Thursday, December 20, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Google gets tough with Moto, sells off its set-top business to Arris Group for $2.35 billion

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:15 AM PST

Motorola-Mobility-and-google-logo

It's a well-known fact that Google acquired Motorola Mobility, which it did early in the year after taking $12.5 billion out the bank, to gain control of Moto's rich portfolio of patents.

While some of the patents have been deemed invalid by ITC in the fight against Apple, Google has scored a win elsewhere, as it's getting ready to offload one of Motorola's profitable business units, Motorola Home, to Arris Group Inc.

The set-top business unit, according to a Reuters report, will be sold to Arris for $2.35 billion in cash and stock, with Google stands to gain 15.7% ownership of the cable equipment maker. The deal is expected to be completed by Q2 2013.

Analysts said that Google is eager to revamp Motorola by making the company focus more on its mobile phone business. Despite Motorola Home making $3.4 billion in revenues in its latest financial quarter, Google has no qualms about selling the broadband business unit.

We have yet to see the full effect of the Google takeover on Motorola's hardware lineup, but customers sporting Moto's Android phones and tablets are seemingly getting faster software updates. What we're most interested to see is whether or not there will be a Nexus device from Moto in 2013.

Related Posts

Sources: Nexus 7 price drop coming in Q1 2013 with thinner, lower-cost screens

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:10 AM PST

Google Nexus 7 robertnelson/Flickr

Is a cheaper Nexus 7 on the way? Industry suppliers cited as sources in a recent DigiTimes report seem to think so. Apparently, Nexus 7 units that are currently in production make use of a new, lower-cost touchscreen technology that is expected to bring the price down all the way to $99 a piece.

The new touchscreen technology, called glass-film-film or GFF, hails from a company called O-Film Tech which started shipping products for the Nexus 7 this month. This is according to a report on the Taiwanese DigiTimes, where it is also said that GFF will not only make the Nexus 7 cheaper, but thinner as well.

A $99 Nexus 7 would be very appealing, for sure, but according to the same report mentioned above, some market observers already suspect it won’t be possible to price it that low; that the lowest possible price for the ex-flagship Google tablet, at least for now, lies somewhere in the $129-$149 range. This is because of supposed limits on “how far the companies can drive down costs in their supply chain.”

In any case, a price drop on the Nexus 7 is probably inevitable once 2013 finally rolls around. But just how much of a price drop this is going to be exactly still remains to be seen.

Related Posts

Meizu MX2 goes on sale in China, Hong Kong and Russia starting at $387

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:02 AM PST

Meizu-MX2

Although it may not be as exciting as Oppo's Find 5 or ZTE's Nubia Z5, the Meizu MX2 is still one of the coolest Android smartphones to come out from someone other than the well-established names in the industry.

We've seen the MX2 get its formal introduction about three weeks ago, and now, right on schedule, the "beast" is up for grabs. As expected, China gets a front-row seat at this big guy's launch party, but the largest country in the world is not alone, being joined by Hong Kong and… Russia.

Wait, what? Russia gets the MX2 already? But that means the rest of Europe might get a piece of the pie too and maybe even the US. Well, it does and it doesn't, because it's not exactly unusual for Chinese phones to reach Russia, which is a part of Asia as much as Europe, but not other countries outside the world's largest continent.

You may not be too happy to hear about MX2's Russian price either, which is a lot heftier than the one in China or Hong Kong. The 16 GB version goes in the "Federation" for no less than 17,997 rubles, or around $585. As for the 32 GB model, that's 2,000 rubles more, or $650 in total.

meizu-mx2-2

Meanwhile, Chinese tech enthusiasts can get the MX2 for as little as RMB 2,499, which translates into around $398 based on today's conversion rates. That's the 16 GB model's price, while the version with double the storage goes for RMB 2,999, or $477.

Meizu's MX2 is even cheaper in Hong Kong, where it starts at HK$ 2,999 (US$ 387). The 32 GB variant is only HK$ 3,299, or US$ 425. No words on the 64 GB version's price in any of the three countries, but we should probably hear something on that soon enough.

Now let's recap the spec sheet real fast, try to collect our thoughts and see what would be a fair price to ask in the West. We have a 4.4-inch "gapless" display with a 1,280 x 800 pixels resolution and 347 PPI, a quad-core 1.6 GHz "MX5S" CPU (based on ARM's Cortex A9 architecture), 2 GB of RAM, an 8 MP rear-facing snapper, a 2 MP front-facing cam, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, GPS, a 1,800 mAh built-in battery, and Android 4.1-based Flyme 2.0 OS.

