Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:51 PM PST   source: The Verge Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:28 PM PST  Click here to view the embedded video. Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:45 PM PST  Can’t wait to start spending your Simoleon whilst on the move? Keep tuned in to TalkAndroid and we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as the game hits the market. Click here to view the embedded video. Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 03:35 PM PST  The super skinny Huawei Ascend P1 S will be available in mainland China at the end of March, according to website Tech.Sina. The phone will most likely appear in Europe next, and hopefully on a US carrier in the near future. We at Talk Android were mightily impressed when we previewed the Ascend P1 S at CES 2012. The world’s thinnest smartphone packs a ton into its casing, including a 1.5Ghz dual-core OMAP 4460 processor, 4.3 inch Super AMOLED screen, 1GB of RAM and an 8MP rear camera. It should be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. All that, and it’s only 6.68mm thick. Huawei has vowed to best their already incredible Ascend P1 S handset with the “Diamond Series“. We’re having a hard time imagining what Huawei is planning, but we’ll let you know the minute we hear! Source: Tech.Sina Via: Android Community Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:35 PM PST  T-Mobile is giving you the chance to pickup their latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free. There is one minor catch, and that it’s free after rebate. You will of course need to sign up with a new 2-year contract with either the Value or Classic plan, and both new and existing customers are eligible. So if you’re in the market for the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S II, The HTC Amaze 4G, or the Huawei Springboard, this Saturday is the day to grab one. Full press release after the break: Cupid's Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine's For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile's 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its "Valentine's Day Sale." For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile's fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America's Largest 4G Network® such as the Samsung Galaxy S™ II1 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ with Google™. New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value™3 Plan. "T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine's gift to consumers," said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. "No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more." A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the "Valentine's Day Sale" as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America's Largest 4G Network. The following is a sample of the exceptional devices available during the "Valentine's Day Sale" if customers choose to sign up on a two-year Classic Plan™:
The "Valentine's Day Sale" will be available on Feb.11 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and T-Mobile will support the promotion with a national television advertising campaign. For more information about T-Mobile's "Valentine's Day Sale" and details about qualifying plans, visit http://bit.ly/z36M9c. 1 Devices must be supported with the following data requirements: voice phones: 200 MB data; most smartphones: 2 GB data; 42 Mbps devices (Amaze and Galaxy S II): 5 GB data. 2Standard upgrade eligibility rules apply for existing Classic customers that stay on a Classic plan; standard migration fees will apply for existing Classic customers that switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure. 3 $0 down payment offer not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL; customers in these regions will be eligible for a different offer. Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total post-rebate price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20. 4This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of T-Mobile USA from December 20-22, 2011 among 2,573 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 235 will be first time smartphone buyers in 2012, and 988 are current smartphone users who will remain smartphone users in 2012. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact kmcfadzean@waggeneredstrom.com 5Mail-in rebate not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL. About T-Mobile USA, Inc. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the third quarter of 2011, approximately 129 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visitwww.telekom.com/investor- Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:52 PM PST  Google’s new bouncer-service that was announced last week is supposed to have dropped the number of malware apps in the Android Market by about 40% already. While that is a great number the Bouncer service isn’t perfect and it probably is the beginning to one of many back and forth battles between the Search Giant and malicious hackers in the making. However, it appears that hackers may have already found a work around to this service. According to North Carolina State University professor Xuxian Jiang, he and his team have discovered a new malware variant that pulls off a pretty sneaky maneuver. The malware contains no malicious code when it’s first installed on a device. By doing this it evades scans or permission requests that could pick up on its intentions in the first place. Here’s the trick. After it’s downloaded the app is then able to download new code from a remote server and it can hide this in the data transfer from the phone’s communications. Part of the code downloaded in the exploit is known as “Gingerbreak.” Yes this is the same Gingerbreak that is used to gain root access on some Android 2.3 devices. This is used to gain full access to the device as root access does, allowing hackers, criminals and whoever else use of any of the phone’s functions whenever. This includes calling paid numbers, reading data, listening through the microphone or installing other malicious apps. Jiang’s team was able to find DroidLive secretly installed. This exploit profits by sending text messages to paid phone numbers. Known as “privilege escalation” this exploit is quite difficult to achieve on Apple’s more restrictive OS as they only allow approved code to run on their devices. Android devices however have already seen these exploits demonstrated in a research atmosphere by security researcher Jon Oberheide, who was able to previously hide the ability to download this malicious code in two proof-of-concept Android applications. One impersonated a Twilight movie photo app and another was disguised as an Angry Birds “sequel.” Thanks to this research, Android privilege-escalation has been proven to be more than theoretical. According to Jiang, “Jon had just showed this was possible.” He continued by saying ” This is the first actual malware that we found in the wild that uses this technique.” Jiang calls the new exploit “Rootsmart,” based on the prototype “Rootstrap” made by Oberheide combined with “com.google.android.smart” used by malware authors. Rootsmart itself isn't much of a threat to American Android users. In its current form, it doesn't package itself as anything a user might be tempted to download, and it wasn't found in the official Android Market, only on a Chinese app download site. However these apps could potentially evade the bouncer service. Given that the program scans all apps uploaded to the market for known malware that’s then simulated as running, it may get a free pass as Rootsmart doesn’t initially contain malware. This means the app could then wait out the Bouncer wait period before malicious code is downloaded. Whether or not the Android Market scans would catch this is untested. When Forbes contacted Google for comment, a spokesperson pointed out that Rootsmart hasn’t been found in the official Market and right now falls outside of the bouncer’s zone of protection. But Jiang believes that a version could be uploaded to the Android Market that could evade the malware filter. He said: "At the very least, this would cause some challenges for a Bouncer-like system. I expect we'll see more of this in the future." source: NCSU via: Forbes Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:43 AM PST  Verizon has officially announced the 5.9.902 update for the Motorola DROID Bionic. There have been rumors for a few weeks on just what Verizon had up its sleeve for the Motorola handset. There is some good stuff packed into this update, including more stability. The black screen lockups, camera lockups, idle resets and multimedia dock lockups should be a thing of the past. The update will add Amazon MP3 and the VCAST App Store. Also on the list of improvements are data, HDMI and Bluetooth connectivity. The battery life should also be enhanced. Unfortunately, this update won’t be bringing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the Bionic. We’ll let you know here at Talk Android when that update happens. The update is 57.6MB in size, and is available if you’re part of the Motorola Feedback Network and have registered your DROID. If not, you should see the update go OTA in the next few weeks. Source: VerizonVisit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:18 AM PST  The AT200 claims to be the slimmest 10″ Android tablet on the market (7.7mm) and weighs in at an impressively light 535 grams. The tablet also boasts a premium build, boasting durable gorilla glass up front and a polished magnesium alloy backing. “What use is a good looking tablet without impressive tech specs” I hear you say? Well thankfully the AT200 packs the technical prowess to match its svelte exterior. The screen is a 10.1″ backlit LED boasting a resolution of 1280 x 800. Processing is handled by the popular dual core TI OMAP 4430 clocked in at 1.2ghz, RAM checks at 1gb and there are 16gb or 32gb storage options available. There are two cameras on board, a 5MP on the back for capturing snapshots on the move and a 2MP up front for those ultra sharp video calls. The AT200 is available to buy online now with the 16gb priced at £399 and the 