Tuesday, January 31, 2012



Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:23 AM PST
Android fans simply love the design and beauty of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich's skin. Consumers are allured by the captivating wallpapers, animated icons, the Roboto font, widgets, and every corner found on its skin. Google surely made a piece of art that captivates users to the point that many attempt to make their desktop PCs look exactly like that of Ice Cream Sandwich running on a big screen (e.g., tablet). David Molina, an avid fan of Android did exactly just that.  He customized his Windows 7 desktop and made it look ICS-like.
Here’s how Molina’s desktop looks like (courtesy of 9davidandres on Flickr):

You can also set your Windows 7 desktop to look like that, or even customize it further according to your own preference.  In the rest of this article, you will learn how to theme your Windows 7 desktop and make it look like it’s running Ice Cream Sandwich–from wallpaper, to app icons, to Roboto font, and more.  Read on to bring ICS’s looks to your Windows 7 desktop.

Required Components and Setup Instructions

You will need to download and install the following components (in the order they appear here) to set up the Ice Cream Sandwich theme on your Windows 7 desktop:
  1. Ice Cream Sandwich wallpaper from WallBase.  Get this from here and set it as default wallpaper on your desktop.
  2. APPOWS2010 custom theme for Windows 7 (by neiio on deviantArt).  You can use this to modify the taskbar.  Get APPOWS2010 from here and install it on your desktop.  The package includes a README file that can help you with setting it up.  There’s also a guide here for installing custom themes on your Windows-based desktop.
  3. RocketDock.  Get this from here and install this on your computer.  This is an application launcher, with a clean and well-organized interface.  Use this to drop application shortcuts.  You’ll need to start with a blank theme and add the app shortcuts.
  4. Ice Cream Sandwich Icon Pack from DroidPirate.com.  This is a set of Ice Cream Sandwich icon files packed into a ZIP file.  You’ll need to extract the contents into a folder on your desktop.  Get the icon pack here.
  5. Rainmeter.  This is an opensource application for displaying customizable skins on your desktop.  It can show “skins” (essentially, “widgets”) that display system information (e.g., battery power, RAM, etc.), RSS feeds, weather, and more on your desktop.  Download Rainmeter from hereand install it to your computer.  After installing Rainmeter, download the following Rainmeter skins.  Double-click on the *.rmskin file and follow the prompts to load the skin into Rainmeter.  (Some of these skins are in ZIP archives, so you’ll need to extract them first.)
    • Minimal Bar v2.0 (by Vit-Ok on deviantArt).  This is a skin for use in Rainmeter.  This is what you will use to show the time and date “widget” on your desktop.  Get this skin here.  (It’s compressed into a ZIP, so you’ll need to extract the file with the *.rmskin extension.)
    • LEXIS (by Kenz0 on customize.org).  This is a skin for use in Rainmeter.  You will need this to display the weather “widget” on your desktop.  Get this skin here.
    • Simplesentencethree (by White-Baron on deviantArt).  This is a skin for use in Rainmeter.  You will use this to display the Currently Playing “widget” on the lower-right corner of the desktop.  Get it here. (You’ll need to extract the *.rmskin file from the ZIP package.)
    • GoogleBar (by nardoxic on deviantArt).  This is a skin for use in Rainmeter.  You will need this to show the Google Search Bar.  Whenever you do a search using GoogleBar, it will open your desktop’s default web browser and direct you to the search results.  Get this skin here.  (Unpack the contents of the ZIP file.)
  6. Roboto TTF font family pack.  Get the package from here.  The package will contain 16 TTF files for different Robot font styles, but you’ll be needing only the Roboto Light font (which is the recommended font to use).  Just unpack the TTF files and install Roboto Light to your desktop.
  7. Windows 7 Start Orb Changer (by Kishan Bagaria of door2windows.com).  Get this tool hereand unpack the ZIP file (which contains an executable file.)  You will use this tool to change the Start Orb (the Start button in Windows 7) with the one below:
    • Aftersounds start button Win 7 (by MustBeResult on deviantArt).  Download this custom Start Orb from here, unzip the file contents, and use Windows 7 Start Orb Changer to replace the current Start Orb on your desktop.
Does your Windows 7 desktop look like Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now?  What other customizations and tweaks did you make to your ICS theme on your Windows 7 PC?

