Saturday, March 31, 2012

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
iPhone, Android Smartphone Use Jumps, BlackBerry Falls: Nielsen
eWeek
Apple's iPhone and Android smartphones continue to see high adoption in the United States, according to Nielsen. On the flip side, RIM continues to see BlackBerry's share drop. Apple's iPhone and devices based on Google's Android operating system are ...
See all stories on this topic »
BlueStacks: A getting started-guide for Android lovers
ITworld.com
BlueStacks lets you run Android apps on your Windows machine. Here's how to use it. March 31, 2012, 7:50 AM — If you're dying to run Android applications on your Windows machine, then you'll want to check out the recently released BlueStacks App ...
See all stories on this topic »
Google to sell co-branded Android tablets in a new online store
DVICE
Most rumors suggest Google has contracted Asus to build a sub-$200 Android tablet, and now the Wall Street Journal weighs in, firmly stating that Google will open a new online store that'll sell co-branded Android tablets by other makers.
See all stories on this topic »
Five Reasons Why Developers Need To Be Wary About Android
Forbes
A recent survey by IDC on mobile application development has brought out an interesting trend with Android developers. They're not as excited about Google's mobile OS platform as they were last year. While a drop to 79% of developers remaining "very ...
See all stories on this topic »
What Will Google Gain From an Online Tablet Store?
PCWorld
By Matt Hamblen, Computerworld Will an online store selling Android tablets help Google compete against the market-leading iPad and the less-expensive Kindle Fire? A few analysts are divided on the value of the move, which was reported by the Wall ...
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Android Isn'ta Platform; It's a Meta-Platform
Gotta Be Mobile
James Kendrick asks the question "Android: Is it even a real platform?" I respond with a solid "sort of" as I explain how Android has become a meta-platform*, a platform for other platforms. The terms "operating system" and "platform" are often used ...
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Android Apps: 5 Things You Should Remember Before Buying Them
International Business Times
By Prarthito Maity: Subscribe to Prarthito's RSS feed A cool looking Android app is bound to attract our attention, and the app attracts us more if it's free for download. Though many free apps provide good service, yet sometimes they end up having ...
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International Business Times
Google to Sell Android Tablets via New Online Store?
Search Engine Watch
by V3, March 31, 2012 Comments Google is set to launch a new budget Nexus Tablet aimed at the same market as Amazon's Kindle Fire, according to reports. Google plans to launch its own-brand tablet device through a new online store by the end of the ...
See all stories on this topic »
Android this week: Nexus tablet confirmed; Galaxy Note sales; Use fewer bits ...
GigaOM
I'd expect at least a dual-core processor (the MeMo will use a quad-core chip), 7-inch display, limited internal memory — say 8- or 16 GB — with microSD expansion, Android 4.0 software, front and rear cameras, plus support for high-definition output ...
See all stories on this topic »

GigaOM
Study: Amazon Trouncing Google in Android App Revenue
PC Magazine
Flurry examined a "basket of top apps" that were released for Apple's iOS, the Android Market/Play Store, and Amazon's own Appstore. The firm found that for every dollar spent on the iOS version of the app, 89 cents were spent on the app within the ...
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Blogs5 new results for android
 
Hyundai A7 Android 4.0 ICS tablet for $110 looks surprisingly ...
By Cory Gunther
We've seen more then our share of cheap knockoff Android tablets but this one has fairly decent hardware. Most likely this is similar to those knockoffs and.
Android Community
Google releases Translator Toolkit for developers looking to localize ...
By Raveesh Bhalla
Want to translate your app into as many languages as possible? You may want to check out the Google Translator Toolkit, which provides auto-translation of.
Android Phone Fans
TurboTax free on Android just for this weekend; saves time and money
By Ankit Banerjee
TurboTax, a tax software that makes income tax return filing very easy, is available for free on Android tablets.
Android Authority
How Android and iOS became smartphone superpowers ...
By Jennifer Van Grove
Today, half of U.S. mobile consumers own smartphones. But five years ago, before Apple and Google turned the smartphone world upside down and "Angry Birds" were associated with feathery fowl dispensing poop from above, the world was ...
VentureBeat
Endomondo updates its Android and Windows Phone apps
By Dusan Belic
Popular fitness tracking app/service Endomondo updated two of its mobile apps, one for Android and the other one for Windows Phone. Those of you with smartphones running Google's mobile OS got interval training and multi-platform sync ...
IntoMobile

