Thursday, October 24, 2013

Android World Update # Android Community

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Android 4.4 Kit Kat rumors suggest an Android TV connection
Oct 24th 2013, 15:00, by Robert Nelson

There has been plenty of chatter around Android 4.4 Kit Kat, however while we are seeing some differences as compared to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, there hasn’t been anything really major. Well, according to a new report coming out of Korea, Kit Kit may arrive with more of a focus on larger screens. And by larger screens, we are not hearing anything about tablets, but about televisions.

Kit-kat-bar-540x3591

The report was published on Korea IT News and makes mention of how “Google seeks to become the dominant TV platform provider with its next OS ‘Kit Kat.” This all seems to go back to an earlier report that was published by GigaOm, about Google looking to rebrand Google TV as Android TV.

To follow up, this new report suggests that LG has already received word of the rebranding and have received guidelines for Android TV. There was also mention of how unnamed industry insiders have said Google claims the “next OS has greatly improved its utilization in TV.”

Anyway, the important part here is to remember this is rumor and speculation. Key, Google has yet to confirm any of this. With that in mind, there could be some truth here. Given the amount of Kit Kat leaks we have seen, one would suspect a big smartphone or tablet feature would have come out by now.

That could suggest this next update will be the connection between mobile devices and televisions, sort of unifying Google TV with Android and having that come out as Android TV. But then, going with the same logic, why have we yet to see any killer new features that are television related leak?

VIA: unwired view

Motorola DVX tipped to arrive as the Moto G
Oct 24th 2013, 14:33, by Robert Nelson

A Motorola trademark filing was discovered earlier in the week. At the time there was little more than how Motorola had trademarked the name Moto G. As we often see on the web, when the details are light, the speculation goes into overdrive. In this case there was talk of everything from the Moto G being a Google Edition Moto X to the possibility of something headed towards Verizon Wireless.

Motorola-DVX-011

Well, while Motorola has yet to announce anything official, there are some additional rumors. This latest bit comes by way of the New Cell Phones blog who are reporting based on the “extremely reliable Motorola device leaker Houdabao. According to the leak, the Moto G is going to be the official name of the Motorola DVX.

The Motorola DVX has yet to be officially announced, however it has been the subject on numerous rumors and leaks. So far there has been talk of the DVX being a low-cost alternative to the Moto X. There has been details about how the DVX would feature removable back panels for easy color swapping and interestingly enough, powered by the same X8 found in the Moto X.

Other still rumored specs of the Motorola DVX (Moto G) are said to include a 4.5-inch display, dualSIM support and a low off-contract price point. We have seen talk of the DVX heading to Republic Wireless in the US, but otherwise, most of the talk has centered around the handset heading towards emerging markets.

VIA: phoneArena

Polaroid iM1836 micro 4/3 interchangeable lens camera now available
Oct 24th 2013, 14:12, by Robert Nelson

The Polaroid iM1836 camera was the subject of numerous leaks and was then officially unveiled in January, during CES. At the time Polaroid had said the camera would be arriving during the first quarter of the year and with a price point of $399. Anyway, Polaroid has finally announced the availability. The iM1836 is available today and actually priced a bit lower than originally expected.

polaroid-im1836-01

The camera has arrived at $299 and will be available by way of Amazon and Walmart. Polaroid is promising the iM1836 will deliver “D-SLR quality and flexibility but with the simplicity, affordability and convenience of a point-and-shoot camera.” That aside, what we can say is the Polaroid iM1836 is a micro 4/3 body with an interchangeable lens setup.

The camera is 18.1 megapixel and the feature set includes a 3.5-inch touchscreen along with WiFi, Bluetooth and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. As for the interchangeable lens bit, the iM1836 ships with a 10-30mm lens to get started with. Polaroid also mentioned that a 500mm telephoto lens will be available in November and a 50mm lens will be available in the early part of 2014.

polaroid-im1836-02

So far Polaroid hasn’t offered anything in terms of pricing for those additional lenses. Users can also expect HDMI out for connecting to a television or other external display, a headphone out to monitor audio when filming and your basic SD card slot for memory.

