Monday, July 16, 2012

Android Community

Android Community

XBMC media player for Android announced

Posted: 16 Jul 2012 10:55 AM PDT

A version of the open source XBMC media player has been announced for Android, and you don’t need to jailbreak or root your device to get it to work. Even better news is that this is a straight port of the desktop version of XBMC, with the developers saying that all of the features found in the desktop version are present in the Android one as well, or at least will be in time. Alas, this isn’t a finished product you’ll be downloading, but rather an early build of XBMC for Android.


The XBMC project team says that at the moment “only software decode of audio and video is hooked up.” Other features will follow this initial release, and the group said that they even considered waiting until universal hardware decode was in place before announcing the project, which was kept a secret until this past weekend. However, the desire to deliver the project to the open source community eventually won out, and here we are now, with the source code and everything available at XBMC’s website.

Skins are another thing they’ll be relying on the open source community for, with the team admitting that at this early stage, the UI can feel a bit clunky at times. They point out that there are already some great user-made skins for XBMC available, and that more should be arriving shortly. Have a look at this video of XBMC running as an Android app to get a feel for what it’s like:

Judging by the language is this announcement, it seems that this XBMC Android port – which is a combined effort of Pivos and XBMC developers – is aimed more at set-top boxes than it is tablets and phones, but the team does say that it should run pretty well on your smartphone and tablet nonetheless. Whatever flaws the Android version may have in this early stage, it’s pretty clear that the XBMC team plans to have a solid port on offer in no time thanks to the help of the open source community, so keep an eye out for that. For more information about some other Android media players, check out the timeline below!

Batman The Dark Knight Rises game coming to Android July 20th [Video]

Posted: 16 Jul 2012 10:21 AM PDT

Gameloft has been keeping pretty busy this year when it come to releasing Android and iOS game along side big hit blockbuster movies. After dropping a game for Spider-Man and Men In Black III they look to follow that trend by releasing a game for one of the most anticipated movies of the entire year. Batman’s The Dark Knight Rises is coming to theaters, and so is a game from Gameloft.

Gameloft has released another teaser trailer today showing us all just what we can expect from their epic new summer game. The graphics look hot, although that could all just be cut-scenes so we’ll have to wait and see how it really pans out. The trailer below looks pretty awesome from our initial impressions and this game will be arriving July 20th for Android.

If you are excitedly awaiting the next iteration in this impressive series you aren’t alone. Now you’ll get to enjoy it in theaters and on your Android at the same time. Full details of the new Android game haven’t been released but we’re hearing it’ll have a lot of similarities and tie-ins with the movie, including the same characters and villains. Get ready to roam Gotham City Batman style while taking down enemies. Stay tuned for more details.

dark_knight_rises_ios_android Screen Shot 2012-07-16 at 9.51.20 AM

[via SlashGear]


Nexus 7 receiving a small software update

Posted: 16 Jul 2012 09:32 AM PDT

Now that Google’s new ASUS Nexus 7 tablet is slowly making its way to the hands of consumers, it has been getting a few software updates. Last week Google updated it to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, and today it has another quick (but very small) software OTA rolling out as of last night. The changes seem minimal but this is surely a good sign.

The official 4.1.1 update brought the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus both to build JRO03C last week, but today’s update is rather tiny and we aren’t noticing any changes. Now showing JRO03D, this tiny 859k (not even one MB) update appears to have only changed a few small things, and maybe tightened up some performance.

After checking the “about me” page in settings you’ll now find the FCC ID and IC model numbers clearly mentioning the ASUS MeMo 370T, which was the devices original name, but that is all we’ve noticed thus far. If you want to pull that ugly sticker off the bottom now you can, as the info is still provided. So far we haven’t noticed any other changes at this time but I’m happy to see Google issuing updates so quickly and effectively.

For those receiving their Nexus 7 today or early this week, expect an update or two out of the box. Enjoy those tablets folks!

Screen Shot 2012-07-15 at 2.47.36 PM Screenshot_2012-07-16-08-34-23
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Nexus 7
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : June 27, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : Google Nexus 7
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.81 Inch
  • Width : 4.72 Inch
  • Depth : 0.41 Inch
  • Weight : 340 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4325 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 3
    CPU Clock Speed : 1300 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Android Community Weekly: July 15th, 2012

Posted: 15 Jul 2012 03:05 PM PDT

Here at Android Community we had another exciting and fun-filled week of Android news. The biggest part however was probably the end of the week where Google delivered a treat to many customers. The flagship Nexus 7 tablet started shipping out to all those patient (and some impatient) customers on Friday, but that’s only some of the news. Head below for your weekly brief.