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This article, How to Make Your Windows 7 Desktop Look Like It’s Running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:16 AM PST

London commuters (yes commuters, not commoners) now have a way to check if their bus is arriving at any of the 20,000 bus stops throughout London. Through your Android smartphone device, you can now check the Buschecker app and see if you are going to be late on your bus.
According to FatAttitude LTD. (the app developer), the app is UK's best selling travel app. Apart from the paid version, there is a lite version which allows users to test drive the app for 30 days and use its full features. The paid version only costs $1.95 with features including:
  • Real-time GPS map of nearest bus stops
  • Live, updated countdown display of bus arrivals
  • Full route maps of all London Bus Routes
  • Service information (diversions, closures, cancellations)
  • Tap on bus numbers to filter list
  • Home screen widget- live arrivals of favorite stops
  • Detailed bus stop information (route, map location, direction)
  • Map/route number display
This is certainly a great app for anyone traveling in the UK!


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This article, London Buschecker App for Travelers and Daily Commuters , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:13 PM PST

We initially speculated that Samsung will be revealing the Galaxy S3 at next month's Mobile World Congress. However, Chris Ziegler (The Verge) and other German sites are reporting that the Android manufacturer will not be announcing the device in Barcelona.
For many people, this is a complete surprise, especially since both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S II first made a debut a day before last year's MWC. So if you're hoping to see the successor of the company's flagship smartphone on February 27, you might end up disappointed.
One of the reasons why experts believe the announcement of the Galaxy S3 will be delayed is because the company is 'uncomfortable with another long lag between the global launch and US availability' (Ziegler). That's a huge possibility.
Perhaps Samsung is concentrating on the Exynos 5250 SoC? Considering its biggest rival is quad-core chips, it might be possible Samsung is doing its best to launch off the chip soon.

As of this writing, there are no specifics of the specs included on the Galaxy S3. All we have are speculations and rumors. So until an announcement has been made, that's all we'll have to share.

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This article, Rumor: No Galaxy S3 Unveiling Anytime Soon , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:11 PM PST

Here's a funny survey: 87% of Android users admitted to using their device while on the toilet.
11mark surveyed 1000 Americans and discovered neither men nor women are going to the bathroom empty-handed. They found out that 74% of men and 76% of women use their mobile phones in the bathroom. Out of this number, 63% of people take calls and 41% initiated a call. Moreover, 67% read text messages while 38% surf the internet.
Surprisingly, men are the ones who are more attached to their smartphones compared to women. 30% of men said "I don't go to the bathroom without my mobile phone," only 20% of women answered yes to this. 20% of men also work from their bathroom cubicle; while only 13% of women do this.
On the subject of which smartphone people use on the toilet, 87% of respondents use their Android device, while 84% and 77% were BlackBerry and iPhone users, respectively. Compared to BlackBerry users (who answered phone calls), Android and iPhone users were most likely using a social network or an app on the toilet.
"The writing is on the stall," says 11mark's Nicole Burdette "This study confirms what we all know – that the last private place is no longer private. And, that the 'mobile-everywhere' phenomenon is flushing out a host of new opportunities for savvy communicators."

How about you? What do you do when you use your smartphone in the loo? Let us know in the coments below.

