Android Community |
- Kyocera Torque rugged smartphone announced for $99 by Bear Grylls
- Microsoft inks license deal with Nikon for Android-powered cameras
- IDC: Samsung takes top honors for 2012 “Smart Connected Device” shipments
- Samsung Galaxy S IV case leak suggests a squared-off design
- Pwn Pad: 7-inch pen-testing tablet running Android 4.2 and Ubuntu 12.04
- HTC OpenSense SDK updated to include the IR (infrared) API
- Sony Xperia SP C530x spec leak reveals a 4.6-inch 720p display
- Sony Xperia E Dual pre-orders now available in the US
- HTC One cases coming soon from OtterBox
- Petition to make unlocking phones legal hits goal – now up to Uncle Sam
- Project Glass patent shows new stylish eyewear
- Pantech Perception for Verizon Wireless spotted in FCC filing
- HBO GO and MAX GO updates bring HDMI out features
- Archos 80 Titanium tablet UK availability details emerge
- Google Chromebook Pixel: Justify the cost by considering the extras
| Kyocera Torque rugged smartphone announced for $99 by Bear Grylls Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:16 AM PST If you’re one of those guys looking for a rugged and durable smartphone but still want all the daily features like 4G LTE and a quality handset, the folks from Kyocera think they have what it takes with the new Kyocera Torque. It was announced this week for the Now Network complete with 4G LTE, and they’ve even acquired the always amusing Bear Grylls to show off its potential.
Kyocera has introduced a rather mid-range smartphone although at least you’ll be enjoying a 4-inch 480 x 800 resolution display and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The rest leave a little to be desired however. The resolution is low, but it’s powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, a decent 5 megapixel camera, and happily a 2,500 mAh battery under the hood. Complete with 4G LTE, this phone has a rugged and durable design that is crush proof, water resistant and can be submerged for over 30 minutes without fail, shock absorbent, and can handle weather conditions hitting -22 degrees. It’s no wonder they chose the one and only Bear Grylls to be the new Kyocera Torque spokesman. Showing how it can handle the crazy days, and even the casual day at the pool with the kids. Check it out: Wasn’t that just fun? I sure do miss his Man vs Wild episodes, they were always a fun time. Back to the phone, the Torque is built to Military Standard 810G, a first for a touchscreen smartphone. It also uses the Now Networks new 4G LTE as well as push-to-talk features, and will be available March 8th for $99. Who’s interested? [via LaptopMag] |
| Microsoft inks license deal with Nikon for Android-powered cameras Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:38 AM PST It’s no secret that patent wars have been a major problem in the mobile space. Especially for a few of the big hitters like Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple. For those not following along at home Microsoft holds multiple key patents and has inked deals with just about everyone in the Android tablet and smartphone market for royalties. Now that Nikon has an Android camera, they’re also getting thrown in the Microsoft coin jar.
Microsoft has done a pretty good job for themselves by nipping at the heels of all the successful Android manufacturers, and as a result is making a killing off their patent royalties alone. In 2011 it was reported they made more from Android patent licenses than Windows Phone as a whole. Since this non-sense won’t be ending any time soon, at least they’re willing to work with these manufacturers. Today Microsoft announced that they’ve inked a deal with Nikon that is basically a patent-licensing agreement. Allowing Nikon to continue developing and releasing Android-powered cameras without the fear of a lawsuit. Sadly Microsoft will be earning an undisclosed amount probably for every single device sold. Just as they do with HTC, and tons of other manufacturers. Nikon’s Coolpix S800C is an Android-powered smartcamera that was released last year, so most likely they’ll owe some back-pay to big ol Micro$oft, but at this point we’re wondering just how far they plan to test the Android waters. We haven’t seen any reports on another camera in the works, but Samsung’s Galaxy Camera has been successful so maybe we’ll be seeing more soon. |
| IDC: Samsung takes top honors for 2012 “Smart Connected Device” shipments Posted: 22 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST The latest Q4 2012 IDC report has been published. This one deals with “Smart Connected Devices” and in addition to giving a look at the fourth quarter also talks about the year as a whole. According to IDC, the Smart Connected Devices category consists of everything from smartphones and tablets to portable and desktop PCs. Needless to say, the PC side showed some decline and Samsung took top honors in terms of devices shipped for both Q4 and the year.
