Maxthon 2.7 (for Android) PC Magazine By Sara Yin. My colleague, lead software analyst Michael Muchmore, called the Maxthon browser "a revelation" on desktops, for its rich feature set and excellent standards compatability levels. On Android devices, however, Maxthon (free) is rather ... See all stories on this topic »
For Kids, Android Is Safer Than iOS Mashable "Android… provides greater flexibility for developers to build applications that provide safety and protection for children," says Gavin Kim, chief product officer for NQ Mobile. "The Android platform will more likely have the latest, compelling, easy ... See all stories on this topic »
Today's Scuttlebot: Bad Piggies Trailer and Android App Art ... By By THE NEW YORK TIMES The technology reporters and editors of The New York Times scour the Web for important and peculiar items. Monday's selection includes Hewlett-Packard putting new emphasis on design, a NASA group that's trying to come up with warp ... NYT Bits
Android apps for reading PDFs | TeleRead: News and views on e ... By Jon Jermey In earlier articles I've covered the proprietary Kindle and Kobo apps, and this time I want to turn my attention to PDF reading on Android tablets. I've. TeleRead: News and views on e-books,...
HTC One X5 phablet leaks in press render | Android Community By Cory Gunther The folks from HTC have been busy brewing up their own 5-inch phablet to hopefully take on the Galaxy Note II, LG's Intuition, and dare I even say the iPhone 5. Android Community
Android Overload: Judge Koh Wont Lift Sales Ban on Non-Guilty ... By Chris Chavez Android Overload: Judge Koh Wont Lift Sales Ban on Non-Guilty Galaxy Tab 10.1, iPhone 5′s A6 Benchmarked Against Android Devices, and More. posted on Sep 18th 2012 at 6:19am by Chris Chavez. Share This Story. Developer creates ... Android Phone Fans
HTC 'One X 5' purportedly revealed in press render | Android Central By Alex Dobie 26 in the clock widget, as well as the old Android Market icon on the home screen. We've seen fake (and prototype) press renders leak out before, so there's certainly no guarantee that this image is legitimate. The low resolution alone means ... Android Central - Android Forums,...
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Fans of Chameleon Launcher – you shall not be waiting much longer now. With a regular release and update cycle, the Chameleon Launcher team has reached its first release candidate build.
Most of the 0.95 features and fixes make a distinct difference to the performance and usability of Chameleon, notably the stability improvements regarding widgets. I’ve been running the update this morning and I’m delighted to see that everything is a little faster and the Widgets don’t implode after a few hours of usage.
New Features / Inclusions
Added Dashboard Manager animations when adding/deleting a Dashboard
App Tray icons no longer get cut-off by some devices.
Additional start-up time improvements.
Fixed a major bug in the web views used for widgets causing bloated memory.
Home screens now go into a ‘Sleepy’ mode when inactive for a period of time.
Fixed issue where widgets still sometimes appeared blank (fingers crossed)
Fixed issue where widgets sometimes appear to be continually loading.
There is now a max of only 4 home screens.
Added “Shout Outs” section, to make our Kickstarter backers famous! Thanks for the support.
Can now post tweets/updates from Twitter and Facebook Widgets when the native apps are installed.
Added, updated and finalized the default Chameleon wallpapers.
The demand for more widgets has also been answered. The team claims to be working on a Google+ and Calendar widget. In the 0.9.0 build they also released Widget templates and a system which means developers can begin designing away before the final release. The final release is expected to include a store/market for the widgets to be downloaded from.
Samsung isn't in the best of position right now in the U.S. following the damning verdict that concluded it had infringed on several Apple patents. While the ruling implicated several devices, it didn't include the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the same tablet that was already banned from being sold in the country after Judge Lucy Koh granted Apple's preliminary injunction request back in June.
Prior to the verdict, Samsung has fought to lift the sales ban of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in America numerous times to no success. The company's latest attempt to convince Judge Koh to lift the injunction has once again borne no result.
It's not that the federal judge didn't have the power to do so, but she just thought it wouldn't be proper to make that kind of decision while the case is heading to the appeals court. She offered some consolation that the fact the panel of jury didn't find the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to have infringed on Apple's design patent – specifically the D’899 patent – would be substantial enough for the appeals court to consider letting her call the shot on this particular issue.
We're sure most people won't miss not seeing the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 in shelves. But for Samsung the ban transcends sales, and how it ultimately sets a bad precedence for its other tablets.
Today in London, Motorola and Intel hosted a joint event to announce the newest member of the Razr family and the first phone from Motorola to feature an Intel processor – the Motorola RAZR i.
The RAZR i is actually a variant of the Razr M that was launched a couple of weeks back in New York. It appears that the RAZR i will come to the UK market first, but the device will hit the rest of Europe and Latin America.
