Monday, December 10, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Samsung reminds us that new things are coming at CES

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 04:25 PM PST

Just in case you didn't already know, Samsung is reminding us that we'll see some killer new things at CES 2013. They don't give any hints, but rumors and speculation are already flying -- and that's half the fun.

We'll be at CES with cameras and keyboards at the ready, so keep glued to AC for everything there is to know from Samsung (and everyone else) in early January.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow

Google and others petition courts to stop upholding vague patents

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 03:14 PM PST

Google

A group consisting of Google, Dell, Facebook, Homeaway, Intuit, Rackspace, Red Hat and Zynga have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals suggesting that courts stop honoring and upholding patents with purposely vague wording. 

The brief covers all the legal angles, but the layman's version is that phrases like "on a mobile device" or "over the Internet" are just too broad and meaningless. These types of patents should not be granted, and existing patents using such broad terms should not be upheld. Direct from the brief:

 Many computer-related patent claims just describe an abstract idea at a high level of generality and say to perform it on a computer or over the Internet. Such barebones claims grant exclusive rights over the abstract idea itself, with no limit on how the idea is implemented. Granting patent protection for such claims would impair, not promote, innovation by conferring exclusive rights on those who have not meaningfully innovated, and thereby penalizing those that do later innovate by blocking or taxing their applications of the abstract idea.

Notably absent from the group putting this forward are Microsoft and Apple, companies that have recently tried to enforce overly-broad patents against Android vendors with mixed success. Both companies have also had their share of run-ins with questionable patents, so their participation is something I would have thought was likely. 

Nobody knows how effective this will be, but it's great to see it happening. If more companies are vocal about the situation, the government will have to respond in some manner. Anything to get rid of the status quo is a move forward in my book.

Source: All Things D

From the Editor's Desk: Android forum life

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST

Phil Nickinson

With the year winding down and my plate relatively clear of any review work (mad props to Alex and Anndrew and Andrew and Jerry and everyone else for helping make that happen), I've been spending more time in the forums. That's where any one of us here will tell you the real work happens. Questions come in, questions get answered. Tips are proffered. Sweeping how-to threads are created. It's really incredible stuff, all guided by our awesome moderators and advisers.

And it's been extremely interesting to read reaction to the hottest phones of the second half of the year. First and foremost, however, it's important to keep things in perspective. Forums by definition tend to be a bit of an echo chamber. That's not to say that what's being posted isn't important -- it most certainly is. But you tend to start saying "Everyone says this about that phone!" when it's never "everyone," just as it's never "no one." Some people have problems. Some don't. You look for trends. You get feelings about the way things are going. It's not an exact science, and I'm hardly an expert. (The guys and gals at CrackBerry teach me something new about forums every day.)

The pleasant surprises lately? There have been a few.

read more

LG says it's sold 10 million L-Series handsets worldwide

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:53 PM PST

LG L-Series

LG is announcing today that since the launch of the "L-Series" group of handsets, it has sold 10 million units worldwide. When LG started rolling out the L-Series as the mid- to low-range set of devices to compliment its "G-Series" high-end phones, they didn't receive as much attention for obvious reasons. The big top-tier devices like the Optimus G hold the most mind share, but it's the quality affordable devices that are still doing huge sales numbers.

Devices like the Optimus L9 have started to make movement into the U.S. market, but most of the L-Series are likely being sold internationally. LG is seeing the need for a whole range of handsets, and reacting accordingly to hit the different price points that people want.

read more

Verizon Galaxy Note 2 - mini review and what's new

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 09:35 AM PST

Verizon Galaxy note 2

Since its introduction back in October, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 has skyrocketed to superstardom, pushing 5 million units and earning the top spot on holiday gift guides across all carriers. It has also been written about ad nauseam, without countless stories popping up across the internet ranging from that display (it’s as huge as they say) to the battery life (it’s as phenomenal as they say). Here at Android Central, we’ve got reviews on file for both the international and T-Mobile models, which both come to the consensus that this might just be the biggest, baddest phone you’ll be able to stuff your stocking with this holiday season.

So how does Verizon’s model differ from what we’ve come to know and love? Aside from the few details below, this behemoth is nearly identical to every other iteration, from the breakneck performance of the quad-core Exynos processor to the TouchWiz-touting Jelly Bean UI. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—the Note 2 is simply one of the best Android devices ever produced.

If you want more mouth watering details on that 5.5-inch 720p SuperAMOLED Plus display, or that whopping 3,300 mAh battery, head on over to Alex's and Phil’s reviews. Hardware-wise, they're the same.

If you want to see what makes Verizon’s model unique, hit the break for the full rundown.

read more

Android Central Stocking Stuffers Week 2 - Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 08:43 AM PST

Android Central

We've reached Week 2 of our monthlong Stuff Your Stocking contest here at Android Central. We've already given away eight $10 Google Play Gift Cards, and we've got 23 more to go! And don't forget that everyone who wins is automatically entered to win a free Nexus 4!

Week 1 went down in our forums. We'll announce the winners on Monday. Week 2 is happening at YouTube. Or, more specifically, at our YouTube channel. To enter this week, all you have to do is subscribe to our channel, and then leave a comment on one of our videos. (Figure while you're there you might as well help class up the joint.) And that's it. You've got all week to get it done, and we'll announce the winners from this round next Monday, Dec. 17.

And we've still got two more weeks of giveaways after that. Plus, Google slipped a little something into our stocking as well (those of you who were at Thursday night's podcast recording know what I'm talking about), so look for that soon, too. Good luck!

The week in international Android news - Dec. 9, 2012

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 05:57 AM PST

Android Central

Between Nexus 4 phone and accessory availability, Jelly Bean upgrades and new device launches, it's been a pretty action-packed week of international Android news. Starting with Nexus news, buyers in the UK and Germany got their second chance to pick up the LG Nexus 4 at its subsidized Google Play Store price. The 8GB version of the phone soon sold out, but the 16GB model is still available to order for delivery in a few weeks. The process also seemed to go a little smoother for customers this time around, with fewer reports of technical issues with the Play Store and Google Wallet.

The first wave of Nexus 4 bumper orders also started shipping in the UK, and we've gone hands-on with the protective case in a feature published this Friday. The short version: Does a decent job of protecting the N4 from minor falls and scrapes, but it's still way overpriced for what it is. Check out our hands-on feature for more details, including pics and video.

This week's other big international feature was our round-up of the best international Android phones available. We won't spoil the surprise, except to say the winner might come as a bit of a surprise. If you've not yet checked it out, be sure to give it a read and find out which device got out recommendation.

We also got plenty of international update news this week. The European LG Optimus 2X finally got its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, some 13 months after the code first dropped. Across the pond, Canadian Galaxy S3 owners finally got a taste of Jelly Bean. And we got news of the first "Premium Suite" for the international GS3, which introduces many Galaxy Note 2 features like multi-view and page buddy to the Samsung flagship. The new firmware, which also includes Android 4.1.2, is rolling out now in some European countries.

And finally, some new devices. Sony brought us yet another mid-range Xperia phone, crossing off another letter of the alphabet in the process. The Xperia E will rock a single-core 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch screen and come in single and dual-SIM versions. Perhaps more interestingly, HTC finally unveiled the global version of the Droid DNA, which it's calling the HTC Butterfly. Right now the Butterfly is only confirmed to be coming to China, but a Taiwanese launch is also rumored, and we wouldn't be surprised to see European retailers offering imports in the near future.

That's your slice of international Android news for this week. Keep watching next week, as we'll be bringing you more hands-on coverage with the Samsung Galaxy Camera and Galaxy S3 LTE. If you've got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address!
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