Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Android Community

Android Community

NEC Medias W dual-screen Jelly Bean smartphone announced

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:08 AM PST

Today the folks from NEC have announced a brand new smartphone for NTT DoCoMo in Japan, and apparently they feel that two screens are better than one. I’m having Kyocera Echo flashbacks already, and they aren’t good. NEC is set to bring their first twin 4.3-inch screens smartphone to market in Japan, and it even runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean so check it out below.

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This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a clamshell design for a smartphone or a tablet, but they are still few and far between and usually don’t end too well. However, the NEC Medias W has a few things going for it that could actually prove to be useful. The specs are decent and the OS is up to date, something others in the past failed to deliver.

They’ve joined two 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 540 resolution displays that can be opened into one almost-square 960 x 1080 display. Thanks to the hinge on the back you can easily flip it around for regular use, or open it up and enjoy the larger screen and extra real estate. Then as usual they’re showing off the ability to use an entire display for the QWERTY keyboard and tons of dual-screen mode options.

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Under the hood you have a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM, and running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. You’ll get an 8 megapixel camera, 16GB of internal storage with micro-SD support, and a 2,100 mAh battery to last you through a day. Hopefully those two screens don’t drain the battery too quick. Then of course there’s 4G LTE available as well. This will be available in Japan starting in April according to reports. Who’s interested?

[via SlashGear]

AT&T buys more Alltel spectrum for $780 million

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST

Today AT&T and Alltel announced the plan to swap some more network spectrum in a deal that will net AT&T about 600,000 wireless customers and cost $780 million. AT&T is continuing their efforts to expand and increase their 4G LTE network and rollout, and this is just one of many steps they’ll be taking in 2013.

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The deal isn’t for all of Alltel and instead just a select piece of their wireless holdings throughout large rural areas in 6 states. Those being Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. The deal will see around 585,000 customers moved to AT&T, but as an end result they’ll be able to continue their expansion of 4G LTE with tons of new spectrum to work with.

We’re being told this is an all-cash transaction and Alltel’s CEO Michael Prior states this will be a good thing for those customers. They’ll have access to AT&T’s growing 4G LTE network and fast array of smartphone options moving forward. Go big AT&T. Go big!

For those unaware, in the past Verizon tried to snatch up all of Alltel and the FCC limited their grab, AT&T’s been snatching up pieces here and there as fast as they can to continue to add to their network. This is certainly a good start for AT&T in 2013. They made several purchases of spectrum last year from Comcast, NextWave, and other wireless spectrum options and look to continue that trend into 2013. They’re still behind Verizon in the LTE race but things are ramping up quickly.

[via BW]

Samsung Galaxy S IV codename revealed with rumored press render

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 10:05 AM PST

We recently covered the 2013 Samsung roadmap and noted the lack of Galaxy S IV information. But despite the roadmap slides not offering anything about the Galaxy S IV, we were fairly certain that more details would leak fairly soon. And well, it looks like that has happened. Included in this latest Galaxy S IV leak we have work of a codename and a possible press render.

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We say possible here because there are some reasons to believe this one could have been faked. The image was discovered by the Italian language TuttoAndroid site who claim to have found it on Picasa. The interesting part here, the image was apparently sitting undiscovered since December 27, 2012. Granted, having a press render hidden in plain site for a few weeks doesn’t make it a fake, but when you take that along with some other inconsistencies — we start to wonder. That being said, lets get into those reasons.

For example, the pic is showing the handset with a battery percentage, something we cannot remember seeing Samsung show on press renders before. Also, as was pointed out by the folks at SamMobile, the user interface looks rather similar to the Nature TouchWiz UX that is available on the Galaxy Note II. Still, while they cause us to question, they are not necessarily a guarantee. Otherwise, the Galaxy S IV is now said to be sporting the codename of Altius and expected to arrive on sale in mid April.

