Friday, February 1, 2013

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Straight Talk no longer offering AT&T compatible SIMs

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 12:09 PM PST

Straight Talk has been a major MVNO for many people because they offered unlimited plans for unlocked AT&T and T-Mobile phones for $45 per month. Well it looks like Straight Talk is no longer offering AT&T compatible SIMs, and will only offer T-Mobile SIMs moving forward. If you’re already an existing customer it appears you are okay because they will continue to provide service to existing customers. If you were thinking about joining Straight Talk, there is still one option left, but that window is closing fast as well. Wal-Mart might still have SIMs available in store or online. If you can get one, apparently Straight Talk will honor those SIMs that are still available for sale.

Whether this is going to be a long term thing or not is anyone’s guess, but this reply from a ST associate in the Straight Talk forums might give you a clue…

Hi p49k. Straight Talk Wireless is not selling SIM cards that are compatible with AT&T devices at this time. We'll bring them back as soon as we can and will work to keep you up to date on this issue. Thank you.

So if you plan on using AT&T service through Straight Talk anytime in the future, you might want to run out to your local Wal-Mart and grab one.

sources: XDA / Straight Talk Forums
via: Reddit

All Indications Point To Samsung Galaxy S IV Smartphone Being Launched In April

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:51 AM PST

 

It appears April is going to be a big year for Android fans as it appears that is when we will be seeing Sammy’s “Next Big Thing” finally being revealed. Thanks to our friends at PhoneArena, we have a few photos indicating a major raffle that’s happening at a New Zealand mobile retailer in which the lucky winner will receive a brand-spankin’ new Galaxy S IV smartphone. While that part may not mean much— the raffle is expected to end on April 8th, which falls in line with a rumored April release date. In addition, there’s word of another UK retailer set to launch the device between the 15th and 22nd of April as well.

 

 

So yes friends, it’s looking more and more like that March event is shaping up to be the formal introduction of what will be the world’s best smartphone to the masses. Let’s just hope we here in the States won’t need to wait too long after the initial launch.

source: PhoneArena

 

Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd Tease Super Bowl Ad For Samsung’s “Next Big Thing” (Video)

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:20 AM PST

Well, it’s that time of year again and I’m not talking about the Super Bowl.  I’m referring to that time of year when everyone’s wondering what’s Samsung got under their sleeve now?  Check out the teaser below where Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen, two of Hollywood’s funniest comedians team up to bring you this year’s Super Bowl ad for Samsung’s “Next Big Thing“.

Dubbed “The Big Game”, this multi-million dollar spot will air at half time for this year’s kick-off between the San Francisco “50 minus 1ers” and the Baltimore “Blackbirds.”  Who? Yeah, it’s gotten a little nuts but check out the video of the teaser below and it’ll all make sense.  And as usual, in typical Samsung style, our curiosity is peaked once more as we’re dying to know what the mega smartphone manufacturer is going to showcase.  Here’s to being patient for the day to arrive and if history has any indication, we’re sure they’ll take a little bite out of Apple during the air.  I’m really looking forward to that. Samsung has proven before their ads can be effective with the launch of the Galaxy S III and Note/Note II devices. Not only were people walking around saying “dude, you’re a Barista” for months, but it’s definitely swayed many towards the larger screen when push came to shove. I think the numbers can attest to that.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

 

 

New security heading to Sony devices via “my Xperia” service

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:48 AM PST

Sony has kicked off a new pilot project to bring a remote security service to market for owners of their Xperia smartphone devices. Sony is calling it “my Xperia” as they pilot the service in the Nordics and target a global release during the second quarter of 2013. One of the individuals behind the service, Sony Experience Planner Marcin Zielinski, described some of the service’s features in a one sentence blurb as helping “you locate your misplaced Sony smartphone and protect your personal data.”

Zielinski was interviewed about the service on the official Sony blog. He indicates Sony realizes their line of Xperia smartphones are just as valuable and important, perhaps more so, that items like keys and wallets. Unfortunately, it is easy to misplace or otherwise lose your smartphone just like keys and wallets. The “my Xperia” app will help users deal with those unanticipated situations.

