Thursday, November 15, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Shocker! Nexus 7 3G model no longer in stock on Google Play

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:28 AM PST

Sold out! This is what customers see when they try to purchase the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10 from the Play Store. In fact, the two devices have been out of stock pretty much within minutes after they were made available there – except for the 16GB Nexus 10 tablet.

If you're hoping to snag the Nexus 7 with mobile data, you can kiss your HSPA+ dream goodbye for now.

Like its two Nexus cousins, Google has sold all of its inventory of the 7-inch slate. If you're feeling lucky, you can try to refresh the page every now and then. But then again, Google did say it will only replenish the stock of the Nexus devices "in the coming weeks".

Did anyone manage to order the Nexus 7 3G yesterday? Are you hopeful that it'll become available again on Google Play soon?

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Samsung Galaxy S3 available for Cricket customers on November 23

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:21 AM PST

This holiday season Cricket Communication is giving you another reason to celebrate. In an official announcement, Cricket has confirmed the launch of its second 4G LTE smart phone, the Samsung Galaxy S3. We all know about the cool features of the S3, which is quite contrasting from Cricket's first 4G device, the LG Optimus Regard. The popular S3 will be available for $549.99 outright, and with monthly plans starting from $50 from November 23.

The more exciting part is that it is available on Cricket's new 4G LTE Android Double Data service plans for a limited time, that will offer double the data allowance the company usually offers in Cricket's 3G plans. The plans will be in the denominations of $50, $60 and $70 per month. The $50 4G LTE plan gets you a juicy 2GB of full-speed data, the $60 plan offers 5GB of full-speed data, while the $70 plan gets the customers 10GB of full-speed data.

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3 model has been available for quite some time on other carriers, but now is a great chance to own the device for Cricket's customers. Be ready to get your S3 on November 23!

Show full PR text

Cricket Brings the Popular 4G Samsung Galaxy S III to its Growing Line-Up of High-Quality & Affordable Smartphones

~ Samsung’s Best-Selling and Ultra-Advanced Smartphone Arrives in Time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Gift Shopping

~~ Designed for Video and Intelligent Multitasking with 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz Dual Core Processor and 16GB Memory

 

 

 

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Cricket Communications, Inc. today announced the availability of its second 4G LTE smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S® III (R530). Cricket’s Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone with its brilliant 4.8 inch display, and no contract, unlimited data, talk and text plans from $50 per month would make a stunning gift for the holidays. Find yours at Cricket company-owned stores, dealers and atwww.mycricket.com by November 23, 2012 for $549.99 (MSRP).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120202/LA46949LOGO)

“The Samsung Galaxy S III is a revolutionary 4G LTE smartphone and will be available at Cricket in time for the holidays,” said Matt Stoiber, senior vice president of devices for Cricket. “As we continue to expand our 4G LTE network, the Galaxy S III excels in both our 4G and 3G LTE markets. We are very proud to offer our customers the highest level of wireless technology on one of the coolest devices in the market today.”

The Galaxy S III comes with a brilliant 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED™ touch-screen, 1.5 GHz dual core processor, and runs on Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system. With a 2100 mAh Li-Ion battery and picture-in-picture technology, it has enough power to watch video and check email at the same time.  Added functionality like S Voice™ technology makes using the device easier, simply raise the phone to your ear and dictate your request. Capture every moment without shutter lag and enjoy 8 megapixel photo clarity with added LED flash camera/camcorder and a 1.9 megapixel HD front facing camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is available on Cricket’s new 4G LTE Android Double Data service plans that offer, for a limited time, double the monthly full speed data allowance offered in Cricket’s 3G rate plans.  The $50 4G LTE Android Double Data Rate Plan allows 2GB of full-speed data; the $60 plan allows 5GB of full-speed data and the $70 plan offers 10GB of full-speed data.

The introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S III follows the company’s announcement today that 4G LTE service is now available in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Laredo, Corpus Christi and the Brownsville-McAllen-Harlingen market, Texas in addition to existing 4G LTE service in Las Vegas and Tucson. The company’s LTE service now covers approximately 21 million potential customers.

About Cricket
Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts. Cricket offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital 4G (LTE) and 3G CDMA wireless networks. Cricket’s innovative products and services including the award-winning Muve Music® - the first music service designed for a wireless phone, are available nationwide at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at www.mycricket.com. For more information about Cricket, please visit www.mycricket.com.

For more information about Cricket’s dynamic service and newest device lineup and to check for availability, visit www.mycricket.com. To follow Cricket’s latest news and updates online, visit Facebook atwww.facebook.com/cricketwireless and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cricketnation.

Samsung, Galaxy S, AMOLED and S-Voice are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  Android is a trademark of Google Inc.  Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

SOURCE Cricket Communications, Inc.