Motorola RAZR i specs
The Motorola RAZRi specs are similar to those of the American Razr M, with one big difference – the European version features an Intel Medfield processor. This would make the RAZR i the first device from a major international manufacturer to feature an Intel CPU, although the Orange San Diego, the Lava Xolo X900 and the Lenovo K800 have hit the market sooner.
The CPU in the RAZRi is the first mobile processor to reach frequencies of 2.0GHz. All three earlier Intel-powered devices were clocked at 1.6GHz. Moreover, Intel claims that the single-core Medfield chip in the RAZR i can beat dual-core processors from competitors. Some previous benchmarks do give credence to their statement, but we'll have to wait for some hands-on time before we can verify the claim.
The other distinctive feature of the Motorola Droid RAZR i is the edge-to-edge 4.3-inch screen, with a 960 x 540 pixels resolution. Motorola emphasized that, while the RAZR i and the new iPhone 5 have about the same physical size, the screen on the "I" is actually larger, thanks to the very thin edge. Speaking of the display, it's a Super AMOLED Advance.
Other noteworthy features include the distinctive Kevlar backing, the 8MP camera, NFC, and a respectable 2000mAH battery. The power pack should provide enough energy for 20 hours of use, and Motorola said that it's 40% better than the iPhone 4S. The Droid RAZR i will come in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB versions, and will feature a microSD card. Everything is packed into a nice aluminum frame that is supposed to be water repellent.
The RAZR i is obviously important for Intel, but it seems that Motorola has invested a lot into it too. The company's Andrew Morley called the RAZR i the "biggest launch since the Razr", ostensibly referring to the original Razr.
Motorola RAZR i price and availability
The black version of the Motorola RAZR i will be available in European and Latin American markets in October. So far, Motorola announced that the phone will sell in the UK, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, while more markets will be announced in the future. The white version of the device (which we think looks better) will be available in “select markets”.
Stay tuned for pricing information.
Show full PR text
LONDON – Sept. 18, 2012– Motorola Mobility in partnership with Intel Corporation introduced the powerful MotorolaRAZR™ i with Intel Inside®: the new full-screen smartphone that fits in the palm of your hand. Its Super AMOLED Advanced 4.3-inch display spans from edge-to-edge with virtually no border – giving you more screen with less phone. RAZR i is the first smartphone that can achieve speeds of 2.0 GHz thanks to a fast Intel® Atom™ processor. Jump from a game to a text and over to a playlist, then off to browse the Web – all without stopping and on a long-lasting battery that is 40 percent more powerful than the competition1.
The power of Intel Inside means you also get an instant-launch 8-megapixel camera that can load in less than a second2. Just use the dedicated camera key so you get the shot you want. When there's action involved, multi-shot mode lets you snap 10 pictures in less than a second. And with the illuminated sensor located on the back and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities, you'll get a great shot, even in challenging lighting conditions.
"Together with Intel, we're redefining what people can expect from a mobile device. A camera that launches in an instant, Web pages that load blazingly fast and a device that's the perfect balance of screen size and fit in hand," said Jim Wicks, senior vice president, Consumer Experience Design, Motorola Mobility. "RAZR i delivers just that when you put an Intel-fast processor in a beautifully designed phone and add in extra long battery life."
"Motorola RAZR i with Intel Inside naturally blends together the value propositions of high performance Intel Architecture and great battery life, Motorola Mobility device innovation and the Android™ platform," said Erik Reid, general manager, Intel's Mobile and Communications Group. "Intel's goal is to provide compelling technology options that translate into great user benefits and experiences. RAZR i is a great proofpoint in the collaboration and we're thrilled to be working with Motorola to bring this edge-to-edge experience enhanced with Intel Inside to people around the world."
Powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradeable to Jelly Bean), RAZR i puts the Google universe in your hand. Google Play™ gives you access to more than 600,000 apps and games, millions of books and thousands of movies. Get where you need to go with Google Maps for Android™ with free turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance. And when your hands are full, use Voice Actions for Android™ on RAZR i to compose a text, get directions, make a call, play a song…or simply Google something. RAZR i also features near field communication (NFC) technology so you can send contacts, links, maps and more directly to compatible phones with Android Beam™. Just hold the phones together and tap the screen.
Designed with premium protective materials, RAZR i is built to go everywhere. A diamond cut aircraft-grade aluminum4 frame surrounds the display, which is made of Corning® Gorilla® Glass, to deflect both scratches and scrapes. On the back, RAZR i is made DuPont™ KEVLAR® strong3. Spilled coffee? Caught in the rain? Don't worry. RAZR i is protected with a splash-guard coating—even on the electrical boards inside.
RAZR i already has a long battery – and when you set up the SMARTACTIONS™ battery savings rule your phone will automatically adjust to squeeze more out of each charge. Whether you want to maximize your last ounce of power, or prevent your phone from ringing during a meeting, SMARTACTIONS will automatically trigger specific actions. Motorola's exclusive Guide Me app comes preloaded with interactive, swipe-by-swipe tutorials for tons of features – no instruction manual required. Also unique to Motorola, the interactive Circles Widget allows quick access to notifications, weather, time and more.
