Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Android Community

Android Community


ASUS delivers earnings report for Q3 2013

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:01 AM PDT

MetroPCS gave their earnings report for Q3 2012 just a little while ago, but now it’s time to hear from ASUS. All in all, it looks like ASUS had a pretty great Q3, reporting a net profit of $229.1 million on revenues of $3.8 billion. Net profits were up a staggering 48% year-over-year, which allowed ASUS to report its highest quarterly profit in the last four years.


That definitely isn’t anything to stick your nose up at, and it seems that the company’s excellent quarter had a lot to do with its tablet business. The company managed to ship 5 million laptops in quarter 3, which is up a healthy 14% sequentially, but that boost can’t hold a candle to increase tablet shipments enjoyed. ASUS shipped 2.3 million tablets in the quarter, and though that’s less than half the number of laptops it shipped in the same period, it also happens to be an increase of nearly 300% sequentially.

More than likely, the Nexus 7 had something to do with that large increase in tablet shipment. We’re thinking that the new Nexus 7 32GB models will help ASUS sell even more tablets going into Q4, and indeed, the company seems to agree. The company is expecting quarter 4 to be better across the board, projecting 5.5 million laptop shipments and 2.6 million tablet shipments for the next quarter.

If ASUS manages to hit that 2.6 million milestone for tablets, it will be 13% increase sequentially, which certainly isn’t bad. It definitely isn’t out of reach for ASUS either, as we’re quickly approaching the holiday shopping season. We’ll be keeping an eye on ASUS as the company closes in on its next fiscal year, because this latest earnings report shows that its one to watch.

[via SlashGear]


MetroPCS releases Q3 earnings information

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:57 AM PDT

MetroPCS has released its earning statement for Q3 2012. While the regional carrier did not smash any records in terms of revenue, it looks like they are doing fairly well. That may explain why T-Mobile is so interested in acquiring the smaller carrier. Most importantly, MetroPCS managed to post an impressive $193 million net profit this quarter, which is an increase of $44 million over last quarter.



That being said, things aren’t all great for MetroPCS. The carrier lost over 300,000 subscribers, which is obviously not a good thing when a large portion of your income is generated from subscribers paying a month bill. Still, in spite of that, the company managed to gain $1.26 billion in revenue. In all, MetroPCS is reporting that they have just under nine million customers, one million of which is subscribed to 4G LTE plans.

In the last six months, the carrier has lost just over 500,000 customers. Still, MetroPCS plans to "re-energizes" its subscriber growth, even if it might hurt its bottom line a bit. Year-on-year, MetroPCS revenue did not grow much. In Q3 2011, MetroPCS netted $1.21 billion in revenue.

In terms of profit, MetroPCS has seen some solid growth year-on-year. This could certainly be a good sign going forward, as they have clearly managed to cut costs and make more profit off the money they are bringing in. We will let you know how MetroPCS does in Q4.


N2Acards to add Jelly Bean dual booting to Nook Tablet

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:07 AM PDT

If you own a Nook Tablet, we have some good news for you. N2Acards is launching the ability to dual-boot Nook Tablet devices with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. They are offering two options; the ability to purchase cards with Jelly Bean installed or the ability to download it your own cards (also for a charge).



The prices for the dual-boot depends on the size of the card you need. You can grab cards in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB varieties. The prices range from $30 to $90, with the largest card being the most expensive. This makes it really easy to get Jelly Bean running on your Nook Tablet with minimal technical skills required.

The memory cards with Jelly Bean installed are scheduled to ship on November 1st. If you are impatient, and want to install the OS to your own memory card, you can purchase all the necessary files for $20. You will need a Class 4 microSD card in order to get Jelly Bean up and running on your Nook Tablet.

Of course, this is all made possible thanks to Cyanogenmod. Since it is dual booting, it does not void your devices warranty. The dual boot features full access to Google Play, so users can access the 700,000+ applications available there that they would not have available to them before. The cards are available now from N2Acards.

[via Engadget]


Verizon announces $99 LG Spectrum 2 available online now

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:49 AM PDT

Verizon and LG have just made the Spectrum 2 official. They announced that the device will be available on the 30th, which just so happens to be today. The phone is available right now on Verizon’s site for $99. The phone is available exclusively online, so don’t plan on running out to your local retailer to grab one, at least not yet.



Verizon and LG are going to release the device to stores in the coming weeks, but if you cannot wait for that, you can order one right now. The $99 price tag includes a $50 mail-in rebate, so you will have to shell out $149 initially to purchase the device. Still, it’s a fairly high-end phone available at a surprisingly low price.

The Spectrum 2 features a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM. It comes with a 4.7-inch HD display. The phone also features 16GB of internal memory with support for microSD cards up to 32GB. It comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich installed.