For further information: Greg Lund, Media Relations, +1-858-882-9238, glund@cricketcommunications.com

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Deal: HTC’s Droid DNA goes up for pre-order on Wirefly for $149.99

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 02:01 AM PST

The HTC Droid DNA is more than just a smartphone that boasts an impressive 5-inch Full HD Super LCD 3 display with 440ppi, but it also represents HTC's hope and determination to get back in the smartphone game.

If you like what you see of the Droid DNA and are more than happy to help HTC climb its way back up, here's a deal from Wirefly that you don't want to miss out.

There's a special promotion for the Verizon-bound Droid DNA on Wirefly, where you can pre-order the monstrous phone for $149.99. That's a $50 saving from what Big Red is charging for the super phone. In addition to the discount, Wirefly will also waive the shipping cost. The retailer said that the DNA will be shipped out on November 20.

In case you missed the announcement, Verizon will start selling the HTC Droid DNA in its brick-and-mortar stores on November 21.

The 1080p display isn't the only thing that makes the Droid DNA worth lusting over, as it also packs a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage, 8MP main camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera, WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, 4G LTE, 2,020mAh battery, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

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Samsung has begun production of 10 nm 64 GB memory chips for mobile devices

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 01:45 AM PST

Samsung Semiconductor, the part of the company that makes the various bits and bobs that are essential to making your smartphone actually work, has just announced that they’ve begun producing 10 nanometer 64 GB storage chips. They’re insanely fast, capable of hitting 260 megabytes per second read speeds and 50 megabytes per second write speeds. Best of all, since these chips use ultra tiny 10 nanometer transistors, they’re 20% smaller than chips from the previous generation.

Now for the important question: When are these chips going to end up in a smartphone sitting on a shelf at your local electronics store? That wasn’t specified, but considering these things started rolling off the factory lines “late last month”, it’s likely going to take at least a quarter or two until they get put into a retail device. Best case scenario, the Samsung Galaxy S IV will use this stuff. Worst case scenario, it’ll be in the Galaxy Note III. This is all speculation by the way.

What about sizes smaller than 64 GB? Don’t worry, Samsung’s got your back. Smartphones and tablets typically stack memory chips on top of each other in order to save space on the motherboard. The smallest 10 nanometer part Samsung is producing can hold 64 gigabits, which is 8 gigabytes. Considering how many people were disappointed by the fact that the Nexus 4 shipped with only 8 GB or 16 GB of storage, there’s a strong possibility that the Nexus of 2013 will come in 16 GB and 32 GB varieties.

Why do we even need on-board storage to be this fast? Because no one likes to wait during file transfers. That and what happens when every high end smartphone ships with a 1080p screens? All the elements that a developer uses to make their app is going to have to be high resolution, which means more storage is going to be needed, and said storage has to be lightening quick, because again, no one likes lag.

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Acer Iconia A500 is the first non-Nexus device to get a (barely) functional Android 4.2 port

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 01:43 AM PST

Itching for some fresh Android 4.2 butter now that the newest OS version has been pushed to the Android Open Source Project? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but unless you're an owner of a Nexus device, there's probably nothing on the horizon for you before the holidays.

That is nothing official, because unofficially Android 4.2 ports are expected to be coming in flocks over the next weeks or so. As a matter of fact, the first 4.2-based custom ROM is already up for grabs via the XDA forum, and, while it's far from fully functional, it's definitely a promising start.

After being the first to port Android 4.1 to a non-Nexus tablet back in July, recognized developer RandomBlame has done it again, making 4.2 available to his dear old Acer Iconia Tab A500. As he himself clearly states, if this "breaks your tablet or your lose precious family photos don't blame me, you were warned".

Now we definitely wouldn't recommend flashing this ROM unless you feel like your Iconia A500 needs to be punished for something, but you know what they say – baby steps.

And for a baby step, this is actually a pretty confident one, as Wi-Fi is reported to be working, as well as external SD cards, navbar, and the multi users feature. The audio, camera and Bluetooth are all messed up, but if it’s one thing we trust on this world, that’s RandomBlame’s commitment to make his ports fully functional in due time.

He’s the man, so be sure to check out his latest forum thread even if you’re not going to install the ROM and maybe even throw him a bone or two.

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Motorola wants a cut of Microsoft’s Surface profits

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 01:22 AM PST

The legal battle between Microsoft and Motorola just had some gasoline added to it after Motorola requested Microsoft give them a share of their new Surface’s profits.

Today, in the opening salvo of Motorola’s suit against Microsoft, the phone maker’s lawyers brought up the Microsoft Surface and claimed that the device's Wi-Fi technology infringes Motorola’s patents. Naturally, Moto want’s a cut from the profit.

This comes just a few days after HTC agreed to pay Apple licensing fees for the patents they infringed on, while Samsung rejected negotiations outright.

