Android Authority

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• Zynga in trouble with mass layoffs and studio closures
• Amazon opens Kindle Store in Japan, also brings Kindle Paperwhite, Fire and Fire HD
• Nokia launches Windows Phone based Lumia 510 for those on a budget
• LG Q3 2012 financial results: 14 million phones shipped, how many run Android?
• Google Drive apps rebranded to Docs, Sheets and Slides. Now available on Chrome web store
• 8GB Nexus 7 now listed as “coming soon” in Play Store
• Samsung under investigation regarding use of FRAND patents against Apple
• LG Optimus G will have a locked bootloader after all
• Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2 X and Galaxy Note Jelly Bean updates coming soon to Telus subscribers
• Dead Trigger Halloween-themed update hinted at by Madfinger Games through image teaser

Zynga in trouble with mass layoffs and studio closures Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:30 AM PDT Game developer and publisher, Zynga, looks to be in serious trouble as CEO, Mark Pincus, reveals plans to shut down studios in Boston, the UK, and Japan. The firm is also “sunsetting” 13 games and laying off over 100 staff at its Austin studio. The remaining workforce will be cut by 5 percent. The company will also be scaling back support for The Ville which is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with EA. Industry giant EA feels the game is a little too close to its The Sims Social release. After a meteoric rise based on an incredibly fast-growing player base, Zynga has been in decline for a while now as its stock price has been on the slide. It also spent $200 million to acquire developer OMGPOP based on the success of Draw Something and that's now looking like a very expensive acquisition. Many people will feel this is karma of some kind. Zynga has been strongly criticized in the past for cloning rival's games, spamming people with notifications, and generally chasing profit rather than seeking to turn out great games. Whether you believe that or not Zynga had certainly been working to reverse that impression and hired some well-respected industry veterans over the last couple of years. The company has released a number of successful games on the Android platform including Words with Friends, Zombie Smash, Zynga Poker, and Horn, but it is best known for Facebook games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars. Has Zynga failed with a strategy of copying and buying its way to success or did it simply expand too fast? There's no suggestion that its San Francisco headquarters is in any danger and it has a roster of successful games still out there so this is far from the end of Zynga. Related Posts No related posts.

Amazon opens Kindle Store in Japan, also brings Kindle Paperwhite, Fire and Fire HD Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:28 AM PDT We don't know if the timing has anything to do with Apple's iPad mini unveiling, but Amazon is finally making headway with its new e-book reader and tablets in the key market of Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun will get the Paperwhite and two Kindle Fires starting next month, while Amazon's Kindle Store will open tomorrow, on October 25. The virtual bookstore available at Amazon.co.jp will offer a large selection of "the most popular books", including over 50,000 Japanese-language Kindle books, but also over 15,000 manga titles. Among these, there'll be 10,000 free Japanese books and an undisclosed number of free manga titles for starters, although the selection should grow significantly over the next few months. There'll be of course additional "best sellers" available in English and other languages, so the store will actually offer over one million titles upon launch. That's not too shabby, although Amazon will still need to make a push to challenge the likes of Kobo and Sony, whose freshly released bookstores have over 65,000 Japanese books to offer each. As for devices, Amazon hasn't brought its entire line of e-book readers and tablets in Japan, but for a beginning, even one delayed several times, things are looking decent. The new Paperwhite e-reader is up for pre-order and will start shipping before its more high-end "cousins", on November 19. Japanese e-book lovers will have to cough up ¥8,480 for the 6-incher, which would translate into around $106 based on today's exchange rates. That's less than Americans have to pay for the gadget, but it's a tad higher than Kobo Touch's ¥7,980 price. Kobo's e-reader will most definitely be a worthy opponent for the Paperwhite, which is why the new e-reader is so cheap. The 3G version of the Paperwhite is also up for pre-order over in Japan for ¥12,980 (around $162), but it will only start shipping on December 2. The 7-inch Kindle Fire and Fire HD will come even later, on December 19, but you can pre-order them for some pretty lucrative prices. The 8 GB Fire is only ¥12,800 ($160), the 16 GB Fire HD is ¥15,800 ($197), while the 32 GB Fire HD goes for ¥19,800 ($247). Not bad, not bad at all! Now all Amazon has to do is keep its promise of launching the Appstore in Japan by the end of the year, and nobody will have any more complaining to do in that part of the world.       Related Posts What’s wrong with the Kindle Paperwhite? Amazon explains Kindle Paperwhite is official, and it looks amazing Watch the full Amazon Kindle Fire event here