The video will record at 1920 x 1080 and thanks to the camera running Android — there will be some software goodies included. Those include Face Auto Exposure and panoramic images. There will also be blink detection and a pop-up flash. Lastly, it looks like the camera will be available in one color — silver, and it will measure in at 4.2 x 1 x 2.5 inches.

Samsung patent filing details Google Glass competitor
Oct 24th 2013, 13:33, by Robert Nelson

A Samsung patent filing has recently been discovered for a pair of “sport glasses.” This particular filing is coming out of Korea and was registered in October. More to the point though, the fling included some basic details along with a few sketches. These appear like they are similar to Google Glass and the filing mentions smartphone connectivity as well as some of the functionality.

samsung-glass-patent-01

There was mention of these glasses having integrated earphones that would allow the user to take calls and also listen to music. Touching back to the smartphone connectivity and it looks like these will be serving as a second screen for the purpose of incoming alerts and messages. There was also mention of camera lens.

samsung-glass-patent-02

The sketches appear to highlight these features. There are some similarities and based on the sketches, some obvious differences compared to Google Glass. There is one point that stands out at the moment — this appear to have a bit more emphasis on design and the sporty aspect, which is something that Google put less effort into with the Explorer Edition Glass.

Samsung declined to comment with a spokesperson mentioning they do not offer anything on future product plans. Whether these become a product in the future remains to be seen, however considering Samsung has recently released the Galaxy Gear smartwatch we suppose them testing other wearables should not be all that surprising.

samsung-glass-patent-03

Looking at the sketches and there appears to be another item worth questioning — the cable coming out of the sides and running down the back. One could assume this would be a charging cable, however there was no mention of how these connect with the smartphone in the filing. We can only hope this is an early prototype and that cable will be removable and only for charging if these should end up in the hands of consumers.

SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal

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Android World Update # Samsung patent shows potential designs for Google Glass competitor

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Samsung patent shows potential designs for Google Glass competitor
Oct 24th 2013, 14:59, by Quentyn Kennemer

BN-AC944_samgla_D_20131024032441

Samsung hasn’t been shy about wanting to be in every space they can, and the South Korean company seems to be ready to tackle yet another market segment. As we’ve heard before, Samsung wants to challenge the smart glasses market that is just now getting off its feet. Google has been the most ambitious player in this arena so far, with Google Glass still in its infancy and awaiting a retail release in 2014.

That said, suspicion that Samsung is working on a solution of their own seems to have been confirmed with the latest patent filing by the company. The patent shows a pair of glasses with a front-mounted camera, buttons on the side, and wired cables that are designed to reach behind your neck, potentially to be plugged into a smartphone. It also sports built-in earbuds for audio.

samsung-smart-glasses

This design seems quite rudimentary, though it’s possible this is just a prototype. Whatever Samsung is cooking up has the potential to look much different when or if they ever reveal it to the public. It’s also worth nothing Samsung is referring to it as a pair of “sports glasses,” with one of its primary functions being to show relevant information to athletes on a heads-up display.

With that, we’re not sure if Samsung is looking to target a specific market or bring a device for a broad range of consumers, but we hope whatever they do pushes the entirety of this new product category forward (unlike the Galaxy Gear managed to do in its first iteration).

[via Wall Street Journal]

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Android World Update # Samsung patent for ‘sports glasses’ uncovered

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Samsung patent for 'sports glasses' uncovered
Oct 24th 2013, 14:13, by Scott Webster

A recently approved design patent from South Korea gives us a glimpse into the potential future of Samsung’s next wearable tech product. As we’ve previously heard, Samsung figures to be headed in the same direction as Google and other companies in designing smart glasses.

The device is linked to a smartphone and displays alerts for information running on the phone, providing easy access to control when the users' hands are tied with sports activities, the memo says. The device features a lens that is  either transparent or translucent, it says. – WSJ

Details are incredibly scarce but we do get a feel for how Samsung’s “sports glasses” may look when they arrive. The drawings show integrated earphones, the corner display near the eye, and what may be a micro-USB plug. Things certainly appear more sporty than fashionable and may be targeted at a specific demographic.

samsung_glasses3 samsung_glasses2 samsung_glasses1

Here’s to hoping that whatever Samsung is cooking up will be able to work with more than a select few devices.