Interestingly enough, Motorola's legal battle over patent licensing originally had nothing to do with the Microsoft Surface and all to do with Windows OS and the Xbox 360. Now, after the release of the new Surface tablet, Motorola has moved its sights onto it. How much exactly does Motorola feel is fair? Well, according to their lawyers, 2.25% of the profit is reasonable.

Motorola

The patent that Motorola is using as grounds for this request is an invention related to the Wi-Fi 802.11 standards, which is essentially the only communication option available to the Surface, since neither an Ethernet port nor a cellular connection are available on it.

Motorola’s claims came with the following reason:

Microsoft's new Surface tablet will use only 802.11, instead of cellular or wired connections, to connect to the Internet. Without 802.11 capability, the Surface tablet would be unable to compete in the market, because consumers can readily select tablet devices other than the Surface that have 802.11 capability."… Motorola contends that the judge's deliberations "would need to account for the likely use of Motorola 802.11 SEPs [standard-essential patents] in future products (e.g., Microsoft's recently released Surface tablet product).

Motorola is eager to point out that the Surface would be useless without its patents. Microsoft, if it does end up losing this battle, might have to pay Motorola (ok, Google), somewhere around 4 billion a year — according to the Microsoft estimate.

With that said, Motorola does seem to have proper grounds for its request, but it will not get to profit from it until it convinces a judge to sees things the way it does.

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Texas Instruments to fire 1,700 people, OMAP to focus on embedded systems

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 12:55 AM PST

Texas Instruments, makers of the famous OMAP line of processors, have been saying for a while now that they’re tired of keeping up with the big boys of the mobile industry. It used to be they could design a chip that would then be used in various products for several years. These days, it’s expected that companies launch a new device every 12 months, and that said device uses a chip that’s more advanced than the one in last year’s model. Today’s news shouldn’t come as a surprise then, TI is announcing that they’re going to let 1,700 people go. What’s going to happen to OMAP? It’s going to be rejiggered for what’s known as the embedded market. Think cars, networking equipment, point of sale systems, and other such products where it’s more important to have a bulletproof chip that’s well supported versus something that’s just the latest flavor of the month.

Is this a huge loss? Not really. As we pointed out yesterday, Qualcomm recently overtook Intel in terms of market capitalization, which means the Snapdragon product family is doing outstanding. Then there’s Samsung, who shipped 4 out of every 10 Android smartphones in Q3 2012. The higher end devices use the company’s own Exynos chips, while the lower end models rely on solutions from Broadcom.

Back to Intel for a second, that’s the company you should really be watching out for in 2013 and beyond. After years and years of empty promises, they finally managed to make a chip that could fit inside a smartphone: the Motorola RAZR i. It’s fast, it has excellent battery life, it’s almost perfect, save for the fact that it doesn’t have 4G LTE. Intel will fix that next year.

And as for NVIDIA … we’re eagerly anticipating “Grey”, their processor that comes with an integrated cellular radio. We just can’t take them seriously until that part starts shipping.

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Android is wild and uncontrolled, says Steve Ballmer

Posted: 15 Nov 2012 12:50 AM PST

(Photo credit: AP Images)

If Steve Jobs was known for his reality distortion field and cool, calculated manner of presenting, Steve Ballmer is the polar opposite. Microsoft’s CEO is known for his energy and enthusiasm. Sure, this is probably what the company needs in order to push its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platform forward. Chair-throwing incidents aside, Ballmer’s “woo hoo” moments may just help rally Microsoft’s troops forward in the ever-evolving battle for dominance in the mobile industry.

In an interview with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman at a “tech influencers and innovators” event, Ballmer was at his usual self, acting as Microsoft’s chief cheerleader, and boasting about how great and different the latest Windows platform is. At one point, he described the platform in words that may have been borrowed from another popular brand (we’re looking at you, Apple). “Wow! It just works!”

Steve lauds the Surface user interface, which he describes as “different,” although he says current sales were modest, at best. Excitement aside, one of the highlights in this interview was how the Microsoft CEO had described the company’s two biggest competitors at this point, which are actually the dominant platforms in the mobile industry today. He says Android was “wild” and “uncontrolled,” particularly due to its fragmentation and malware problems.

“The ecosystem for Android is a little bit wild,” Ballmer notes, with reference to app incompatibilities across handsets and Android versions.

Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS is “high priced” and too “highly controlled.” Ballmer also went on to make a stab at Apple, particularly with the latest criticism against the new iOS Maps app.

In his critique of Android and iOS, Ballmer thinks Microsoft can find the right middle-ground between control and freedom in the company’s latest platforms: Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Surface. He highlights that Microsoft is working closely with developers and partners, something that he thinks Apple and Google are lacking at this point.