Nokia launches Windows Phone based Lumia 510 for those on a budget Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:50 AM PDT Although Nokia has released details of its upcoming Windows Phone 8 smartphones, it is still releasing phones based on the older version of Windows Phone. In this case, the just launched Lumia 510 runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. The new Lumia 510 is aimed at the low-end of the smartphone market and really isn’t going to be a threat to anything that Samsung, HTC or Sony are shipping. The entry-level smartphone does have one thing going for it though, it features a 4-inch display which was unexpected as the Lumia 610 and Lumia 710 both have 3.7-inch displays. All three phones have a screen resolution of 800 by 480 pixels. However, besides the display the phone is definitely low-end. There is no front facing camera and the rear camera, although 5 megapixels, has no flash and can only record video in 640 x 480. It is powered by an aging 800MHz  Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, has 256MB RAM and provides only 4GB of non-expandable storage – no memory card slot here. But don’t worry about the lack of storage, processor power or video capabilities as the Lumia 510 comes in five vivid colors, which according to Nokia, makes “for a fun and personal way to enjoy Windows Phone.” We all know that Nokia are losing money and market share, and I do feel a lot of sympathy for them, before the smartphone revolution, all the phones in our house were Nokia. When the company jumped off its burning deck at the beginning of 2011 it teamed up with Microsoft to use the Windows Phone OS and Nokia are now stuck with it. The release announcement almost sounds desperate when it says “people who use Windows Phone quickly realize how much more intuitive it is than other smartphone platforms.” Sadly if that was true these “people” would be buying them by the truck load. And almost to make matters worse it points out that “Windows Phone is different to other smartphone platforms thanks to Live Tiles.”  I won’t comment on that one! However, this is an entry-level smartphone and it isn’t designed for the North American or European markets. The Nokia Lumia 510 will be available in November starting with India and China, and followed closely by other Asia-Pacific countries and South America. Nokia estimates the retail price will be around USD 199, excluding taxes and subsidies. Related Posts Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 handsets official – what you need to know Nokia's slump continues with $1.27 billion quarterly loss, hopes Lumia 920 will turn things around Is Nokia's $99 Lumia 900 a threat to Android?

LG Q3 2012 financial results: 14 million phones shipped, how many run Android? Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:13 AM PDT LG has just posted their Q3 2012 financial results. The mobile phone division is what we care about, so here are the numbers you need to know: 14 million phones shipped, that’s up 9% from the previous quarter. Profits hit $19.42 million. Should we be happy with these figures? Let’s start by stating the obvious, the Samsung Galaxy S III alone managed to hit 10 million sales after just 2 months on the market. It took a little over a month after that to rack up another 10 million sales, so we’re at 20 million units as of this summer. LG’s 14 million, by comparison, isn’t very impressive. The more important question: How many smartphones did LG ship during the quarter? When LG reported their financial results in Q2 2012, their press release said: “Smartphone shipments rose to 44 percent of unit sales, up from 36 percent the previous quarter.” Let’s do the math. LG shipped 13.1 million phones in Q2 2012. If 44% of them were “smart”, then that’s just 5.76 million smartphones. Let’s be incredibly generous and assume 55% of LG’s Q3 2012 phones shipments were smartphones. That’s 7.7 million handsets running Android. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? We’re very curious to know why LG stopped disclosing smartphone shipment numbers all of a sudden. Samsung stopped disclosing their shipment numbers over a year ago, so it’s not like they’re any better. But still, we can’t help but be upset that there are literally zero Android handset makers saying how many Android devices they’ve shipped during any given quarter. The flagship devices get all the attention, but what about the rest of the portfolio? Samsung is going to report their Q3 2012 financial results on the 26th. They’ll probably say how many Galaxy S III units they’ve shipped since launching the device back in late May. They might even say how many Galaxy Note II shipments they’ve made since the beginning of this month. But don’t expect to hear them say how many phones they shipped. Update: According to an article from the Associated Press, LG “sold more than 7 million smartphones” during Q3 2012. The AP is just about the most bullet proof source of information you can get. We wonder why LG didn’t disclose that 7 million figure in their press release or in their financial results PDF. Related Posts ARM Q3 2012 financial results: More smartphones sold means more profits Motorola Shipped 4.8 Million Smartphones and 100,000 Xoom’s in Q3 & Made More Money Forecast: Samsung to break profit records once again, may have shipped 50 million phones during Q2

Google Drive apps rebranded to Docs, Sheets and Slides. Now available on Chrome web store Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:23 PM PDT Cloud computing is an increasingly popular means of doing work. With major companies offering their own online office suites, professionals and even casual users are given more options in accessing their data and documents, whether on desktop computers, notebooks, tablets, smartphones and other devices. Google Docs, being one of the more popular cloud-based office suites available, is constantly updating. Google’s latest update is quite minor, but could have a big impact in terms of branding. From Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations, these apps are now renamed to Docs, Sheets and Slides. These apps are now available for download from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you get easy shortcuts to the apps whenever you open a new tab on Google Chrome. Wait, there’s more. Chromebook users will be happy to know that these handy app shortcuts will also be available on your local directory upon install. Google Drive launched earlier this year, promising support for at least 30 file formats. Google offers its services for both consumer and enterprise clients, which means they’re geared to take over what has been traditionally the forte of Microsoft and its Office suite — which is now incidentally going online, too, with Office 365. This Google Drive update may be a minor functionality, but hints at an increasingly bigger role the cloud plays in office and productivity apps. Related Posts Google Drive launched, 5GB free, replaces Google Docs Updated Google Drive SDK brings closer integration of third-party apps Google buys QuickOffice to enhance Google Docs on mobile devices

