Friday, November 9, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Motorola’s Atrix HD, Photon Q 4G LTE, Razr M, and Razr i and Razr HD get root access

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:51 AM PST

Much has been said about Motorola's insistence on locking down its phones. While it was only recently that Moto began providing an official way to unlock the bootloader on some phone models, one member of XDA-Developers has concocted a special formula that allows Moto owners to gain root access without unlocking the phone’s bootloader.

According to djrbliss, the rooting method works on the Atrix HD, the Photon Q 4G LTE, the Razr M, the Razr i and the Razr HD.

Want to give it a try? There are several steps that you need to follow, simple ones. Once you download and install the provided zip file, you just have to connect your device to the PC via USB, run the file, follow the instructions – and voila, your phone is rooted. Things may be a bit more complicated if you're looking to root your Razr i, though. One other thing, the method won’t work if you run the leaked Jelly Bean ROM.

As easy as the steps sound, we never tire of warning you to take the best of caution. And as always, proceed at your own risk.

Check out the original thread at XDA for the full instructions. Let us know how it goes in the comments below.

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Asus Transformer Pad Infinity gets new firmware: v10.4.4.20

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:47 AM PST

Boy, the folks at Asus sure love to take good care of Transformer Pad Infinity owners. After pushing out the Jelly Bean update in early October, Asus rolled out firmware v10.4.4.18 for the slate to fix several bugs not long after. Now, a new software update for the TF700T tablet is available to download.

So, what's on firmware v10.4.4.20, which is intended for the U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan and worldwide models of the Transformer Pad Infinity? Android Police got that covered. Here's the full changelog:

WiFi Direct

  • Fine-tune WiFi Direct connection behavior.

Camera

  • Fix the issue that in certain "aspect ratio" and "picture size" photos, the pixel dimension of the picture would be different if taken in landscape and portrait mode.

Settings

  • Fix the issue that, during HDMI output, the output screen will get cropped after chooses "HDMI" item in "Settings".
  • Fix no items issue in HDMI setting page when output via HDMI.
  • Fix screen flickering issue when rotating the pad after adjusting brightness bar in "Settings".

WiFi

  • Fix lingering "Turning Wi-Fi on" status.

Bluetooth

  • Improve Bluetooth compatibility.

App Backup

  • Fix lingering backup success status when user removes SD card  during the backup process.

Sound Recorder

  • Fix unplayable Sound Recorder file when inserted in Supernote.

Browser

  • Fix garbled typing result when selecting English after Chinese with Zuyin IME.

Third-party App

  • 高德導航Upgrade to 5.1.8001.0033.0033-20121010 (CN SKU only)
  • MyCloud Upgrade to 0.9.115.1493.
  • Polaris Upgrade to 3.5_5r14741FV06.
  • Remove掌上百度 (CN SKU only).

The file is here if you want to grab it for your Infinity tablet. Do tell us below how your slate runs with the new firmware installed.

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Samsung Stratosphere 2 display units hitting stores – does free sound good to you?

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:42 AM PST

We reported that the Samsung Stratosphere 2 was heading to Verizon back in August, yet it wasn't until a week ago that pictures of the phone – complete with the carrier's branding – surfaced online. Most recently, the Stratosphere 2 was featured on several promotional flyers, namely BJ's, Radio Shack's, and Walmart's – all indicating that it's ready to get some love from buyers.

To top it off, Droid-Life reports that the Samsung Stratosphere 2 dummy units have reached retail stores across the country.

If you're ready to part ways with your money in exchange for the Stratosphere 2, you might be interested to see what the slider phone looks like in the real world and how holding it in your QWERTY-longing hands feels like, something that the dummy units can help provide.

By the way, Walmart will be selling the Samsung Stratosphere for $50 with a two-year contract as part of its Black Friday sales promotion. Sounds like a great deal? Yeah, until you see that Radio Shack will offer the phone for free – obviously with the same two-year agreement.

So, anyone itching for a new slider phone boasting a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, 1GB RAM, 4G LTE connectivity, and ICS ?

