Sunday, November 4, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Android 4.2 official keyboard with swiping gestures, 4.2 clock now available for 4.0 ICS and 4.1 Jelly Bean

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PDT

Google has learned much from the developer community, and is actually incorporating popular tweaks and functionalities whenever it releases major updates. For instance, Android smartphone and tablet users benefit from alternative keyboards like Swype, which enables gesture-based typing. With Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, this is supported by the operating system out-of-the-box.

But if your phone is not yet running the latest iteration of Android, you can already install the official Android 4.2 keyboard and clock, thanks to a system dump from a Nexus 4. Google has previously asked technology sites to take down links to the unfinished version of the keyboard app. However, since the latest hack involves the official version, Google doesn’t seem to mind.

XDA-Developer member “Gnufabio” has taken the liberty of porting the keyboard and clock apps from 4.2 to earlier versions of Android, so that users who do not have access to a 4.2 device yet can still use the new features.

You can check out the source links for download and installation instructions. As with most hacks and tweaks, your mileage may vary, depending on what device you are using. A few highlights

  • Installing the 4.2 keyboard might cause force closes on either the new keyboard or the stock Android keyboard. You can freeze the stock keyboard with TitaniumBackup if you keep getting crashes.
  • Keyboard works for Android 4.0 ICS and up.
  • The new clock app might have random crashes while in the backgroudn. Some issues persist, including incorrect display of the stopwatch notification.
  • Clock works for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

I suppose everyone is excited to get 4.2 on their Android devices. But knowing how carriers and manufacturers tend to delay these major updates, you can at least have a taste of 4.2 Jelly Bean on your current Android release through these tweaks.

Related Posts

Titanium Galaxy S2 to be launched by Sprint for $99

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:50 PM PDT

T-Mobile Galaxy S2

Sprint is planning to launch a refreshed Samsung Galaxy S2 version this holiday season. The new S2 will be Titanium Gray-colored according to the image below.  It appears that the new Galaxy S2 will be of the same color as the Galaxy S3 or the Galaxy Note 2.

Although, there is not much information available on the other changes that the device will undergo apart from the color, we expect that it should at least support Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

According to previous information, the Galaxy S2 Titanium should be priced at $99 and should be launched somewhere around the holidays. It is obvious that Samsung would consider more upgrades than just the color of the device to woo customers. It will be interesting to see how will Samsung position this device to compete with all the new launches during the upcoming busy Christmas season.

So you should expect another sexy device hitting stores soon and look for some cool deals around it! Tell us what more would you like to see in the new Galaxy S2! Do you think it will have enough meat to compete with the latest HTCs and Nexuses in the market?

Related Posts

Apple UK Samsung apology reposted, cleverly hidden with code

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:36 PM PDT

The UK Apple-apology-to-Samsung saga continues with new predicaments in this problematic issues for the iOS device maker.

In case you're not aware of it, Samsung beat Apple in a patent-based case concerning the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the UK. The courts found the uncool Galaxy Tab 10.1 not to be infringing on iPad patents and asked Apple to formally apologize to Samsung, both on its website and in print. Apple appealed but the ruling was upheld and so it had to post its apology.

And Apple did exactly so but forgot to use the words "apologize" or "sorry" in the process. The company posted an acknowledgement of the rulings in UK, and mentioned other rulings in similar cases in the process, which prompted the courts to ask the company to reword the apology.

Meanwhile, the company took ads in UK newspapers to post the non-apologetic apology. And now it looks like it has reworded the message on its website.

Here's what that message reads now:

Samsung / Apple UK judgment

On 9 July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited's Galaxy Tablet Computers, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple's Community registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of
the High Court is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.

That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal's judgment is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the Community registered design in force anywhere in Europe.

But apparently Apple used a trick to hide the message from its front page, where the new iPads are still presented to consumers instead. The Next Web reports that Hacker News and Reddit users have uncovered code on Apple's website that hides the apology to Samsung. Here’s what they found:

var HeroResize=AC.Class({initialize:function(b){this._height=null;this._hero=$(b);
AC.Object.synthesize(this);this.__boundResizeHero=this.resizeHero.bindAsEventListener(this);
if(typeof window.ontouchstart==="undefined"){this.resizeHero();Event.observe(window,"resize",this.__boundResizeHero)
}},setHeight:function(b){this._height=(b<0)?0:b;return this._height},resizeHero:function(){this.setHeight(parseInt(window.innerHeight||(window.document.documentElement.clientHeight||window.document.body.clientHeight),10)-310);
this.hero().style.height=this.height()+”px”}});Event.onDOMReady(function(){var b=new HeroResize(“billboard”)
});

What happens exactly? Well, the acknowledgement of its court-ordered obligation is on the front-page, but it’s not viewable from the moment you check out the site. In order for anyone visiting the site to see it, they'd first have to scroll all the way to the bottom because otherwise everything you'd get, no matter what resolution your display is, is an iPad mini ad.