Enough to be worth $585? Don't think so. How about $400? Hells to the yeah, though we're still a bit worried about the non-removable battery, lack of microSD support and the tainting with the "pure Google experience" of our beloved Android. How about you, would you pay 400 bucks for this? 500? 585?

Related Posts

No surprise: Samsung doubled its Android market share this year

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:56 AM PST

samsung-logo

It's been a good year for Samsung, and there's more new good news for the world’s top smartphone manufacturer. According to research conducted by Millennial Media, a mobile advertising company, Samsung has doubled its share of the Android market in the last 12 months.

Samsung held a 23% share of the market in Q3 2011, with HTC holding the top spot with 32%. However, over the past year HTC and Motorola saw their shares halve, and LG has also suffered a large drop as well. Samsung has seen itself leap to the front of the market, with its share doubling by the third quarter of 2012 to a total of 46% of the Android market. There was also a 125% increase in the market share of other manufacturers besides the big four, which is an interesting development.

android chart 2012

With Android overtaking iOS as the most common smartphone platform and the news that Samsung are by far the largest manufacturer in the Android market, it's no wonder that the company is posting outstanding profits this year. This has no doubt been down to the success of their flagship devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 selling really well. In my opinion though, the other half of Samsung's success has been their direct approach when it comes to challenging the previous smartphone kingpin, Apple.

The Galaxy series of smartphones were designed to directly compete with the quality, technical prowess and, probably most importantly of all, the public perception of Apple handsets. This is where Samsung’s success really lies, they've managed to persuade consumers that there are alternatives to iOS, and that there are handsets on the Android platform which are far more desirable as the iPhone.

But what does the future hold for Samsung; can they continue this success into 2013? Well if the Galaxy S4 turns out to be as popular as the previous Galaxy phones, then other Android manufacturers are really going to have to pick up the pace if they want to keep up.

Do you think Samsung can reach over 50% market share sometime next year?

Samsung to show off flexible displays at CES 2013

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:43 AM PST

Samsung flexible display

Samsung could be adding a "twist" to the smartphone market at CES 2013.

According to CNET, the Korean conglomerate will use the occasion to show off its long-awaited flexible displays. Samsung Display, a sister company of Samsung Electronics, will display its newly developed bendable screens that might replace the current hard substrate-based panels on phones, tablets and other consumer electronics.

Visitors will have the chance to see a 5.5-inch flexible screen designed for smartphones, featuring a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution (HD) and a pixel density of 267ppi. Samsung will also present its latest TV sized 55-inch screen to the visitors.

However, don’t expect to see any bendable devices at the Las Vegas show. So far, Samsung’s flexible screens only offer the freedom to design devices that feature new and interesting form factors — think curved screens or smart bezels. Samsung specified that the bendable displays cannot be rolled, so don’t expect anything crazy. Also, the manufacturer has to figure out how to integrate the flexible displays with other components, such as touch panels.

It’s good to see that Samsung is working hard on improving the quality of its flexible screens, given that modern consumers expect nothing less than HD resolutions.

Related Posts

Google touts Photo Sphere feature on Nexus 4 in new ad [video]

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:19 AM PST

Nexus-4-photosphere-ad

Are you coming home for the holiday? Do you have a big family? If so, you're the perfect target audience for the latest Nexus 4 ad, which was released by Google in time for the holiday.

If you're not familiar with Photo Sphere, it's basically a camera feature on devices running Android 4.2, the Nexus 4 included, that lets you take 360-degree and wide-angled shots. It's an awesome feature that Google thinks is great for taking family photo during the festive season.

The Cheris, the real family featured on the commercial, are taking advantage of Photo Sphere. From the video, we can see how easy it is to take a group picture even when they're sitting or standing apart from each other. There's no need to cram everyone in one place to fit the shot.

If you like the ad, be sure to check the other Nexus 4 ad that LG released yesterday.

Related Posts

Project “Azalea” could be Apple’s attempt to replace Samsung as its processor manufacturer

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:11 AM PST

apple-a6-chipA few weeks ago Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, told NBC that Apple is to begin manufacturing one of its Mac lines exclusively in US, he also added that the company had been working on “doing more and more” in the US. Details are now emerging that states like New York and Oregon have been courting a semi-conductor company which plans to build a 3.2-million-square-foot factory that could employ up to 1,000 people. This mysterious company is going by the codename “Azalea”.

According to various rumors “Azalea” is none less than the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) which is the world’s largest independent semiconductor manufacturer. Moreover, TSMC plans to build the new plant so that it can take over ARM chip production for Apple.

The battle between Apple and Samsung has been well documented and it is clear that Apple wants to cut as many links as it can with Samsung. Currently Apple’s processors like the A5 and the A6X are built by Samsung at a chip factory in Austin, Texas. If the rumors are true then Apple will get rid of Samsung and go with TSMC.