Looking the the smart connected devices category as a whole and we saw growth. In fact, the report is showing a total of 367.7 million devices being shipped in Q4, which is up 28.3 percent from the same quarter in the previous year. This increase comes despite the PC side declining a bit. The desktop market dropped 4.1 percent and the portable side dropped 3.4 percent. On that note, Ryan Reith, program manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers at IDC has said that “smartphones and tablets are growing at a pace that PCs can’t realistically keep up.” The reasoning here, Reith believes this is because of “device prices and to some extent disposability.” As mentioned earlier, Samsung took top honors with 250 million devices shipped for the year and 77.9 million devices shipped for the fourth quarter. This is a 119.3 percent increase for the year and an 86 percent increase for the quarter as compared to 2011. In terms of the fourth quarter; Samsung was followed by Apple with 74.8 million, Lenovo with 24.3 million, HP with 15.1 million and Sony with 11.1 million. Looking at the year as a whole and the top 5 is close to the Q4. The year as a whole had Samsung followed by Apple with 218.7 million, Lenovo with 78.3 million, HP with 58.2 million and Dell with 38.8 million. Stepping back from the smart connected device category as a whole we have unit shipment numbers for the year. The report is showing smartphone shipments as 722.4 million, tablet shipments at 128.3 million, portable PCs at 202.0 million and desktop PCs at 148.4 million for a grand total of 1201.1 million for the year. Finally, for those curious, that is a 29.1 percent year-over-year increase which had 930.4 million shipments in 2011. [via IDC] |
| Samsung Galaxy S IV case leak suggests a squared-off design Posted: 22 Feb 2013 08:24 AM PST We have seen quite a bit of leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S IV, however we have yet to see all that much in terms of accessories. We have seen a few bits and pieces up until this point, however UK retailer MobileFun has recently posted some leaked cases that suggest the Galaxy S IV will have a squared-off look.
We cannot officially say if these will end up being the real deal but at this point we do take note that they have come from what is being described as a “trusted” Chinese accessory manufacturer. That said, previous history dealing with case leaks has been sketchy. In the past we have seen some good and some not so good. For example, when we were waiting for the Galaxy S III we saw Samsung do some interesting things such as create ‘fake’ prototypes to help find the source of any potential leaks.
Basically what we have here is a possible Galaxy S IV case. Well, more specifically — two possible Galaxy S IV cases. These both are coming by way of the same manufacturer and are both sporting a similar look. We cannot tell much in terms of size, however we can see what appears to be a camera, flash and speaker opening on the backside. Nothing shocking in that respect as that is the same form as what we have on the Galaxy S III. Otherwise, the cases show a headphone jack on the top with what appears to be a microUSB and microphone opening on the bottom. Looking closely you can also see the side openings, which presumably would be for the power and volume. But again, those are just following patterns we have on the Galaxy S III. Bottom line here, this case leak suggests the Galaxy S IV will move from the ‘pebble’ design of the Galaxy S III into something a bit more squared-off. Something a bit more similar to what we saw with the Galaxy S II. In the meantime, we are still looking towards March 14 for an announcement date. But even as of now, that date is nothing more than rumor. [via SlashGear] |
| Pwn Pad: 7-inch pen-testing tablet running Android 4.2 and Ubuntu 12.04 Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:44 AM PST The debate as to how useful a tablet can be in the business world is ongoing, however it looks like Pwnie Express have set out to make the tablet a useful tool in terms of penetration testing. In fact, the company has recently unveiled the Pwn Pad, a 7-inch tablet that they describe as being a “commercial grade penetration testing tablet.” Aside from the 7-inch display, this tablet is running Android 4.2 and Ubuntu 12.04 and touting features to include a OSS-Based Pentester Toolkit and Long Range Wireless Packet Injection.
Needless to say, if those terms do not mean anything to you as they stand, this is probably not a tablet that you are going to be purchasing. In fact, the price tag alone will likely turn many away. Pwnie Express has the Pwn Pad priced at $795. Basically, the Pwn Pad is a tablet aimed at the professional. Keep in mind, the tools included with the Pwn Pad are nothing that cannot be found or done with a penetration-testing setup on a laptop. The key here, using the tablet should be much easier, if not more convenient for those on the road or performing a company walk-through looking for issues. Not to mention, this somehow just looks quite a bit cooler. For that near $800 price tag you will get a complete toolkit in addition to the hardware accessories.