Web2 new results for android
 
Sprint's next-gen HTC EVO rumored to have ... - Android Central
But yeah, I'm not at all sold on Tegra 3 until I see evidence that Android actually makes use of those extra cores. Select rating, Spam, Thumbs Down, Thumbs Up ...
www.androidcentral.com/could-be-next-generation-htc-evo-sp...
[Breaking] Newest Google Drive Screenshot Shows 5GB of Free ...
The diverse range of Android products does mot hurt Android. It hurts the chances of the hardware companies competing with Apple. Manufacturers arent going ...
www.talkandroid.com/103086-breaking-newest-google-drive-...


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Android Authority

Android Authority


Pix: Pixel Mixer for mixing and matching effects on your photos

Posted: 31 Mar 2012 12:38 AM PDT

If you talk about photo-editing applications for Android, there are already so many of these on the market, ranging from the most complicated and the most sophisticated down to the simplest and the easiest to use.  Adding to the already long list of photo-editing apps is Pix: Pixel Mixer, which features a simple and effect-packed photo editing interface. While other photo-editing apps can beat Pix: Pixel Mixer in terms of sophistication, in terms of simplicity and quality, there’s no doubt that this app can deliver to you finely edited photos.

Most photo editing apps are designed to be used by the pro and the hobbyist or enthusiast, leaving beginners intimidated.  In such cases, beginners need to invest some time just to learn the functions of those apps, yet even that won’t guarantee that one can optimize the app’s functions and come up with great photo edits. This is precisely why easy-to-use photo-editing apps like Pix: Pixel Mixer are in demand.

Using Pix: Pixel Mixer

Pix: Pixel Mixer is the way to go if you want a photo-editing app that is both very versatile and user-friendly. This app also lets you edit photos quickly by using several photo effects, layers, filters and frames. But, that’s not just plain editing. The great thing about this app is that it lets you apply several effects to your photo at the same time.

The app allows you to create your own custom effects to add some personal touch to your photos. Or, if you’re in the mood for something wanton, there is also a random effects option that lets you apply various effects in  just a tap.

Pix: Pixel Mixer also has a built-in camera function, so you can use it to instantly capture photos before apply effects on the photos.  A sharing function is also available so that you can send your photos to your contacts on your favorite social media.


As soon as you launch the app, you can start editing right away.  No registration is needed. You can import photos from your gallery and edit them using the app.  Or, if you don’t have any in your gallery, you can always snap an image and edit it.

At the bottom of the app’s editing interface are the five main buttons that will help you do most of the tasks you need to do on a photo.  The first three buttons (Wand, Film Reel, and Border) are for applying various effects.  Tapping on any of the three buttons will bring up a strip of thumbnails showing the various effects that you can apply to the photo being currently edited.

If you have a filter or effect that you like so much and frequently use, simply add it to your favorites by tapping the Star button.

If you’re in for surprises, you can apply random filters to your photo by tapping the Flash button.

As if the app’s features aren’t amazing enough, the app’s performance is also worth noting.  Some photo editing apps apply multiple filters and effects with noticeable lag or wait time.  But, in the case of Pix: Pixel Mixer, we did not notice any lag.  Arguably, however, the processing speed may also depend on the hardware of your Android device.

Try an easy-to-use photo editor that lets you sit easy and comfortably with just tap-tap photo editing.  You can grab Pix: Pixel Mixer free from the Google Play Store.


This article, Pix: Pixel Mixer for mixing and matching effects on your photos , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Mi File Explorer: MIUI File Explorer app even for non-MIUI phones

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 04:29 PM PDT

The Chinese ROM MIUI has been a huge hit among Android device users, and with good reason. This ROM brings with it a unique user interface, as well as several features that are sure to get other custom ROM users envious. One of the best features that MIUI packs is its file explorer, giving you access to browse your locally stored media and your SD card.

Now, even non-MIUI phone users can enjoy MIUI’s handy file browser. XDA Developers senior member apooonet has managed to port MIUI’s native File Explorer, maintaining not only its look but also the device’s ability to browse locally stored media, SD cards, and even the device’s root directory.

