Android Authority

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• XBMC will bring its open-source media center to Android
• Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is now listed as “in stock” on Office Depot
• You can now play Pong on your $300 Nexus Q. Sort of…
• Red Xperia Ion spotted in the wild, black model offered by Rogers for $49.99 [Gallery]
• CyanogenMod 10 shown running on LG Optimus 4X HD, “hardware integration is progressing nicely”
• 28 Google I/O Android sessions videos now available on YouTube
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean full changelog posted by Google
• Apple tried to bully retailers into stopping sales of Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus
• Samsung sold 6.5 million Galaxy S3 units in June, expected to sell another 15 million in Q3
• Telus HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update canceled

XBMC will bring its open-source media center to Android Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:59 AM PDT It started its life on the first-gen Xbox, but the cross-platform multimedia hub developed by XBMC can now be found running on PC, Linux, Mac OS X, and various iOS devices. We'll have to add Android to the list soon, as the developer has announced the coming of XBMC for Android. As the developing team pointed out, this is a real app that you can easily install on any device powered by Android – set-top box included – with no rooting required, and one that provides a hassle-free media streaming and content management solution for all of your multimedia files. The Android version will have the same features found on its cousins. While the demoed video below shows XBMC for Android running on a set-top box, they said  it'll play nicely with Android phones and tablets. In fact, the next set of demo videos will showcase the app run on Android phone and tablet. There are still some minor hiccups, but the app seems to run well in general and can be considered as stable. To make sure that it'll be ready for prime time faster, however, XBMC will be offering the APKs for interested beta testers in the weeks ahead. Their main concern is to make sure that the app will have an intuitive UI on small-screen device like a phone, as well as making sure that it will support the many Android devices that are available out there. As for those who got the skills and want to flex their programming skills, the developer has already released the source code of the app. No related posts. This article, XBMC will bring its open-source media center to Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is now listed as “in stock” on Office Depot Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:41 AM PDT The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 ( by the way, I really hate these 5-word long names, as they are not only unnecessary but potentially harmful for sales) has showed up on Office Depot’s online store as “in stock” for a $499.99 price. Other retailers haven’t yet put the Pad Infinity for sale, so it’s possible this is just an error on Office Depot’s part, meaning that you probably won’t be able to order it anyway. The good news is that after a long delay, the TF700 will start rolling out very soon in all stores, and you’ll finally be able to get your hands on one. What you’ll get for $500 is a quad core 1.6 Ghz Tegra 3 processor, a 10.1″ display with a 1920×1200 resolution (224 PPI), (meaning you’ll be able to watch 1080p videos at their native resolution), 32 GB of storage (double compared to the simiarly priced iPad), 1 GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, an 8 MP back camera, and 2 MP front-facing camera. I expect the Snapdragon S4 LTE-based version to appear later, for a higher price. At the same time, the price of the original Transformer Prime (which is still selling for $499) will probably drop, and the same should happen for the Transformer Pad 300. If you’re looking for a really cheap tablet, and size doesn’t matter, then you can get the Nexus 7. If you want a decent 10-inch tablet, wait for the discounted Transformer Pad 300. Finally, if you are looking for something that can compete toe to toe with the iPad, get the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. Any way, Asus wins, because they are the ones making all these devices. NEXT: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 shows up in presentation video, launch should be around the corner ASUS Transformer Prime 32GB Now available at Office Depot (Updated) Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 to hit the US in July, will sell at $499 and up This article, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is now listed as “in stock” on Office Depot , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