The phone also comes with wireless charging technology, NFC, 4G LTE and Bluetooth 4.0. It actually compares quite favorably to the DROID RAZR HD, but it comes in at $100 cheaper. If you’ve been waiting for a solid Android phone at a budget price, this might be the perfect time to grab a new device.


Google passes 700,000 apps on Google Play

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:47 AM PDT

In case you couldn’t tell, Google Play is growing at an exponential rate. Google has just revealed that they have over 700,000 applications available on its application store. This puts them right there with Apple in terms of number of apps available on its service.



Apple announced that it has 700,000 apps a little over a month ago, so presumably, that number has grown a little since then. Still, Google is hot on Apple’s heals, and it is only a matter of time before Google Play becomes the mobile app store with the largest selection of apps. More apps is always a good thing for device owners. After all, who doesn’t love more choices?

Apple and Google are in a constant battle for mobile supremacy. Google just announced a 10-inch tablet clearly targeted at competing with the iPad. Apple, on the other hand, just announced a smaller tablet, which is clearly aimed at competing with the popular 7-inch Android tablets. The two companies are constantly one upping each other, and this is just another example of that.

At this point, it’s race for a million. It’s going to be a close race. Many apps that launch for one platform, launch for the other at the same time. Still, when you consider the head start that Apple had with mobile apps, the number of Android apps available is incredibly impressive, and in the end, no matter who wins the race, device owners win.

[via Bloomberg Businessweek]


Pandora announces version 4.0 for Android

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Pandora has just announced a huge update for its popular music streaming Android application. Pandora is officially calling this the biggest update since the initial launch of the application. Pandora says that version 4.0 will offer a better music experience with more listening functionality and a more detailed personal music profile.



The new version of Pandora also adds more diverse social options for sharing your music with friends. Pandora also provided a unified interface for iOS and Android for the first time. The interfaces of the two devices has always been different, but now, they share the same easy to use interface. This will be particularly helpful for Android owners who also own an iOS device, as they won’t have to get used to two different interfaces.

Mobile devices are a huge part of Pandora’s business. In fact, over 75% of its total listening comes from mobile devices. Pandora notes that it is second only to Google in terms of US revenue for mobile advertising. Having an updated and functional mobile applications for Pandora is obviously key, and version 4.0 looks to make sure mobile listeners are happy with the service.

Version 4.0 includes updated core features for a better listening experience. Artist pages have also been updated, making it easier for listeners to find out more information about what they are listening to. This update also added detailed user profiles that serve as a timeline of what they’ve been listening to. Pandora also added a music feed for listeners to follow the latest trends on the service. The updated version for Android has not launched on Google Play yet, and Pandora expects it to be available in the coming weeks.

[via SlashGear]


Google adds Public Alerts to Maps and Search on Android

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 05:33 AM PDT

Google’s Public Alerts feature, which displays important events like storms and earthquakes, has been integrated with Search and Maps for Android. This should help users stay up to date with important information involving emergencies and important events. Of course, it features plenty of information on public enemy number one, Hurricane Sandy.



Google has certain search terms in Maps and Search that will trigger the information. So a search for Hurricane Sandy would cause important information on the superstorm to be displayed in Maps or Search. It shows things like shelters and evacuation routes to help people deal with the issues regarding the storm.

Google was not planning on making the feature official until later in the week. However, with the serious storm currently making its way across the eastern portion of the United States, Google decided to rush the new feature out so people could use it. According to Google, this is just part of a larger and continuous effort to provide emergency information.

Google has a network of partners that is uses to gather its public data. They are using USGS and NOAA, both of which use the Common Alerting Protocol. Google is also planning to add new partnerships in the future.

[via SlashGear]


Android 4.2 Jelly Bean upgrade details in plain english

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:19 PM PDT

In case you haven’t heard all of the commotion, Google officially announced Android 4.2 earlier today. We touched on some of the new features right after Google’s announcement, but now that things have calmed down a bit, we can go into further depth. Read on to find out about some of the brand new features found in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, but before you do, prepare yourself – some of the new features are pretty awesome.


Photo Sphere and Gesture Typing

Easily two of the coolest features in Android 4.2 are Photo Sphere and gesture typing. We’ve already talked quite a bit about Photo Sphere, but the basic idea is that Android 4.2 lets you use the camera on your device to take awesome-looking 360-degree images. The video that Google’s Hugo Barra posted earlier today makes the process of creating a Photo Sphere look relatively easy, and the best part is that the 360 images are constructed as JPEGs, making sharing with friends and on social networks painless. Have a look at the demo video below to get a better idea of what we’re talking about.