In case you do scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, you'll see this message appear (see screenshot above as well), with a link to the apology quoted above:

On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in relation to Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

The correct statement is at Samsung/Apple UK judgement.

It’s definitely easy to miss unless you pay attention to that scroll bar that lets you know there’s more to that page that meets the eye.

These are the intricate ways such companies keep poking each other and bending the rules in the process. And you can’t blame Apple for trying to get out of this apology at all costs. But will the judge agree with such practices? Do you think Apple will be asked for a third apology draft?

Related Posts

Android 4.2 Photo Sphere panorama feature now available to Galaxy Nexus owners

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 03:35 PM PDT

You can't wait for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to be released, can you? That probably goes double for Nexus devices owners – we're thinking that November 13, or thereabouts, is when we'll see the latest Android version hit some of the Nexus devices out there, including the Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S.

But while you wait, you may be interested to hear that there are various Android 4.2 features that can be already taken advantage of on existing smartphones and tablets. We have recently showed you that you can get the new Gesture Typing keyboard app in Android 4.2 and now we're going to tell you that the new camera app, Photo Sphere panorama picture mode included, is also available.

Unfortunately the feature is only available to Galaxy Nexus device owners, at least for now, courtesy of xda-developers. Senior member garner has found a way to install the new camera APK on rooted Galaxy Nexus handsets, so if you're comfortable with such procedures you can already give it a try.

Clayton gave it a test run on an S3 and it worked great! Check out the video below.

Video

Naturally we'd never advise you to proceed with such custom jobs, and we'll remind you that you'll the only person responsible for whatever happens with your device when rooting and/or installing unofficial software. That said, have you already tried the Photo Sphere feature on the Galaxy Nexus, or a Galaxy S3, perhaps? Let us know what you think!

Related Posts

Entry-level Google Nexus 7 hinted again, “has not yet been announced”

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 02:50 PM PDT

When the first rumors broke out that Google would introduce a 32GB Nexus 7 model, many people assumed that Google would be keeping the 8GB an 16GB models in place, with the former to be sold at just $99.

A $99 Google Nexus 7 tablet would definitely be a great competitor for the competitors’ iPad mini and entry-level Kindle Fire model, but Google did not keep the 8GB version around – in case you don't know, Google made official the new Nexus devices just recently, 32GB 7-inch tablets included.

But does that really mean that Google isn't ready to sell the Nexus 7 for just $99? According to Digitimes Research James Wang, an entry-tablet model is still in the cards for the company:

Since Google has prepared a full-range of tablet products, Wang believes the company’s entry-level Nexus tablet, that has not yet been announced, will have the strongest influence on its competitors.

That's all the information Digitimes provides on this yet-to-be-unveiled device, and considering the publication's questionable track record on such rumors you shouldn't get all too excited yet.

However, the same analyst predicts that Google will sell 19 million of Nexus units next year, or around "50% of non-Apple tablet shipments."

No matter how many tablets Google sells next year, it will be interesting to see what Nexus model users will like better now that various versions are going to be available in stores, and yes, we're counting the Samsung Nexus 10 too.

Would you buy a $99 Nexus 7 even if that meant compromising on storage?

Related Posts

Motorola Nexus? No, that purchase was “mostly about the patents”

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 02:29 PM PDT

Answering to various questions related to Google's recent new product announcements, John Lagerling, Google's director of business development for Android, revealed during an interview with The New York Times details about potential Motorola Nexus plans. Just don’t get too excited!

The executive talked mainly about Google's new Nexus devices that were announced on Monday, via press releases instead of an actual media event that was canceled because of Hurricane Sandy, praising some of their features. Another important highlight for Lagerling is the Nexus 4's entry price of $299 (that's the full retail price for the 8GB Google Nexus 4), a price that he personally negotiated.