Availability and pricing
Motorola RAZR i will be available in black beginning in October in select European and Latin American markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico with more to be announced. A stand out white version will also be coming to select markets. Pricing and availability will vary by country, so please visit www.motorola.com/razri for the latest information.
For more information and multimedia assets for Motorola RAZR i, please visit our press kit athttp://mediacenter.motorola.com
AOKP has long been known to be a great resource for feature-rich hacks and mods. In fact, the team just released their first Jelly Bean build not too long ago and it was a smashing success. Build 2 is an extension of Build 1, in that the feature gaps in 1 have been filled in and then some. I mean, seriously, look at this Christmas list of items and tell me if you find anything missing!
New features:
General
Kill all button in Recents panel
Backlight settings
Tablet UI on any device
DPI switcher
Custom Vibrations for Phone Calls
ADB over network
National Data Roaming option
Volume music controls
LED Brightness control
Charging LED
Boot animation preview
Allow full theming of Contacts & Mms
Allow to set color of Digital Clock Widget
Power menu options (airplane, screenshot, navbar toggle)
Ability to answer calls with hardware Home button (Winter is coming!)
NavBar
Custom Ring targets
Allow up to 7 Nav buttons on some devices
Statusbar
IME Toggler
Hide ADB icon
Allow disabling of volume adjust sound
Hide signal bars
WeatherPanel
WiFi & Cell signal text
Lockscreen
Allow rotation on any device
Added back Info-Lines (Weather, Calendar)
Menu unlock
Alternative music layout
Camera
Timer snapshot
Volume zoom
720p recording support for grouper (front)
MMS
Display full date & time
If you’ve never used AOKP before but are curious, do be aware that doing so could cause damage to your phone should the operation fail. Take caution and always backup by booting into recovery and creating a backup. Then and only then you can wipe data and cache and then begin flashing. Links are provided below for your convenience. Drop your specific device’s source files onto the device’s internal storage, follow the instructions and go about enjoying AOKP Jelly Bean build 2!
As excited as we were about the Asus Padfone concept when we first spotted it more than a year ago, we quickly realized it had very slim chances of getting released on a wide scale and gain much traction. Unfortunately, we were right on the money with our predictions, and the smartphone/tablet hybrid remains a sweet dream that still needs serious work (not to mention "leniency" from major carriers).
Fortunately (and quite surprisingly), Asus seems to still believe in the Padfone, and, according to a leaked benchmark, it is now pushing forward with a revamped version of the two-in-one gadget. We first heard about the Padfone 2 back in May, but pretty much no one thought the new hybrid was good to go after the production issues and limited release of the first-edition model.
According to the new leak, Asus is not just looking to go forward with the Padfone concept, but it also plans to considerably up the ante spec-wise. The Padfone 2 caught flexing its muscles in an AnTuTu benchmark has a quad-core 1512MHz processor and 2GB of RAM, which is a major progress over the first phone equipped with a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM.
The Padfone had a Snapdragon S4 processor under its hood, so it's very likely the new phone will come with the S4 Pro CPU we are sooo waiting for. On the flipside, the benchmark lists the new Padfone as running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which would be a terrible disappointment for a gadget rumored to see the light of day sometime in 2013. It's obvious though that this is only a pre-production unit, and that it will most likely have Jelly Bean on board by the time of its release.
As for the actual benchmark results, the Padfone 2 scored a total of 13,950, which, according to Ameblo.jp, might be an all-time record. There's no other device around with a quad-core S4 Pro chip and 2GB of RAM though, so any comparison with existent gadgets would be a bit unfair.
We can compare however the Padfone 2 with the freshly unveiled Galaxy Note 2, which we saw not long ago scoring an inferior 13,500 in the exact same AnTuTu benchmark. The Galaxy Note 2 packs a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so the Padfone 2's results might actually be quite impressive after all. Of course, the Note 2 benchmarked was itself a pre-production unit, but it should have been a far more advanced version than the Padfone 2, considering the two gadget’s ETAs.
Talking about ETAs, let’s say that we still have no idea when might the Padfone 2 hit the market, although the initial predictions don’t seem very trustworthy anymore. It’s very hard to believe that Asus will wait until the second part of next year to make this official, and we’re almost ready to bet we will be seeing a lot of the Padfone 2 at the CES or MWC 2013, in January and February.
What we want to hear from you is what do you expect from the Padfone 2 (aside from enjoying a wider release than its predecessor). Do a quad-core S4 Pro CPU and 2GB of RAM sound snappy enough for 2013 technology? Are you expecting the phone to come with a better display or a slimmer profile? How about the “Padfone Station”? Should that also be slimmer and lighter with a crisper screen? Is a battery bump also needed? Let us know down below.
