Thursday, January 3, 2013

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Samsung Galaxy M Pro sequel pictured with BlackBerry-esque full QWERTY keyboard

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:38 PM PST

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Is anyone still fan of the “BlackBerry form factor?” If so, you may be inclined to know that Samsung has apparently been hard at work on a follow up to their keyboard-where-the-screen-should-be Galaxy M Pro. The newly leaked device was spied by Blog of Mobile where it was pictured in all of its old-school QWERTY glory, said to be running off the power of Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich. Looks like this is the same GT-B7810 that also popped up a few months ago in an FCC filing, although we aren’t quite sure where this one could be heading here in the states (my bet’s an MVNO). Samsung has a reputation of saturating the market with devices of every hardware configuration imaginable. Looks like we can soon add another to that list.

[via UnwiredView]

HTC M7 to be made official during next week’s CES? [RUMOR]

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:19 PM PST

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HTC has been doing a pretty good job at keeping a tight lid on their upcoming HTC M7. A device rumored to be packing the highest-end of specs, the M7 will essentially be the GSM version of the HTC Droid DNA for the “rest of us.” Where normally we see major global device announcements at Mobile World Congress, CES may have a little something special for us as well.

According to tipster extraordinaire Football4PDA — who accurately leaked details on the HTC One X+ and Droid DNA in the past — HTC could make the M7 officially official at CES in just a few short days. While this sounds highly unlikely, it’s not too far fetched given HTC could be attempting to get the jump on MWC and the buzz that’s likely to be surrounding the Galaxy S4 and other high-end devices. What’s more, the tipster also mentioned the M7 could come with software buttons ala the Galaxy Nexus, and not capacitive buttons along the bezel. Can’t say I was too happy at that development (if the bezel is just empty space, why not use it?), but keep in mind this was all “indirect” information and not from Football’s normal sources.

As an Android fanboy first and HTC lover second, I can’t even begin to describe how hyped I am for this next generation of devices. While I can’t say I was too crazy about the DNA’s design (too Verizon-ie), I’m hoping HTC pulls out all the stops for their next flagship, showing the rest of OEM’s what true smartphone design is all about.

Is Youtube’s Android & iOS favoritism fair to Windows?

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 03:14 PM PST

In the mobile platform wars one of the defining weapons is the size and quality of the application arsenal. Lack of said artillery could be considered the death knoll for operating systems such as WebOS and Blackberry, but recent gains by Windows Phone (and now tablets and other Win 8 devices) have critics wondering if Microsoft will soon become a solid 3rd player.

That remains to be seen, but Google certainly isn’t itching to help them out. Microsoft’s VP & Deputy General Counsel, Dave Heiner, today made a blog post criticizing Google for not creating a Youtube app for Windows Phone. But Heiner’s comments go beyond plain criticism and into the legal realm by tossing around terms like FTC, Department of Justice, and antitrust.

You might think that Google would be on its best behavior given it's under the bright lights of regulatory scrutiny on two continents, particularly as it seeks to assure antitrust enforcers in the U.S. and Europe that it can be trusted on the basis of non-binding assurances that it will not abuse its market position further.

However, as we enter 2013, that is not the case. Here's just one example: We continue to be dogged by an issue we had hoped would be resolved by now: Google continues to prevent Microsoft from offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app for the Windows Phone.

Proprietary offerings have become a staple of the platform wars, with Apple long leveraging the success of services such as iTunes while Google played their own features close to the chest, for example Google Maps and Google Navigation. On the surface it seems like the obvious move: use your own products and services to your advantage so that your own platform is more powerful than that of the competitor.

Sounds like Business 101, right? One would think, but given the size and oligopolistic nature of the industry, antitrust issues may become a part of the picture. With an ever expanding set of services, Google has more recently become familiar with antitrust challenges, but Microsoft is an industry veteran: they settled an antitrust suit regarding internet browsers way back in 2001, when dial up modems were still prevalent.

From a business perspective, Google has often taken the approach of doing what’s best for the consumer, and assuming that the benefits will naturally follow. This is how they’ve treated the majority of their properties and it’s a strategy that has paid off handsomely. But have the platform wars altered that approach and could it come back to haunt Google in the years to come?

