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Sony Xperia Z1 for T-Mobile passes by Bluetooth SIG Nov 4th 2013, 05:09, by Juan Carlos Torres Here’s some good news for those who have been pining for a more carrier-friendly version of Sony’s Xperia Z1 flagship, at least if they’re on T-Mobile. While no exact date has been set in stone yet, the smartphone has just been spotted at the Bluetooth SIG bearing T-Mobile’s name, suggesting that an official launch might be coming soon. We had a chance to get our hands on the Xperia Z1 right after Sony announced its latest flagship smartphone at the IFA trade show in Berlin early last September. The device was built to impress and it seems to get that part nailed down. It sports the usual specs that you’d expect in high-end smartphones by now, including a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2 GB of RAM, a 300 mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2. It was, however, on the camera that Sony pulled out all the stops, blessing the Xperia Z1 with a 20.7 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and 27 mm wide angle lens, and BIONZ processing sensor. Of course, there’s also the waterproof feature that Sony has added on top of all these. It took more than a month for the smartphone to become widely available in the US, but even so, the Xperia Z1 announced by Sony in mid-October came as an unlocked variant with HSPA+ connectivity only. Now, however, it seems that another model will soon be heading for T-Mobile. A filing for a Sony Xperia Z1 device, bearing the model number C6616, was recently seen at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). While this doesn’t even give a ballpark date of launch, it does, however, give us a bit of hope that it will be happening soon. There are no news on the device’s availability on other major US carriers. Although the unlocked Xperia Z1 costs $669.99, pricing details for the T-Mobile variant are also still unknown at this point. Another unknown is whether the Xperia Z1 will be receiving an update that will bump it up to Android 4.4 directly or if the firmware will only go as far as Android 4.3 for now. VIA: Xperia Blog Kobo Glo can now run Android Nov 4th 2013, 03:27, by Juan Carlos Torres Arduous tinkerers have found a way to somewhat forcibly make the Kobo Glo e-reader run a full Android OS. While it does open up the device to a whole new world of possibilities, hardware limitations naturally prevent the 6-inch tablet from becoming more than what it is, even with Android’s help. The hack that lets the Kobo Glo run Android is based on one that was used on the Tolino Shine e-reader, which apparently shared hardware similarities with the Kobo device. Such hardware includes a 1 GHz processor, a 6-inch E Ink touchscreen with a resolution of 1024×768, and 2 GB of internal storage, expandable to up to 32 GB via a microSD slot. Running Android on the Kobo Glo will give users access to Google Play Store and Android apps just like any other Android device. However, due to low refresh rates inherent in E Ink displays, trying to run highly interactive or fast-changing apps, such as games or videos, will be an exercise in futility. Battery life will also considerably be shorter given the more complex processes carried out by an Android system compared to a simple e-book platform. Still, that hack might be useful for those who wish to get access to other e-book stores, such as Amazon and Barnes & Nobles, or other e-book apps. Of course, those who want to really want a full Android experience on their Kobo device might just opt to get a Kobo Arc tablet instead. But those who want to combine the best of both worlds of a highly readable E Ink displays and an Android software ecosystem might be better off with this hack, that is, if they have the heart to risk the procedure. VIA: The Droid Guy

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