Show full PR text
New IT in the Toilet Study Shows Americans Aren't Spending Alone Time Alone
Study Highlights Americans’ Habits Behind Closed Stalls
Alexandria, Va., January 30, 2012 – Three-fourths of Americans with mobile phones report they use their phones in the bathroom, according to a new study by 11mark, a new integrated marketing agency. Americans are texting, emailing, and yes – as you may have heard – talking on the phone in the bathroom. Approximately one quarter of Americans report they don‟t go into the bathroom without their phone. The new report, "IT in the Toilet," uses the "bathroom benchmark" to examine just how connected we have become.
The survey of 1,000 Americans reveals that neither men nor women are going to the bathroom alone today – 74 percent of men and 76 percent of women report they have used their mobile phone in the bathroom. 63 percent report they have answered a phone call, and 41 percent have initiated a phone call. Many (67 percent) have read a text, and 38 percent have surfed the Internet. Men are a bit more attached, however, with 30 percent reporting, "I don‟t go to the bathroom without my mobile phone," versus 20 percent of women. Men also work more from the bathroom – 20 percent say they have participated in work-related calls versus 13 percent of their female colleagues.
Droid users are slightly more likely to use their phones in the bathroom overall; 87 percent have used their phone while indisposed, versus 84 percent of BlackBerry users and 77 percent of iPhone users. BlackBerry users are most likely to answer a call in the bathroom. 75 percent of BlackBerry users report they have done so, versus 67 percent of Droid and 60 percent of iPhone users. But, Droid and iPhone users are more likely to browse a social network or use an app (in the bathroom) than their BlackBerry colleagues.
As expected, Gen Y respondents are the heaviest IT in the toilet users. Ninety-one percent use their phone in the bathroom, but older generations are not far behind. Eighty percent of Gen X report they use the phone in the bathroom, as well as 65 percent of Boomers, and 47 percent of the Silent Generation (guess they are no longer silent.)
Americans are using apps to connect to their favorite content, quickly – 59 percent of Gen Y, 43 percent of Gen X, and 22 percent of Boomers have used an app in the bathroom. While online, they are doing more than just surfing; 16 percent of Gen Y report they have made an online purchase while in the bathroom. iPhone users are particularly likely to browse and buy in the bathroom – 22 percent have made a purchase, versus 10 percent of Americans with mobile phones overall.
"The writing is on the stall," says Nicole Burdette, principal, 11mark. "This study confirms what we all know – that the last private place is no longer private. And, that the „mobile-everywhere‟ phenomenon is flushing out a host of new opportunities for savvy communicators."
The "IT in the Toilet" study is based on an online survey of 1,000 Americans with mobile phones in October 2011. To learn more and download the full free report, please visit http://www.11mark.com/IT-in-the-Toilet.
About 11mark
11mark is an integrated marketing agency that serves up innovative communications solutions. We offer independent counsel and big ideas to help clients influence opinions, shift perceptions, and win in competitive markets. 11mark is a 300Brand company. For more information, visit http://www.11mark.com/.
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This article, Survey Says: 87% Android Owners Use Their Device on the Toilet , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:00 PM PST

T-Mobile is preparing for a new bunch of Android smartphones and tablets that they will be exhibiting at next month's Mobile World Congress and the CTIA. This means is that they will be clearing out their shelves to make room for the new models. And yes, they're letting go of 6 Android devices which TmoNews has gathered to be:
There hasn't been an exact shelf life for these models. We heard that it will vary depending on each device. But it is possible that some of the HTC models could stick for a while, since they are still being advertised by T-Mobile. As for LG, we really can't say the same….

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This article, LG, HTC Among the 6 Devices T-Mobile is Putting on the Chopping Block , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:54 PM PST

Since the first talk at CES, Android Authority has been following the Droid Razr Maxx for some time now. Released on January 26, the Maxx sports an impressive 3300 mAh battery. That's enough for around 21.5 hours of talk time!
Now that is quite special, however there isn't much difference between the Maxx and its past brother, the original Razr. With models of the original Razr now offering white and purple, along with the previous option of black stirs up a deep battle.

Hardware

For hardware it is essentially all the same. It contains the same TI OMAP, 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Tagging along with 1GB of RAM.
With a kevlar sealed backing, you are highly ensured for leakage and internal damage to the battery and other contents. Of course in extreme situations, nano-coating inside the device will help protect from an Android death.
On the top of the Maxx you will find two ports; a micro-USB and mini-HDMI port. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack for music and other entertainment. Elsewhere on the phone there really isn't anything, besides the SD card slot and volume rocker.
Getting into the camera, you will have a rear 8 megapixel camera along with a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. Looks like this phone is almost identical of the original Razr.

Software

Like the predecessor it is running on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. Unfortunately there is still a noticeable lag between screen switching and menu scrolling. The good news is that 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is right around the corner.
And carrying on traditions of Motorola products, Motoblur is a known factor when picking up the device. But, if you cannot wait for the official ICS update, there are a few ROMS out there to fulfill your needs.