There’s no denying that Youtube users would benefit from having the service offered on as many platforms as possible. It’s available on Android, it’s available on iOS, and heck… Youtube is even available on the Nintendo Wii U. Some recent hiccups could be attributed to Nintendo’s own implementation of the Youtube API, but the Wii U does in fact have Youtube. Yet Windows Phone doesn’t…

If Google were treating Youtube as its own entity and a separately owned business, there’s no denying they would have launched a YouTube app for Windows Phone by now. They could argue that the platform doesn’t have enough users to justify the development, but I would call that a lame excuse. With an entity as big as Youtube, not to mention one that graciously accepted hundreds of millions of dollars in losses before turning a profit, you’d assume the investment in creating an app for Windows Phone would be easily justified.

Google might say the platform doesn’t have enough users to justify creating a Youtube app, but I think at least half their absence is due to the potential of Google-owned services like Youtube, GMail, Maps, Navigation, and others helping to make Windows Phone a better product that leads to the critical mass on Windows Phone which Google themselves are using as an excuse to not develop for the platform.

Personally, these are my two takeaways from this latest technology tiff.

Hey Microsoft: Nobody likes a crybaby
Personally, I think Dave Heiner’s public blog post on the matter seems like little more than whining. Nobody is going to feel bad for Microsoft, themselves one of the largest tech companies in the world. Microsoft dropped the ball in the mobile world years ago, now that they’re playing catchup, why should their competitors have to give them a helping hand? If there’s some gigantic void in your offering because your competitors aren’t playing nicely… do what Google and Apple have done numerous times: take your billions of dollars and build your own competing service.

Hey Google: Don’t forget where you came from
While withholding Youtube from Windows Phone is in the best interest of Android, it’s not in the best interest of Youtube, which shows how quickly Google’s priorities have changed. Doing what’s best for the consumer on a product by product basis has gotten pushed aside for doing what’s best for an entirely different company property. But with mobile shaping the future of technology, can you blame them? Not really, but I think it would be smart of Google to acknowledge this cultural shift and not stray too far from what made them successful before Android was born.

Hey Reader: What do you think?
What do you think about Google’s refusal to built a Youtube app for Windows Phone? Is it just smart business or unfair?

[Via WinSource]

Android 4.1.2 update for Samsung Galaxy Camera rolling out

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:52 PM PST

Samsung looks to be issuing a software upgrade for its Samsung Galaxy Camera as folks are reporting Android 4.1.2 is showing up in parts of the United Kingdom. The upgrade doesn’t bring a ton in the way of new features, but users have noticed a new updated Gallery app. The app is said to be the same one that is featured on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and since that one is quite nice we can’t say there will be many objections to its arrival.

There’s no other indication as to what else has changed, but we assume stability improvements and performance enhancements are just a few of the key differences.

This 16 megapixel Android-powered point and shoot camera might not have been met with the greatest fanfare Samsung’s seen (I believe the latest Galaxy phones had that privilege), but the advanced touch screen features and the ability to share photos with tons of social apps is what the OEM will bank on to get the camera some shine in that point-and-shoot arena. Those interested in the upgrade should be looking for firmware BLL7, so get to it and let us know how things are working out for you in the comments section below.

Ubuntu for Phones revealed, will be easily compatible with most Android devices [VIDEO]

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST

Ubuntu for Android hasn’t turned out to be quite the “wide open” project we’d anticipated. That particular project, which would turn a smartphone and smartdock into a desktop PC, is still having its kinks worked out and deals are still attempting to be made. The future of that is still uncertain, but the folks at Canonical have something else up their sleeves worth showing.

Ubuntu for Phones is what the company has been keeping under wraps, and it’s looking to be an absolute doozy. What you’re getting is a full-fledged mobile operating system which was derived straight from everything that makes Ubuntu for Desktop so great. The security features, app integration and everything else that makes Ubuntu the cohesive Linux distribution it is will soon be packed into smartphones.

