Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Microsoft Office rumored for Android this November

Posted: 23 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT

Some new rumors are floating around this morning regarding the extremely popular Microsoft Office Suite. Apparently multiple versions have been spotted running on the iPad and Microsoft is looking to launch Office for Android tablets and that other tablet later this year, possibly in November. Google Docs might have some competition pretty soon.

According to the folks at BGR, they’ve learned this from reliable sources that has seen the app for iPad and Android first hand, and it looks very similar to recent leaks from TheDaily that Microsoft has clearly denied as being real. If sources are accurate later this year Microsoft will be launching on Windows 8, iOS, and Android all around the same time — obviously with Windows 8 first.

There is also the possibility that Microsoft Office will be coming to smartphones too. As BGR reports the launch screen said “Microsoft Office for iOS” and not just the iPad. This could be a good move for Microsoft even though they probably would rather not launch their popular programs for the competition, but you can’t ignore the millions and millions of users. Android fans, would you use Microsoft Office for mobile, or just stick to Google Docs?


eBay for Android updated with offer notifications and sharing features

Posted: 23 May 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Who doesn’t love eBay right? Other than all the fees they’ve added over the years and outrageous seller feedback it is still an online auction powerhouse. With million and millions of users you know plenty are mobile. Yesterday they quickly updated their official eBay app for Android and added a host of new features, improved notifications, and the item view design is steadily improved. Check it out.

eBay has made tons of tweaks and improvements to make selling and buying on Android even easier. Not only that but for those listing, and often relisting auctions that has been overhauled as well. Another important addition is the new best offer notification — something users have been asking about for quite a while. Here’s the full change log for those interested:

– Best Offers and Best Offer notifications
– Access to Wish and Custom lists in My eBay
– List, relist and revise Parts & Accessories items (US)
– List, relist and revise items in Canada, France and India
– Share items on Facebook, Twitter and SMS
– Improved Item View design
– Lots of other new features and improvements throughout the app

Now when you search an auction and are on the item page you can scroll to the bottom and hit share to bring up the usual and popular Android share options for Gmail, SMS, Email, Twitter, Facebook and whatever else is in your list. Sadly nothing about the app feels like Android. While the design and user interface is decent, nothing matching Android’s design elements — except for maybe the search bar up top but even it feels clunky.

Get the latest eBay for Android from the link below and get to selling all that stuff you’d otherwise throw away. Oh and don’t expect it to work too great with a tablet either. We are still waiting on a tablet optimized app from eBay.

Screen Shot 2012-05-23 at 10.03.13 AM Screenshot_2012-05-23-09-41-53

[via eBay]


HTC One XL hitting German LTE networks next month

Posted: 23 May 2012 10:12 AM PDT

Hooray, an even larger HTC One X! Well, no – “One XL” is the name for international models of the much-loved One X with an LTE radio, instead of the standard HSPA+. (AT&T’s version of the HTC One X is an XL in all but name). The first nation to get the phone outside of the Americas will be Germany, operating one of the few LTE networks outside of Asia and North America. Vodafone, O2 and Duetsche Telecom will all get the phone in early June.

Just like AT&T’s version, the One XL will forego a quad-core Tegra 3 processor for the still impressive dual-core Snapdragon S4, the same 1.5ghz processor found on the smaller One S. Naturally Germans will still get the rest of the admirable specs, including a 4.7-inch screen, 1GB of RAM, Beats audio and Android 4.0 with Sense. 32GB of storage comes standard, and you can expand it with 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage.

The One XL should come to those areas of Europe that have LTE networks soon enough, followed by a wider rollout in Asia and possibly Australia. AT&T’s One X(L) has a frustratingly locked bootloader, but the odds of this trend continuing overseas are slim to none. It’s only the Americans that have to deal with ridiculous carrier restrictions, huh folks?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : One X [AT&T]
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : February 26, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : S-LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.31 Inch
  • Width : 2.75 Inch
  • Depth : 0.36 Inch
  • Weight : 131 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : S4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 850
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via TalkAndroid]


NVIDIA “Kai” hopes to bring quad-core for $200

Posted: 23 May 2012 09:42 AM PDT

The Tegra 3 is sitting on top of the Android performance world at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that NVIDIA’s going to rest on their laurels. Their new Kai strategy hopes to bring quad-core SoC’s to the $199 price point or lower, a range typically reserved for “reader tablets” with low specs and even lower expectations. Kai isn’t a chip or hardware (that we know of, anyway), it’s Nvidia’s name for their process of reducing the price of high-performance tablet components.