Wall Street Journal via Engadget

 

The post Samsung patent for ‘sports glasses’ uncovered appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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Android World Update # Hyundai and Kia to implement Android OS in 2014 cars

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Hyundai and Kia to implement Android OS in 2014 cars
Oct 24th 2013, 14:04, by Robert Nazarian

kia-hyundai-logos

We have Android in our pocket, on our TVs, so what about the car? Well if you’re in the market for a car, you might want to wait and see what Hyundai and Kia has in store. According to etnews, we could see some sort of version of the Android OS in their cars by the end of the year. The software is known as UVO 2.0, and will start in the Kia Soul and the Hyundai Genesis. Both companies are likely to implement the software in more cars next year.

Unfortunately we don’t have details, but we presume the software will bring more compatibility with apps and maybe even bring Google Maps. How about a Chromecast-like feature that can be controlled by the car interface? We should hopefully find out more in the coming months. We will let you know as soon as we hear it.

source: etnews
via: Pocket-Lint


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Android World Update # Samsung slams HTC and gets fined in the process

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Samsung slams HTC and gets fined in the process
Oct 24th 2013, 13:54, by Robert Nazarian

samsung-logo

Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission handed Samsung a NT 10 million ($340,000) fine for undermining the reputation of HTC, which is based in Taiwan. According to the FTC, Samsung organized an Internet campaign praising their own phones while slamming HTC phones and is a violation of fair trade rules. The FTC also fined two other Taiwanese trading companies that were instrumental in creating the campaign.

This isn’t the first time the FTC came down on Samsung. Earlier in the year, they received a NT 300,000 ($10,000) fine for misleading consumers in their advertisements of the Galaxy Y Duos GT-S6102 smartphone.

source: AP
via: Phone Arena

 


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Android World Update # LG snags $2.75B in mobile revenue despite less profitable devices

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LG snags $2.75B in mobile revenue despite less profitable devices
Oct 24th 2013, 13:48, by Dustin Karnes

LG’s recent posting of their Q3 financial results are in, and they’re proving to be positive. As a whole, LG has pulled in $12.51 billion in revenues, which brings their money train to a total of $196.35 million in operating profit – a number that’s up 27% year-over-year from previous results. As far as the LG Mobile division goes (which – let’s be honest – is what we here at AndroidGuys really care about), the department posted revenues of $2.75 billion in the third quarter, which is up 24% year-over-year. They shipped 12 million phones in said quarter, which is a very close second to their top quarter (Q2) of 12.1 million.

The important thing to note here is that LG has managed to pull in a massive profit in their mobile division and practically tie results with their top earning quarter despite having a lower profit per device. LG mentioned in their earnings report that they have had to lower the profits in their handsets due to pressure from an ever-increasing market.

With high-end handsets like the G2, as well as the latest leaks of the G Flex, LG expects to rake in even more profits over the coming months. The holidays are just around the corner, and Q4 tends to be the quarter that pulls in the most total cash for companies like LG – and there doesn’t seem to be anything slowing them down.

Hit the break for the full earnings report.

LG ANNOUNCES THIRD-QUARTER 2013 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Sales of Mobile Devices Increase 24 Percent From Same Period Previous Year

SEOUL, Oct. 24, 2013 — LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced third-quarter 2013 consolidated revenues of KRW 13.89 trillion (USD 12.51 billion). While competitive conditions in the TV sector and an unfavorable foreign currency exchange rate affected overall revenues compared with the 2012 third quarter, sales of mobile devices increased year-over-year by 24 percent. LG saw a 27 percent increase in third-quarter operating profit to KRW 217.80 billion (USD 196.34 million) compared with the same period last year.