Rejoice all ye ICS and Jelly Bean users! XDA forums has provided yet another wonderful solution to rooting your device, via member Bin4ry.
He said in a post on the site, “I made a small script which is able to root ICS/JB phones. It uses a remount timing issue in Androids "adb restore" service.So normally it should work on nearly all ICS/JB devices, for some it won't but the idea may work in a slightly modded version.”
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Why would I risk bricking my phone when it’s already got the latest official release Android has to offer?” That of course, is a question every user has to answer for themselves, but there are a few benefits to rooting a phone such as installing custom ROMS. As for tested devices, it has been tried on a Nexus 7 and some Sony Xperia devices.
If you want to try it out on your own devices, the file is here and all you have to do is extract, select and open Runme.bat, and off you go! As always, if you do this and are successful, please do comment below.
It seems as if this may be the year for finger-pointing, as we’ve seen the epic Apple vs. Samsung trial, HTC vs. Apple, White House vs. Google, and now Google vs. Alibaba. The accusations are based around whether or not Alibaba’s OS is a shameless copy of Android; the only truth standing at the moment is the insane amount of pirated apps in the Aliyun app store.
The inherent problem with making something worthwhile, is there will always be entities that want to steal your creation and label it as their own. This is the quandary Google finds itself in, but much worse, Alibaba’s app store seems to highlight the piracy as a marketing gimmick. Alibaba is not disputing this fact but has asserted that Aliyun is not an incompatible fork of Android. The OHA may think otherwise, as they make the decision to bar members who make and release such incompatible forks.
To be fair, all app stores have issues with piracy and unconvential app naming schemes, the official Google app store being no exception to this phenomena. But to say that Aliyun is not complicit with such behavior is to look at the issue through rose-colored glasses. Developers, however, are not involved in such actions; one specific Temple Run developer was contacted by the tech blog, Arstechnica, and admitted he did not know the vendor listed on the Aliyun pirated copy of the game.
There is nothing wrong with making and releasing forks of Android, such as what Amazon does, but it’s not a part of the OHA. Acer is and thus far, it has used the inner workings of Android, namely the Android runtime, framework and tools. Aliyun is then, by logic, an incompatible fork of Android, without express permission of Google and is breaking the rules of OHA membership. Alibaba had this to say about the matter:
Aliyun OS incorporates its own virtual machine, which is different from Android’s Dalvik virtual machine. Aliyun OS’ runtime environment, which is the core of the OS, consists of both its own Java virtual machine, which is different from Android's Dalvik virtual machine, and its own cloud app engine, which supports HTML5 web applications. Aliyun OS uses some of the Android application framework and tools (open source) merely as a patch to allow Aliyun OS users to enjoy third-party apps in addition to the cloud-based Aliyun apps in our ecosystem.”
What do you think readers? Should Google only take an offensive position to protect Android or should they just go after the piracy issue? Maybe they should pursue both actions?
As we informed you last week, Motorola and Intel are hosting a joint event in London today, presumably to announce Moto’s first Intel-powered phone. Rumors say that the device might be a European variant of the recently announced Motorola Razr M, but we can’t rule out a surprise, like a Droid Razr HD featuring an Atom processor, or even an entirely new device.
Intel already has a few devices to show off, including the Orange San Diego, the Lava Xolo X900, and the Lenovo K800. But the collaboration with Motorola will result in the first major international launch for Intel’s Medfield platform. Needless to say, we are all curious to see the end product.
You can watch the entire live event right here.
Sound off your thoughts in the comments section and on our Google Plus page. Are you excited about an Intel-powered Razr M?
Yesterday the internet went gaga when rumors out of Korea suggested that Samsung was going to announce the Galaxy S4 at Mobile World Congress next year and then ship it a month later in March. Samsung, looking to make people ignore the S4 and focus on the recently launched S3, wrote a tweet in their native language today saying:
“Please note that some media reported speculation that the Galaxy S III subsequent models will be released in a simple rumor; is not true. Fixed I’m not doing anything, why spread these rumors?”
Horrible Google Translation aside, let’s go back to the original rumor and dissect it. Who was the source? None other than The Korea Times, which has a fantastic track record, most likely because they have direct connections with Samsung’s employees. Is their prediction about a February announcement plausible? Sure, both the first and second generation Galaxy S models were announced at Mobile World Congress. The GS3 was announced at a Samsung event because the company wanted to A) Distance themselves from the noise generated by other companies and B) To show off a product just a few weeks before it was ready to be sold.
But is a March launch actually possible? Yes, and we think it’s incredibly important too. The GS3 was announced in early May, and while it did ship later that month, it wasn’t until early June when you could really say it was on store shelves around the world. Apple’s iPhone 5 goes on sale this Friday. That’s June, July, August, and half of September for the GS3 to be on sale with little to no competition.