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NVIDIA’s financial results show Tegra is doing better than everyone expected

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:39 AM PST

Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Apple’s iPhone 5 have one thing in common: They don’t use NVIDIA chips. You’d think that because of that NVIDIA wouldn’t be doing so well, but you’d be wrong. The company just posted their fiscal Q3 2012 financial results, and guess what? They earned a record $1.2 billion in revenue. What products actually use the Tegra processor? We can think of a few: HTC’s One X and One X+, the ASUS made Nexus 7, and Microsoft’s recently launched Surface RT. NVIDIA’s Consumer Products Division, which Reuters says is pretty much the Tegra business, grew 28% year over year to $243.9 million. Put another way, one fifth of NVIDIA’s revenue during the quarter came from the Tegra.

Still, does the company have a future? Daniel Berenbaum, an analyst at MKM Partners, says: “The fundamentals are OK.” We have a problem with that claim. Sure, NVIDIA will sooner, rather than later, start selling Tegra platforms that have an integrated cellular component, but what kind of support are they going to offer handset vendors? Qualcomm has fantastic relationships with their partners. Are they going to want to play with NVIDIA and risk wasting time bringing products to market? And then there’s Samsung, who sells most of the Android phones on the market. They have their own chip business. Hell, they even have their own chip fabrication plants!

All that being said, we can’t help but feel that more competition is better for the market. NVIDIA could very well undercut Qualcomm on price, therefore making the phones we all love to use that much cheaper. It’s not NVIDIA who we’re going to be keeping an eye on however, it’s Intel. They’ve proven that they can make chips that fit into smartphones and deliver amazing performance and battery life. Their stuff is only going to get better from here on out.

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Mobile devices will be harder to steal in Canada, as regulator tightens the rope around device verification

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:35 AM PST

stolen phone

Canada is about to become an even safer place to live in very soon. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, an industry group of mobile operators, has plans to inhibit the theft of mobile devices by tightening checks during their reactivation on carriers’ wireless networks.

The carriers will be required to make drastic changes in their device verification policies by blacklisting stolen devices. By fall 2013, a mobile device will be activated only if it passes the IMEI number verification – in order to be activated on the network, the device’s IMEI must not not appear in the stolen list for both Canada and  international markets. This process aims to cover almost all the wireless devices functioning on 3G/4G LTE, both smartphone and tablets (excluding the Wi-Fi only models,) as they are most likely to be stolen.

After a lot of pressure from political authorities and the police department, this comes as a fresh change to Canadians who were increasingly becoming victims to what is now known as 'iCrime'. This central initiative was forced after a strong warning from the Canadian Radio television and Telecommunications Commission to the carriers. The telecom regulator was inspired by a similar initiative from U.S. carriers that have created their own blacklist to counter such thefts.

However, this will definitely lighten the pockets of mobile operators. It is estimated that it will cost around $20 million to build a central registry. The CWTA also plans to increase consumer awareness around data protection through various public surveys, dedicated campaigns and websites. The CWTA’s logic that this will reduce the incentive to steal. However, countries like the UK and Australia, which have similar central registries in place, still record mobile device thefts. There are initiatives being mulled to illegalize the tampering of IMEI numbers to further counter thefts.

It seems that the mobile devices are becoming a priced possession and everyone wants to have one. So, Canadians out there, are you listening? You can be relaxed that the government is vigilant, but don't be careless! Guard your lovely Android devices, as all the latest launches are even more lucrative to be stolen. So watch your back!

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Prepare for a surprise; new data states that Windows 8 already has more web traffic than Android

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:30 PM PST

Windows 8
When people think about operating systems that are currently dominating the market, Windows 8 doesn’t immediately come to mind. Don’t get us wrong, it will be a very popular and widely used OS in due time. However, Windows 8 has only been out for about two weeks. In that time frame, they somehow managed to overtake Android in web traffic.

According to renowned analytics firm StatCounter, Windows 8 has surpassed Android in web traffic. In the course of just two weeks, Android has stayed pretty much consistent between .5% and .7% of all web traffic. Windows 8 has been on a rapid increase. On October 21, Windows 8 had about .35%. In just a week and a half, it rose to over .7% and passed Android.

The question on everyone’s mind is how this could have happened. At last glance, there are over 500 million Android users and not that many Windows 8 users. The popular opinion is that since people spend more time surfing the web on computers than they do on their cell phones, that it helps explain this odd stat.

So Windows 8 wins because it’s a computer operating system?

That’s pretty much what the consensus is. It’s easier for most people to check their various social networks on a computer with a steady WiFi connection than it is to do it in the grocery store over 3G or 4G. Additionally, when you add in content like Farmville 2 on Facebook, there is also a lot of content that mobile users still can’t get to.