The Taipei Times is reporting comments by Manish Nigam of Credit Suisse saying that Apple may make the switch from Samsung to TSMC as soon as the second quarter of 2013. The earlier than expected move would see Apple use TSMC’s 28-nanometer process. The A6X is currently made using Samsung’s High-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process. Previously, Credit Suisse said it expected Apple to move away from Samsung late next year or by early 2014 and jump straight to a 20nm process.

Related Posts

Official Nexus 7 docking station can now be pre-ordered for $39.99

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:05 AM PST

Nexus-7-docking-station

Where are all the cool accessories for the Nexus 7? As one of the hottest Android tablets around, one would think that the market would be inundated by them, but that hasn't been the case at all. If it wasn't for the recent unboxing video of the official docking station for the N7, we'd have forgotten that it even existed.

Fortunately, for those who have been watching the video over and over again, the Nexus 7 docking station can now be pre-ordered from the B&H website.

The dock is selling for $39.99 there, but note the expected shipping date hasn’t been listed. It comes with a micro USB port, which lets you charge the slate while it's sitting on the dock looking pretty, as well as a 3.5mm audio output. No, the docking station doesn't come with video output.

Close to six months after the tablet was launched by Google, we're finally seeing signs of the official audio dock being released. Are you planning to get one?

Related Posts

HTC One XL in East Asia gets Jelly Bean, AT&T might follow soon

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:02 AM PST

HTC-One-XL-Jelly-Bean

Unlike its international counterpart that's powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, the HTC One X that's released in the U.S. (via AT&T) and select markets uses a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, which integrates LTE into the SoC.

Also known as the One XL, we've seen HTC confirming back in July that it will be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Fast forward to December, it seems the update has now hit the phone in Singapore and Taiwan.

As reported by The Android Soul, HTC is now rolling out the software update version 3.17.707.1 to the One XL. It's a pretty huge update, both size-wise (657.98 MB) and what it packs inside. Android 4.1 and all its buttery features are a given, but it will also bring HTC Sense 4+, better camera performance, new landing page and gallery, and power management improvement.

If you've been waiting for the day for Jelly Bean to come, now it's a good time to check for the update on the Software Updates menu on your phone.

As for AT&T's HTC One XL, we heard that the carrier is now still in the early phase of testing the new firmware. It might be released in the coming days or weeks. We'll keep you posted.

Related Posts

Official CyanogenMod nightlies available for the International Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 09:15 PM PST

CyanogenMod
There are a lot of popular custom ROMs out there, but perhaps none more popular than CyanogenMod. The legendary AOSP development team has recently begun releasing their latest work, called CyanogenMod 10.1. It’s based on Android 4.2 and the team is supporting more devices all the time. Among their most recent additions to the CM 10.1 list is the Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II.

To clarify, we’re talking about the International versions of the Note and Note II. They are otherwise known as the N7000 and N7100 respectively. It’s important to note –see what we did there?– that the N7105, or the LTE-enabled Note II, is not included.

For now, they are in the nightlies stage, which means there will likely be a new release every day or every few days. The first appeared on December 18th. For those who don’t know, nightlies are daily releases that have the latest patches and developments included. It could be a fix, it could break something else.

Are there any major issues with these CyanogenMod nightlies?

Well, that is the fun of flashing a nightlies build. Unless you read the change logs, you really can’t tell what will work and what won’t in the next release. However, if these are official, it’s safe to assume that most of the big things like calling, texts, data, etc should work pretty well.

To get the ROMs, you can find the downloads for the International Galaxy Note N7000 here and the Galaxy Note 2 N7100 here. If you’re having trouble finding the right GAPPs, you can find them all here here. Who is going to be giving these ROMs a run? Let us know what you think of them.

Related Posts

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Google sells Motorola’s cable set-top unit for $2.35 billion

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:59 PM PST

This image has no alt text

Looks like Google is about to add a nice amount of change into their bank account with official word that ‘ol Googs is selling Motorola’s cable set-top unit for a cool $2.35 billion. Cable equipment manufacturer Arris is the new buyer and will pay up $2 billion in cash and $300 million in stock to Google, giving Arris a nice portfolio of patents and Google 15.7% ownership of Arris.

Today’s news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Ever since Google bought Motorola for $12.5 billion last year we’ve heard talk that Google was planning on selling off the cable unit. Even though some were hoping Motorola’s set top unit could be used to further push Google TV, doesn’t seem Google had much different plans, keeping Motorola afloat being one of them. Deal is expected to close during the first half of next year.