8GB Nexus 7 now listed as “coming soon” in Play Store Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:07 PM PDT Sometime today, the 8GB Nexus 7 went from “In Stock” to “Coming Soon” in the Google Play Store. Could this mean that the 32GB Nexus 7 is on the way, or could it just be a lot of people who decided to buy the Nexus 7 when they saw how much even the cheapest iPad Mini would cost? With the 32GB Nexus 7 expected to be announced at the Android event on October 29, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google drop the price of the 16GB Nexus 7 and remove the 8GB version entirely. Of course, until the event actually happens, nothing is certain, even if we have a pretty good idea of what we’ll see unveiled at the event. With a Nexus 10, the LG Nexus 4 and a 32GB, 3G version of the Nexus 7 all possible or even likely to be unveiled this month, we’re unsure of what the future of the 8GB Nexus 7 might be. One thing is for sure, though: right now, you can’t buy it through the Google Play Store. Do you think the 8GB Nexus 7 will return to the Play Store? Or do you think the 16GB Nexus 7 will replace it when the 32GB version is released? Related Posts No related posts.

Samsung under investigation regarding use of FRAND patents against Apple Posted: 23 Oct 2012 04:44 PM PDT It seems that it’s impossible to go a week without something washing up in the wake of Apple vs Samsung. This time, the United States Department of Justice is investigating Samsung for possible abuse of its standard-essential (or FRAND) patents. The Statement A statement filed  by Apple with the International Trade Commission, filed yesterday and entered into the public record today, states that “the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the manner in which Samsung has used–or misused–its declared-essential patents.” If this sounds especially familiar, it could be due to the story that we ran last week about Google considering a settlement in the antitrust case that the FTC been building against them. In that case, Google claimed that many of its competitors, including Apple, had acted the same way: pursuing litigation right away without trying to licence their patents first. With Apple and Samsung at each other’s throats, it’s easy to see why Apple would claim this, but the question at hand is whether there is anything to back it up. Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents says “I have no doubt that Apple’s representation is accurate because Apple would otherwise risk major problems with the ITC and the DoJ.”  He mentions a Bloomberg article from June 30 where an unidentified source states that “U.S. antitrust regulators have agreed the FTC will focus on Motorola Mobility and the Justice Department will scrutinize Samsung Electronics Co.’s handling of industry-standard patent claims.” There is no doubt that Apple is trying to get government authorities to investigate Samsung. This most recent incident and the investigation Apple got opened into Samsung in Korea show that the Cupertino company is doing everything in its power to get governments to do a large portion of the work against Samsung that they might have to do themselves otherwise. Samsung Fires Back Samsung, of course, is not taking this action laying down. The company filed a public interest statement yesterday, stating that it made a FRAND offer and that its 2.4 percent royalty demand is fair. While this may not seem like much, University of Iowa College of Law Professor Herbert J. Hovenkamp wrote in a paper earlier this month that “Permitting the owner of a FRAND-encumbered patent to have an injunction against someone willing to pay FRAND royalties is tantamount to making the patent holder the dictator of the royalties.” Do you think that either Samsung or Apple are in the right here? Are they both just companies that, like so many these days, seem to have gone crazy for patents? Related Posts Apple countersues HTC in Virginia for abuse of 4G LTE FRAND patents Google (Motorola) forced to accept FRAND patent license to Apple in Germany Apple gets antitrust investigation opened against Samsung in Korea

LG Optimus G will have a locked bootloader after all Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:48 PM PDT Looking forward to the LG Optimus G? If so, we have a bit of potentially bad news for you. An LG representative has now confirmed that the Optimus G will not have an unlocked bootloader. Is this confirmation all doom and gloom? It is hard to say. Sometimes developers can find a workaround that makes flashing custom ROMs and other tweaks possible, but it certainly isn’t as easy as it would be if an unlocked bootloader was present. Even if the developer community figures out a way around the locked bootloader, that’s not really the point. Part of the lure of Android is that it is an open operating system and we aren’t forced into a restrictive ecosystem that tells us what we can and can’t do with our phones. A locked bootloader kind of defeats the purpose here. In the past, LG was generally pretty open with their Android devices, but their most recent efforts show a very clear change in direction for the company. What do you think, does this turn you off from buying the Optimus G or not? Related Posts No related posts.

Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2 X and Galaxy Note Jelly Bean updates coming soon to Telus subscribers Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:39 PM PDT The Jelly Bean rollout continues and we have some news – not necessarily good but it's not bad either – for Telus subscribers in Canada that happen to own a Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2 X or Galaxy Note. According to a Telus PDF document dated October 17, these three devices are set to receive the Android 4.1 update at some point in the near future, with the Galaxy S3 kicking things off in late November, with the Galaxy S2 X and the Galaxy Note getting the upgrade in late December. Yes, you still have to wait for Jelly Bean to roll out, which isn't that great considering that at least the Galaxy S3 is already rocking Android 4.1 in several countries. But at least these three devices are going to be upgraded to Google's latest Android version – of course, at the time the upgrade will hit, Android 4.2 will be the latest Android version that you'll want to run on your handset or tablet. The same document reveals that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 was supposed to receive Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich a couple of days ago – so hopefully you got it already if you own the tablet. But a Jelly Bean upgrade for this Samsung tablet isn't available at this time. In fact, the document doesn't mention any other Android devices from other OEMs, so you're out of luck if you're waiting for Jelly Bean to come to a non-Samsung gadget. Related Posts Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean update rolling out in November, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 getting it in Q4 Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean coming on August 29 alongside Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update coming in Q3/Q4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.1 upgrades to follow