If the GS4 goes on sale in March, say early March, and the iPhone 5S comes out in late September or early October, that lets Samsung wear the flagship device crown for half a year. We also know that Apple will announce the next iPad during the spring, and it’s probably going to cost $500, so why not give those people an option to spend that money on a Samsung smartphone instead?
We know it’s crazy to be talking about the GS4 this early, but February is just five months away. Time flies too. Before you know it Google will announce a whole slew of Nexus devices, they’ll probably show off Android 4.2 (or 5.0?) Key Lime Pie, and your GS3, which you once thought was amazing, will probably just become “meh”.
LG’s Optimus G, which is scheduled to be shown off at a press event in New York City tomorrow, has officially been in announced in South Korea today. While it’s technically not the first smartphone to use Qualcomm’s quad core Snapdragon S4, that honor goes to the China only Xiaomi Mi-Two, the Optimus G is going to ship in “key global markets in October”.
So what else, besides the processor, makes this thing special? It has 2 GB of RAM, something that’s still considered “special” in today’s market. The display, which measure 4.7 inches diagonal and pushed 1280 x 720 pixels, is using a new in-cell touch technology which makes it thinner, brighter, and less reflective. The camera, which comes in at 13 megapixels, should be awesome, though some countries will get the Optimus G with an 8 megapixel sensor due to supply issues. Oh and there’s also 4G LTE in this thing, so if you’re in a market with LTE support, prepare to melt your face off with the speed this puppy is capable of delivering.
Are there any downsides to this device? Just one: It ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. No word as to when it’s going to be upgraded either. Yes, there’s the whole ROM flashing thing, but that’s not very mainstream.
We look forward to reviewing this device, though if you want a sneak peak as to the kind of performance four Krait cores can deliver then you should head over to AnandTech and look at some of the benchmarks they ran. The Linpack numbers are off the chart, but for some odd reason the web browser leaves a lot to be desired.
Update: The pricing, which wasn’t announced in LG’s press release, turns out to be roughly $895 according to Engadget. That’s a bit ridiculous, but we’ll see how that number changes depending on country.
Update: LG has told The Verge that this phone will come to America in November.
It may seem like dejavu, but LG is taking the opportunity of a slow news day to remind you guys not just that their recently announced LG Optimus G handset is not only official (yes, we remember), but that it will be coming to South Korean markets next week. LG touts the device as the first quad-core of its kind to launch with full LTE compatibility on board. For another refresher of the G’s specs, here’s some quick bullet points:
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
4.7-inch 1280×768 True HD IPS display with Zerogap Touch (in-cell touch) technology
1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 CPU with Adreno 320 GPU
32GB of internal storage (no microSD slot)
2GB RAM
13MP or 8MP rear (depending on region) / 1.3MP front facing camera
Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 HS, A-GPS, MHL and DLNA, NFC
131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm, 145g
After the LG Optimus G goes on sale next week in South Korea, that device will hit “key” global markets sometime in October. Full press release can be found below.
SEOUL, Sep. 18, 2012 – Today LG announced the launch of the Optimus G, a new premium flagship device offering a unique User Experience (UX) supported by innovative hardware performance. The powerful hardware included in the Optimus G allows for the possibility of such a creative and engaging UX which will enable Optimus G users to "live without boundaries."
With a powerful quad-core processor, SnapdragonTM S4 Pro, as its base and industry best technologies for enhanced viewing and longer battery life, LG adds the finishing touches on the Optimus G with a beautiful sleek design and innovative UX features. The offerings in the Optimus G will provide users an experience currently unavailable on any other smartphone.
"The Optimus G is a groundbreaking premium device not only in the history of LG but also in the smartphone industry," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "With the Optimus G, users will be able to experience unsurpassed UX features that will allow them to perform tasks that really enhance their daily lives."
New Form of Cross-Tasking and Engaging UX
With reliable and speedy performance, LG's Optimus G doesn't solely enable multi- tasking but "cross-tasking" of activities without limitations. If multi-tasking applies to running various applications at the same time, cross-tasking applies to complex tasks that can be completed simultaneously without having to compromise other tasks. Some new UX features that will be included into the Optimus G to showcase its cross-tasking and engaging capabilities are:
· QSlide Function shows two different screens simultaneously on one display. As it doesn't just show a part of the screen but the entire screen of both functions, the user can complete two tasks concurrently – such as sending a text message or searching the web while watching a video;
· Live Zooming enhances the video-watching experience as users can zoom in up to five times while the video is being streamed for a close-up of one's child while watching a recorded video from a school recital;
· Dual Screen Dual Play not only allows mirroring between the smartphone and a TV, it also has the ability to display different content on each screen wirelessly. For example, a slide presentation can be displayed on the TV while the Optimus G shows the accompanying speaking notes;
· QuickMemo allows users to write, draw, or jot a memo with their finger directly on the captured screen for sharing instantly with others as an attachment or a URL. The QuickMemo can also be used as an overlay feature – like jotting down a number using the QuickMemo and directly dialing the number while the number is on the top layer;
· Screen Zooming allows for the zooming in and out of lists in music player, email, text messages and photo gallery. It also offers the ability to change the font size and screen layout;
· Application Link launches preset applications (email, calendar, weather, etc.) when the alarm is turned off – making preparation time in the morning go a little faster with all the information on your screen;
· Icon Personalizer allows users the ability to customize icons by editing size and adding images so the most frequently used apps can be most easily accessible.