But here's the bit that got our attention:

Q. Where does Motorola stand in all this? You haven't used them yet for the Nexus program.

A. They stand where Sharp would stand, or Sony would stand or Huawei would stand. From my perspective as a partnership director, they are another partner. We are really walled between the Motorola team and the Android team. They would bid on doing a Nexus device just like any other company.

Q. So how does Google take advantage of the Motorola acquisition?

A. The way I understand it is, it's mostly about the patents, the way you can sort of disarm this huge attack against Android. We talked about prices. There are players in the industry who were unhappy about more competitive pricing for the consumers. They want to keep the prices high, they want to force the price to be so high that operators have to subsidize the devices very highly. That's not only the Cupertino guys but also for the guys up in Seattle. They want higher margins, they want to charge more for software.

We simply believe there's a better way of doing it without extracting that much payment from end users, because there are other ways to drive revenues. Patents were used as a weapon to try to stop that evolution and scare people away from lower-cost alternatives. And I think with the Motorola acquisition we've shown we're able to put skin in the game and push back.

In case you forgot, Google's Motorola subsidiary that cost the company $12.5 billion is still bleeding money quarter after quarter. Users would have expected Google to at least launch one Nexus-branded device made by Motorola this year, or at least have the devices that were announced after the acquisition was finalized to run Google's most recent Android OS version.

Neither of these things happened. And from the looks of it, a Motorola Nexus device is not yet a priority, as it was all about those patents.

During Google's Q3 quarterly earnings report, company officials revealed that a Motorola Android device made to accommodate Google's Android needs – therefore a Nexus device – may only be made at some point next year.

As for timely Jelly Bean updates, Google did introduce a cashback program for Motorola device owners that will not get a Jelly Bean upgrade for their smartphones and/or tablets. But it failed to offer actual timely updates for existing and new handsets.

Sure, Google did say that it won't favor Motorola in any way now that it owns the communications device maker. And Google repeated these statements quite a few times, to make it clear for its other Android partners that it won't screw them over by offering cheaper Motorola-made Android device to consumers that would run the latest Android versions ahead of the competition.

On that note, one could argue that Google managed to screw over most Android top device makers by releasing budget-friendly devices such as the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 4, but that's a topic for another rainy day.

Getting back to Lagerling's statements on the Motorola purchase, it appears that it's very clear for the exec – and probably others like him that work for the company – that the move was important only for the current mobile patent wars. Or at least that's what's he's being told.

And if you'd think that buying a trove of patents for a lot of money would help you in courts against Apple and Microsoft, well then guess again! Not only isn't Google able to obtain any favorable rulings at this time, but the FTC seems more determined to investigate the way some of these patents are used against rivals in courts.

So how about designing some Motorola Nexus devices and launching them soon, you know, before Sharp or Sony will unveil their Nexuses?

Related Posts

Samsung Galaxy Premier pays FCC a visit, forgot to bring its LTE radio

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 12:50 PM PDT

Prior to its official introduction, Samsung hasn't exactly been hiding the Galaxy Premier from the world. There was no real element of surprise when the phone’s final specs were finally revealed, but it's quite a relief to learn that the Premier will be released internationally after all.

Although the list doesn’t specifically mention the U.S., the Galaxy Premier recently made a stop at FCC, where the agency has given its seal of approval. This means we can probably expect the Premier to land in the near future.

Unfortunately, we have another Nexus 4 situation right here. The filing suggests that the Premier won't be bringing its 4G LTE prowess to the U.S. market. The phone only carries an HSPA 3G radio that will work on AT&T and several Canadian carriers.

So for now, you may want to cross off the Galaxy Premier from your wish list if you simply must have 4G on your phone. Furthermore, given the Premier’s $680 price tag, it sure is one expensive galaxy to live in.

 

Related Posts

What’s better than 20 million? Over 30 million Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets now sold worldwide

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 12:46 PM PDT

Soon after Samsung made the historic announcement in early September that the Galaxy S3 had passed the 20 million sales mark, a feat it reached in 100 days, the company set a new sales target for the flagship device. It didn’t take long for Samsung to accomplish the  not-so-impossible mission of selling an extra 10 million units before the end of the year.

Yesterday, Samsung Poland took to Twitter and Facebook to announce that the firm has sold over 30 million Galaxy S3 handsets worldwide. The "jumping for joy" moment was captured in the picture above, quite literally.