The Mi File Explorer gives users the Browse, SD Card and FTP tabs. Tapping on the Browse tab allows you to navigate through your locally stored media, such as  music, videos, photos, documents, zips, APKs and more. You’ll find the size of each media type on the bottom of the screen, as well as how much of your SD card’s storage space you’re currently using and how much space you still have left available.

The SD Card tab allows you explore your device’s internal and SD card storage. Mi File Explorer also gives you the option to delete, copy, move, and rename your files. It also gives you the ability to archive files into ZIPs and to extract contents of ZIPs.

The developer recently released Mi File Explorer version 2.3.7.24, with fixes to the previously unusable FTP tab. It now works like a charm. Tap on the FTP tab and Mi File Explorer will give you an FTP address to enter into your FTP client. Using this feature, you’ll be able to wirelessly transfer files between your Android device and your computer.

The Mi File Explorer appears to be compatible with any Android ROMs running Android 2.2 Froyo or higher, and Android devices that have been rooted. Despite those requirements, Mi File Explorer is a great file browser for Android.

Naturally, as this app is still less than a month old, at the time of this writing, there are still a few bugs that need working on. Some of the categories, for example, may work on all ROMs but remain rather slow. According to the developers, they’re currently working on a complete custom category, an option to hide/show directory from media scanners, speeding up the category list search for some ROMs, and the option to browse through a ZIP file before extracting its contents. Those updates are definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

If you’d like to be able to navigate your Android device’s files with the MIUI experience, you can download Mi File Explorer from apooonet‘s thread in the XDA Developers forum. If English is not your native language, the thread also has language packs for Spanish, German, and French.  You can get the APK file of the app from the development thread and install it to your rooted device.  If you need help with rooting your Android device, check out our introductory guide to rooting on Android.

What file explorer app runs on your Android device?


This article, Mi File Explorer: MIUI File Explorer app even for non-MIUI phones , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Think LTE is fast? Huawei promises networks that are 20 times faster

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 02:04 PM PDT

huawei beyond lte

Although the blazing fast LTE is still quite far from becoming a widely-available technology, while LTE Advanced is even farther from reaching the consumer market, it doesn't mean that engineers aren't looking for ways to come up with even faster data speeds. On that note, Huawei recently announced that they have developed a wireless technology that will enable peak transfer rates of about 30Gbps. This technology is being referred to as "Beyond LTE".

While it is too soon to call it 5G technology, if the limited amount of specs Huawei have detailed for its "Beyond LTE" turn out to be real, it would seem like we are looking at a technology that delivers 20 times the speed of currently available LTE commercial networks, and up to 6 times the transfer rates of LTE Advanced. On a side note, it should be mentioned that less than 7% of smartphones sold in the US during Q4 2011 use LTE, as this recent study points out.

Unfortunately for spec buffs, Huawei has not detailed the exact bandwidth requirements. Instead, the official presentation focused on the relatively low power consumption rates (a problem that plagued some of the first LTE handsets) and implementation costs:

“Key features include: innovative antenna structure [that] greatly improves performance and meets wideband requirements [and] next generation direct radio frequency technology [that] reduces costs and power consumption, and realise ultra broadband carrier aggregation.”

The LTE technology uses 20MHz bands to ensure transfer rates of up to 300Mbps, while LTE Advanced (estimated to become commercially available somewhere around 2014) uses up to 100MHz of bandwidth to ensure download rates of about 3.3Gbps. Common sense dictates that Huawei's Beyond LTE will use wider bands than both LTE and LTE Advanced, but I'm sure detailed specs on this new technology will surface soon enough. As you probably are accustomed by now, we'll be here to report when that happens.

Obviously, Huawei has a lot of convincing to do ahead of them if they really want their “Beyond LTE” technology to be adopted as a 5G standard. Tech standards are historically not only about providing the best technology around, as the main factor in these situations rests in the number the major players one tech or the other is able to bring on-board.


This article, Think LTE is fast? Huawei promises networks that are 20 times faster , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC One X unboxed, coming soon to a store near you

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 01:25 PM PDT

HTC-One-x

I’m a huge fan of HTC. I’ve always owned an HTC phone and tablet (Sensation XL and Flyer, if you were curious) and will continue to do so in the future. But even I will agree that 2011 was a debacle for the Taiwan-based company, and I took great pleasure in writing an article about how HTC has gone about righting those wrongs.  Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with my earlier statements, you will agree that HTC has certainly got at least “One” (pun intended) thing right this year, with the HTC One X.