In addition, smart and fun camera features in Optimus G will allow for capturing and seizing those special moments in our lives. Utilizing the industry's highest resolution camera at 13MP, users will have the opportunity to capture their favorite scenes with:
· Smart Shutter senses camera vibration or the movement of the subject and adjusts the shutter speed for the best shot;
· Time Catch Shot enables the user to choose the best among various shots taken before the shutter button is pressed;
· Cheese Shutter takes photos easily with voice activation command just by saying cheese, kimchi, smile or even LG;
· Low Light Shot Noise Reduction employs a light monitoring system and activates when the camera is used in a low-light situation for the least amount of noise.
Design Masterpiece with Timeless Value
Inheriting LG's design DNA and heritage, the blend of delicate design and technology placed the emphasis on simplicity with a completely black unibody form in the Optimus G. For this unique look, LG developed and patented the Crystal Reflection finish, which is applied to the back of the Optimus G for a luxurious look and feel. Crystal Reflection gives the Optimus G's back cover the ability to display different patterns depending on the viewing angle and lighting. Also, the intricate polarized pattern, which sparkles under the sleek surface, creates a three-dimensional illusion that is eye-catching and exquisitely reminiscent of a jewel. And finally, laser cutting gives the Optimus G a clean finish with metallic highlights.
Unparalleled Technologies for Ultimate UX
As the first quad-core smartphone with LTE connectivity capabilities, Optimus G complements the enhanced UX features with unsurpassed speed and power from Qualcomm's SnapdragonTM S4 Pro Quad-Core processor. The state-of-the-art display technologies such as the Zerogap Touch and True HD IPSPlus Display from LG Innotek and LG Display harmonize to offer the slimmest, sharpest and clearest viewing experience yet. The new battery from LG Chem has a longer life of 800 cycles, a significant improvement over existing mobile phone batteries. An ultra high-resolution, compact 13MP camera is employed in the Optimus G to offer the sharpest photos without pixelation – even when creating extra-large prints.
LG Optimus G will go on sale in Korea starting next week followed by key global markets in October.
One year since Google+ opened to the public, Vic Gundotra announced today that Google’s budding social network has now officially hit the 400 million mark in total users, with 100 million active users per month. While that number sounds impressive, it still can’t hold a candle to Facebook’s 955 million active users per month. There’s still a lot to do, and with the growing number of consumers choosing Android and finding themselves sucked into Google’s ecosystem, it’s just a matter of time before everyone you know is on Google+. Whether or not they’ll be active, is another question entirely.
How about you guys? Are you guys active on Google+ or any social network for that matter? Or has G+ begun to lose some of its luster?
A few weeks ago, Trapster — one of the Android Market’s first driving assist applications — saw a sizeable update in the Play Store. For those unfamiliar with the app, Trapster looks to help smartphone users evade costly traffic violations by alerting users when the po-po are out tryin’ to catch ya ridin’ dirty (something I’m all too familiar with). The app takes crowd sourced data from other Trapster users in your area, and with everyone working together, the app will notify you of speed traps, red light cameras, road hazards and vehicle accidents — pretty much anything that has the potential to ruin your day while driving.
In the latest update, Trapster added all new profile pages for users that displays karma points which can be gained for those successfully reporting accurate driving conditions. Think of it as Trapster’s way of keeping its users honest. Keep in mind, if you don’t set up an account and profile, you wont be able to report “traps.” Also new is the ability to share traps quickly and easily with your favorite social networks. That way you can help grandma avoid that DUI checkpoint on her way home.
So, is the app worth a download? Well, I decided to give Trapster a spin in my hands-on video so you guys can see for yourself if it’s worth checking out. Enjoy.
Owners of the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T are reporting that a software upgrade has been pushed to their devices for immediate download and instalation. The changes which come with the upgrade remain unknown, though early signs are that this is a minor OTA update that might be fixing some bugs post-Jelly Bean. Check for it in the About Tablet section of your device’s settings menu, and fingers crossed that those of you with root will see these changes rolled into your favorite ROMs soon enough. [XDA, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Rovio’s teased Bad Piggies, a game where users play things from the perspective of pigs, for a short while now. Other than the fact that roles would be reversed we didn’t know much about the game. Would the pigs fight to take their dignity back using slingshots or would they be off fulfilling some other purpose? It looks like the latter is the sure answer.