Dead Trigger Halloween-themed update hinted at by Madfinger Games through image teaser Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:06 PM PDT With Halloween just around the corner, game developers are releasing themed updates that go with the season. For one, survival horror first-person shooter Dead Trigger is getting a Halloween-themed update in time for October 31. Madfinger Games has released a teaser by way of its Facebook page. But what will this new update feature? Madfinger has gone the quiet route on this one, so we don’t actually have much information on what will be in store for us. On its teaser graphic, though, we see what appears to be a graveyard accompanied by a small horde of zombies with pumpkins for heads and a couple dozen bats swarming about. Dead Trigger previously received an Olympic-themed update, which came with a new arena and re-skinned zombies bearing Olympic-themed clothing. Notably, this update was offered for free, meaning the Halloween update may also come with no purchase required, should Madfinger opt to follow tradition. Other than that, we are left clueless as to what the people behind Dead Trigger have in store for us, but we will be sure to keep you posted on any news released on the upcoming update. What do you think will feature in the new update? Let us know in the comments! Related Posts No related posts.

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Android Phone Fans

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• AT&T HTC One X Rooted On 2.20 Firmware
• 8GB Nexus 7 No Longer In The Play Store, Possibly Never To Return
• Sh*t Android fans say [VIDEO]
• Was this photo taken with a Sony Odin C6503?
• Best Buy outs LG Spectrum 2 before Verizon does
• Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD Review
• iPad Mini vs Nexus 7
• Artist proves Galaxy Note 2 is as nice as a Wacom tablet and Photoshop [VIDEO]
• USPTO invalidates Apple’s “rubber-band” patent for the moment
• AT&T Galaxy Note 2 coming November 9th for $300
• Android Overload: Faked 5-Inch Sony Odin Pictured In The Wild, Next Version of Google Wallet Coming Soon, and More

AT&T HTC One X Rooted On 2.20 Firmware Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:26 PM PDT Oh, happy day, HTC One X users on AT&T. Root has finally been achieved on the device, and the instructions are actually relatively simple. Those of you lusting over all the ROM development brewing for the AT&T One X were no doubt cursing the stars after updating to the latest 2.20 firmware. Aside from the usual bugfixes that typically come with an OTA (over-the-air) update, handset manufacturers usually take the opportunity to patch up root exploits, keeping bootloaders locked up tight (as per the instructions from carriers), and kept custom ROMs out of the question. This is exactly what happened on the latest 2.20 update, but it didn’t last long. Last night, XDA member djrbliss discovered an exploit that, not only allowed him to gain super user permissions on the AT&T One X, but also crack open that prudish bootloader as well. The process involves gaining temporary root, and then using HTC’s own bootloader unlock tool to finally gain permanent root, where you can then flash custom recoveries and/or ROMs. With a Jelly Bean update coming down the pipeline, there’s no telling for how long this root method will work, but tis the cat and mouse game Android modders and the OEM’s play. [XDA | Via Reddit]

8GB Nexus 7 No Longer In The Play Store, Possibly Never To Return Posted: 23 Oct 2012 04:11 PM PDT If you jumped onto the Play Store today looking to pick up an 8GB version of the tab in time for the holidays, you may have noticed the $200 8GB has been completely sold out, listed as “coming soon.” So what gives? Well, there have been whisperings that Google could have plans to completely phase out the 8GB version of the Nexus 7, in favor of offering the 16GB models for the exact same price. Google’s expected to announce the news on Monday at their Android event in New York, along with a beefier 32GB model carrying the same price point as the 16GB. Are things starting to make a little more sense now? As many early adopters of Google’s flagship 7-inch tablet have found out, the measly 8GB of storage offered in the lowest-end model of the Nexus 7 fills up quick. Throw a couple of Tegra 3 optimized titles on that puppy, and you’ve got only a handful of games that can be stored on the tablet with little to no room for your budding HD kitty video collection. Couple that with the Nexus 7′s lack of memory expandability, and you have yourself a severely handicapped little tablet. With today’s announcement of the iPad Mini, we’re hoping Google has a little more up their sleeves than just storage space if they want to keep a strong competitive edge against Apple’s finest. We’re also expecting a new 3G model for the Nexus 7, as well as a speedy update to the unannounced Android 4.2 (still Jelly Bean) and possibly a 10-inch Nexus 10 tablet. Make sure to stay tuned as Phandroid will be reporting live from the event, bringing you the latest as it goes down.What do you guys hope Google will announce? [Play Store]