The being available for purchase in April would make sense, that is assuming the previous rumors suggesting a March 22 announcement prove to be true. Simply put, it looks like rumors are building on rumors at this point. The latest in terms of specs show further mentions of wireless charing support along with a 2600 mAh battery and availability in both black and white. Finally, previous rumors call for a 5-inch Full HD display, Exynos 5 Octa (8-Core) CPU, Mali-T658 (8-Core) GPU, 2GB of RAM, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

[via SamMobile]

Mozilla Firefox OS developer phones revealed to take on Android

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:44 AM PST

Today the folks at Mozilla have finally removed the wrapping paper off a few of their developer phones running the new Firefox OS. The plan here being these mid-range at best developer friendly phones called “Geeksphone” will be the starting point for developers to start coding for the new mobile OS. Loving Android, as well as watching the competition, we figured a quick post to show you what’s brewing was in order.

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The Firefox mobile OS has been in development for some time, although many probably aren’t too familiar with it. It’s based on the underlying Linux kernel modified for Android, so we share a few traits. They’ve been coding away in their dark caves and today are ready to finally let eager developers switch from Android for a moment and try coding on Mozilla’s Firefox. Don’t be gone for too long though guys, we love you here at Android Community.

Mozilla’s new mobile OS – at least for now – isn’t aimed at taking over Android or iOS. Instead they want an easy and intuitive operating system that will work wonders with budget friendly entry-level handsets. Both of their developer phones today are average at best, but remember they are only developer phones and the first of better things to come.

The “Peak” phone runs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor at 1.2 GHz, 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM, gets a 4.3-inch qHD display and an 8 megapixel camera with flash. Not too shabby but certainly not top tier for today’s standards. Then you’ll get WiFi N, Bluetooth, GPS, sensors and micro-SD support as expected. Then their “Keon” phone is more of a cheap unit for the poor college coder. It has a single core 1.0 GHz Snapdragon S1, 512MB of RAM, and only a 3.5-inch display and a 3 megapixel camera.

These phones fit in perfectly with Mozilla's ambitions to dominate the entry-level market, if they can get the project up and running and to the state which we all expect our phones to be at. Coding can take place at Firefox OS App Days, or with the OS Simulator. These phones will begin shipping to developers in February although we have no pricing at this time. Learn more about Firefox OS here. Does our beloved green Android need to worry, or is it too early to tell?

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[via SlashGear]

Samsung 2013 roadmap leaks: Further confirms the Galaxy Note 8.0 specs

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:22 AM PST

While nothing is official until we hear it directly, it looks like a 2013 device roadmap has recently leaked. This particular roadmap is for Samsung devices that are going to launch in the first half of 2013. And as many would likely assume given some of the recent rumors, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is included. Of course, on the flip side of the expected, there was no mention of the Galaxy S IV.

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That bit aside though, the roadmap slides offer further confirmation on the specs of the Galaxy Note 8.0. This particular slide lists the N5100 product number (which we have seen in the past) and details the specs as including an 8.0-inch 1280 x 800 display, quad-core 1.6GHz processor, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 4600 mAh battery, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There was also mention of the S Pen along with the key apps such as S Note, S Memo and S Planner. Otherwise, the Note 8.0 details show a March 2013 availability date (which seems to fit with a MWC announcement) along with 3G connectivity on the 850/900/1900/2100 MHz bands.

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Aside from the Note 8.0, these roadmap slides also show a Galaxy X Cover 2 with a 4.0-inch display and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy X Cover 2 is slated for February. Other handsets include the Galaxy Young, a single SIM and dual SIM version of the Galaxy Pocket Plus and some other low-to-mid level devices. Aside from a 4-inch display and Jelly Bean, the Galaxy X Cover 2 will arrive (in February) as a rugged device that is both dust and water-proof. The Galaxy X Cover 2 features also include a dual 1GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, a 1700 mAh battery, VGA quality megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Touching on the Galaxy Young. This handset is not expected to arrive until April, however it should fall into the low-priced category. The handset is being touted as a “compact full featured smartphone” and showing features to include a 3.0-inch WVGA display, 1GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1300 mAh battery, 3 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. And lastly, the Galaxy Pocket Plus, the single SIM variety is expected this month with the dual SIM model expected in February. The specs here include a 2.8-inch HVGA display, 850MHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, a 1200 mAh battery, 2 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Bottom line here, while this roadmap reveals quite a bit of what we can expect from Samsung as we head into 2013, we suspect that some will only be happy when additional Galaxy S IV details leak. Of course, judging from how those have already been coming in — we suspect more Galaxy S IV leaks will arrive sooner rather than later.