Of course, ASUS was already headed in that direction – the much-anticipated MeMO 370T was equipped with a 7-inch screen and a Tegra 3 when last we saw it. Rumor (so far unsubstantiated) has it that this $250 model has been scrapped, and possibly replaced with Google’s much-rumored Nexus Tablet. With even more rumors indicating that Google will expand to more than one manufacturer for its next developer hardware, we’re essentially left with a lot of information and no knowledge.

Given the slide above spotted in a recent demonstration, Kai might be a reference design, a completed concept machine intended for manufacturers to copy and modify. The practice is common with chip suppliers like Intel and Qualcomm, and every new graphics card is based on a reference design. We’d have to wait and see if manufacturers took the bait, but that tablet in the slide looks an awful lot like a generic ASUS design…

[via SlashGear]


RAMPAGE 6 can’t run ICS, but it might stop a bullet

Posted: 23 May 2012 08:51 AM PDT

You remember those old westerns where the priest gets shot by the bad guy, but the bullet is dramatically stopped by the Bible he keeps in his breast pocket? We don’t really have a parallel for that today, but if you carry around the RAMPAGE 6 from SDG Systems, you might have a similar experience. This 5.7-inch, ultra-ruggedized smartphone-tablet hybrid was recently announced, and is intended for soldiers, scientists or anyone whose important work might occasionally include being in a live minefield.

Specs aren’t exactly inspiring, starting with the customized operating system: Android 2.3, which will be nearly two years old when the RAMPAGE 6 releases in the third quarter. The hardware runs on an 806mhz processor and just 256MB of memory. Storage is a little disappointing too at 4GB, though you can augment it with a full-sized SD card.

Other features include a IP67 water and dust-proof rating, WiFi and Bluetooth, a “2-5 meter” GPS receiver, and optional 3G and barcode scanners. (Why? Can’t you just use a cheap-o camera module?) Beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to specs, but beggars are hardly the target market: there’s no word on what the RAMPAGE 6 will cost when it comes out, but it’ll probably be more than your average walkie-talkie.

[via Engadget]


Samsung Galaxy Note ICS source code now available

Posted: 23 May 2012 08:18 AM PDT

For all the ire that Samsung draws with its TouchWiz interface and mostly late software updates, the company is surprisingly forward when it comes to supporting the open source aspects of Android. Bootloaders aren’t an issue (we’re looking at you, Moto and HTC) and source code is delivered in a timely manner. So it is with the Galaxy Note: a couple of weeks after sending out the Ice Cream Sandwich update to international models, they’ve posted the source code for same.

Most of the software that Samsung puts on top of Android, including basically all of the S-Pen apps unique to the Galaxy Note, is still proprietary - you can’t make copies or modifications of these apps without drawing the attention of Samsung Legal, just like Google’s proprietary apps. But the source code for the kernel and basic Android build will help industrious modders create custom ROMs and kernels. Of course, that’s already happening, but having the source code quick at hands should help iron out the wrinkles.

Of course, modders can still add in features for the S-Pen, bringing the utility of the 5.3-inch smartphone into their custom ROMs. This is because Samsung provides a software development kit for the S-Pen, taking advantage of the active stylus and Wacom digitizer. Popular community ROM CyanogenMod 9 already takes advantage of this in its Galaxy Note version.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 01, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 800x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.78 Inch
  • Width : 3.27 Inch
  • Depth : 0.38 Inch
  • Weight : 178 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 390 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32.768 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via SlashGear]


Acer Iconia Tab A510 shipments halted due to hardware defect

Posted: 23 May 2012 07:54 AM PDT

Planning on purchasing an Acer Iconia Tab A510 any time soon? You might want to put those plans on hold: Acer’s German Facebook page has announced that the tablets that Acer has on hand are defective due to a faulty component. Acer didn’t day which component had the issue, but they were quick to assure customers that the tablets that have already been sold or are currently on store shelves are not affected.