It was an exciting and news filled week, that is for sure. To start with Friday would sort of be backwards, but it was one of the most exciting days. Google started officially shipping the Nexus 7 tablet from their Play Store, although Gamestop ruined the party a bit early (as did Ebuyer.) And Friday was also the official retail store date for Verizon’s Galaxy S III — but lets back up.

Tuesday Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean was pushed out to both the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, as well as Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet. This is how we knew it was about to be a good week because Google gave their newest version of Android the final OK and released it to the world. By dropping the Jelly Bean AOSP source code, and the developer community is now hard at work as we speak making Android 4.1.1 ROM’s for all types of Android devices.

In hardware news we got some hands-on time to unbox the new Motorola Atrix HD, the DROID RAZR HD appeared in some more benchmarks, and even a budget-friendly RAZR was spotted. That isn’t all in hardware either. HTC appears to be making a new quad-core Android tablet, and an unknown HTC device for AT&T was spotted with a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor and 4G LTE — which could already be a successor to the HTC One X. AT&T’s Galaxy S II Skyrocket got Ice Cream Sandwich, and AT&T’s 4G LTE footprint got a little bigger too.

This was just a small part of what we’d consider a rather busy week in the world of Android. Catch the rest of the news that was important via the links below. We hope everyone had a safe Friday the 13th, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Posted by at 11:52 PM 0 comments

Google Alert - android

News10 new results for android
 
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: Complete List of All New Features
CIO (blog)
Google's brand new version of Android, v4.1 "Jelly Bean," is only available on a select few devices, but the new mobile OS will hit a variety of handhelds and tablets in the coming months. Check out a complete list of the new features in Android Jelly ...
See all stories on this topic »
CIO (blog)
Review: Google's Nexus Sets Standard for Smaller Android Tablets
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Google's partnership with Asus to produce the definitive Android 7-inch tablet is a success.
See all stories on this topic »
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Android Apps Need Universal Encryption
InformationWeek
Google's encryption for paid apps isn't enough to protect developers and users, argues author Godfrey Nolan.
See all stories on this topic »
New Yahoo app vulnerability explains Android spam
ZDNet (blog)
Summary: After a Microsoft engineer claimed an Android botnet is sending out spam from Yahoo accounts, Google denied the allegations. Now a newly discovered vulnerability in the Yahoo Mail app for Android explains how an attacker could be sending out ...
See all stories on this topic »
Custom Jelly Bean ROMs for your Android smartphone
CNET (blog)
Can't wait for your handset manufacturer to deliver the update to your device? Here's what you can do.
See all stories on this topic »
CNET (blog)
Living with a Nexus 7 Tablet: A $199 Winner
PC Magazine
It has a higher-resolution screen (the others have 1024-by-600 displays) but seems faster and more responsive than either of those (which weren't bad), probably due to the combination of a quad-core processor and the Jelly Bean version of Android. It ...
See all stories on this topic »
Android Tablets Give NOR Flash Storage a Boost: IHS
eWeek
While growth of NOR flash memory in the smartphone space tapers off, suppliers are finding demand from tablet makers.
See all stories on this topic »
With XBMC Ported To Android, There Might Finally Be A Reason To Buy A ...
TechCrunch
However, with the launch of the famed Xbox Media Center on Android, Google might have a chance in the battle for living rooms. The group behind the classic media player software announced the project and released the source code over the weekend.
See all stories on this topic »
Nexus 7 vs Kindle Fire Rivalry Heats Up; Android Jelly Bean Comes to the Kindle
Books & Review
With Google's Nexus 7 shipping to those who pre-ordered already, the rivalry between the new tablet and Amazon's Kindle Fire has been heating up.
See all stories on this topic »
Books & Review
Can a $99 Android-powered console topple Xbox?
MSN Money
Fans are fawning over the Ouya, an independent, open-source game system that's already attracted over $4 million in funding on Kickstarter.Start investing in technology companies with help from financial writers and experts who know the industry best.
See all stories on this topic »