Next we have gesture typing, which is looking to streamline the way we compose messages in a serious way. With gesture typing, you gain the ability to simply swipe your finger from letter to letter on the keyboard, lifting your finger once the word is completed. Once you do that, a space in the text will be inserted for you, meaning that you can go right back to typing the next word. Still not streamlined enough for you? No problem, as Android 4.2 will even attempt to fill in the rest of your sentence for you, suggesting words that might fit. That way, you could potentially type a few words and select the rest of the words in your sentence from a list of suggestions.

Multiple User Accounts

Photo Sphere and gesture typing are certainly exciting, but so are multiple user logins. Gone are the days of having only one Google account per device (on tablets at least), as Android 4.2 will allow tablet users to store multiple user accounts on their slate. Each user can have their own background image, home screens, and widgets, and all you need to do to switch between accounts is back out to the lock screen. Definitely a handy feature for households with more than one person using the same tablet.

Wireless Display

Android 4.2 also features wireless display functionality, which we’re thinking is a feature that will definitely get some positive attention. The best part is that you only need a wireless display adapter hooked up to your HDMI TV, and you’re good to go. Once you’ve got the wireless display adapter set up, you’re ready to begin mirroring content to your TV from any device running Android 4.2. It really couldn’t get much simpler, which is why we think it’s going to be such a big hit with Android users.

Google Now

Next up we have Google Now, which is getting some updates with this latest Android release. Now you can track things like hourly weather and shipping information on incoming packages with Google Now. Users will also have the ability to check public transportation routes and arrival times using Google Now too. In the mood for a movie? Use Google Now to get information on the movies playing near you, and then go out and enjoy a night on the town.

Notifications

Last but not least, we have notifications. In the drop down notifications menu, we now have a button for quick settings, which obviously let you change settings without having to dig through the app menu first. You’ll have more options when it comes to individual notifications too – for instance, in the image below, the user is reminded of their daughter’s piano recital, and has the ability to email everyone they’ve invited to the show right there in the notifications menu.

It seems that Android 4.2 is really trying to hit ease-of-use home, and this is only the beginning. We’ll undoubtedly be finding out more about Android 4.2 in the coming days and weeks, so keep it tuned here to Android Community for more information. Keep in mind too that Android 4.2 will be running on the Samsung Nexus 10 and the LG Nexus 4 right out the box, so you’ve got something extra to look forward to if you’re planning to purchase one of those devices!


Angry Birds Star Wars gameplay featured in latest trailer

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 12:54 PM PDT

We’ve seen a lot of trailers for Angry Birds Star Wars recently, but so far none of them have featured any actual gameplay. Instead of showing us what we’d really like to see, Rovio took famous clips from the movies and inserted its famous birds into them. Some of them were cute, others were silly, but now its time to cut out the funny business and get down to the nitty gritty: it’s time for gameplay, baby!


This latest trailer features some actual gameplay footage, but sadly, the look we get doesn’t last very long. Still, some is usually better than none, and in this case that holds true. It appears that the gameplay in Angry Birds Star Wars isn’t all that different from Angry Birds installments of the past, but there are enough differences to make it stick out from the rest.

For starters, the style is Star Wars-themed (obviously), with the birds dressed up as the heroes from the movies like Luke and Leia, while the pigs have donned their best suits of Stormtrooper armor. We also get to see the pigs driving an AT-AT at one point, which is definitely cool. Power-ups are Star Wars-themed as well, with one of the birds unleashing its lightsaber on the pig-built structures as it soars in for a collision.

In short, if you happen to be a fan of both Star Wars and Angry Birds (we’re assuming there are at least a few of you out there), this should be right up your alley. We look forward to seeing more gameplay in the coming days, but it won’t be long until the full game arrives at last. Angry Birds Star Wars launches on November 8 – are you picking this one up, or will you be skipping it?


Google Nexus 7 32GB and 32GB HSPA+ models announced

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 12:11 PM PDT

Today we’ve had no shortage of announcements from Google. The company already gave us reveals of the LG Nexus 4 and the Samsung Nexus 10, along with more Android 4.2 details than you can shake a stick at, but the big G wasn’t content to just stop there. Google also revealed the long rumored 32GB Nexus 7, complete with Wi-Fi only and HSPA+ models.


Apparently, the 8GB model is going the way of the dinosaurs, with the 16GB model replacing it at the $200 price point. You know what that means – the 32GB Wi-Fi only model will come in with a $249 price tag. You’ll have to shell out a little bit extra for the 32GB HSPA+ model, as that one costs $299, but all things considered, that still doesn’t sound too bad. Even better is the fact that Google will offer the HSPA+ version unlocked, and the company says that the HSPA+ model should work on as many as 200 different carriers.

That certainly isn’t a bad deal, and aside from the increased internal storage and added wireless functionality in the HSPA+ model, you’re getting the exact same equipment. NVIDIA's Tegra 3 chipset is still there, as is the 1GB of RAM. As an added bonus, though, these new Nexus 7s will come loaded with Android 4.2, the benefits of which we’ve already covered.