Style and Design

The Razr Maxx is an excellent device, even though many changes haven’t been added. Motorola really kept the great design from the past Razr, making it just a little bit thicker.
The final thickness comes in only at 8.99mm. This gives you enough room in your pocket with a great profile. Once it is in your hands, the Maxx has a great build, making it very sturdy and reliable. Perhaps they took some advice from Casio?
Along with the sleek design, comes accessories compatible with the device. The only downfall in the accessories department is that original Razr cases will not fit the device, as it is a bit larger. You will still be able to fit screen protestors and maybe "some" universal docks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKvJCh5fDzQ

One Hit Wonder: The Battery

Without the battery on the Droid Razr Maxx would be like a Ferrari with no engine. There would be really nothing else selling the device. The 3300 mAh battery is capable of 21.5 hours talk time or even 2.5 days of listening to music.
Now of course you will not be able to achieve maximum life every time, because it depends on which settings for battery saving you have enabled. But, wouldn't it be nice to play games all day at work and still have juice left for the GPS ride home?
However, in order for Motorola to unleash their beast of a battery, they needed to add the restriction of keeping it internal, to maintain the slim design.

Round-Up: Best Phone of 2012?

Would I say it is the best phone of 2012? It is one of the top competitors, but simply not the best. I believe if Motorola added an even faster processor, more RAM memory and more "in-box" perks it would be groundbreaking. But you have to think, "how would they sell the original Razr?".
The battery is a major positive when it comes to purchasing the phone. But the lack of internal storage is quite depressing. Seeing how the white and purple models just released with an option of 32GB and 16GB, a little more time could be spent in adding more storage.
So the bottom line question is quite simple. Should I buy a great phone with an outstanding battery, or wait for the upcoming 2012 phones to release? But that is the problem. We cannot always wait as these devices are changing quickly. This is essentially why you are reading off of sites like Android Authority.
Deeper look Distant look good5 kevlar back razrmaxtitle sideview top ports
The Maxx is available on Verizon for $299.99 on a 2-year contract. I think you will be happy with your purchase, especially with the future ICS Android 4.0 update. What do you think about the Droid Raxr Maxx? Will it be in your pocket soon? And, if you have the Razr Maxx, what is your experience with it? I would love to hear your comments.

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This article, Exclusive Review – Droid Razr Maxx Review [Video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:39 PM PST
There is what about 200+ Android devices on the market right now? But which one are you using? Perhaps the Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch on Sprint, or maybe the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon or the GSM version, could it be the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile, or the Motorola Atrix 2 on AT&T’s LTE network, or some other device?
Personally I am running the Motorola Droid Bionic on Android 2.3.4, which is rooted stock on Verizon’s blazing fast 4G LTE network. You can add as much of that information into the comments below, we love seeing our readers get involved in our posts. Feel free to add all your devices or just your daily driver, it’s all up to you. Just don’t say you own an iPhone or Blackberry, some of us might start looking at you funny.

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This article, What Android Device(s) are you Rocking Right Now? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:30 PM PST

Some people seem to think that because the $47 ($23 for students) Android tablet from the Indian Government is built with the minimum necessary specs for it to function, then it’s just a gimmicky tablet and no one will want it. First of all, a lot of people already want it and over 1.4 million units have been sold. So you can’t say people don’t want it. They clearly do.
Now, the argument may be that “ok so they bought it, but now they are going to be very disappointed with it”. I wouldn’t be so sure to decide that. Why would they be disappointed with it? You can only be disappointed when you have something to compare it with. Will the performance be frustrating at times? Sure. But disappointing overall? I think that’s far from the truth. And here’s why.
Not having a capacitive touchscreen is a first world problem. Resistive screens are definitely not as responsive as capacitive ones – but unusable? Far from it. Instead of touching it with the tip of your finger, you have to press a little harder, almost as if you were pressing a very sensitive physical button. Is that such a big deal that makes the tablet unusable? I don’t think so.
Not having a dual core Cortex A9 processor is a first world problem. I probably hate the ARM11 processor, which is about a decade old (hard to believe, right?), probably more than anyone, and I think we should’ve gotten rid of it a long time ago. Cortex A5 was supposed to replace it, but for some reason it hasn’t so far, and now I’m starting to think they’re just waiting for Cortex A7 to appear and replace both ARM11 and Cortex A8, as a much cheaper and more efficient alternative.
So yes, the ARM11 is barely suited for a full modern mobile OS like Android, and having it run at 333 Mhz, which is half of what low-end smartphones have today, is even worse. But you know what – as long as it doesn’t crash all the time, and the only downside is being slower, I think that’s more than ok for most Indian people.
Here’s why people who argue against this are missing the point. The performance of the tablet is NOT the killer app. Having access to the World Wide Web, being able to read free e-books, perhaps from Google Books or from school, and play some low-end games, ARE the killer apps of a tablet. This may be hard to believe for many of us who take these for granted now, and to us is like having access to clean water. But to most of them it’s not like that at all.
Having access to the web’s information is not something that comes easy for them or something they are used to. So having to wait say 1 minute instead of 15 seconds for a webpage to load on their tablet will not be a huge problem that makes such a cheap tablet unacceptable. That’s like us saying 10 years ago that 3.5 KB/s dial-up speeds were unacceptable because they made loading pages too slow.
Does anyone still remember those days? Sure the pages loaded slow, but we were too excited to actually see that information and that website, to care about how slow it loaded. So this is exactly how most of the owners of this tablet will feel, too. The Aakash Android tablet will be a portal into a world of knowledge to which they didn’t have access before at all. Being 5x slower than what most of us can deal with will not stop the Indians from buying this very cheap tablet and be happy they did.
Besides, the people buying this tablet now are only the “early adopters” from the “poor people” in India. And we all know that early adopter types are the ones who can deal with the bugs and slow performance the most, because of the “potential” of such a device. By the time the majority of Indians will want a $50 Android tablet, it will probably be 3 years from now, and it will have a dual core Cortex A7, and Android 5.0 on it.