32gb priced at £449. Toshiba’s entry to the competitive Android tablet market has been a difficult one, the AT200 could be the killer product they’ve been looking for to turn around their fortunes. Source: Carphone Warehouse Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:18 AM PST  This means we’re back to the guessing game, when will we actually get to see this thing? Being that Samsung has said we would not see the device at MWC in Spain, and we can now cross the France theory off the list too. It’s looking more and more likely that Samsung may be targeting a launch closer to the iPhone 5 unveiling, which reports suggest will appear at this years WWDC at the beginning of June. Also, this would just barely fall in line with Samsung’s statement about unveiling the device within the first half of the year. It looks like we may just have to wait it out a bit longer than we hopped. The Galaxy S III is definitely going to be worth the wait, though. It is said to be thinner than its predecessor at roughly 7mm thin, internally waterproofed, sport a Super AMOLED Plus display, rock a quad-core processor, and possibly even a 12MP camera. Couple that with a proposed HDMI output and you got one of the hottest, if not the hottest, phones on the market. I know I am excited, you? source: The Next Web Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:52 AM PST  It won’t be all about the models because Derek Blasberg, Editor at Large of Conde Nast's Style.com, Senior Fashion News and Special Projects Editor at V and VMAN, and a contributing editor for Harper's Bazaar, will also be using the Galaxy Note for all his reporting from New York, London, Milan, and Paris. This is an interesting marketing campaign for Samsung. It seems as though they are really pushing the S Pen (stylus) over the size of the Galaxy Note. I know a lot of people were poking fun at Samsung’s Super Bowl commercial because the stylus is so dated, but Samsung is looking to prove that it’s making a comeback. Full press release after the break Top Models Share all the Glitz and Glamour of the Fashion Show with Samsung's Powerful and Stylish GALAXY Note High-profile fashion insider Derek Blasberg and Next Models Use the Galaxy Note to Take Fans Behind the Scenes at Fashion Week’s Top Show SEOUL, Korea – February 7, 2012 – To those of us outside of the tents, Fashion Week looks like one glamorous spectacle after another. Behind the scenes, it's a whole other story. This year, Samsung Mobile and Next Model Management are partnering to bring that story directly to you, straight from some of the fashion world's biggest talent – all thanks to the revolutionary Samsung Galaxy Note. Samsung Mobile and Next Models are arming some of the world's top models along with high-profile fashion editor Derek Blasberg with the powerful new super phone that will keep them organized and make it fun and easy for them to share their fashion week experiences. Instead of towing around bulky devices as they race from show to show and city to city, Next Models' catwalk stars including Anja Rubik, Karlie Kloss, Arizona Muse, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Kendra Spears, Aline Weber, Ruby Aldridge and Shanina Shaik will be using the Galaxy Note to give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest events in the fashion world. In New York, London and Paris, this sleek, do-in-one device will help the models do more while carrying less. They'll share candid moments and videos through their twitter feeds, Facebook pages and more. And the Galaxy Note’s built-in S Pen will let them give their photos, notes and ideas the extra-personal, hand-written touch in way no other smartphone can match. Derek Blasberg, Editor at Large of Conde Nast's Style.com, Senior Fashion News and Special Projects Editor at V and VMAN, and a contributing editor for Harper's Bazaar, will be leaving his pen and pad behind as he reports from fashion week in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Instead, he'll be covering the very latest word – pictures and video too – on the best of fashion and parties, the top models and celebrities, all using the Galaxy Note. Experience all of the excitement from on the catwalk and off, with exclusive photos, videos, interviews and more at www.samsungmobilepress.com. Follow the action on Twitter with@Samsungmobile, @DerekBlasberg, @anjarubikblog, @karlie_kloss, @AbbeyKershaw,@Kendra_Spears, @Alineweber_real, @hidynamite and @ShaninaMShaik or watch for hashtag #GalaxyNoteFW. |
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Google News