Our friends over at SlashGear point out that the 32GB Wi-Fi only model will be available at Google Play Stores in the US, UK, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Canada, along with retail stores such as GameStop, Walmart, and Staples. If you fancy the 32GB HSPA+ model over the Wi-Fi only variant, it’ll be available at all of the Google Play Stores listed above with the exception of Japan starting on November 13. Sounds like it might be time to finally take the plunge and get a Nexus 7, no?


Android Authority

Android Authority


Blurry Sony Yuga pics leak, Sony Odin might sport 1080p WhiteMagic display

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:06 AM PDT

Although Sony is unlikely to bring anything new and powerful by the end of the year in the Android décor, rumors about the company's next flagship phones are gaining traction by the day. The 5-inch Xperia "Odin" C650X and the 6-inch "Yuga" C660X will most likely get a glamorous unveiling at next year's CES or MWC, but we're already starting to get a good picture of what's in store for us.

We've already heard a little something about Odin's display, we saw the 5-incher in all its splendor in an outdoor pic, while the 6-incher has had parts of its spec sheet revealed in two occasions. Now we think we've uncovered two new (small) pieces of the puzzles, courtesy of a leak and a speculation.

First, the leak. That shows two tiny parts of what is supposedly Yuga's body in a couple of awfully blurry pics. It's very difficult to make out anything of importance from the two photos, but it's pretty obvious that Sony will look to take the new phones in different design directions than previous handhelds.

According to the source of the images, the Yuga will sport a glass chassis and measure only 8 mm thin, which sounds very exciting. We have no way to verify those claims though, so let's give it some time.

As for the speculation, that comes following a press release from Japan Display Co., a Sony partner/screen manufacturer. The company has unveiled a new 5-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD display that we're ready to bet will be introduced with next year's Odin.

The new panel uses the WhiteMagic technology we've already seen in the Xperia P and that modifies the regular RGB matrix to an RGBW (red, green, blue and white). With the adding of that extra white pixel, the display can either double the brightness or save up to 50% of power consumption compared with usual RGB screens.

There’s obviously no way to know for sure this display will be used on Odin’s manufacturing, but the timing of this announcement seems ideal for that to happen. We should definitely find out more about the Odin/Yuga duo soon, so keep in touch if you’re excited about the upcoming “phablets”. Are you?

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A look into Android 4.2 Jelly Bean’s wireless display mirroring through Miracast standard

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:47 AM PDT

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean has been officially announced, and along with this update comes a host of new features and functionalities. One of these is the wireless display mirroring functionality that enables Android users to wirelessly push their handsets’ videos onto compatible devices, such as TV sets, tablets and other devices.

You might say that this is not exactly a new technology, as similar features are present in older handsets. Take for instance DLNA-enabled smartphones and TV sets. The Digital Living Network Alliance standard offers sharing of content across devices. Apple also has its own AirPlay technology.

But the inherent advantage of Android’s more open nature is that with wireless display mirroring as a standard, more brands and manufacturers will adopt the technology. This means that we can expect to enjoy display mirroring on more devices in the future.

But how does this technology work exactly? It uses a wireless-syncing technology called Miracast (which sounds like “mirror cast” to me).

This technology is a standard created by the Wi-Fi alliance, and uses Wi-Fi direct access, similar to creating an ad-hoc network. This means that you can share content across devices using the built-in WiFi radio, without the need for a central router or hub.

But since not all display devices support Miracast out of the box, so-called legacy TVs and other devices can support wireless display mirroring through an add-on dongle. One example is the Netgear Push2TV PTV3000, which plugs into any device with an HDMI port.

As with any standard, what’s important is brand adoption. You’re familiar with the VHS vs. Betamax wars, right? How about Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD? What’s great with having a prevalent standard is that brands can offer inter-operability with each other.

While brands like Sony and Samsung have initially pushed DLNA, LG seems to be making a big push for Miracast in its future devices, including TV sets and smartphones. Other brands that have committed to the standard include NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and Marvell Technologies.

Not intrigued enough? Check out the demo video below, in which Texas Instruments has showcased the capabilities of Miracast.

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Angry Birds Star Wars gameplay footage showcased by Rovio

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 11:34 PM PDT

Angry Birds Star Wars

What do you get when you combine two successful franchises in the entertainment industry? If prior success in the Angry Birds franchise is any indication, then we might just get ourselves another mobile gaming hit. We earlier shared that mobile game developer Rovio has a Star Wars crossover in the works, and has likewise released a few teaser videos and images. We now have a sneak peak through a gameplay footage video.

This new teaser video shows us a snippet of the upcoming title’s gameplay. We earlier speculated that the new crossover game might feature some elements borrowed from other games in the Angry Birds franchise. It seems casual gaming enthusiasts will not be disappointed. More than the usual slingshot-action, Angry Birds Star Wars will pose additional challenges, such as an AT-AT Walker, which actually shoots back at your birds while they travel in the air.