[Motorola]

Dropbox snatches up online photo sharing service Snapjoy – Looks to go head-to-head with Flickr and Picasa

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 03:05 PM PST

This image has no alt text

Dropbox has long held the title of top dog among cloud storage options, offering a fair amount of free storage with their reasonably priced GB options, and of course, desktop syncing. But with rival services from Cubby, Box, SugarSyc and even Google Drive, quickly encroaching on their turf, it seems Dropbox is having to think outside the, ahem, box if they want to keep their throne as the one — and only place — to store all your digital goods.

Last week we told you guys about Dropbox’s acquisition of Audiogalaxy, a streaming music service that allowed users to combine their own music with streaming radio. Having GB’s upon GB’s of storage is great, but wouldn’t it be make sense if you can store, sync, and stream your entire music library across devices? Looks as if Dropbox is thinking the same.

Today, Dropbox is continuing to make big moves in the world of the online storage, landing themselves with yet another piece of the “cloud domination” puzzle after acquiring Snapjoy — a photo storage and sharing service similar to Flickr/Picasa/etc. Uploading my photos to the cloud for secure storage is all good and dandy, but when it comes to sharing, Dropbox currently leaves a lot to be desire. Hopefully with Snapjoy under their wing, we’ll have a nice alternative to Instagram.

Just like with Audiogalaxy, Snapjoy has frozen signups and in a company statement posted to their blog, mirrored Audiogalaxy’s saying they look forward to working with Dropbox and their 100 milllion+ users. I’ve always been particularly fond of Dropbox and their latest move will keep them ahead of the pack when it comes to cloud storage services. I am excite.

[Snapjoy Blog | via TechCrunch]

Peter Molyneux’s Populous reboot GODUS passes funding goal on Kickstarter

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST

When gaming hero Peter Molyneux — who worked on brilliant titles such as Fable, Black and White and Populus — picked up his creative genius and decided to leave Lionhead Studios many wondered what he would be up to. Instead of being the hotshot lead game designer at an existing high profile studio, Molyneux decided to form his own independent studio.

The first project of the studio was a weird one, no doubt. The game featured a single cube sitting in empty white space with seemingly nothing to offer but the intrigue of it is that something could be at the center of the cube. Users would take their virtual pickaxes and chop away as they looked to discover what was beneath the shell of the structure.

Molyneux launched the project for many different reasons, he said. For starters, it was an experiment of psychological measure. Molyneux wanted to know how far people would go to find out what was under the cube, and how many people would be willing to spend more money on better pickaxes to get to the center. It was also a test of simultaneous multiplayer on mobile, though this aspect of it wasn’t nearly as interesting as. It was his “guinea pig” game, of sorts, but it wasn’t close to being the first big end game.

The end game, if we’re calling it that, is GODUS, a new mobile title that has yet to be realized but will become reality after a successful round of Kickstarter funding. GODUS brings a genre of video games that Molyneux himself helped pioneer to mobile (and potentially  other platforms) — the “god” genre.

Molyneux himself describes GODUS as the spiritual reinvention of Populous, the game that started it all. You play the higher power, the the aura in the sky, the ruler of men, if you will. Starting out, users will get two “believers” on a piece of land who will look to begin building their houses to start a new life under your rule.

You can manipulate the various surfaces of the landscape to make it easier for new believers to come and build their own houses and buildings. Before too long a kingdom will begin to grow on its own, and you’ll have thousands of these tiny people living on for your cause. But you’re probably asking “well, what is my cause?” Details are scarce right now, but the idea will be to tie multiplayer into this concept and exist in the presence of other gods. Your opponents will have their own followers who believe in the idea of their ruler.

Heads will bump, eventually, and one side will inevitably decide that their kingdom deserves the rest of the land allotted to them. The earthlings of the two sides will clash, fighting for the right to spread belief in your existence.

You won’t always be sitting idly by, watching your people struggle to stay alive. The “belief” points you gain can be used to send miracles down to your people to help them in their quests. You can bring other civilizations to their fiery doom if you so please, or use your powers to help your own land grow and flourish.

War is only one angle, though — you could just sit and watch your people grow if you want, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But the meat and potatoes of god games has always been to face the biggest challenges your people face in their desire to spread out, and war is no doubt a huge part of that.

The gameplay you see above is only prototypical work that was concocted in just under two weeks’ time, but Molyneux says the project will accelerate quite fast once it has secured the Kickstarter funds. Speaking of funds, the project is due to end in just under 50 hours, and while it has already surpassed its goal it hasn’t surpassed it by much.