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This article, The $47 Aakash Android Tablet Should Not Be Dismissed So Easily , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:38 PM PST

Thanks to a NenaMark benchmark on their own site, someone managed to capture a screenshot of a Galaxy Nexus device featuring a PowerVR SGX544 GPU, much like a TI OMAP 4470 chip would have. Although, it has never happened before for Google to release a “Plus” version of their Nexus, they did release a “4G” version of the Nexus S. Also, seeing how Samsung is on a spree of making “Plus” versions of all their older phones, could it be that there’s an actual upgraded Galaxy Nexus device on the horizon?
I would take these rumors with a huge grain of salt, because it’s still possible the benchmark was spoofed (it also appears a lot of people are overclocking their CPU’s), but what if Samsung/Google are actually going to upgrade the Galaxy Nexus? And why would they do that anyway?
First of all, I’m pretty sure this will upset many Galaxy Nexus owners, because they will feel as if they got the short end of the stick and just bought the “weaker” version. This is why, although I could agree with “Plus” versions of phones, it would have to be at least 6 months after the release of the original version. Otherwise the original buyers might hate the company for it.
I think a Plus version is fine, as long as it actually comes with significant upgrades in every way: processor, display, storage, RAM, and last but not least, the OS version (phone design should probably stay mostly the same, to recognize it). Google is already on a 2-per-year major Android versions cadence, so I could see how a “Plus” version can serve as a mid-life kicker for the original device, that also comes with Google’s latest and greatest major Android upgrade. Of course, this doesn’t mean in any way that the manufacturers can slack off and not release an update for the original version as soon as possible.
What I don’t like though, is when they release a new phone 3 months later, it barely has anything changed other than a 20% faster CPU,  and comes with the exact same version as the original. What’s the point of that? It might give a short boost to their sales, but it will get them fewer sales in the future if their customers start feeling ripped off.
Again, I think this could be just a benchmark spoof, because even though it says SGX544, it’s not as powerful as it should be compared to an OMAP 4460 GPU, and the CPU is also way underclocked compared to what an OMAP 4470 should have (1.8 Ghz). So don’t get too worked up about it until we have more official news.

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This article, Rumor: More Powerful Galaxy Nexus on the Horizon? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:32 AM PST
For those of you that want the latest news on Android development before Android Authority can bring it to you, you may want to go onto Google+ and circle Android Developers now. If you are already following Android Developers on Twitter, then why not follow them over on Google+? They will probably be using Google+ more then Twitter since it is a Google product, but we will see.
We’ve seen Android give away some cool prizes on their Google+ account, so I’m sure Android Developers will do the same. Make sure you go and circle Android Developers soon, in the first hour since they launched the page they have had over 3,000+ people circle them! While you’re at it, don’t forget to add Android Authority to your Android circle, and get all the latest news from the best Android site on the web! If you’re looking for a specific author here at Android Authority, head over to our About page and you can add us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and grab our RSS feed to our posts.

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Want to use same android apps on the windows PC?