Canonical made the announcement in a lengthy video where we got a good overview of what’s to come. The company expressed its desire to marry web apps with native apps, and allow the two to live in harmony to create the most compelling suite of apps one could hope for. They will look to developers to fill the apps repository up, and in true, open fashion Canonical even takes submissions for system apps, like the calendar and notepad, to give the development community a chance to contribute to the construction of this new platform

Ubuntu for Phones will utilize a “four edge” philosophy where every edge of the display is significant. From the notification pane at the top to an always-present apps “tray” able to be swiped in from the left, you’ll traverse all four corners of your particular device’s display to access everything you need. A unique search experience will allow you to search the web and find the files, apps and media you want without having to tell the OS where to look.

The best part about Ubuntu for Phones is that it was built from the ground up with help from Intel and ARM, and uses the same drivers that can be found in Android — yes, that means this operating system will be compatible with virtually any Android device. We don’t expect users to be able to flash it over any piece of hardware, of course, but this could eventually allow developers to create Ubuntu ROMs for curious users to flash. That is wishful thinking right now, but it’s technologically possible.

Canonical will be showing the phone and operating system off at the biggest trade show in the world next week and you can bet Phandroid will be right, front and center to get a good look at it. Ubuntu’s eager to talk to anyone who wants to use Ubuntu for their next smartphones, and while we don’t expect the Samsungs and HTCs of the world to be on the bandwagon just yet we’re excited to see how the biggest Linux distro on the planet could look on some of these OEMs’ devices. Take a look for yourself in the video above.

Some Nexus 4′s shipping without “glittery” backing – Is yours affected? [POLL]

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:16 PM PST

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With high-demand for the reasonably priced Nexus 4, LG has been kicking their factories into overtime, pumping out as many devices as they can to minimize wait time for eager backorders. But sometimes when you ramp up production, quality control can suffer as a result.

We’re not sure if that’s what’s going on today, after reading reports from some users who received the “2nd batch” of Google’s Nexus 4′s only with something missing. Namely, the flashy backing of the device featuring a glittery pixel pattern. Apparently, now it’s a lot less… bedazzled. In fact, attempting to view the design from any angle, in any lighting, no longer yields a glint or shimmer anywhere. Of course, depending on your preference, this could actually be a good thing.

Still, some are wondering if this was an intentional move by LG to address concerns of the back glass cracking without much effort. It’s possible LG could be using a different material than the original (read: extremely fragile) glass backing found in the initial batch. As a result, the glitter just doesn’t shine like it used to. Of course, there’s still the very real possibility that glitter doesn’t come cheap and they’re merely pulling back to avoid a world wide glitter shortage. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to live in a world like that.

But we’re curious. If you received a Nexus 4 from the infamous “2nd batch,” are you finding it difficult to find the glitter on the back of your device? Is it there at all? Let’s take a quick poll:

Thanks, YourMainDude!

[via Autoomobile | XDA]

Apple licensing agreement will pay off for HTC in 2013

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST

HTC’s licensing deal with Apple may or may not end up costing the Taiwanese manufacturer of Android smartphones a good chunk of change in the long run, but its benefits should reach consumers this year. That’s the word from HTC China president Ray Yam, who said the deal allows the company to “put more energy into innovation.”

That innovation will be evident this year, according to Yam, who says the deal has allowed HTC to move forward more quickly with current projects while challenging designers and engineers to create without the fear of lawsuits that have distracted HTC from its goals in the past.

On top of greater create freedom, Yam says HTC has rethought their strategy from bottom up, including putting a fresh spin on sales and marketing. The end game is a reversal of the shrinking profits HTC has suffered over the past several quarters.

We may never know the exact financial arrangement HTC and Apple agreed upon, but it’s safe to say HTC weighed their options and decided it was the best plan available. Now we’ll see if the move paid off.

[via BGR]

SoundGecko reads your RSS feed to you in stunning clarity [VIDEO]

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:22 AM PST

As I’m not a driver (not even infrequently — I just don’t drive) I rarely find the urge to download text-to-speech apps. Most tend to be cumbersome, ugly and sound like the deep, ghastly bellows of a horse, but SoundGecko is offering an option that just might have the right combination of easy, fast and pleasant to compel yours truly to “listen” to more of the news.