| Android Market flooded with impostor apps msnbc.com By Matt Liebowitz A fresh new batch of fake and dangerous apps has found its way into the official Android Market, and downloading any of them could put your smartphone, and your personal information, in jeopardy. Spotted by the security watchdogs at ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Android More Popular Than iOS Among New Smartphone Buyers eWeek Some 57 percent of US smartphone buyers picked an Android handset for the first time, compared to 34 percent who chose and iPhone, according to NPD Group. Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the world's top-selling smartphone, but more first-time smartphone ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Google limits Android support for CDMA phones Register Google is dropping full support for CDMA handsets running Android, leaving millions of customers wondering if their phones and tablets will be able to cope. Last Friday, Google posted a message on Google Groups to say that in the future, the Chocolate ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Android Falters as IOS Strengthens BusinessWeek By Kevin C. Tofel Based on a growing number of data points, Android's sales dominance may be nearing its apex while iOS is on the rise. Even as a daily user of both an Android smartphone and a tablet, I can't deny the fact that Android's partners are ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Symantec Releases Free Parental Monitoring App for Android PC Magazine Fortunately Symantec has just released a free mobile parental control app for Android called Norton Safety Minder, which you can download from the Android Market. It's free to use after you sign up for a Norton Online Family account, a free parental ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Apkudo Announces Android Device Testing Software for Manufacturers and Service ... MarketWatch (press release) BALTIMORE, MD, Feb 07, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Apkudo, Inc., an Android innovation start-up, today announced Apkudo Device Analytics software for testing new Android smartphones and tablets as part of prepping those devices for launch to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Intrinsyc Experts to Present at Android(TM) Builders Summit and Embedded Linux ... MarketWatch (press release) Intrinsyc is a member of the Linux Foundation and Bronze Sponsor of the Android Builders Summit. Developers are increasingly choosing eMMC instead of raw NAND flash as their main storage media in embedded devices. Presentations provide a background on ... See all stories on this topic » |
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| RIM claims BlackBerry apps make more money than Android apps ... By Michael Crider Oh, RIM. Pity the once-might conquerors of the corporate smartphone world, for they have been reduced to petty sniping while trying to emulate that which they. Android Community | ||
| Rdio Android app gets a refresh, adds ICS support and new design ... By Edgar Alvarez Tune streaming service Rdio has just given its Android application a major makeover. Not only will the app experience the Ice Cream Sandwich. Engadget | ||
| Instagram For Android Possibly Leaked By Chris Chavez Now, take this as a grain of salt but apparently, the insanely popular iOS app Instagram could/might/possibly be making its way over to Android if this. Android Phone Fans | ||
| iOS More Crashtastic Than Android By Richard Adhikari The rivalry between Google and Apple in the cut-throat mobile device world took a new turn recently when mobile app support platform company Crittercism published a study that found iOS apps crash more often than their Android ... TechNewsWorld | ||
| 7 signs that Android is faltering as iOS strengthens — Mobile ... By Kevin C. Tofel Based on a growing number of data points, Android's sales dominance may be nearing its apex while iOS is on the rise. Even as a daily user of both an Android smartphone and tablet, I can't deny the facts that Android's future won't rival ... GigaOM |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Google News
| iPhone iOS Apps Crash More than Android: Report eWeek Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, may change that – for the worse. Android took a number of shots at Apple's iOS during the Super Bowl, courtesy of Samsung, and now comes another hit: iOS apps crash more often than Android apps, according to data from ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Android dominates first-time smartphone buyer biz Register By Tony Smith • Get more from this author Punters picking their first smartphone are more likely to select an Android handset. When they come to upgrade, however, there's a good chance they'll defect to the opposition. So suggests market data from US ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| New Android Malware Has Costly Twist InformationWeek By Mathew J. Schwartz InformationWeek Beware the rise of polymorphic malware on Android smartphones. That warning comes via security vendor Symantec, which said it's seeing malware-obfuscation techniques honed by PC attackers being used to develop ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Mid-market Android Meltdown - HTC Warns Big Again Forbes HTC has issued another massive revenue warning.The company is now guiding 1Q12 revenues to T$65-70 Billion, way below the T$89 Billion consensus expectation. January revenue crashed by 52% YoY. You read that right – in the overall smartphone market ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Windows Phone 8 'Apollo' Mobile Magazine By Andrew Grush, February 06, 2012 @ 