Install  Bluestacks app player.
http://bluestacks.com/

All Your Favorite Android Apps now on PC. Sign up for beta version..



Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:52 PM PST
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It’s great to know your roots and as a wise man once said, if you don’t know where you came from, how will you know where you’re going? And if you thought guys like Andy Rubin or Steve Jobs were pioneers of their time — check out these guys from AT&T’s early days who had no idea what they were onto. But who could blame ‘em. There’s no way they could have predicted that cellphones would soon shape an entire generation thanks to SMS, picture messaging, applications –  heck, even the internet — and that all of that would be so easily accessible (and mandatory) from these tiny little computers that fit inside our skinny jeans.
In the video from 1979, you’ll see what was essentially closed beta Bell was using to test their new cellular network where hundreds of their customers could use a carphone at the same time. And this was a huge deal given in New York, only 12 people could be making a call. Just about every 70′s fashion cliche makes the cut — everything from ginormous eye wear, to sleazy mustaches and cheesy open collard suits. I can only wonder what our kids will say about us. You know, while riding their touchscreen hoverboards to school…

[Via ReadWriteWeb]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:11 PM PST
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When it comes to carriers, wireless data has been turning into quite the commodity over the past few months. This is made no better evident than the amount of ways carriers are amending their policies, tightening up data use wherever they can.
T-Mobile — who pretty much introduced US consumers to “throttled unlimited data” — is once again restricting their customer’s data use, this time with new limits to roaming data usage. Come April 5th, customers will be allotted a smaller amount of data use while roaming that’s directly proportioned to their current plan. You can see via the leaked picture above, it ranges from 10 MB of on their lower 200MB plan, all the way up to 200MB of roaming data on a plan with 10GB or more.
The bright side? You wont be charged any overages, T-Mobile will simply cut off your roaming data once you hit your limit. By contrast, Sprint offers 300MB of roaming data with their truly unlimited plan before a customer rep will come to your door and give you the boot. While this news probably wont make the majority of consumers gasp, “How could they!?” I’m sure it will affect some of your decisions when shopping around for a carrier. No?
[TMoNews]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 04:55 PM PST
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Looks like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet will be joining the elite club of Android devices set to receive their Ice Cream Sandwich updates this year. More specifically, Lenovo mentioned today that Android 4.0 will arrive for the tablet Q2 of this year. The tablet is currently running on Android 3.1 which isn’t so bad seeing how I’ve always felt 4.0 is only a slightly better version of Honeycomb. Anyone with a ThinkPad out there happy about this news?
[PCWorld]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 04:24 PM PST
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The Motorola Defy Mini has just made its way through the FCC earlier today. The waterproof/dustproof device has been approved for GSM bands 850 and 1900, and WCDMA bands II and V. The little feller will also run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and feature a 3.2-inch screen, 600MHz processor, 512MB of RAM for multitasking, 3MP rear/.3MP front facing cameras as well as the now standard Bluetooth and WiFi. Kinda cute, isn’t it?
While the Defy Mini is already scheduled to launch in the UK (March 25th for $225), the bands also make it the perfect fit for AT&T here in the states. It’s still a toss up seeing how Motorola recently mentioned they would be focusing on the high-end market here in the US but maybe they’ll let this one slip by.
[WirelessGoodness]


Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:36 PM PST
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We’ve seen Windows 95 running the on the Motorola Droid, but how about putting the golden child of 90s computing onto something a bit more powerful? Something like the HTC EVO 3D. Thanks to an APK made available by mnomaanw of XDA Forums, we now can. But it doesn’t stop there. Also bootable with minimal hassle are Windows 98 and XP as well as Linux. The specific method does require a bit of technical know-how, but full instructions are available on at the originating thread. You can get all the files you need there, as well. Booting into an alternative operating system will lose you a bit of phone functionality (and makes less sense in an age where smartphones can accomplish most of the same tasks). So which classic OS is it for you?
[via TheAndroidSoul]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:43 PM PST
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A new entry-level handset from LG appears to have slipped under the radar and right onto a Swedish retailer’s site. CDON.COM has the LG Optimus L3 (E400) listed, detailing it’s 3.2-inch display at 320×240, 3MP camera, and Android 2.3 operating system. The pint-sized device combines both size and cost efficiency. It is listed for the equivalent of about $190. This is the first we have seen of the device, but if it is anything like LG’s other entry-level models we can expect to see it make a global rollout over the coming months.
[via EuroDroid]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:40 PM PST
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Do privacy issues regarding mobile apps concern you? Or are you one of the “if you’re not doing anything wrong you shouldn’t have anything to worry about” types? Either way, the Carrier-IQ scandal caused a stir when the app was discovered pre-installed on mobile handsets, collecting data including geographic locations and times, without prior consent of the user. Congress is trying to prevent similar suspicious activity with the introduction of the Mobile Device Privacy Act.
If it passes, the bill could also have an impact on organizations such as CarrierCoverage.com — scheduled to officially launch in one week — which hope to crowd-source mobile performance metrics while being transparent, open, and honest about their methods and practices:

Whereas Carrier-IQ was built for private use by manufacturers/carriers, Carrier Coverage is built for consumers with the hope of offering accurate and unbiased reports on those very manufacturers/carriers. The Mobile Device Privacy Act will affect all of these groups.
The bill would enforce several requirements for companies doing any type of mobile tracking, most obviously that carriers, manufacturers, and app/game developers must disclose any tracking software installed on the device at point of purchase and/or make disclosure if installed afterwards. The user would have to provide consent and the company would have to make visible attempts to protect the data.
All of this sounds extremely fair, but it’s also concerning to consider the potential pitfalls of putting protection into text. As we all know, Congress doesn’t always get it right, and specific wording within the bill could make or break lawsuits and cases based on the act. Most obviously, note how the bill begins:
To require disclosures to consumers regarding the capability of software to monitor mobile telephone usage, to require the express consent of the consumer prior to monitoring, and for other purposes.
Great- so that means that software to monitor Android Tablets and iPads are protected? Call me crazy, but minute details and loopholes like these are unfortunately a big part of our legal system. And it goes both ways: just as there are loopholes for companies wanting to collect data there are likely sticking points where companies with good intentions could fall subject to fines and penalizations although acting in good faith.
We’re still quite a distance before any legislation becomes law, but given quotes like those from Al Franken-
“the default for collecting any kind of personal data should be opt-in consent,”
“we have a fundamental right to know what information is being collected about us and who it is shared with.”
-I think the motives are spot on. Let’s just hope they integrate them in such a way that services like Carrier Coverage aren’t faced with unsurmountable challenges while dealing consumers a fair hand.
What are your thoughts? Do you see a difference between Carrier-IQ and Carrier Coverage? Let us know how you think this legislation should move forward – if at all – in the comments below.
[CarrierCoverage.com, TheVerge, VentureBeat]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:13 PM PST
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Nothing like a little controversy to add a dash of excitement to another Monday, right? With an official Steam app promised for months but few signs that a release would happen in a timely manner, several developers took up the online gaming service’s freely available API and crafted it into a number of not-so-bad mobile clients. Everything was all hunky-dory until Valve finally launched the official version last week. Now third-party alternatives are dropping from the Android Market faster than terrorist baddies in Counter-Strike.
There is no proof that the two events are linked, but this seems a bit more than coincidental and has us scratching our head. If you have been using a Steam client on Android that you prefer over the official version, cherish it, back it up, and avoid uninstalling it. While some of these apps may find their way to other marketplaces, there is no guarantee.
[via DroidGamers]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:33 PM PST
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If you are the type that likes to go around believing just about everything on the internet, then Samsung has a new Galaxy Nexus on the way with an updated CPU. According to a NenaMark benchmark report, a recently tested GNex was logged with a PowerVR SGX 544 GPU, a component not matching the SGX 540 GPU of the TI OMAP4460 chip found in the current generation of Nexus handsets. The SGX 544 does, however, accompany the OMAP4470, an upcoming chip from Texas Instruments that is feature-packed. Clock-able up to 1.8GHz, the dual-core system-on-a-chip promises some significant speed improvements over what is currently available from TI.
This is the first we have heard of a potential hardware upgrade to the Galaxy Nexus, so we will take the listing with a grain of salt (there are definitely ways to fudge with the results of these benchmark tests). For now we can only speculate on the potential of an even more powerful handset than the one that is already available. Then we can proceed kick ourselves for being early adopters with the first release.
[via DroidLife]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:58 PM PST
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Verizon has hinted at shared data for their family plans sometime in 2012, and a newly leaked look at Verizon internal training software seems to suggest we could be seeing such plans sooner rather than later. The new training materials includes an overview of “account level data plans” that consist of a single monthly charge for data bandwidth along with a $9.99 charge for each line using the data, though it may be too soon to read into the exact pricing. But there you have it, shared data coming to a Verizon family plan near you.
[via Engadget]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:20 PM PST
