Thursday, October 11, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to offer Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and updated Galaxy S3 “Alpha”

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 03:05 AM PDT

NTT DoCoMo is introducing a few flagship handsets to the Japanese market. We earlier wrote about the LG Optimus G L-01E, but if you’re a Samsung loyalist, we have some good news for you. The Japanese carrier is introducing two new handsets, particularly the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet and an updated Galaxy S3 flagship smartphone.

The two phones are part of NTT DoCoMo’s 2012 winer collection, and will support he network’s Xi LTE service. Both phones will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

To recap specs, the Galaxy Note 2 will ship in November, and comes with a 1.6 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor, 5.5-inch super AMOLED display running at 1280×720 pixel resolution, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front facing camera, NFC and a 3,100 mAh battery.

Meanwhile, the updated Samsung Galaxy s3, called “alpha” is a bit different to the model that NTT DoCoMo is currently selling. The “alpha” model will come with a 1.6 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core CPU and will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, apart from the usual specs.

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This article, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to offer Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and updated Galaxy S3 “Alpha” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


LG Optimus G L-01E up for pre-order from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, to ship October 19

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:38 AM PDT

With rumors about the LG Nexus 4 (aka LG Optimus G Nexus) piling up, some of you might have already forgotten about the original Optimus G we were so excited about just a few weeks back. The 4.7-inch beast was unveiled more than once, but as of now it has yet to see the light of day.

That should change in just a week's time. Japan will be the first market to officially carry the LG Optimus G L-01 E. NTT DoCoMo is already offering the phone on pre-order, with the carrier planning to ship to folks in the land of the rising sun starting October 19.

There's not much to set the Japanese Optimus G apart from the handheld expected to hit AT&T and Sprint, except maybe for the snazzy red coating that accompanies the much more standard black version.

As far as tech specs go, the G L-01 E is ready to bring some quad-core oomph with the new Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, but should also impress with its 4.7-inch True HD IPS LCD display and 13 MP rear-facing camera. The Android 4.0 ICS should be updated "soon" to 4.1 Jelly Bean, while the local touches of originality include DMB tuning, high-speed Xi-LTE and FeLiCa wallet support.

Still no words on when to expect the Optimus G to hit the US and Europe, but do watch this space for updates.

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This article, LG Optimus G L-01E up for pre-order from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, to ship October 19 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


OnLive a bargain at $4.8 million

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:35 AM PDT

OnLive

The cloud gaming service OnLive was in a pretty bad way in the lead up to its acquisition. There were mounting debts heading for the $20 million mark and disappointed investors like HTC were not about to pour more money in. In the end OnLive took a bankruptcy alternative that allowed it to liquidate its assets. In effect there were mass lay-offs and the assets were sold to venture capitalist Gary Lauder for $4.8 million, according to Mercury News.

He was able to set up a new company and hire back some of the former employees. OnLive was able to write-off a lot of debt as a consequence leaving investors and creditors out of pocket, but allowing the company to continue. A statement from the new OnLive has suggested that cash flow was the problem, rather than a flawed business model.

That assertion may prove to be true. Rival service Gaikai was acquired by Sony for $380 million which will make the OnLive deal look like a real bargain if the company can turn things around. The cloud gaming space still has a lot of potential and other companies like CiiNOW are also aiming to bring the latest games to our Android devices.

You have to feel sorry for the early investors, though, and even more so for the creditors who will be looking at around 26 cents on the dollar.

Anyone tried out the OnLive Android app? If you have then post a comment and let us know what you think. Is cloud gaming the future for Android?

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This article, OnLive a bargain at $4.8 million , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Verizon’s 2G and 3G CDMA networks to be phased out by 2021

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:11 AM PDT

Verizon Wireless is giving several years notice that its 2G and 3G CDMA network will be gone by 2021. As more and more people move onto the new 4G LTE networks we'll see more of the old 2G and 3G networks disappearing.

The new LTE network that Verizon is expanding is set to offer the same coverage as the old CDMA network by the end of 2013. Verizon is also making moves to introduce VoLTE which means that voice calls will run on the LTE network (currently just used for mobile data) instead of the CDMA network. This should also lead to a substantial improvement in the quality of calls for Verizon customers.