8:08am Windows Phone as an OS certainly doesn't lead the pack, at a party there's usually one guy with a Windows Phone while everyone else is on Android or iOS. And this is due to the fact that it is often ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Google moves to match Apple iPhone with Android Computerworld (blog) By Jonny Evans Google [GOOG] is moving to bridge some of the user experience failings that divide Android devices from Apple's [AAPL] iPhone/iOS Empire. In the last few days the world's dominant search engine has introduced new tools to protect against ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Microsoft to deliver CRM apps for iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone in Q2 ZDNet (blog) By Mary Jo Foley | February 6, 2012, 6:01am PST Summary: Microsoft will deliver mobile versions of its Dynamics CRM app and service for iPad, iPhone, Android phone, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 in the second quarter of 2012. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Rdio Unveils Brand-New Android App, Bringing the Best Mobile Music Experience ... Sacramento Bee 6, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Rdio (www.rdio.com), the digital music service started by the creators of Skype, today announced the availability of a completely redesigned Rdio for Android app, now available as a free download from Android Market or as an ... See all stories on this topic » |
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| Android's original standard bearer -- HTC -- falls from grace - Apple ... By Philip Elmer-DeWitt Squeezed by Apple and Samsung, it had a bad quarter and expects the next to be worse There was a time when HTC and Android were practically synonymous. The Taiwanese manufacturer built the first commercially available Android ... Fortune Tech: Technology blogs,... | ||
| Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus update to Android 4.0.4 leaks, get it ... By Cory Gunther Good news folks, not only did the Giants win the Super Bowl but the Verizon Galaxy Nexus (LTE model) has received a little over the air update to Android 4.0.4. Android Community | ||
| Study: iOS apps crash more than Android apps do | TUAW - The ... By Mike Schramm Mobile OS crash analysis firm Crittercism (Really? Who's naming this stuff?) has posted the chart above, which shows that as a percentage of crashes. TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog | ||
| Fujitsu announces 'Sylistic' Android tablet for all the businessmen ... By Edgar Cervantes Now, that has to be about the weirdest name we have seen for a tablet. Fujitsu has just announced their new addition to the tablet market, named the Sylistic. Android Phone Fans | ||
| NPD: iPhone dominated in Q4, Android popularity grows among first ... By Zach Epstein Apple was the top smartphone vendor in the United States last quarter according to new data released on Monday. A new report from market research firm. BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech |
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| Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0.4 OTA package now available ... Verizon Galaxy Nexus 4.0.4 OTA package has been found and uploaded for everyone to have a crack at. www.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-nexus-android-404-... | ||
| MIUI Android - MIUI, Redefining Android – MIUI Android Developers Today will be marked in history as the first day that the Xiaomi company decided to begin open sourcing its Android application development to the masses. miuiandroid.com/.../xiaomi-opens-up-android-rom-source-co... |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:33 AM PST If you’re a dedicated Android modder, you’re probably aware of the myriad tweaks you can apply via the build.prop file, located in the /system folder. It’s a popular method of changing your phone or tablet’s screen density (as in our Galaxy Nexus Tablet experiment) or fooling the Android Market into thinking you’ve got a different phone than the one you have. But Android’s built-in text editor leaves something to be desired, and the only alternative to a root-enabled file browser has been the tedious ADB method of backing up and swapping in modified build.prop files.  Until now, that is: generous XDA member “nathanpc” (Nathan Campos) built an app specifically for rooted users to quickly and easily alter their build properties file. The build.prop editor is now in its 1.0 release, and while it’s a simple little app, it makes a common advanced process blessedly easier. Just install the app, grant it root permissions via the Superuser pop-up, and you can instantly modify any entry in the build.prop file to your liking. Both the property name (which in most cases, you won’t want to change) and the property key can be modified for each entry, and new properties can be added. Reboot to apply your changes. Modder beware: messing with your build.prop file in the wrong way can give your Android phone or tablet some serious headaches. While the Editor generously includes a backup and restore function, it’s probably best to make your own backup as well before making any serious changes. With that warning out of the way, head on over to the Android Market to read Nathan’s warnings too, then download the app for free. |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:11 AM PST After the update to Android 4.0.4 was just leaked for both the Galaxy Nexus and even the Nexus S this past week, we are now hearing rumors regarding the Android 4.0.5 update for both devices. According to a new roadmap leaked by France’s SFR we are now seeing a full list of when they expect updates to hit — and for what devices.  