Sh*t Android fans say [VIDEO] Posted: 23 Oct 2012 03:22 PM PDT A stampede of “sh*t X people say” videos has been flooding YouTube lately. These are usually spot-on in a very comical way, even though they can be a bit over over-exaggerated. We have seen videos of “sh*t Mexicans say”, “sh*t photographers say” and “sh*t your mom says” (literally). More recently we even saw a “sh*t Apple fans say” video; but as much as we love to make fun of Apple “fanboys”, we can get caught being just as silly sometimes. Seeing the Apple-centric video made me wonder why there are no “sh*t Android fans say” videos. Surely, they would be a hit, right? Well, now we have one! The guys from MobilePhoneFinder have put it together and it is hillarious… and so right. I know I can definitely be quoted on some of these comments – we are sure many of you can be, too! (Don’t even try to hide it!) So sit back, chill out and enjoy the video as we struggle to get past this never-ending war between operating systems! How spot-on are these guys? Have you ever stated these arguments? Sh*t Apple Fans Say And if you haven’t seen the “sh*t Apple fanatics say” video, you definitely have to. Get ready, because you are about to have a blast!

Was this photo taken with a Sony Odin C6503? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 03:11 PM PDT In a string of “man, this is getting old” news, a shot of the Sony Odin C650X was faked. Everyone reported on it until the Photoshop experts claimed it was, yet again, a hoax. Well, here’s something that might not be fake — a photo that was said to be taken with one Sony C6503. This is one variant of the Odin that may be headed to Asia, and if this EXIF data is to be believed then this is even more proof it exists. While the photo has since been removed from Picasa (we can’t even find a link to the old listing) the photo was posted to Polish site SmartFan.Pl, and taking it for a spin through several independent EXIF viewers show that it does, in fact, have the same 13 megapixel sensor that the Odin has been rumored to have all along. The camera sensor seems to have a max aperture of 2.0, and this photo was taken with 400 ISO and 1/8 shutter speed. It sounds like a standard affair for Sony’s smartphone sensors so there’s nothing too surprising there. And other than the date the photo was taken — yesterday, if you care — there’s not much else to go on here. It would have been nice to see the capabilities of this sensor in natural daylight situations but we can’t have our cake and eat it, too. And should this even turn out to be real we’re lucky to be able to get our eyes on something — anything — that will reaffirm our faith in its existence. As it stands, though, we’re just scratching the surface of what’s shaping up to be a very impressive offering by Sony. It’s slated to be a 5 inch 1080p superphone that should knock our socks off when it’s unveiled, but who knows how long it’ll take before we’re treated to such a beast. Take a quick gander at the photo above.