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Some Samsung-owning Norwegians are about to be very happy. A post today on Samsung Norway’s Facebook page revealed that the update to Android 4.0 should be hitting the Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy note by the end of the first quarter of 2012. Before we get too excited, Samsung still has plenty of time before they hit that deadline. We are just entering February, after all. While there may still be a few months of waiting, Norwegians should be among the first to receive an update to Ice Cream Sandwich. With any luck it won’t be long after that the rest of the world gets a taste.
[via PocketDroid]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:55 AM PST
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While Samsung’s latest marketing campaign seems focused on mocking the culture of obsession surrounding Apple’s iPhone, the goal of the ads is less about tearing down the competition and more about creating a similar bond between consumers and the Galaxy line of Android smartphones, according to marketing head Younghee Lee. “People are obsessed with Apple,” said Lee in a conversation with AllThingsD, “it’s time to change people’s attention.” The way to do this, Lee feels, is by engaging with customers “from the bottom of their heart.”
Samsung wants to move away from consumer perceptions of the company as a big, foreign tech conglomerate and create a connection with users that is meaningful and lasting. The irony here is that they are attempting to do so while continually tearing down the cult of Mac, poking fun at those who would wait in a line for “the next big thing” while Samsung’s own desire is to see the same lines forming for the launch of their next Galaxy handset. The ads do a great job of illustrating their point, but not everyone is buying it. “Samsung’d” was welcome by some but meme-worthy to others. The same goes for “Dude, you’re a barista.” Whether or not the TV spots are a hit or a miss, here is some free advice for Sammy: keep making great phones and people will continue to eat them up.
[AllThingsD via BGR]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:04 AM PST
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For those looking to get social about development, the Android dev team has just launched their official Google+ page. The new resource is meant as hub for developers to meet and chat with members of the Android team, discuss aspects of coding for Android with other members of the community, and otherwise expand their knowledge of working with Google’s mobile platform. There will even be opportunities to join a Hangout with the various people working behind the scenes. As of now, there isn’t much to be found on the page, but its future sounds bright (especially if the community gets involved). It sounds like we could see some pretty cool collaborations develop through the open dialog of a Google+ page. If you’re on G+ and at all interested in Android development this is one page you will want to add to your circles right away. You won’t be alone. In the first hour since its launch, over 3,000 users already added the page to their circles.
[Google+ via Twitter]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST
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In a move directly opposite of the current trend in mobile service plans, T-Mobile UK is introducing The Fully Monty. Yes, that’s really the name for a plan that affords subscribers unlimited calling, texting, and data. Divided into four price brackets, The Full Monty comes at four different price brackets ranging from £36 to £61 per month. The biggest differentiating factor between the tiers is the up-front cost of the device purchased alongside the new contract, though the lowest pricing option only includes unlimited calling within the T-Mobile UK network.
It’s refreshing to see a carrier introducing new unlimited plans rather than taking them away in an era where data usage has exploded and become a highly profitable venture. While the average user is probably just fine without unlimited data, a plan that doesn’t come with the threat of overage charges is music to the customer’s ears.
[via T-Mobile UK]

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:40 AM PST
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MoDaCo’s esteemed founder Paul O’Brien has apparently heard it from ASUS that they will be showing off the Padfone at Mobile World Congress. To be exact, February 27th is the date we should be circling.

The Padfone, as you might have guessed, is a combination of a smartphone and a tablet dock. The dock would just house things such as speakers, the display, an extra battery and your standard set of buttons, but the power comes from the phone.
The phone is said to be running Android 4.0 for both the phone and tablet side of things and will have a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Another great feature is its ability to use the original Transformer’s keyboard dock. You pretty much have yourself a smartphone, a tablet and a netbook, all in one – is there some sort of award for ASUS having the first three-way hybrid?
We know we’re excited to see what the final results will be so circle back to Phandroid throughout Mobile World Congress as we’ll be covering it all live. [via Android and Me]