[via TechnoBuffalo]

HTC Sense 5 screenshots leak revealing a simpler skin

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:35 AM PST

Just as we have seen with previous versions of the HTC Sense user interface, screen captures for the next version have been leaking. These latest are for Sense 5, which is expected to get an official unveiling alongside the HTC M7 at Mobile World Congress. We have already seen a few images of Sense 5, however this time around, the leak comes courtesy of xda user mdeejay and brings a few additional pics.

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And nicely done, it looks like HTC is taking a simpler approach. Things appear to take shape right from the looks of the lock screen which appears to be sporting a much simpler clock and weather widget. You can also see the placement of four app icons with the unlock sitting directly in the middle. Without getting hands-on, we have to assume that a swipe of the lock icon will unlock things.

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Another screen capture includes a look at the home screen, which gives us another look at the clock and weather widget. We have to say, it is nice to see HTC shift away from the giant flip-clock and weather widget that took up a good portion of the home screen leaving little room for app icons. The icons are flat, they all appear to match and look good together and the font seems to have been improved.

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The remaining screen shots offer a look at the call screen and some settings screens. Similar to the home screen and lock screen, these both seem simpler and cleaner. Bottom line here, it looks like HTC is taking Sense 5 in a new direction style wise. Of course, while we may like what we have seen up until this point, we do have to remember that this is clearly not the entire picture. But we do expect to see that picture during MWC which takes place at the end of February.

[via SlashGear]

Samsung Mobile Unpacked Galaxy S IV event rumored for March

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:42 AM PST

The Galaxy S IV rumors continue to fly, which if nothing else, that seems to imply the Galaxy S IV is destined to be a device that is in high-demand come launch time. Of course, the key here — as we have yet to hear anything official from Samsung, many of those rumors are focusing on announcement dates. We know that the handset wasn’t announced during CES and we have heard that it will not be unveiled during Mobile World Congress either.

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Following that train of thought though, Samsung has been doing more and more private announcements such as the Mobile Unpacked events. And well, this latest Galaxy S IV rumor is talking about an upcoming event. More interesting, about an event that is supposedly scheduled for March 22 and taking place in the US.

We say supposedly only because similar to the previous rumors, this has yet to be confirmed by anyone at Samsung and therefor is still unconfirmed. The details have instead come by way of the Korean language asiae.co.kr website. Anyway, assuming the announcement does take place on March 22, we would expect carrier information to follow sooner rather than later. Lets just hope that the actual release dates are revealed close to, if not on the announcement date.

Otherwise, aside from the launch rumors, the Galaxy S IV is expected to bring a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera, Android Jelly Bean and support for wireless charging. Of course, a March announcement date does conflict with the previous rumors which were calling for an announcement in May.

[via Android Authority]

LG Optimus G Pro announced with 1080p display and quad-core processor

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:02 AM PST

A few leaks surfaced around the Optimus G Pro, however we can put all of those aside as LG has come forward with an official announcement. The catch being, LG has only announced the Optimus G Pro for one market. Of course, given the specs, we suspect that more than a few will hope to see this handset come available elsewhere.

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Before we go any further, lets mention where the Optimus G Pro will be launching — in Japan and with NTT DoCoMo as the carrier. Those in Japan will be able to make a purchase beginning in April. Similar to the limited information in terms of a global roll-out, LG also remained quiet on the pricing. Of course, we suspect that NTT DoCoMo will come forward with those details as we get closer to launch.

Pricing and availability aside, lets shift over to those specs. They begin with a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and a 5-inch 1080p IPS display. The handset measures in at 139 x 70 x 10mm, weighs in at 160 grams and will be released in Indigo Black and Platinum White. And as one would hope, the Optimus G Pro will launch with Jelly Bean, though it will be Android 4.1 as opposed to 4.2.

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Otherwise, the remaining specs round out with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot, 3000 mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and support for LTE, which with NTT DoCoMo, should be able to provide speeds up to 112Mbps down. The handset is also sporting a 2.4 megapixel front-facing camera and a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera.