HTC One X is an exquisite device that boasts the best of what current mobile technology has to offer, housing an NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 processor and featuring Android 4.0 with the HTC’s Sense 4.0 UI.

Other features of the HTC One X include:

  • Dimensions: 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm, 130 grams
  • Micro SIM
  •  4.7″ HD LCD screen, with gorilla glass protection
  • 1280×720 resolution
  • 1.5 Ghz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 32 GB built-in memory, no microSD slot
  • 8MP rear camera with ImageSense, 1.3MP front camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • NFC support
  • 1800 mAH battery
  • Beats Audio integration

Unboxing

HTC seems to have picked up a theme for this year and its future product development, which is “elegant and simple.” Keeping up with the theme, the HTC One X arrives in a plain, elegant white box, because what is truly impressive is inside. Opening the box reveals the phone, which comes with a removable screen protector that appropriately states “I’m the ONE you’ve been waiting for.” The rest of the package is the standard fare, including a charger, warranty information, a microSIM slot device, which is surprisingly in the box and not already in the device, and those snazzy HTC headphones, that allow you to take full advantage of the Beats Audio technology integrated in the device.

The only physical buttons to be seen on the device are an inconspicuous power button and a volume rocker. The device is again, elegant and simple in its design, with the back housing the 8MP camera and an HTC and Beats Audio logo, with the front being, mostly, just the touchscreen.

A true hands-on with the device is yet to be done, but, luckily for HTC fans, the moment is not too far away, with an imminent release of the phone (as early as April 5), in most locations.

Till then, we can watch a video of the HTC One X unboxing in all its glory, courtesy of HTC Hub. The video is, unfortunately in French, but that doesn’t take away from the brilliant visuals this device has to offer.

Are you as excited about the HTC One X as I am? Is thing going to be the comeback year for HTC? Are you still going to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S3? Is this truly “the one you’ve been waiting for?”


This article, HTC One X unboxed, coming soon to a store near you , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Steve Jobs proven wrong? The stylus is making a comeback, fueled by Draw Something and other stylus-friendly apps

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 12:24 PM PDT

"If you see a stylus, they blew it". One of the most famous quotes of the recent years in the technology world came from Steve Jobs in 2010 and seemed to define the direction in which tablets and smartphones should move forward.

Two years later, though, a Bloomberg report confirms what I for one have been saying for a long time -the stylus is a great, fun tool to use with your smartphone or tablet of choice and, given the right app, right stylus, and right device, it can become popular again.

Well, the devices are there (the Samsung Galaxy Note is just one of the numerous Android-based smartphones that has a nice enough screen to beautifully support stylus input), the styluses were there from as far as I can remember, so the only thing that was missing was some cool free apps to challenge our artsy selves.

"Draw Something"  from OMGPOP is not your usual state-of-the art mobile game with groundbreaking graphics and a complex and complicated storyline. Yet, somehow, it managed to reach 20 million downloads in only five weeks after its launch.

It's simple, it's easy to understand and easy to play, and the only thing you have to do to become a "Draw Something" expert is to guess words based on your friends' doodles and vice versa. Of course, in order to doodle things like a pro, you kind of need a stylus, as  drawing with your fingers it’s pretty uncomfortable and not very accurate either.

It's no wonder, therefore, that styluses sales have seen an considerable boost over the last months. Just Mobile, for example, the manufacturer of the AluPen, recently released an official statement saying that their sales have doubled due to ''Draw Something''.

Other accessory makers, like Spigen, Ten One Design, or Griffin Technology, have also talked about sales increase during the past weeks or months, so, all in all, it's pretty obvious that the stylus is back with a vengeance.

Moreover, Samsung Galaxy Note's success itself can be at least partially attributed to the fact that it comes with a stylus and it insists on the usefulness of such an accessory. The 5.3-inch “phablet” has already shipped in five million units worldwide and the numbers should increase gradually during the following months, to a whopping ten million, according to estimates.