Blogs5 new results for android
 
Switched On: Android's TV Triple Threat -- Engadget
By Ross Rubin
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Just two years ago, Google TV paved a way for Android to enter the.
Engadget
Android as a lawsuit magnet - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Tech
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Not just patent trolls, but companies with a combined worth of over $1 trillion have filed IP suits FORTUNE -- FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller used the discovery Friday that Fujifilm has filed a patent infringement suit against Google (
Fortune Tech: Technology blogs,...
Android Community Weekly: July 15th, 2012 | Android Community
By Cory Gunther
Here at Android Community we had another exciting and fun-filled week of Android news. The biggest part however was probably the end of the week where Google.
Android Community
New Solar Training Textbook (+ iPad & Android eBook Versions ...
By Zachary Shahan
Zach: Sounds great. And I completely understand. If you asked me 5 years ago, I would have had no idea that I'd be working in online media, but here I am…. So, will the eBook be available on all devices? Chris: The eBook will work on a PC, ...
CleanTechnica
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean hacked onto the HTC HD2 | The Verge
By Nathan Ingraham
HTC's chameleon-like HD2 just refuses to die. The phone was introduced back in late 2009 (around the same time as the original Motorola Droid and Android 2.0, for reference) and ran the now-dead...
The Verge - All Posts

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Posted by at 11:36 PM 0 comments

Android Authority

Android Authority

An anatomy of patent lawsuits: Apple is involved in 60% of them [Infographic]

Posted: 16 Jul 2012 02:20 AM PDT

If you're having trouble keeping track who's friends with whom and who's suing whom in the dizzying world of patent war in the mobile industry, IP consulting firm Kanzatec IP Group has created a graphical information that makes understanding of who's friends or foes a little bit easier to comprehend.

Not surprisingly, Apple is at the heart of patent litigations. From infringement of a touch screen patent, utility patents, to an operating system patent — 60% of the ongoing patent lawsuits involve Cupertino in one form or another. The graphic shows that Apple is in the midst of legal battles against Android proponents ranging from Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Kodak and Elan.

For the complete picture of the situation, check out the infographic on patent lawsuits that Kanzatech has prepared below.

No related posts.

This article, An anatomy of patent lawsuits: Apple is involved in 60% of them [Infographic] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Best Android apps for children and kids

Posted: 15 Jul 2012 09:00 PM PDT

Parenting is one of the best things that you can experience in life and there is nothing better than educating your own children.  Yet, teaching kids has never been an easy task, as children these days are always distracted by the things happening around them.

One of the best practices by parents is that keeping their kids entertained while educating them in the process. That way, parents and their children can also bond.

Armed with the proper tools, parents can pacify any child by amusing them with Android applications. Here are some of the best Android applications for kids and children that will keep your child happily learning for the rest of the day.

Kids Preschool Puzzle Lite

Kids Preschool Puzzle Lite is an educational and entertaining game for kids aged three to six. The app is great for teaching kids the art of solving puzzles. The lite version contains 20 puzzles to solve, with more puzzles in the pro version. The game is simple to play and kids will love how each picture or puzzle is beautifully rendered in colorful detail.

To complete a puzzle, kids need to figure out what shapes go into the designated places and arrange the pieces in a way that resembles the picture. Children who play the game often will boost their cognitive skills, visual spatial skills, shape recognition, and their motor skills. Unlike other kids’ games that are more complex and have so many distractions, Kids Preschool Lite is simple and easy to understand.

Kids Connect the Dots Lite

If your kids love connecting the dots, then this is a game well-suited for them. From the developers behind Kids Preschool Puzzle, here’s another educational and fun game for kids aged 4 to 7. Kids Connect the Dots Lite will let preschoolers have a chance to play a connect-the-dots game in full digital format. Kids who play the game occasionally will learn how to pronounce the numbers and letters in the dots.  They will learn to count and learn the letters of the alphabet.

The game is easy to play and children just need to tap on a series of dots that outline an animal or object that a child may or may have not encountered. As the child taps on the dots, the numbers and letters of the alphabet will be pronounced. When children succeed in connecting all of the dots, the image will automatically transform into a colorful picture.

iStory Books

iStoryBooks is a free story book application that brings to life all of your favorite stories. Each storybook is composed of fun pictures, text, and audio to bring a story to life. Parents can even set the application to read the story out loud for their kids. This app has all the necessary tools to make storytelling a fun and worthwhile activity.