SoundGecko allows you to set up a number of RSS feeds which can be delivered to your devices as audio clips without much fuss. New feed items are automatically converted to audio and synced to your phone for quick and easy listening whenever you get ready to sit down and digest your news for the day.

Created by startup 121cast, SoundGecko uses an accurate text-to-speech engine that allows the conversation to flow as if you’re listening to a report from an actual radio broadcast. You can still hear the odd robotic nuance of a digitized voice every now and then, but I never had to rewind to catch a word I couldn’t understand. I was more impressed with the fact that it could accurately pronounce my name than anything else.

The service can be had for free, but there are some limitations. You’ll only get to add one custom feed, you’ll only get up to 4,000 words per article read to you and you’ll only get to listen to 30 articles per day. The 4,000 words per article limit won’t be an issue for most (believe me, most articles don’t go anywhere near that amount of words), but the other two limitations require a monthly subscription to lift.

Usually $7.95 a month, SoundGecko’s premium service will allow you to add up to 100 different custom feeds, listen to an unlimited amount of articles per day and will read up to 30,000 words per article. The insane 30,000 word limit will be more useful for those wanting to read long manuals, whitepapers and other such documents in PDF form as the service does support that (simply email the document to yourself).

If you act fast, though, you can get locked into the service for just $2.95 per month, and SoundGecko gives you its word that you’ll never be asked to pay more than that. It’s a limited time holiday special so this offer might expire very, very soon. Give it a shot, and be sure to download the app from the Google Play Store to take it with you on the go. Be sure to take a look at our quick hands-on video above.

Samsung to address random Galaxy S3 mainboard failures with firmware update

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:20 AM PST

Before the joyous holiday season we had to be a bit of a grinch and drop news of a problem affecting a small number of Samsung Galaxy S3 owners. Users were reporting devices dying at random after owning the handset for several months. The problem was narrowed down to the 16GB version of the handset and seemed to stem from an issue with the devices main circuit board.

Because all signs pointed to a hardware issue, most thought the problem would require a revision to the Galaxy S3′s actual build. But Samsung has addressed the problem and says a fix will arrive in the form of a firmware update. According to Tweakers Samsung is prepared to deliver the update in the very near future.

Most GS3 owners won’t have to worry about waking up to a bricked phone and no explanation, but those with at-risk handsets can rest assured that the problem should soon be a thing of the past.

 

Last week of December brings over 50 million Android and iOS device activations

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:42 AM PST

Smartphones and tablets were some of if not the most popular gifts for giving this holiday season. Perhaps you received one or used that holiday bonus to treat yo’ self, and if you did you can count yourself among the over 50 million who activated an Android or iOS device in the final week of December. About 17 million were activated on Christmas Day alone.

And all those devices are worthless without apps, or that’s what the numbers dictate. You all downloaded 1.76 billion applications and games during the same time period, according to Flurry, who ran the analytics. The numbers are up from last year’s holiday season when we saw 20 million activations and 1.2 billion app downloads. Things only look to move up in 2013. Early forecasts see app downloads breaking the 2 billion mark for the same week this year.

Flurry did not provide a breakdown of how many devices for each platform were activated. It likely wasn’t a pure 50/50 split. Who out there counts themselves among the 50 million plus owners of a shiny new mobile device?

[via BGR]

Retailer expects Nexus 7 dock to ship January 10th

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 09:43 AM PST

We’ve heard so much about the official Nexus 7 dock leading up to today, but have yet to receive official word from Google regarding its status of availability. At least one retailer looks to have some desirable information, however, as B&H Photo has updated its listing to show an “expected” availability date of January 10th.

Unfortunately the wording leaves room for possible delays, but should all the stars align and should the universe be in a favor-granting mood we should be seeing these starting to ship at some point next week. Priced at $40, the official dock uses the Nexus 7′s triple pin connector for data transmission and charging. The dock itself will feature a 3.5mm audio out jack and a microUSB port for those very reasons.