There is incentive to get that funding pot even bigger, though, as several stretch goals have been put in place. You can find more details on the new stretch goals in the image above, and head to the Kickstarter project if it sounds like something you want to pledge some dollars (or, in the case of this UK-based studio, pounds) to.

[via GameFans]

First Nexus 4 commercial uploaded to YouTube – Showcases Photo Sphere family portraits [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:40 PM PST

This image has no alt text

Just in time for Christmas (but maybe a little bit late) Google has finally uploaded their very first, official Nexus 4 commercial. The video on YouTube shows off a family who, after gathering together for the holidays, takes a unique family portrait like only the Nexus 4 (or Jelly Bean 4.2) can. Using Photo Sphere, the video shows an almost flawless 360 degree panorama shot, and although probably not the most practical use for the feature, the end result came out suspiciously well.

Of course, this commercial will only go so far. Even if piquing interest in the device, the Nexus 4 in both storage configurations is still currently sold out on the Google Play Store. Maybe Google should have uploaded a Valentine video instead. Oh, and if you’d like, you can take a gander at the Photo Sphere’d family portrait on Google+ where it’s currently available for everyone — actors included — to view.

[Google+]

Would you buy a phone with built-in… airbags? [POLL]

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:32 PM PST

There have been a lot of inventions and innovations to behold over the years. Many advances have been made in mobile alone, including small cameras, mini projectors, NFC chips and more. All of that may not seem amazing in the here and now — we’re quite used to the usual bells and whistles of today’s smartphones, after all. But I bet not many have ever thought about this one: airbags.

That’s right, what would you say to a phone that came with a working airbag system? The idea was put in the spotlight by the Interesting Engineering Google+ account. Said system would use sensors which could calculate sudden changes in velocity and direction to determine if a phone is about to fall, and would react as a car would following sudden impact.

The airbags would protrude from the top and bottom of the phone, creating a nice air-cushioned buffer between the point of impact and the phone itself to protect it from any damage. The illustration also shows how the phone could emit jets of air to change the phone’s trajectory before it slams against the pavement or whatever it is about to hit.

I can’t think of any OEM that would be crazy enough to implement such a thing even if it is possible to engineer in a practical way. For starters, doesn’t a simple shock-absorbing case suffice for most people? Heck, even bumper cases can provide enough protection against your typical drops and tumbles. Also, what customer is going to want to have to restore the airbags after each and every drop?

And to that fact, who’s going to want to deal with the headaches of false readings? I’m not sure how precise a sensor would have to be to make sure it doesn’t become a problem, but I surely wouldn’t want my phone to vomit bags and air if I decided to jump for whatever reason. Still, it’s an interesting idea that makes you wonder what more could be done to help protect users’ smartphones.

Apparently this technology has been patented by someone but we can’t seem to find any details on that. Interesting Engineer suggests patents exist not only for airbag mechanisms inside phones, but inside cases, as well. It could be a very nice piece of tech for case manufacturers to present to those working in conditions where drops might be common, such as construction.

It’s not something I’d want on my smartphone full time, but if I could buy a case to take on days where I think I might need added protection it would be nice to have. There are a lot of questions surrounding the idea, but it all comes down to this: would you buy one? Be it a phone or a case, would you accept the airbags movement?

Almost everything under the sun has been done in terms of smartphones so it wouldn’t surprise us that someone — anyone — is already looking at doing something like this to give them the edge that’s needed to make noise in today’s crowded market. Be sure to vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts with a quick comment.

[Update]: After further review, it looks like this is Amazon’s doing. Oh, Amazon. Now bring us a smartphone. Thanks everyone!

Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC Thunderbolt coming ‘soon’

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:35 AM PST

HTC Thunderbolt owners hoping for an Ice Cream Sandwich treat to relieve the dog days of summer were sorely disappointed when the update missed its targeted August release date. Even worse, it seemed all signs were pointing towards a future without Android 4.0 for the aging Verizon handset. But wait just a minute, HTC has once again put some hope back into our hearts.

In a response to the curious tweet of one Thunderbolt user, the @HTCUSA account said, “ICS will be here soon,” adding, “Thanks for your continued patience!” And patience here is key, as there is no telling what HTC’s exact idea of “soon” really is.

The Thunderbolt is nearing the two year anniversary of its unveiling at CES 2010 so we should consider ourselves lucky that HTC and Verizon are even pushing ahead with ICS for the handset. Similar devices such as the HTC Desire HD weren’t so lucky, despite having a fairly equivalent set of hardware.

[via Android and Me]

Verizon Galaxy Note 2 Developer Edition confirmed

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 09:38 AM PST

When Samsung announced the Galaxy S3 for Verizon it almost immediately let us know that a developer edition would be on its way. You see, Verizon’s versions typically get developer releases because the consumer-ready devices come with locked and encrypted bootloaders.