Of course, the major gameplay characteristics are retained, such as the physics-oriented nature of Angry Birds. I wonder, though, whether there will be differences depending on which planet or place you are in the Star Wars canon.

Which brings us to the question: Are franchise crossovers a great way for game developers to spark interest among its target audience? Can gaming crossovers drum up interest in an expanded audience altogether? For instance, will Angry Birds Star Wars attract fans of the Star Wars who may otherwise be disinterested with the mobile game?

Either way, the additional gameplay elements will be sure to be an interesting addition. Rovio seems to be diligent enough to introduce something significantly new in each iteration of Angry Birds.

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Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro review [video]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 09:13 PM PDT

Not everyone who needs a smartphone has the luxury of being able to baby it. Whether it’s because of their job or simple clumsiness, some people need a phone that is tougher than most smartphones, and that’s where the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro comes in.

Built to stand up to both the elements and the general rigors of daily use, the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro is tough, but that doesn’t mean that it throws performance out the window for the sake of durability.

Read on to see our thoughts on the phone, or jump ahead to either the video review or the conclusion.

Specs

  • 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 chipset
  • 1.5 GHz dual-core Krait CPU
  • Adreno 305 GPU
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB internal storage
  • microSD slot for 32 GB additional storage
  • 5-megapixel rear-facing camera
  • 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 1080p video recording
  • 4G LTE (HSDPA, HSUPA)

First Impressions

The first think you notice when you take the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro out of the box is just how burly it looks compared to other smartphones. While it is still an attractive looking phone, you can tell simply by looking at it that it will stand up to far more use and abuse than other smartphones.

The Galaxy Rugby Pro doesn’t look like a cell phone from the 1980s, but compared to the super-thin phones on the market now, it certainly looks thicker and wider than many phones with a similar screen size.

Build Quality

Obviously, the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro puts a lot of emphasis on its build quality.The phone is thick and sturdy, but surprisingly light, weighing in at only 4.6 oz.  As mentioned above, the phone is a little bigger than many phones with a similar screen size, with dimensions of  5.04 x 2.64 x 0.5 inches.

The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro is MIL-STD-810G certified, and resistant to salt, dust, moisture, vibration and shock, to name a few. While it is built like a very small tank, the Galaxy Rugby Pro is still easy to hold and use. In our testing we never ran into a case where the phone’s slightly larger dimensions felt unwieldy.

While the grippy material used for the casing is meant for durability, it has the handy side effect of making the phone less prone to attracting fingerprints.

Display

While the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro’s display may not seem impressive with phones beginning to arrive with 1080p displays, the 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display is definitely adequate for daily use. With a resolution of 480 x 800 and 16 million colors, images are bright and crisp, and text is sharp and easy to read. Unlike the casing, the screen is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but is is far from unusual with any touchscreen device.

Performance

As with the display, the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro may not seem impressive compared to today’s quad-core powerhouses, but is no slouch either. The phone runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 chipset with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Krait CPU, an Adreno 305 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8 GB, expandable by up to 32 GB via the microSD slot, which is hidden under the battery cover.

Running apps and games was no problem for the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro, with no noticeable performance hiccups or occurrences of slowdown. The only time we noticed any stuttering was when rapidly scrolling through the phone’s homescreens. Luckily, this isn’t necessary for daily use, so users of the Galaxy Rugby Pro shouldn’t encounter this issue very often.

Battery life for the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro’s 1,850 mAh battery  is rated at up to 11 hours of talk time and up to 336 hours of standby time. We never ran the battery down, even with fairly heavy use, so these figures are believable.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI running on top of it. So far, there is no word on whether the phone will see an upgrade to Jelly Bean in the future, but as it was just released earlier this month, an upgrade seems likely.

There are quite a lot of apps bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro, and the usefulness of these apps varies by quite a wide margin. Samsung’s own Kies Air and S Voice apps are certainly useful, but the quality of the AT&T bundled apps is debatable. AT&T Navigator might be useful, but with Google Maps already installed, it doesn’t seem likely that many users will find themselves running it. Some of the other apps, like AT&T Smart Wi-Fi or AT&T Code Scanner don’t seem as if users will be running them often at all.

With the rest of the apps, like Allshare Play, which has functionality similar to Kies Air; the simply named Memo; and the Qik Lite video calling software, whether they are useful is a decision that only the user can make, depending on their needs.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro has a 5-megapixel rear facing camera. The quality of photos taken with the camera are generally good, but in certain situations, colors appear washed out and are certainly not as vivid as they should be.