What may be interesting at this point is that the Microsoft CEO might have hinted that Microsoft may be developing its own smartphone hardware. Ballmer says Microsoft wants to take better control of hardware creation. “If we see an opportunity in the software/hardware seam, we're going to take it.”

As for the statements on Android, do you agree that the platform is “wild” and “uncontrolled?” Has Android’s success in the market been marred with the side-effect that is fragmentation and the rise of malware?

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Who wears the pants in the Android family, Google or Samsung?

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:51 PM PST

We all tend to forget that Android is nothing more than just another mobile operating system. Is there something special about the OS that has propelled it to the pole position that it now enjoys? IDC says 75% of all the smartphones shipped during the third quarter of this year were powered by Android. That number isn’t an accident. Horace Dediu, an analyst who is known for keeping his eye on not only Apple, but the mobile industry in general, made a keen observation yesterday.

He said that in Q1 2010, when Samsung started taking Android seriously and launched the first generation Galaxy S, just 3% of the mobile phones they sold during the quarter were smartphones. Today that number is 54%. In terms of actual units, IDC estimates that Samsung shipped 56.3 million smartphones in the latest quarter. Assuming that number is accurate, and assuming they’re also correct with their figure of 136 million Android smartphones being sold in Q3, that means Samsung made 4 out of every 10 handsets powered by Google’s software during the quarter.

Dediu focuses on Samsung because along with being the dominant Android handset maker, they’re also the only company in the mobile industry, other than Apple, that’s making serious money. HTC’s margins are barely break even, and everyone else is bleeding.

So again, why is this the case? There are many theories, but here’s what we believe: Samsung is in the unique position of manufacturing many of the components that they use in their consumer facing products. Yes, Samsung sells their components to other handset makers, but the bulk of what they output goes into their devices. The only other company that can claim to be even remotely in the same situation, in terms of controlling their own supply chain, is LG.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but without Samsung backing Android, something you could say they did by sheer accident, we’re pretty sure that the OS wouldn’t be where it is today. And that brings up a really important question: Who controls Android’s destiny? Is it Google or is it Samsung?

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Free Android 4.2 keyboard with gesture typing now available in the Google Play Store (update: now available for ICS devices)

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 08:30 PM PST

Android 4.2
The world of Android got a lot more exciting recently with the release of the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. So exciting, in fact, that Google had to postpone the release in several countries in order to not run out of stock. However, those who aren’t upgrading their devices are still patiently waiting for Android 4.2 to come to their device. For now, you can at least give the Android 4.2 keyboard a shot for free.

Google Play Store developer Honso has released the Android 4.2 keyboard for people to try out. This includes the awesome gesture typing we’ve all heard so much about. Unfortunately, there are some issues with it. For instance, it only comes in English. Perhaps even worse is that it is only compatible with devices running Android 4.1 right now. Honso says that there is an effort to back port the Android 4.2 keyboard to at least Gingerbread.

Issues aside, the keyboard works as intended. Even down to seeing the word being swiped as you’re swiping it. So for anyone who wants to give the latest Android 4.2 keyboard a shot, now is your chance. You can download it at the Google Play Store for free right now. Has anyone given it a shot yet?

11/15/2012
Update:
Honso has updated the keyboard to be compatible with ICS devices. It may be buggy and crash on some devices, though. (Thank you Mr. Bowley for letting us know!)

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Android Overload: Loads of app updates and releases, HTC Desire blamed for dog’s death, and more

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:01 PM PST

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  • How the HTC Desire killed a family’s long-haired chihuahua. (Um, what?). Thanks, Keith! [News]
  • Google Voice updated with Android 4.2 compatibility (didn’t take long, now did it?). [Play Store]
  • FolderSync for Android updated with 4.2 compatibility. [Play Store]
  • Cricket announces new 4G LTE markets and new LG Optimus Regard as first 4G LTE smartphone. [LeapWireless | Cricket]
  • Expedia for Android overhauled in latest update. Gets all new flashy UI. [Play Store]
  • Much hyped Twitter app Echofan is now available for Android. [Play Store]
  • The 1999 Dreamcast cult-hit, Expendable: Rearmed, is now available for Android. [Play Store]
  • Google Drive (web) update brings dropable folders, new search tools, Google Earth map file viewing. [Google]


Gmail now lets you search for long lost emails by size, general date, and more

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 06:49 PM PST

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Google’s really been giving Gmail a lot of love these past few months, specifically when it comes to search. It wasn’t too long ago we told you guys about Google’s new way of searching through attachment text and Google Drive files.

Now, ‘ol Googs has enabled the more advanced searching of both email sizes, dates, and more. Lookin’ for that email with pics of those Halloween babes you got sometime last year? Well, if you have a general idea of the size you can type “size:5m” or “larger:5m” for emails equal to, or larger than 5MB. You can even combine the query with other commands like older_than:1y if you have a general idea of when an email was sent/received. Awesome stuff.