Since the same announcement wasn’t made immediately following the announcement of Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 we feared there wouldn’t be a developer edition of the device coming. Of course, developer Adam Outler put all worries to rest when he unlocked the Verizon Note 2′s bootloader not too long ago.

Still, it would have been nice to have that sort of access straight from Samsung and/or Verizon. Well those looking to get an official developer edition of the device — which will either ship with an unlocked bootloader or ship with a method to unlock its bootloader — can now rest easy because Samsung has seemingly confirmed its existence on its own website.

A new product page for a 16GB developer edition has been published this morning. The page doesn’t feature anything we don’t already know about the device itself — it will still feature 16GB of internal storage, a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and that glorious 5.5 inch HD display with S Pen — and there isn’t even an email sign up form to be notified of its arrival, but there it is regardless. We’ll be reaching out to Samsung and Verizon for more formal word on the release, but until then just know that a developer-friendly edition of one of the biggest (both figuratively and literally) devices of the year is on its way.

[via Samsung]

Official RedBox Instant app sneaks into the Play Store; rooted users need not apply

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 08:44 AM PST

We’ve been hearing a lot about Redbox Instant as of late. It has been rumored to be a collaboration between Redbox and Verizon, a natural marriage considering the “red” nature of both companies. A competitor to the likes of Netflix, Redbox Instant will allow you to access a nice collection of movies instantly via streaming. It’s a paid monthly service that Redbox seems to claim will provide more value than Netflix, and checking it out for the first month will cost you no more than the time and bandwidth it takes to download.

One problem is that the app doesn’t seem to be working for rooted devices. Since the error message rooted users receive is a generic error code we can’t tell if Verizon and Redbox meant to implement this restriction, but as it stands Redbox is enjoying an unhealthy dosage of one-star reviews in the Play Store due to the restriction.

The Redbox instant app goes beyond the streaming aspect of it as it has incorporated mobile Redbox reservation features. You can reserve movies at your local box to ensure the movies will be there before you drive out to pick it up. The free month you get will also net your 4 DVD credits so you can check out the physical Redbox service in full.

Other features of the app include the ability to buy and rent titles to watch on your devices, so if there’s one specific movie you want to see without being tied to a subscription option then that certainly is an option. We imagine the selection for buying and renting will be a lot deeper than the selection offered to you through the monthly streaming subscription so that’s one reason why you’d want to go that route for a movie night.

Strangely enough the app is available to non Verizon devices despite Verizon putting its stamp all over it. We’re not sure if this is an early mix-up (without an official announcement they probably didn’t expect it to matter) but let’s hope this isn’t an exclusive for Verizon customers — we would hate for anyone to be left out of the fun. Go ahead and take a look for yourself in the Google Play Store.

[Note]: As noted in the comments section, you’ll probably need an invitation code to use this app. You can grab one of those from this link. Also, users who are rooted can try disabling the superuser option in the latest superuser app in order to get the app to work. Disabling it when you want to use Redbox Instant and re-enabling it afterward should be a solid course of action for you without having to fully unroot your device. Similar options may exist in other root management apps so be sure to look through them and see if you can do the same.

[Thanks Thomas, Paul and David!]

Samsung confirms Exynos exploit; will work to fix as soon as possible

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:49 AM PST

A couple of days ago we told you guys about an exploit that the gracious developers of the Android community found within the kernels for the Exynos 4210 and 4412 chipsets. With this exploit, Exynos devices like the international Galaxy S2 and all Samsung Galaxy Note 2 units were vulnerable to malicious apps which could gain deep access to the system. It’s essentially a root exploit, and while that may sound all fine and dandy (the exploit is said to make rooting ridiculously easy) it would be a bad day if someone were to design an application specifically designed to attack it.

The community took the initiative in providing a fix, but that fix didn’t come without some bugs of its own as early testing proved to break the device’s camera as the files contributing to the exploit were related to that piece of hardware. Still, it showed a fix was possible and quite easy.

Samsung was quickly notified of these happenings and said they’d investigate the claims, but at that time the OEM couldn’t confirm whether or not they’d consider this to be a true issue. We had all the confidence in the world Samsung would agree with the development community, though, and that’s exactly what has developed this morning.

The manufacturer confirmed that the exploit existed, and has committed to providing a fix as fast as it can:

Samsung is aware of the potential security issue related to the Exynos processor and plans to provide a software update to address it as quickly as possible. The issue may arise only when a malicious application is operated on the affected devices; however, this does not affect most devices operating credible and authenticated applications. Samsung will continue to closely monitor the situation until the software fix has been made available to all affected mobile devices.