This is standard practice for carriers as they ramp up support for the latest versions of their networks. AT&T is planning to phase out its 2G GSM network by 2017 and Sprint is turning off iDEN next year. Canadian carrier, Rogers, is looking to support 2G until 2018. T-Mobile stands apart from the crowd with a commitment to maintaining its 2G network indefinitely, although that could change.

The vast majority of customers are on two-year contracts so they'll get plenty of upgrade opportunities and should be shifted onto the 4G LTE network well before the deadline. The real concern is in the M2M or machine-to-machine space where it's common to use the same equipment for longer.

According to FierceWireless Verizon’s vice president of global strategy for M2M, Aparna Khurjekar, said "We are giving a decade worth of pre-warning" but she also promised “several years” of leeway for M2M customers that need it.

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This article, Verizon’s 2G and 3G CDMA networks to be phased out by 2021 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


The stage is set for Samsung Galaxy Note 2’s launch party on October 24 in NYC

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:03 AM PDT

Late last month we learned that Samsung was planning to hold a launch party for the Galaxy Note 2‘s outing in America on October 24 in NYC. As we near the date, the official invitation has finally been sent out to the press.

It's highly expected that Samsung – and its carrier partners – will finally shed some light on the phablet's availability and price.

So far, only T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular have pleased folks who can't wait to get the phone/mini-tablet by announcing that the Galaxy Note 2 will be available soon. Yeah, we're going to need something more specific than that – so hopefully the event will deliver the goods and all the juicy details.

Seeing that several variants of the Galaxy Note 2 have been given the go-ahead by FCC, it's safe to assume that the device will land by the end of the month or at least in early November. We're hoping that it won't be priced more than $199.99 with contract.

How excited are you for the arrival of the Galaxy Note 2? If you're still unsure whether to get the Titanium Gray or the Marble White version, here's our comparison video to help you out.

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This article, The stage is set for Samsung Galaxy Note 2's launch party on October 24 in NYC , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Amazon get FCC approval for Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:40 AM PDT

When Amazon announced its new range of Kindle Fire tablets last month, among them was its first device with mobile broadband. The high-end Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE can connect to AT&T’s 4G network but, since it has support for 10 bands, it can also fallback to the 3G networks as well! The only snag was that at the time of the launch, Amazon didn’t have U.S. Federal Communications Commission approval for the device! Although it could be seen as a foregone conclusion that the device would pass the FCC’s tests, it certainly wasn’t, especially when you consider that this is Amazon’s first device with any kind of cellular technology.

The tablet, which will only be available in the USA, needs FCC approval before it can be sold. The FCC checks all devices that have wireless communications to assure that they operate safely and do not interfere with other radio signals. Most companies seek FCC approval before announcing a product, however the rapid changes and developments in the tablet marketplace probably forced Amazon to go ahead with its announcement before getting the final approval.

You can pre-order the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE now before its official release on  November 20, 2012.

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This article, Amazon get FCC approval for Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Sharp to release a 4.9-inch Android smartphone with Snapdragon S4 Pro and 16MP camera in Japan

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:37 AM PDT

American folks may not be too familiar with Sharp's Android smartphone and tablet lineups, despite the fact that the electronics giant has been manufacturing and marketing them in its home turf since 2010. This means consumers have been missing out on possible gems like the 3D-capable Aquos SH8298U, and the quirky Pantone 5 107SH smartphone that comes with a radiation detector feature.

With no immediate sign of Sharp making its Android phone available outside Japan, it seems we're going to miss the boat once again with the company's latest and most powerful handset to date, the Aquos Xx 203SH, which Japanese carrier Softbank Mobile is planning to release in Q1 2013.

The colorful Sharp Aquos Xx 203SH has a spacious 4.9-inch New Mobile ASV display with HD resolution (1,280 x 720 pixels). Powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, the latest Aquos iteration will have no problem leaving other smartphones in the dust. Other specs of the phone include 2GB of RAM, 32GB onboard storage, microSD support, 16MP rear camera, 1.2 front-facing camera, NFC, and the obligatory TV tuner.

Just like other high-end offerings, the flagship phone will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Is this a phone you'd like to see coming stateside? How about the Disney-themed DM014SH? As for us, we rather looking forward to what Sharp will be able to concoct with its upcoming 1080p 5-inch display and its impressive 443ppi pixel density next year.