You can now play Pong on your $300 Nexus Q. Sort of… Posted: 14 Jul 2012 06:32 AM PDT Google's sci-fi inspired Nexus Q was one of the big surprises of this year's Google I/O event. The orb-like device (made in the USA) was received with quite a few raised eyebrows, and some of the biggest questions were "what does it do?" and "why the heck it costs 300 bucks?". Leaving those burning questions aside, inside the menacing black orb, the Nexus Q is basically a tiny Android-powered computer. That means that it's only a matter of time before people hack it and find new uses for it, besides the official, social streaming functionality promoted by Google. We've seen that it's possible to load Android games on the device, but did you know that you can actually play Pong (or a generic, non-trademark infringing version) with the Nexus Q? BrickSimple, a mobile development shop in Pennsylvania, has hacked the Q to act like a sort of controller for a Pong-like game. You can control the pad by rotating the volume controller (the orb's top hemisphere) left or right. The developers just wanted to demonstrate the flexibility of the Nexus Q, and I am sure that we'll see plenty more examples in the future. Check out the video below, and, if you'd like to tinker with the Nexus Q yourself, there's a code sample on the YouTube page that you can use. No related posts. This article, You can now play Pong on your $300 Nexus Q. Sort of… , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Red Xperia Ion spotted in the wild, black model offered by Rogers for $49.99 [Gallery] Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:39 AM PDT Not to be outdone by its peers that are offering their flagship products in various shade and colors, with the latest being the Garnet Red Samsung Galaxy S3 on AT&T and the white and silver combo HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint, it looks like Sony Mobile will offer a refreshed variant of its flagship phone. Meet the red Xperia Ion. Some beautiful hands-on pictures of the red Sony Xperia Ion have been posted by the folks at yesky, which showcase the velvety phone in various angles. Check them out below. [Show as slideshow] If you're smitten by the black Xperia Ion, it's hard to deny the oozing appeal of the red model as well. Unfortunately, it appears the red Xperia Ion will only be available for the GSM version. The LTE version, which is released in the U.S. and Canada, will come only in black. The Xperia Ion was recently launched by Sony Mobile in the U.S. and is now available from AT&T for $99 with a two year contract. In Canada, the Xperia Ion will be a Rogers exclusive and the carrier has just announced that the phone will be offered for a very affordable price of $50 with a three-year contract. Not a bad proposition at all for a phone that boasts a 4.6-inch HD display and 12MP rear camera. What do you say? Red or black? NEXT: Sony Xperia SL spotted in Indonesia, what's in store for the upgraded flagship model? Sony Xperia Ion available now on AT&T, offered for only $50 on Best Buy Sony Xperia Ion to be available exclusively on Rogers This article, Red Xperia Ion spotted in the wild, black model offered by Rogers for $49.99 [Gallery] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

CyanogenMod 10 shown running on LG Optimus 4X HD, “hardware integration is progressing nicely” Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:31 AM PDT Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is barely a few weeks old and we are already seeing a lot of encouraging signs from the developer community, although manufacturers have been far less forthcoming in announcing their plans for JB. Of course, when you say developer community, the first name that comes to mind is CyanogenMod. The CM team is already hard at work preparing the new CM10 (CyanogenMod's version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean). The good news is that the difference between ICS and JB is not that big, meaning that we won't have to wait six months to see the new CM10. The bad news is the differences are significant enough to require manual code mergers, which means that flashing maniacs will have to wait before they'll be able to try out the first nightly builds. "Hardware integration is progressing nicely", according to prominent CyanogenMod developer Ricardo Cerqueira. In a post on Google Plus, Cerqueira showed that he got CM10 running on LG's current flagship device, the Optimus 4X HD. The dev points out that the purpose of the preview is to show that development of CM10 is not only about Nexus devices, and owners of other devices should look forward to some JB goodness. The preview shows a fairly stable build, with a functional camera, sound, and calling capabilities. On the down side, the new Google Now search feature is not working, but that's something that will probably be solved in the close future. Overall, this preview is great news for Android fans. It means that CM10 might make a surprisingly early appearance, which is a welcomed change, after the many months of wait that preceded the arrival (still partial) of CM9 (CyanogenMod's version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich). NEXT: CyanogenMod: Merger of Jelly Bean will be done manually. Nightlies will take a while to arrive CyanogenMod 9 arrives for all Galaxy S3 models, except the Verizon one CyanogenMod talks Jelly Bean and CM10 This article, CyanogenMod 10 shown running on LG Optimus 4X HD, "hardware integration is progressing nicely" , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