The A510 is the yearly refresh to Acer’s original Iconia Tab A500, with the addition of Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. The Facebook page says that the A511 3G model is also affected, though that particular variant isn’t available in the US. Speaking of things that are only available overseas, the Facebook post also confirms that the hi-res A700 will be available in Germany on May 24th, notably without whatever defect is causing the problem.

Not to play the doubting Thomas here, but what are the odds that the issue in question affects only those A510 units that haven’t been sold yet? Without more clarification from Acer, there’s just no way to be sure. Reportedly the problem manifests in crashes and random reboots, but that’s hardly helpful in determining the issue. If I were in the market for a tablet, I think I’d take a hard look at ASUS’ Transformer Pad TF300 over the Acer equivalent, at least for the moment.

[via Phandroid]


S-Voice is back with other Galaxy S III goodies

Posted: 23 May 2012 06:59 AM PDT

If you were dazzled by Samsung’s S-Voice from the Galaxy S III in the day or so before they blocked access to the operating servers… then you’re probably easily impressed. But for the three of you who have Android 4.0 devices and really, really want a shameless Siri clone, “ithehappy” over at XDA has created a signed APK that fools said servers into thinking you’re running the unreleased Galaxy S III without checking the standard build.prop value. Get after it!

The modified app appears to be working on most Ice Cream Sandwich devices, though you may need to make some changes to the permissions in your file explorer of choice. (And let’s face it, if you’re installing unreleased apps from an upcoming manufacturer skin, you’re probably already rooted.) In addition to the modified S-Voice app, the XDA user has posted a sack full of goodies from the phone, including customized apps, wallpapers and ringtones.

The Galaxy S III is set to debut in Europe on May 29th and the UK the day after. If you happen to be in Dubai, you might want to check your local electronics store, as scattered reports say the phone is already on sale in some locations. There’s strong evidence that all four major carriers in the US will be getting the device, though dates, prices and exact specifications haven’t been nailed down yet.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : May 03, 2012
    Release Date : May 29, 2012
    Also Known As : The Next Galaxy, SGSIII
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.77 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 133 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4 Quad
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Galaxy Note 10.1 gets a stylus bay along with processor change

Posted: 23 May 2012 06:30 AM PDT

Well how about that – a quad-core Exynos processor isn’t the only revision made to Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. According to a couple of pre-release photos spotted by Tablet Community (no relation), it’ll also get a slot for the S-Pen stylus built right into its slate body. The lack thereof was definitely noted when the device was revealed at MWC earlier this year, though it now appears that the hardware shown at the show was very early indeed.

The new S-Pen stylus is somewhat smaller and more similar to the original smartphone Galaxy Note, the better to keep that 10-inch tablet body slim. Samsung will be offering a larger and more traditional “pen-shaped” version of the stylus for artists and note-takers who want to take even more advantage of the Wacom digitizer embedded into the 1280×800 screen. When the Galaxy Note 10.1 releases (whenever that happens to be) it’ll be using a quad-core processor from Samsung instead of the dual-core chip originally shown off in Barcelona.

Other tidbits garnered include the predictable range of first-party cases in at least five different colors and a vehicle dock – Android Community does not recommend trying to jot down meeting notes while behind the wheel. There’s no indication of when the Galaxy Note 10 will finally hit the market, and no real way of guessing, considering all the revisions that Samsung has been making. But a safe bet is that the faster and more advanced ICS tablet will demand a premium over the more vanilla Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which starts at $399 in the US.

galaxy-note-10-1-einschub-stylus-620x465-580x435 galaxy-note-10-1-s-pen-holder-620x465-580x435

[via SlashGear]


AOKP Backup keeps your ROM settings safe

Posted: 22 May 2012 06:19 PM PDT

If you flash as many ROMs as we do, you know it’s a pain to set up everything juuuust the way you like it. Apps like Titanium Backup can help, but these usually aren’t meant for the ROM itself. If you’re currently rocking Android Open Kang Project (like me!) you can now save a little extra time when switching to a new device or flashing a “clean” ROM. It’s not a Nandroid, it simply backs up the settings in the custom AOKP menu.