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This article, Sharp to release a 4.9-inch Android smartphone with Snapdragon S4 Pro and 16MP camera in Japan , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Apple scores third ‘slide-to-unlock’ patent, now with more slide

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:33 AM PDT

Android users know that "slide-to-unlock" stands for two things in the smart mobile world we live in, a software utility made popular by Apple to unlock the display of the iPhone and then used in different variations by Android device makers for the same purpose on their phones and a patented weapon for Apple to go after the same competitors in courts.

Apple already has two such patents on slide-to-unlock, one granted in 2010 and a second one in 2011 but a third one, U.S. Patent No 8,286,103 was just awarded offering the company another weapon against its Android rivals.

According to The Verge, the new patent is broader than the first two, as it lifts any of the existing limitations in them that would permit competitors to bypass them:

The ’103 patent moves past the limiting language of the first two patents that required that the unlock image move along a predefined path, or that it at least start and stop at predefined locations on the screen. The ’103 patent now broadly covers continuously moving an image to a general unlock region on the screen to unlock the device.

It's clear that Apple is skating to where the puck is going in its patent wars also. Competitors have already found ways to stay clear of the "slide-to-unlock" Apple patent while still using the technology, but now it looks like the iPhone maker could in theory go after them again thanks to the newly issued patent. That's because U.S. patent law allows for such patents to be filed and approved:

While many other countries don’t allow it, a US patent owner can file what is called a “continuation” patent application before a patent issues. These continuations can be used to go after different — usually broader — coverage compared to the original patent, effectively presenting the competition with an ever-moving target for its workarounds.

But at the same time it also means that Apple may have other things in mind for the technology. After all Apple started patenting its iPhone-related tech, and not only, long before using the granted patents against Android OEMs.

Of course, we’ll still wonder whether Apple's next legal moves against Android will include the new '103 "slide-to-unlock" patent. What do you think?

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This article, Apple scores third 'slide-to-unlock' patent, now with more slide , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Updated Google+ app has new home screen widget and more functions for page owners

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:10 AM PDT

Google is continuing to enhance its Google+ social networking service for mobile users by releasing a new version of the native Android app. The updated version allows page owners to view, post and comment from their Android device. Great. But there is a little problem. Unlike the web based version, where you can seamlessly switch from your account to a page and back again, with the Android version you need to sign out and then sign back in again. At the sign in stage you get to choose which account you want to use. Not so cool! So 10 out of 10 Google for new features, but zero out of 10 for implementation.

Other new bits in this release include a resigned Home screen widget and the ability to discover people and topics more easily with the ‘Find people’ option. Tapping on “Find people” presents you with a list of people you may know plus a selection of featured or “interesting” people grouped into different topics like Technology, Politics etc.

Finally, wanting to be nice neighbors and support Google in everything it does, there is also a new version for iOS!

You can download the latest Google+ app from the Play Store.

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This article, Updated Google+ app has new home screen widget and more functions for page owners , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Eric Schmidt would choose Apple to be CEO; Google vs Apple “defining fight” for industry

Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:04 AM PDT

Image Credit: AllThingsD

Eric Schmidt, Google's former CEO and current Chairman, talked to AllThingsD's Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher for an hour on Wednesday evening, sharing his views on Google's current state of affairs but also on the tech world as a whole.

Apple vs Google – the "defining fight"

Apple came up quite a few times during the interview, with Schmidt eyeing it as one of the most important Google competitors, if not the most important one – he sees important rivals in other companies like Amazon and Facebook, but not Microsoft, at least not for now. In fact, looking at the live coverage of the event on AllThingsD we counted how many times each company was mentioned: Apple (18,) Facebook (11,) Amazon (6,) and Microsoft (7). Google was mentioned 24 times.

But the Apple vs Google war is very important for the current state of the mobile wars. And Schmidt doesn't believe Android is winning outright, or at least his statements aren’t paining such a picture yet. He did say that Apple "has thousands of developers building for it," but at the same time that "Android is even larger. Four times more Android phones than Apple phones." In fact, it looks like Google is activating 1.3 million Android devices per day, and that at that rate it will hit 1 billion Android devices in a year.