28 Google I/O Android sessions videos now available on YouTube Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:28 AM PDT In addition to posting the full changelog for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google went one step further and released no less than 28 Google I/O Android sessions videos, which are now available on YouTube. Google I/O sold out in a matter of minutes this year (20, to be more precise), and there must have been plenty of Android developers that didn't get a chance to buy a ticket even though they would have wanted to attend the Android sessions in person. At the same time, there are plenty of developers that were interested in the event, but weren't necessarily ready to shell out the cost of a ticket ($900) – although we'd point out that Google I/O attendants walked out with plenty of swag including the Nexus 7, Nexus Q and a Galaxy Nexus handset, which means they have pretty much recovered the entrance fee. Finally, regular Android device owners may also be interested in some of the Android sessions from Google I/O, so all these Android fans will now be able to check out the released videos and learn a thing or two about their favorite operating system – check out the playlist complied by Google here: On top of making available all the videos from the Android sessions, Google revealed in its recent Android Developers blog post that it will continue to support Android developers via various video sessions, part of its Google Developers Live initiative, that will be available throughout the year to help them with their Android-related questions. Interactive programs include the Android Developer Office Hours on Wednesdays and The Friday Review of Apps and The Friday Review of Games on Fridays. NEXT: Google Videos App Mushrooms in the Android Market Original YouTube Content Could Give Google TV a Boost How to Create Free Ringtones for Your Android Phone Using YouTube Videos This article, 28 Google I/O Android sessions videos now available on YouTube , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean full changelog posted by Google Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT We have talked extensively about Google's recently announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, and while we have shown you its main features in posts and videos here on Android Authority, we now have the full official changelog of the new OS. Google posted on its Android page a full list of new features available to Jelly Bean users, and here are some of the hidden perks we may have missed during our initial Android 4.1 coverage – features that even Google did not insist on while unveiling the OS: Support for USB audio docks, shipping later this year. WebView now supports vertical text, including Ruby Text and other vertical text glyphs Calendar is more buttery. Content fades in, animations are sprinkled throughout, and swiping/paging between days is smoother. Calendar will now display event colors if you’ve given your event a color on your PC. Calendar has a new 7″ tablet layout that is optimized for the form factor When taking a photo, a new animation sweeps your photo off the screen. There is now a new paging animation when swiping between photos Camera features a new animation for switching between the front-facing and back cameras. When focusing on an object in Camera, a new animation gives you visual feedback on your focus state. You can now dismiss a data usage warning without changing the data threshold set for warning notifications. Disable background data usage on certain Wi-Fi SSIDs by designating them as mobile hotspots. Android now automatically detects when one Jelly Bean device is tethered to another’s WiFi hotspot, and intelligently enables or disables background data usage on the SSID. You can improve face matching accuracy by calibrating your face in different conditions and with different accessories (e.g. hat, glasses) You can now switch languages quickly with the dedicated language selector key on keyboard. You can use custom keyboard input styles for more than 20 languages, with keymaps for QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, Dvorak, Colemak, and PC styles You can choose the input styles that you want to use for each keyboard, and use a hotkey to switch between them while typing You now get an image preview in notifications after taking a screenshot. You can quickly share the screenshot directly from the notification You can lock automatic display rotation from the notifications shade on 7″ tablets. For Wi-Fi only devices, quickly see the SSID of the access point you’re connected to from the notifications shade. You can now touch-hold a notification to identify the application that created it and turn off notifications from that application if needed, as well as uninstall the application. Wi-Fi protected setup is now supported with WPS push button and PIN support. A new setting lets you stay on mobile data and avoid nearby Wi-Fi networks with poor connections. The People app now retrieves high res photos automatically for Google contacts with public Google+ profiles and displays higher res photos (720×720) on certain devices. The People app has a new 7″ tablet layout that is optimized for the form factor. The People app helps you organize your contacts and reduces duplicates with an Improved auto-joining algorithm. When a call is ongoing, a new notification lets you hang up the call with one touch. As part of Project