The advanced search is already enabled in Gmail on both the web and Android app. If you’re looking for a complete list of advanced search terms, those can be found here and below (click for full size). Enjoy.

[via Gmail Blog]


Android 4.2 AOSP keyboard with Gesture Typing now available for free in the Google Play Store

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 04:29 PM PST

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Good news for those wanting to get a taste of Android 4.2′s all new Gesture Typing keyboard. Developer Honso has just uploaded a fully functioning version of the AOSP keyboard you’ve been dying to get your thumbs on. The Swype (and soon, SwifKey) challenger works great with the new swipe function, allowing you to use either gestures or traditional typing to get your words out. I know most of you are already fully committed to the soft keyboards you’re currently using, but the free price tag on the Android 4.2 AOSP keyboard makes it a hard deal to pass up. Download link provided below. Oh, and if you’re on ICS or below, you’re out of luck. This is Jelly Bean-only (for now). The dev did mention he’ll attempt to backport it all the way down to Gingerbread. Hopefully that wont take long.

Thanks, Shaydlife!

[Play Store Link]


Gartner: Android smartphone market share for Q3 reached 72.4%

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 02:31 PM PST

Gartner has come out with its Q3 2012 report for the mobile industry. We’re not too surprised to find that its numbers are a bit in line with what IDC reported recently, but the 72.4% of worldwide smartphone market share Android has in Gartner’s numbers is just a couple of percentage points shy of IDC’s reported 75%. Whichever way you put it, Android’s market share eclipsed 70% — that is a very impressive feat.

Meanwhile, iOS only commanded 13.9% of the pie this quarter, a decline from the 15% they did in the same quarter a year ago. Many continue to attribute Android’s success in this quarter due to the fact that the iPhone 5 had only been available for a week and a half in Q3, but if history is anything to go by then we should still see very gaudy numbers for Android in Q4 up against moderate gain or stagnancy for iOS.

As usual, other competitors are doing much worse in the smartphone sector. RIM’s market share was chopped almost in half to 5.3% compared to last year, and Nokia’s new fondness for Windows Phone has almost completely destroyed Symbian as it went from 16.9% down to 2.6%. Samsung’s Bada actually made gains, coming up from 2.2% to 3% this quarter, and Microsoft also enjoyed growth as it reached 2.4% of the ahre.

As for the overall mobile phone market share between OEMs, Samsung captured the lead from Nokia as it jumped to 22.9% on the quarter with the latter dropping to 19.2%. The drop-off from there is huge, with Apple being the next largest OEM for the quarter at 5.5%.

Samsung’s numbers were no doubt helped along by the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S3, though its portfolio of feature phones likely makes up the majority of the share it’s currently enjoying. Still, 30 million units of the Galaxy S3 to date is nothing to sneeze at and we’re sure Samsung couldn’t be more happy about its position in the mobile wars. Head to the source link for the full numbers.

[via Gartner]


Phandroid Holiday Gift Guide: Kevin’s top picks and gifts for music lovers and athletes!

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 01:16 PM PST

Welcome to day three of the Phandroid Holiday Gift Guide rollout. If you’re anything like me, you will probably wait until the last minute to do your shopping, but hopefully our weeklong look at some great gear and gadgets will inspire you to get your gifting wrapped up early.

It’s my turn to key you guys into some great gift ideas for your friends and family (or just to treat yo’self). I’ve dived into the season’s top tablets, gifts for music lovers and sporty types, and a list of items I wouldn’t mind finding under my own Christmas tree (if any of you are feeling generous…). We take a look at everything from the Nexus 7 to Oakley’s smartphone-powered Airwave goggles and more.

You can check out our full list of categories, including picks from Quentyn and Edgar, by heading over to the gift guide now. But here’s a little peek at some of my personal favorite items.

Give paper some love with the Little Printer

The Little Printer is perhaps my favorite little gadget from my list. Most might find it a bit silly, but for someone who fears a paperless world it’s a nice way to keep in touch with what preceded our smartphones. Little Printer compiles a list of digital feeds from social networks to news and weather plus more and creates an on-demand, personalized mini newspaper. It’s just crazy enough to be entirely useful. Maybe it will even remind people what it’s like to read an actual newspaper while drinking the morning coffee, but we doubt this tiny guy alone could save that industry.

Sonos Play:3

I am a big fan of music, and I am also a big fan of being able to play any song I want whenever I want and wherever I am. Sonos not only makes this a possibility, but does so with the great sounding Play:3 speaker. Now if I want to throw on some reggaeton in the kitchen while I’m firing up dinner it’s as easy as firing up Sonos with my smartphone. And with all my music stored in the cloud there isn’t a track I can’t find.