So, if you prefer your status bar clock centered and your notification toggles just so, head to the Google Play Store to download AOKP Backup and save a few minutes of hassle. For a simple operation there’s a surprising amount of options – you can back up everything at once, or just specific sections of the ROM control app. Currently the built-in Weather display (the one that shows up in your status bar or lock screen) is not supported, but it should be compatible in a future build.

AOKP Backup costs $2, with no ads or any extra junk. Currently the app is chilling with a 97% five star rating, so it’s safe to assume that if you like AOKP, you’ll find a use for this app. It should work with all supported devices in recent builds. But since the software and the ROM Control app changes so rapidly, it might take a day or two to work with future builds.

And oh yeah… these guys still love rainbow unicorns.

[via RootzWiki]


Why HTC’s clock always says 10:08

Posted: 22 May 2012 05:20 PM PDT

Long-time Android fans and HTC aficionados have probably noticed that in HTC’s advertisements and press shots, their distinctive clock widget always shows 10:08. Why is this? Is it because of some connection with a founder’s birthday? The moon landing? A Masonic ritual? Well, no: the real reason is much more ordinary, if somewhat obscure. HTC’s official blog clues us in on why.

See, 10:08 is the time at which the maximum number of cells on a digital 12-hour clock (like the one you’ve probably got sitting next to your bed) are lit up. Of course “88:88″ would be ideal, but since the clock is constrained to real time and most of them only have two cells for the first hour position, 10:08 is as full as the cells get. Of course, modern touchscreens aren’t limited to this, so why keep the trend going? HTC doesn’t say this in their post, but it probably goes back to the original HTC Touch running Windows Mobile 6, way back in 2007. The TouchFLO interface introduced in this model eventually became the Sense UI we know today. You can see the digital-style clock in the Wikipedia photo below:

Wikipedia also tells us that 10:08 (or something close to it) has been a popular position for analog clocks and watches in marketing materials for decades. Reasoning varies, but the most obvious seems to be that the symmetrical hands wouldn’t obscure the manufacturer logo (either below the 12 or above the 6) or the date or week view, if such is present. There you have it folks – conspiracy theorists, it’s time to move on.


Google stacking up patents to protect Project Glass

Posted: 22 May 2012 04:30 PM PDT

Today Google’s Project Glass is in the news yet again. After earlier we reported on CEO Larry Page wearing them during a conference today, we are now seeing loads of news that Google’s protecting their latest creation with a wide array of patents. Since we all know Google didn’t patent much with Android, they look to have learned their lesson and have been granted at least 9 new patents around Google Glass.

This week the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted multiple patents to Google over their augmented reality glasses currently known as Project Glass — although Google’s own Larry Page called them Google Glass today, since there’s only one piece of glass for now. Their patents show they might have one on each side in the future though. Possibly having a map displayed on one side, while navigation directions are on the other. According to Engadget they’ve been granted patents for the design, the device controls on the right side, and even a sensor on the nose bridge alerting the device when the glasses are in use and more.

sergey-brin-google-glasses glasses_patent_image glasses-patentmore

Then the folks from ArsTechnica reported on patent #8,183,997 being issued to Google today titled, “Displaying sound indications on a wearable computing system.” This technology will use and integrate speech-to-text features that will allow incoming speech messages to be displayed on-screen. They mention specifically this being used for people hard of hearing or the Deaf.

Looking through most of the reports it doesn’t seem that Google’s actually used the word glasses in most of these patents. Instead they are wearable computers, head-mounted devices, lens frame attachments and things of that nature. Interesting stuff indeed and we can expect to hear and see plenty more about Project Glass in the coming weeks and months.


Mass Effect: Infiltrator sneaks into the Play Store

Posted: 22 May 2012 03:27 PM PDT

OK, so the Mass Effect 3 live wallpaper wasn’t exactly a star-studded Android debut for Bioware’s massively popular sci-fi RPG franchise. But now Android gamers can finally get their hands on Mass Effect: Infiltrator, the mobile prequel to Mass Effect 3. The EA game is available now on the Google Play Store for $6.99… just ten weeks after it was released on iOS. Hooray!