[via SlashGear]

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 image and spec leak

Posted: 22 Jan 2013 06:29 AM PST

We have begun seeing more and more about an 8-inch Galaxy Note tablet. Of course, that is not to say that everything has been revealed just yet. In fact, it seems that we are at the beginning of the leaks. So far we have heard rumors about the GT-N5100 and that the Galaxy Note 8.0 was indeed going to be announced in February during Mobile World Congress. And well, as of today we have what is said to be an image of the Note 8.0.

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That being said, we will say right up from that we remain skeptical on this one. You can see the image above, and we will leave you free to make your own decisions, however just to name one issue — the display seems off. For one, check the lower left widget, it is showing the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). Granted, that is not to say it couldn’t, but it does seems strange that Samsung would choose to show off an older model tablet, while at the same time announcing a new tablet.

Also worth noting, unless Samsung does something rather unique here, we are uncertain that many are going to put that earpiece to use. Not to mention, the phone icon on the left side of the row of apps. But then again, maybe an 8-inch tablet with full phone capabilities could be something that would interest some. Another point to take, is also seems a bit strange that Samsung would offer a rear-facing camera without a flash.

Otherwise, included with this image are some specs. Those are listed as being a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 2GB of RAM, quad-core 1.6GHz processor, HSPA+ 21Mbps connectivity and an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display. Oh, and we cannot forget about the S Pen, which just so happens to be barely visible in the lower left hand side of the back of the tablet.

[via SamMobile]

Huawei Ascend G615 announced with quad-core and 4.5-inch HD display

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:41 PM PST

Huawei has more than just a few smartphones in the works early on here in 2013. While they only showed off two at CES, it’s apparent that they have multiple mid-range and high end smartphone coming soon. We’ve mentioned a few already this month but today Huawei just announced the Ascend G615. A quad-core mid-range phone with a 4.5-inch HD display and more.

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It’s no Ascend D2 but the 4.5-inch 1280 x 720p HD Ascend G615 looks pretty decent and will be headed to Germany and a few other international markets shortly. It’s quite similar to the recently announced G520, only they’re using a slightly different processor and there’s a few other differences. The Ascend G615 comes with Huawei’s own 1.4 GHz quad-core, instead of a MediaTek CPU.

Full specs for the new Ascend G615 are a 4.5-inch 1280 x 720p IPS HD display, Huawei’s own 1.4 GHz quad-core HiSilicon K3V2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, 8GB internal storage, and a decent 2,150 mAh battery under the hood. As usual we have WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-SD support and 1080p video recording to name a few.

The only downside to this otherwise decent smartphone is the fact that Huawei will launch it next month in Germany with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Not even 4.1 Jelly Bean. However they state an update to JB will arrive sometime in March, so that’s good news. Huawei’s been trying to offer their higher end phones outside of China, and it looks like this may be the first of many coming soon.

[via Unwired View]

Google preparing to delete passwords in favor of NFC security

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:08 PM PST

It looks like the future of passwords are at stake. Some new details have surfaced that Google will soon replace the way we use passwords to authenticate ourselves on computers, Gmail, mobile devices and more in favor of something more secure. What could that be? NFC. Imagine tapping an NFC ring on your finger to your laptop or smartphone to sign in. Interesting right?

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Multiple reports have surfaced that Google’s own engineers are currently working on several alternatives to the password as we know it today. Surely many of you have resorted to changing Facebook passwords, deleting old email accounts that were sending spam, and tons of other situations. Google feels the password isn’t secure enough for today’s internet and they want to fix it.

Apparently Google Vice President of Security Eric Grosse and Engineer Mayank Upadhyay have a few news bits in an upcoming security magazine detailing a few of their future plans, so we’ll know more soon. Many feel that passwords are the past and new ways will emerge in the coming month and years.