The Galaxy Rugby Pro is also capable of capturing 1080p video, which you can see in action in the video review below. Video quality is nice and sharp, especially for video taken from a smartphone, though it suffers from the same issues with colors that photos taken with the camera do.

Video Review

Conclusion


The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro is a solidly built, full-featured phone that may find itself struggling to set itself aside from other rugged phones, which don’t often offer the same level of performance. While it is aimed at users who find themselves putting an unusual amount of stress on their phones, it could be useful for everyday users as well.

Accidents happen, no matter how well you may treat your phone, and with the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro, those accidents may no longer mean severely damaging your device. That’s something that everyone could find useful, not just those in certain lines of work.

samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-camera-image2 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-1 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-2 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-3 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-4 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-5 samsung-galaxy-rugby-pro-review-image-6

What are your thoughts on Samsung’s latest tough creation? What would you have liked to see? Let us know down below!

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Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 3G: full specs, features and image gallery sets

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 06:02 PM PDT

LG Nexus 4

Even though Google cancelled today's media announcement due to Hurricane Sandy – and we received official word that it won't be rescheduled for a later date – the company went ahead and unveiled new products. After all, Google wasn't going to let the tech world talk about Windows Phone 8 devices today, was it?

We have already talked about the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 today, but let's look at the complete set of specs and features for each device. And we have an image gallery ready for each new Nexus toy, which it'll just have to be good enough for Android fans until we get our hands on the handset and new tablet versions.

Nexus 4

We're not going to pretend the LG Nexus 4 surprised us today. We know what this device is capable of since it's basically an LG Optimus G variant, not to mention that it was the star of countless leaks in the recent weeks. However, the smartphone has two drawbacks, depending on who you ask: lack of microSD support and no 4G LTE connectivity. Here's the full specs and features lists for the handset:

  • Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
  • Weight: 139g
  • 4.7-inch-inch touchscreen WXGA IPS display with 1280 x 768 resolution, 320ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 2
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8/16GB internal memory
  • no microSD support
  • 8-megapixel camera
  • 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
  • Penta-band 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
  • HSPA+ 21Mbps support
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth
  • NFC
  • GPS
  • Micro USB
  • SlimPort HDMI
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 2100mAh Litium polymer battery
  • Wireless charging support
  • Sensors: microphone, accelerometer, compass, ambient light, gyroscope, barometer
  • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Nexus 7 3G

Google unveiled today two 32GB Nexus 7 versions, a Wi-Fi-only version and a 3G model. Both are identical with their 8GB/16GB older brothers, but for the sake of the argument we'll share the specs list of the 32GB Nexus 7 3G version:

  • Size: 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm
  • Weight: 340g
  • 7-inch touchscreen backlit IPS display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 216ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass
  • Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 32GB internal memory
  • No microSD support
  • 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
  • Penta-band 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
  • HSPA+ 21Mbps support
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth
  • NFC
  • GPS
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 4325 mAh Litium polymer battery
  • Sensors microphone, accelerometer, magnetoscope, ambient light, gyroscope
  • Listed as running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (definitely upgradeable to Android 4.2)

Nexus 10

Google's first iPad rival, the Samsung-made Nexus 10 will soon hit stores. Before you order, make sure you check specs and prices for the device:

  • Size: 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9mm
  • Weight: 603g
  • 10.055-inch touchscreen WQXGA display with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 300ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 2
  • 1.7GHz Dual-core Exynos chip with Mali T604 GPU
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16/32GB internal memory
  • No microSD support
  • 5-megapixel camera
  • 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (MIMO+HT40)
  • Bluetooth
  • NFC
  • GPS
  • Micro USB
  • Micro HDMI
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Magnetic Pogo pin charger
  • 9000mAh Litium polymer battery
  • Sensors: microphone, accelerometer, compass, ambient light, gyroscope, barometer
  • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

In case you need availability details for any of the new Nexus devices, check out this post right here.

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Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 3G release date and pricing – what you need to know

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT

Samsung Nexus 10

Google's Nexus lineup for the Christmas season was made official earlier today, and we have showed them to you already, at least virtually: the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10. But if you're planning to write a letter to Santa asking for new Nexus toys, you'd better tell him when they're supposed to ship.

The new smartphone and tablets will be available in a variety of markets, both from Google's Play Store, but also from mobile operators that will carry some of them. In what follows, we're going to share with you more availability details about each of the new Nexus models.

Nexus 4

Made by LG, the new Nexus 4 will be available on November 13 in two versions, 8GB and 16GB priced at $299 and $349, respectively. These are very affordable unlocked prices, so the Nexus 4 sounds even more interesting.

The handset is already listed in the Google Play Store in various countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., France, Germany and Spain.

Two mobile operators have already shared launch plans for the handset, T-Mobile in the U.S. and O2 in the U.K.. T-Mobile will sell the 16GB version for $199 with a new two-year contract, while O2 is ready to offer free LG HDTV to the first 100 Nexus 4 buyers.