After installing the app on their smartphone and activating it, users can fire up a web browser on a computer and sign in with their Google ID to access functions like:

  • locate their smartphone on a map
  • sound an alert, which includes the ability to override silent mode and wake the screen up
  • lock the phone to maintain privacy and send a message with contact details
  • erase internal and external memory if necessary

Zielinski says Sony will start the pilot with devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The first device will be the Sony Xperia Acro S. Sony will send a notification to Xperia owners when the service is available to them with instructions on how to install the app on their device.

source: Sony

Flygrip a bit pricey for you? Here are three alternatives that won’t break the bank

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:48 AM PST

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, smartphones are getting bigger and bigger and the ultimate one-handed operation device is slowly fading away.  The need for something to assist with not dropping your rather expensive investment is on the rise.  In stepped Flygrip, the small and popular solution for all things large.  Flygrip allows seamless one-handed operation without the fear of dropping your phone or tablet.  However, there's the small little matter of price which doesn’t happen to be small at all.  The popular mini mechanism will run you a whopping $29.95 ea.  That's a bit steep if you ask me.  $19.99 seems a little more reasonable but the folks over at the Flygrip team may not share my opinion. So, coveting the functionality I began to look for alternatives that wouldn’t break the bank for techs on a dime.  Surprisingly, there's quite a few options for you if you're interested.  We’ve covered three that caught our attention for style, ease of use and of course its cheap price tag.

WiseFinger

In my search, I came across this little guy dubbed the "WiseFinger" by a company called SmartX.  It's simple yet effective and may even sit flatter against the device than the Flygrip model does.  It has all of the same functionality when outside of your grip such as allowing you to place the device in both portrait and landscape on a flat surface for optimal viewing.  The dual ring action rotates to take the shape of your liking to fit nicely on any flat surface. This device ranges from $11-$12 dollars on Amazon and comes in quite a few different colors to mix and match with your smartphone.

Buy on Amazon

Bunker Ring

Bunker Ring, to me, seems a little less intrusive on the backside of your device as well. As opposed to the dual finger action offered by WiseFinger, Bunker Ring offers a smaller single fingered ring which also swivels 360 degrees to meet the necessity of portrait or landscape viewing.  And like WiseFinger, it too will not burn a hole in your wallet.  Available colors are black, white and pink. There's been a few iterations of the model but they all pretty much work the same.  The only exception is that the ring got thinner for less added bulk.  Overall, it's a great piece and can be easily added or removed from the back of any smartphone with ease. As far as pricing goes, we’ve seen this thing run as low as a buck on Amazon, believe it or not.

 

Buy on Amazon

Rotating Two Finger Phone Grip

Last but not least, a cool contemporary looking design which surprisingly doesn't really have a name.  I came across it looking for alternatives to Flygrip but have yet to discover its manufacturer.  Nevertheless, it's pretty cool and looks great on any device.  It has a modern gear like look to it and also can seamlessly be added and removed from a smartphone without marking your device up. You can search for it online using the phrase "Rotating Two Finger Phone Grip" and goes on Amazon for a mere $7 not including shipping.  You can't beat the price for the functionality that's for sure. And in my opinion it's the better of the three as far as design and style goes.

Buy on Amazon

Bottom line is, there are plenty of alternatives for those looking to gain Flygrip's functionality, you just need to know where to look.  I personally have a Galaxy Note II and look forward to picking one of these up to alleviate the constant fear of dropping it when trying to use the device one-handed. What do you think of the up and coming new way to hold your smartphone? Great idea or added bulk? Feel free to drop a comment or two below and let us know what you think.

4th quarter tablet sales surge

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST

IDC reported today that the worldwide tablet market grew 75.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. Even compared to the third quarter the growth was impressive with an increase of 74.3% or 22.4 million units worldwide. The total for the quarter, 52.5 million units worldwide according to preliminary data, is a new record for tablet shipments.