According to WinSource, no sales numbers have been released yet for Windows 8. So it’s hard to tell exactly how many people have Microsoft’s newest offering. However, it appears as though people that do have it seem to be making good use of it.

Even with all the explanations, it’s still unusual enough to look at twice. Even if Windows 8 had a great opening, it’s still hard to imagine beating out 500 million Android users. Let us know what you think about all this.

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Virgin Mobile Galaxy S2 4G coming on November 15 for $369.99

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 07:30 PM PST

The Galaxy S2 is Samsung's 2011 flagship device, but that doesn't mean it's a bad choice for smartphone buyers currently looking to buy a new device.

In fact, the handset is enjoying a second life as some carriers are ready to sell it bundled with pre-paid plans to customers that don't want to be tied down to new two-year contracts.

One such carrier is Virgin Mobile, which is ready to start selling the Galaxy S2 4G for $369.99, off-contract, starting with November 15. That's the same price Boost Mobile charges for the handset, and certainly a lot cheaper than the $499 off-contract price available for the same device from Sprint and T-Mobile.

If $369.99 is still too expensive for your taste, then you may be happy to hear that Best Buy will offer the same handset for just $299.99 when purchased with a Boost Mobile pre-paid plan. In order to take advantage of the deal you'd have to wait until Black Friday to purchase it, or just eight more days after Virgin Mobile launches its own Galaxy S2 flavor.

Are you buying this 2011 flagship handset?

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Get $100 off any tablet from AT&T with a two-year catch

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:58 PM PST

AT&T has announced plans to offer customers a $100 discount on any tablet purchase but there’s a catch. A two-year catch: they'd have to be willing to commit to a new two-year data agreement with the carrier.

The deal will be available starting today, and it will apply to any tablet purchase from AT&T stores or online as long as customers subscribe to one of the following Mobile Share or Data Connect plans:

  • AT&T Mobile Share: $10 to share between 1 GB and 20GB
  • AT&T DataConnect 250MB: $15 for 250MB
  • AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB
  • AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

Obviously, inking a new two-year deal with the carrier means that AT&T will recoup that $100 discount, but if you were going to get a data plan anyway with your tablet purchase then this deal is certainly worth investigating.

As for the tablets available from the mobile operator, you'll find a variety of Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, the Pantech Element, the HTC Jetstream, but neither one looks too hot right now. Not to mention that most online offers include refurbished models only. Then there's always the iPad, but you're probably not shopping for that, are you?

Show full PR text

AT&T Offers Customers $100 Off Any Tablet with Two-year AT&T Data Plan Agreement

Carrier Offers Largest Selection of Tablets to Holiday Season Shoppers. Customers Can Add Tablet to AT&T Mobile Share for $10 a Month

Dallas, Texas, November 08, 2012

ShareThis

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, AT&T* today announced it is offering a promotional discount to tablet customers. Beginning Friday, Nov. 9, customers will receive $100 off any tablet purchased at an AT&T company owned store or online at www.att.com or at selected agents or retailers with a two-year data plan agreement.

Tablet customers can choose from several qualifying data plan options, including adding a tablet to an AT&T Mobile Share plan for just $10 per month. With Mobile Share, customers share a single bucket of data – from 1GB up to 20GB – with other devices, including smartphones, tablets, gaming devices, and more.

The full range of tablet data plan options include:

AT&T Mobile Share: $10 to share between 1 GB and 20GB

AT&T DataConnect 250MB: $15 for 250MB

AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB

AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

"AT&T has the widest variety of tablets and a broad choice of data plans to pick from" said David Christopher, Chief Marketing Officer, AT&T. "With this new promotional discount for any tablet we sell, we're giving our customers even more reason to stock up on the hottest device of the season, and just in time for the holidays"

AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network, covering 285 million people. AT&T's 4G network combines two fast technologies 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 with your smartphone, you may be on a much slower 3G network.

For more information on AT&T, please visit www.att.com.

*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.

While promotional supplies last. $100 off any tablet discount requires a new 2-yr wireless agreement with data (min $14.99/mo.) plan or Mobile Share plan. Two tablet purchase limit per account.

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 internationally. 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 at http://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.