Honestly, we didn't expect anything less from one of the must-have items of the year, and besides, the signs were all there.

The Galaxy S3 posted some of its best sales weeks not long after the release of its iPhone 5 nemesis. And while we're on the subject of bragging rights, the record-breaking phone is also T-Mobile's best-selling device of all time.

When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy S3 and its sales power, the sky seems to be the limit. Are you one of the gazillion Galaxy S3 owners? Is the phone everything you’ve ever wanted and more? Give us and fellow Galaxy S3 users a shout out in the comments below.

Related Posts

Sony’s Xperia VL goes for sale in Japan via KDDI

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 12:28 PM PDT

Amongst the many Xperia handsets that were recently introduced by Sony, what would you say your favorite model is? Unless you live in Japan, we hope you're not going to pick the Xperia VL. After all, the Sony Xperia VL is yet another Japan-exclusive phone that won't be released outside the country.

We reported a few weeks back that the mid-range phone will be available on Japanese carrier KDDI (AU) soon. According to Xperia Blog, the VL is already on sale now.

As part of the package, the Xperia VL SOL 21, the phone's full name on KDDI, comes with a desk stand. The Japanese variant also ships with 1Seg digital TV support.

The Xperia VL is powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, and boasts a 4.3-inch HD display, 1GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage, microSD support, 13MP main camera, NFC, 1700mAh battery, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The software upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be rolled out  in Q1 2013.

Another variant of the phone, the Xperia AX, will be heading to NTT DoCoMo stores on November 16. As for the rest of the world, expect the Xperia V to arrive before the end of the year.

Related Posts

Android Authority On Air – Episode 36 – Hurricane Sandy Can’t Keep Android Down

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 11:10 AM PDT

Before we get started this week, let’s take a moment and put our thoughts and prays with all of those that felt the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. From all of us here at Android Authority, our hearts go out to you, your families, and your loved ones.

This past Monday, Google had an Android event scheduled. They told us the playground was open. However, do to Hurricane Sandy, the event in New York City was canceled. Immediately the collective heart of the Android community sank. We had tons of questions as this was reminiscent of last years delayed launch, sadly do to the passing of Steve Jobs. We thought when was the event going to be rescheduled? How about devices, were they going to be delayed? What about the next version of Android? Then, without as much as a peep, around noon Google started publishing blog posts, updating the Play Store, and blanketing social networks announcing Android 4.2 and the new, updated Nexus family. The Internet blew up almost immediately.

This week on Android Authority On Air, we visit what should have been in an Android keynote speech. We cover what’s new about the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10 that we didn’t cover previously. We also covered all things Android 4.2 including multi-user accounts, gesture typing, lockscreen widgets, daydreaming screensavers, wireless display support, quick settings, new security features and of course updated Google applications.

If you’re rooted, you’ll be happy to know that you can snag a few Android 4.2 features right now such as the new keyboard with gesture typing, an updated Gmail, the new gallery and camera with Photo Sphere, and a new clock widget. If you aren’t rooted, no worries, you too can join in on some of the fun. Head on over to the Play Store and download the latest version of Google Search. The updated cards for Google Now are simply amazing. Google Play keeps getting better. This week Google added Warner Brothers Music and a new Music Explorer tool to Google Play.

To end an an amazing week in Android, we give you patent wars where Android gained some ground and iOS lost some. Apple got blasted by the UK for failing to comply. Apple is going to lose the right to the iPhone trademark in Mexico. And, Apple lost the request for preliminary injunction against Amazon for using the word ‘Appstore’.

Miss the show? Tune in or watch below:

YouTube
SoundCloud
Stitcher
iTunes
RSS

Related Posts

Android and Me

Android and Me


Video: Chromium OS ported to Nexus 7

Posted: 02 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PDT

The Nexus 7 is a very capable little device. With a little tinkering, it is capable of running MIUI, a highly customized version of Android that takes after iOS, Ubuntu, and coming soon, Chromium OS. Android developer Hexxeh has posted a video on his blog proving that he has Chromium OS, the open...

Visit our site to read the full article.


Android 4.x close to 30% install base

Posted: 02 Nov 2012 02:10 PM PDT

The transition away from the old Android, anything below Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, has been slow and painful. It’s been a year since Android made the major shift away from the confused mess that was its earlier releases. Now it’s time to see just how many users are actually...

Visit our site to read the full article.