A new trailer was released exclusively on Yahoo Games’ website, and it shows gameplay elements that we honestly didn’t imagine Rovio would ever bring us. The game tasks you with building crazy contraptions and vehicles to give the pigs greater freedom of motion.
Yep, those dastardly birds may be able to fly but pigs know a little bit about building things — you only need return to the story of the Three Little Pigs for evidence of that fact. But there’s no big, bad wolf this time: it’s just you, the pigs, and all the tools you need to make over a million combinations using the proper materials and Rovio’s new blueprint system.
You can build helicopters, bicycles, small planes, cars with TNT attached to the front of them, and more. Unfortunately the pigs don’t seem to have any interaction with the birds from what we can see in this trailer, but perhaps Rovio has even more planned for us sometime down the line. It would be a shame to build all these crazy vehicles without being able to use them on someone.
“As far as the gameplay goes, Bad Piggies and Angry Birds are complete opposites,” Petri Järvilehto, EVP of Games at Rovio said. “Angry Birds smash things up, Bad Piggies build stuff. The pigs are all about making plans and building things, even — and especially — when they don’t work!”
Rovio’s calling this a long-term commitment with its vice president of franchise development Ville Heijari stating it’s “the sibling of Angry Birds, and it will get a lot of push over time.”
The game is on its way to the Google Play Store September 27th, and you can believe this is one game that we’ll be dying to download once it hits. You’ll need to head to the source link to watch the trailer as we are not able to embed it. [Yahoo]
Although hopes of an unlocked bootloader will have to subside until the development community can figure a way past it, the Amazon Kindle Fire does now have root unit. There are little advantages to doing it just yet, but it’s worth applying anyway if you want to make sure you can root your device before Amazon finds out about the exploit and patches it up.
If you care to get this underway be sure to head to the source link for full download links and instructions. Proceed at your own risk, and remember that your device will get no sympathy from anyone should it suddenly come down with a case of digital hypochondria. [RootzWiki, thanks to everyone who sent his in!]
HTC’s 5 inch behemoth that’s been rumored in recent weeks got more leaked specs over the weekend, and now we have even more information to sink our teeth into. Instead of the usual blurrycam goodness we’ve come to know, love, and hate over the years, press shots have now been leaked.
The device looks quite close to what we’ve seen leaked so far, and if the rest of this image is to be believed we finally have a possible name: the HTC One X 5, the last character obviously indicative of the device’s screen size.
If you don’t remember, HTC is said to be bringing a 5 inch slate that has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and more.
The device is a strong candidate for a good showing at HTC’s upcoming September 19th event, though there has been little official word to suggest this is exactly what we’ll see. The wait is only two days longer, though, so get back over to Phandroid.com this Wednesday for live coverage straight from New York. [via Engadget]
UPDATE: Turns out the press shot is a fake. Well, not intentionally fake, but more or less a concept image conjured up by the mind of Dannix over on Flickr. Good work. Almost had us fooled. He has a pretty sick concept of an HTC tablet, if you guys wanna take a look. [Flickr]
The new Amazon Kindle Frie devices announced last week look to be coming to market with bad news for developers. An XDA contributor has spoken to fellow developers about the new Kindle Fire devices, and according to them the devices’ bootloaders are locked up very tight with techniques used for “HS,” or high-security, devices.
The technique is apparently similar to the Nook Tablet’s encryption, and while that device quickly received a workaround at the hands of the development community the Kindle Fire might be a lot more tricky. You see, the Nook Tablet’s workaround used an exploit that used the external SD card as an alternate boot device.
With the Kindle Fire’s lack of a memory card you can already see where the frustrations will set in. Fret not, though, as community discussions have already gone underway between developers to see what can be done about circumventing this unfortunate security. Whether or not they actually find something, however, remains to be seen. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Stylish phones from premium fashion, automobile, and accessory manufacturers around the world are nothing new. They always tend to be lacking in power, inflated in price, and sometimes don’t look all that great to begin with.
Aston Martin, a company who I am only familiar with thanks to my good friend Pierce Brosnan, looks to be the next one into the game. Like the others, they’re also foregoing respectable guts for a lavish exterior and scary price tag.
The device comes in black, silver, white, gold, and rose gold for colors, with the latter two being actual gold. It’ll run for $1290 without the luscious metal and $1590 with gold. A little steep, no?
Unfortunately you are getting some bottom of the barrel specs for that asking price. For starters, you’re only afforded a 3.5 inch display. That may not matter to some, but it’s rather small in a world where even the iPhone 5 has increased half an inch.