“Draw Something” is not the only cool app that makes a stylus a necessity for any self-respecting artsy technology enthusiast, with other similar titles, such as ColorBox HD, Penultimate, or Notability being popular on the iPad, as well as on Android devices.

It's hard to tell right now if the stylus' comeback is only a fad or if, in fact, the accessory will remain popular from now on, but one thing is clear, nevertheless. Styluses should not be ignored – they can be fun, useful tools to make your tablet or smartphone experience more interactive. You can certainly live without them, but, at the same time, they can make your digital life way cooler.


This article, Steve Jobs proven wrong? The stylus is making a comeback, fueled by Draw Something and other stylus-friendly apps , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Qualcomm forced to license Imagination GPUs for Windows 8 on ARM

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PDT

windows 8 arm qualcomm

Although Windows 8 will be available for ARM-based mobile processors in addition to the usual x86 chips, don’t expect to find the exactly same software running on an Intel Core i5 and an ARM-based quad-core Tegra 3. Nonetheless, the Windows 8 graphic design (and the technical requirements associated) will remain the same in both Windows 8 versions.

As a result, it turns out that Qualcomm (the company that sells the most systems-on-a-chip in the world) will have to make some rapid GPU improvements to the Snapdragon S4 SoC, so that it can properly run Microsoft's upcoming universal OS.

While the Qualcomm-produced Adreno series of smartphone/tablet GPUs are historically top-notch when it comes to running Android apps, it seems that even the most advanced Adreno chip (i.e. the Adreno 225 GPU you can find inside the new Snapdragon S4) uses a deprecated version of DirectX, DX 9.

Unfortunately for Qualcomm, they are seriously outgunned in this department by their biggest competitor, Nvidia. Leaders in the GPU field (on a personal note, I'm impatiently looking towards the release of the first Kepler-based smartphone GPU), Nvidia boasts DX 11 technology in the 12-core GPU inside the Tegra 3. Granted, Windows 8 is compatible with DX9, but, the general perception is that, in order to make things tolerable for mobile GPUs, the latter will need to support at least DirectX 10.

arm tablet windows 8 qualcomm imagination chip

When Qualcomm announced (back in December 2011) that they will be licensing Imagination Technology patents, many people with knowledge on the matter were quite surprised. The reason? At the time, it seemed there were few reasons to get in bed with their main competitor in the mobile GPU market. In case you didn't know, Imagination helped build the GPUs on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. In addition, Samsung and Texas Instruments also use Imagination designs in their GPUs. In case you also need some numbers to weigh this in, you should know that Imagination Technologies holds about half of all intellectual property in the embedded graphics sector.

Although it’s very likely that Qualcomm will continue to use its Adreno GPUs (designed by a former AMD handset division that Qualcomm bought a few years back) in their upcoming Android-targeted SoCs, rumor has it that the company has no intention of missing out on Windows 8 and the potentially massive sales associated with it.

In order to accommodate Windows 8, Qualcomm had to choose: build a new GPU that's compatible with DirectX 10 (or maybe even the newest version of the API, DX 11) or license a chip from Imagination. If rumors are to be believed, it seems the latter choice seemed more reasonable (understandable, considering that Windows 8 is just months away). As a result, we might end up seeing the Imagination-built Rogue 5 GPU inside the Snapdragon S4 systems destined to run Windows 8.

What are your thoughts on this? Are these just meaningless speculations? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!


This article, Qualcomm forced to license Imagination GPUs for Windows 8 on ARM , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


With WiMax done, see where Sprint is going to roll out LTE by 2014

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 09:29 AM PDT

sprint-lte

Once upon a time (well, a couple of years ago), an epic battle between the two competing 4G standards was brewing. On one camp, the biggest carriers in the US, AT&T and Verizon, backed LTE, while in the other camp, Sprint partnered with ClearWire to launch their own WiMax network.

In the beginning, thanks to a swift deployment, Sprint enjoyed a good head start over the competition. Back in 2010, Sprint launched its first WiMax phone, the HTC Evo 4G, which went on to gain huge popularity thanks to good network speeds and Sprint’s unlimited data plans. AT&T and Verizon were a little late to the game with rolling out their 4G LTE networks, but they quickly caught up to Sprint.