From looking over the list shown above. It appears the update to Android 4.0.5 will possibly be landing in March for both the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus S. The other interesting note here is the fact they’ve also listed the HTC Sensation, Galaxy S II and others all seeing updates to a version of Ice Cream Sandwich around the same time frame. With Android 4.0.5 we don’t expect any major changes other than Google fixes issues and improving the performance of their new Ice Cream Sandwich. For the others, they’ll finally be receiving official Android 4.0 updates to get them on the latest frozen treat rather than Gingerbread. We’ve seen leaks from HTC in the recent past, and expect updates to start rolling out for their popular devices soon. Could we see them by March? Who knows but I’m sure they are looking to hurry. Most likely Android 4.0.5 will be landing on the GSM Galaxy Nexus first, since the Verizon model just started seeing 4.0.4 this weekend. [via Android Police] |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:25 AM PST Rumors of more robust Verizon video service have been flying for a while now, but it just became official. Big Red announced a partnership with popular vending machine rental company RedBox, with the aim of creating a “New Consumer Choice For Video Entertainment”. Details are thin on the ground, but the new service will be subscription-based (as opposed to RedBox’s current pay-per-play model) and is scheduled to launch in the second half of this year. Language in the press release hints at an online video service complimented by access to RedBox’s kiosks scattered at locations around the United States.  Verizon has had a deep longing for content-based revenue for the better part of a decade, and watching the likes of Apple, Google and Netflix load up on mobile content hasn’t helped them with their envy. RedBox is extremely popular in the US as an alternative to NetFlix, especially in areas where poor or non-existent broadband make streaming video impractical. While Netflix has had a few hiccups in the last year thanks to poor business decisions and a fluctuating library, RedBox continues to dominate the retail rental space. Teaming up with a well-known brand is a good move on Verizon’s part. The partnership will almost certainly mean that Verizon customers will have exclusive access to RedBox’s digital content, at least on the mobile side of things. That indicates Android and iOS apps, and considering how far out they’re throwing this thing, the apps will probably launch with the service. Pricing is a no-show, but expect it to compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu Plus in the $10-15 a month area. If the two companies can wrangle enough content to turn heads and somehow leverage RedBox’s retail presence, it could be a winner. |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 08:55 AM PST HTC just can’t keep a lid on its new workhorse model, code-named the HTC Ville. The phone leaked in render form months ago, then in a surreptitious spy video showed the slinky phone running Ice Cream Sandwich. The Ville has once again popped up before its debut, this time in a series of blurrycam photos from Japanese site Ameblo. They don’t show anything we haven’t seen before, but the photos confirm the design, including its impressive thinness, a first among HTC’s usually chunky smartphones.  The Ville is expected to be HTC’s mid-range entry for 2012, matching the relative market location of the Sensation in 2012. Leaked specs include a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, and a 4.3-inch QHD screen with an AMOLED panel. Details on other phone specifications are scarce, but the device is said to be a mere 8.9mm thin – a record for HTC, and admirable even in today’s crowded market. Naturally the phone runs Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC’s Sense 4.0, though you’d be hard pressed to spot the differences from these photos alone. The smaller size and lower power of the Ville contrast with the HTC Edge, expected to have a 4.7-inch screen, Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and a 720p screen. The Ville’s relatively mid-market status gives credence to the idea that we’ll see it first on T-Mobile in the US, probably replacing the Amaze 4G. While there’s certainly something going on at HTC’s pre-MWC event on February 26th, there’s no telling what it might be – though the quick removal of a previous version of the Ville video indicate that the company would prefer you don’t know about this phone just yet. See you in Barcelona.     [via Android-Life] |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 08:14 AM PST Samsung’s announced a new event! Quick, let’s dig through the Galaxy S III rumor mill and see what they’ll debut! Hold your horses, Samsung faithful – there’s reason to believe that the latest Samsung event isn’t the one the company hinted at when delaying the newest flagship. Two things point to a smaller announcement: one, it’s in March, just three weeks after Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And two, it takes place in France, and apparently in French as well. Meaning no disrespect to our French readers, that indicates a regional announcement, probably a modified existing model like the Galaxy S Advance or a partnership with a local carrier. The lingua franca (so to speak) for the tech world is English, and announcements tend to come as such wherever they are: see Google and Samsung’s Hong Kong announcement of the Galaxy Nexus.  The announcement was revealed via invite to a handful of french publications, including FrAndroid. While the fan site didn’t reveal a location or exact time, it’ll take place on March 22nd. This date also points to something other than the Galaxy S III, since one of the major reasons that Samsung chose to exclude the GSIII from its Mobile World Congress showing is thought to be that they want to wait to give the device better footing against the iPhone 5. For the last three years Apple hasn’t announced a new iPhone earlier than summer. That said, what do we expect to find at this announcement? The current flagships are allready released throughout France and the rest of Europe, and it isn’t Samsung’s style to hold a press event for anything less than a showstopper. If I had to guess (and please bear in mind that it’s only a guess) I’d say that the company will probably reveal the rumored 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab at Mobile World Congress, then use the French event to announce partnerships with local carriers for existing phones and tablets. In any case, we’ll be keeping a close eye on it to see if Samsung has any post-MWC surprises. [via UnwiredView] |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 07:41 AM PST Despite a strong 4th quarter showing for Apple thanks to the launch of the iPhone 4S, Android continues to kick digital butt all over the world. Contradicting earlier numbers, analytics firm NPD reports that Android is even more popular among first-time smartphone buyers. Among US buyers from October through December, 57% chose Android, 34% chose iOS and just under 10% chose something else. Android led the overall race as well, with 48% of sales as opposed to Apple’s 43%. Android’s total US market share, as reported by a handful of firms, remains in the 46-48% range.  It’s not hard to see why Android continues to win in the US. A wide variety of form factors and price points give first-time buyers more than a single design and single screen size to choose from. While the iPhone is now available of three out of four of the big US carriers, Android is available basically anywhere, from top-tier providers with headline devices to small regional carriers with budget smartphones. The fact that mid-range Android phones tend to be a lot cheaper than their Apple counterpart doesn’t hurt, either. The takeaway message here is that Android continues to grow, even in the US, where many thought it to be over-saturated. Both Android and iOS are still stealing market share from Windows Mobile/Windows Phone and BlackBerry, whose percentages have dropped in every quarter of the last year. With their combined share in the United States reaching 90%, soon enough Apple and Google will have no one left to pummel but each other. Is it any wonder that Cupertino is spending hundreds of millions to keep Android OEMs wrapped up in legal red tape? |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 06:57 AM PST Today ends in the letter “y”, and you know what that means: more Galaxy S III rumors! The latest scuttlebutt amongst unnamed “industry insiders” points to a 7mm profile on Samsung’s flagship device, besting even the Motorola DROID RAZR for skinny dimensions. The rumor comes from ETnews, who also reports that the unnamed sources expect the phone to launch in May, probably as an international model. The only solid news concerning a Galaxy S II successor coming from Samsung is that it won’t be showing up at Mobile World Congress, as the company is saving the good stuff for its own event at an unspecified date.  