It's worth mentioning that for now the Nexus 4 will only be available in an HSPA+ version, meaning that it won't be compatible with CDMA carriers in America such as Verizon or Sprint. Moreover, the Nexus 4 won't sport 4G LTE connectivity, so you'll have to look for a different handset in case that's a must-have feature for you.

Nexus 7

Google also announced two new Nexus 7 tablet versions today, both featuring 32GB of storage. Obviously, one comes with Wi-Fi support, while the other also includes 3G connectivity.

The 32GB Nexus 7 Wi-Fi version will retail for $249 and it's already available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia U.K., France, Germany and Spain. In addition to Google, other retailers will stock the tablet, including Walmart, Staples, Office Depot, Office Max and Gamestop.

The 3G version will go on sale starting with November 13 in 7 countries including the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., France, Germany and Spain and will cost $299. That's the unlocked price of the device.

The 16GB model will retail for $199 and it's already available in the same markets as the 32GB Nexus 7 Wi-Fi model. The 8GB model has been discontinued.

Nexus 10

Maybe the most interesting addition to Google's lineup of Nexus devices, the bigger Nexus 10 tablet made in cooperation with Samsung will also be launched on November 13. Initially, the tablet will launch in two Wi-Fi versions, 16GB and 32GB, priced at $399 and $499, respectively.

The tablet will be available to order from the Google Play Store in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, U.K., France, Germany and Spain. In America, the 32GB Nexus 10 model will be available in "more than 2,000 Walmart stores."

Galaxy Nexus

We have already told you that the Galaxy Nexus is not available for purchase on the Play Store any longer, so we'll remind you to pick up yours from a different retailer, in case you still want to buy the third-generation Nexus smartphone.

What Nexus device are you buying?

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Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update – when will it be released?

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:07 PM PDT

Because Google canceled its Nexus and Android 4.2 media event that should have taken place in New York City today, it was forced to unveil its new products via press releases that are limited in terms of what they can reveal. We have already covered the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in great detail, but we still have unanswered questions.

The most important one is related to Android 4.2. When will it be released and what devices will it get it first?

Google's materials failed to reveal such details, although we would have expected the company to share Android 4.2 availability details with the crowds. And don't tell us that Google doesn't have an internal Android 4.2 roll out plan in order!

We obviously expect all the new Nexus devices to be launched with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean pre-installed out of the box, but what about existing Nexus devices, including the Nexus 7 tablets sold by Google since its launch in late June?

What about Android devices that were just upgraded to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean? When will they get the bump to Android 4.2?

What about Ice Cream Sandwich devices, including the recently launched new RAZRs that are still on Android 4.0? Will they be upgraded to Android 4.1 at first, and receive the Android 4.2 update at some point in the future?

Considering that the adoption rate of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is still rather low, it certainly isn't in Google's favor not to mention any details about Android 4.2 upgrades. What good does it do the company to unveil new Android features that the majority of users won't be able to use yet?

Let's not forget about the whole Android PDK initiative, meant to help OEMs better prepare for upcoming Android OS versions. Is it already working? Will we see Android makers come out with faster Android 4.2 updates?

Not to mention that just earlier today we heard that one of the reasons Google decided not to include 4G LTE support in the Nexus 4 was its desire to offer timely Android updates for the handset in the future, unhindered by carrier's agendas. But that definitely doesn't help Android buyers that purchase any other devices, especially high-end ones – and we're currently looking at 1.3 million Android activations per day.

The most likely day to see Android 4.2 Jelly Bean rolled out to older Nexus devices seems to be November 13, which is when the new Nexus smartphone and tablets will be released, right alongside new Google Play features. But for some reason, Google is yet to make such plans official.

Are you ready to wait for the official Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update for as long as it takes to arrive, or are you buying a new Nexus 4/7/10 right away?

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Breaking: iOS 6 chief Scott Forstall leaving Apple, announcement made on Android 4.2 & Windows Phone 8 launch day

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:46 PM PDT

We interrupt our extensive Nexus and Android 4.2 coverage to reveal one interesting, and unforeseen, predicament in the mobile business. Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iOS Software, the man responsible for iOS development inside Apple, will leave the company.

We have no idea whether he was fired or decided to leave the company on his own, but what's clear that he'll be out of iOS development starting with 2013:

Apple today announced executive management changes that will encourage even more collaboration between the Company's world-class hardware, software and services teams. As part of these changes, Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will add more responsibilities to their roles. Apple also announced that Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple next year and will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook in the interim.

Isn’t iOS 6 good enough or is Forstall bored? Does Apple Maps have anything to do with his departure? What about Siri? No wonder he was a no show in Apple’s recent iPad mini event and promo video.