And then, all of the sudden, the standards war ended. Sprint realized that it had backed the wrong horse. Maybe tests results like these had something to do with it:

So it was back to the drawing board for Sprint. The company announced last year that it would its network to 4G LTE, and has since, installed and field-tested LTE equipment in areas such as Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City, and San Antonio.

In these markets, Sprint’s LTE network will be up and running as early as April this year. Sprint is also in the process of announcing and releasing a slate of LTE devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, HTC One X (renamed the EVO One), and  the LG Viper 4G LTE, all of which bound to come over the next few months.

Sprint says good-bye to WiMax, future network coverage revealed

In an act that can be considered the final nail in the coffin for WiMax, Sprint today announced that it would not be releasing new WiMax devices anymore, and will instead focus on promoting its 4G LTE devices. Although they did say that they would continue selling their available WiMax phones, I really don’t see the point of anyone actually going out and buying one.

As part of its Network Vision program, Sprint plans to have its LTE network fully functional by early 2014, and plans to release up to 15 LTE smartphones and tablets by the end of this year. As you can see in the above leaked image, Sprint will cover most of the Eastern side of the US with its own LTE network and will have roaming agreement in place for much of the rest of the nation.

What does this mean for Sprint’s customer base? Sprint mentioned that it will continue to support the WiMax network through 2015, so there’s no need to get rid of the WiMax devices just yet. But if you’re hoping to pick up an LTE device soon, you will only get to enjoy the blazing fast 4G speeds if you’re in one of the coverage areas mentioned above.

Sprint is currently the third largest network carrier in the US, behind AT&T and Verizon, but it hopes to make up some lost ground with its LTE network and still attractive unlimited data plans. What are your thoughts? Was WiMax a crucial mistake? Is Sprint’s move to LTE a little too late?


This article, With WiMax done, see where Sprint is going to roll out LTE by 2014 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Google has only earned $550m since 2008 of Android. Really?

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 07:51 AM PDT

 

dollar roll

Google's mobile operating system Android has been released in September 2008, and, even though we have never knew exactly how much money it’s producing, we've always figured that Android is one of the most important sources of revenue for Larry Page and Sergey Brin's technology giant. Of course, Android (or anything else, for the matter) is no match in terms of money making to the mother of all cash cows – Google’s search business. Still, having the world’s top mobile OS should bring in some decent amount of greenbacks, right?

Some recently released figures might suggest a whole different scenario. According to UK’s broadsheet The Guardian, the entire income that Android has generated for Google in three years and a half could be  ”just” $550 million.

All right, some of you might say that's still a big pile of money. Well, it actually isn't, if we take into consideration the fact that about 200 million Android devices have been activated by the end of 2011. That means that, on average, each Android-based gadget has only brought Google a little over two bucks, which is, to be honest, disappointing, to say the least.

Before jumping to other conclusions, though, including what some of you might be thinking right now (that Google made a big mistake with Android and should cut the project short sooner rather than later), we should talk a bit about the source of these figures. Why is that? Because it might be an indication that the number is far off from a real, official, and credible source.

As some of you might know, Oracle has recently filed a patent and copyright infringement trial against Google. The trial, scheduled to start last October, will, in fact, see a first court hearing on April 16, 2012 at the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Oracle's allegations initially referred to five Java-related patents that were supposedly infringed by Google, but, according to some sources, three patents will be dismissed by the Court or withdrawn by Oracle's legal team.

The two withstanding accusations have, however, at least some chances to harm Google, whose legal department has decided to offer Oracle a settlement offer. The offer is based on Google's total revenues generated by Android devices, which The Guardian estimated (based on the settlement offered by Google) at $550 million.

 

However, as revenue figures from such a long period can be easily manipulated, concealed, or modified, it's pretty hard to believe that the guys at Google are just going to let everybody know about their real earnings, and give Oracle a shot at leaving the table with a big pile of money.

It's far more comfortable to play the role of a victim, to minimize the accrued earnings, and to cheat Oracle of what they could get out of the trials, isn't it? Well, it's practically impossible to know for sure if Google is playing it fair or not about this settlement offer, so for the time being we can only speculate.

On the other hand, I think that one thing is clear, nevertheless. If Oracle really has a strong case against Google and they think for just one second that those revenues are phony, we will be seeing a very interesting and potentially bitter legal battle over the next year. Or, at least, taken to the point where Google changes its initial statement and declares other figures as “official” earnings.