The hardware (aside from the tablet) includes a TP-Link TL-WN722N wireless adapter, Sena UD100 Bluetooth USB adapter, USB Ethernet and OTG (USB host mode) cable. The toolkit includes the expected goodies such as Aircrack-ng, Kismet, Wifite-2, Netcat, Cryptcat, Nikto, bluelog and many others. Bottom line here, if you are in the business of testing others networks (or like to do that for fun) and happen to have an extra $795 laying around, the Pwn Pad may be something to consider. With that, those making the purchase can expect the tablet to begin shipping in April. [via Wired] |
| HTC OpenSense SDK updated to include the IR (infrared) API Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:17 AM PST HTC recently announced the One smartphone and while the handset has a long list of solid specs and features, it seems that not all of them are being talked about as much. For example, the HTC One has a build in IR (infrared) blaster. In an attempt to make a push towards having that utilized — HTC has put out an open call for IR related apps. More specifically, HTCDev has announced that the IR API is available as part of the HTC OpenSense SDK.
Simply put, this means developers will be able to use that API to create new IR friendly apps for the One smartphone. Some of the features that come with this API include having your One learn the key codes from other devices such as a remote control. Once the code is learned, your phone becomes your remote. HTC notes that by expanding the use of IR, “your apps could easily adapt to new hardware such as printers, DSLR cameras, real estate lock boxes and many more.” One of the use cases for the IR blaster deals with Sense TV. To begin with, the IR is able to function as a universal remote without anything extra being done. Well, aside from learning the code from your remote. Otherwise, HTC has said that using the IR functionality along with geo-location and you will be able to get a TV guide based on your location. Bottom line here, the IR functionality in the HTC One could have plenty of use cases aside from being a remote for your television. The key here, the developers will need to start building some tools so the end users can begin using that functionally. Of course, we also hope to get more direct from HTC, but in the meantime — if you are a developer targeting HTC, make sure you take a look at the updated OpenSense SDK. [via HTC Blog] Device Info
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| Sony Xperia SP C530x spec leak reveals a 4.6-inch 720p display Posted: 22 Feb 2013 06:44 AM PST This isn’t the first time we have seen details emerge on the Sony Xperia SP, though in the past the handset has also been referred to using the codename of HuaShan or the model number of C530x. Some of that earlier chatter included specs and even some images. As of today we are looking at the Xperia SP once again and this time we are talking specs.
Specifically, it is now believed that the Xperia SP will launch with a 4.6-inch 720p display. The handset is also expected to have Adreno 320 graphics and a dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. New details from this latest leak include some information about the overall design. Basically, it is looking like the Xperia SP will be constructed of an aluminum frame with a back made of plastic. Other specs should include 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with an Exmor RS sensor. It is also believed that the Xperia SP will launch with a transparent bar that customizable, similar to that of the Xperia U. We have already talked display size, now lets shift over to the overall size. Details have the Xperia SP as measuring in at 130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm with a weight of 155 grams. Of course, as we have yet to hear any of this direct from Sony — we have to remember that things may change before an official announcement arrives. On that thought, Sony is expected to announce the Xperia SP during Mobile World Congress. [via Xperia Blog] |
| Sony Xperia E Dual pre-orders now available in the US Posted: 22 Feb 2013 06:23 AM PST We have seen details on the Xperia E Dual for the UK and Germany, however as of today we have word of availability for the US market. In short, Sony has begun accepting pre-orders for the handset. The device is available unlocked and contract free and assuming the estimated shipping date holds true — it will begin shipping sooner rather than later.
According to details coming from Sony, the Xperia E Dual will begin shipping on March 1st. Pre-orders are available as of today and the price is $199.99. Additionally, the handset comes with free shipping. Sony has the Xperia E Dual available in black and/or champagne. As implied by the dual in the name, the Xperia E Dual has support for two SIM cards. Basically, this means you will be able to use two mobile accounts. Sony has a fairly nice setup for this and switching between SIM cards is as easy as a touch. Furthermore, Sony also allows the user to preset the active SIM based on time of day which will be good for those trying to separate work and play. Otherwise, the Xperia E Dual has a 3.5-inch (320 x 480) display, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1500 mAh battery, front-facing camera and 3.2 megapixel rear-facing camera. The handset will arrive running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Perhaps key for those looking to make a purchase, the Xperia E Dual has connectivity for the following bands; UMTS/HSPA 850/1900/ 2100, GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. Otherwise, the usual goodies such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack and access to the Google Play Store can all be expected. [via Sony] |
| HTC One cases coming soon from OtterBox Posted: 21 Feb 2013 03:38 PM PST This week HTC finally took the wrapping paper off their new flagship smartphone the HTC One. While the event was full of excitement and their awesome new smartphone, as well as accessory cases, a few companies have already detailed their plans too. The popular and durable OtterBox brand will be supporting the new HTC One right out of the gate with their most popular case versions.