Infiltrator is a prequel to Mass Effect 3 with an original character not featured in any of the previous games. You play Randall Ezno, an agent for the shadowy Cerberus organization led by Martin Sheen the Illusive Man. (Sorry folks, no FemShep or Liara action here.) You’re assigned to collect various alien organisms and artifacts for  Cerberus experiments combining human technology with the terrifying Reapers.

Go to interesting locales, meet fascinating alien species, then kill most of them! That’s the formula that Mass Effect has used thus far, and Infiltrator doesn’t disappoint. It adapts the cover-based third-person shooter gameplay of the main game into a tablet and smartphone form factor, using much of the same weapons, hacking and biotic (AKA The Force) techniques. You’ll need a pretty powerful device to play the game – probably Tegra 2 or better.

You might want to hold off on this one for a few days, gamers – reviews of the original iOS game were lukewarm at best, and Infiltrator is an expensive $6.99. It’s also pretty massive (yuk yuk) at over 450MB. Connecting Mass Effect: Infiltrator with your EA account can affect your Galaxy at War score in the main game, possibly changing the ending. Well, as much as the much-hated ending can be changed, anyway.

unnamed (1) unnamed (2) unnamed (3)

[via Android Police]


Handcent SMS updated with better ICS and Sense 4.0 support

Posted: 22 May 2012 03:24 PM PDT

The extremely popular 3rd party text message client for Android Handcent SMS has just received a few more updates this week bringing tons of fixes, improvements, and changes. Back in March they updated with official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich support and today they’ve released another update further enhancing 4.0 ICS support, as well as HTC Sense UI.

Handcent SMS is one of the most customizable text message apps for Android and has well over 10 million downloads to date. While their UI might not be the prettiest out of the box you can customize everything and make it exactly how you’d like it. My favorite feature is the quick reply pop-up box. Two updates this week have addressed several bugs with contact images, as well as multiple issues with Motorola phones as of late.

Today’s update further fixes any outstanding bugs with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Handcent has also focused on Sense UI 4.0 that is running on the HTC One X and One S smartphones. Then their newest feature is custom background images on the custom message pop up box. You can now select any background you’d like, so long as it fits right.

It really is an excellent option for texts on Android if you’re not a fan of the stock app. Get it from the link below and let us know what you think.

Handcent SMS Link


Google to Facebook: unlock your user data

Posted: 22 May 2012 03:06 PM PDT

Google gets in hot water over user privacy on a pretty regular basis, but it’s nothing to the kind of scrutiny that Facebook gets over its 900 million users. To their credit, Google has been fairly straightforward, even allowing those who are dissatisfied to pack up and leave after downloading all the relevant files. Facebook… doesn’t. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Google CEO Larry Page expressed the sentiment that Facebook could be doing more to be open about how is uses the data it collects.

Contrast this with Google’s Data Liberation Front, which allows users to more or remove any and all data from pretty much all of Google’s major services. Of course Google’s not exactly innocent when it comes to privacy – their recent privacy policy changes drew near-universal ire, and organized an Internet-wide campaign to change user settings. Even so, people trust Google more in general than they do Facebook.

Quote Page:

From a user's perspective, you say … I'm joining Facebook. I want my contacts. In Google, we said, fine. You can get them from Google. And the issue we had is that then Facebook said, no, Google, you can't do the reverse.

But undoubtedly what Page is referring to is Facebook’s lack of interoperability with Gmail, an issue that starts and ends with Facebook. Months ago the social network decided to disable its ability to connect users with members of their Gmail contact list, though the answer given was less than satisfactory. Perhaps now that Google is in the social networking business with Google+, we have out answer.

[via VentureBeat]


Larry Page shows off Project Glass and snaps a photo

Posted: 22 May 2012 02:11 PM PDT

It sure would be nice to be the CEO of Google right about now. Google’s CEO Larry Page today was sporting the awesome and highly anticipated Project Glass Google Glasses at the Zeitgeist 2012 event in London. Showing off the pre-release and early stages hardware for everyone to drool over, then quickly takes a photo. More details and video below.