It's not a secret that while Google holds the market share when it comes to smartphone operating systems, it's actually Apple that has the most profitable mobile endeavor. But Schmidt did say that competition is a factor that will reduce Apple's huge margins on iPhone sales.

As for Google's Android allies, Schmidt did not want to comment on the Apple vs Samsung situation, and specifically the U.S. $1.05 billion defeat to Apple, although it did say that he knows "Samsung is very upset."

The former CEO stayed away of the FTC investigation into Motorola (Google) on standard-essential patent use in such mobile trials, but he did say that he wasn't aware of all the details to offer a more detailed answer, but that it also "gets [him] too upset."

Image Credit: AllThingsD

CEO of Apple, Facebook or Amazon?

As we told you before, Schmidt identified Apple, Facebook and Amazon as the most important Google rivals, because one way or another Google is involved into a variety of projects that compete directly with similar endeavors from these three important tech companies.

When asked directly by the audience about whether he'd choose Apple, Amazon or Facebook if he had to be CEO again, he offered a politically correct answer at first:

I was on Apple's board, and I'll always have a soft spot for them. I was very good friends and very close to Steve Jobs, and we miss him dearly. Jeff Bezos has made remarkable moves. And again, Facebook has a billion users.

But then Mossberg pressed on for an actual answer and Schmidt revealed that he'd choose Apple:

Which one has the most cash? That would be Apple.

This wasn’t the first time Apple's cash was a topic of discussion. When talking about Google's Android strategy – being a product company but also the software providers for its partners – mixed with the company's 'old' ambition to "collect all the world's information," Schmidt revealed that Google still wants to be "in the center of the information revolution." He added that "the world doesn't need more copycat products; it needs innovative products." Where does Apple's cash come into this mix? Well he did say that Apple "has the cash, people and scale to do what Google is trying to do," but that he wasn't "sure about Facebook and Amazon."

Of course, Schmidt isn't going anywhere, at least not for a while, not to mention that the CEO spot at Apple is already taken by Tim Cook, and as long the company stays profitable and the stock goes up, he's not going to go anywhere either.

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This article, Eric Schmidt would choose Apple to be CEO; Google vs Apple "defining fight" for industry , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Android and Me

Android and Me


HTC steps out of the tablet business, will continue to watch the market very closely

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Android fans holding out for a new Android tablet from HTC will be disappointed to hear that the company does not have plans to release any tablets in the near future. While talking about HTC’s tablet strategy, Jeff Gordon, HTC’s global online communications manager said ”It was a...

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French newspaper claims the LG Nexus 4 will launch on October 29th

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:04 AM PDT

Nexus leaks and hype is at an all time high, but everything is still just rumors and speculation until Google makes the official announcement. Today French newspaper Le Figaro claims the LG Nexus will launch on October 29th. A trusted source told us the next Nexus would be revealed this month and...

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LG Nexus gets benchmarked

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 09:47 AM PDT

Want to see some benchmark scores from the LG Nexus? The guy with the LG prototype ran the device through AnTuTu and Quadrant, then uploaded some pics of the results. We can see that the device scored 9270 in AnTuTu and 4207 in Quadrant, which is lower than scores from the [...]

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Top 10 Android game releases this week: Wild Blood, Chaos Rings, NFL Pro 2013

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 09:10 AM PDT

This week we are taking another break from our Android Gaming Weekly recap and just focusing on new releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we are playing, but this new column is just dedicated to new games you can install and start playing right now. Check out our top picks...

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LG’s Nexus could launch as the Nexus 4, with multiple colors

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:57 AM PDT

Most of the details surrounding the next Nexus have already leaked, but we are still unsure of the final product name and launch plan. This morning The Verge reports that the device could launch as the “Nexus 4″, according to a leak from UK retailer Carphone Warehouse. If their...

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Samsung to announce the Galaxy S III Mini tomorrow, leaked specs suggest an underwhelming device

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:30 AM PDT

While rumors of the LG Nexus seem to be getting all the attention these days, Samsung hopes to make a big splash tomorrow with the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. The event is schedule to take place on October 11th in Frankfurt, Germany. According to Samsung Mobile’s JK Shin,...

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