How might Samsung achieve this feat? With smaller and more efficient components, particularly the main circuit board housing the SoC and most of the other primary parts. These crucial components are reportedly 20-30% slimmer than current models (and the 8.5mm Galaxy S II is no slouch). The sources claim that the camera module, still 8 megapixels, will be identical to the Galaxy S II. This means that the mythical device would have a “bump” on the camera end, not unlike Motorola’s DROID X and RAZR models. How might this impact Samsung’s standard Galaxy design, which uses a bulge at the bottom of the phone to house the radio and speaker? Who can say. Other predicted inclusions include a 2-megapixel front camera and LTE standard. The 8MP rear camera contradicts earlier rumors pointing towards a 12-megapixel sensor. While a 7mm smartphone is impressive no matter who’s making it, it wouldn’t be the thinnest in the world by a long shot. Both Fujitsu with its Arrows Android phone and NEC with its MEDIAS device have hit 6.7mm thin, though neither are the hardware powerhouse that the Galaxy S III is expected to be. Other rumors of varying credibility for the GSIII include a waterproof coating, a 2Ghz Exynos processor and/or 2GB of RAM, and a 4.7-inch 720p display (which seems much more likely). Samsung’s playing this one incredibly close to the vest – all we’ve seen of any device that even might be the Galaxy S III has been model numbers. |
Posted: 06 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST The last half of 2011 wasn’t kind to top-tier smartphone manufacturer HTC. After predicting a flat final quarter and negative growth for the first part of 2012, the company failed to meet even those lowered expectations. Now they’ve published their 2011 financial results in full, and to say the least, it doesn’t look good. Year-over-year, the company dropped 2.5% in revenue even while making and selling more devices, with a negative growth of 52.55%. As one of the “Big Three” Android OEMs, this is disturbing news for HTC while Samsung continues to extend its lead worldwide.  “We dropped the ball,” said CFO Wintson Yung, referring both to the disappointing results and what the company considers to be a stagnant year for its own design and development teams. The executive took time to single out HTC’s first wave of LTE devices as particularly disheartening. The company’s outlook for this quarter – now about half over – isn’t any better, as they expect to drop total revenue by another 36% year-over-year. If international megacorps used sports vernacular, HTC would be calling this a “rebuilding year”. Their strategy for that rebuild is centered around hero devices, less individual phones and tablets with more development and PR attention devoted to each. While neither has been officially unveiled, we’re fairly certain that the first two will be the HTC Ville and HTC Edge, a mid-range and high-end Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, respectively. The Ville was leaked on camera last week, along with its Sense UI 4.0 interface. Expect to see both devices, along with a somewhat humbled HTC promotional blitz, at Mobile World Congress in a couple of weeks. [via SlashGear] |
Posted: 05 Feb 2012 10:05 PM PST Good news folks, not only did the Giants win the Super Bowl but the Verizon Galaxy Nexus (LTE model) has received a little over the air update to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich this weekend. The update isn’t officially rolling out yet, but has hit multiple devices and we have all the details, download links, and changes that we’ve seen thus far. Check it out below.  As a small reminder this is for the Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus only for the moment and will not work for the GSM international version. We were all hoping for Android 4.0.3 but this actually brings us to Android 4.0.4 instead. The build is IMM30B and brings with it plenty of changes from what I’m seeing although the update is only 29.2 MB in size. At the very least they’ve updated the bootloader and the all important radios. This means they’ve made some changes and tweaks to the radio in the device. We are seeing much better service, especially with 4G LTE out of the gate. I now get a solid 3 bars of 4G LTE everywhere in my house, before I was lucky to get one. While we continue to look over the update if you’d like to see what all has been changed check out the unofficial change-log. Now lets get to the good stuff. For those that don’t want to wait for the update to start rolling out to all users, you can get it now and give it a go. All the details are provided in the XDA links below but I’ll also toss in the ClockWorkMod instructions as that is what was easiest for me. XDA Thread Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0.4 — Download link ClockWorkMod Instructions: *Update will break root, but can easily be restored – Download file from the link above – Be running stock Android 4.0.2 (ICL53F) (stock radios and all) – Rename to update.zip if you’d like (not needed for CWM) – Reboot into CWM Recovery – Choose “install zip from SD card” – Find file, flash, reboot, enjoy that 4.0.4 flavored Ice Cream Sandwich You can root using the original methods or just do what I did — try OTA RootKeeper from the Android Market. It backs up the root, and restores after the OTA. (Worked perfect here) For those using stock recovery the standard update.zip process did not work for me, if you have better luck feel free to share the details in the comments below. Enjoy! Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
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