“Along with many in the industry, we feel passwords and simple bearer tokens such as cookies are no longer sufficient to keep users safe” — Eric Grosse and Mayank Upadhyay

They even go as far as to talk about smartphones being the NFC enabled security device. Using a smartphone with Android and NFC or a NFC smart-card enabled ring on your finger to sign in to Gmail or authorize a computer to use. Now obviously if you lose your smartphone someone could have the keys to your digital life, but this is just an idea at the start of something bigger. The Googlers don’t think passwords will disappear, they’ll just be a second level of protection and have a less significant hole on security in the future. Or before you use a password on a new device you’ll have to sign in with NFC first — like a new computer for example. That way someone somewhere won’t be able to sign in to your accounts.

Pretty interesting concept but surely we’ll need to hear and learn more soon. Everything from NFC smartphones, rings, keychains and more all have the potential to be our next-level layer of password protection. More details can be found from the via below. Who thinks smartphones or NFC rings on our hands could ever replace passwords? While they aren’t secure, they certainly are more convenient than getting up to find your keys or smartphone to tap on a laptop or computer.

[via ZDNet]

Motorola X-Phone rumors claim May release, 5-inch screen, all major carriers

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:38 PM PST

Well we knew they were coming sooner or later. After multiple reports confirmed Google and Motorola were working together on the newly acquired manufacturers next handset, we’re now seeing a few tips and rumors with some bold and big claims. Multiple sources have come forward claiming to have some details about a May release date, 5-inch edge-to-edge bezel free displays, and Nexus-like in its OS. Read on for a few of the better rumors floating around.

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So what we do know is that Google and Motorola are nearly finished with the Motorola X-Phone, and have now switched over to building the X-Tablet. At least according to the Wall Street Journal. Larry Page recently gave an interview mentioning how they’ll be shaking things up with Motorola — and this could be it.

Reports are slowly starting to surface with all sorts of bold claims and rumors. We’ll start with Droid-life as they have received a few interesting ones. According to their sources the X-Phone will be announced at Google I/O 2013. The best part here is it will be available on all carriers – even Verizon – and VZW will even allow the bootloader to be unlocked. Only they wants $15 a month to unlock it. Yeah right! The Play Store will sell it for ALL four major US carriers, and it will be unlocked for them all. So basically toss that Verizon unlock part in the rumor mill right away.

The report goes on to mention July 8th for the official release date, but that’s likely to change. It will be running Google’s latest Android 4.5 or 5.0 Key Lime Pie, but won’t be a “Nexus” device. Being nearly stock and what sources claim to be Nexus-like with a few small Motorola tweaks. If it’s nearly stock but with added features for NFC, Wallet, maybe stylus support and that’s all I think many will be happy. That’s doubtful though as Motorola’s not one for stock Android. We can only dream. If you buy it unlocked from the Play Store you can remove the bloatware at will, and essentially make it a Nexus. Interesting. We’ve been wishing for a on/off switch of skins for years. That would be amazing. All in all, take this with a massive grain of salt. And that includes the July release date for $299.

Now this next set of rumors is actually a bit more detailed in terms of specs. The folks from Droidforums have been correct in the past and part of their report even matches that above, so I’m getting a little excited. They claim the X-Phone will rock a 5-inch 1080p edge-to-edge bezel free display, yet be smaller than the Galaxy S III due to thin bezels and an excellent design. Yes please! They go on to claim a similar story about stock Android 5.0 KLP with a few Motorola enhancements (read: bloatware) like Samsung’s S-Beam and things of that nature. So while it won’t be a Nexus, it will be the closest thing to one.

DroidForums also states the X-Phone will be available to all carriers. That’s why they’ve dropped the DROID moniker. However Droidforums are all about Verizon, so rest assured that the X-Phone will still be hitting big red complete with 4G LTE and the works. They also claim the same Google I/O announcement, which makes sense as Google’s always done it that way, but they don’t give any hint towards a release date.

We think we’ll be seeing a 5-inch 1080p quad-core (maybe Tegra 4) smartphone with a RAZR M like bezel – or smaller – running KLP with a 12 MP camera, 3,300 MAXX HD like battery, thin design, and available to all carriers. It won’t be revolutionary, but it will be awesome. Bring it on Google. I’ll take two please!