Books are continuously added and once they are published, they will automatically appear in the app complete with pictures and audio. The app also supports numerous book types such as children’s books, story books, bedtime stories, classic stories, folk stories, and fairy tales, just to name a few. Kids will enjoy these books, especially if their dads and/or moms read the stories to them, or if they discover the joy of reading the stories themselves.


Dinosaurs Coloring Book

Spoil your kids and let them have fun coloring pictures of all shapes and sizes with Dinosaurs Coloring Book. Unleash your kids’ imaginations and let their creativity roam free as Dinosaurs Coloring Book has all the tools they need to start coloring.

The app provides over 90 dinosaur stock images to choose from. The more the kids spend time with the app, the more time they will enhance their coloring skills and learn more about dinosaurs.

Kids can choose from a variety of colors from the color picker and color their favorite images as they please. They can even zoom in and out of the picture to color even the tiniest of details. There are multiple brushes to select from and a paint bucket for them to pick and match their desired colors. Parents can even share their kid’s work instantly via email, Twitter, or Facebook.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds is not just an application for young adults who want to have fun but it is also a great game for kids to enjoy and learn physics. The ever-popular game has branched off into different themes, from the original to the more futuristic theme in Angry Birds Space. The object of the game is simple: to defeat the pigs by using a slingshot and hurling birds to destroy them.

The gorgeous graphics and funny sounds of the birds and pigs are hilarious, and kids at early ages will surely enjoy hurling birds from a slingshot. With over 300 unique levels, Angry Birds is a great application for sheer pleasure and enjoyment.

Game for KIDS: KIDS Match'em

Exercise your child's memory with Game for KIDS: KIDS Match'em. Boosting your child's memory could never be easier and more fun than with this interesting application. The addictive game can improve your kid’s short-term and sensory memory skills with just a few days of use and practice.

The game supports different resolution sizes, has high quality graphics, and includes nice sound effects to make it more engaging to play.

The object of the game is simple: pair matching tile cards. Tapping on a tile card will reveal a picture, and getting a pair will permanently reveal it. Match all the tiles and the game is won.

The app supports 2 difficulty levels which will affect the number of cards shown on the screen. There are over 6 different card sets to choose from: cute furry animals, hats, cartoon vehicles, Halloween characters, and a Christmas theme.

Kids Socks

Here's another matching game that will make your kids definitely throw their socks off — literally. Kids Socks is a matching game that employs an alternative twist of the traditional tile-matching game. Instead of matching tile cards, kids have to match socks hanging from a wire.

The objective is to match the sock shown with socks that you have. Just drag the same-colored sock and do a match. This is a great application to enhance a child's creativity and keep their memory fresh. You can even change the socks and activate underpants if you feel bored with just matching socks. Memorizing has never been so fun and so addictive than with Kids Socks.

Talking Kids Math and Numbers

Talking Kids Math and Numbers is the number one math and learning application for kids to try and test their skills in mathematics. If you’ve always wanted to boost your kids’ mathematical skills, then Talking Kids will be a great app to keep your children entertained while educating them on the basics. What's even better, the app supports TV output if you feel that your phone screen is too small.

Numbers will be flashed on the screen with the funny penguin asking your child for the answer. The app is also a great way to learn mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. If your kids are smart, they can use the app’s built-in Quiz Mode to test their basic math abilities.

Kids Reading (Preschool) FREE

Always wanted to teach your kids how to read while keeping them entertained? Then Kids Reading (Preschool) Free is the right application to teach them reading skills. Kids Reading Free is a delightful game that teaches kids to practice blending sounds together and learn to spell simple words such as "dog," "sun," and "cat."

The app has three sections to help children learn. The first section involves teaching them to blend sounds together by moving a turtle across a letter bridge. The second section involves elementary reading and the last one involves a game that calls for manipulating blocks until a word is spelled out correctly. Kids Learn to Read is a great application for teaching children to read.

Kids Paint Free

Kids Paint Free is one of the best painting applications for kids of all ages. Kids can draw beautiful art using their fingers, and if your Android device supports a stylus, your kids can draw even more accurate drawings.