For some reason, Apple decided to announce these leadership changes today, which happens to be a very important day for its main competitors, Google and Microsoft, each unveiling a new OS version, Android 4.2 and Windows Phone 8, and accompanying devices.

It'll certainly be interesting to see what Forstall's departure will mean to iOS development. Is it good news for Android? Even more interesting will be his next destination, because we're probably see companies in the mobile ecosystem flock to get his services in the coming year(s).

Meanwhile, Cue will handle Siri and Maps inside Apple, while Federeghi will lead both the iOS and OS X teams. Mansfield, who was thought to also leave Apple for good, will lead a Technologies group, encompassing all of Apple's wireless teams.

And let's close with a wild question, is it possible for Forstall to join Google’s Android crew at any point in the future?

Show full PR text

Apple Announces Changes to Increase Collaboration Across Hardware, Software & Services

Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi Add Responsibilities to Their Roles

CUPERTINO, California—October 29, 2012—Apple® today announced executive management changes that will encourage even more collaboration between the Company's world-class hardware, software and services teams. As part of these changes, Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will add more responsibilities to their roles. Apple also announced that Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple next year and will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook in the interim.

"We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple's history," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The amazing products that we've introduced in September and October, iPhone 5, iOS 6, iPad mini, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, iPod touch, iPod nano and many of our applications, could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services."

Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design. His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple's products for more than a decade.

Eddy Cue will take on the additional responsibility of Siri® and Maps, placing all of our online services in one group. This organization has overseen major successes such as the iTunes Store®, the App Store℠, the iBookstore℠ and iCloud®. This group has an excellent track record of building and strengthening Apple's online services to meet and exceed the high expectations of our customers.

Craig Federighi will lead both iOS and OS X®. Apple has the most advanced mobile and desktop operating systems, and this move brings together the OS teams to make it even easier to deliver the best technology and user experience innovations to both platforms.

Bob Mansfield will lead a new group, Technologies, which combines all of Apple's wireless teams across the company in one organization, fostering innovation in this area at an even higher level. This organization will also include the semiconductor teams, who have ambitious plans for the future.

Additionally, John Browett is leaving Apple. A search for a new head of Retail is underway and in the interim, the Retail team will report directly to Tim Cook. Apple's Retail organization has an incredibly strong network of leaders at the store and regional level who will continue the excellent work that has been done over the past decade to revolutionize retailing with unique, innovative services for customers.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

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O2 Nexus 4 comes with free LG HDTV, offer limited to first 100 customers

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT

The new Google flagship handset was unveiled earlier today, although we knew almost everything there was to know about it for weeks now, and it will soon hit various retailers around the world, carriers included.

In the UK, O2 will have a brief 1-month exclusivity deal on the device, and to make things even more interesting, the carrier will offer a great incentive to customers looking to buy the handset, a free LG HDTV. Unfortunately the promotion is only available to the first 100 customers that will get the handset next month:

To celebrate its coup, O2 will again be inviting a select few customers to brave the elements and their own vertigo and climb to the top of the O2 Arena in Greenwich. As with the iPhone 5, customers who do so will be able to buy the Nexus 4 while overlooking the London skyline.

While we have no idea what kind of LG TV will be offered to the first lucky Nexus 4 buyers, it's still a great deal to take advantage of, especially with the holiday season upon us. Depending on how you look at it, you'd end up either with a free TV or a free Nexus smartphone, although certain conditions could apply – and by that we expect that in order to qualify for the free TV customers will have to ink a new contract with the carrier.

It's worth noting that Carphone Warehouse's recent Nexus 4 leak revealed that the phone would be selling with O2 and Vodafone contracts at first, while other UK carriers, namely EE, were not mentioned on that product page. However, that page went down on the same day, so we expect to find out more details about UK Nexus 4 availability dates in the near future.

Any excited O2 Nexus 4 buyers out there?

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Galaxy Nexus pulled from Google Play store, as new Nexus 4 smartphone arrives

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 01:56 PM PDT

In case you didn't buy one yet, you won't be able to get one as Google has pulled it from the Google Play store. I'm obviously talking about the third Nexus smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (HSPA+ version) that's now no longer available for sale from Google.

Sure, you can still find it in various electronics and mobile operators stores, not to mention that you'll most certainly get a great deal on second-hand or refurbished Galaxy Nexus units. But Google is focusing on the future, with the Galaxy Nexus not hanging around for one more year.

The LG Nexus 4 is Google's next flagship device, and the one you should consider buying. In fact the handset has already been listed on Google Play, so better get your cash affairs in order to buy it – alternatively you can always get it on contract from T-Mobile in the following months.

Should Google have kept the Galaxy Nexus in its lineup just like Apple does with its previous-generation iOS smartphone, sold for (a bit) less than the latest-gen iPhone? Would you still buy a Galaxy Nexus if it was significantly cheaper?

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