Tom Mainelli, a research director with IDC, attributes the strong growth to new product launches, including Microsoft’s entry into the market, and increased consumer interest in tablet devices. Market leader Apple saw growth of 48.1% compared to the same period last year. The news was not all positive for Apple though as their market share continued to decline, down 3.1% from the prior quarter and 8.1% from a year ago. Meanwhile, Apple’s primary foe, Samsung, saw year-to-year growth explode by 263.0% on the way to grabbing 15.1% of the market while shipping 7.9 million units. Amazon and ASUS both saw impressive gains year-to-year as well, with ASUS tablet shipments growing by an mind-boggling 402.3%. Barnes & Noble saw shipments slip by 27.7%, though they still managed to hold onto the number five spot.

source: IDC

T-Mobile’s GoSmart prepaid service to launch in February

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:11 AM PST

We already received official confirmation of the new T-Mobile GoSmart prepaid service last last year, and it looks like it will launch in February. It’s already available in some test markets and there will be three price points:

  • $30 per month for unlimited voice and texting
  • $35 per month for unlimited voice, texting and 2G Web service
  • $45 per month for unlimited voice, texting and “high-speed” Web service (5GB of data at “high-speed” then slowed to 2G speeds)

Prepaid services will hopefully continue to flourish this year because I know a lot of people want to see it more. Last year T-Mobile added 365,000 prepaid customers and lost 492,000 postpaid customers. The biggest issues will be choice of phones. Right now T-Mobile is offering the Alcatel OT 838 for $49, but you can opt for the mobile SIM kit for $8, which lets you use any unlocked compatible GSM phone. Did someone say Nexus 4?

source: fiercewireless

 

LG Optimus L7 II Dual Officially Outed, Brings A Whole Lot Of Jelly Bean And Dual-SIM Goodies With It

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST

 

Those of you out there who are big fans of dual-SIM phones are going to be excited by the outing of LG’s latest upcoming device. The device is identified as the Optimus L7 II Dual and is a follow-up to the L-series of smartphones that were launched last year. LG will equip the dual-SIM device with some noteworthy features including a 4.3-inch IPS display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera and Jelly Bean running the show. The smartphone will be available by mid-February in Russian markets for about 12,990 rubles (approximately $430 USD)– but there’s no word on if or when the device will be available in other markets worldwide.

source: Hi-Tech.Mail
via: pocketnow

Sony continues crazy naming scheme, mid-range Xperia SP and low-end Xperia L on the way

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:44 AM PST

I think Sony gets the prize for using just about every letter in the alphabet. I dare anyone to rattle off all the phones they have released in the past two years. My family tree is less complicated than Sony’s chart of phones. It looks like Sony has no intentions of slowing down because word is they plan on adding Xperia SP and the Xperia L to the mix.

The Xperia SP will feature a transparent bar so it will be in the NXT series, and since there is an “S” in the name, it will be similar to the Xperia S. It will feature a 720p display, a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, and Adreno 320 grahics. The codename is Huashan and the model is C530X (C5302, C5303, C5306).

The Xperia L is going to be a lower-end phone. It will feature a FWVGA (854 x 480) display, a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, and Adreno 305 graphics. No word on the codename, but the model is C210X (C2104 and C2105).

source: xperiablog

Giant Chrome Android Statue Peeks Out Of Wall At Google Headquarters, Doesn’t Seem To Indicate The End Of The World

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:29 AM PST

 

Is it unusual to have a big chrome Android figure poking out of a building? Well, if you are lucky enough to be at the GooglePlex— then no… it’s not unusual. Paul Wilcox was casually walking around the Google headquarters and noticed the giant figure sticking out of one of the more prominent areas of the campus. Of course this could be some sort of indication that something major may be coming in regards to Chrome for Android or it could just be Google having some fun as usual. We’re going to go ahead and put our bets on the latter for now.

source: Paul Wilcox Google+
Posted by at 6:41 AM

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