Kids will have a great time with the application as they can perform many things such as shaking their device to clear the screen, use a trackball to set gradient colors, and even share their drawings online.

The app is simple and easy to use. Drawings are set on a black background. There are different colors to choose from and they are bright enough to catch a child's attention. So, if you're looking for something different aside from the predefined coloring books, then Kids Paint for Free is the right application for kids.

While there are many Android applications for children, these are just some of them that many parents and children have been using. Which of these apps do your kids love? If the apps you use to educate your child and keep them entertained didn’t make it to our list, let us know in the comments below. We and other parents would love to know.

    No related posts.

    This article, Best Android apps for children and kids , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Acer Iconia A500 gets an alpha Jelly Bean AOSP ROM

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 05:55 PM PDT

    Usually some of the first devices built from Android source (AOSP) fall to the likes of Nexus devices. Thankfully, developers don’t always play by those rules. Shortly after the source code for Jelly Bean 4.1.1 was released, the Acer Iconia A500 received a very nice alpha build of Jelly Bean. Over the last few days, XDA Developer randomblame and his team have been tweaking and hacking away at their source built beauty and so far have nearly everything working. For some, this early alpha build may even be sufficient as a daily driver (if you’re into a bug or two while running the latest and great version of Android). I don’t know about you, but that describes me.

    I’ve been running randomblames AOSP Jelly Bean ROM the past few days on my A500. Now that WiFi and audio are mostly working, I can safely say I’m content using it as my daily driver until my Nexus 7 arrives in a day or two. So, what’s working with the latest release, build #5? As I mentioned, WiFi connects great. The signal indicator in the notification area is broken, but who cares about your signal bars. You know when you’re connect and not connected by opening Internet connection enabled apps. Sound half works, meaning some apps will play sound, but system sounds aren’t working just yet. Bluetooth, storage, USB mounting, battery indicator, rotation, are all working as intended. Google Voice Search will search the web and return card responses. However, they won’t be read them back to you as mentioned above, some sounds aren’t fully functional. As opposed to the first release when almost nothing worked, this is a great step forward.

    So what’s completely broken? Sadly, Google Now. You can page through the welcome setup just fine. However, after you tap finish on the last screen of Google Now’s setup, Google Search will start rolling force closing. The only way to resolve this is to clear the Google Search app cache and data. You can then continue using Voice Search. I’m also having trouble installing apps that need to store data on the SD Card. The SD card is accessible via file system explorer applications it seems, however applications that need to store data on /SDCard are failing install. So, if you’re into gaming, a lot of larger games won’t install. I’ve noticed some applications if left open while the lock screen activates, upon unlock, the app or screen will go completely black. I’ve seen this happen with Chrome and Google+. The only way to access the app again is to tap the recents button and swipe it away, then reopen the app. A few times I’ve also had my soft keys disappear. The only way to bring them back was to tap the clock notification area and go into settings or tap an open notification.

    As you can see, there are still a nice amount of bugs out there for this ROM. To be honest, that is expected on a ROM labled as “alpha”. Remember, an alpha is a preview of good things to come. If you’re into gaming or can’t deal with the bugs I mentioned above, you may want to hold off for now, while the developers do what they do best, hack away at Android.

    If you don’t mind a few bugs, head on over to the official thread on XDA for download links and general ROM information. You’ll need to be on an unlocked ICS Bootloader prior to flashing. GApps are not included with the ROM. You’ll have to flash those separately. The GApps package I used are from Kejar31 and you can download them here. As always, don’t forget to make a nandroid backup prior to flashing any ROM. Good luck!


    NEXT: Acer Iconia A500 is the first non-Nexus tablet to get a functional Jelly Bean port
    acer-iconia-tab-a500-lightspeed-rom Speed Up Ice Cream Sandwich on Your Acer Iconia Tab A500 with Lightspeed ROM acer-iconia-tab-a500 Custom ROM With Android 3.1 Leaked For Acer Iconia Tab A500

    This article, Acer Iconia A500 gets an alpha Jelly Bean AOSP ROM , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Nexus Q gets the CyanogenMod 9 treatment

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 04:48 PM PDT

    When Google first launched the Nexus Q last month at Google I/O 2012 they made it publicly known that the Q had a USB port for general “hackability”. That statement alone and the limited features of the Nexus Q to some meant that Google wasn’t entirely sure yet what the Q could evolve into.  Since it’s launch, developers have been busy hacking away at the Q, trying to determine new uses and add more functionality. We’ve seen the Q turn into a gaming console, be able to play Netflix movies, and launch some standard Android apps.