Butter, the dial pad is more responsive. Call log scrolling is buttery smooth, and swiping between tabs in Phone is quick and fluid. You can now clear your frequently contacted list in the favorite tab of Phone. You can now add phone numbers from the call log to existing, read-only contacts. Accounts are now displayed in the primary Settings view so you can easily see all the accounts you’re signed into on your device. You can now easily access all Google Privacy Settings in one place by selecting your Google account from Settings. Device encryption is now more reliable, and periodically reminds you to decrypt your device. Now, SMS messages and calls are declined when waiting for decryption. You can long press the ‘Power Off’ option in the power menu to boot your device to safe mode. A new ‘Reset app preferences’ button lets you quickly reset default applications for specific activities, background data restrictions, notifications suppressions, and more. A redesigned dialog with larger icons lets you intuitively choose your preferred application for specific activities. Google Apps Device Policy on your device may now override the ‘keep screen awake’ option from developer settings. Get to Google Search faster: Google Search can be opened directly from the lock screen by swiping up. For devices with software navigation keys, you can now swipe up from the system bar to quickly access Google Search with Google Now. For devices with a hardware search key, you can tap it to launch Google Search. If you’re using a wired headset, long press the headset’s button to activate Voice Search. You can quickly perform a search query by voice and have the result read back to you. You can say “Google” to activate Voice Search from within Google Search. Google+ on tablets has a new magazines layout in the stream. Gmail has an optimized view for 7″ tablets in portrait orientation to give you a better experience reading email. YouTube has a new, more intuitive user interface, including a guide that provides quick access to your channel subscriptions. YouTube can now preload videos from subscribed channels for seamless playback even on slower networks. With a new integrated menu, you can easily watch YouTube on the big screen with Nexus Q or YouTube TV. You can now browse Google Offers within Maps to find local deals. Get indoor walking directions in Maps. With performance enhancements throughout the application and updates to the user interface, you can browse articles quickly and intuitively. With an enhanced layout engine for articles, you can enjoy dramatic, large images on a variety of articles. Currents now uses hardware acceleration to make moving between articles smoother. Currents has a new 7″ tablet layout that is optimized for the form factor. For editions written in other languages, you can now translate text into your preferred language. A new My Library widget, which displays all of your recent movies, books, music, and magazines and dynamically changes based on what you’ve been engaging with recently. There are plenty of other features mentioned the changelog, as we have only shown you above a selection of features that haven't really made it into most Jelly Bean-related articles and reviews. As you can see, there are plenty of Jelly Bean features that Google did not directly address during Google I/O, but which you'll discover and enjoy on your Android device running the OS. We’ll also notice that Google has specifically customized certain Jelly Bean features to run on 7-inch devices – obviously for its Nexus 7 tablet – but it did not mention improved support for other (bigger) screen sizes. Also worth mentioning is that the changelog, available at the link below, has a distinct section that describes “the new Google experience on Android” including Google Search, Google Now and Google Play features. Is Google trying to explicitly tell potential Kindle Fire buyers that they won’t get a similar experience on Amazon’s tablet? Have you experienced Jelly Bean yet? What are your favorite things about it? NEXT: Google Nexus 7 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS image released Jelly Bean monument shows up in Google campus, 24 hours before official debut of Android 4.1 Google Jelly Bean Keyboard available in Google Play for any Android 4.0.3+ device This article, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean full changelog posted by Google , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Apple tried to bully retailers into stopping sales of Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus Posted: 14 Jul 2012 04:54 AM PDT It looks like Apple is taking no prisoners in the battle against one of its fiercest competitors in the industry. Following the rulings made by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that paved the way for the injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Galaxy Nexus, FOSS Patents came upon documents that showed just how Cupertino has been spending their time: sending out intimidating letters to retailers to stop selling Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus. The letters apparently were sent shortly after Apple got the ruling they wanted from the court and in early July – right before a higher appeals court ordered the ban on the Galaxy Nexus to be temporarily lifted pending further hearing. In the letter, Apple quoted part of the ruling that said that the injunction applies not only to Samsung, but also to anyone "acting