Best Buy outs LG Spectrum 2 before Verizon does Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:16 PM PDT We’ve been waiting on the LG Spectrum 2 for a while. Verizon might have the Optimus Vu dangling in front of those who like phablets but there’s still a market for this particular device. It appears we’re as close to an announcement as we’re going to get as details of the phone have been outed by an unlikely hero. It wasn’t a shadowy tipster or some fairy godmother of smartphone information. Nope, instead it was Best Buy that put what would appear to be the first glimmer of official information we’re going to get ahead of Verizon’s official unveiling. Best Buy’s listing confirms a number of specs, including a 4.7 inch 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, Ice Cream Sandwich, an 8 megapixel HD rear camera with a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 4G LTE and more. The retailer even gives us an off-contract price to look forward to — just $650 if you want to walk away without a two-year commitment. Many of you will opt for the two-year deal, but pricing for such a deal would most likely be around that $200 mark if other recent Verizon devices are anything to go by. LG’s Spectrum 2 is yet another device in a long string of them that the OEM hopes will help them reestablish some decent ground in the smartphone market. LG seemed all but ousted from the game following a line of uninspired and unreliable models in 2011, but the advent of the LG Optimus G, LG Optimus Vu, and the Spectrum 2 look to breathe life into its lineup. As for official word from Verizon we wouldn’t be surprised to hear them announce details within the week, though perhaps it being up on Best Buy this early was just a mistake. We’ll just have to wait and see. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD Review Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:42 PM PDT Back in February, Huawei surprised us at Mobile World Congress with the unveiling of their MediaPad 10 FHD. It wasn’t the fact that the Chinese company produced a tablet that had us doing a double-take. Rather, it was its unexpected compliment of top-notch hardware and design, including a quad-core CPU developed in-house by Huawei and a 1080p display. Months later, we have jumped at the chance to finally get a closer look at Huawei’s biggest tablet triumph to date, but does it live up to the hype? Read on to find out. Hardware As we have already mentioned, the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD features a pretty impressive list of specs. But that’s not the first thing you notice about this tablet. The first thing you notice is it’s slim 8.8mm frame and all around solid design. It’s time we stop thinking about Huawei as a maker of budget-friendly devices, because there is nothing apparently cheap about the construction of the MediaPad 10 FHD. The back of the slate is comprised mostly of a thin metal with a smaller plastic strip housing the 8MP camera and dual-LED flash. The two-tone design of the non-removable back panel is a nice touch. There are stereo speakers here, which serve to reproduce the Dolby 5.1 surround sound technology built into the tablet (Side note: in the above video I had the 8MP camera on the mind when I mistakenly said the device featured an 8mm headphone jack. It’s the standard 3.5mm jack). But enough about speakers and two-tone back panels, that’s hardly the best that the MediaPad 10 has to offer. Power it up and you are greeted with the tab’s 10.1-inch FHD IPS display rated with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, or more than enough to reproduce 1080p quality video and graphics. Powering the slate is a Cortex-A9 quad-core CPU clocked at 1.4GHz. The silicon was developed by Huawei and is the same chipset found within their Ascend D Quad smartphone. Other features include a 1.3MP front-facing camera capable of 720p video capture, an SD card slot, and a non-removable 6600mAh battery. Standard connectivity includes Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, but the tablet is also available with LTE and HSPA+ connectivity. All things considered, the hardware didn’t disappoint. The MediaPad 10 FHD has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the big boys, the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Transformer Pad Infinity, on paper, and it certainly holds its own in real life trials. Software The MediaPad 10 FHD ships with Ice Cream Sandwich, and what you get is a barebones Android 4.0.4 device. As such, you get everything you expect from the OS (Holo UI, multi-tasking drawer, Face Unlock, etc.). Combined with the powerful hardware of the tablet, you get a smooth and clean Android experience without the bells and whistles. If you like said bells and whistles with your Android device, you might be a bit disappointed. There are some minor customizations throughout, mainly visual in nature with some tweaks to icons and the appearance of folders on the homescreens. Huawei also adds in quick toggles for things like WiFi, Bluetooth, and screen brightness directly in the notifications drawer and brings in a full host of custom options for the camera, which we will go into later. You still have access to Google’s full suite of apps as well as their selection of resizable, interactive widgets for things like GMail, books, and photos. On top of this, Huawei has included a few apps of their own like Kingsoft Office and Foxit Reader. Oddly, the application drawer has been replaced with a “+” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This provides access to widgets but not a master list of applications. Because of this, all downloaded apps must find a place on one of several homescreens (luckily you can add more if need be). Some might find issue that the tablet is launching with a version of Android that can now be considered outdated, if only because Google launched a newer version of their OS less than a year after the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich. We haven’t heard from Huawei if the company plans to update the MediaPad 10 FHD to Jelly Bean, but there is a good chance the tablet will receive the new build in the future. Web Browsing, Games, and Media The title of this section mentions several reasons why you might be looking for a tablet, but really they serve as an excuse to talk about the MediaPad 10 FHD’s brilliant display. Surfing the web, playing console-quality games, and viewing HD video and photos is a delight thanks to the high-resolution IPS display featured on the tablet. The 10.1 inches of screen real estate make rendering desktop versions of websites a breeze and you would be hard pressed to find a tablet that reproduces high-quality media files better than the this one. How about HD YouTube videos? Those look great, as well. Perhaps that’s why it earned the title MediaPad…hmmm. Included with the tablet is RipTide, a jetski racing game that was being demoed on the slate back at MWC. The full-3D graphics are handled with ease by Huawei’s latest slate, but we’re sure this thing could be pushed even further. With or without the 1080p display, the MediaPad makes a great device for just about anything you throw at it. But with that display it’s all the better. Camera The title of this section names one reason upon which you probably won’t want to base your tablet buying decision, as the MediaPad 10 FHD is not the tablet to convince us it’s ok to be the fool snapping off photos with a 10.1-inch device. Still, its 8MP sensor is capable of full HD video and does a serviceable job capturing photos, though the results were by no means remarkable. Photos lacked a certain crispness you might expect from the better phone cameras out there, and colors were muted. We’ll give Huawei credit for adding to the camera experience with several filters and effects to give you a little more bang for your buck, but the novelty fades rather quickly. Similar parameters are available for video mode, but again they don’t add much lasting value. HD video suffers from similar drawback as still photos. Conclusion The Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD is a solid tablet that lives up to its name (and spec sheet). Video, games, and web browsing look great on the 1080p display and the quad-core CPU handles all with care. Users looking for the latest and greatest might be disappointed with the tablet’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but a lack of Jelly Bean is no reason to snub the MediaPad 10. The tablet makes a great dark horse candidate as an alternative to the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Transformer Pad series.