Temple Run 2: Android users wait while iOS users top the 20 million mark

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST

Imangi Studios’ has already announced the release date of Temple Run 2 for Android. And for those who may have missed our previous coverage, the release date is set for later this week. Or more specifically, go ahead and mark those calendars for January 24. Unfortunately though, while Android users are left waiting, they are also left watching how well the game is doing on iOS.

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In fact, in an announcement earlier today, we learned that Temple Run 2 has been downloaded from the iOS App Store more than 20 million times. Of course, that 20 million number only sounds large until you learn that the original Temple Run has been downloaded more than 170 million times. Keep in mind though, that 170 million number includes downloads from Android and iOS users combined.

That brings the question — how many are ready and waiting to download Temple Run 2 for Android? We suspect quite a few and would even venture a guess that this release will bring many more downloads as compared to the original Temple Run. If you remember back, it took just three days to crack the 1 million download mark. Temple Run for Android then later climbed to more than 10 million in less than a months time.

Temple Run 2 is said to feature high-res graphics along with new obstacles, abilities, player powers, and achievements. And for those who zipped through the original Temple Run and are waiting for something harder, this sequel is said to take place in an “entirely new and infinitely more challenging world.”

But perhaps the best news, Temple Run 2 will be released just like the first — for free. And in the lead up to January 24, you can always replay the original or for those who don’t mind spending $0.99 — you can check out Temple Run: Brave. Well, that is assuming you haven’t already done so. One final warning, be aware of the fakes — because there are plenty.

Samsung takes aim at iOS and BlackBerry in latest SAFE commercial

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 01:38 PM PST

Samsung has released another competitor bashing commercial. Except while previous commercials have taken shots at the iPhone, this time around they have also chosen to include the BlackBerry. This commercial focuses on a business that has a bring-your-own-device program. And past that, the commercial talks about SAFE, Samsung For Enterprise.

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Basically, the story here is that with Samsung and SAFE you shouldn’t need to carry two devices. The commercial highlights this by offering such gems as when one coworker asks another if he is finally going to retire that thing — referring to his BlackBerry. The BlackBerry user fires back by saying that he isn’t even working, he is watching basketball. Of course, that bit also brings in another Samsung feature because he is using multi-window and editing a spreadsheet (while watching basketball).

Another bit has one coworker asking another if she is finally going to consolidate her phones. To that, she shows her BlackBerry is for work, her iPhone is for home and asks for her system to be respected. Funny cracks at competing platforms aside, SAFE has features that are security minded. For example, SAFE offers advanced Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync features.

SAFE also includes on-device AES 256-bit encryption, VPN connectivity and top-tier Mobile Device Management support — all things that Samsung refers to as the Four Pillars of SAFE. Finally, for those wondering, Samsung offers SAFE on some of their more popular smartphones including the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II.

Sony 6.44-inch 1080p smartphone in the works

Posted: 21 Jan 2013 12:46 PM PST

Some new reports have surfaced that the folks over at Sony are preparing more than just a few Xperia Z products for 2013. We’ve already seen their new 5-inch 1080p powered smartphone at CES, but now we’re seeing some leaked components leading us to believe Sony is cooking up a 6.44-inch powerhouse. Read on for more details on what’s coming next.

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Sony hasn’t had the best luck so far in the US markets, but it’s safe to say they’re still doing relatively well in other markets. They’ve continued to push out quality smartphones and their new Z is looking rather nice itself. Today reports have arrived from The Verge showing a new 6.44-inch 1920 x 1080p smartphone. Maybe it’s a phablet, or maybe just a media player or gaming device. We’re not too sure yet.

With companies such as Samsung preparing a 6.3-inch Note III and Huawei releasing an Ascend Mate with a 6.1-inch screen, we guess it makes sense for Sony to do the same. We’ve seen multiple leaks suggesting LG and others have larger than usual devices coming soon, and now it appears that Sony is joining in on the phablet fun.

The image above was leaked by Digi-Wo and shows a massive smartphone complete with SONY branding up top. Looking at the Xperia Z hands-on from CES the panels look extremely similar, only this one is much larger. This could just be a prototype but either way we’ll be finding out more of Sony’s plans next month for MWC. Who thinks 6.44-inches is too big for a smartphone?
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