JayBird Freedom Headphones

I love to run, but for the longest time I didn’t take my music along. The options were either deal with bulky headphones and their cords, or constantly adjust the set of earbuds slipping from my ears. The JayBird Freedom headphones are the only pair I have found that are both lightweight and unobtrusive without any slippage whatsoever. And with a rechargeable battery that offers plenty of life I can train uninterrupted. A must-have.

…and a happy New Year!

We’ll have more to unveil as the week rolls on, including picks from our very own Rob Jackson and Chris Chavez (I can’t wait to see what goofy gear he has for us to check out). You can thank us later for how easy we made your holiday shopping.

 

 


Alleged CyanogenMod extortion attempt results in new domain name and email address [UPDATE #2]

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 12:52 PM PST

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UPDATE: The accused party has emailed the CyanogenMod team and agreed to relinquish control of the CyanogenMod.com domain. Although he had a much different story than what was initially posted by the CM team, he has decided not to voice his opinion, instead opting to “wash his hands and move on.”

UPDATE #2: Looks like the perp was telling the truth. Cyanogen himself just tweeted moments ago:

Some jaw dropping news coming out of the CyanogenMod camp this afternoon. No, the custom ROM we all know and love isn’t going anywhere. Well, actually… it kind of is.

The CM team released a blog post this afternoon revealing an alleged extortion attempt by a trusted member of the team that has resulted in the loss of CyanogenMod.com and the official CyanogenMod email account. Before you freak out wondering where you’re going to get your next ROM fix, don’t let that scare you — the site has simply been moved to CyanogenMod.org for the time being, with the new email being changed to cmcyanogenmod@gmail.com.

While details are still murky, it’s unfortunate that this sort of stuff happens to a organization of developers that simply want nothing more than to make Android better. The CM team made it clear they will be pursuing legal action against the alleged perpetrator, in the mean time you can still grab CM downloads from Get.CM.

[CyanogenMod]


Call of Duty Elite for Android updated with Black Ops 2 support

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST

In case you haven’t heard (or have been in a bomb shelter for the past year or so) Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was released worldwide yesterday, and if you forgot that there is an official Call of Duty Elite app for Android then you might want to go redownload it. The app has been updated to include support for Black Ops 2, and a whole new slew of features are awaiting you.

For starters, you’ll get a full stat tracker like you did with Modern Warfare 3. You’ll be able to view your career summary, view stats from recent matches, edit your classes and check your progress in challenges. That, we expected.

What’s new in the Elite app for Black Ops 2 is the ability to join and manage clans, and access Call of Duty Elite TV to check out live streams of in-progress matches, video walkthroughs and more.

Activision made all of this free back in mid-October so you won’t have to shell out another $50 for premium features. Elite Founder Status members don’t get anything special here, either, but if you bought Black Ops 2 then you can find your Founder emblems under the Barracks section of the multiplayer menu within the game itself. It’s not a bad app to have sitting on your phone at all so be sure to grab it from the Google Play Store if you’re still into the multiplayer craze that is Call of Duty.


Sega’s Jet Set Radio finally gets an official release date for Android

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 12:17 PM PST

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Released back in 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast, Jet Set Radio has long held the top spot as one of my top 10 favorite video games of all time. Yes, it’s that good. To say I was ecstatic when the HD remake was finally released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles a few weeks ago is an understatement. But, as so often is the case with console titles, my busy “on-the-go” lifestyle doesn’t afford me the luxury of sitting on my couch for more than 10 minutes at a time.

You can imagine my excitement when I learned that the Sega/Smilebit classic would also be making its way to Android and although we didn’t have an actual release date back when we first told you guys about it (summer has long come and gone), today we finally have a firm date to peg on the title. Mark your calenders for November 29th and get ready to skate, grind, and graffiti your way across a cel shaded Tokyo. This has got to be one of the best years ever for Android gamers. Now where’s Crazy Taxi?


YouTube Link

[SegaBlog]


Google Plus now allows 1-Click download of Android apps

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:50 AM PST

Over the past several weeks I’ve been using Google Plus much more and have really been enjoying it. I find it the perfect medium between Facebook and Twitter, and with some irritating maneuvers by Facebook in months past, I’m happy to be using an alternative. A recent update by Google to the web version of Google Plus has made the recent shift even more enjoyable: 1-click download of Android Apps.

Now whenever you post a link to an Android app from the Google Play store, users who do not have the app installed will be shown an install prompt where they can easily install the app to their device with one click. It’s a very simple update but I think it will be incredibly effective as it streamlines the suggestion and download process of apps. As you can see in the above image, we tested it out flawlessly by linking to Phandroid News. It will be interesting to see how many downloads we get from the test.