in concert" with them. Responding to the threatening letters, Samsung said that third-party retailers should be "permitted to sell their existing inventory, even without a stay," because they aren't subject to the prohibitions of the preliminary injunction. Legal technicalities aside, retailers like Sam's Club told The Verge that they are still selling the tablet while evaluating the injunction order, which is as good as asking Apple to talk to the hand. Best Buy seems to have stocks of the tablet and phone as well. If there's one positive thing about Apple's hostile stance against Android, which seemingly now have crossed over to retailers, is that it's brought the community closer – with Google reportedly leading the way – against Apple's effort to stymie competition through their lawyers. We imagine it'll also actually make people long for the Galaxy Nexus and the Tab 10.1. Well, maybe more of the former. No related posts. This article, Apple tried to bully retailers into stopping sales of Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Samsung sold 6.5 million Galaxy S3 units in June, expected to sell another 15 million in Q3 Posted: 14 Jul 2012 04:43 AM PDT A JPMorgan analyst was quoted by French newspaper Les Echos saying that Samsung sold 6.5 million Galaxy S3 devices in Q2, which is mostly June and another two days of May, since the Galaxy S3 was launched on May 29. That amounts to about 5 million units per month, or about five times better than the Galaxy Note, one of Samsung’s other highly successful products. The Galaxy S3 is definitely Samsung’s most successful Android product yet, considering that the Galaxy S2, their previous record holding Android device, sold “only” 10 million within the first 6 months, and the original Galaxy S sold half of that (5 million) in the same time frame. The Galaxy S3 is looking to sell more than twice as fast as the Galaxy S2, with a predicted 20+ million units in just 4 months. Does this mean the Galaxy S4 will get over 40 million units in its first 6 months? It’s certainly possible, if Samsung keeps doing all the right things, and keeps building on their past success with the Galaxy S series. But what is it that made the Galaxy S3 so successful in the first place? First off, the Galaxy S3 kept in line with the Galaxy S series tradition of having some of the best hardware on the market, including the processor (Samsung’s Exynos chips somehow keep ending up the best on the market when they launch), the camera, and its 720p 4.8″ Super AMOLED display. The display is controversial, because of its Pentile Matrix for the sub-pixel arrangement, but thanks to the super deep blacks of the Super AMOLED, it will still be considered the best display on the market by many people when they first set their eyes on it. Having the best hardware is not the only factor that helped the Galaxy S3 become so popular. Samsung also managed to build a lot of buzz around the launch of the Galaxy S3, which basically made everyone hold off from buying a phone until they saw the Galaxy S3. The fact that Samsung has built this kind of predictability around their Galaxy S phones, that makes people wait for the “next Galaxy S” device every year, something that only Apple has done so far, has certainly helped Sammy a lot, and it’s what will make even more people wait for the Galaxy S4 next year. Hopefully, HTC and others will learn the same lessons, because although Samsung is a great mobile company right now, I wouldn’t be comfortable with just them and Apple owning the market. Competition always makes things better. NEXT: Galaxy Note sold by the bucketload in South Korea: two million units in five months Report: 9 million units of Samsung Galaxy S3 have been pre-ordered Samsung sold 50,000 Galaxy S3 LTE units in South Korea on launch day This article, Samsung sold 6.5 million Galaxy S3 units in June, expected to sell another 15 million in Q3 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Telus HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update canceled Posted: 14 Jul 2012 03:48 AM PDT We have recently seen a variety of Android devices get their Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades, even though Android 4.0 was unveiled seven months ago – ICS is currently found on around 10% of available devices, but not all Android handsets and tablets out there will get it. One of the devices users would have wanted to see upgraded to ICS is the HTC Desire HD, but it looks like that's not going to happen, at least in certain markets. In Canada, Telus announced that its Desire HD ICS upgrade has been canceled, as the device tested poorly when running Android 4.0. The carrier issued a simple statement, without explaining exactly what went wrong in tests: HTC has cancelled the HTC Desire HD ICS upgrade due to poor device performance during testing. The HTC Desire HD, launched way back in 2010, was once HTC's flagship device and we expected it to be able to run a variety of new Android versions. But apparently Telus' version will stop at Gingerbread, so in case you want ICS on it you'll have to find a way to install it manually, not that we'd advising you to go down that road. NEXT: How to Install Ice Cream Sandwich ROM on the HTC Desire HTC Desire for Telus shipping with Sony LCD display, not AMOLED HTC Desire HD Coming To TELUS This article, Telus HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update canceled , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