It’s nothing amazing, but there’s nothing like getting an official accessory that was intricately designed for your device. Google still doesn’t acknowledge its existence in the Google Play Store strangely enough, but it’s no doubt coming and we’ll be mighty glad once it arrives. Head to B&H to sign up to be notified when it’s available.

[thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

CTIA changing format for 2014, merging MobileCon into single event

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:07 AM PST

In the mobile world, there are several huge events to look forward to each year. CES kicks things off in January with Mobile World Congress following shortly after. Then there is CTIA, the twice-a-year show occurring in the spring and fall.

CTIA has been a bit of red-headed stepchild (no offense to red-headed stepchildren) recently with manufacturers foregoing big announcements at the show in favor of other venues. The group behind the trade show attempted to counter by branding their fall event MobileCon and placing a focus on applications and enterprise. But the MobileCon experiment will be short-lived.

While 2013 will stick with CTIA’s familiar format, starting in 2014 their two gig bill will be reduced to one, as the main CTIA show will be merged with MobileCon to form single “super mobile show.” The date is already set for September 9th through 11th of 2014. That could create an interesting travel schedule for those headed to IFA in Berlin, which typically takes place at the beginning of September each year.

CTIA-The Wireless Association® Announces 2014 Super Mobile Show

One CTIA Show to Serve as THE Mobile Industry Trade Show

WASHINGTON, January 2, 2013 – CTIA-The Wireless Association® today announced it will create the “super” mobile industry trade show that will dominate the second half of the year, beginning in 2014. CTIA 2014™ will take the best of its CTIA Show that’s focused on technology and consumer electronics with MobileCON™ and its emphasis on mobile IT solutions to offer attendees, exhibitors and speakers with specialized opportunities so that all of the companies that comprise of the wireless ecosystem can network and conduct business with the right people. The first CTIA super mobile show, CTIA 2014, will take place Sept. 9-11 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The wireless industry is evolving rapidly and there is a need to have a show that centers on the entire global mobile ecosystem in a way that hasn’t existed among the current shows, which is why CTIA 2014 will be unique. The mobile revolution is positively affecting nearly every industry, such as M2M, connected home, media and advertising, money and global consumer electronics, and CTIA 2014 will serve as a worthy platform to showcase those companies and individuals that are leading this charge and will be a valuable resource for anyone wanting to be a part of this innovative industry,” said Rob Mesirow, CTIA Vice President and Show Director. “In addition, the timing of the 2014 show will deliver the perfect stage for companies to debut mobile consumer products and services for the annual holiday buying season.”

Over the next few weeks and months, CTIA will be announcing a variety of strategic partnerships that will expand its show offerings and opportunities within the vertical segments of the wireless industry and the numerous other facets of the enterprise. The activities stemming from those partnerships will play a vital role in forming a weeklong schedule of business and professional development opportunities. Carriers, device manufacturers, network operators, app developers, retailers and others throughout the wireless industry are enthusiastic about the move.

“As Sprint and the wireless industry are helping other sectors improve the way they do business and their customer relationships, we needed a trade show where we can showcase our offerings and capabilities, from consumer to healthcare to the connected home, at one place. CTIA 2014 will play a key role in our company’s plans for announcing the latest innovative products and services,” said Fared Adib, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Operations, Sprint.

“CTIA’s decision to consolidate the wireless shows is exactly what the industry needed. CTIA 2014 takes the best from the specialized shows while bringing all of the right people together at the same time and place so everyone’s time can be optimized,” said Angel Ruiz, President and CEO, Ericsson Inc.

For those with a consumer focus, the timing of the 2014 show provides the perfect stage to debut mobile consumer products and services heading into the annual holiday buying season.

CTIA will continue to host CTIA 2013 and MobileCON 2013 separately while incorporating super show programs as a springboard to the changes in 2014. At the heart of both shows are the thought-leadership and advocacy that are driving the future of the mobile industry.