Head on over to Google Plus, circle us up, try linking to one of your favorite apps, and let us know what you think about this new feature!


Sprint bringing 4G LTE to its PAYG subsidiaries [RUMOR]

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:45 AM PST

With increased pressure from the likes of Cricket and MetroPCS, it appears Sprint won’t let its pay-as-you-go carriers operate without meeting the competitive edge that the aforementioned carriers have established. According to leaked marketing documents Sprint might be bringing 4G LTE to its Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile soon.

It wouldn’t be the first 4G network for Sprint’s PAYG subsidiaries. Boost and Virgin both enjoyed WiMax for a short time, but with Clearwire’s struggles to roll coverage out and Sprint’s plans to phase WiMax out of its life this is significant news for anyone who prefers the smaller cousins of the Now Network.

Since they all share the same spectrum and radios it wouldn’t be much extra work to get Boost and Virgin up and going on Sprint’s ongoing LTE rollout. Sprint will likely take care of the other end of the hurdle — devices — by simply rebranding some of the more affordable LTE options already available on its end.

There’s no telling when, exactly, this is all going down but if marketing materials are indeed being prepared then we could be as close as a few weeks out (though it’s still entirely possible we’re as far as a few months out, too). Whatever might happen, if you’re a Boost or Virgin faithful and you’ve been dying to get some 4G LTE in your life you can rest easy knowing you likely won’t need to switch carriers to get in on the fun.

[via A&M]


Android Robot rocks out as desktop Pal Bot speaker [CONTEST]

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 10:46 AM PST

Use the promo code PHANBOT to get a special deal on the Go groove Palbot: only $21.99 with free shipping!

We’re halfway through publishing our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, but I couldn’t resist sharing the awesomeness (and special PHANBOT offer) of the desktop android robot speaker called “Palbot”. It looks great, sounds great, it’s LOUD, it’s portable, the design/function was well thought out, and it gives you that Android robot love that emobdies the very personality of Phandroids around the world.

With the holidays coming up, the Go Groove Palbot makes an exceptional gift, and you’ll see it as one of my Editor picks tomorrow for the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. But I wanted to spread the holiday spirit around a little bit, so figured I would give one away, in addition to sharing some more detail on the actual device.

First of all, the Palbot is versatile: it can play music from ANY device that has a 3.5mm headset jack. That could be your phone, your laptop, or anything else so long as its got a 3.5mm port. The Palbot is as plug and play as it gets which was refreshing, and with 2 foot long cord, it’s simple as pie to plug it in to whatever you’d like without having to shuffle things around.

When I first plugged the Palbot in I was surprised how LOUD it was. This thing really rocks! I had my phone (Galaxy Nexus) on full blast, plugged in the Palbot expecting it to up the ante a bit, but this little guy took things to another whole level. The Pal Bot is like a portable dance party. Actually… let me show you exactly what I mean:

I was a bit worried that the loud music would cause the Palbot battery to drain quickly, but my concerns were alleviated for several reasons. First of all, the Palbot plays music continuously for 6 hours on a fully charged battery. Secondly, with a standard MicroUSB slot tucked neatly under the audio out cord, getting the Palbot charged is simple. And when it needs a charge, the glowing blue lights will turn purple and blink to signal you’re robot buddy is thirsty for some juice.

All that being said, after listening to music on my Palbot for an hour, I accidentally left him on before leaving for a weekend trip. On Friday I turned him on, accidentally left him on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and he was miraculously full of energy with eyes glowing blue when I returned. So if you’re not constantly playing audio, Pal Bot lasts much much longer than 6 hours on one charge.

I’ve actually had the Palbot for over a month now and I’d say he’s become a desktop companion. I hadn’t owned desktop speakers in quite some time and had constantly deferred to headphones for listening to music which was outrageously annoying. Now, I keep my buddy on the corner of my desk and he acts as a great decoration. When I’m plugging away, I’ll turn on some tunes (long-time Phans may recognize Ronald Jenkees as some of my favorite work music), pull the Palbot cord, and let the audio fill up the room.

Initially, I was also concerned that the back facing speakers would cause the audio to noticeably sound distant since it faced away from me. This was absolutely NOT the case. The Palbot has a subwoofer on the bottom and 2 back-facing speakers that are incredibly full bodied. At under $30 this thing is really a steal and I have no problem recommending it for yourself or as a gift to any Android enthusiast. Or even give it to your iPhone loving friends: it only needs the 3.5mm headset jack to work, and they’ll love it so much that even if they hate Android, they won’t be able to resist keeping it on their desk for all to see.

I love my Palbot and if you’re looking for holiday gifts, you should definitely take advantage of the $21.99 PHANBOT promo; it’ll only last for about 36 hours or until supplies last. It’s normally about $70 and it would be worth it at that price, but it’s discounted during the holidays for $30. At only $21.99 for our readers with free shipping? No brainer.