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Android Phone Fans

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• Samsung Galaxy S3 launcher ported to ICS ROMs – blasphemy in the ears of stock Android fans
• Add Fujifilm to the Android patent wars, goes against Motorola
• Did you switch to Verizon’s Share Everything family data plans? [Poll]
• Carbon for Android may become the best Twitter client, coming for free this month after major discrepancies
• ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity starts to hit US retailers a few days early
• Sprint’s LTE network found active earlier than expected
• Telus cancels HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update, cites “poor performance”
• This is why Apple is going berserk: Android extends US marketshare lead, Samsung tops platform’s OEMs
• Samsung’s request for expedited Galaxy Nexus hearing accepted, Apple groups them with “pirates, thieves and counterfeiters”
• XBMC Media Player Officially Announced For Android

Samsung Galaxy S3 launcher ported to ICS ROMs – blasphemy in the ears of stock Android fans Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Manufacturer UIs are here to stay. It is the only way a phone maker can differentiate itself from a crowd of manufacturers using the same operating system. In the hands of manufacturers the result can either be amazing or simply horrible. Regardless, it is a matter of opinion. But around this site people are usually yelling and screaming how much they hate UI overlays, making it a bit weird when people port these launchers to other devices. The guys at XDA Developers have managed to port the Samsung Galaxy S3′s launcher to all ROMs running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. That is right, you can stick the Touchwiz launcher into any rooted device running ICS, regardless of the brand. Of course this comes with its limitations, and it won’t work perfectly with all devices. There is a rather goodlist of working devices, though. The launcher is fairly simple to install. One simply needs to put the .apk file under /system/apps using any root explorer. I would never choose to install a manufacturer launcher, as I prefer regular, simple and beautiful stock Android. And we are sure many of you will scream: “Why would you destroy your device like that?!” It might be important to note that users have been reporting rather good experiences in terms of performance. Some even swear by it being smoother than any other launcher, including Nova and Apex Launcher. The point here is that there is a drug for everyone. And if Touchwiz is yours, then by all means – enjoy it! MIUI has a very high demand, and it is also very similar to Touchwiz and iOS. We love options, right? Hit the source link for download, instructions and more details. [Source: XDA Developers]

Add Fujifilm to the Android patent wars, goes against Motorola Posted: 14 Jul 2012 06:07 PM PDT The growing trend of companies suing Android manufacturers continues to grow along with the platform’s success. Just in case Google partners don’t have enough to worry about already, Fujifilm has decided to join the party. The camera maker has recently filed a lawsuit against Motorola, claiming that a large amount of the manufacturer’s devices are infringing on its patents. Fujifilm is bringing 4 specific patents to court, which include the following: Patent #6,144,763 Patent #6,915,119 Patent #7,327,886 Patent #5,734,427 These patents involve processes mostly related to imaging (of course) and communications. In short, they relate to image conversion, processing, face detection and devices communicating with other devices “over a path other than the telephone network.” Needless to say that some of these are pretty general patents, and many other companies could very well be blamed for the same. There could be a certain process these patents refer to, which usually includes the way the coding and/or hardware is set up. But for now, the only thing to do is wait and see which patents are considered valid in court. So there you go, guys! Fujifilm joins the rest of the tech world in the war against Android. [Source: Document Via: FOSS Patents]

Did you switch to Verizon’s Share Everything family data plans? [Poll] Posted: 14 Jul 2012 04:46 PM PDT All hopes of the perfect data-sharing plans were destroyed when Verizon announced its pricing strategy. Surely, this option is not for everyone, something that was made very clear by the media, as well as customers. But with our unlimited plans not being honored starting this summer, it is about time we start thinking about our options. Having the benefit of sharing data can be a great advantage for some users. Especially those that would like to take advantage of unlimited calling and text messaging, as these plans offer those features. One can also add tablets to these plans for only $10 a month, even though these are no longer available at subsidized prices. Regardless, these plans are still not as affordable as one would hope. They start with a base payment ranging from $50 to $100 (for 1 GB and 10 GB, relatively). Then each device added to the account will cost an extra fee, which is different depending on the nature of the device. Adding a smartphone costs $40, while a basic phone costs $30. Furthermore, a WiFi Hotspot will run for $20 and a tablet $10 (more details here). Considering these prices, I would end up paying about $20 more than I currently do, if I decided to make the switch. Of course, I do not currently have unlimited calling or texting, but nor do I need it. And I am definitely not ready to let go of my unlimited data plan. With that in mind, we have been wondering if our fellow Verizon readers have done the math and made a decision yet. Will you be sticking with your current plans? Have you switched to Verizon’s Share Everything plans yet? Go ahead and let us know, as we would be interested to see how well these plans have taken off. And don’t forget to join us in the comments to explain your experiences in further detail! Take Our Poll