OtterBox has beat the competition by already announcing and detailing three cases for the new smartphone. They’ll be offering their popular commuter and defender series. The regular Defender case option will cost $50 for the HTC One and will come in an assortment of different colors that you can choose from, including black, glacier (grey/white mix), blushed (grey/pink mix), and punked (black/green mix). Then for all those fans of camouflage as usual OtterBox will also be offering their Defender RealTree design to cover and protect the new One in style. This is for the outdoors fan and the additional design will set you back $59 buckaroos. Then last but not least is their popular Commuter series. As with all their cases no ports will be covered, and the impressive dual-front speakers won’t get covered up either. The Commuter will be $35 and have tons of colors too. Most likely the cases will be available sometime in March, especially considering that is when HTC will be launching this smartphone across most US carriers. We still don’t have a release date for the phone, but the cases should quickly follow behind it considering it appears that they’ve already got them ready to ship. We’ll update when we know more. Who loves OtterBox cases for their smartphone protection needs? [via SlashGear] |
| Petition to make unlocking phones legal hits goal – now up to Uncle Sam Posted: 21 Feb 2013 02:48 PM PST Back on January 26th, it officially became illegal for phone owners to unlock their phones and smartphones for use on other carriers. Well, it’s illegal to do so without the carriers consent and full cooperation. After the law went into place many were upset and a petition was started to make it legal again, today we’re happy to announce the petition reached its goal of 100,000 signatures.
So what does that mean? No, phone unlocking isn’t legal again. Instead this means the White House and Uncle Sam has the ball in their court now. With two days to spare the petition reached 100,000 signatures and now the Obama Administration and officials will have to take a second look at this law. This is good news. The original DMCA exception that made this legal has been in place for a long time, but expired back on the 26th of January. All the petition does is make it so the White House now has to actually respond and reconsider, instead of just letting the new law take place and continue. Now that unlocking phones is illegal again we’ll have to wait to see what the courts have to say. Currently the petition is still being signed and has over 105k signatures as of the time of writing, and surely it will continue to climb by the time it closes on the 23rd of this month. There’s no word yet as to when officials will look into this or at least make an official statement, but one will probably be coming soon. We’re also pretty sure carriers will have plenty to say about this, so we can expect some sort of battle will probably ensue. Stay tuned for more details. [via SlashGear] |
| Project Glass patent shows new stylish eyewear Posted: 21 Feb 2013 02:07 PM PST Earlier today we reported that Google was looking to improve their awesome augmented reality glasses by making them a bit more stylish and fashionable. Because no matter how great they are, people need to want to wear them. Well this evening we’re now seeing a new patent that gives us an idea of what they’re aiming for, as well as what Project Glass could look like on a nice frame.
They certainly aren’t Ray Bans, but can you imagine rocking some awesome Aviator or Wayfarer style glasses combined with Project Glass. Sign me up for a pair right this minute. We’re getting ahead of ourselves though, Google has just started looking into alternative styles and we’re probably far from anything extremely fashionable. Earlier today the New York Times reported that a stylish and fashionably sensed online retailer may be partnering with Google to design some better looking frames, and the patent image above could be just one of many. Obviously this is very general, but it gives us an idea of what Glass could look like on a more traditional look. The patent actually goes into all sorts of crazy details regarding the actual glass options, overlays right on your retina and many other things, but for now we’ll just start with the frames. It isn’t 2020 just yet Google. We’ve been hearing a lot of hype lately surrounding Project Glass, and can’t wait to try them ourselves. Check out the links below and Google’s latest video to see what Project Glass can do for you. [via TechCrunch] |
| Pantech Perception for Verizon Wireless spotted in FCC filing Posted: 21 Feb 2013 01:56 PM PST Details on the Pantech Perception leaked back in early January. That leak came in render form and left no real doubt as to where the handset was headed considering the Verizon logo was sitting centered on the top of the device. This latest image of the Perception does not have a Verizon logo, however that is still where it is believed to be heading. The FCC filing for the Perception has recently been discovered and this time around we are getting to see the handset from just about every angle.
The filing includes an image of the front and back as well as the top, bottom, left and right sides. Truth be told, while we are not expecting the specs to be super high-end, based on these images — the Pantech Perception appears to have decent looks. The images show the Pantech logo sitting centered on the bottom of the front along with features to include a front-facing camera, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with flash and 4G LTE connectivity.
