additional 32GB of memory and the Intel® Atom™ dual-core processor, up to 1.5 GHz. ATIV smart PC comes installed with Windows 8 (which can be upgraded to Windows 8 Pro). It is also backward compatible and supports all existing software and applications that run on older windows OS such as Windows 7, Vista, and XP. ATIV smart PC also comes preloaded with a trial version of Microsoft Office 2010 for a complete PC experience and for productivity while on-the-go.

ATIV is Samsung's brand for Windows 8 products including Smart PCs, tablets and Windows Phone 8 for smartphones. Samsung will continue to announce ATIV products to provide advanced, productive and creative experiences.

"We are excited to offer the Samsung ATIV smart PC in stores nationwide ahead of the holiday shopping season," said Chris Penrose, senior vice president, AT&T Emerging Devices. "Connected by the nation's largest 4G network, this Windows 8 tablet gives customers optimized touch interface, instant live tile updates and PC capabilities."

Samsung Mobile and AT&T are offering the following accessories3 to get the most out of the ATIV smart PC:

Stand Dock – Dock the ATIV smart PC in the Stand Dock to turn any environment into a personal office. In addition to providing a charge when docked, the Stand Dock is equipped with a built-in USB port and Ethernet (RJ45) port to connect the ATIV smart PC to LAN and various USB peripherals.
VGA Adapter – Expand your workstation and give presentations with ease with the VGA Adapter (micro HDMI to VGA connectivity). Use the VGA Adapter to connect the ATIV smart PC to external displays, monitors and projectors for second-screen viewing and enhanced productivity.
Additional accessories will also be available.
Beginning in late November online at www.wireless.att.com, the ATIV smart PC Stand Dock will be available for $49.00 and the VGA adapter will be available for $40.00.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.14 is a 4G LTE Android 4.0 tablet that delivers entertainment and productivity to fit your whole life. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers a 10.1-inch display and premium entertainment options including Media Hub, Smart Remote and AllShare® Play. 3 Features like on-device encryption and VPN access ensure the tablet is secure for business use, while the 7000 mAh battery allows for all-day connectivity. For more information on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, please visit www.att.com/galaxytab2.

AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network, covering 285 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.5 With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you may be on a much slower 3G network.

Customers purchasing tablets from AT&T have more options in choosing the plan that's right for them and their mobile devices. With new AT&T Mobile Share plans, new and existing customers can share a single bucket of data across smartphones, tablets, and other compatible devices. AT&T Mobile Share allows customers to build a plan to fit their devices and usage. For as low as $10 per month, customers can connect the Samsung 4G LTE tablets with AT&T's new Mobile Share plans. Customers can select one of the new shared data plans or choose one of AT&T's existing individual or family plans. 6

Beginning Nov. 9, Samsung ATIV smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be available in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide and online at www.wireless.att.com.

For more information on AT&T, please visit www.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

1 Samsung Galaxy promotion requires two-year smartphone agreement including qualifying voice and data plan.

2Samsung Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States according to Strategy Analytics, North America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012. Samsung Electronics Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.

3ATIV smart PC accessories sold separately.

4Samsung, Galaxy Tab, and AllShare are registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

54G speeds not available everywhere. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network. 4G when used in connection with the ATIV Smart PC refers to the fact that the device can operate on AT&T's 4G network.

6Smartphone required. Up to ten devices per plan. Additional monthly charge per device. $15 per GB for add'l data. Unlimited talk and text for phones only. Activation fee may apply. Additional deposits and other restrictions may apply. Access to corporate email, intranet sites and apps available for $15/mo. per device.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

About Samsung Telecommunications America

Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, (Samsung Mobile) a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets, wireless infrastructure and other telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world's most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Evernote adds SMS storing via MySMS

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:39 AM PST

mysms app

Evernote and MySMS have joined forces to give users the ability to store text message conversations to Evernote. The MySMS app lets users sync and send text messages with their tablet or browser. Using MySMS with an Evernote account will archive SMS messages to a dedicated Evernote notebook. Every SMS conversation is turned into a separate note and is updated whenever a new message is received. The auto archiving will also include picture messages. The Evernote/MySMS integration is live for Android devices, iPhone and Windows Phones.

Download Link after the break

Source: Evernote

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