While ALL of you should order a Pal Bot for yourself, one of you will get a free Pal Bot. How can you enter to win? Simply add us to your circles on Google+ and comment on this post. And while you’re at it… considering circling me up, too!


Google TV update adds voice search, PrimeTime and more [VIDEO]

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:16 AM PST

Google is continuing to improve Google TV, a platform that needs as much tender, love and care as it can get as it struggles in retail. A new update has been announced for the platform that’ll add a few key features to enhance the experience.

For starters, you can now perform your searches using your voice should your Google TV unit have the microphones to do that. With voice search you can search the web, open apps, and even browse your channels. Simply saying “CNN” will whisk you over to the news network, for instance.

Next up is PrimeTime, a new guide experience that’ll let you browse new content to watch without taking you out of whatever you’re doing. You can browse while watching another movie or TV show, using the web browser or listening to music, for instance. PrimeTime will also suggest new content for you if you’re running out of ideas on what to watch.

In addition, the new YouTube remote play features announced yesterday are in this update. Be sure to read our post on that here. As for who can download this new upgrade and gain the much-appreciated functionality it adds, those with LG Google TV units will get the download “over the coming weeks,” while other devices (Google isn’t confirming which ones) will get it shortly afterward.

[Google via GTVSource]


In light of HTC settlement, Samsung’s JK Shin still sees no deal with Apple

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 08:24 AM PST

When HTC and Apple came to an agreement on a 10-year cross-licensing deal, those of us sick of hearing about a new patent lawsuit every week were hopeful that similar settlements could be reached in other high-profile cases. This won’t be the case with Samsung, according to top dog JK Shin. The Samsung Mobile chief said, “Regardless of HTC’s settlement with Apple, we have no intention [to settle].”

Yes, Samsung plans to fight this out until the bitter end, and why wouldn’t they? Despite a recent loss in the US courts that, depending on how appeals play out, will see the Korean mobile maker forking over $1 billion in damages to Apple, their fortunes have been better elsewhere. A court in the UK ruled that Samsung did not infringe on Apple’s iPad design and ordered the Cupertino, Calif. company to post a notice on their site clarifying the matter for their customers (an order which was disobeyed and saw Apple fronting Samsung’s court costs).

That is not to mention speculation that the deal between HTC and Apple favors the latter company. Industry sources have come forward saying that Apple could be owed $6-$8 for every handset HTC ships. Samsung could afford such a settlement more easily than HTC, but it sounds like the company would much rather duke it out than come to a peaceful resolution outside the courtroom.

Apple and Samsung have both been stubborn throughout their numerous legal battles, with neither company ceding ground easily. A settlement would ultimately come down to one side buckling before the other, and it sounds like Samsung isn’t prepared to be the one to wave the white flag.

[via SammyHub]


AT&T 4G LTE launches in Milwaukee, Denver, Louisville and more

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:37 AM PST

AT&T has just announced the launch of LTE for several new cities. There are some major ones here so quite a few of you are sure to be pleased. New cities with Ma Bell’s super fast speeds include Milwaukee, WI; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Orlando, FL; York, PA; Tacoma, WA; Annapolis, MD; and Provo, UT.

While we’re never angry to see new LTE launches at any capacity, it’s especially refreshing to see a list of cities that (hopefully) most people can point out on a map. The break neck pace that Verizon’s employed still hasn’t been matched by any other carrier, but progress is progress and we’re glad to see AT&T continuing to roll its network out for the benefit of users everywhere.

Those who have bought a smartphone within the past few years are likely to have 4G LTE radios inside, and you can trust me when I say I know how it feels to have a smartphone that I know can’t reach its full potential because of the area I live in. If you have a 4G smartphone be sure to give it a whirl with a speed test or two, and let us know how the new speeds are treating you in the comments section below!

[via AT&T]


T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S3 gets Android 4.1 update

Posted: 14 Nov 2012 07:18 AM PST

Just as T-Mobile’s network is graced with its first Android 4.2 device, another is dipping its hand in the Jelly Bean jar. TMo’s Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGH-T999) is now receiving its update to Android 4.1.1. While it isn’t the latest version of the Jelly Bean software, users can still expect plenty of enhancements, including Google Now and the performance-enhancing Project Butter. As part of tweaks to Samsung’s TouchWiz UX comes an improved pop-up play experience with resizable second window.

The official designation for the new software version is T999UVDLJA/JRO03L. It will reach users as an over-the-air update, but can also be installed directly using Samsung Kies. T-Mobile is the second US carrier to deploy Jelly Bean for their Galaxy S3 handsets, following Sprint’s launch of the OS refresh last month. The remaining US service providers are expected to roll out the update in the coming months.

[via SamMobile]