The image of the back also shows the speaker which is sitting just to the side of the camera. Otherwise, the headphone jack and charging port is on the top with the microphone on the bottom. The left hand side has the volume rocker and the right hand side has the power button. All said and done, nothing all that shocking. This FCC filing didn’t reveal much in terms of specs, however previous rumors suggested a 4.8-inch 1280 x 720 display and dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM. As one would expect, the filing did not offer anything in terms of a release date. Previous rumors suggest the handset will be arriving before the end of March.       [via Unwired View] |
| HBO GO and MAX GO updates bring HDMI out features Posted: 21 Feb 2013 01:17 PM PST For all those diehard fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones or The Newsroom we have some good news this afternoon. Both HBO GO and the popular MAX GO have received a quickie update in the Google Play Store finally adding support for something we’ve all been waiting for. And that is HDMI-Out features. Now you’ll be able to watch your favorite show anywhere.
HBO GO for Android initially launched as a pretty terrible application, no true sharing features, no tablet support, and mirror mode was purposely disabled completely. Over the past few months the company has done a great job improving the app, as well as what it offers for their subscribers and this is a welcomed change. Back in July they updated their app with an improved user interface that was smoother on Android, as well as full support for Android tablets. This brought our favorite shows to more than just our TV, or our small smartphone. Being able to watch The Newsroom from my smartphone or tablet, no matter where I am, is an awesome feature and something I was glad to see added. Now HBO has finally added the last feature we were all requesting, and that is HDMI out support. Instead of purposely preventing that feature we can now use our powerful smartphones to stream HBO and MAX shows right to our HD TV’s in the living room. We’ll take all the features we can get. Now I’m just stuck waiting for season 2 of Newsroom – that show is amazing. [via HBO Play Store] |
| Archos 80 Titanium tablet UK availability details emerge Posted: 21 Feb 2013 01:07 PM PST Archos unveiled the full line of Titanium tablets back during CES and as of today there is word of availability for those on the UK. In this case we are referring to the Archos 80 Titanium which will bring an 8-inch IPS display and options for either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage space. The catch here, the 16GB model will be sold exclusively with Carphone Warehouse.
Archos has said that the 8GB 80 Titanium tablet will be available with Carphone Warehouse and that the 16GB 80 Titanium will be exclusive to Carphone Warehouse. No word as to when, or if this exclusivity on the 16GB model will expire, but at this time — that is where the purchase will have to be made. The retailer has the 8GB model priced at £129 and the 16GB model priced at £199. Aside from the internal storage space, the features of the 80 Titanium tablet will include a display resolution of 1024 x 768 along with a dual-core 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, microSD card slot, HDMI, USB, front-facing webcam and a 2 megapixel rear-facing camera. The tablet is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and will have access to the Google Play Store. For those outside of the UK considering this model — Archos has said those in Europe will be able to make a purchase through the Archos EU website. We have also seen pricing for the US market, the tablet will be priced from $169. The catch with the US market, Archos has yet to offer an availability date. Device Info
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[via Facebook] |
| Google Chromebook Pixel: Justify the cost by considering the extras Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:31 PM PST Google officially announced the Chromebook Pixel and despite the decent set of specs, it is hard to ignore the price tag. We covered the Chromebook Pixel here in this post, however for those who missed that — the price is $1,299 for the Wi-Fi only model and $1,499 for a model equipped with LTE. The LTE model also has double the storage as compared to the Wi-Fi only model, but that is beside the point. The point here is that these are some expensive Chromebooks.
There are some that felt the current line of Chromebooks were expensive given they are basically a browser and, when you bump that price up to well over a grand — that must become almost unthinkable. And yes, we realize the specs are supposed to make up for that price bump. Still, we are talking Chrome OS here. Price ranting aside, lets shift the focus over to trying to justify the cost. We saw this done with the previous model Chromebooks. Trying to justify the price by adding in the extra perks. The Chromebook Pixel includes two freebies — GoGo Inflight Internet and Google Drive cloud storage. We realize the GoGo access may not be as good for those who rarely travel, however that is a $168 perk (based on a GoGo Inflight all-day pass cost of $14). The other and the more beneficial here is the Drive storage. Those who purchase the Chromebook Pixel will get 1TB of free storage for three years. This amount of storage is $49.99, which when looked at over the cost of three years is $1,799.64. Granted, we couldn’t logically say that you should buy the Chromebook Pixel just because of the free storage. But if you happen to have a 1TB account with Google or have been considering upgrading to that — the Chromebook Pixel may be worthy of consideration. After all, the storage when combined with the GoGo comes to $1,967.64. Not a bad deal in that respect. Nonetheless, even when justifying the cost by considering the extras, it somehow may feel nicer to buy multiple regular Chromebooks and give them away to friends and family. But really, that last thought only comes because we are not using 1TB of Google Drive storage. |
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