I think I’d have that same grin on my face if I’d just snapped a photo and then shared it with all my colleagues in a matter of seconds too. Before speaking at Zeitgeist for the Beyond Talk session Larry Page started off with Project Glass. Calling them Google Glass, because there is only one, and not glass on both sides. Here’s what he had to say while using his very real — working version of the glasses.

"These are obviously Google Glass, it's only Glass because it's only on one side. It's still in a bit of an early stage but I'm really excited to be able to have one. And to have it working. … It doesn't yet show me all of your names, but I'm really glad that you're all here." – Page

It really is neat to see them working and you can see the images flickering right on the glass while in use. He appears to snap a quick photo using a side-control touch sensitive area on the top of the device near his temple, then hits another button to share it with his friends and co-workers. Whether he actually did all that we won’t know, and I don’t see the picture on his Google+ page but I’d love to get a look at it.

Screen Shot 2012-05-22 at 1.52.05 PM Screen Shot 2012-05-22 at 1.51.32 PM

Obviously these are just an early prototype but they appear to have a physical dedicated camera button for snapping photos, but hopefully that will all be voice controlled on a final version if they ever see their way to the market. We’ve seen hands-free photos taken with Project Glass, so it might have both options. Around to the side seems to be a touch-sensitive area for swipes and gestures but at this point it’s really anyone’s guess.

If you’d like to see them in action on Google’s CEO Larry Page himself then have a quick glance at the video below. Enjoy it while it lasts, and don’t get too jealous (I know I am). Hit the timeline links below for additional coverage of Project Glass. I want it now!

[via SlashGear]


HTC details Android 4.0 ICS update dates – most coming late summer

Posted: 22 May 2012 12:16 PM PDT

HTC has just published another list officially confirming what HTC smartphones will be getting the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Although a few already have, many are still patiently waiting and they’ve even confirmed the HTC ThunderBolt will see Android 4.0 ICS sometime in July. According to HTC all the devices should be updated to ICS by July.

The list is mostly made of up phones released in the past 6-8 months, other than the Thunderbolt and the Incredible 2, and many have already been updated to 4.0. HTC has issued similar statements in the past but none of those had actual release dates. Today’s new is still pretty vague, basically saying June-July for almost all devices, at least we know they’ll be here soon.

The DROID Incredible 2 is the only device that is up-in-the-air and is still questionable for the upgrade. Other phones like the EVO 3D, ThunderBolt, HTC Rhyme, and even the EVO Design 4G will all see the update soon. It looks like the Thunderbolt will be last on the list, being one of the few listed as July/August along with the Desire HD. Sadly no mention of any tablets like the HTC Jetstream though. Check out the full list from the via link below courtesy of HTC themselves.

[via HTC Blog]


ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 gets bootloader unlock tool

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT

Good news today from the folks at ASUS. After many owners of the new quad-core ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 asked nicely for the bootloader to be unlocked ASUS has made it official today. Using a very similar method as the Transformer Prime ASUS is now allowing the TF300′s bootloader to be unlocked via their utility tool. More details after the break.

Ask and you shall receive. I just wish the same was true for Motorola. ASUS is staying true to their word about working with the developer community and this unlock tool starts right where the Prime left off. A simple download and instructions are all you need to fully unlock the Transformer Pad 300, from there you can root, and install some 3rd party ROM’s once they start coming out. Here’s the instructions from ASUS:

Unlock Device App: Unlock boot loader.
Notice:
1. Only suitable for Andriod4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS version.
2. Before you download, install, and use the Unlock Device App you acknowledge and assume complete risk to the quality and performance of this App, including but not limited to the following: once you activate the App you will not be able to recover your ASUS product ("Original Product") back to original locked conditions;the Original Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.

ASUS kindly notes that this does void your warranty, but that is expected at this point. The download is listed right on the ASUS site under utilities. Just select Android 4.0 and you are good to go. Get started now from the link below and enjoy your newly unlocked Transformer Pad 300.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Transformer Pad 300
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 27, 2012
    Release Date : April 22, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 10.35 Inch
  • Width : 7.12 Inch
  • Depth : 0.39 Inch
  • Weight : 635 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Polymer
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 3
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via ASUS]