    Developer Jason Parker has decided to step things up a notch by porting full blown Android, via CM9, to the Nexus Q. Jason used a Tuna/Maguro build as his base image and so far Bluetooth and WiFi are working as intended. Overall functionality seems pretty stable for the first attempt at porting CM9 to the Nexus 9. This is still very much a work in progress as sound doesn’t seem to be working quite well just yet.

    If full blown Android can be ran on the Nexus Q while maintaining the original Nexus Q social media sharing capabilities, things could get a whole lot more interesting for the Nexus Q in the near future. Especially after XBMC for Android has made its’ debut. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this.


    NEXT: Google Nexus Q gets the iFixit teardown treatment
    sprint-galaxy-nexus-banner-image-120510 Samsung Galaxy Nexus SPH-L700 (Sprint): How to install CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) google-nexus-q Nexus Q unlock, root and app installs now possible

    This article, Nexus Q gets the CyanogenMod 9 treatment , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Motorola Xoom Jelly Bean update coming soon, soak test invitations suggest

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 04:06 PM PDT

    In case you haven't heard, the first devices to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean following the launch of the Nexus 7 tablet are those Android handsets and tablets that run a vanilla Android build, one the Google can update itself without the help of device manufacturers and carriers. These devices include two smartphones and a tablet: the Samsung Nexus S, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Motorola Xoom.

    And it so happens that Android users who are members of the Motorola Feedback Network and own the Wi-Fi version of the original Xoom have received invitations for a software test. The most logical conclusion is that we're looking at the Jelly Bean soak test, although neither Google or Motorola officials – technically they're also Google employees – are confirming the Android 4.1 update for the Motorola Xoom.

    At the same time, we'll remind you that international GSM Galaxy Nexus units have already started to receive their Jelly Bean upgrade, which means we shouldn't be surprised to see Google roll out its latest Android version to supported devices as fast as possible.

    Have you received such a soak test invitation?


    NEXT: Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean OTA update available for download, with a twist
    Samsung-Galaxy-S3 Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update details: Samsung engineers upgraded RAM for a reason nexus WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard

    This article, Motorola Xoom Jelly Bean update coming soon, soak test invitations suggest , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Verizon Galaxy S3 locked bootlocker to be fixed by software update “soon”

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 03:46 PM PDT

    It's no secret anymore that the Verizon Galaxy S3 version, although otherwise similar to other U.S. Galaxy S3 variants, comes with a locked bootloader. While there are ways around it, and while Samsung did announce that it will launch a Galaxy S3 Developer Edition version that will come with an unlocked bootloader – but which will cost users the full $599 price – it looks like devs that have already purchased a subsidized Verizon unit have reasons to be happy today.

    Droid-Life reports that both Verizon and Samsung customer care departments say that a software update, that's coming at some point in the near future, will unlock the bootloader. The publication provides plenty of proof to back up such claims that show both Verizon's and Samsung's reps confirming the news.

    Here's an email from Verizon customer care that mentions the future bootloader unlock:

    My name is Levar and thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless about the boot loader for the Galaxy S3. I know this may be frustrating but there will be a solution soon coming. Samsung will be releasing a software update to unlock your device. Right now, we do not have a date for the release but it shall be soon.

    Verizon Wireless appreciates you as a customer and your patience in this matter.

    Have a great weekend!

    Sincerely,
    Levar
    Verizon Wireless
    Customer Service

    The screenshots here reveal that Verizon is clearly confirming the future update (image above), while Samsung fumbles denying that an update is available now (image below) but implies the update is coming soon. However, neither company is willing to provide release dates for this software update, so you'll still have to wait to unlock your bootloader.

    On a different but related note, we have recently seen Sprint and AT&T roll out Galaxy S3 updates that included a dumbed down search feature. We expect other U.S. Galaxy S3 versions – well, probably all of them – to get such an update soon, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the search update bundled with the bootloader unlock update.