You’re also only getting an 800MHz processor and 256MB of RAM. What is this, 2008? But, of course, these phones are not aimed at those who tend to be technologically sound. It’s for those with big, fat pockets who need yet another status symbol to validate their well fortune. You can find it over at ePrice. [via Android Central]
Verizon and Motorola weren’t keen on releasing availability details for their newly-announced DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD outside of a wide launch window of “before the holidays.”
If our expectations are correct then this would mean any time before Thanksgiving as the holiday is treated as the unofficial start to the busiest shopping season of the year starting with Black Friday.
Well, it looks like we might have a bit more of an idea of when to expect these powerhouse devices. A press release for the RAZR HD in Germany pegs October as its launch window, a lot more specific than Verizon’s initial window for the US. We could see it launching in the US around the same time, but it would be wise not to get your hopes up.
We usually don’t see European releases of Motorola’s Verizon-bound phones until after Verizon’s versions launch so it’s plausible to suggest they could be targeting that same window.
Unfortunately with so little to go on we aren’t comfortable burning a date into our minds without also burning a sense of caution right next to it. We’ll hope to get more information about its impending release as the weeks move on. [via Droid-Life]
Here is one of the more bizarre tech stories of recent months. After delays, poor marketing decisions, or some combination of both saw the original Samsung Galaxy Note launch on T-Mobile’s network last month, the carrier is all set to followup with the Galaxy Note 2 when it touches down on American soil.
Leaked firmware compiled on September 15th all but confirms that the SGH-T889 is indeed TMo’s Note 2, and suggests that the phone will launch with a spec sheet that mirrors the international variant, including Jelly Bean out of the box and HSPA+ support (as well as quad-core processing).
The Note 2 should launch in October (or early November at the latest), but nothing is set in stone right now. Samsung would like to launch on all major US carriers simultaneously. It’s odd that Samsung even launched with original Note with the Note 2 on the horizon, but releasing the followup to a device just about three months after it first hit shelves is a curious move any way you slice it.
Google is looking to bolster its arsenal yet again with the purchase of Nik Software, the company behind the popular iOS photo sharing app Snapseed. Snapseed, for those Android users who may have never encountered it, is from the same vein as the likes of Instagram and Hipstamatic, and could be leveraged by Google in several ways.
Two obvious uses Google might find include image editing within Google+ as well as enhancements to the stock Android camera, though it is unclear at this time the exact intentions of the company. There is also no guarantee we’ll have any clarity on the matter in the near future, as Google often takes months to fully fold new acquisitions into their current plans.
One thing is for certain: the acquisition likely has little to do with competing directly with Instagram or their parent company Facebook, nor does it likely signal the end of Snapseed for iOS, an app that was named iPad App of the Year in 2011 by Apple.
The followup to the ASUS PadFone has made an appearance in the AnTuTu benchmark database, and the results suggest a slightly beefed up phone-in-a-tablet is on our future. From the sound of things, ASUS is going quad-core this time, which seems like a no-brainer given the PadFone’s position as a top tier device in the company’s product lineup. All signs point to the manufacturer sticking with a Snapdragon, but in this case going with the S4 Pro as opposed to the dual-core edition found in the first PadFone.
Otherwise we know very little about how the PadFone 2 will update the original, but there are rumors of 2GB of RAM. As with the Transformer line, we expect ASUS’ improvements to mostly focus on bringing the device in line with the current generation of high-end devices more so than a total redesign of the original concept. There is no word on when we might see the second edition introduced, but an introduction during CES in January seems plausible.
Amazon is giving developers a pathway to bucking Google from their mobile apps if they so choose. As part of their mobile app SDK, the retailer-turned-tablet-maker has introduced a new maps API, which developers can utilize in their own applications to provide mapping functionality.
The new API will provide similar capabilities to what Google offers, including the ability to pinpoint a user’s current location as well as overlay satellite imagery, points of interest, and local data. Where, exactly, Amazon is pulling its mapping data from remains a mystery.
With the Kindle Fire line of tablets Amazon may have chosen Android for the operating system, but it has been retooled in a way so as to distance it from Google’s build. Google’s suite of mobile apps are also not included. The introduction of their own maps API only serves to further drive a wedge between the two. The move certainly won’t sit well with Google, but they have little choice given the free and open nature of the Android OS.
If you watch enough TV, you have probably seen a commercial or two with Shazam logo in the corner urging you to head to the app to instantly obtain more info about the advertised product. But that’s not the only way Shazam is getting tied into TV. The folks behind the song identification app have quietly been rolling out the ability to tag television shows, with the goal being to provide additional info about a show such as the cast and credits rather than provide identification.
The functionality has been built into the current version of Shazam, but the company has been keeping the feature on the down-low until only recently. So if you were to tune into your favorite show right now, you should be able to pull up additional info. And it should be a lot easier with full TV shows. Those 30-second commercials are usually over before the app can even finish processing what is being watched.