Carbon for Android may become the best Twitter client, coming for free this month after major discrepancies Posted: 14 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT Twitter fans tend to be very picky about their client of preference. After all, this social network can be a great source of news and information, aside from being fun. With many fans in line, Carbon seems to be the only Twitter client to cause any major hype lately. The WebOS-originating client is smooth and over all gorgeous. The developer encountered some major issues in its path, but this ended up resulting in a much better conclusion; the app will be free for everyone and is set for release this month. This decision has become almost necessary, as Google does not allow developers to post paid apps from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) yet. The Carbon team was hoping for an announcement at IO 2012, allowing developers from other parts of the world to post paid apps in the Play Store. This never happened and the developer found itself forced to re-route its plan. The app will now be completely free, promising an ad-less “premium” Twitter client for the masses. We are certainly excited to see this application go live later this month. If you haven’t seen the preview from March, you best check it out right now. Even in its alpha stages, the app looks stunning. Its beautiful UI and smooth transitions reflect the full potential of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We believe this is a must-try, and will surely be keeping our eyes on it. A Twitter app with the potential to leave its competition in the dust, and for free? Sign me up! But just out of curiosity, what would it take to make you leave your current Twitter client? Is the UI and eye-candy enough? [Source: Google+]

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity starts to hit US retailers a few days early Posted: 14 Jul 2012 02:09 PM PDT ASUS has been making rounds across the US, nearly selling out all its Nexus 7 devices on day 1. Those that want a top-of-the-line device have been waiting around for a certain other tablet, though – the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity. If you consider yourself one of these patient tablet fans, you are probably biting your nails by now. The tablet is set for release come July 16th (this Monday). But what is even more exciting is to see the tablet showing up in third-party retailer sites. Office depot happens to be the among the first, offering the tablet for $499.99 and now displaying it in stock. We are sure this bad boy will not sell out as quick as the popular Nexus 7, but it will definitely have some good demand. Office Depot is limiting customers to two devices per customer. Something that probably won’t be an issue for most of us, but some of you might want to get one for each family member. If you need a refresher, the tablet comes with a Quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.0. You may not get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, but ASUS is known to be very efficient in keeping its devices up-to-date. We expect Jelly Bean to hit the TF700T rather soon. But if you need a little extra incentive in the meantime, do remember this bad boy sports a stunning 10.1-inch 1920x1200p IPS+ display (which happens to be the tablet’s main highlight). If you are in a rush to get your Transformer Pad Infinity secured, you might as well go with Office Depot now. Or you could take a bit of a risk and see if it is in stock at your local stores this Monday. What do you say? [Via: Engadget]

Sprint’s LTE network found active earlier than expected Posted: 14 Jul 2012 12:07 PM PDT If you’ve been waiting eagerly for Sprint’s LTE network and happen to live in their initial launch regions (Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta and San Antonio) then we’ve got good news for you: reports are coming in that the 4G LTE network is discoverable AND active. The reported speeds are 10 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. Not all pockets in the above mentioned cities are getting consistent network, which launches officially tomorrow. [via The Verge]