In 2012, MobileCON emerged as the industry event for mobile enterprise IT executives and senior decision-makers. MobileCON 2013 show is scheduled for October 9-11 in San Jose, CA. CTIA 2013 will take place May 21-23 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, and with it encompassing all aspects of the global mobile ecosystem, the event is poised to bring together the leaders, ideas and experiences that are transforming this dynamic industry.

Project Glass prototype spotted with prescription lenses

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:36 AM PST

One of the biggest questions posed to Google when it revealed Project Glass was “what about those of us who wear prescription eyewear?” Google quickly quelled fears as it confirmed the company would look to accommodate those of us who already wear glasses, though no word on how, exactly, that would happen could be had out of the Mountain View camp.

Well, it looks like Google is at least tailoring the technology to a few select testers as one was spotted wearing the contraption on a subway trek in New York City with corrective lenses in tow. The design looks very similar to what we’ve seen on the faces of Sergey Brin and friends, except with two pieces of glass hanging out front.

While it’s too early to tell what Google’s thinking about doing (we’re said to be at least another full year out from seeing these in consumer-ready form) it suggests the company could look to take custom orders for those who need shades or corrective lenses. Another possibility could be that Google will ship the product with optional mounts for lenses that can be fulfilled at popular stores at the users’ discretion.

Just a couple of days ago we pondered whether or not Google would go the fashionable route with Project Glass. Chris Chavez predicted Google would announce a partnership with premium framers Ray-Ban to bring a tad more fashion to this geeky-looking tech toy. We want it to happen, and it certainly still could happen, but for the time being the prototypes are still being made with the original design in mind.

One implementation we were big fans of was a way to detach the screen/camera overlay from the base frame and mount it onto existing lenses and frames, but this solution might not be the best route for Google. If the company can’t ensure the mount will fit correctly on any and all frames (the positioning of the screen is the biggest issue) then that is something that should be avoided.

Google knows the road to getting this product into the hands of eager consumers is long, and will be hard. Spokesperson Barbak Parviz alluded to as much, saying that the hopes are to have the final version of the product in retail at some point in 2014.

With any luck Google will be right on schedule, and can finally deliver the prototypes which developers paid $1,500 to own back at Google I/O (we plopped money down for three of them) at some point this year. Should that happen, Parviz expects developers to have access to the software and features that will be close to the end product. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store, but we’ve been following this ambitious journey every step of the way and will continue to do so all throughout 2013.

[Electronista, RoadtoVR]

CES-bound Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL press shots leak

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:24 AM PST

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. You may know them better as the Yuga and Odin, and will be formally introduced next week at CES. But that’s a week away, and we live in the here and now. These press shots surfaced at Sony’s Japanese site in the wee hours of the new year and show handsets that appear to match previous leaks.

The Xperia Z will likely be Sony’s flagship handset for the first half of 2012 and is rumored to feature a 5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processing, and a 13MP camera. The Xperia ZL looks put its own twist on a similar spec sheet, though nothing is confirmed at this time.

Sony’s press event will take place next Monday, January 7th, at 5PM local time.

[via Engadget]

Nova Launcher 2.0 adds loads of new features

Posted: 01 Jan 2013 11:31 PM PST

Fans of Nova Launcher will be watering at the mouth when they see what the latest version — which happens to be 2.0 — has in store for them. There’s a massive list of changes and new options to be had so let’s take a look and see what 2.3MB upgrade will bring you.

Starting with those who own the premium Nova Launcher Prime package, paying users can now customize the size of icons for app shortcuts, and will also be able to perform swipe actions on any of those icons.

The common crop of changes include custom wallpaper cropping, an infinite scroll drawer setting, a new alphabetical list view for the drawer, a setting for making small dock icons, an option to keep the launcher in memory for faster access and more.

Nova launcher has quickly ascended to the thone as the go-to launcher for those on Android 4.0 and higher, and that’s for good reason. No other Holo-based launcher is touching its list of features and customization options, and the app is backed by one of the most active developers you’ll find in the Play Store. Give it a whirl if you haven’t already, and if the Prime version adds even more value for your particular needs you can buy that for just about $4.
Posted by at 8:38 AM

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