    At the same time, the Verizon Galaxy S3 is still not offering global roaming support, so this may be another feature that could be included in this update that's supposed to hit "soon." We'll keep you informed, so keep following us for more details.


    NEXT: Leaked factory software image of Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 now available
    verizon-galaxy-s3-front Verizon Galaxy S3 gets root and recovery even though it comes with a locked bootloader verizon logo Verizon blames Samsung for locked bootloader, Samsung unveils Galaxy S3 Developer Edition in response

    This article, Verizon Galaxy S3 locked bootlocker to be fixed by software update "soon" , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Motorola Atrix HD now available from AT&T for $99.99 on contract

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 03:07 PM PDT

    We have already seen the third-generation Motorola Atrix smartphone quietly appear on the company's website with AT&T branding on top of it well before the carrier unveiled it. But it's no secret now that AT&T will offer interested Android fans a new 4G LTE Android handset, the Atrix HD.

    The phone is no match to the Samsung Galaxy S3 when it comes to marketing efforts and buzz, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked by Android fans looking to buy a new smartphone. The handset does pack quite a kick under the hood and costs just $99.99 when purchased with a new two-year contract – which by the way, you can do today. Off contract, the device will cost you $449.99.

    The Atrix HD packs a 4.5-inch ColorBoost touchscreen display with 1280 x 720 HD resolution, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB memory, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera with 720p HD video recording, 4G LTE support, HSPA+ support, 1780mAh battery, Kevlar back and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. In case you were wondering, the handset is available in Modern White and Titanium.

    Unfortunately for Motorola fans interested in the Webtop feature available from regular Atrix devices, you'll have to know that the Atrix HD is not compatible with any of the existing LapDocks. So if you already purchased the expensive accessory, better stick with the currently supported Moto handset. Not to mention that the handset will come with a locked and signed bootloader, a “feature” hardcore Android users will certainly hate.

    Anyone excited about the Atrix HD?

    No related posts.

    This article, Motorola Atrix HD now available from AT&T for $99.99 on contract , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

    Galaxy Note 2 developer day registrations for IFA 2012 available now

    Posted: 15 Jul 2012 12:57 PM PDT

    samsung Galaxy-Note-2-mock-up

    A few days ago we told you that Samsung has already scheduled a special Unlocked event for August 30 in Berlin, Germany – a day ahead of IFA 2012 – where the company is expected to unveil it's next-gen phablet, the Galaxy Note 2.

    Galaxy Note 2 rumors are flying left and right, with the South Korean Android manufacturer said to be interested in launching the device before Apple releases its sixth-generation smartphone, also expected to hit in the following months.

    Without revealing any Galaxy Note 2 details, Samsung has started taking registrations from developers for a special developer day at this year's IFA event.

    According to Android Central, the developer event will take place on Thursday, August 30, from 14:00 – 18:00 PM local time. The Unlocked event is set to take place on the same day from 19:00 PM, so those developers that make it to the special session may have a chance to preview the new device(s) earlier than anyone else.

    Details about the developer day event are scarce at this time. The Android maker says that devs will "meet the latest technology from Samsung platforms" and "learn about Samsung's latest devices and services."

    Places are limited, so anyone that wants to be a part of Samsung's – hopefully Galaxy Note 2-related – developer day event will have to register right away and cross their fingers. From those registrations, Samsung will select the lucky developers that will be asked to attend and the company will announce them via an email that will be sent out on August 1.

    We have no idea whether the company will also unveil any other Android device, Android device variation or any other mobile device at IFA 2012. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 but also the bada-running Wave 3 smartphone during the Berlin-based event, so who knows what the company has in store for us this year when it comes to tablets and smartphones. Not to mention that the other Note we’re expecting to hit stores, the Galaxy Note 10.1, is still not out yet, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it was somehow included in Samsung’s IFA 2012 plans.

    Have you registered for the company's developer day event yet?


    NEXT: Galaxy Note 2 to be unveiled at Samsung Unpacked event on August 30
    T-Mobile Galaxy-Note-1 T-Mobile Galaxy Note launch postponed to August 8? Galaxy-Note-ICS Galaxy Note Ice Cream Sandwich update kicking off today for Canadian phablet owners

    This article, Galaxy Note 2 developer day registrations for IFA 2012 available now , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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