iPad Mini vs Nexus 7 Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:01 PM PDT Apple has just announced the new iPad Mini, a smaller 7.9-inch iPad priced starting at $329 for the lowest WiFi model. Of course, with a more affordable iPad there is only one question to be answered – will it beat the Android competition? Like all other Apple products there is no doubt this little guy will sell, and probably sell unlike any other iPad to date. It is Apple, after all, and people will go for the brand, but is it really a better deal? Apple is getting very competitive and has decided to compare the iPad Mini to the Nexus 7 in its own keynote announcement, but let’s jump in and see it from an objective point of view. After selling 100 million iPads since the line’s debut in 2010, the iPad mini walks in sporting a 7.9 inch IPS display with 1024×768 resolution, Apple’s A5 processor, 16-64GB of internal storage, and more. It may not be as affordable as the almighty Nexus 7, but it has its lures. It is very thin and portable at 7.2 mm thick and 308 grams light, and will offer the speed and smoothness from iOS 6. But let’s take a look at more of the main key differences: As you can see from the chart above, the iPad Mini is no bad contender, but it is lacking a few things. An obvious one is NFC. Apple’s known to take the wait and see approach so we weren’t necessarily surprised to see it absent as it was in the iPhone 5. It has the same resolution as the iPad 2 (1024×768), but that is not quite Retina Display. Heck, it’s not even quite HD ala the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7. You’re getting higher pixel density over the iPad 2, of course, but it won’t best the Nexus 7. It also boasts 10 hours of battery life (the Nexus 7 doesn’t do bad at all in this category) and a 5 megapixel iSight HD camera with a front-facing FaceTime camera opposed to the Nexus 7′s 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. Compared to its big brother iPad, which is now in its 4th generation with an HD FaceTime camera and an A6X processor, it doesn’t seem to be much more than a smaller version without as fast of a processor. But Apple’s looking to attack a sector of the market that they feel the Nexus 7 and even Amazon’s Kindle Fire simply won’t be able to match them in. You see, the Apple brand will always be the Apple brand. People will forever be enthralled by its products no matter what you say, and even at a starting price of $500 the iPad has dominated the market. Imagine those folks who’ve always wanted an iPad but the tablet was just too rich for their blood — suddenly things get a little worrisome for Google and Amazon, don’t they? Paying $329 instead of $500 to be able to say you have an iPad will be huge for many people, and the can of worms Apple’s opened up might just be the hardest outbreak to contain in the tablet space yet. We’re not saying the sky is falling below the point of no return, but Apple will no doubt be able to secure a huge chunk of market share with this device, and it’s going to be much harder for the competition to win it back than it was for smartphones. Did Apple ruin the chances of any OEMs reaching mainstream success in the tablet market or do you think there’s still a chance for the likes of Samsung, Amazon, and Google’s Nexus line to band together and take down the army that has become this coalition of iPads? Be sure to leave a vote in the poll and make your way to the comments section for further healthy discussion! Edgar Cervantes and Christopher Chavez contributed to this article.

Artist proves Galaxy Note 2 is as nice as a Wacom tablet and Photoshop [VIDEO] Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:03 AM PDT Many of us will be perfectly fine drawing out words, formulas, and basic shapes when using the S Pen on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 2. But one artist has set out to remind folks that the Note 2 is more than just a great note-taking tool — it can be a  powerful tool to drive your creative juices. Artist Geremy Arene used the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to draw a portrait of a character from Twilight, and he let us sit in on all 2.5 hours of it (though it’s time-lapsed to about 10 minutes, of course). The result is a very detailed portrait that could pass off as something done with a high quality Wacom tablet in the desktop version of Photoshop. Geremy didn’t even use Photoshop for these pieces, though — it was Sketchbook Mobile that gave him the results you see above. We’re not sure if this was for any specific reason, though it’s worthy to note (hehe) that Samsung and Sketchbook have partnered up to provide creative tools on the Note devices, and the app is likely more optimized for the Wacom digitized display and stylus that the Note 2 features. An interesting interview with Geremy took place at Phonandroid. For starters, he says his desire to do digital paintings on these mobile devices has been around for a long time, but limitations have kept him from going with these solutions full time. He determined HTC’s Flyer simply wasn’t ready for what he wanted to do with such a device (and believe you me, it wasn’t), and while the original Galaxy Note was a stark improvement over that the stylus and display still weren’t up to the standards he required. All of that has been rectified with the Note 2 and Note 10.1, though. The Wacom digitizer embedded in the display technology surely helps, as does the newly-improved S-Pen with its ballpoint-like tip and 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Suddenly, hundreds of designers are salivating profusely. While I could never claim such artistic prowess seeing Geremy’s work come to life on a 5.5 inch smartphone excites the bejewels out of me, so I know you designers are doing a double take on this one. Watch the time-lapsed video above, and see pieces from Geremy via the Galaxy Note 2 above and below (and be sure to stay on the lookout for our review of the device in the coming days!)

USPTO invalidates Apple’s “rubber-band” patent for the moment Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:18 AM PDT Apple and Samsung have been battling atop the smartphone mountain for a very long time, and it seems Samsung’s light-saber has gotten itself a very nice modification. One of the biggest patents Apple had in its repertoire to gain a victory over Samsung that would see the latter paying over $1 billion in fees and damages is the “rubber-banding” patent. This patent described the function in a smartphone that would make a list “bounce” back when you try and scroll past the end of it. It’s something Samsung has done since the Galaxy S, and it looks like the OEM could end up in the clear in regards to that one. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has tentatively invalidated the patent (which is patent #7,469,381) and it would appear Samsung will make no delay in acting on this news. Specifically, claim 19 was considered to be invalid on two separate counts of prior art. Apple will need to produce a case for themselves showing that the functions described in the patent weren’t already implemented and in use in other products before the patent was granted. As you’d expect, Samsung has already notified Judge Koh of the USPTO’s decision, and pending a reversal of today’s actions it could have major implications on the final $1 billion ruling Samsung was dreading to pay. In fact, it’s believed that this patent added to the damages more than any other claim Apple made. That’s not to say Samsung’s damages are going to be reduced to mere pocket change should Apple fail to provide the USPTO with proper evidence (and this may not even make much of a difference at all), but we’d have a hard time believing this doesn’t change the landscape of this case a little bit. Be sure to remember that as of the time of this writing this patent does not affect more recent Samsung devices either way. The rubber-banding functionality has been removed from its smartphones in favor of the standard Android “glow” that occurs when you hit the end of a list or page. And even if Samsung would be allowed to implement this feature following a ruling that Apple’s patent is invalid in this case I think I speak for many when I say that the glow effect is much nicer than the often-whacky bouncing, and that Samsung should stick to the former. Proceedings in this particular development are ongoing and we won’t know if Apple can produce substantial evidence to combat this determination before too long, but you better believe we’re keeping an eye on this one so keep it tuned for the latest. [via FoSSPatents, thanks JDog!]