The LG Home Entertainment Company reported revenues of KRW 5.01 trillion (USD 4.50 billion), a 7 percent decline from the same period a year ago, reflecting slower global TV demand and lower selling prices. Higher sales in developing markets such as Asia and the CIS region were offset by softness in Europe. Operating profit of KRW 124.40 billion (USD 111.68 million) increased both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter as a result of more efficient management of operating and marketing expense. As it enters the holiday selling season, LG plans to expand global sales of premium products such as OLED TVs and Ultra HD TVs while continuing to carefully manage costs.

The LG Mobile Communications Company's third-quarter revenues increased by 24 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago to KRW 3.05 trillion (USD 2.75 billion). The company shipped 12 million smartphones in the third quarter but profitability and average selling price were affected by increased competition and higher marketing investments. LG plans to focus on increasing sales of new premium products such as the LG G2 smartphone during the peak holiday season as well as maximizing 3G and mid-tier mass devices such as the L II Series and F Series.

The LG Home Appliance Company recorded revenues of KRW 2.97 trillion (USD 2.68 billion), up 3 percent from the previous year largely due to the positive reception of its new washing machines and refrigerators. LG appliance sales increased in North America and China but slowed in developing markets. Despite higher overall revenues and improved cost structure, third-quarter operating profit decreased from the same period last year to KRW 109.20 billion (USD 98.17 million) primarily due to unfavorable foreign exchange movements.

The LG Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions Company reported relatively flat third-quarter sales and operating profit margin year-over-year with revenues of KRW 973 billion (USD 876.32 million). While increased R&D investments and weak global market conditions will continue to impact the business, the company will focus on growing its market share of non-seasonal products and higher-margin products such as new commercial air conditioning systems.

2013 3Q Exchange Rates Explained
LG Electronics' unaudited quarterly earnings results are based on IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending September 30, 2013. Amounts in Korean won (KRW) are translated into U.S. dollars (USD) at the average rate of the three-month period of the corresponding quarter — KRW 1,110 per USD (2013 3Q).

Earnings Conference and Conference Call
LG Electronics will hold a Korean language earnings conference on October 24, 2013 at 16:00 Korea Standard Time at the LG Twin Tower Auditorium (B1 East Tower, 20 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea). An English language conference call will follow later at 21:00 Korea Standard Time (12:00 GMT/UTC). Participants are instructed to call +82 31 810 3069 and enter the passcode 9084#. The corresponding presentation file will be available for download at the LG Electronics website (www.lg.com/global/ir/reports/earning-release.jsp) at 14:00 on October 24, 2013. Please visit http://pin.teletogether.com/eng/ and pre-register with the passcode provided. For those unable to participate, an audio recording of the news conference will be available for a period of 30 days after the conclusion of the call. To access the recording, dial +82 31 931 3100 and enter the passcode 142710# when prompted.

The post LG snags $2.75B in mobile revenue despite less profitable devices appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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Android World Update # Samsung hit with fine in Taiwan, probe into failing devices in China

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Samsung hit with fine in Taiwan, probe into failing devices in China
Oct 24th 2013, 13:37, by Alex Dobie

Samsung

Bogus online comments land Samsung with $340k fine in Taiwan; Chinese investigation into dead phones results in apology and warranty extensions

A double-whammy of bad news for Samsung this morning. In Taiwan, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) hit the Korean company with a NT$10 million ($340,000) fine after finding that it organized an online campaign to post critical comments on HTC products, while praising its own. The commission found that through local marketing companies, Samsung hired "a large number of writers" to leave the comments on Taiwanese discussion forums, in violation of fair-trade laws. The marketing companies involved were also given smaller fines.

And in China, an investigation into failing Galaxy S3 and Note 2 handsets by state TV criticized the company's warranty arrangements. The issue concerns certain handsets dropping dead out of the blue, apparently due to faulty NAND chips in some devices. In response, Samsung's Chinese arm has issued a apology, saying the issues were the result of a "management problem" and that it welcomed the media scrutiny. The firm also promised to extend the warranties of devices made before Nov. 30, 2012 for an additional year.

Source: AP via SamMobile; Engadget


    






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