As we stated in our original report (and as Samsung reiterates here) most people need not worry too much about the exploit. Since you would need to download and install apps designed to attack the exploit then this can be easily avoided by watching what you download and making sure you’re downloading from credible, trustworthy sources.

This means making sure you’re getting applications from legit developers from places like the Google Play Store and the Amazon Appstore. Things get a little trickier when you venture outside those grounds, such as the free applications that are sometimes cooked up for our enjoyment on XDA, but even that is typically safe as the community houses mostly genuine developers.

And, really, if you’ve ever rooted your phone (no matter what the method) then you’re already using exploits to your benefit. This exploit is no different in that regard, but the ease of gaining root access through a kernel level hole is what’s troubling and is the main reason why this particular episode has gotten so much attention.

We’re sure a fix won’t take long to whip up for the Exynos devices affected by this exploit — after all, the development community made tremendous progress in just a few short hours. Samsung should be able to concoct a fix in no time, and the rollout should be following it soon after.

Unlocked devices would be first in line to receive the upgrade, obviously, while those with carrier specific devices would have to wait for carrier approval (though we imagine this is one thing most carriers won’t want to drag their feet on). Stay tuned to Phandroid as we look to provide the latest from the horse’s mouth down the line.

Multi-window update now available for T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:29 AM PST

As promised, T-Mobile is now delivering the multi-view update for their Samsung Galaxy Note 2, bringing users the ability to run multiple apps simultaneously in a windowed view. The update, which measures in at 73.29MB, also fixes a few bugs including missing calendar events and an unresponsive Gmail app. The update keeps the same Jelly Bean version as the phone’s previous software, Android 4.1.1.

Multi-window view is one of the most unique features to be added to Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, and it is designed to take advantage of the abundant screen real estate of the Note 2. However, not all apps will be compatible. Developers still need to add a few snippets of code to provide plug-and-play usability with Samsung’s fancy multi-tasking method.

As of this morning several members over at the XDA forums have reported receiving the new update. If you own the Note 2 on T-Mobile, you might try forcing the update via the settings menu.

[XDA via TheAndroidSoul]

Sony provides updates on Xperia Jelly Bean plans; some phones not invited to party

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:14 AM PST

Our friends at Sony have taken the time to update the masses on its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rollout plans for the foreseeable future. For starters, they’ve confirmed that the Xperia T, Xperia V and Xperia TX’s upgrades will go out as planned throughout the months of February and March. The Xperia P, Xperia J and Xperia Go will all be getting their upgrades from the end of March. The Sony Xperia Acro S, Xperia S, Xperia SL and Xperia ion will follow along “in the subsequent weeks.”

These days may be a bit of ways to way, but the important thing to remember is that Sony’s still thinking about you and that you’ll be upgraded to at least one form of Jelly Bean at some point. Folks with some of Sony’s other devices aren’t so lucky as the manufacturer has confirmed that some devices would be left out of the upgrade plans.

These devices include the Sony Xperia U, Xperia miro, Xperia tipo and the Xperia sola. And note that they aren’t saying they don’t know if they’ll upgrade these phones to Jelly Bean yet — Sony has expressly confirmed that they will not go beyond Ice Cream Sandwich in the way of major, non-critical upgrades.

You’ll need to look toward Android’s great development community to see if you can get your device going on the latest and greatest Android has to offer, but as most of these aren’t Sony’s most popular devices it may be a tough task to tackle. Be sure to look into that on Google at your earliest convenience.

[via Sony]

Stalk Santa with Google’s Tracker app and Chrome extension

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 06:30 AM PST

Tired of Santa having all the fun spying on us throughout the year deciding who has been naughty or nice? Thanks to Google you can now keep a watchful eye on the jolly old elf as he makes his holiday rounds. As Christmas Eve turns to Christmas Morning, the Google Maps Santa Tracker will follow St. Nick’s every cookie-eating move, and now you can keep tabs no matter where you are with the official Android app and Chrome extension.

Using everything we love about the Google Maps app for Android, Santa’s journey will be plotted against the backdrop of 3D cities or zoomed out to give a worldview, complete with a count of the number of presents delivered. If you are up late making a few extremely last minute purchases from Amazon, you can track Santa simultaneously with the Chrome extension. Maybe if he’s in the area he will even pick up your order from the nearest fulfillment center (a true Christmas miracle!).

How Google convinced Santa to put a GPS tracker in his sleigh, well that’s a question for the big man himself. Maybe he just enabled Latitude on his Android phone. Good thing Google is also giving people a direct line to Kris Kringle via Google Voice.