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Apple successfully patents rounded rectangle iPad design, may not be useful in court

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:36 PM PST

Apple has done it again. While we earlier wrote how Apple’s competitors complained about patent litigation being based on how a company could monopolize “rectangles with rounded corners,” the Cupertino company has apparently been granted a design patent for the original iPad’s design, which prominently features rounded corners.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a design patent for the original iPad. Recall that Apple released the first-gen iPad in January 2010. The company applied to patent its physical design by November that year. Design Patent D670,286 is for a “portable display device” which highlights the following features: a rectangular design with rounded corners, a round button at the bottom and a small camera device at the middle of the upper part. Some parts of the illustration are not included in the patent, though, such as the ports, speaker grilles and volume buttons.

Being a design patent, though, this has some limitations, particularly that it applies only to the form of the object in question, and not any functionality. It is ornamental, and not technical, in nature.

Now the main issue here is whether Apple can use this new design patent against other device manufacturers potentially infringing on their intellectual property. While the short answer is “it depends,” the better explanation would be that it’s not likely. Experts say that this does not necessarily give Apple undue advantage, since you will need to have an exact copy of the form in order to infringe on the design patent. “This design patent gives Apple no new advantage, because no one is out there trying to market an iPad lookalike,” says law professor Lea Shaver in an interview with Wired.

In the August 2012 Apple vs. Samsung court decision that favored Apple, the jury deemed that Samsung infringed on several of Apple’s design and technology patents in the iPhone. This recently-approved patent is more specific as to the exact appearance of Apple’s tablet, and the patent application actually included references to prior design specifications that Samsung referred to as “prior art” in its argument.

We do know, though, how Apple can be overly protective of its intellectual property, and how the company would go to lengths just to make sure other brands and manufacturers don’t copy their designs. Will Apple go after other companies that market devices designed as rectangles with rounded corners? They have done so before, and they probably will do so again.

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Nexus 10 spotted in Walmart store ahead of November 13 launch

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 06:28 PM PST

Last week, Google unveiled a variety of new Nexus-branded products, such as the Nexus 4 smartphone, the Nexus 10 tablet and the new 32GB Nexus 7 models, but they were not launched immediately after the announcement.

Instead, Android fans have to wait for November 13 to come in order to get their hands of the most interesting new additions to Google's Nexus lineup, the LG smartphone and the Samsung tablet.

But it now looks like the latter has already been spotted in a Walmart location, where one customer was able to take a picture of a 32GB Nexus 10 tablet resting on a shelf. Apparently he didn't try to purchase the $499 tablet, but it would have been interesting to see whether Walmart would have sold the device with five days to go until actually allowed to do it.

The Nexus 10 is Google's first tablet that will be directly challenging Apple's iPad, and it will certainly be fun to watch this new battle. Are you buying a Nexus 10 tablet this holiday season?

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Android and Me


Leaked images expose the rumored Sony Xperia Yuga

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:48 PM PST

Leaked images of the rumored Sony Xperia Yuga are making their way across the web today, highlighting the handset’s minimalism design that takes a few cues from the recently launched Xperia T. The Sony Xperia Yuga is said to be running a 1.5 Ghz quad-core processor (most likely a Qualcomm...

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Verizon to finish LTE buildout by mid-2013

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:20 PM PST

First out of the gate and continuing with an aggressive buildout schedule, Verizon undoubtedly has the most comprehensive LTE network in the United States. While competitors like AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile struggle to make LTE available to the masses, Verizon will finish its LTE network...

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Android Rookies: 10 new apps worth checking out this week

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:59 PM PST

New apps need lovin' too, right? Every day there are thousands of new entries on the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We have shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and launch them to new heights, so we're bringing back...

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Samsung Galaxy S III edges iPhone 4S as best selling smartphone of Q3 2012

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:58 PM PST

Having just crossed the 30 million mark some three days ago, Samsung’s Galaxy S III is making headlines again today as it was just named the best selling smartphone across the globe in Q3 2013, beating out the iPhone by nearly two million units. If you had any doubts about Samsung’s...

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Top 10 Android game releases this week: Angry Birds Star Wars, Curiosity, Ghostbusters

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:59 PM PST

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

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Nexus 4 review roundup

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 09:57 AM PST

Google’s flagship Android phone, the Nexus 4, is going on sale next week and the first reviews are beginning to appear online. We took the time to round up some of the best reviews and then look at what the critics were saying about each aspect of the device. Read on to see [...]

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