Either way, I think this is an interesting story to follow up in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and we will let you know about any developments that take place.

No related posts.


This article, Google has only earned $550m since 2008 of Android. Really? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Amazing demonstration of Google’s self-driving car

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 06:57 AM PDT


Self-driving car’s have been around for many years, though most of them could only complete set courses or travel in straight lines. Google has been working hard on its self-driving car, and reached a point in development at which the prototype is safe to be taken out on public roads and used for everyday tasks. What better thing to do with a self-driving car than give a man who lost 95% of his vision a ride out to Taco Bell?

The man who sat in the driver’s seat is Steve Mahan, CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center. Although he doesn’t have a driving license, Google acquired permission from the local police department for Mahan to “drive”. Self-driving cars have not been approved for general use in California yet, and, to solve this, the police put Sergeant  Troy Hoefling in the car with Mahan during the trip.

Interestingly, in February 2012, Nevada approved the use of this technology for public road use. Other drivers will be able to identify self-driving cars, not only by the spinning laser on the roof, but by the color of the license plates.

This YouTube video shows Mahan enjoying the car, and is lovely to watch. It shows the miracle of modern technology, along with the heartwarming smile it can bring to the people who need it.

This video made me realise that a development in technology such as this, though incredible, shouldn’t be put on sale to the general public straight away. Vehicles like this should be tidied up a little (no cables along the roof), and offered to the blind, elderly, and disabled people. Most of us are fighting fit and capable of driving with ease. I know that my grandfather is getting on in his years, and he can barely walk without two sticks to keep him upright. Though it’s sad that technology like this won’t become available to him, I am sure it would be something he would buy immediately if he could.

Do you think cars like this should be prioritized to the elderly if they start being released commercially? Or should everyone be able to buy them at the same time?


This article, Amazing demonstration of Google’s self-driving car , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


HTC One X, S, and V to start selling in Europe on April 2, US availability is still kept under wraps

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 04:58 AM PDT

After weeks of seemingly endless waiting for some official news from HTC regarding the One series smartphones, we have finally been put to ease. Well, at least some of us have, because the One-branded smartphone trio has an official release date next to its name, but, so far, it's only for “some” European countries.

The HTC One X, S, and V will be made available for sale starting April 2nd (that's right, next Monday) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In other European countries, including the UK, carriers and retailers have announced that the handhelds are coming on April 5. Meanwhile, the United States technology enthusiasts are still waiting for an official announcement.

That shouldn't take much longer, though, and, if I were to guess, I'd say that before the end of the month, every important US carrier will have the three spanking new gadgets from HTC up for sale.

One S spotted on sale in Germany

On the other hand, just a couple of hours after finding out that the One X, S, and V will hit European stores next Monday, the guys at BestBoyz.de revealed that a German Media Markt store already has the One S up for sale.

That's pretty odd, if you ask me, especially considering that there's no evidence that the X and V have themselves been put on sale at the same store. However, if you are in Germany, and you just can't wait for a few more days to get your hands on HTC's One S, you could go down to the store and check it out for yourself.

As far as pricing goes, you should know that the One X, HTC's flagship for the time being, should cost 599 Euro in Germany and Austria and CHF 719 in Switzerland; the One S will most likely go for 499 Euro and CHF599, while the V will be made available for a mere 299 Euro (Germany and Austria) and CHF 349 (Switzerland).

No surprises there, with all three price tags being geusstimated long ago, but it will be interesting to see how will the trio be priced in the US. Rumors point towards a $599 – $499 – $299 “combination”, but nothing is yet set in stone.

I'm not going to bore you with all the three's spec sheets and lists of features, because you probably already know them by heart. If, however, this is the first time you are hearing about the HTC One X, S, and V, please check out these articles here and here detailing all of the smartphones' technical details.

Also, I would very much appreciate it if you got back to us with a comment, telling us if you are planning to go for any of HTC's One smartphones once they will hit the stores. I personally still have mixed feelings about the trio, so I would really like to know your two cents. Thanks!


This article, HTC One X, S, and V to start selling in Europe on April 2, US availability is still kept under wraps , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.