Check out more holiday fun and games at the Santa Tracker landing page. Then bake up a batch of snickerdoodles, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and let the Santa stalking begin!

[via Google]

Android Overload: Samsung drops case to ban Apple products in Europe, Sprint to have more spectrum than AT&T or Verizon, and more

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:33 AM PST

This image has no alt text

The Android Overload is the place where we stash all of the stories/articles/news bits that didn't make it onto our front page. But, just because they weren't featured doesn't mean they aren't worth taking a look at. In fact, there's almost always a little something here for everyone, so take a look around and let us know if you find any gems.

Apps

  • Google Play Books updated with pinch-to-zoom and read aloud feature. [Google Play]
  • PayPal updated with landcape mode and customized payment preferences. [Google Play]
  • Wunderlist 2 now available for Android. Fully redesigned to-do app. [Google Play]
  • Google Field Trip now available in the UK. [Google Play]
  • Twist now available for Android. Gives friends ETA’s for meetups. [Google Play]
  • Photo sharing app Flock — from the makers of Bump — now available for Android. [Google Play]

Everything else

  • Google brings the entire book of Genesis and the Ten Commandments to the cloud. [Google]
  • Microsoft and Motorola are millions of dollars apart in their valuations of key patents from law suit. [Reuters]
  • Android may have the market share, but here’s why Apple’s App Store pulls in more revenue. [Wired]
  • Huawei Ascend D2 “Dream Phone” pictured with 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core processor, 13MP camera and 3,000mAh battery. [GSMArena]
  • Sprint announces 6 new LTE markets. [Sprint]
  • Brazil gets the IGB Electronic SA “IPHONE”… and it runs Android. [MacRumors]
  • Red Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 coming soon. [SamMobile]
  • Sprint’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Clearwire will give it more spectrum than either AT&T or Verizon. [Quartz]
  • China is the single largest Android market with the US comign in a close 2nd. [Informa]
  • Study claims that MMS ads are 230 times more effective than in-app ads. [PandoDaily]
  • Samsung drops law suits to ban Apple products in Europe. [Reuters]
  • ITC judge ruled Motorola’s patent cannot be asserted against Apple. [Reuters]
  • Facebook will introduce video ads in use’s news feed in both the app and online — possibly with autoplay. [AdAge]

Samsung uploads new 2-minute Galaxy Camera commercial starring James Franco

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:19 AM PST

This image has no alt text

Samsung has been on fire lately, releasing a blitz of ad spots for their Galaxy line of smartphones. We’ve all seen ‘em, barristas waiting in line for the “next big thing,” and even a more recent ad featuring a husband, wife, and very naughty video.

Looks like the Galaxy Camera is next up for some commercial love. and to help spark further interest in the camera, Samsung has enlisted the help of none other than Pineapple Express’ James Franco. The YouTube video uploaded earlier today, showcases a variety of real world situations the Android-powered camera could come in handy for. That is, if you’re James-mother-effin-Franco and live like a rock star. Watch the video below and let me know what you think.

The Galaxy Camera is the first of its kind in that it’s a fully functional Android device rocking a quad-core processor and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Samsung pulled out all the stops on this one, making sure the Android experience didn’t take a back seat to solid camera tech. The device can be picked up right now on AT&T with a data-only plan, and also on Verizon Wireless taking advantage of their 4G LTE network. Make it a tad bit thinner with voice calling and you got me, Samsung.

[YouTube]

Android and Me

Android and Me


Top 10 Android game releases this week: Grand Theft Auto, Eufloria, PyraPlex, UberStrike

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:59 PM PST

Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our 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 you have any...

Visit our site to read the full article.

Google teases potential Nexus 4 customers with new ad

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST

“All I want for Christmas is the Nexus 4.” Too bad it’s perpetually sold out. Google blames LG for the shortages, yet that hasn’t stopped both companies from promoting the product with new ads. Check out this new Nexus 4 ad called “Holiday Photo Sphere” and let...

Visit our site to read the full article.

Android 4.0 update for HTC Thunderbolt “will be here soon”

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST

The wait for the HTC Thunderbolt Android 4.0 update may soon come to an end! A recent tweet from HTC claims that Ice Cream Sandwich for the Thunderbolt “will be here soon.” No further details about the update are given, but we now have confirmation that Verizon and HTC didn’t...

Visit our site to read the full article.

Day 19: Win a Google Nexus 7 (32GB HSPA+)

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 08:30 AM PST

Day 19 is here and that means another chance to win an awesome device in the 25 Days of Tegra. We've paired with our friends over at @NVIDIATegra to bring you a full month of giveaways and challenges, and things are starting to heat up. To enter to win today, your And Me Account will need [...]

Visit our site to read the full article.