Telus cancels HTC Desire HD Ice Cream Sandwich update, cites “poor performance” Posted: 14 Jul 2012 11:56 AM PDT I always hate reporting these kind of news, but someone’s got to. Telus has decided to cancel the Ice Cream Sandwich update that was due for the HTC Desire HD, saying that they got poor response during testing. Which basically means they’re either too lazy, or don’t want to incur the cost, or just don’t give a damn. Why do I say that? Because I’m certain the Desire HD can run Ice Cream Sandwich. You need only visit XDA to find several fledgling ROMs. The phone has decent enough components to handle the OS with ease, with the same Snapdragon S2 and has the same Adreno 205 GPU as the HTC One V, with more RAM (768 MB RAM to One V’s 512). The One V can apparently handle ICS, but Desire HD can’t. Once again, the carriers prove it’s foolish to expect any honesty from them. [via Droid Dog]

This is why Apple is going berserk: Android extends US marketshare lead, Samsung tops platform’s OEMs Posted: 14 Jul 2012 09:27 AM PDT Analytics firm Nielsen statistics from their Q2 2012 subscriber data has shown Android extend its significant lead over Apple, with a 51.8% marketshare compared to iOS’s 34.3%. In Q1 2012, the scores stood at 48.5% for Android to Apple’s 32%. About a year ago (Q3 2011, I was unable to find the Q2 2011 data for a YoY comparison) Android had a 44.2% to 28.6% lead. These are minor growths, but it shows that regardless of the injunction requests and all the legal hoopla, and despite all the “fragmentation” talk, Apple is nowhere close to closing the gap on Android. In the manufacturer’s stakes, Samsung is the leading OEM as expected, with their Android devices accounting for a 17% total marketshare. HTC is second at 14%, Motorola third at 11% and the rest accounting for 9%. Looking over at the other platforms, Blackberry has dropped from 17% in Q3 2011 to 9%. Windows Phone 7 is stagnant at a meager 1.3%, with all the money spent on marketing still unable to get them to even half of Windows Mobile’s 3% share. [via Brief Mobile]

Samsung’s request for expedited Galaxy Nexus hearing accepted, Apple groups them with “pirates, thieves and counterfeiters” Posted: 14 Jul 2012 07:55 AM PDT After the return of the Galaxy Nexus to the Play Store, we have some more good news on the Samsung vs Apple patent battle: the Korean manufacturer’s request for an expedited appeal against the preliminary injunction granted against the Galaxy Nexus has been grated. As a result, they must submit their court brief by the 16th of July to the US Court of Appeals, after which Apple has 14 days to respond. Final comments will take place on the 6th of August. However, that’s not the end of the story. Apple’s use of lawsuits to protect and increase their marketshare has already hit the wrong notes with most of the community, even those who use iOS devices. Yet, having first written to retailers informing them not to sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Galaxy Nexus (despite the latter’s injunction having been removed for the time-being), they have gone on to defend themselves in a way that leaves a pretty bad taste. When Samsung complained about the letters, Apple’s stance was summed up by their following words: “[the company's] letter shows nothing beyond the entirely predictable consequence of Samsung’s infringement — i.e., the infringing products must be taken off of the market. It is not a legally cognizable harm to halt downstream sales of stolen, pirated, counterfeit, or infringing products.” While I believe that it is fair to remind retailers not to sell a product against which an injunction has been granted, Apple’s choice of words were eye-opening, in a bad way. To try to remove a competitor’s products from the market using minor software patents that should never have been granted is one thing. To group the competitor with pirates, thieves and counterfeiters is quite another. The arrogance displayed by Apple in that statement is mind-boggling. There was absolutely no need to mention “stolen, pirated, counterfeit” to get their point across, which leaves us with the obvious conclusion that this was a calculated strategy on the part of their legal team. Apple, I never thought I’d say this, but you’ve stooped to a whole new level. [via Electronista]

XBMC Media Player Officially Announced For Android Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:52 PM PDT This is sure to make more than a few Android-nerds very happy campers. Tonight, XMBC, the popular open-sourced media player app, has just announced that an honest-to-goodness, full featured, all-inclusive Android application is nearing a release. That means soon, Android users will be able to take full advantage of the media player solution, to stream locally stored media anywhere they can hook up their Android device. None of that rooting or funny business required. This is for everyone. The developers provided the below video as proof. I think we may have finally found a use for the Nexus Q… [XBMC]

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