AT&T Galaxy Note 2 coming November 9th for $300 Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:28 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is getting its official coming out party tomorrow, and the Sprint version of the device is slated to land in stores the day after. We’re still waiting on official dates for Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, but we’re glad to report that AT&T has finally let out some information regarding the launch of its version. AT&T has announced it would be selling the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 starting November 9th, and it will cost you $300 to walk away with the 5.5 inch bundle of joy. It’s tough to swallow considering Sprint users will be able to enjoy the phone almost two weeks early, but it’s better to know the late release than to not know it at all. Pre-sale opportunities will begin the same day Sprint’s version goes on sale, though, as users can put money down to claim a Galaxy Note 2 of their own starting October 25th. AT&T’s offering won’t differ much from the other carriers or even the international version. As you know, all carriers are getting the quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos chipset, 2GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel HD camera, a 2 megapixel front facing camera, NFC, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz, the beautiful 5.5 inch Super AMOLED HD display, a monstrous 3,100mAh battery and the all-important S Pen. AT&T’s 4G LTE radios will be the only difference compared to all the rest here so you don’t have to worry about getting a “gimped” experience. Unfortunately we’re still not sure which storage configuration AT&T will be offering, but the general feeling is 16GB which will be offset by the advent of the microSD card slot sitting inside. Folks shouldn’t be surprised that it’s coming to the US late, and although AT&T will be late to the party compared to Sprint (and possibly T-Mobile) we’re sure those who really want the Galaxy Note 2 will have no problem waiting two more weeks than their Now Network counterparts. Will any of you be in line (physically or otherwise) for the Note 2 once it launches? Read on for full press details. AT&T Announces Samsung Galaxy Note II Available Nov. 9, Pre-orders Begin Oct. 25 Dallas, Texas, October 23, 2012 ShareThis   Beginning Nov. 9 customers interested in picking up a Samsung Galaxy Note® II will be able to purchase one for $299.99 with a two-year agreement in all AT&T* stores and online.  Online pre-orders for this highly anticipated device are planned for Oct. 25 at www.att.com/galaxynoteii. Announced last month, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is one of the first smartphones launching at AT&T to feature a quad-core processor.  Galaxy Note II uses a 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos™ processor with powerful graphics capabilities.  The Galaxy Note II is thinner and narrower than the first Galaxy Note, and it improves upon the original with longer battery life, as well as enhancements to the S Pen™.  AT&T is the only carrier to offer the original Samsung Galaxy Note™ at $199.99 with a two-year agreement. The Galaxy Note II will run on AT&T's 4G LTE network. It will ship running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) on its beautiful 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display, perfect for customers who want the productivity of a tablet with the portability of a smartphone.  The 8-megapixel camera allows users to easily share their photos with friends through Share Shot, while S Beam™ lets you quickly share videos, pictures, maps and more with other Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S® III devices. AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network**, covering 275 million people. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. That means AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you may be on a much slower 3G network.     *AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. ** 4G speeds not available everywhere. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network. Samsung, Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, Exynos, S Beam and Super AMOLED are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  Battery power consumption depends on factors such as network configuration, signal strength, operating temperature, features selected, vibrate mode, backlight settings, browser use, frequency of calls and voice, data and other application usage patterns. About AT&T AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available athttp://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at@ATT. © 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Android Overload: Faked 5-Inch Sony Odin Pictured In The Wild, Next Version of Google Wallet Coming Soon, and More Posted: 22 Oct 2012 11:06 PM PDT Ancient Chinese relic found. Looks eerily similar to Android robot. Predates Apple by thousands of years. Your argument is invalid. [MICGadget] The “next version” of Google Wallet is coming soon. Signup/invite page is now live. [GoogleWallet] Sprint 4G LTE expands to new markets in Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts and Texas. [Sprint] Sony C650X Odin allegedly pictured. Turns out it was just some fancy Photoshop work. [PhoneArena] Sprint announces closing of $3.1 billion convertible bond. [SprintNewsroom] MetroPCS now supports Google Wallet. [Twitter] Camera Zoom FX receives major UI overhaul in latest update. [Play Store] Android is gaining some weight. Application sizes continue to increase in memory. [TomsGuide] Android malware on the rise. Mostly outside of the US, mostly outside of the Google Play Store. [eWeek]

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